A development of new affordable apartments for local people in housing need was officially opened in Falmouth by Sarah Newton MP and Town Mayor Cllr Geoffrey Evans, on behalf of Coastline Housing.

The Camborne-based housing association has had a dramatic response to The Spinnakers; a contemporary collection of 19 apartments aimed at local workers and available through shared ownership to enable buyers to settle in such a desirable area.

The scheme was developed at a total cost of £2.8million, and was largely funded thanks to a grant of £676K from the Homes and Communities Agency, and £254K from the former Carrick District Council.

Whilst 14 of the properties were made available via shared ownership (part buy, part rent), 2 are also being rented to local people in housing need and 3 will be sold on the open market.

Robert Nettleton, chief executive of Coastline Housing, said: “We had more than 200 local households register an interest in purchasing one of The Spinnakers apartments before they opened last week, something that doesn’t surprise us at all.

“Falmouth is a beautiful town and demand for property is high, which is why it’s crucial to implement shared ownership schemes like this – house prices are high and there are so many local workers trying to get a footing on the local property ladder, so it meets a real need.”

Two of the three penthouse flats are already under offer on the open market, showing how popular the development is.

Robert added: “The prospective buyers to date come from a variety of backgrounds – we have two library assistants, a postman, a mechanic, two teachers and a midwife, as well as four shop sales staff and an electrician, so we can see that we’ve filled a niche in the marketplace. It is our aim to continue to provide affordable housing solutions to help local workers settle in desirable areas.”