Three Cornwall cottages 'saved' from becoming second homes

Three cottages "saved" from becoming second homes by a co-operative have been rented to young families.

The homes, in Cawsand on the Rame Peninsula in east Cornwall, were renovated by the The Peninsula Trust.

They were sold by Cornwall Council at a "huge discount" rather that at an open auction, the trust said.

Two of the families moving in, one with a young baby, were under threat of eviction from local homes before moving.

Levi Voyzey and Rosie Tait, both 22, were living in a one-bed flat in nearby Torpoint with six-week-old Elijah.

Mr Voyzey, who works as a window cleaner, explained there were more than 400 applications to move in to the cottages, which overlook the sea.

He said: "It felt like we won the lottery, because it was three out of 400 - we felt really lucky."

The cottages were fully refurbished over the course of the last 18 months, after the pandemic caused delays to their sale and renovation.

The Peninsula Trust said the decision by Cornwall Council to sell the homes meant they were "saved" from an auction which was "certain" see them go as second homes.

Around 60% of properties in the area are second homes.

Another new occupant Chloe Taylor, 20, was assigned one of the houses with her partner

She said the home was their "only option" due to the precarious nature of her old rental.

Ms Taylor said: "We were planning on borrowing my mum's tent and setting up camp for the month."

Simon Ryan from the trust said offering the homes to the new occupants was "one of the best days of my professional life".

"The demand is so great because the stories are so sad. We can make three families live vastly better," he added.

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