Housing Availability: Ilfracombe

Opened the debate

Ms Saxby spoke about the challenges faced by her constituency of Ilfracombe, a remote coastal town in northern Devon with a population of 12,000. She highlighted issues such as under-investment, high tourism but low-wage economy, and poor educational outcomes. The town has the lowest healthy life expectancy among rural towns and faces significant housing shortages due to high house prices and loss of long-term rentals to short-term lets. Ms Saxby emphasised that Ilfracombe needs substantial levelling-up efforts in terms of affordable housing, education, and infrastructure but struggles with resource constraints.

Government Response

Mr Lee acknowledged the importance of addressing the issues raised by Ms Saxby. He praised her for her diligent work in championing Ilfracombe and highlighted that housing is vital to the Government’s long-term plan for economic recovery. The Minister noted the progress made in delivering homes across England, including initiatives like Homes England, first homes scheme, shared ownership and mortgage guarantee schemes. He announced £6.5 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund for Ilfracombe’s southern extension project and expressed willingness to work further with Ms Saxby on these issues. Mr Lee also discussed community land trusts as a potential solution for local house building and mentioned ongoing discussions regarding short-term lets. The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to creating a housing system that works, increasing first-time buyers in every region, and addressing the challenges faced by key workers.