The Council has been working closely with the housing association LiveWest to progress the former secondary school site at Carn Thomas, St Mary’s for affordable housing. The site at Carn Thomas was transferred to LiveWest in March 2023, as agreed at Full Council in September 2021.
LiveWest has developed plans for the affordable housing scheme and held a consultation with residents of the Isles of Scilly in September 2022. LiveWest received planning permission for the scheme in March 2025.
LiveWest went out to tender for the scheme in April 2025.
Details of the proposed housing scheme
LiveWest has produced designs for a housing development of 27 affordable homes at the former secondary school site at Carn Thomas on St. Mary’s.
You can view the planning application and designs on our planning pages: Planning application: P/24/028/FUL-A | Council of the ISLES OF SCILLY
Site transfer to LiveWest Housing Association
On 31 March 2023, the Council completed the transfer of ownership for the former Secondary School site at Carn Thomas to LiveWest.
The terms of the transfer of ownership make the following requirements of LiveWest:
- To make reasonable endeavours to submit an application for planning permission within 12 months of 31 March 2023
- To start work on site within 12 months from planning consent
- To complete the development within 3 years of commencing work on the site
- Not to use any of the homes developed now, or in the future, for any use other than occupation as sole or main residences
You can read more about this transfer in the news item we published in April 2023.
For further information about LiveWest, please visit the LiveWest website
Land Release Fund
The Council received £315,000 of Land Release Funding for the former Secondary school site at Carn Thomas. The Land Release Fund provides capital funding for land remediation and small-scale infrastructure to local authorities across England, to bring otherwise unviable local authority-owned sites forward for housing. It is delivered by the One Public Estate programme, a national programme jointly run by the Cabinet Office Government Property Unit and the Local Government Association (LGA) . This funding helped to de-risk the Carn Thomas site and allow the land to be released for affordable housing delivery.
Councillors and Committees | Council of the ISLES OF SCILLY
Planning application: P/24/028/FUL-A | Council of the ISLES OF SCILLY
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Carn Thomas Concept Sheet 1 | 12.03 MB |
| Carn Thomas Concept Sheet 2 | 40.22 MB |
| Carn Thomas Concept Sheet 3 | 13.07 MB |
| Carn Thomas proposed layout | 1.16 MB |