CORNISH MPs, alongside key officials from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Councils, say they are committed to collaborating closely with government representatives to develop and implement a robust programme aimed at delivering much-needed affordable homes within the county.

Following a meeting with Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP, the group were clear in their future objectives, which is to ensure that before the current parliamentary term concludes, the necessary steps are taken to address the housing shortage, providing local communities with access to quality, affordable living spaces.

The meeting was secured earlier this year when Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, challenged the Prime Minister to put right a system his government inherited from the Conservatives.

Mr George explained how distorted the system had become, pointing out that “over £500 million of taxpayers’ money has been handed to holiday-home owners in Cornwall in the last decade, while the housing crisis for local families has reached its worst state in living memory.”

The meeting, which was attended by Mr George, alongside fellow Cornish MPs Ben Maguire, Noah Law, and Anna Gelderd, along with Phil Mason (Cornwall Council) and Nicola Stinson (Council of the Isles of Scilly), took place on the same day new regulations came into force which permits councils on Scilly and Cornwall to levy double council tax on second homes.

However, the meeting – which also included representations from MPs Jayne Kirkham and Perran Moon – agreed that this and other measures are not sufficient to address housing inequalities.

MPs are calling for further planning powers to limit the rise in second and holiday home ownership, to close tax loopholes which allow holiday lets to avoid paying council tax or business rates at all, and to roll out a holiday let registration scheme, using Cornwall and Scilly as a pilot scheme.

MPs and Council officials offered to work with Mr Pennycook’s officials to increase delivery of the thousands of shovel-ready homes with planning permission, and to up the rate of affordable homes delivery. Last week’s government announcement of an additional £2bn investment in the sector will assist. But many projects need additional support to stimulate delivery. MPs and Councils now seek to build a programme of home delivery with the Government’s primary social and affordable homes delivery agency, Homes England.

Mr George said: “We are all pushing in the same direction. Cornwall and Scilly are in the middle of the worst housing crisis in living memory. The need to address housing and investment injustices inherited from the previous government is urgent. That’s why I was encouraged the Minister agreed to work with us to ensure that Cornwall and Scilly can control second and holiday homes and to make sure they pay a fair contribution to the public purse.

“Turning around this crisis is a mammoth task, but it’s vitally important we do all we can to help the tens of thousands of local families whose lives are blighted by the serious unfairness of the system.”