Polzeath workers' hostel owner rejects offers of millions

John Richardson said he wanted to support people working in the seasonal and hospitality industry

A man who is offering affordable accommodation to local workers at a Cornish resort says he has rejected lucrative offers from developers.

John Richardson said he had been offered "millions" for the beachside house at Polzeath.

But instead he is renting out rooms for £100 a week.

Mr Richardson said his family was "not money orientated" and there was "no number" developers could offer him that would persuade him to sell the house.

Most of the people living at the hostel are working on the beach in the seasonal trade, or in the hospitality industry

Mr Richardson said the hostel, The Dolphins Lodge, had been in his family for more than 70 years.

"It's been run as a holiday let in the past but, during this kind of housing crisis, we think it's time to kind of step up and do something different with it," he said.

"The main focus needs to be on our local community and workers. When we lose that, we won't have a village," he added.

Properties in Polzeath had an overall average price of £871,909 over the last year, according to website Rightmove.

The Dolphins Lodge overlooks the beach in Polzeath

Workers from a local surf school are among those living in the house which was bought by Mr Richardson's grandparents in the 1950s.

"We are all seasonal workers, we are not the richest and rent down here is just ridiculous, but here it's very reasonable," said one.

Another said: "Last year some places weren't able to open because they didn't have the staff because no-one could afford to be here to work here.

"We wouldn't be able to come and work here if it wasn't for the hostel."

Belinda Smith and Mike Coetzee were homeless for a year

Another scheme has seen a Newquay hotel repurposed to provide affordable accommodation to those on low incomes.

Belinda Smith and Mike Coetzee were homeless for a year after they were forced to leave their rental property in Carvynick.

They now live at an 'aparthotel' in Newquay which opened in April, with Ms Smith employed as the manager.

Mr Coetzee said: "When we knew we had to leave Carvynick, where we were staying, because of a new deal with the council, we went to every single estate agent."

He said the council told him it had nothing to offer them.

"We were both working, it's just there was nowhere to stay," he added.

Dogs are welcome in the aparthotel

Most of the rooms at the aparthotel are available to locals for between £500 and £700 per month - and dogs are welcome too.

Monique Collins, who runs a foodbank in Newquay, has been able to offer some advice to the landlord of the aparthotel.

She said she believed this model of accommodation could be expanded.

She said: "Basically... it has given 43 locals the chance to live and work at an affordable rate and there should be more places like this around.

"Instead of building the unaffordable homes that we are seeing going up time after time, this is what we should be seeing."

'Unprecedented imbalance'

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: "Cornwall continues to experience extreme housing pressures due to an unprecedented imbalance in supply and demand. 

"In the last three years, the number of households in need of emergency accommodation has increased by around 200% to 750 while the number of households on our social housing register has more than doubled to over 23,000. 

"The lack of decent affordable housing was brought to a head in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

"Then the boom in house prices and the demand for holiday accommodation brought about a significant reduction in the availability of homes to rent and a matched sudden escalation in rental costs. 

"Private landlords moved away from long-term letting and towards the short-term holiday market."

The council said it was building more council housing for local residents with developments in Veryan, St Agnes and Callington and was working with developers, local communities and partners to identify more sites. 

It added: "We have bought open market homes to convert into affordable housing for local people in need.

"We're providing emergency temporary accommodation so that residents are not housed in B&Bs or hotels but we are also working to provide housing through investment in our own stock of accommodation."

The council said it was buying and refurbishing disused properties and providing dedicated move-on accommodation to support former rough sleepers to help people find settled, permanent homes. 

A spokesperson said the council was also reviewing its offer to private landlords to help keep people in their homes in the private sector.

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].