Cllr Julian Brazil, of East Prawle, Kingsbridge, writes: The latest plan to extend 'right to buy' for housing association tenants will be a disaster for the South Hams. It will hasten the descent of rural Devon and Cornwall into a mixture of one huge retirement home or theme park for the wealthy. This may of course be the intention of the Government, in which case let us hope that the folly of its ways dawns on it before it becomes law. I see the Dartmouth Minor Injuries Unit is to close due to lack of staff, who are no doubt unable to afford to live in the area. If the plans go ahead there will be less housing available at affordable rents, which will in turn lead to increases in private rents due to supply and demand. Good luck to those association tenants fortunate to benefit from the Government's generosity, but bad luck to those young working families who have managed not to rely on the state – your rents are about to go up. The minister in charge of these changes is Greg Clark MP. He was also the minister in charge of the National Planning Policy Framework, commonly known as the Developers' Charter. What a political legacy he will leave: the continuing destruction of the countryside followed by the flogging off of our remaining social housing and the exodus of young people from the Westcountry – all for the sake of short-term political expediency.
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