THERE has been anger and frustration as families have been told to vacate Ministry of Defence (MoD) owned houses in Newquay and St Columb Minor during the height of summer.

Twelve to 15 families have been given eight weeks notice to leave the properties they rent from the MoD as they are now needed for service personnel stationed at the expanding RAF St Mawgan.

A military veteran who has a child with mental health issues, as well as the elderly, are among those who have been left to find a new home.

Fears have been raised the chances of the tenants finding alternative housing to let in and around Newquay during the holiday season will be “very rare.”

St Columb Minor Cornwall councillor John Fitter has appealed to the MoD to extend the date their tenants will have to leave the properties but he says he has been met with “silence”.

There is also said to be growing outrage among the families who are being told to vacate their properties as reportedly there have been 17 MoD properties in St Columb Minor that have been empty for the past two to three years.

Cllr Fitter said: “As the local member I am very concerned and doing what I can to help the tenants who have been given eight weeks notice to vacate the houses they currently rent from the MoD.

“I’m advised that the number of tenants involved could be as many as 12 to 15 families and given that we are in the middle of the main holiday season the chances of finding houses to let in and around Newquay are very rare. 

“What I do find difficult to understand is, if this is a normal air force rotation of personal why the need for extra housing, surely the incoming personal move into the accommodation of the outgoing families.

“So far, I have not been successful in my attempts to speak with anyone from the MoD and my plea that the notice period should be extended until after the main season has been met with silence. I have also alerted our Member of Parliament and would hope that he can get some answers.”

Military families living in MoD houses in Newquay and St Columb Minor have allegedly had letters posted through their letterboxes asking them not to speak to the media about the issue.

MoD houses are owned and managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, so RAF St Mawgan has no say on the issue.

A MoD spokesperson said: “Civilian tenants renting homes that are temporarily not required for service personnel sign-up to two months’ notice to vacate.

“These homes were needed for service personnel and their families to live in. Sub-lets are offered on short-term basis only and cannot be considered as an alternate source of social housing.”