Council in housing consultation move

Torbay council has announced a public consultation exercise to investigate how it may meet an elevated target for new home building.

The government's Regional Spatial Strategy has set a goal of 592,460 new homes to be built in the south-west between 2006 and 2026, with the share in the district being 15,000.

Stating that this would require some difficult decision making, Torbay council's cabinet minister with responsibility for planning Chris Lewis said: "The council has supported a growth rate of 10,000 dwellings. However, the government is suggesting 15,000 new homes which would mean that more development on greenfield sites would be required."

Should the consultation produce widespread opposition to greenfield building in Torbay and elsewhere in the region, meeting the target may be difficult.

Those keen to obtain their own home in the south-west may decide to avoid any problems of this nature by self building their own home.

According to the latest Land Registry figures, the average home in the south-west costs £189,700, more than the average for England and Wales.