A FRIGHTENING picture has been painted of the housing crisis in Tavistock — as it is revealed that 430 people are currently waiting to rent a home in the town.

It is no better a picture for those wanting to buy. The analysis by the town’s Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group, using both national and local data, revealed that an income of more than £50,000 is needed to buy even the cheapest home.

And more than double the number of affordable homes homes are needed than are allocated to be built in planning blueprint the Joint Local Plan up to 2034, falling short by more than 300 homes.

The group says it will work with planning authority West Devon Borough Council to build more affordable housing in the town, as a review of the Joint Local Plan starts next year.

Ursula Mann, chairman of the Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group, said: ‘The numbers are frightening really. Unless you happen to be a person who is bankrolled through mum and dad it is so unlikely that you are going to be able to afford to buy a home in Tavistock.’

She said the group had conducted a survey of seven estate agents in the town, to ask their views on who they were selling to. The majority are people from outside the area, nearing retirement, looking to move as a lifestyle choice.

‘The estate agents don’t see anyone between the ages of 20 and 40, or very rarely,' said Ursula. 'They won’t even go into the estate agents because they know they can’t afford anything.

‘Tavistock households on average incomes are unable to access even entry-level homes unless they have the advantage of a very large deposit. 

‘Market housing, even with the benefit of a higher than average income, is likely to remain out of reach to most. The median house price would require an annual income 77 per cent higher than the current average.'

Because house prices are so expensive, younger working people are looking to rent instead but there is a shortage of these kind of homes too.

‘There is a relatively large group of households in Tavistock who may be able to afford to rent privately but cannot afford home ownership,’ said Ursula.

‘They are typically earning between around £31,600 per year (at which point entry-level rents become affordable) and £52,066 (at which point entry-level market sale homes become affordable).’

She believes one answer for Tavistock could be to set up a Community Land Trust, as has been done in a number of communities in Cornwall.

This is where a landowner provides a plot at a below market rate to a trust run by local people  to build both rented and shared ownership homes (part buy part rent) which would be offered to local people. 

Mrs Mann said that an advantage of a Community Land Trust is that it prevented homes being sold off on the open market at any point in the future. She pointed to the example of the Bellacouch Meadow development in Chagford. 

‘This is something that appeals to me as you still work with the same people, you might have a housing authority like Guinness or LiveWest but the difference is when it is in a trust, local people are on board and they run the trust.

‘This report [from the Neighbourhood Plan Group] from my perspective is going to help West Devon Borough Council to negotiate a higher proportion of affordable housing going forward,’ she said. ‘I feel really strongly that we have come out with a really good evidence based report that can be used as part of the Joint Local Plan to address the imbalance.’

Ursula Mann, who is a town councillor in Tavistock, is standing as an Independent in Tavistock’s north ward on West Devon Borough Council in the upcoming by-election for one seat, vacated by the resignation of Green Terry Wheeler. Also standing are Annabel Martin (Green), Judy Hughes (Conservative), Holly Greenbury-Pullen (Lib Dem) and Uwem Udo (Labour).