Cornwall Council sells listed flats for £1

Cornwall Council has agreed to sell Grade II listed flats worth £640,000 for £1.

The deal has been agreed to ensure affordable homes stay in Looe town centre.

The council’s cabinet approved a recommendation to release the 11 Coastguard Flats to a community land trust.

Three Seas Community Land Trust has offered to carry out a £1m refurbishment through grant funding.

Councillor David Harris, Cornwall Council’s deputy leader, said: “This deal will retain much-needed affordable housing provision in Looe.”

He said an open market sale would likely have resulted in “the loss of affordable housing provision in Looe”, impacting negatively on the housing service by “increasing demand for temporary accommodation”.

He added: “A community-led redevelopment scheme would ensure the flats would still be used for affordable housing provision.”

Councillor Hannaford said: “Providing secure affordable housing is incredibly important for the people of Looe. The lack of affordable housing in Looe is a real emergency, replicated across Cornwall.”