LOCALS living near an “abandoned” housing estate that has been left to rot for years despite being in the middle of a picturesque village say it’s a slap in the face to families who are desperate for homes in the area.
Work to build 33 homes in Calstock, Cornwall was well underway with around 10 homes nearing completion when builders suddenly downed tools and walked off site around two years ago.
Since 2024 no work has been done and the place has become a ghost town despite Cornwall having one of the country’s worst housing crises with more than 23,000 families currently on council housing waiting lists.
The abandoned houses have been targeted with several attempted break-ins and vandalism.
Work stopped after the developer and the local council clashed over affordable housing targets – prompting them to board up three of the finished homes in protest.
Mary Jope, 89, has been left living in the middle of a building site after construction around her home of 64 years suddenly halted.
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She said: “It’s criminal that all these houses have been left like this.
“There are a lot of people around here who would want to move into these homes but don’t have the opportunity.”
Retired mechanic Brian Jackman, 75, who lives nearby said: “I’d like them to be lived in.
“I saw the developer the other week and he looked like he was about to cry.
“It all stems back to the issue of affordable housing. He is just at loggerheads with the council.
“The estate is just dead sadly and it’s all falling to pieces.
“Kids broke into one of them and had to be chased off. We’re just waiting for squatters to move in or fly-tipping.
“It’s crazy they have just been left like this.”
Scenes from around the riverside village – including its stunning Victorian railway viaduct – have regularly featured in BBC detective series Beyond Paradise starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.
Planning permission for 33 houses at Bridge View, of which 15 were affordable, was first granted in 2018.
But the developers subsequently applied to cut the affordable housing provision to 10 units, which was approved in 2021.
The developer claimed its costs escalated while awaiting approval for the revised planning application, and the resulting delays led to the withdrawal of affordable housing operators.
Costs include building a £750,000 retaining wall behind some of the houses.
In January 2024 they told the council it was no longer viable to provide any affordable housing on the site.
Local resident Jenny Flannery said: “I have been lucky enough to live here all my life but my daughter had to move away because there’s not enough affordable housing here.
“Even the affordable ones were £340,000 which is hardly affordable for most people.”
James Flannery added: “Somebody tried to break into one with a screwdriver and did some damage.
“It’s just sad to see when so many people from the community are looking for a place to live.”
The developers, Michael Wight and Adele Fulner of Construction Partners Ltd had previously accused Cornwall Council of “weaponising” legal planning agreements and “strangling the business cash flow” by blocking the sale of completed homes.
Mr Wright also said no affordable housing operator wanted the homes meaning they could not fulfil planning conditions.
A spokesman for Cornwall Council said: “The council is committed to working with developers that have been granted planning permission to ensure that a housing development, and the agreed number of affordable housing homes, are delivered in line with the planning permission.
“Issues with this development have been ongoing for several years and the council has done all in its power to work with the developer. However we must adhere to local and national planning policy, including local neighbourhood plans.
“The latest planning application relating to this site sought – among other aspects – to reduce the number of affordable homes on this development from 40% to 30%. This application was approved in October 2025.”
The Sun has contacted the developers for comment.
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