Information from Cornwall Council June 2015

Posted on: 27th June 2015

Information from Cornwall Council June 2015 that might be helpful, including links to planning and enforcement lists and a link to sign up to regular Council news.

Welcome from Joyce Duffin

I have been out and about meeting our Housing teams recently and I’ve learned about several schemes that I would like to share with you, as I think you will find them useful.

As I’m sure you are aware, Cornwall Council has a duty under the Housing Act 2004 to review housing conditions with a view to prioritising improvements to the stock. Nearly 50% of private rented houses in Cornwall do not meet the ‘Decent Homes’ standard. The Council, with our partners, has recently launched the Cornwall Responsible Landlord scheme where landlords can voluntarily register and receive support to comply with legal requirements and follow good practice when letting. However the Council will prosecute rogue landlords when necessary.

The Empty Homes team is very successful at getting empty homes back into circulation and through the empty property loan scheme, has offered loans, that have totalled over £1 million, to people which has helped renovate and fill 822 empty properties. The target was to help 529 properties by 2016, so we are well on the way to meeting that target.

The Cornwall Park Homes Forum has been up and running for nearly a year now and I was thrilled to recently attend one of its open meetings held in Launceston. The Forum, made up of park home residents and supported by officers in the Communities and Devolution team, is helping to engage with residents across Cornwall and provide them with essential information on how their rights have changed under recent legislation.

I didn’t know about the Handyperson scheme before I spent some time with some of the team recently. In this day and age, people – especially the elderly and vulnerable – are worried about letting tradespeople into their homes. This scheme provides residents with peace of mind for even very small jobs at a reasonable charge. I would encourage you to mention this scheme to your residents if they are looking for help.

I hope you find this information interesting and helpful.

Best wishes
Joyce Duffin

Cornwall Council
Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Waste

Useful links

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