Via http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/undefined-headline/story-20666178-detail...

WE NEED more affordable homes; that is the outcry right across Cornwall, in fact it is the outcry across the whole of the UK.

But who is the "we" who is communicating this fabrication because it is not the 23,000 or 25,000 applicants on Cornwall's housing register.

It is not 80 per cent of the 1.7 million applicants on England's housing register; it is our so-called friend, the EU, which lays down the law in order to accomplish its principal objective which it defines as the free movement of labour, and which we define as "the migration into our communities on the cheap plan".

Are you aware that last year Cornwall Council obtained more than £9million in bonuses from central Government for building such a high number of new homes and that this year it has been awarded a further £12 million – the fourth highest in the UK?

This is at a time when over the past 12 months the rest of England built 30 per cent fewer affordable homes and 40 per cent fewer social rented properties than in 2011-12.

However, this £21 million in bonuses could have been allocated towards what a vast majority of our 25,000 people have been crying out for – council-rented properties; homes people really can afford; homes that would regenerate jobs and spending money for our local shops and not just to provide profits for private developers and landlords.

The existing schemes are a farce and everyone knows that using the word "affordable" is a joke but still they will not stand up for the good of our county. The national benchmark for measuring whether housing is affordable for an individual, with a single income, is considered as able to buy the home if it costs 3.5 times their gross income, this actually rises up to 4.5 times for a joint income. Don't laugh but 35 per cent of Cornish households earn less than £15,000; have you seen the prices of affordable homes?

In 2011 the lowest level (prices) of affordable homes cost more than nine times the income of a Cornish household, again proving without any doubt that the current affordable homes schemes not only cause a false inflation to the normal market-priced houses, as developers have to subsidise both the affordable discount and Section 106 demands, but also are completely out of reach for those in the A to C bands of the housing register.

Not only is this an a enigma but central Government, in order to accomplish the EU's demands, has created numerous options to persuade, people to part with what little savings they may have and probably putting them at a future financial risk.

These options include council-rented properties managed by registered providers; rented housing owned and managed by local authorities or by registered social landlords; rented housing owned by 'other' persons; affordable rented housing let by the council or by registered providers; intermediate housing or private intermediate homes to rent or buy; and intermediate homes.

If you are not confused please explain that to me. It is paramount that the council rents out properties it owns, manages and retains.

DEREK ELLIOTT

Angarrack