Councillor Jonathan Hawkins, of South Hams and Devon Councils, said the “only way to get to Boris Johnson” to change legislation to make homes more affordable was to lobby MP Anthony Mangnall.
During a discussion on the Little Cotton Farm development Cllr Hawkins said: “We all want more affordable houses. We don’t want any more wealthy millionaires moving into Dartmouth and Kingswear and Salcombe.
“We don’t want them. We want people who can afford to live here properly, who can make an earning and a living here. That’s what we all want.
“So please, all of you, lobby your MP - as that’s the only way we’re going to get a change in the criteria that we have to work on for affordable housing.”
Cllr Hawkins said the Government policy of “affordable” rents being set at 80 per cent of market value was “ludicrous” for Dartmouth, KIngswear, Salcombe and the South Hams.
He added: “Nothing riles me more and I’m really passionate about this. I’m fed up of local people having to move out to Torquay, Paignton and Brixham because that’s where the affordable houses are being built and that’s where they can afford to live.
“That is disgusting and we’ve really got to change that, because if we don’t this town will slowly but surely become Salcombe.
“So, we’ve all got to lobby our MP because that’s the only way to get to Boris Johnson (whether you like him or not!). We need to get them to change this policy because it’s completely wrong.”
Cllr Hawkins told town councillors that half of this year’s shared ownership quota at Little Cotton Farm has been advertised already and local people need to be “on the list” with Devon Home Choice to be accepted.
The properties are advertised for two months to residents in Dartmouth, Kingswear and Stoke Fleming, and then they can be advertised more nationally.
Little Cotton Farm will have 31 shared ownership properties available this year and 33 in 2022.
Cllr Cathy Campos confirmed with Cllr Hawkins that the properties are being advertised through Devon Home Choice, adding “the problem with Devon Home Choice is half the time it doesn’t go to local people.”
Cllr Hawkins replied that shared ownership and rented properties at Little Cotton Farm are first allocated to Dartmouth, Kingswear and Stoke Fleming residents, then rolled out to Strete, Kingsbridge and Totnes before going further afield.
He then stressed that any local people interested in the more affordable properties must be on the Devon Home Choice list.