FAQs
ABOUT TREVETH
What is Treveth?
Treveth, the Cornish word for ‘Homestead’, is a partnership business set up by Cornwall Council in April 2019 to create new homes and commercial development to benefit people who live and work in Cornwall.
Who owns Treveth?
Treveth is 99% owned by Cornwall Council and 1% by the Corserv Group Limited. All of the profits generated from our activities are returned to our partners.
Why was Treveth set up?
Treveth was established through Cornwall Council’s determination to improve people’s lives. Our role is to assist the Council in delivering its objectives of improved housing, economic growth and job creation.
What makes Treveth’s homes different?
Treveth’s objective is to improve the quality of new homes in Cornwall, especially in the private rented market. Our homes exceed current minimum space standards, across all tenures, and are designed to help reduce the running costs for occupants through the use of low carbon technologies including solar panels and sustainable energy solutions.
What tenures are available?
Treveth’s homes are available to rent or buy, and we plan to offer shared ownership so there are no affordability ‘gaps’ in our developments. Our housing schemes will fulfil Local Plan requirements for affordable homes, with schemes generally including an element of homes for open market sale, and the remainder for private rent. This may differ from scheme to scheme depending on what the local market requires. Treveth are committed to each of our developments, long term, through the continued ownership of our rental properties and the wider management of our schemes to ensure our sites are maintained to the highest standards.
Why does Treveth offer three-year tenancies as standard?
Cornwall has a big problem with seasonality of the private rented market which results in short term tenancies, large fluctuations in rent payable between summer and off-season all of which has an impact on occupier stability. This makes it difficult for people to put down roots in their communities if they can only occupy a property for six months.
Treveth rental properties have leases that last three years, and if tenants want to renew at the end of that period then they will be given every opportunity to do so. This allows individuals and families to grow in the communities they live in.
ABOUT PROPOSALS FOR NORTH HILL, BLACKWATER
What is proposed for the site?
Treveth have entered into discussions with Cornwall Council’s Affordable Housing team to confirm that there is a very large need in the area for affordable housing, with an identified need for 233 households with local connections in the St Agnes Parish alone, in particular for smaller homes and those suited to over 55’s (data confirmed as of 4th April 2022). We are therefore proposing to deliver an affordable housing led scheme that addresses this need directly.
We are currently putting together a Full Application for 32 homes including 1 and 2 bed traditional bungalows and 3 bed dormer bungalows, with associated areas of open space, ecological mitigation, landscaping and offsite highways improvements. The site will be retained and managed by Treveth for its lifetime with the development aiming to address the inadequate provision of homes for local people within Blackwater, both on the affordable housing market and private rental market. The site will deliver 16 affordable homes (50%) and 16 open market homes (50%).
Of the open market homes, 10 will be retained by Treveth as open market rent for people with a local connection, whilst 6 homes will be available for sale on the open market.
Why build in a rural area, outside of the current Neighbourhood Plan?
The site is being brought forward as a ‘rural exception site’, which allows local planning authorities to grant planning permission for affordable housing led development on land that is not allocated for housing in the local plan, in order to address proven local housing need.
The St Agnes Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan seeks to facilitate the delivery of local housing needs through Policy 2 – Community Homes. It is recognised that there is a need for affordable housing to meet the needs of your local community. Therefore, in conformity with Policy 9 of the Cornwall Local Plan, housing development will be supported on exception sites which deliver affordable housing that meets an identified local need within your Parish.
Settlement boundaries have been established for the six larger villages within the Parish to create a clear and transparent policy framework for the location of future housing within villages, of which one is Blackwater.
How many affordable homes would be built?
The viability of the development will allow Treveth to deliver 16 affordable dwellings, with a mix of affordable rent, discount sale and shared ownership properties available for people with a local connection.
How do we know homes will be for local people?
Treveth’s lettings policy prioritises local people first when renting its properties, with its developments aimed at households who have a local link either through residency, employment or close family. This policy is also extended to homes for sale. To date, across Treveth’s developments, 100 per cent of lettings have been to local people. All affordable homes are allocated to people on Cornwall Council’s Homechoice register, who must also demonstrate local links in the same way.
Will the new homes be of good quality and in character with the area?
Treveth’s ambition is to provide high quality homes that achieve net zero carbon emissions and it has developed a suite of modern, but distinctively Cornish, homes. All Treveth homes are designed to be accessible and adaptable. Fossil fuel-free heating, upgraded insulation, features such as solar panels and sustainable heat sources, including air source heat pumps, contribute to an overall low energy strategy and lower running costs, also helping tackle fuel poverty.
What provision will be made for increased demand on local services and amenities?
The development will be required to make financial contributions to local education and health provision through Section 106 contributions, as defined by the local authority. It will also pay a Community Infrastructure Levy on all open market properties which goes toward local infrastructure.
What happens next and what are the timescales?
After the consultation period we will review all of the feedback received and use this to help inform our proposals for the development. Over the subsequent few weeks we will be finalising our Full Planning Application with the intention to submit this to Cornwall Council by August 2022.
