Archive
TA feels that a more sensible approach to ‘affordable’ would be to fix the price of affordability to costs plus a developers profit of 10% and this would mean, assuming the freehold cost of the land and building were to be £80,000 - the cost of the home would be £88,000 and significantly more affordable to a greater range of people
Here (Main report is 40 minutes into the james Churchfield show)
Intrepid cycling septuagenarian, Cambridge psychiatrist Dr Marina Voikhanskaya is using pedal power on a 430 mile cycle ride to raise money and awareness for the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
Marina, who is 74, left her home city of Cambridge on Friday 28 August 2009, and will arrive in Land’s End just 10 days later, passing through some of England’s most beautiful countryside, National Parks, and historic towns on her journey.
Marina is hoping her trip will promote the beauty and tranquillity of the English countryside and raise vital funds for CPRE’s campaign work, as well as highlighting various countryside threats along her route via her daily web blog.
Marina had agreed to meet with members of the Trelawney Alliance, an organisation whose aims align with those of the CPRE, in the Camborne Council offices at 1.00pm on Monday 7th Sept 2009.
Marina has also agreed to be available at this time for photo opportunities and interviews.
Bill Bryson, CPRE’s President said:
‘This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I really admire Marina and the journey she is taking. The publicity she is generating for our beautiful countryside as well as various countryside threats is wonderful and I hope your readers will consider sponsoring her magnificent efforts.’
Trelawney Alliance spokesman Roger Benney said ‘This is a tremendous effort and we all look forward meeting Marina of the final day of the trip. It will do much to raise awareness to the fact that our countryside is disappearing’
Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Marina graduated from medical school and worked as a psychiatrist. She took up cycling at the age of 44, after leaving Russia to come to Britain as a political refugee.
Marina said:
‘I feel strongly that the countryside should be valued and protected for future generations to enjoy. The countryside needs help and protection because it is particularly vulnerable at present, which is why I want to raise awareness and funds for CPRE’.
Marina’s route will take her along some of the UK’s 12,000 miles of National Cycle Network, which is the flagship project of sustainable transport charity SusTrans.
Wendy Johnson of SusTrans said:
‘Marina is a great example of what SusTrans stands for, that cycling is for everyone, and that age is no barrier to riding a bike. We are working hard to encourage more women to cycle. 79% of British women never cycle at all, despite the potential benefits to their health and the environment. Women like Marina are fantastically inspirational.’
27. TA today (4th Sept) viewed a letter from the the Shadow Secretary of State which broadly outlines the Conservative policy on the RSS. Whilst TA does not endorse any particular political party, we felt that the initial paragraphs of her letter are of great interest to us all. George Eustace (Conservative PPC) at our rally in Camborne earlier this year stated that the policy of a Conservative Government would be to scrap the RSS and this letter appears to be confirmation of his statement. We have added only the first 3 paragraphs,for brevity, and removed some links for ease of promulgation on this site:
CAROLINE SPELMAN MP
SHADOW SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMUNITIES & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA
Dear Colleague,
August 2009
Abolition of Regional Planning
Following the publication of our two recent policy papers on localism and housing I have received a number of practical questions about the process for abolishing regional planning. As the issues are complex – a consequence of Labour’s convoluted legislation – I thought these would be best addressed in a letter.
Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies
1) A Conservative Government will abolish the bureaucratic and undemocratic tier of regional planning. This will include the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and the Regional Planning Bodies, the abolition of national and regional building targets, as well as the cancellation of the Labour Government’s plans to move the regional housing and planning powers to Regional Development Agencies and Regional Leaders’ Boards.
2) We anticipate primary legislation in the first year of a Conservative Government, as part of a broader Local Government and Housing Bill. Prior to primary legislation, we will consider whether to use the executive powers of the Secretary of State to revoke the Regional Spatial Strategies in whole or in part. We will also publish our draft policy changes and legislation – as part of a necessary process of consultation required in law. This in itself will have the status of ‘emerging policy’. Hence, even before primary legislation is passed, local authorities will have the ability to put the brakes on elements of Regional Spatial Strategies which they find undesirable (for example, Green Belt reviews imposed on them by the RSS).
3) Local authorities will be able to review their Local Development Frameworks to undo unwanted planning policies which the Regional Spatial Strategies had imposed upon them. In practice, such a review would be a partial revision by councils – changing elements which are particularly unpopular or undesirable. The Local Development Framework regime, imposed by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, has been so time-consuming and bureaucratic that I sense that there is little desire in local government to go back to square one, and start the whole torturous process from scratch.
26. EMPTY HOUSES
It has been brought to the attention of TA by a council source that there are 246,516 homes in Cornwall presently unoccupied. Almost a quarter of a million !!
Within this total there are 13,603 second homes and 3,546 long term empty properties.
Whilst it is unrealistic to assume that all could be put onto the open market it would be interesting to know what percentage, using existing legislation, could be, and how this could affect the Government, and the RSS Quangos’ insistence that a further 70,000 new homes are required in Cornwall.
If we, the residents of Cornwall are to prevent the planned building of 70,000 new homes, which mainly are in addition to the existing high annual build rate, TA would urge everybody in Cornwall to ask of the Government why all these additional houses are required.
One letter from TA will be brushed aside; thousands of individual letters may well cause a rethink by the people who want to inflict this on us. Time is running out and we all need to act now.
25. DEMOCRACY – WHAT DEMOCRACY !
Camborne – Boiler Works Rd – Planning application for 200 houses was recommended for rejection by the local town council planning committee, but overruled by Cornwall County councillors, 5 of whom come from other areas of Cornwall.
Illogan – Planning application for a house to be built on a green space, used as a play area for children for many years, was recommended for rejection by the local parish council planning committee, but overruled by Cornwall County councillors.
Camborne – Planning application for a Crematorium to be built on Greenfield land recommended for rejection by the local town council planning committee, upheld by the then Kerrier district planning committee, but overruled by a central Government planning inspector.
This is not democracy. Recomendations made at local level are made by local councillors, elected by local people. These councillors are in a position to know what is best for their area and have a mandate from local residents to act in their best interests. To have these decisions overturned by councillors from other areas is an insult to the local committees who made the initial judgement on behalf of the local people.
TA feels that there is a question of accountability and the councillors who overturned the decisions need to explain to the local residents why they have done so.
TA will be writing to each of the councillors who overturned the local decision making process to ask for an explanation and their replies will be posted on this website.
Perhaps the leader of Cornwall Council would also like to explain the purpose of planning committees that sit on town & parish councils when county council planners also make decisions on the same applications. This would appear to be a duplication of effort.
Notwithstanding to affront to democracy, the process of councillors, who are not local to the area, overturning the recommendations of those who are, simply flies in the face of common sense.
It would seem to TA that the planning rules in Cornwall need to be urgently reviewed, a fact it would seem, already established by one of the Country’s leading businessmen, Sir John Banham, former chair of the CBI and Deputy Lord Lieutenant in Cornwall. Sir John has been granted leave by the High Court for a judicial review into ‘questionable’ planning consents granted by the former Penwith council.
Sir John has said: “This is the first time one of Penwith’s questionable planning decisions has been challenged in the High Court. Sadly, the shortcomings of Cornwall Council’s planners will be laid bare for all to see, I believe there are more than 20 different grounds on which the permissions could be quashed”
Please see our Camborne and Illogan pages for further details.
Both groups have websites and to view follow these links or copy and paste into your browser:
SUBJECT: POTENTIAL AIRBORNE CONTAMINATION HEALTH RISK ?
A recent news report disclosed that the high court’s findings in Corby found that the borough council was liable in negligence, public nuisance and a breach of statutory duty for its control of steel works during the 1980s and 90s is the most significant case of its kind since the thalidomide scandal of the 1960s.
The decision was made to establish a link between atmospheric toxic waste and birth defects, something lawyers have previously struggled to prove because of the difficulty in showing material could be inhaled by pregnant women at a distance in sufficient quantities.
A spokesperson quoted “This is the first time a civil court in this country – and quite possibly anywhere in the world – has connected birth defects and the negligent release of toxic waste in the atmosphere and put the two together,”
Lawyers acting for the council argued the case would have implications for other reclamation sites
There is considerable building work planned in Tuckingmill, where there an ‘urban’ village is planned, and Dolcoath where there is planned road building and the erection of some 400 dwellings.
Both these are areas were heavily industrialised for many years.
It has been indicated to Trelawney Alliance by a number of former mine workers that many contaminates such as Arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and zinc are almost certainly embedded into the soil in these areas.
Trelawney Alliance are concerned that, as with Corby, similar or additional adverse health problems may be inflicted on residents if particles of contaminants are permitted to become airborne.
Can the Council confirm to Trelawney Alliance that adequate soil testing has been conducted throughout these areas on bored or trenched soil samples, the various depths, positions and number of sample sites, and that the total of contaminants in parts per million do not exceed permitted legislated levels.
Can the Council also advise if it is intended to monitor the volume of airborne particles during the building phase and, if so, by what method and frequency.
Can the Council additionally advise what contractual requirement has been imposed on the construction industry to minimise the risk of dust particles becoming airborne.
Even if this dust does not contain a level of contaminants which are deemed hazardous to health, it will exacerbate any Asthmatic or COPD symptoms suffered by residents in the vicinity.
Yours etc
You had quite an impact on member towns present and prompted CTA to write to a range of ministers and Cllrs with our concerns about the RSS.
I have attached the letters the Cornwall Council Chief Executive Kevin Lavery as well as a similar letter to other bodies and MP’s with our objections. There is also attached a contact sheet of who we copied this letter to for information.
I do hope this meets with your approval. I will keep you informed if I may of any response we receive. Hopefully our letters accompanied by CRCC’s objections and others will have the desired effect of a more locally acceptable approach to housing allocations.
I have also taken the liberty of attaching a CTA membership form, membership list, constitution and business plan. I hope you will bring CTA membership to the attention of the group that is looking at Cambornes Town Plan, (I am uncertain if this is the Town Council or Regeneration Forum) and consider joining. I have also attached a brochure for information about the sort of work we have been undertaking.
In the meantime please call or email if I can be of further assistance, particularly regarding your town plan creation.
Thank you again for your time.
Edwina
21. By TA - Not Cornwall, but relevant
Press Release : Bristol City Football Club use the populist issue of a new football stadium to get stuck into local green belt land. West of England’s Green Belt campaigners are united against at the application by Bristol City Football Club for a 42 acre mixed development of housing, bars/restaurants and housing on fields to the south of the city. It seems the Club would rather destroy land identified as a ‘Wildlife Network Site’ and a ‘High Risk Flood Zone’ than redevelop its stadium on the existing site, which is easily accessible with established transport links and infrastructure.
What’s worse, the site designated is green belt land, supposedly protected from such inappropriate building developments. The club are claiming exceptional circumstances because, they say, there is nowhere else to put a new stadium. That is of course if you overlook the fact that they intend to sell their current stadium site, at Ashton Gate, to Tesco for development as a superstore.
Mary Walsh of the Whitchurch Action Group says “If this goes ahead then no green belt land is safe from any kind of development anywhere in the country. If they agree to this, the city’s LibDems will long be remembered around Bristol as the party which single-handedly destroyed 50 years of local government planning policy in their first major political decision.”
The club cannot currently afford the stadium and so, as part of the application, approval is sought for an “enabling development” of 253 houses, also on green belt land, to help finance the whole package. If agreed, this means that any urban based company could seek to re-locate to plush new premises in the green belt and apply for an “enabling development” to finance the whole project.
Mike Parsons of Protect Whitchurch Green Belt Alliance says “Any planning inspector giving the go ahead for this project would also be giving the green light for every other cash strapped urban factory owner to move onto a green field site and build a giant housing estate to finance the whole package.”
The club are pressing Bristol City Council to compress the whole planning approval process into a few short months in order to fit into the Football Association’s 2018 World Cup bid programme. The Leader of the council and the City Council’s Chief Executive have both appeared in full page articles in the local paper endorsing the campaign for 2018 World Cup Host City status, yet the success of this bid is dependent upon this planning application being approved.
Ron Morton of Shortwood Green Belt Campaign says “The club is attempting to bamboozle the council into approval. How can there now be any kind of unbiased decision making at local level on this particular planning application? The Secretary of State has now got to call in this application, blowing any chance of meeting the FIFA schedule for designating Host City status for Bristol. Sadly for the club and the city, it’s an ‘own goal’.”
He continues, “We’re worried that if this development on green belt land is given the go ahead it will kick start the highly profitable and environmentally dubious plans of creating 250,000 new homes on green land in the south west over the next 20 years. Green land equivalent to the area of 15,000 football pitches could be lost.”
And finally,
The only logical way forward now is for the City Council and Bristol City Football Club to work co-operatively and find a way of building a 21st Century, state of the art, multi-purpose stadium – on the current stadium site in Ashton Gate.
Jacquie Stephens of the Warmley & Siston Save Our Green Spaces group says “For 100 years Ashton Gate has been the home of Bristol City Football Club and given a free choice, fans, supporters and season ticket holders would all say ‘Give us World Cup football and Premier League football at Ashton Gate!’ So why have they never been given any opportunity to say just that?”
Local Contacts : Jacquie Stephens Warmley & Siston Save Our Green Spaces jacquie.stephens@yahoo.co.uk tel 0117 914 1660 0117 914 1660
20. The following extract is from a letter sent to a local newspaper in N. Cornwall
Letters Page
Cornish & Devon Post
Tindle House
Westgate Street
Launceston PL15 7AL
To hear the broadcast check this link. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p003m5r8/Laurence_Reed_08_07_2009/
Note: The interest starts at about 1.29pm so press play and then adjust the slider control to the appropriate time to listen.
Dear editor, I would like to congratulate Councillors Clayton, Duffin, Eddowes, Haycock, Hicks, Jenkin, Kaczmarek, Stoneman, and Williams in winning their electoral wards last Thursday. However, I cannot understand how on earth these 9 people ever managed to persuade members of the public to vote for them when they ALL voted for the ‘amended proposal’ that would allow 9,400 houses to be built in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth areas. Well, so many of you asked for it and you probably deserve what you get but I fully support the Trelawney Alliance and will do everything I can to prevent this mass of concrete eating up our Greenfield sites.
By TA - Not to forget Illogan, where Park Bottom Village (about 400 homes) is taking 2,350 of the total. Overdevelopment may be considered to be an understatement!
b) Report - Further delay for new homes blueprint - Plans for the number of new homes planned for Cornwall (Due to have been released next week) have been delayed due to legal problems. The South West RSS sets out how many homes the Government believes should be built in the region by 2026. It is supposed to cover a 20 year period, but due to several delays the final document has still not been agreed. The final decision has been delayed (See also 17 below) after 35,000 representations were made, the largest ever to have been received for such a consultation. Now a further delay has been announced after a High Court ruling was made regarding the RSS for the east of England which judges said failed to meet the EU rules. A Government office said that it was currently considering the potential implications for the SW RSS but cannot reach a clear view until the written judgement is issued by the court. They also said that that is not possible to set a new timetable until the implementations of the judgement have been clarified and what action, if any, will be required. The report continues with the statement that, apparently, from some quarters, it has been said that the numbers will have to be reviewed in the light of the economic climate which has led to the slowdown in house building.
By TA - With respect to the final statement, it looks as if the Government may be catching up with what people all over Cornwall have been saying for at least the last 6 months, that is the numbers need to be considerably reduced, but, in addition there is a need to go one step further. The final decision should simply be left to our elected representatives in Cornwall.
Ref: SWCouncils/06.09/Government Delay Region’s Long Term Plan
Government has announced a delay in the publication of the final Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West.
The final version of the Strategy, which will guide development in the region up to 2026, was due to be published at the end of June. However, following a High Court judgment stating that the plan in the East of England region did not meet certain requirements, the Government have delayed the publication of the South West plan until the potential implications of this ruling are known.
The draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) prepared by the Regional Planning Body (formerly the Regional Assembly now the Strategic Leaders’ Board) was submitted to Government in April 2006, and the draft Strategy has been through several rounds of consultation including an “Examination in Public” enquiry which ran from April – July 2007.
Regional Leaders are clear that their strategy for the South West (as submitted in April 2006) will deliver the new development needed for future prosperity and meet long term housing needs in the most sustainable way. They did not support the extra development proposed by the Minister.
Chairman of the Strategic Leaders’ Board, Cllr Angus Campbell, said:
“The delay to the publication of the final RSS is disappointing as it means further uncertainty for authorities and other partners.
However, it does give Government further opportunity to reflect on the significance of the scale of growth and change that has been proposed for the South West. Given the slow down of the economy and development as a consequence, it suggests that the position proposed by the region in the draft RSS is a more realistic approach, and also has the benefit of being broadly supported by local authorities and partners in the region when it was submitted.”
Cllr Mike Bawden, Chair the Regional Planning Group said:
“We would urge the Government to take this opportunity to consider carefully the implications for the South West, but to minimise further delays. The region prepared the draft plan in just two years and submitted it to Government in April 2006, it is disappointing that over three years later we still do not have the final document on which planning decisions for future growth and development can be based.”
ENDS
Jean & Roger on Sky
Thanks to The entertainers, the Illogan Sparnon Silver Band, Proper job & Ivan Barnes. who gave freely of their time and performed so well, The Floral Dance & Trelawny high amongst the all time favourites.
Thanks also to those supporters who provided raffle prizes for the draw and of course many thanks to the crowd of about 80 people who turned our and supported the evening
The objective was to fund raise so that we can continue our opposition to the mass build plans in the area, we haven’t done the sums yet, but early indications are that the evening has added in the region of £250 into our fund.
13.We are not alone! Protest groups are forming all over the SW, we are told over 30 in all - Cheltenham, Bristol, Swindon to name but three of the major ones.
12.Now that the Secretary of State for Communities Blears has thankfully disappeared into the night we hope that her replacement, John Denham, has the common sense to look at her most unpopular policy, the SW regional spatial strategy and scrap it. Common sense says hand back the control of new building to where it belongs, in the hands of locally elected representatives. Our areas do not need the unsustainable urban sprawls such has been proposed for example in Camborne, Redruth, Pool and Park Bottom, imposed by a quango who have little or no idea of the effect and consequences to the local population.
Rather than maximise the profits for developers we need to ensure that the houses required for the local population are built where they are needed, using brownfield land, and not turning quality agricultural greenfield spaces in to huge housing estates, and consideration should be given to the refurbishment of already built homes in need of repair.
TA feels that the Government needs to take stock of the recent election results and start listening to the voice of the people.
11.Although a non-political group TA would like to extend congratulations to those who stood and won Council seats in the local elections earlier this week. Well done to all involved, in particular our own TA committee member Terry wilkins who now becomes the new County Council Member representing Illogan.
10.Members of the Committee gave an in depth live interview on Penwith Radio today (4th June) explaining what our objectives are and emphasising the magnitude of the building project being foisted on us here in Cornwall. The interview, lasting about 30 minutes, went well and several people have already voiced their surprise at the size of these building plans.
9.Cornwall MPshave apparently demanded a meeting with the unelected SWRDA to find out how budget cuts could affect projects in Cornwall. An RDA spokesman is reported to have said that that the Cabinet Office have issued guidance that no release of information should be made until after the elections on the 4th June.
By TA -Whatever ’spin’ is put on this, it smacks of wanting to bury the news until after the elections, so we can only conclude that its release may adversly affect the local councillors and European candidates who are affiliated to the Government. Reductions in funding could possibly result in existing part built projects failing to have the capital to complete.
8. Bristol is experiencing the same moves as Cornwall with regard to building on greenfield land. Here follows a recent extract from a local paper on the subject.
Residents will foot the bill for housing targets
Bristol Civic Society has warned that residents will foot the bill when housing targets force the city’s urban sprawl even further into the green belt.
John Frenkel, 66, who lives in Somerset Street, Kingsdown, is part of the Society’s Planning Policy Group. He said that if the city makes green land available for housing, tax payers will end up having to pay the bill for the infrastructure to support new residents .
His warning comes as a new coalition is formed, the Campaign Against Urban Sprawl (CAUS), to fight for sustainable building patterns.
The Government proposes to increase housing targets in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). This means 36,500 new houses in Bristol by 2026 with a target of 26,750 for North Somerset.
A new town of 10,500 new homes is planned in Ashton Vale called Yanley. But opposition groups say that Bristol’s urban regeneration should take priority over green land development.
Mr Frenkel said: “Bristol needs new homes but it doesn’t have to support everything that the house builders throw at us. The society wants to blend the new with the old and to revitalise areas and improve the quality of life for everyone in the city. Everyone is entitled to a decent home.
“The size of the housing targets is not the real issue. Its a displacement activity to avoid saying what everyone knows – it’s unlikely that even the lowest target can be delivered by 2026. In some areas of Bristol there are run-down housing estates with decayed shopping parades and few services. Their residents depend on cars for work and population density makes public transport unprofitable.”
Mr Frenkel said that the society is not anti-developer. “The problem is that it is cheaper for developers to build on green land because it is easier,” he said.
He said that Yanley is the first example of what to expect and that Bristol taxpayers’ money will be spent on expanding infrastructure such as roads, drainage, schools and transport out to the new city extensions, rather than improving what is already in the city.
He also said that development outside of built-up areas would bring separation of neighbourhoods, as well as increased congestion as people use cars to get into the city.
“There is a real risk that unless city regeneration precedes development outside the built-up area, we shall have another Bradley Stoke where houses were built before the social infrastructure that the residents needed,” he added.
The society supports CAUS, which hopes to improve the RSS before its adoption between June and October of this year. Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North Somerset District councils all objected to the housing targets that the Government proposed to the RSS.
7. In the West Briton this week (20th May) there are some interesting answers from David Cameron to some questions posed by the paper:
Question: Another big issue here in Cornwall is affordable housing. What would the Conservatives do to help the housing crisis here?
Answer:Stop anywhere in the West Country and ask people what it is you want with houses and people say two entirely contradictorydifferentthings. They say- I hate these housing targets that come from Westminster but on the other hand I do want houses that local people can live in - How can we solve the problem? We think we have the answer which is to say that villages should be able to come together to agree amongst themselves in their villages, that if you can get 70% of the village to agree to having, say 10% extra housing or less, they could then give themselves planning permission for those houses. But the fear people have is that if you give planning permission operated as it is today it won’t be 10 houses or 20 houses, it will be 50 or 100. If you say to villages you can have the right to grant yourselves permission to build houses in the village, but a small number, you could actually solve the housing crisis in the country and make sure that local people are happy with the development taking place.
Question: How do you see the future of the South West Regional Development Agency and would you support any bid to devolve the powers to a Cornwall Development Agency?
Answer: Again, we have an excellent plan there which is to localise it. We believe in giving the people of Cornwall more control over their own lives. If people want to replace the SWRDA and drive those powers down to a more local level, that is what we think they should be able to do. We think it is up to the people of the SW to decide the structure of them but I suspect that we would allow Cornwall itself to have stronger development work function.
TA Comment:We do not agree withthe comment that the dual statement of wanting affordable homes but not the numbers being imposed on us by central Government is contradictory. We believe that housing numbers should be determined locally, by elected representatives. It is a single statement of belief on how the system should work. If Cornwall is forced into having 70,000 new build houses, which we disagree with, we do agree that the concept of increasing all village sizes by a few houses is preferable to the huge urban sprawls being planned at present. We also agree that a Cornwall Development Agency and the devolution of power to the Dutchy is preferable to the existing SWRDA .
It would be interesting to see what the the answers to these questions would be from the leaders of the other major political partys.
6. It seems that more and more people are questioning the fact that empty and derelict houses are not being brought back into and could use. A policy that TA has been pursuing since it was formed.to decide the structure
Because our political leaders feel that there is a huge demand for new homes (68,700 in Cornwall, generally in addition to the year on year building), TA believes that it would be preferable not to allow homes to fall into serious disrepair and, rather than build new homes on greenfield sites, refurbishment is a more sensible idea. However, common sense needs to prevail and TA feels that refurbishment should be sympathetic to surrounding homes.
Following is a typical example of a house which needs to be refurbished in keeping with the neighbouring houses. It is already connected to the utilities and there is no need for any additional infrastructure.
This particular one was photographed in a residential area of Camborne.
5. The public meeting held on Friday 1st May in Camborne was attended by about 60 people. There was a guest speaker, Councillor Carlyon, from Truro who spoke of the need for groups of objectors to ‘combine forces’ and emphasised that the mass build issue would affect the whole of Cornwall. Watch the video here
Julia Goldsworthy,(Local Lib Dem MP) George Eustace,(Conservative PPC) Loveday Jenkins,(MK PPC) Colin Murley, (Stannary), all gave addresses to the public and committee as did local councillors and members of the public.
Several factors of what do we do next were raised and these items will be discussed in this coming week to determine the way ahead. Watch this space for further news.
Many thanks to John White who donated ‘Trelawney Alliance’ car stickers and raised £53 on the night for our fighting fund.
Many thanks to all of you who attended the meeting or who are providing support.
Many thanks also to Shaz and Shiner from FTI Cornwall who are maintaining a high profile for us, on the Cornwall24 website and have given their time and skills to help produce this website.
4. The Parish Council at Illogan have, to their credit, produced a Parish Plan questionnaire for ‘improvements’ to the Parish. However, question 51 relates to the proposal of mass building in Illogan (primarily at Park Bottom). It reads:
“The current policy of the Parish Council is to oppose any large scale house building schemes unless they are preceded by proportional increases in employment and substantial upgrading of all aspects of the infrastructure sufficient to support the additional population” (Our bold italics)
The reader is invited to respond by agreeing or disagreeing with this statement.
There are several interpretations which could be applied to the answers,
for example:
If you agree, your answer could be interpreted as agreeing that, provided jobs and infrastructure are put in place, your objection to the mass build of 2,350 homes is removed.
If you disagree, your answer could be interpreted as not agreeing with the fact that the Parish Council are opposing the large scale development.
If you do not answer the question, that could be interpreted as not caring if the homes are built or not.
This therefore could be a win win situation for those wishing mass building on us, particularly as there is no option to say no to any mass building without conditions.
We invite the Parish Council to comment, is this a badly worded question where answers can be slanted to suit, or not?
3. The rally & march through Camborne on Saturday 4thApril was deemed to be a great success with, in the region of, 400 people turning out to show objection to the mass building plans in Cornwall.
There was press coverage from the West Briton for their next edition and the BBC news website (Cornwall page) will be reporting on the event.
The Cornwall24 website continues to report on the TA activities and have already posted comments and photographs. (Google: Cornwall24 to view posted comments)
Over 400 signatures of objection were collected on the day and these will be delivered to the Council Offices in Camborne on Thursday 9th April (See note 2 above) and from the feedback we are receiving we also believe that many more people have written letters of objection and sent them independently to the council.
Many thanks to all those members of the public who supported us on the day. Thanks to our guest speakers from the political parties and the members of the public who also aired their views. Thanks to the police and the marshalls who ensured the safety of the march. Thanks to the pipers who led the march through the streets, and thanks to the backroom staff who manned the gazebo through the course of the afternoon.
To view photographs from the day click the pictures here
To view video and other items click the here
2.Committee members and supporters attended the Council offices in Dolcoath Ave, Camborne on 9th April to deliver 500 signatures of objection to the RSS building plan to the area Planning Officer, Mr M Brown. Those of you who have sent in letters of objection, individually or through our rally in Camborne, should expect a reply from the Planning Officer within 28 days.
Presenting the Petition
The Picture from left to right shows Mr John White, Councillor Dave Biggs, Councillor Jean Charman, Councillor Stuart Cullimore & Mr Terry Wilkins MBE
TA has written to the council and asked why the letter of objection and petition has not been answered. The reply received on the 26th May 2009 was as follows:
“The reason for the delay in sending letters out to respondents, thanking them for their input, is because we wanted to include a date from which they would be able to see the Council’s responses to all of issues that were raised from the representations received. We are now in a position to let people know that responses to the issues raised will be available on the Council’s website from the end of June – so letters will be sent out within the next week on this basis.
Hopefully that answers the questions you had, but feel free to get in contact if you have any further questions – 01209 614068″
By TA - If you are at all unhappy with this reply I suggest that you ring Mr Brown on the above number
1. The total housing build number as defined by the Regional Spatial Strategy (Total 68,700 in Cornwall), is presently under review. Once the final figure is published, now expected around the end of June, it is intended to contact local residents in both Camborne and Park Bottom by way of public meetings to request views on the revised numbers and to determine a way ahead.
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Recent Comments
- Stuart Guppy on Comments
- Via email on Comments
- Blog Kernow on Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)
- Via email on Comments
- Via email on Comments