rentfreecornwall

Hundreds of flats in 'top UK surf resort' Newquay squatted as developers go bust!

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Students, young professionals, families and even retirees have descended upon Newquay to take advantage of UK squatting laws to lawfully occupy 'high spec' trendy apartments fitted out with 'state of the art' interior appliances and furniture.

Simon, 27 and his girlfriend Petra, 25 were living nearby paying £750 per month rent until they realised that they could be saving thousands of pounds a year simply squatting an empty flat. Petra, who works in the travel industry, explains: 'We met other people who told us they'd taken occupancy in a new block of flats that had been taken off the market as the developers had gone into receivership. Simply, nobody really cared about what happened to the flats. Our neighbours are retired. Their income had dropped because of low interest rates on their savings, so they've rented out their house in the Home Counties for the extra income.'

Although the Cornish squatters don't pay rent, they still need to pay council tax, utilities and conform to other legal obligations. 'It's still worth it.' claims Simon, 'and the views are fabulous.'

While some in the popular holiday resort of Newquay aren't so impressed with their new neighbours, most appear relieved that the hundreds of empty flats and houses abandoned by developers haven't fallen into dereliction. A local shop worker said: 'It's great to see some life breathed back into our town.'

Cornish repossessions soar, homes auctioned off to companies, then squatted!

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Repossessions are up by 300 percent in many Cornish towns and villages, with some seeing as much as a third of their entire housing stock sold off to property holdings companies at knock down prices, according to the latest housing figures for Cornwall. These empty houses are then squatted by the same families that were evicted from them, and because of the huge financial incentives for squatting, this trend is set to continue.

One family who couldn't afford their mortgage repayments explained to rentfreecornwall how they managed to keep their 'home' despite no longer paying any mortgage or rent on it. 'The business I work for is in manufacturing, and because of the strong euro and credit crunch, our orders went down, and I had to go from full time to part time,' said a family member. 'We couldn't afford the repayments for the house, so it was repossessed and sold off at an auction. I bought the house for £150,000 five years ago, but it went for under £70,000. But when I found out no one had actually moved in and it was just owned by a foreign holdings company, I used existing squatting laws, and legally gained entry and our family is now in occupation of it again.

'It's great. The sale cleared the rest of my debts and because our outgoings are less I can start saving for another house - they're going so cheap in Cornwall now that I reckon after 7 years of squatting our old Cornish house we will be able to afford a new house in Cornwall.'

Holiday home owners with second homes in Cornwall have been less fortunate. Unable to keep up with repayments on their Cornwall holiday homes, thousands have been repossessed and sold off at auction, often at a fraction of their original price, only to be squatted by other Cornish families, students, or just people fancying a free place to stay in Cornwall.

Luxury holiday flats converted by squatters into live /work units in North Cornwall

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:27:00 +0000

A group of young professionals announced they had converted a building containing luxury holiday flats into live /work units after squatting it for 5 years. The occupants in their twenties and thirties proudly invited rentfreecornwall to inspect the state of the art work spaces and high quality living accommodation. Planning permission is currently being sought for some form of on site micro generation from renewable energy sources, including the use of photo-voltaics and a small water mill running from a nearby stream within the 5 acre grounds of the former manor house. 'We've saved thousands of pounds over the years because as squatters we did not have to pay any mortgage or rent on this beautiful Cornish property,' declared Sam, a freelance civil engineer with clients and projects presently running both in the UK and overseas.

With the work units currently being used as studio and office space for light creative, design and legal consultancy purposes, the squatters insisted they were expecting to stay in the property for at least another 10 years. The £3.1 million house was previously owned by a property holdings company with a registered office in the Cayman Islands. A telephone number for this company proved to be disconnected when rentfreecornwall attempted to contact it. Successive attempts to track down the company have revealed that it went into receivership in 2006.

'I'm not sure if micro-generation is the way ahead,' added Sam, 'but we're trying it out anyway, as it's a great way to save on energy bills. Being squatters of a large and remote Cornish holiday home we're used to not having to shell out cash all the time!'

Rise in Cornish holiday home repossessions creates squatting free for all

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:02:00 +0000

Soaring repossessions of Cornish second homes have resulted in an upsurge of squatting houses, flats and chalets around Cornwall, according to housing market observers.

'Families that were previously anticipating a ten year wait on the social housing register have simply moved into unoccupied properties, paying no rent, and saving themselves thousands of pounds a year. As Cornwall has the lowest wages in the UK, this is providing a real economic boost for the area.'

One Cornish holiday home squatter told rentfreecornwall that since they moved into their rural squatted holiday home a month ago, they had seen their disposable income rise significantly, and had started taking advantage of rising interest rates to set up a long term savings account with a view to buying a property. 'Though of course, after a certain period of time, I may be entitled to actually keep the house I'm squatting and not pay rent for,' claimed the squatter.

In villages where previously there had been up to 90 percent of houses unoccupied as empty holiday or second homes, there were now so many new residents squatting these holiday homes that the council was considering re-opening the village school. Post offices around Cornwall were also reporting brisk trade thanks to the increase in full-time working residents in the villages now squatting holiday homes in Cornwall.

Added the housing market observer: 'So many homes have now been repossessed, the banks and building societies simply can't keep up with who owns what and where all the properties are, and don't have the resources to find out who's squatting the holiday homes in Cornwall. It's a free for all.'

'We saved £25,000 in a year' boast Cornish holiday home squatters

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:01:00 +0000

Three young professionals had a celebration champagne buffet on a beach in South Cornwall last week, only yards from their seaside squatted holiday home, and brazenly vowed to continue their tactic of squatting 'whatever empty Cornish house they wanted.'

'If it's empty, got enough white goods and within commuting distance of our jobs then we'll take it,' claimed Harry. Refusing to give Rentfreecornwall his surname, Harry revealed he was earning £22,000 per year before tax - well above the average Cornish wage - at a reputable international firm's Cornish offices. His co-squatters earned similar amounts working at a local authority.

'We're young, we're earning good money, why waste it on paying rent to subsidise some middle aged bore's buy to let?' added Harry.

The three squatters claimed to have found the property on a holiday home lettings web site, then legally gained entry to the property and using UK laws to secure the property as their residence. Since moving in a year ago, the squatters have saved up £25,000 between them. Rentfreecornwall were then shown co-signatory bank account statements showing a balance of £25,700.

'We've all put money in each month, as if we were paying rent, then when we've got enough we might buy our own house as a property holdings company. We're capitalists as much as the next guy!'

A Cornish property expert admitted yesterday that squatting Cornish holiday homes was now 'out of control', with otherwise well off professionals viewing squatting Cornish second homes as a 'free for all.'

'It would clog the courts up, and take years to get them out' warn authorities on the mass squatting of Cornish second homes

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:26:00 +0000

With so many second and holiday homes now squatted in Cornwall, it would take decades for the court system to be able to process any evictions, and that's if the owners even knew they had squatters, according to a leading expert on Cornish housing.

'Scenes in the press of entire families being thrown out onto the street would be a nightmare for any government,' claimed the expert. 'It makes one wonder whether tacitly the authorities are banking on the squatting families owning the property after a period of time, as squatting law stipulates.'

That staggering announcement comes in the same week as a national housing charity revealed that there were 5 times more empty houses in Cornwall than families and ordinary working people in need of accommodation. 'That's more than enough to go round,' commented the housing expert.

After months on the street, chef is 'overjoyed' with new squatted Cornish holiday home

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:25:00 +0000

A chef was last night treated to a home cooked meal and a warm bed, after 4 months living rough in his home Cornish village, thanks to making use of the squatting laws to legally enter and occupy a Cornish holiday home in his home village.

Prior to being homeless, the chef was living in a bed-sit, from which he was evicted after rejecting inappropriate advances from the male landlord, who had bought an estimated 6 properties in the village since moving to Cornwall 1 year ago.

'It was very disturbing for me. I was working a 60-hour week, then being stalked, harassed and threatened by the landlord. In the end I was evicted because I refused his advances. I ended up sleeping rough, and was too embarrassed about everything to tell anyone. I had to go to work early and wash in the staff toilet.

'I went to the council for help, and they directed me to a homeless shelter. But the staff there explained they couldn't help me because I was employed - they would only help people who were on benefits. I have always worked and paid taxes. In the end I was close to a breakdown, living like a wild animal, but then I noticed all these empty homes, hundreds of them. It didn't make sense. Why shouldn't I just move in to one?'

Many social and economic experts now agree the Cornish housing market has created the perfect environment for slavery, with those who do not own houses now at the whims and mercy of landowners, and that squatting second homes brings more rights than a rent-paying tenant.

For centuries, Cornish people have lived as tenants, paying affordable rents to the wealthy landowners. In recent years, the wealthy landowners in Cornwall have sold off property, leaving the Cornish priced out of the market or driven from their land.

Others argue that with no criminal checks on the new private landlords, the safety and security of tax-paying, law abiding tenants is at risk.

'I'm overjoyed. It's fantastic,’ said the chef of his new home. 'I would recommend squatting a second or holiday home in Cornwall to all working people who are sick and tired of the stress and misery caused by Cornwall's housing crisis.'

Luxury housing development - squatted by Cornish students 2 hours after coming onto the market

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 23:33:00 +0000

In a staggering display of bravado, a group of eighteen students legally occupied 3 newly completed detached luxury houses in a discreet rural location in West Cornwall on Sunday afternoon.

When approached by Rentfreecornwall, the students claimed that they could not afford anywhere to live, and dismissed suggestions that they were less worthy of squatting than local Cornish families.

'We have to pay out thousands of pounds on tuition fees, loans, tax, and costs associated with our coursework. Whilst a minority of students have wealthy parents and drive around in expensive cars, the rest of us mostly have to hold down a number of part time jobs to make ends meet. As soon as we graduate, the Government then expects us to spend the next 50 years paying off all the loans and at the same trying to find somewhere to live.'

The so-called IPOD (Insecure, Pressurised, Over-taxed and Debt ridden) generation is a relatively modern phenomenon, with many critics of the British housing market arguing a new peasant class is emerging within the Middle and Working classes.

Brazenly, the students had posed as potential buyers for the properties in order to do a 'reccie.'

'It was easy to find a suitable house to squat. The greedy property developers have flashy web sites, with all the information you need,' claimed a student. 'We did it by post code, though we would have prefered somewhere a bit nearer the coast.'

Added another: 'We plan to grow our own vegetables in the garden; that should save us more money. We're proud to be part of a new emerging frugal generation, that simply will not tolerate being shoved about for the amusement of selfish land barons.'

Uproar as Dutch conglomerate buys up 25 Cornish properties, turfs out tenants, closes Post Office

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:02:00 +0000

Villagers in North Cornwall were left reeling yesterday, as over 20 families were handed notices of eviction by a foreign property development company. A busy post office in the isolated rural village was also purchased, which the Netherlands-based company intends to convert into holiday flats.

The distraught families were all renting the properties, and due to out of control house price inflation couldn't afford to buy a home of their own. The soon to be evicted tenants have so far been refused help by the council, due to a massive shortfall in social or affordable housing.

Alarmingly, some members of the families now face being put into care by social services, while their parents have been directed to overnight hostel accommodation.

It is thought that most of the affected families, who are all local, will also lose their jobs.

The Dutch company behind the fiasco have so far refused to speak to Rentfreecornwall, but our sources indicate the company are also in line to receive around £4million of EU subsidy to convert the former residential properties into expensive holiday homes, a wine bar, and a leisure club.

As the poorest part of the United Kingdom, Cornwall is entitled to EU Objective One funding, although critics of the scheme insist the funds are often mis-managed.

Later in the day a villager approached Rentfreecornwall, and declared: 'The greed in this country is out of control. I can assure you that the whole village will rally behind these evicted local working families, and re-house them ourselves, in empty Cornish holiday homes.'

Houses are homes again! - Entire street of Cornish holiday cottages occupied by locals

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:30:00 +0000

In one village on the coast of Cornwall last week, villagers were celebrating after an entire street of second homes were legally occupied by ordinary working families who were no longer prepared to subsidise the mortgages of wealthy landlords.

On Saturday, in scenes more familiar with a Jubilee street party, the usually sterile, sinister atmosphere of a silent row of empty Cornish cottages was buzzing with laughter, cheers and activity as crowds gathered to watch and assist groups of locals - forced away by spiralling rental prices - return to their area of employment to live.

'It's like a revolution for common sense' commented a local clergyman. 'I have come to view squatting a holiday home as a means for survival for people, moral, and perfectly legal as they intend to cause no damage, pay all their utilities, and ensure they comply with the law. What's more, these people, through no fault of their own, are the victims of a massive gambling cartel - that is, the British housing market.'

Though it may come as a surprise to some, Rentfreecornwall can reveal that none of the squatted Cornish holiday homes were owned by individual people, but a property holdings company based in Guernsey. A spokesman for the multi million pound investment company seemed rather lacklustre upon hearing of the mass squatting of the Cornish houses:

'I'm sorry but we really don't have much to say. Our clients simply invest in real estate - it doesn't bother us if, as you say, these properties are being squatted - or not. We'd only take action if we needed to sell them, but the market is strong, and we estimate prices will continue to rise.'

'Really, it would be too much of a hassle right now,' he added.

Despite the flurry of activity over the weekend, by Monday the squatted terrace was silent, with most of the occupants out at work at nearby businesses or putting the finishing touches to their new homes.

Hounded out by wealthy second home owners - the working lad who spent £1000s doing up empty derelict Cornish property

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:40:00 +0000

Local working person spends thousands of pounds renovating empty derelict Cornish house, behaves legally and honourably,

and then:

gets hounded out by wealthy second home owners

Although we will link to appropriate press reports that are already made public, rentfreecornwall will never breach the trust and confidentiality of the people we interview.

Over 1000 Cornish holiday homes squatted according to latest figures

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Tue, 29 May 2007 23:51:00 +0000

The craze for squatting holiday homes in Cornwall has increased in popularity in recent months, as over 1000 residences are now in full-time occupation by squatters. The huge upsurge in squatting second homes or holiday homes in Cornwall has brought about peace and stability for local communities, according to local residents.

'We've got ordinary local families, who couldn't afford to buy or rent locally, now living in nice houses - it keeps our village looking lively and tidy,' insisted one Cornish village resident.

As more holiday homes are bought up by speculators, and not even let out, but held onto for financial speculation, squatters of Cornish holiday homes claim it is now possible to live for many years in a holiday home without the owner ever being aware of the occupation.

Furious locals occupy empty Cornish holiday home

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:35:00 +0000

In a remote west Cornish village last week, five young professionals legally entered an unoccupied holiday home with the intention of residing in it. Hopeful that their occupation of the detached converted barn would not come to the attention of the owners, they appeared relaxed and cheerful when they agreed to explain their actions to Rentfreecornwall.

'We were renting a house in the Penzance area, but when the landlord put our rent up to £2000 a month we decided enough was enough. With all the other costs of living, we just couldn't afford it out of our wages,' claimed a squatter. 'We looked around for other accomodation, but there is a housing crisis in Cornwall due to people gambling on the property market and charging extortionate rents. Now we've squatted a house, we still have to pay rates and council tax, but at least we have money left over from our wages to buy food, and perhaps save some money for a deposit on a house of our own.'

The five bedroom holiday home is about 5 miles from the Cornish town of Penzance, in a secluded location, surrounded by farmland, with distant sea views.

The squatters are hesitant about encouraging others to follow their actions.

'We're not making an ideological point. We're just ordinary working people priced out of the housing market.'

Council housing was not an option available to them, they claimed.

'Because we work, we aren't entitled to help from the council. Despite paying taxes and contributing, we feel let down that the council cannot help.'

Rentfreecornwall were unable to locate the owner of the occupied property, although sources indicated the £475,000 luxury house was owned by a property holdings company based in London.

Council houses bulldozed to make way for luxury holiday villas - outrage at Cornish politicians

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:57:00 +0000

Communities in Cornwall are on alert after a number of empty holiday homes have been targeted by thieves. In villages where vacant homes now outnumber those occupied by local families, experts warn that security is at risk, as no one is sure who owns what and who lives where. Mousehole, a village near the Cornish town of Penzance, has seen 90 percent of local families move away, unable to afford the rising costs of rental and ownership, leaving the village insuffciently guarded and vulnerable to social disorder.

'The more holiday homes, the more the community suffers,' revealed a Cornish village resident to Rentfreecornwall. 'There's whole streets empty, and it attracts rogue elements.'

Owners of these empty homes, bought for profit and housing speculation purposes, are often based hundreds of miles away.

'They've no way of knowing if their homes have been targeted by thieves. I don't feel safe in my home, unruly elements may mistake it for a holiday home if I'm out.' he added.

Elsewhere in Cornwall politicians have given permission to bulldoze an entire estate of social housing on the North Cornish coast. It was deemed the council houses, all of which are occupied by local Cornish working families, had 'too nice' views for the social market. The 90 flats and houses will be knocked down to make way for a gated, securely accessed luxury housing complex of 12 detached villas, with swimming pools, jacuzzis and a yacht marina.

The present residents will be moved to an inland mobile home park.

The council claim that the money made from the sale will go to pay off debts relating to previous financial mismanagement of social housing stock.

6000 brand new luxury homes that locals cannot afford, 200 miners out of a job

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 23:05:00 +0000

The South West of England Regional Development agency are attempting to destabilise the Cornish population by building expensive houses, marketing Cornwall as a lifestyle choice for the wealthy, pricing out locals, and snuffing out the Cornish.

SWRDA are using taxpayers money to do this. Money that should have been spent on rebuildng Cornwall's economy.

SWRDA are attempting to purchase South Crofty tin mine, close it down, and build a theme park over it.

SWRDA and the Camborne Pool Redruth 'regeneration' company assault members of the public who attempt to question them: visit this web page and click on 'CPR.' http://www.chipandfish.com/films.htm

The message to Cornish people from SWRDA is: 'We've got your money, we're going to spend it and tick some boxes and tell everyone to shut up and be grateful.'

Even if that means destroying a world famous working tin mine, putting people out of work and making families homeless.

Scandal of the Cornish family forced onto the streets

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:24:00 +0000

To the outrage of locals in Padstow last week, a family of four were forced from their home of fifteen years and onto the streets. The family, who didn't want to be named, had lived in their Cornish town all their lives. The father, a worker in a local business, speaking from a Council run hostel held back tears as he described yet another sickening chapter of Cornwall's housing nightmare:

'The landlord, who lives in London, hasn't even visited Cornwall since the Nineties. He wrote to us telling us he was doubling the monthly rent. We simply couldn't afford what he was demanding. He told us he wanted the same as what he'd get if it was a holiday home.

'We went to the council but they couldn't help - they told us that because we were a working family there were no benefits we were entitled to, and no housing, because they'd given so much planning consent for luxury holiday homes in Cornwall. We're devastated. We pay taxes, we must have paid tens of thousands in council tax over the years, and now we're all living in a cramped, damp room.

Ironically, the family's former home is yet to be let out, and like hundreds of thousands of other holiday lets in Cornwall, remains empty.

Because of an unregulated housing market, where homes are bought and sold in a frenzy of uncontrolled gambling, greed and determination to get as much out of the system as possible, ordinary working families pay the price.

'I don't understand what these property developers want,' added the father. 'We work, we pay taxes, why is the government subsidising luxury housing and making working families homeless? It defies common sense.'

The evicted family have now secured new, proper accommodation, but the mother warns: 'Cornwall's housing crisis is being ignored by the politicians. Whole families who work, pay taxes, contribute to the community are being shunned for greedy property developers who'd rather see whole villages empty just to make a profit.'

Greedy companies destroying Cornish greenbelt, profiting out of Cornwall's housing nightmare

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:52:00 +0000

Rentfreecornwall can reveal that private companies, set up using UK government grants by pretending to be 'regeneration' companies, are buying up land in Cornwall, and selling it to wealthy incomers.

Using taxpayers money - your money - some private companies have been using legal loopholes to get permission to build expensive luxury homes, then selling them on at a profit to greedy property developers.

Meanwhile, as wages in Cornwall continue to fall, and young people are forced out, unable to afford proper accommodation, other organisations and private companies are also cashing in on the collapse of Cornwall's economy, as more communities are destroyed by property speculation, by marketing Cornwall to wealthy incomers.

Two organisations that are increasingly coming under the spotlight as contributing to Cornwall's housing crisis are:

'Objective One' - this organisation surfaced 6 years ago, claiming to 'regenerate' Cornwall's economy. Objective One were also involved with the setting up of the notorious South West Film Studios - the private company went bust in 2004, along with £2 million of taxpayers money, and is now under criminal prosecution for fraud.

Camborne Pool Redruth Urban Regeneration Company - this organisation appeared from nowhere 5 years ago, yet consistently come under pressure to refute serious allegations of financial and illegal mismanagement against them.

No prosecutions yet, but many are wondering if CPR have yet to properly account for why they are planning to build thousands of expensive luxury homes on what is allegedly greenbelt land.

Sickeningly, both of these companies are subsidised by the taxpayer.

Cashing in on Cornwall's housing crisis - ghetto building on poisoned land

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:14:00 +0000

This former factory on brownfield land is owned by Tucking Mill Urban Village Ltd. The private company with no history of business in Cornwall surfaced 2 years ago claiming they wanted to achieve a 'sustainable development, quality design, and good community facilities.' But Tucking Mill Urban Village Ltd are actually proposiing to make money out of selling inadequate, low quality, and over priced housing on contaminated land.

Cornwall is famous for its tin mining industry. Although tin mining is now being regenerated in Cornwall, due to recent price rises, much industrial land still lies vacant, so its cheap and easy to pass off these scams as 'affordable' housing or 'regeneration' projects.

Tuckingmill Urban Village Ltd are also wasting thousands of pounds of taxpayers money on promoting the development, and if given the go ahead to build high density housing on this poisoned land, would create dangerously high levels of pollution from the increased congestion in an already overcrowded, under-resourced part of Cornwall.

Despite draining local taxpayer's money, none of the accommodation being proposed by the private company will be affordable to most people in Cornwall, and many believe most of the 'homes' will simply be bought by buy to let landlords, or used as investments and left empty as holiday homes.

But Tuckingmill Urban Village Ltd are constantly sending out brochures and press releases giving the impression that they are a public funded organisation, with strong community interests. Why is this? Because they need public approval to get the go ahead for their money making scheme.

Cornwall's housing crisis is being made worse by companies like Tuckingmill Urban Village Ltd, and ordinary working people are insulted by the company's patronising public relations stunts and cliche ridden pronouncements.

Its time working people were given the accommodation they need, not harrassed with misleading comments by companies seeking to make a quick profit by pretending to want to help the community, when really Tuckingmill Urban Village Ltd want to build over priced and poor quality housing on dangerously contaminated land.

Yeah, yeah, it's business... but is it right?

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:47:00 +0000

The new Boscawen Woods development at Truro:

'Boscawen Woods boasts 53 luxury houses and maisonettes encompassed within a unique sylvan setting.'

'The challenging yet unrivalled opportunity that this 3.5 acre woodland site presented us with, as developers, has resulted in an exciting partnership involving our architects alongside ecologists, arboriculturalists, and engineers. The outcome is a development that is sensitive both to its environment and setting whilst enabling us to produce contemporary homes suitable for the demands of 21st Century living.'

Sounds nice, and ticks all the right boxes, except for affordability that is. The cheapest property here will set you back £299,950. That's nearly 30 times the usual wage in Cornwall. Way beyond the reach of 90 percent of the population.

Of course, it's fine to build expensive houses, because there's a demand. But there's also a demand for ordinary homes, for ordinary people, and these homes are not being built. Not by private developers, who often get subsidised with public money, or by the council, who get your council tax money. And it's the councils that approve of these developments.

So you ask yourself: Why am I paying extortionate rents for shoddy accomodation, and my taxes are going on developments that will make prices even higher?

'Yeah, yeah it's business' I hear you say.

Sure it's a business. Arms dealing is a business. The slave trade was a business. But it doesn't make it right, right?

You pay in, and they take out

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 22:44:00 +0000

What have property developers and layabouts got in common? They both expect handouts, something for nothing, and to squeeze as much out of the system as possible. A system that we pay for, and a system that fails working people in Cornwall.

A system that allows property speculation on an uncontrolled, unmanageable and destructive scale.

It's time to stop the apathy, and take control over our lives. We pay the taxes that keep the country running, so why is our tax money being wasted on luxury housing that we cannot afford?

Luxury housing in Cornwall costs the councils, costs the environment and costs communities. Much of it is subsidised by you, the taxpayer, yet you cannot afford to live in them - you cannot even afford your rent if you think about it - how much of your wages could you reasonably save for a deposit on the average house?

Wouldn't it be better to ban the gambling habits of property speculators and take back the homes and let them out to ordinary working people? What good are all these homes empty?

Some houses in a Cornish fishing port, forget about ever owning or renting one of these if you're on average wages.

Ordinary working people don't need homes as status symbols to show of to their posh friends in London. They need houses to live in.

Property developers have abused the system for long enough. What use is a house when it isn't a home?

Affordable to whom?

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:48:00 +0000

How many people do you know who earn more than £50,000 per year in Cornwall? Because that's how much you need to earn to be able to get a mortgage on a modest two bedroom house. This detached house built by property gambling firm, Porthia, costs £475,000. Giving themselves a Cornish name is about the closest you'll get to see the average local living in one. Unless it's lawfully squatted.

But it's not just buying a house that is impossible for local people. Due to many state quangos hyping Cornwall to be a fashionable lifestyle destination, buy to let investors have pushed their rent prices up.

And what does the state do? It allows yet more, expensive luxury housing developments.

Getting words of sympathy from politicians does not solve the problem. If politicians can approve the construction of luxury homes, exclusive private estates, and building on green belt land, why cannot they approve creating homes for people on ordinary rural wages?

Perhaps politicians don't have a clue on what it's like to be a young working person in Cornwall, unable to afford rent prices on adequate accommodation. They just say token references to the housing issue, ramble a load of statistics, mention a few buzz words, and then head to their nice warm home. Meanwhile nothing has changed - the property investors get richer, and ordinary working people have less money to buy food.

The legal occupation of second homes in Cornwall by working people who pay taxes and adhere to the law is not a political statement. It is simply because they have nowhere else to go. House are too expensive for locals to live in.

An apartment in this housing development near Bodmin costs over £270,000.

The most common wage in Cornwall is £210 per week.

Why is the state allowing expensive houses to built for the wealthy, and none that locals can afford?

visit www.homes4locals.com for more information on why ordinary working people are suffering at the expense of the wealthy, and what you can do about it.

Get the feeling you are being misled?

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:19:00 +0000

Here is an exclusive new housing development in Cornwall. Built to high standards, equipped with top of the range gadgets and delightfully arranged by interior designers. The problem is, these are all holiday homes. The question you should ask is: Why aren't homes being built for ordinary working people?

Fastfood takeaways get knocked up in a week, residential housing is sold off for holiday lets, farms are converted into holiday complexes, whole estates are being built for second home owners. But what about getting houses built for ordinary working people?

Why are we paying taxes to a state that endorses, encourages and allows a housing crisis to detiorate into Cornwall's housing nightmare?

Why are we working so hard? And what are we working for? Most of us work for basic essentials, we don't need jacuzzis or horse stables to make us happy. We're content with adequate accomodation, a reasonably paid job, food, water, modest socialising and generally going about our lives without trying to get one up on the next guy.

What do the property speculators want? World domination? Are they obsessed with getting as many zeros as possilbe on their bank balances? Why should ordinary people suffer to satisfy the whims of a minority group of property gambling fanatics?

Padstow - a ghost town

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:16:00 +0000

This is a street in Padstow, where 50 percent of houses are second homes.

How much money did you earn over the past month? How much of that went to a landlord, or a bank for a mortgage? How much did you have left over to pay for food and fuel?

Rent Free Cornwall is not an ideological debate; it's about saving money for people who, at the end of the week or month, have to choose between handing over huge sums of money to a landlord, or buying food.

Looks like Mousehole, but tastes like London

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 00:10:00 +0000

A Cornish family were on television recently. They had been evicted from their home as the landlord who didn't live in Cornwall had increased the rent, which they couldn't afford to pay on their wages. The council put all five of them up in a one roomed bed and breakfast. Shameful, and a disgrace.

What are we paying taxes for if the state cannot ensure its citizens aren't treated like animals, and where people's property gambling habits take priority over housing families?

It's no wonder then, that many people are so desperate for accommodation that they are considering to squat empty homes.

In Mousehole alone, over 50 percent of properties are empty or holiday /second homes.

The slave trade was a business, but it was abolished because it wasn't right.

Perhaps the housing industry needs regulation now that it is causing misery to thousands in Cornwall, and many more around the world.

Make your money work for you, not for the property gamblers

noreply@blogger.com (rentfreecornwall) — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:16:00 +0000

Whole villages in Cornwall are falling prey to people addicted to gambling on the housing market, creating stagnant, lawless communities, creating poverty and homelessness.

Here is a terrace of cottages in a Cornish village. How many are holiday homes? One? Two? Ten? All of them?

Walking around a typical Cornish village at night, as winter draws in, you don't see many lights on come early evening. These once bustling communities are crying out for proper residents, local families to bring life back to the towns and villages.