Affordable home figures 'artificially inflated' in Cornwall

The plans for 25 new affordable homes in Constantine have been met with strong objection from the parish council

A parish council has claimed the need for homes in its area has been "artificially inflated" by an online housing register.

Coastline Housing has applied for permission to build 25 new homes in Constantine, near Falmouth, all of which will be affordable.

However, Constantine Parish Council has disputed the figures provided for the number of homes needed in the parish.

People looking for an affordable home can apply to live in several parishes.

The plans are for Trebarvah Road, north of Trebarvah Court, Constantine.

Under the plans, set to go before Cornwall Council on Monday, there would be 17 homes available for affordable rent and eight for shared ownership, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cornwall Council planning officers have recommended the application should be approved, subject to a legal agreement being signed which would include assurance on the affordable housing.

However the parish council highlighted that in December the affordable housing officer had identified 37 households on the housing waiting list in the area but the latest report stated that number was now 53.

They said that in relation to another application in October 2019 the figure was 24.

Constantine Parish Council said: "Between October 2019 and August 2021 therefore, the affordable housing officer records that the need for affordable homes in Constantine has soared by some 120 percent.

"The Parish Council believes that this figure is artificially inflated by individual requests for housing in multiple parishes on the Homechoice register."

People looking for an affordable home can apply for properties owned and managed by Cornwall Council and its partner landlords through Homechoice.

Parish councillors also objected to the plans as they feel the development is too large and would have a negative impact on an Area of Great Landscape Value.

Responding to the parish council, Cornwall Council planning officer Mark Ball said the affordable housing officer had supported the application and stated there were 53 households seeking affordable rented accommodation including 28 aged over 55 who require one-bedroom properties.

He said: "She welcomes the provision of six bungalows as part of the development which she considers would help to meet an identified local need for homes for older people."

The planning application had previously sought to build 28 homes on the site but this was reduced to 25 after comments made by the council's planning officers and some consultees.