🏘️👷♂️ Imagine a picturesque village with 33 shiny, new-build homes, just waiting to become a thriving community hub. Now imagine those homes are boarded up and deserted. That’s the reality for residents of Calstock who are frustrated as a planning dispute has left these dream homes empty.
Back in 2018, planning permission was granted for a state-of-the-art housing estate promising 15 affordable homes. Fast forward eight years, and the estate sits unfinished due to spiralling developer costs and planning gridlocks. What was supposed to be a benefit for locals has turned into a saga of paperwork and halted construction.
Residents like Olivia Cheek and Grahame Bartleet aren’t shy about expressing their frustrations. “They promised affordable houses for locals but failed to deliver,” said Grahame. The developer initially planned for nearly half of the homes to be sold at reduced prices but then applied for changes, cutting down the affordable properties to just ten. This back-and-forth has left outsiders scratching their heads and locals worried about the future.
The developer, Construction Partners Ltd, admits to facing challenges exacerbated by what they describe as a “broken” planning system. The saga continues as the community waits to see if there will be any resolution in sight.
While Cornwall Council and the developers aren’t commenting further, the hope for many is still that these boarded-up homes will eventually find new life and purpose. Let’s hope these homes can become the community assets they were meant to be! 🤞🌟 #CalstockHomes #CommunityFirst #UKHousingCrisis