Peter Watts, Chair of Modbury Parish Council, declared that he was speechless at South Hams recent declaration in a ‘News Release’ that there was a “housing crisis”.
The same District Council, only recently, took a last-minute decision to abandon its role as developer of affordable housing in Modbury. The scheme that the District and Parish Councils had worked on for over 2 years, cost more than £30,000 in development costs and had the support of the community.
Chairman Peter Watts said “This ‘News Release’ that there is a Housing Crisis is not news to anyone but SHDC. It is just words and our young people need more than that, they need homes. The District council are only now starting to lobby government, yet this problem has not sprung up overnight. It has been created by the actions, or inactions of the District Council, governments and developers over many years. We were trying to address that. The Parish Council were about to deliver genuinely affordable housing for Modbury with an imaginatively funded scheme and the District Council pulled the rug on that.”
Barry Keel, Chair of the Parish Council’s Planning Committee said, “No one will be taken in by these empty statements, least of all the people who are looking for homes. South Hams recently scuppered a good scheme and I would like to see the Council deliver what they are only now deciding to start talking about. This statement from them is not about delivery. Statements are not enough and some real leadership is urgently required. The community is only too aware of the problems. We all want to know what will happen, when and who will be accountable for its delivery?”