Exmouth: Council housing stock is diminishing - we need government action | Opinion

Last year, Simon Jupp wrote an article in a local newspaper talking about the housing crisis facing East Devon. It was one of those occasions when I looked to the skies and rejoiced: "We agree on something!" I cried, to no-one in particular.

He spoke about the need for the government to close a loophole whereby, put simply, second-home owners can effectively pay no tax by turning their property into a business.

He also spoke of the need for councils to consider writing agreements when new houses are built that ensure those properties remain locally owned in perpetuity, thereby ensuring that they don't fall into ownership from outside the area.

These remain solid suggestions but at this stage they are just that.

There is some scope for East Devon District Council to make a difference in this, but at the moment, we're yet again, working within a set of rules from the government that just don't fit our situation locally.

A wider solution is required - a national strategy to tackle housing matters in tourist areas/ AONBs and areas with high second-home ownership.

Council housing stock is diminishing due to the right-to-buy scheme

One example is Gary Sidney, born in Exmouth, with a young family and developing an already-successful startup gardening business, who can't afford at this stage to buy a house and there are precious few rental properties available at prices an average family man can afford.

High demand, coupled with low supply, ensures this.

So Gary approaches the council, which used to be a backstop against homelessness. But now, due to the right-to-buy scheme crippling East Devon's housing stock, we're unable to help, initially at least, with a property suitable to his family's needs.

The right-to-buy scheme means that we as a council are obliged to sell our property at a discount to tenants who have been living there for a set number of years, which is positive in some ways, but also means that ultimately that house can be sold on to whomever chooses to buy it on the free market and that consequently the council housing stock diminishes.

We can't build houses anything like as quickly as we'd like, and because houses are sold at a discount it doesn't make sense financially either.

And where does all that leave Gary? I honestly don't know - though both myself and the housing team will be doing what we can to help.

We need government action now

We can't do anything about Airbnbs, though as Simon suggested in his article, a review of the impact of such lettings on local housing systems would be brilliant, and hopefully prompt further action from the government. We need it now!

We can potentially act on empty homes or second homes which are furnished but not a primary residence, but when compared to buy-to-let landlords who only ever visit Exmouth or Sidmouth to view the property before purchase, that problem doesn't address the crisis head on.

Once more, only a clear strategy and changes to the law will do that. An excellent opportunity to secure the future of the town!