Community housing conversations

Town and Parish Councillors from across Cornwall came together to discuss issues surrounding affordable housing at a conference designed to share practical information and bust some common myths.

The event was organised by the Cornwall Association of Local Councils, Coastline Housing and Ocean Housing and attracted over 100 participants.

Experts from the community housing sector across Cornwall gave talks, got involved in workshops and answered some key questions.

Chris Weston, Director of Development at Coastline Housing, said: “We all appreciate that there is a severe housing crisis in Cornwall and that this needs to be addressed. Sometimes though, bringing a new development into being can be complex and open up a number of questions from local communities and the councillors that represent them.

“It was great to be able to hold an event where everyone in the room was able to ask these questions openly and honestly and get answers from those with experience in the field. We hope that it’s really helped to increase understanding around affordable housing and build some new relationships moving forwards.”

The event included talks from Allister Young, CEO of Coastline Housing; Olly Monk, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing at Cornwall Council; Sarah Roberts, Rural Housing Enabler at Cornwall Council and Andrew George, CEO of Cornwall Community Land Trust among others.

Workshops covered issues including how to identify and progress sites, the role of design and planning for a scheme and exploring delivery and allocations procedures when building local homes for local people.

Anyone wishing to view the slides and notes from the event will find them on the Community Association of Local Councils’ website.