CAN somebody please tell me why my boyfriend and I continue to struggle to find an affordable home in Cornwall, when those lucky enough to be able to afford a second mortgage are offered superb houses for holiday use at relatively low prices?

I refer in particular to the Maen Valley, Goldenbank, development. I have seen many houses come onto the market for this development recently, but as any one who lives locally will know, only those who have significant wealth can buy these properties as they are only for holiday use.

I really cannot believe the stupidity of this - the local government is forever gloating about their fantastic "affordable housing" scheme (which we are on the list for, but two months on and we haven't received any news. I am told the average waiting time for one of these houses, if you are lucky enough to get one, is a year). Still developers are allowed to cater to the extravagant wants of the wealthy through developments such as Maen Valley!

Surely the priority for housing should be given to the locals, who struggle to afford a property anyway due to the second home owners pushing the prices up above average? We are very quickly turning into a nation of whingers who sit back and do nothing, and I am sick of it.

We chose to stay in Cornwall because it is our home and our roots are here, so like many we sacrificed better paid jobs and better and cheaper homes to live here. At this rate our generation will soon give up on Cornwall, as it seems the local government is determined to make it a second home holiday destination with no soul, no locals, and no life. You only needed to have seen the grim representation of the Helford Passage on BBC 2's show focusing on the economy last week for proof...

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