Affordable housing: resident urges councillors to initiate mortgage fund for local first time buyers.

The current wrangles in East Devon District Council on appropriate new housing numbers for the district has at times lapsed into emotional and moral blackmail when the subject of affordable housing comes up.

The other side of affordable housing is, of course, the huge stock of unaffordable housing! A sliding windfall tax on properties at the point of sale might be a much better and fairer way of adjusting this side of the equation downwards.

Nationally, Eric Pickles champions those who owns mansions - they shouldn’t be taxed unfairly ‘as they are hard working people’. Property speculation and over-zealous loans not hard work fed property price inflation, Eric!

Nearer to home, there is pressure to provide more and more affordable housing. This is at the expense of those renting and, in the case of the recent build in Sidmouth in the AONB, at the expense of the local environment and wildlife.

Just because you may be part of the ‘supposed lucky majority’, councillors, if you really care about the younger people in the area and where are they going to live, then it’s hands in the pockets and initiate a mortgage fund for those less affluent and who need a home of their own.

Stop whingeing on about market forces and its victims - whilst, at the same time, sitting back and enjoying the benefits.

David Simpson

Axmouth