Cornwall Council has announced that 15 new temporary micro homes have been given the go-ahead, with occupants moving in over the summer.

Months after entering into a deal to buy SoloHaus 'micro homes' to try to tackle Cornwall’s housing crisis, plans to deploy the first 15 on Council-owned land at Old County Hall in Truro have been given the go-ahead, and occupants are expected to move into the homes in early July.

The SoloHaus scheme, which the council claims is the first of its kind in the South West, will look to provide homes for local people who are ready to move on from emergency accommodation.

Announcing details of the SoloHaus scheme, Olly Monk, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for housing and planning, said: "We are facing a serious and escalating housing crisis in Cornwall and are taking direct action to provide homes for people that need our help.

"These modular SoloHaus homes, which are ready to be dropped onto sites with all fixtures and fittings included, are an evolution of the temporary cabin-style emergency accommodation that we provided in Truro, Penzance , and Camborne to support vulnerable people during the pandemic.

"SoloHaus has been designed so they can be deployed equally well as either permanent homes or for shorter periods for use on what we call ‘meanwhile sites’ awaiting redevelopment.

"This means that they can be simply disconnected from services, lifted by crane, and moved to another site.

"This is exactly what we’ll be doing at the Old County Hall site in the future as it’s scheduled for wider redevelopment in the coming years."

Last Autumn, 29 of the modular homes were delivered to a temporary storage facility in Newquay by the Hill Group, with the council buying a further 50 of the micro homes since then.

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As well as the 15 at Old County Hall, a planning application was submitted for a plot of homes in a car park in Penryn, although the plans were recommended for refusal by the local town council.

Similar schemes are being worked up in both Penzance and Newquay and the council claims further sites will then follow in other parts of Cornwall over the coming months.

The 15 homes at Old County Hall site are expected to remain in place for around three years, after which the site is due for regeneration and the homes will be moved to a new location which the council is yet to confirm.

The site will be managed by Cornwall Housing, and the council says each tenant will receive additional support as required to help them to find a regular source of income and a more permanent home.

The Council will also be providing a management and support space in a former Council office building on the site and 24/7 security will also be provided for at least the first 12 months.

"Buying and deploying permanent quality modular homes such as these will allow us to put homes in key locations throughout the Duchy" said Councillor Monk.

"This is about us recognising that there are people in our communities that really need our help and providing them with a safe, secure home that can be deployed quickly."

"I am delighted that we have been able to gain the necessary permissions to move forward with this first site so soon after agreeing to the landmark deal with The Hill Group.

"I would like to thank local Cornwall Councillor Rob Nolan and local residents for the positive way in which they have worked with us to develop this scheme and look forward to welcoming the first residents into their new homes."