The Prince of Wales has announced plans to build homes on his Cornish estate in a bid to tackle homelessness in the South West of England.
Alongside Cornish homelessness charity, St Petrocs, the project will provide 24 homes in Nansledan, Newquay, with "wrap around support" for local people experiencing homelessness.
The development is due to kick off in September this year, with the first homes expected to be completed in the autumn of next year, according to a statement from the estate. "The first phase will focus on creating high quality temporary accommodation that feels like home with a clear pathway to a permanent home as accommodation becomes available," the statement read.
Speaking about the project, the charity's chief executive, Henry Meacock, added: "Everybody at St Petrocs is delighted to be part of this collaboration with the Duchy of Cornwall. Our charity has been working in Cornwall for over 30 years and has supported many hundreds of people in this time.
"With the Duchy of Cornwall, we believe we can deliver a truly exemplary project embedded in the local community which will provide a route for many more people out of homelessness for good."
He finished by adding: "We look forward to working together to demonstrate the importance of high-quality temporary accommodation, where individuals can build a connection to their community and a clear pathway to permanent local housing. This partnership is an important step in achieving our shared goal of ending homelessness in Cornwall and across the UK."
Prince William's upcoming project is inspired by a five-year programme called Homewards which is led by The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The programme strives to form locally led coalitions of committed individuals, organisations and businesses who intend to work together to prevent and ultimately end homelessness in their local areas.
The senior royal's sprawling Cornish estate stretches 130,000 acres from Cornwall to Kent. It's one of the largest and oldest landed estates in Britain and was created in 1337 by Edward III to support his son and heir Prince Edward, known as the Black Prince, and all his subsequent heirs.
The 41-year-old inherited the estate after the death of his grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of his father Charles.
The Duchy generated record profits of £24.048 million in 2022 to 2023 – up £1.02 million from £23.024 million the year before. In a foreword for the Duchy's financial accounts, the Prince paid tribute to his father Charles for leaving an "indelible mark" on the Duchy and being passionate about driving forward change.
Hinting at his desire to make a mark in his role, William wrote: "I am committed to the cause of tackling climate change and I am proud of the estate's efforts to contribute to this challenge.
"If we can also help respond to social challenges such as mental health and homelessness, I will feel my term as Duke has been worthwhile."