Housing crisis easing in South Hams

Council claims it is working through problems

People in the South Hams should see the benefit of efforts to tackle the housing crisis soon. 

The council’s pledge came as member of South Hams District Council (SHDC) executive met on Thursday 1 December, to discuss progress since they declared housing crisis in September last year. 

Council leader and Conservative member for Salcombe and Thurlestone, Judy Pearce, listed some of the initiative underway, including “our own council house building programme at St Anne’s Chapel. 

“Only small, but again it will be helping out a number of families locally into extremely good housing.” 

Cllr Pearce insisted other measures were also being considered including charges owner of second homes higher rates of council tax but added it was not just a concern locally.

“We are working our way through the problems to do whatever we can to alleviate the problem locally,” she said.

“I think, unfortunately, this is becoming a national problem now and not just a local problem. And asylum dispersal and all the rest of it is not helping the situation at all.”

SHDC has recently lobbied the government, through MPs and the Local Government Association, for a licensing scheme in areas with high numbers of second homes.  It would mean owners of all visitor accommodation, including short-term holiday lets, would need to obtain a licence. 

Cllr Pearce says she is totally committed to addressing the problem.

“I will fight for local residents tooth and nail wherever I can to make sure that they have a decent home,” she said. “There’s a lot to do, but we’ll carry on doing what we can.”

In November, Cllr Pearce appeared at a House of Lords select committee to discuss concerns around short-term lets.  Liberal Democrat councillor for Kingsbridge, Denise O’Callaghan, welcomed the commitment made by SHDC to providing more homes but criticised the government for not helping the region more.

“If they ever came down to this part of the country, they might have found out somewhat earlier, mightn’t they?” she said.

“I know the leader has invited them down in the past. It constantly surprises me, these desktop exercises which are done in Whitehall. 

“Nobody bothers to actually travel to these parts of the country. I think it’s shocking. Apart from to their second homes, of course.”

LibDem councillor for Stokenham, Julian Brazil, welcomed the moves to tackle the housing problem but said the process should be simpler

“I think it’s very straightforward,” he explained. “You make all houses, pay council tax [and] you give councils the opportunity to charge maybe up to four times council tax for second homes, depending on the percentage of homes that there are in a particular area.”

Members of the executive agreed to note the progress made in the housing crisis action plan and continue to make efforts to tackle concerns.