Cornwall councillors back plan to make housing list fairer

Nine thousand households were waiting for a council home in Cornwall in March 2020. Today that figure stands at around 25,000, and councillors have now backed a call to make the whole system clearer for the people stuck on it.

The housing register motion

At today’s Full Council meeting, members supported a motion asking for people applying for social housing to be given more information about their actual chances of being offered a home.

Cornwall’s social and affordable housing register has grown from roughly 9,000 households in March 2020 to around 25,000 now. Around 500 new applications land every month, while approximately 120 households are housed in that same period, a gap that shows why waiting times have stretched out so far.

Cllr Steven Webb, who proposed the motion, said: “This does send a message to Cornwall that we can work together here to try to solve some of the problems that they’re suffering with.”

Devolution deal on the table

Council leader Cllr Leigh Frost used the meeting to update members on the Prime Minister’s announcement of a devolution deal for Cornwall, one that would not require a directly elected mayor.

Leigh told members he had been invited to Number 10 North to continue those discussions, and intends to use the opportunity to make the strongest possible case for Cornwall. “There is still a great deal to work through, and as always, the devil will be in the detail,” he said. “So while I am cautious about not getting ahead of ourselves, it’s clear that this is a real opportunity.”

He added that devolution should not simply mean changing structures or creating another layer of government, but should mean more power for Cornwall to tackle the issues that matter to residents, and the right conditions for a stronger Cornish economy.

A survey on life in Cornwall

Leigh also announced the launch of the Let’s Talk About Cornwall survey, which asks residents what life is like in their communities, how the cost of living is affecting them and their families, and what they want the Council to focus on in the years ahead.

“Whether we are talking about the powers we want to bring back from Westminster or the decisions we already take here in Cornwall, the principle should be the same,” Leigh said. “Decisions about Cornwall should be shaped by the people who live here.”

Consultation and climate motions passed

Members also voted in favour of a motion to review how the Council consults with residents and town and parish councils on decisions with an environmental or public health impact.

A further motion, calling for the Council to increase members’ and officers’ understanding of the impacts of climate change and to show the Government’s National Emergency Briefing film, was also passed.

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