Cornwall Council is to sell 37 of the 79 Solohaus modular homes it bought just four years ago because they are now deemed too expensive to site. The local authority says it would cost around £9million to set them up – a figure which would increase dramatically if the council had to purchase land on which to house the units.

In 2021 the council bought the SoloHaus units in response to the significant pressures on housing in Cornwall during and after the Covid pandemic. There are now SoloHaus ‘housing estates’ at Longrock, near Penzance, Penryn, Tregunnel in Newquay and behind Old County Hall in Truro, which are providing much-needed and secure accommodation for people who would otherwise be homeless. They provide a stepping stone for people towards more traditional rented accommodation.

During the pandemic the government’s ‘Everyone In’ initiative meant local authorities had a duty to provide emergency accommodation to anyone sleeping rough. The government then provided funding so that those supported through ‘Everyone In’ were helped into longer-term accommodation to avoid a possible return to life on the streets.

The SoloHaus units were designed to provide longer term accommodation for single homeless people supported through ‘Everyone In’. They are modular units which require planning permission and building regulations, as well as heating, drainage and utility connections before they can be occupied.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “For these schemes to be successful we have to build larger-scale developments in urban areas within or close to towns and public transport, where there is also the right support. The cost associated with building a new site – including design and construction, utilities and access – is, on average, almost £244,000 per SoloHaus unit. This would increase if we had to purchase land. This is not a cost we can sustain.

“As a result, we will shortly be asking for expressions of interest from third parties who wish to take ownership and repurpose the remaining unused 37 SoloHaus homes, focusing on housing-led uses that support affordability, homelessness prevention and/or deliver community or social benefits.”

Cllr Peter La Broy, Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “I can understand why the council looked to innovative ideas such as SoloHaus in response to the rising numbers of people finding themselves homeless. However, at a time when we are continuing to experience considerable pressures on council budgets, we have a responsibility to our residents to ensure that we’re spending our money wisely.

“The costs of the larger schemes and the time they take to deliver to make them viable is simply too much to allow us to proceed with any further projects. I look forward to community groups and other organisations coming forward with their own innovative proposals for how these units could be used for the benefit of Cornwall.”

There are no plans to close the SoloHaus sites at Longrock, Penryn and Tregunnel. The SoloHaus site in Truro is currently being decommissioned and new accommodation is being found for the current residents following the submission of a planning application for homes on the former Old County Hall site. These units will be among the 37 being sold.

The council has also instigated other “pop-up” home sites across Cornwall, some with more success than others. It has housed rough sleepers in 21 Bunkabins behind the council’s own headquarters at New County Hall, while a similar 18-home ‘estate’ in the middle of Camborne was cleared last month following concerns about anti-social behaviour.

The council recently abandoned plans to site portable homes for homeless young people near Truro’s Waitrose store following concerns raised by nearby residents and the area’s Cornwall councillor, Loic Rich.