Braunton's affordable housing concerns grow

Worried Braunton residents have gathered together to express their concern on affordable housing in the area.

Over 70 residents met at Braunton Parish Hall on Saturday, April 6 and voiced their support for Braunton Community Land Trust’s (CLT) campaign to construct affordable social rented housing for Braunton residents.

The meeting at the parish hall.

Mark Cann, Treasurer of the CLT, said: "Too many second homes and short-term holiday lets mean we have too few homes for local people to rent.”

The CLT aims to build 25-30 homes for social rent, ensuring they remain available for local residents indefinitely.

However, the CLT's plans hit a roadblock due to Tesco's refusal to grant access along a service road to a potential site behind their Braunton store.

Roy Tomlinson, Chair of Braunton CLT, explained the situation and said: "We have the landowner’s agreement, the planners are supportive, but the site is only accessible by the road that runs behind the store. Tesco is refusing to give a right of way along that road to the potential site."

Mr Tomlinson urged Braunton residents to support the campaign to persuade Tesco to reconsider their stance.

A petition has been launched to pressure Tesco into allowing the development to proceed. Additionally, alternative locations were suggested during the meeting, prompting the petition to also call on North Devon Council to assist in identifying potential sites.

Rachel Danemann, who is the Home Builders Federation planning manager for the SW said: “The solution to the housing crisis we face is to deliver enough, high quality, energy efficient homes to meet the needs of the local population.

“Locally this would mean an up to date Local Plan detailing how to meet all the housing needs of North Devon, and a proactive can-do problem solving approach to determining planning applications.”

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon commented: “The lack of housing that is affordable to those who work in North Devon has been a problem since before I was elected, but has become far worse post pandemic.

“I am the only MP to sit on the Devon Housing Commission which reports this summer, and has looked in depth at the challenges of housing across Devon, and visited North Devon last year. We need to build more homes that people can afford. There is great work in some villages with Community Land Trusts progressing, and the housing scheme within North Devon Hospital is due to go into planning shortly. 

“I have championed affordable housing projects where they fit in with the needs of that community. I would like to see more use made of derelict buildings, which are brownfield sites, and see far more urgency to bring empty properties and speed up redevelopment of sites like the Oliver Buildings and Lace Factory.  More should be done to attract external investment into North Devon, but there does not always seem to be the political drive from the Lib Dem run District Council, home of the planning authority, to deliver the housing and infrastructure solution that local people need.”

However, this issue is not just recognised in Braunton.

Torridge District Council also recognised the issue for affordable housing in North Devon. 

Sean Kearney, Head of Communities and Place at Torridge District Council, has acknowledged the acute housing affordability challenge facing North +Devon, stating: "The Council is wholly sympathetic to the very challenging circumstances that this can result in for individual households."

Mr Kearney emphasised the council's commitment to addressing the wider issues of housing affordability and availability, noting: "The Council will continue to foster positive relationships with all partners and other stakeholders in order to remove barriers and facilitate the delivery of affordable housing."

He further reassured residents, saying: "There are a range of strategies, initiatives, and interventions that the Council is already using or exploring in order to facilitate the delivery of additional affordable housing."