Westmorland and Furness Council is running a series of 'climate' events across the Westmorland and Furness council district to help shape and inform part two of the council's Climate Action Plan. Cabinet Member for Climate and Biodiversity, Councillor Giles Archibald, is hosting 5 ‘climate’ conversations, including Barrow, Kendal, Penrith, Ulverston, as well as online.
During tonight's Westmorland and Furness Council Climate conversation held at Penrith Town Hall, former Eden Council leader and Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member Cllr Virginia Taylor made a statement about house building in the area. She talked about section 106 agreements, saying housebuilders agree to build eco-friendly affordable homes, then claim that they're not making enough money to make the housing viable. Cllr Taylor added that in the 'south,' where housing is more expensive, it's easier for housebuilders to include more green design features, whereas in Eden, where you can still buy a house for £100k, they won't do it.
Data shows that in the Eden area, the average house cost £249,500 in 2022. In January 2023, average house prices in Eden reached £267,151.
House price data produced by Land Registry shows a two-bedroom flat in Penrith, using an example of one of the cheapest properties in Penrith, a leasehold property on Glasson Court, has sold three times since 2017. The price was just under £100,000, but it has seen a rise to £125,000 in January this year. This property, as one of the cheapest in Penrith, has seen a 35% increase in price since 2017:
- £125,000 (Jan 2023)
- £116,000 (Apr 2019)
- £91,500 (Oct 2017)
Cllr Taylor then singled out one house builder, saying, "Persimmon Homes are making obscene profits by not building houses to higher green standards, and they are guilty of blatant capitalism."
These comments come in stark contrast to a statement made in August by Cllr Virginia Taylor as the Westmorland & Furness Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Communities and Localities. During a visit by cabinet members of the council hosted by Persimmon at their Woodberry Heights and Carleton Meadows developments in Penrith, she said, "Our site visit was a useful and informative opportunity to inspect progress on the Council's Persimmon partnered developments in Penrith."
She continued, "The Council is keen to explore opportunities for providing more affordable and sustainable housing options for local communities in Westmorland and Furness. Partnerships with developers - such as Persimmon - will be key to unlocking those opportunities and ensuring that local people can afford to live, work, and raise their families in their own communities. With that in mind, it was also instructive to hear the perspective of a major property developer, like Persimmon, on how the shortage of skilled local labor affects their plans – as well as planning hold-ups such as Natural England’s strict rules on nutrient neutrality. We are keen to work with and support developers to mitigate such problems, in order to secure fit-for-purpose, affordable and sustainable housing that meets the needs of local communities."
Cllr Taylor also stated during the meeting that she was proud that Voreda House was "going to be the first passive house retrofit in the UK if not the known universe." It was revealed this week that Voreda House's costs have now risen to £8.3 million, and the completion date is now expected to be spring 2024."
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