CALLINGTON Town Council has rejected an affordable homes scheme in the town, claiming it has more than its fair share already which is failing to meet the needs of local people. Councillors want to see the points system changed in determining housing allocation ? it enables people on low wages to get priority over the unemployed and those on benefits. A scheme for 25 affordable homes at South Hill Road by Westcountry Housing Association will be considered by Caradon District Council tonight (Thursday). But the plan looks set to be refused anyway because it is out of character with the rural nature of the area. There is also concern on environmental grounds due to close proximity of an historic landfill site and soil contamination through local mine workings. Planning officers have recommended that the planning committee turns down the application for the site just outside the development boundary. According to Caradon District Council, in September 2007 there were 284 households listed on the housing register expressing a preference to live in Callington, 34 of which were in severe need. Westcountry Housing Association has an allocation of £970,000 to develop 18 dwellings in Callington as part of the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-2008. This includes £70,000 from the district council through second homes council tax funding. But Callington Town Council claimed there was sufficient land inside the development boundary for affordable housing and developers were taking advantage of this loophole to stretch the development boundary to the detriment of the green environment. Councillors also raised issues of highway safety and the additional traffic that would need to access the A388 at a difficult junction. Chairman of the town council?s planning committee Cllr Andrew Long said Callington had already exceeded its target for affordable housing and in the case of the large Callington village estate, properties had to be filled with people from outside the area. He said: ?The problem is many of these homes are shared equity and local people cannot afford to go down this route. ?We feel we have had more than our fair share of affordable housing that is not meeting the needs of people working in a low wage economy. Points are allocated for things such as numbers of children and benefits received. ?I am not against the principle of affordable housing but it is the young working population we should be helping.?
