Scilly Isles council buys house to tackle housing crisis

The council on the Isles of Scilly is in the process of buying the property.

Isles of Scilly councillors have agreed to buy a property which will be converted into affordable housing in a bid to help tackle the housing crisis.

The former guest house on St Mary's was on the market for £745,000.

Councillor Tim Dean said the purchase was one way the council was trying to "ease the housing crisis".

The Isles of Scilly Council has plans to build some affordable housing, but decided to buy the property as a "short term move to help those in need".

There are currently about 60 households on the council's waiting list, said the lead member for housing on the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

He said housing had "always been a problem here" and in order to get a home "you need a lot of money and wages here are low."

"Much like Cornwall we have a shortage of properties in the private rental market for workers, keyworkers or anyone who lives here, they have been converted to holiday homes or sold to make the most of the market."

Rental shortages

The property, which includes a four-bedroom main house and a separate two-bedroom annexe, is set to be converted by the council into three affordable units, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Among the suggested solutions were plans to redevelop the old secondary school site and to build 12 self-build homes in Old Town, added Mr Dean.

A report from Cornwall and the islands' executive group said: "Housing is one of the areas in which the impacts of the pandemic has been most acutely felt."

Rising house prices and the increase in domestic tourism led to many private landlords selling or moving to holiday lets which has led to "critical shortages in the private rented sector and subsequent increases in rental costs", the report added.