Latest news with #CornwallCouncil
ITV News
a day ago
- Politics
- ITV News
With almost 25,000 people in need of a home in Cornwall - who is being hit the hardest?
More than 1,700 people are currently living in temporary accommodation across Cornwall, new figures have revealed. The data, obtained by ITV News West Country, has found the number of households sleeping in caravans, hotels, B&Bs and semi-permanent flats has increased four-fold since 2019. And those waiting for accessible housing are facing an even more frustrating situation - with just 13 properties available to bid on, with more than 1,000 people currently in need. ITV News West Country has been speaking to people across Cornwall who are currently stuck in limbo waiting for accommodation to suit them and their loved ones. What is the current housing situation in Cornwall? There are currently more than 25,000 people looking for a home in Cornwall. This has risen significantly since March 2020 when there were around 9,000 people searching. Cornwall Council say they receive an average of 10,000 applications for the 1,200 homes which become available each year. Our exclusive figures highlight the issue is even more frustrating for those waiting for accessible housing. There are currently 1,037 people waiting for properties labelled as accessibility adapted - of which there are currently just 13 to bid on. More than 320 people are waiting for a property suitable for wheelchair use both inside and out - which the council currently has zero to offer. What is causing the problem? Councillor Peter La Broy, who was elected as Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for housing in the recent May elections, admits there is currently a 'perfect storm' contributing to the housing issues in the county. He explains that property prices went "through the roof" after Covid - with rental properties rising by 20 to 30%. Private landlords converting houses into summer accommodation is also an issue for the area. He adds this all comes at a time when there is a low wage economy and the council hasn't been building as many affordable houses as they need to. What is temporary accommodation? Temporary accommodation is not for long-term living, it is supposed to be a short term measure until a suitable home is found. It can be anything from shared housing, a caravan, B&B, hotel rooms, hostels or a private rental costs rising, a lack of affordable housing, and the challenges of second home ownership in the country, more people in Cornwall are finding themselves in temporary accommodation. Cornwall Council said the number of people living in temporary accommodation had increased four-fold since 2019, reaching a peak of over 950 households last year which has now reduced to around 830 households. Among them is Kenya who has spent two years in short term solutions. She said of a bedroom she was put in with a shared kitchen and toilet: "It was just a small bedroom. A couple weeks in I was getting bit by fleas." Placed miles from her support network she added: "I was lonely all the time. I had really bad anxiety because I didn't know the place." Delays from her housing officer meant Kenya wasn't able to bid on a two bedroom property after the birth of her daughter for months. She added: "They don't care, you're just a number in their system." Wiliam Wong from Citizens Advice Cornwall said: "There are many reasons people can lose their home, but it's largely due to evictions. "If they're in emergency accommodation they shouldn't be there for more than 6 weeks, but we know that the council is under a great deal of pressure because there isn't enough accommodation around."How do you get out of temporary accommodation? People who are hoping to move from temporary accommodation or into different council accommodation can register on the HomeChoice website. Properties are uploaded once a week for people to bid on. People can place up to three bids on a home at a time. Those on HomeChoice register include John who is living in an over-crowded one bedroom flat with his two teenage children. He says he has tried to bid every week for the last 18 months, but finds there are not always properties available to place a bid on. He said: "I'm frustrated because any parent would just want to make sure their kids are safe and sheltered. "They are not getting that, they are not getting the shelter and the privacy they need. "If I could get a magic wand and it would be done, but I can't."I go on the site every week and there's hardly ever anything suitable for me. It's broken, their system is broken. And people outside of that system are suffering. 'I have to bump down the stairs', says Michael, who is waiting for an accessible home Our exclusive figures also reveal that more than 1,000 people are waiting for a wheelchair-accessible home, but only 13 available to bid on. There are also 324 people who need a council house where they can use their wheelchair inside and outside. The council said there are currently none available for bidding. Michael has cerebral palsy and has been on the waiting list for 5 years for a one bedroom wheelchair-accessible home. He currently lives at his parents' home and finds getting up and down their stairs a daily struggle. He said: "There are times when no one is around, so I have to bump down the stairs which doctors have told me not to do. It is painful and extremely tiring and I'm in so much pain that I can't physically do what I was doing before." He added that in those 5 years, only one wheelchair accessible home has been available in Penzance to bid on. But he says when they went to look at the property, it was on a main road with no pavement, and had steps up to the front door. "Why do I have to be the one left behind? The one forgotten about?", Michael said. The reality of unsuitable housing More figures obtained by ITV News West Country reveal that around 25,000 people are on the register which allows thousands of people in need of homes in Cornwall to bid on council and housing association properties. It is known as the HomeChoice register. This figure is up from 9,000 in March 2020. That includes John who is living in an over-crowded one bedroom flat with his two teenage children. He says he has tried to bid every week for the last 18 months, but finds there are not always properties available to place a bid on. He said: "I'm frustrated because any parent would just want to make sure their kids are safe and sheltered. They are not getting that, they are not getting the shelter and the privacy they need. If I could get a magic wand and it would be done, but I can't. "I go on the site every week and there's hardly ever anything suitable for me. It's broken, their system is broken. And people outside of that system are suffering." What are the council doing to try and ease the pressures? Cllr Peter La Broy said he knew there was work to be done around the housing issues in the County. He told ITV West Country: "The difference we can make is to really look hard at the opportunities we have. "The government has announced a new housing target of 4,421 homes for Cornwall per year, which is a dramatic uplift on the previous target in the region of 2,600. "I think we need a dramatic uplift in building properties, I know that won't be popular with everyone, but for those that have been having trouble they will be very grateful more houses are coming on the market."I want to really explore with Homes England that as many as possible homes that we build in Cornwall are in the right place, with the right number of bedrooms. "What we don't need is five, six bedroom executive houses to bring rich people in from across the border."What we do need is one, two, three bedroom houses to suit local families that have problems and more than that they need to be affordable."
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
A30 underpass in Cornwall to be filled in after bridge opened
An underpass on a new stretch of the A30 is being filled in five years after it was built because it has been "superseded" by a tunnel near the Chiverton junction is being closed because it is so near to a bridge with the same function, the Local Democracy Reporting Services (LDRS) Highways said the underpass had proved redundant and would be bricked underpass was built at the start of the A30 dualling project in 2021. The £2.68m bridge was built 450 metres away last year as part of the Saints Trails. 'Superseded' Andrew Clark, National Highways' senior project manager on the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme, said: "One of the key benefits of the A30 upgrade is to improve and increase connectivity for local communities living alongside the said Cornwall Council's bridge, which opened in April 2024 with National Highways funding, was "already offering excellent provision for cyclists, horse riders and other non-motorised users to cross the busy A30 route".Mr Clark added: "The Chiverton underpass has now been superseded by the construction of the Saints Trail bridge and, with the agreement of Cornwall Council, we have taken the decision to infill the underpass and point non-motorised users to the bridge, which is just 450 metres away."He said infilling the underpass would save maintenance costs and prevent anti-social behaviour.A National Highways spokesperson said the agency "always scrutinises costs on any project to ensure value for money for the taxpayer".
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cornwall's oldest boxing club aims to secure future
Building a new home for Cornwall's oldest boxing club would help encourage more young people to take up the sport, coaches have said. Camborne and Redruth boxing club has drawn-up plans to knock down its existing home of 60 years and replace it with a purpose-built facility. The club said it had submitted the proposals to Cornwall Council and a decision was now due to be made this autumn. It hopes to then secure about £750,000 of funding, with the intention of completing the work by the start of 2028. Coach Paul Murray said: "We need to make sure we keep going - not just for the youth of Camborne but for the history of boxing in Cornwall." The club currently operates out of a 1940s pre-fabricated building on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Camborne. Mr Murray said the current building was no longer fit for purpose and they had no choice but to build a new one. "Our changing rooms and facilities are not up to the modern standards our governing body expect - so it's now time for us to replace the building with a modern, vibrant building that will be sustainable," he explained. The new gym would be two storeys high and include a ring with spectator seating to allow the club to host competitions. It would also have community space and a cafe to bring in additional revenue. The club hosts training sessions for under-10s, juniors and adults most weekday evenings. Josh, 14, from Camborne, said he was excited by the plans for the new gym. "I think loads of people would come here if it looked like that. I want to be a boxer. Having a better facility will help people get better," he said. Kyros, 15, also lives in Camborne and admitted that without the club he would probably just stay at home and be on his phone. "I think it's a really good place and it's better than going out and making trouble," he said. "It helps me mentally and if I have any anger during school it helps me get it out." Tegan, who is 16 and from Redruth, hoped more modern facilities would attract more girls to the club. "The new building would give us female changing rooms, female toilets. I think it would be great to have more facilities to train and progress," she explained. Mr Murray said they have had conversations with the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport and hoped to access government grants for the new building. He said: "Having a more modern club will bring in more children, more young adults and give them more things to do - to keep them off the street, to get them out of trouble, to stop being on their iPads and computer games. "It'd give the youth of Camborne and the surrounding area somewhere that they're proud of." More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Government pledges £900m for sports events & facilities
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Beach vandalism 'putting lives at risk'
Vandalism at Polzeath Beach is putting lives at risk, Cornwall Council has said. The warning follows the discovery of a public rescue buoyancy aid which had been torn from its casing and thrown onto a telegraph pole. "Public rescue equipment is there to help save lives and moving or damaging it puts people in danger and is a criminal offence," said a council spokesperson. The council is urging anyone witnessing vandalism to report it to the police immediately. More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Related stories Appeal for witnesses after beach toilet vandalised Related internet links Cornwall Council
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Beach vandalism in Cornwall 'putting lives at risk'
Vandalism at Polzeath Beach is putting lives at risk, Cornwall Council has warning follows the discovery of a public rescue buoyancy aid which had been torn from its casing and thrown onto a telegraph pole."Public rescue equipment is there to help save lives and moving or damaging it puts people in danger and is a criminal offence," said a council council is urging anyone witnessing vandalism to report it to the police immediately.
