The Sky Tip is safe ... please allow me to be cynical!

The future of the Sky Tip has been well covered in today’s local newspapers (Cornish Guardian and St Austell Voice), following a splurge of publicity from Eco-bos – the firm which wishes to build the so-called eco-community at West Carclaze and Baal.

Eco-bos have “confirmed” that the Sky-Tip is safe and will not be removed as part of the development.

To be exact, a spokesman for the firm actually said:

“I am aware of the speculation around the future of the Sky Tip but to be absolutely clear Eco-Bos has never proposed removing the Sky Tip so its future is not in doubt … Sky Tip is and always has been staying as part of the West Carclaze regeneration – not only to reflect the area's mining history but as the focal point for our exciting proposals for a major new heritage park."

To state that Eco-bos has “never proposed removing the Sky Tip” is untrue.

In 2014, there was a consultation about the “eco-community” from Cornwall Council and Eco-bos. There were three scenarios which included the “modification or relocation of the Sky Tip.”

Scenario 1 stated: “Sky Tip removed, and new sculpted landscape feature located on top of West Carclaze Mica Dam; becoming land sculpture public open space.”

Scenario 2 stated: “Sky Tip retained, transformed to improve safety for ease of public access and sculpted to provide a new viewpoint.” To translate – this meant that it would be levelled and a landscape reprofiled so that the Sky Tip would not be recognisable.

Scenario 3 stated: “Sky Tip removed, and new sculpted landscape feature located on top of West Carclaze Mica Dam; becoming land art integrating a recreation hub and viewpoint.”

To see for yourselves, why not visit: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/7070268/Panels-all-cropped.pdf

It is probably more important to remember that Cornwall Council has agreed, as reported recently,  to modify its Local Plan to ensure that the “provision of eco-communities at West Carclaze & Baal and Par Docks [will be] led by a masterplan and design code” to include the “retention of the Sky Tip and other distinctive landscape features as part of the green infrastructure of the site.”