The Penzance Council Housing Crisis Working Group was set up by Penzance Council in September 2021 in response to the growing emergency, as local people found themselves increasingly squeezed out of the housing market – both as buyers and as renters.
The working group invited people with detailed knowledge of the local housing landscape, to talk with them about their experiences.
Representatives from Cornwall Council’s affordable housing team, Citizens Advice, the Cornwall Community Land Trust, and LiveWest spoke about the challenges in today’s local housing market, as did a local estate agent and a small-scale property developer. They also collated data from other sources to try and get an objective view.
Drawing on this information, they have put together a series of policy suggestions and recommendations at three different levels:
- Local: directly making a difference, by using our powers as a council and/or by working in partnership with others, in particular through the emerging Penzance Neighbourhood Plan (PZNP).
- County: working with our Cornwall Councillors to influence policy at County Hall.
- National: influencing national policy through our local MP and other channels.
While the report cannot provide a quick solution to the current emergency, the working group hope that it will help trigger a rethink in policies to ensure that a lasting solution is found.
You can read the full report here:
