1. Council meetings
Over the last few weeks, I have attended a range of formal meetings. These have included: Full Council; Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee; Strategic Planning Committee; Electoral Review Panel; Group Leaders’ meeting; two-day refresher training course on planning; additional training sessions on the Council’s new computer arrangements for councillors and the unitary authority’s Code of Conduct; informal get-together for Cornwall Councillors in the China Clay Area; and a briefing on the Local Government Association and a body known as South West Councils.
In the same period, as well as a host of informal meetings with council officers, I have been at two meetings of St Enoder Parish Council, one of which was the Annual Meeting.
2. The new council
At the Full Council meeting on 23rd May, Adam Paynter of the Liberal Democrats was elected leader of the unitary authority. The MK Group supported his proposal for a joint Liberal Democrat / Independent administration – the alternative was a minority Conservative one.
3. Appointments
I can confirm that I am still the leader of the MK group on Cornwall Council and I have been appointed to two committees: Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and the Electoral Review Panel.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a massive amount of work which includes planning policy which in the previous council was dealt with by the Planning Policy Advisory Committee (which I chaired). The focus of the Electoral Review Panel is the ongoing review into the future number of councillors on the unitary authority (see below). I was elected Vice-chairman of this Panel when an independent councillor, who was due to stand, declined the nomination.
4. Review into councillor numbers
Just over twelve months ago, the Local Government Boundary Commission “for England” (LGBCE) descended on Cornwall. Councillors were informed that there was going to be a review of the number of elected members on the unitary authority, and that then new divisional boundaries would have to be agreed.
Our strong objections were ignored and we were told it had to happen – regardless of what we thought. The LGBCE met with councillors on a couple of occasions and made it clear that if the unitary authority did not propose a reduction in elected members they would impose a reduction anyway. At one point, they stated that the number needed to be somewhere in the range of 26 – 107 (allegedly based on numbers in other councils), though the logic for this was simply illogical.
Cornwall Council’s Electoral Review Panel did a massive amount of work. Evidence we presented to the LGBCE included (i) the fact that any reduction in councillor numbers would leave us amongst those councils with the lowest number of elected members in relation to population in the UK, and that (ii) the present 123 councillors, on average, already worked much more than thirty hours per week.
We attempted – maybe foolishly – to work within the constraints imposed upon us and make the “least worst” job of a bad situation! The Council’s Panel finally put forward a proposal for 99 councillors. This was backed by the majority of councillors, though the Conservative group put forward a counter-proposal for 85.
On the 13 June, the LGBCE informed the unitary authority that it was minded to set the number of councillors (from 2021 onwards) at 87!
From my perspective, I do not agree with any reduction in the number of councillors – even though we did our best to engage with the LGBCE. I find it objectionable that they have ignored all of the Council’s detailed representations, and I continue to be extremely angry at how Cornwall’s democracy is being undermined with another significant cull of our elected members, which is not being experienced elsewhere.
Prior to the undemocratic imposition of the unitary authority, Cornwall had 331 councillors on principal local authorities. That was cut to 123 in 2009, and now we are expected to withstand another reduction to only 87.
It is all frankly ridiculous and why is Cornwall being singled out for such adverse treatment. After all, in Devon and Somerset, they have nearly 500 councillors and over 400 councillors respectively!
There is another consultation on the 87 figure, which is on tonight’s agenda, and will also have to be considered by the unitary authority’s Electoral Review Panel.
5. Fraddon Post Office
Following the closure of the Post Office at Kingsley Village at the end of April, Post Office Ltd promised to provide some “outreach” services from a local village hall or similar venue, while a more permanent solution is sought.
I can report that a meeting was held with a representative of Post Office Ltd at the Indian Queens Victory Hall on Thursday. It was attended by the Clerk of the Parish Council, Amanda Kendall, and myself, plus members of the Indian Queens Victory Hall Committee. The following was noted and/or agreed:
- Two three-hour sessions from a mobile Post Office will be run each week from the ante-room of the Indian Queens Victory Hall.
- The service will be provided by the proprietors of the Post Office branch at Summercourt.
- The cost of hiring the ante-room will be covered for the next 12 months by Kingsley Developers, who previously owned Kingsley Village.
Post Office Ltd are presently arranging for BT to install a bespoke phone line into the Victory Hall, which is expected to take a few weeks. The outreach provision will be able to be commenced as soon as the line has been installed and activated.
At the present time, Summercourt Post Office is liaising with the Victory Hall Committee about which days it would be best to provide the service and what the opening hours should be. I will update again when I have more information.
In addition, it was confirmed that the Post Office and the Royal Mail are in the process of agreeing to leave undelivered parcels for collection in St Columb Major rather than Newquay. Last Thursday, we were told that this was about to be finalised, though we have had reports that some parcels have already been left in St Columb Major.
6. Update on works at biogas plant at Higher Fraddon
Further to last month’s report, I can report that Greener for Life have been carrying out (i) drainage works and (ii) the containment of the outside storage area. They also started to empty the secondary digester of material so that they could lower the height of its dome.
These works were specified by the planning consent, but the consent stated that both a Construction Management Plan and a Construction Environment Management Plan had to be agreed before the works were undertaken. However, the owners of the plant failed to do this and Cornwall Council has stepped in to inform the plant of its obligations.
7. Highway matters
I recently met with the local Cormac officer to discuss a range of highway and related matters. I can report the following:
- The 2017/2018 programme for road surface improvements include part of Moorland Road, Indian Queens; Trevarren; Watery Lane near Blackcross; Halloon Roundabout; Trefullock Moor; road to Carvynick and Pencorse; roads from A3058 along Carnego Lane and towards Goonabarn, near Summercourt. Some works at Carvynick have already been done, while works are presently ongoing on Moorland Road, Indian Queens, near the main industrial estate.
- Three improvement schemes are being moved forward as follows: (i) Cornwall Council is at the design stage for a scheme to deal with problems with rising water through the pavement to the east of Queen Garage, (ii) the Council is planning some trial holes to explore the condition of the main drainage system through Fraddon, which was a contributory factor in flooding some three-four years ago, (iii) officers are looking to design a scheme to deal with flooding of the road in area near entrance to Gaverigan Manor.
- I have also been chasing up on a number of issues, where promised work has yet to be carried out. This includes the tidying up of the garden area at Clodan Mews.
- I have reported concerns about visibility at the roundabout at Penhale, with regard to the junction with the road to Brighton Cross. Cormac have agreed to cut back the vegetation to enhance visibility.
- A flooding problem on the road to Trefullock from the A3058 has been raised with the officers, and they have agreed to investigate how to mitigate the issue.
- In addition, I have also reported a number of complaints and concerns to Cormac for their consideration, which include fears about speeding traffic and ideas on how to improve parking. I am continuing to chase up these matters.
8. Update on Carvynick
The owners of Carvynick recently met with senior officers at Cornwall Council to discuss the basis of their planning application relating to their tourism park. Attendees included the Strategic Director Economic Growth & Development, and the Head of Planning. I will give a verbal update about the nature of the discussions at tonight’s meeting.
9. Consultations
Cornwall Council is presently consulting on a number of planning policy documents, which are of some relevance to St Enoder Parish. These need to be considered at tonight’s meeting.
These include:
- Minerals Safeguarding Development Plan Document (consultation period: 12th June to 7th August). This includes the detail of buffers around the working zone for the China Clay Area.
- Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule (consultation period: 12th June to 7th August).
- European Terrestrial Sites Mitigation Supplementary Planning Document (consultation period: 12th June to 24th July). This involves the proposal for a surcharge on new properties to go towards the mitigation of dog use (and dog mess) on Penhale Sands Special Area of Conservation. This would impact on the western part of St Enoder Parish.
- Biodiversity SPD (consultation period: 12th June to 24th July).
10. World War 1 project
Over the last couple of weeks, I have prioritised working on the grant application for the Parish Council’s project about the Great War. I can confirm that this application will be formally submitted later this week.
11. Inquiries
During the couple of months, I have also helped numerous people with advice and guidance on a vast array of issues.
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