Getting Newquay building again and again and again!

The government constantly reiterates the phrase ‘Getting Britain building again’ as if prior to 2024 house building stagnated.  Looking at the evidence reveals that house building has been continuing year after year but who cares about evidence!

 

If we look at Newquay using the data on housing applications and permissions from 2015 to 2023 we can see how much housing development has occurred. 

 

Newquay can be divided between various areas.  The main ones are the main town, Pentire, the Nansledan growth area and land around Trevemper. 

 

Overall, permission was given for 3,610 open market and 1,280 affordable dwellings, a total of 4,890 in all. Evidence from google maps indicates that the majority of these dwellings have been constructed or are in the process of construction.  The Nansledan area accounted for 58.5% of the total followed by Trevemper at 26.4%.

 

Permissions by status and area – numbers.

 

Area	Open market	Affordable	Total	% share
Narrowcliff	270	30	300	6.1
Main town	240	50	290	5.9
Pentire	150	0	150	3.1
Nansledan	2030	830	2860	58.5
Trevemper	930	360	1290	26.4
Total	3610	1280	4890	100

 

Overall, 74% were classed as Open market with 26% Affordable. Highest levels for affordable were in Pentire at 100% and the Main town at 83%. [There is some debate about how affordable, affordable dwellings actually are].

 

Permissions by status and area – %.

 

Area	Open market	Affordable	Total
Narrowcliff	74	26	100
Main town	83	17	100
Pentire	100	0	100
Nansledan	71	29	100
Trevemper	72	28	100
Total	74	26	100

 

The data clearly indicates that Newquay has seen a dramatic increase in house building and its population has also grown. At the same time house prices have increased while in April 2025 there were just over a thousand on the Home Choice register in the parish. So the extra building has not reduced the number seeking a house. *

 

[*NB the number of households on the HCR does not equate to the number of new dwellings that need to be built.]

 

Sources

Cornwall Council, Interactive map (2025), Housing permissions annual snapshot, Housing completions 2015 to 2023.

 

Cornwall Council, Home Choice Register, data April 2025.