Cornwall completes multi-million deal to buy affordable homes

130 homes at West Carclaze Garden Village have been bought by Cornwall Council as part of its work to tackle the housing crisis.

The deal with developers Eco-Bos is the largest acquisition the authority has made to date for its new ‘council housing’ development programme, which was set up in 2019 following the lifting of borrowing restrictions by the Government.

The homes will be available for social and affordable rent and shared ownership once complete.

100 of the homes would have been open market but the deal will see them converted into additional affordable housing using Council funding.

Olly Monk, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for housing and planning, said: ‘This deal represents nearly two years of work by officers from our dedicated in-house Delivery Team and our partners at Eco-Bos.

‘This Council has committed to ending the housing crisis in Cornwall, and commercial acquisitions of low carbon homes like this, in sustainable locations, shows our commitment to doing whatever is necessary to provide homes that people in our communities can afford – without having a detrimental effect on the environment.

‘We want to buy many more homes like these – thus taking them off the open market and making them available to local people who need them – and we are working with partners across the housing market to achieve that.

‘I also offer my thanks to the previous administration and Lord Taylor of Goss Moor for their assistance over the years in bringing this site forward.’

The homes are due to be handed over to the Council over the next three to four years, with the first expected in the coming months.  

They will feature air-source heat pumps and solar panels, saving an average of 4.6 tonnes of carbon a year, using just 32 per cent of the energy of an average house.

Maher Maksoud, CEO of Eco-Bos, added: ‘We are delighted to announce this sale of homes to Cornwall Council, which has been a close collaborator and supporter of West Carclaze Garden Village (WCGV) at all stages of its conception and development. 

‘As our first UK project, we are making every effort to make WCGV a model project inspired by the aspirational life-enriching design principles of Garden Villages and net carbon neutral development to do our part for the environment and future generations, and, last but not least, making all this surprisingly affordable to the average family. 

‘Cornwall Council’s purchase is a great vote of confidence in the project and a further encouragement for us to make it a national showcase.’

Photo supplied by Cornwall Council