At tonight’s meeting of St Enoder Parish Council, I presented my most recent monthly report. It covers the time period of 27th May – 23rd June, though please note I was away on holiday between 15th and 23rd June.
It was as follows:
1. Council meetings and related activities
I have attended a number of formal meetings or briefings at Cornwall Council. These include the Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee, China Clay Area Network meeting and the Positive Parking Review Panel. In addition, I attended a number of informal meetings with council officers, senior councillors and others. I also attended a meeting of St Enoder Parish Council.
2. St Enoder Neighbourhood Plan
Following the consultation into the “pre-submission” draft of the Neighbourhood Plan for St Enoder Parish, which ended on 4th March, the document was submitted to Cornwall Council on 7th May in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).
Cornwall Council is now carrying out a further statutory consultation of residents and other interested stakeholders on the document. This will run for six weeks from 20th June until 1st August.
The document and supporting information can be viewed on the “neighbourhood planning” section of the Cornwall Council website.
3. Planning matters
3.1 Carvynick Holiday Park
On 18th March, planning permission was granted for 38 holiday units at Carvynick and an office/leisure building, with access, layout and scale, appearance and landscaping reserved. A holiday condition, which had my full support, was imposed on the 38 units so that they could not be unfettered residential properties.
A previous application for the same site at Carvynick had been refused by the unitary authority. Kingsley Developers (SW) Ltd appealed this earlier decision to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol, seeking for there to be no “holiday conditions” on the “holiday units.”
The Inspector issued his ruling on 4th June, which I did not agree with. He acknowledged that the proposal did not comply with policy 3 in the Cornwall Local Plan, which supports the “rounding off of settlements and development of previously developed land within or immediately adjoining that settlement of a scale appropriate to its size and role.”
He wrote that: “In terms of the criteria under Policy 3 of the Local Plan it is not within or immediately adjoining the settlement of Summercourt and I am not persuaded that the holiday park forms a settlement in its own right. In these circumstances, the scheme would not fulfil the requirements of Policy 3, in particular in respect of rounding off.”
But he granted permission for open-market housing on the site. After ignoring Policy 3, he referred to the subordinate Policy 21 which supports “sustainably located proposals that use previously developed land.”
The Inspector also made it clear that he was allowing open-market housing at Carvynick. He wrote: “The appellant indicates that the site would be operated by a management agreement such that the dwellings would in any event be occupied as holiday lets. While this may deliver the intended approach to the use of the site, I attribute this matter little weight in my considerations as the effect of a permission, without a condition restricting occupation to holiday accommodation, would be to allow open market housing.”
I must add that as part of the application, the develpoers would be obliged to pay a contribution towards the local education infrastructure and affordable housing.
3.2 Housing applications in Higher Fraddon
In my last monthly report, I reported on the planning application and the two submissions for “pre-application advice” on the right-hand-side of the road leading to Higher Fraddon, which had generated considerable opposition from local residents.
Cornwall Council previously issued pre-application advice for a possible 14 new dwellings (PA19/00791/PREAPP) in the wooded area. It advised against an application, stating that it would be against Policy 4 of the emerging St Enoder Parish Neighbourhood Plan. The same advice has now been issued for the proposed 28 dwellings on the old farmyard site (PA19/00656/PREAPP).
The concluding section stated: “The proposal would be contrary to Policy 4 - Exception Sites and Policy Employment 1 of the emerging NDP and does not appear to have the support of the local community. It is unlikely that should the proposal proceed to formal submission it would be supported.”
The application for a single property in the wooded area (PA18/11316) has been refused. The reason for refusal was as follows:
“The proposed dwelling would result in a negative and harmful impact on the character and appearance of the area by way of eroding the open space and wooded area, which is covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and physically extending the built form of the settlement into the open countryside. The impact on the distinctive character and appearance of the area and loss of woodland and scrub is considered to outweigh any benefits of this proposal and therefore the proposal does not comply with Policies 1, 2, 3, 7, 12, 21, and 23 of the Cornwall Local Plan, and paragraphs 8, 170 and 174 of the NPPF 2019.”
4. Road safety issues and traffic issues
In my last monthly report, I gave a comprehensive update on a range of matters relating to road safety and traffic matters. I have a couple of specific updates:
4.1 Traffic issues at Indian Queens School
I have continued to make representations about getting Cornwall Council to bring forward road safety measures included in the School Travel Plan, which was produced in 2014 as part of the planning application to build extra classrooms at the School.
- Cornwall Road Casualty Reduction Strategy
On 23rd May, I attended a meeting of the Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which was considering the content of a new Cornwall Road Casualty Reduction Strategy and associated Action Plan. The Action Plan includes a range of feasibility studies and specific engineering improvements, to deal with road safety matters, to be carried out within the next two years. I made forceful representations at the meeting that the road safety elements in the School Travel Plan for Indian Queens School should be included in the document.
I have had a number of follow-up meetings with officers and I can confirm that I have succeeded in getting this addition made to the Action Plan for the Casualty Reduction Strategy. The exact wording is as follows:
“Indian Queens School - Road safety improvements to be investigated, as set out in the Travel Plan, for potential future delivery.”
Obviously, I will be continuing to seek that the measures are investigated as quickly as possible.
- Upcoming meeting
There is to be a meeting at Indian Queens School next week to discuss a range of issues, which will include the provision of the proposed new footway between the Harvenna Heights estate and the School.
4.2 Improvements along A3058 (north of Summercourt)
As previously noted, Cornwall Council was successful in its bid to the Government’s Safer Roads Fund to carry out safety works on the A3058 between Summercourt and Quintrell Downs. The funding of over £1 million will not be made available until 2020/2021 but work has commenced on scoping what works should be funded.
I have been in contact with the design team and I have been informed that it is likely that the initial plans will have been completed by August and it was suggested that the follow-up consultation would be in 2020-2021. However, I have made it clear that I would like to see the design work made public as soon as is practicable, so that local people can give their views on what is proposed.
5. Clearing fly-tipping down the Kelliers
It was great to be involved with the latest effort to clear “historic” fly-tipping from the Kelliers in advance of the Parish Council’s plans to improve the locality as a countryside area.
Thanks to Colum Taylor (Cornwall Rural Community Council) who organised volunteers from the unitary authority through the “Cornwall Council Employee Volunteering Scheme;” thanks to the wonderful volunteers themselves who were an absolute pleasure to work with; and thanks to the guys from Biffa who picked up the rubbish.
We found loads of stuff – beer cans, tyres, car bonnets and even bits of an ice cream van!
6. Planning application for extension to Indian Queens Cemetery
Working with the Parish Clerk, I have produced a “planning statement” for the “change-of-use” application to ensure that the extension to Indian Queens Cemetery can be used for burials.
7. Electoral Review Panel
At the meeting of this Panel on 18th June, I was re-elected vice-chairman.
8. Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee
I attended the special meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 31st May, which heard presentations about how the unitary authority will be doing its bit to combat climate change – having recently declared a “climate emergency.”
It is good to see that this matter is also being considered by the Parish Council at its meeting on 25th June.
9. World War One project
Following the submission of all the necessary paperwork to the Heritage Lottery Fund (to show how we spent their grant of £7,500), they have confirmed that they are happy with how we carried out the project and used the resources at our disposal.
10. Proposed World War Two project
June 6th 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy and, on September 3rd, it will be 80 years since the United Kingdom entered the Second World War.
I have made it known that I am scoping the content of a book about the individuals from Fraddon, Indian Queens, St Columb Road and Summercourt who lost their lives in this conflict. At the present time, I estimate that the publication will include the life stories of 19 individuals.
The St Enoder War Memorial contains the names of 11 men from Fraddon and Summercourt, who lost their lives in the war:
Mervyn Bulford (Royal Navy / HMS Galatea)
Joseph Donald Caddy (West Riding Regiment)
Selwyn Garfield Cole (Coldstream Guards)
Douglas Kenneth Common (Royal Artillery)
Dennis Tremayne Kelly (Royal Navy / HMS Avenger)
Herbert John Nancarrow (Royal Artillery)
Denis James Powell (Royal Engineers)
Thomas Harry Powell (West Surrey Regiment)
William Henry Frederick Raison (Wiltshire Regiment)
John Maurice Tonkin (Royal Air Force)
Richard John Henwood Trevethan (Royal Artillery).
Seven men from Indian Queens and St Columb Road are meanwhile listed on the St Columb War Memorial:
William Hedley Bennett (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry)
Eldred Grose (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry)
George Henry Hawkey (Royal Air Force)
Thomas Pellow Hosking (Royal Air Force)
Eric Charles Noel Kent (Royal Canadian Air Force)
Maurice Sloman (Royal Navy)
Alwyn Rodney Gilbert Wright (Royal Army Service Corps).
In addition, local woman Nella Eileen Trebilcock (nee Osborne) was killed in a bombing raid on a boatyard at Dartmouth in Devon.
11. Newsletter
I am presently drafting my latest six-monthly newsletter which will be delivered around the whole of St Enoder Parish in early July.
12. Inquiries
During the last few weeks, I have also helped numerous people with guidance on a range of issues.
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