Radical solutions required to solve housing crisis (Totnes & Brixham Liberal Democrats)

Totnes & Brixham Liberal Democrats <info@totneslibdems.org.uk>

Radical solutions required to solve housing crisis

July 7, 2003 12:00 AM

Totnes Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Mike Treleaven, today endorsed calls for a radical solutions to the current housing crisis put forward by the regions Liberal Democrat M.Ps.

'We are currently facing the worst housing crisis for a generation with first time buyers unable to get a start on the property ladder. Throughout the constituency from Salcombe to Brixham, Ashburton to Brixham and all places in between we have a huge preponderance of holiday homes . !0% of all homes in the South Hams are second homes with Salcombe reaching as high as 48%. There has to be a system that limits this in areas with the greatest housing needs and I endorse calls by Nick Harvey ( Liberal Democrat M.P.for North Devon) for alterations in the planning system to require change of use permission in areas of severe housing shortage.' He continued

' I have been advocating this as a partial solution to the problem for years and I would extend it to cover homes solely used for short term holiday rental as well. As a further step the Government has moved to halt the iniquity of second home owners paying only 50% Council Tax by allowing local councils to collect 90% of the full amount BUT this must be ring fenced for affordable housing and not distributed to all and sundry. We have the ludicrous situation in the South Hams where potential income of £2.5million per year may end up with the District Council only receiving 250,000. This has to be wrong. Second homes are a large contributor to house price inflation and any extra money received should go towards alleviating the housing shortage.