Can’t live near friends

We planned to relocate within Cornwall once my husband retired from NHS. We live in Truro and planned to relocate to PZ. My husband worked at Treliske hospital so rather than commute from PZ every day we stayed in Truro. Covid struck one year before he retired from NHS and we can no longer afford the prices in Penzance.

PZ is where I used to live and work and I have a community of friends there. There are now very few houses available for sale and they are ridiculously overpriced due to second home owners being allowed to snap up houses as though they are playing a casual game of Monopoly.

These Cornish homes ( places where we live and work) are now being advertised as a ‘great investment’ a ‘ bolt hole’ or ‘lock up and leave’.

I am a teacher in the county and now cannot afford to buy a home in the area where I choose to live near my community of friends. I don’t wish to ‘lock up and leave’ I wish to contribute to my community and lead a healthy, happy life.

We earn reasonable salaries as professionals but cannot possibly compete with London bids on homes.
Friends that have grown up in Penwith now have no neighbours or corner shops as houses around them sit empty.

I realise I am well off in comparison to those who don’t own or have a home to rent but it doesn’t actually help as we still can’t afford to move to where we would like to live, near our friends. I feel as if my plans for the future that I have been holding on to have been ripped away.

Houses are homes. I really don’t approve of the council solution of ‘ new builds’ for locals so we all get live in less desirable houses out of town whilst all the beautiful Cornish houses are owned by people who all live elsewhere!

Stop second homes being allowed in Cornwall. Hike the taxes up on second homes! At least if second home owners still don’t get the message that they are not welcome you’ll increase the council revenue. Instead of adding additional taxes on locals with parking permit schemes.