A West Country MP has appealed to regeneration minister Lord Rooker to help constituents who are about to lose their homes.
About 27 families in the village of Gittisham, east Devon, have been given eviction notices because their private landlord wants to sell their houses.

The homes are believed to be worth about £7m and many of the residents cannot afford to buy them.

Angela Browning, Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, wrote to Rooker last week.

She said: "I have asked Lord Rooker whether there are any special pots of money that could assist through the Housing Corporation or housing associations or whether there could be flexibility in terms of the council's capital expenditure."

Representatives from East Devon council are to meet agents for the landlord, Richard Marker, in the next two weeks.

John Golding, head of housing at East Devon council, said: "We might not be able to stop him selling but we would negotiate an extension or phased sales so people can find accommodation themselves or with our assistance."

East Devon council loses 60 homes to the right to buy each year but can only replace 20 or 30 through housing associations. It has 3600 families on its housing register.

The average house in the region costs £204,000 but the average wage is just £18,000.

The council plans to take its housing advice surgery to Gittisham.

Source

Housing Today