Mark Cann standing in Braunton West and Georgeham
I have lived in Braunton since 2009 and am married to Val who taught at Kingsacre School for over 25. Years. I taught in Somerset for 35 years and moved to Braunton permanently when I retired. I'm proud to have joined the Governing Body at Kingsacre School and am a founding board member of the Braunton Community Land Trust. I'm also involved with Live Well in Braunton and am an active member of the North Devon and Torridge Housing Crisis group. We are facing a serious housing crisis in North Devon - there are too few genuinely affordable homes to rent or to buy. In Braunton young people have been priced out of the housing market with the growth in the Air BnB market making it impossible to find longer term rents. If elected, I will make my number one priority to do all I can to see that we provide genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy and so give especially young people and families a decent affordable place to live.
Nick Agnew standing in Braunton East
Nick is standing in Braunton East where he lives and runs his own business. He is a founding board member of the Braunton Community Land Trust and he sees the housing crisis as the major issue facing North Devon. Many local people have been forced out of rented accommodation as a result of the boom in holiday lets and second homes, with private landlords choosing to cash in on the changing market. Unfortunately with rising rents and house prices there are few affordable alternatives. A lack of housing affects us all and we have already seen some local businesses struggle to recruit and retain staff due to the lack of housing. House prices are high and yet average wages remain low, meaning local people can’t afford to buy their own home. Young people who can’t get on the housing ladder feel forced to leave the area. Work opportunities are often limited. Infrastructure is poor and transport links fall far behind other parts of the country. Our rural surroundings mean we are at the sharp end of the Climate Crisis. Too often it feels as though we have been left behind by the Tories and Lib Dems who have held power at both national and local government for too long.
