Selling Cornwall by the Pound

Housing Requirement for Cornwall: Who’s having the say?

CORNWALL COUNCIL DRAFT LOCAL (HOUSING) PLAN
OR:  SELLING CORNWALL BY THE POUND

By Craig Weatherill

For this, and true to their accustomed practice of utterly ignoring Cornish expertise and opinion, Cornwall Council went outside Cornwall to commission a report on Housing Requirement for Cornwall, selecting Peter Brett Associates of BRISTOL, who produced his report for the Council in October 2012.

cementtrucksBrett Associates then chose to seek advice from a number of organisations, and were kind enough to print a list of “Organisations Participating in Housing Market Consultation” in their report.  Let’s just have a look and see who knows best for Cornwall, shall we?

BARRATT (Homes) – head office:  London.

LINDEN/ROSEMULLION (Homes) – Head Office in Middlesex.  Linden Homes’ founder, Andrew Sells, is now Chairman of Natural “England” so we can all see where that appointment’s going, can’t we?

WAINHOMES – very shy of revealing their Head Office, but their nearest regional office is in Newton Abbot.

PERSIMMON (Homes) – Head Office:  York.

GALLIFORD TRY:  Hold on….this is the name behind Linden Homes!  TWO bites of the cherry?

IAN HOBSON DESIGNS:  Based in Brixham.

SAVILLS:  Estate agents.  Head Offices:  New York and London.

DUCHY OF CORNWALL:  ‘Nuff said!

NATHANIEL LICHFIELD:  Regional offices in Cardiff, London, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester.

BOVIS (Homes):  Head Office:  Kent.

Then, at last, the token Cornish firms:
GOLDRING YATES:  Estate agents, Truro & St Agnes
PERCY WILLIAMS: Developer.  Redruth
GOUNDRY PEARCE: Estate agent.  Truro.

I just felt that the long-suffering residents, voters and council tax payers of Cornwall should know who we’re being sold to.

First written 20 August 2014, and remains as relevant today

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