Thursday’s Porthleven Town Council planning meeting was likely to be a busy one, and it was, with standing room only. The item residents came to voice their concern over as you can expect was the shipyard application.

These public objections were on the size and impact of the building; not in keeping with the historic fabric of Porthleven; highways; loss of boat yard facilities; parking and access on and from the slipway. The Porthleven Fishermen’s Association also made comment at the meeting about the negative impact on the boat owner and fishing community this building would have.

This application was never going to be an easy-one, as changes to an area on this scale never run smoothly. But change can and does happen. It just not at the expensive of other important areas.

For me, I very much welcome jobs in Porthleven and those which are different to the tourism sector. However it is important to understand how many job, the type of jobs and will they be new jobs or jobs that have been relocated from existing buildings. In answering my question, Trevor Osborne and his architect suggested between 50 and 100 jobs. Though there was no confirmation as to whether these were new jobs or relocated.

I am sure many would agree there could be much more use made out of the shipyard, but this has to be in balance with other aspects of Porthleven and this building should not harm those other important aspects of Porthleven including heritage, the landscape and existing jobs.

This application comes down to need against harm. Yes we need jobs in Porthleven and it is good someone actually wants to invest in Porthleven. However, as the plans stand, I am not yet satisfied this proposal would in fact be totally positive for Porthleven.

This size, scale and impact on the area is of huge importance as this building would in effect dominate this area and would also impact on the surrounding area, including many important historical views. You only have to look at this site from different position like Peverell Terrace, Breageside, Fore Street corner and Church Row to see this building would fundamentally change those views.

There is a total lack of parking provision for the building of this size and for the number of jobs. It is no more than 10 from the plans. Parking is important, and adequate parking must be provided. Without decent levels of parking, this building would just create problems elsewhere. It was suggested by the application that parking could be provided past Tolponds. This option is flawed as the site is far away and there is no footpath. The area is also in a 60 mph zone, and you really cannot have people walking on this road without a footpath. Of course a footpath could be built, but this is not simple due to the sheer costs of putting in a footpath and this footpath would have to cross land in multiple ownerships.

A really important issue is the loss of the bus stop as this current plan removes the well used bus stop and has not been replaced with any dedicated provision in the plans for a bus stop. There is  somewhat of a ‘waiting area’ but this is not a protective shelter. It would also conflict with possible use as a café as this space would leave people confused, and unsure if they could use it whilst waiting for a bus. This current bus stop is well-used, and therefore, it would have a negative effect on those using public transport if it was removed and not replaced.

This application raises some really serious highways concerns I do raise serious concerns. There is no turning space not only for large vehicles, but those with trailers/and boats. The road on Methleigh bottoms is narrow in this location, and the field of vision looking towards the harbour with a sharp bend is not clear. If large goods vehicles, boat trailers cannot access the yard, then there would be a temptation to back on the harbour head road. If this happens, this would cause congestion in the area and will have a knock-on up Fore Street. The proposed access in and out of the shipyard is also of major concern.

The impact to the boat owners and fishermen has to be taken into serious consideration; this includes access on to and from the slip. There will also be a lack of boat repair and storage facilities if this plan was approved in its current format. Porthleven is a harbour and ‘safe haven’ and it would be totally unacceptable for a harbour not to have these facilities.

I also very much dislike the ‘company blue’

The matter is this application has to be decided on what are the current plan, and not any further amendments which may come forward. As there is no guarantee any of these changes will be made if support is given. Therefore, in light of the concerns raised, Porthleven Town Council felt it could not support this application and voted unanimously to refuse the application.

From the town council’s decision, the application can be decided by Cornwall Council as it stands, or as I am hopeful, updated plans will be submitted for the town council and the public to make further comment on.

At the 11th hour, there has been amended plans submitted for the Shipyard application. From what I can see of the new plan, the only thing to change is the ‘lookout’ which has been removed.

This new plan will be the one discussed at Porthleven TC tonight.

Amended plan

Old plan

 

I am doing this blog as I need to clarify a few points to make sure the correct information is in the public domain. This is reference to Coronation Park; security of the swan nests on Flora Day; and both the small and large island for nesting purposes. I need to also qualify, I am the local Cornwall Council which this area resides, but direct day-to-day management of this area is not in my responsibilities.

The following is my email to all those who are running or involved in the ‘Security for nest swans on Flora Day 2017’. My email is as follows:

“I have now asked every connected department about this (as this takes a while to make sure everyone has been asked) and from the emails I have received that on Thursday 9 February CORMAC operatives were instructed to leaf blow some paths in Coronation Park, no further works were performed by the operatives.

As for your litter pick/clean-up, I will repeat that no-one said there cannot be one taking place. However, Community groups are asked to register their litter pick with Clean Cornwall, www.cleancornwall.org, this not only avoids duplication of works but also allows the community groups to borrow equipment or to request a waste collection. When I emailed you, I asked for this to be merely postponed until the permission had been given both by the leaseholder and Cornwall Council. This had not been given, which is why I raised the point with you.

On this occasion the litter pick was not registered with Clean Cornwall. I very much welcome individuals or groups helping to keep our open spaces looking good, but processes must be followed to ensure the safety of those volunteers and the public. For instance, I run Pride in Porthleven (PIP) and before any clean-up/litter pick, I make sure I have permission from the landowner/leasehold prior to the work being carried out.

Furthermore, all parties including myself want to make sure the swans are safe. This was the original request was you wanted to protect them on Flora Day. This security has been arranged for Flora Day.

As for placing bales on the large island, this has to be part of a conversation with the leaseholder who in the past has offered help, and suggested the use of the small island – as the small island cannot be accessed by members of the public. The leaseholder and SKA have also offered to set up a public meeting, with bird experts to look into a dedicated care plan for all the birds. As for the size the lake, the bird population is far too great. At a count this morning, there were 16 swans on the lake.

Previous advice from RSPB, have said this area should only support one breeding pair. The RSPB have suggested feeding is discouraged, but this is hard to do, as many families enjoy doing this. Even by stopping the sale of the food in the area, people will bring their own. I know I did when I had a small child.

We are totally supportive of a sign saying which food stuffs can be given to the birds. This helps educate people on the natural food for the different birds. The birds are overfed and much of the food given to them isn’t eaten. I also like the idea of a floating island for the birds. However, this has to be done in conjunction with the leaseholder of the café, the current owners of the area and the new owners, SKA.

I will reiterate, I am very supportive of protecting the swans and making the whole area habitable for them. As I am for the ducks and other birds.  I also as the local member have to balance the requests of other people who have complained about the state of the island and want to use it. It is about being fair to everyone.

Furthermore, The SKA, have said: we are pleased that there is such great community support for protecting the swans around Flora Day. However we would not wish to see the creation of a habitat which would encourage an increase the swan numbers as this would have a negative effect on the diversity of other species in the Park and affect the wider public enjoyment of the area. Once the Park is transferred to SKA we will, in coordination with the Lakeside Cafe, take advice from wildfowl experts as part of a balanced plan to encourage the diversity of species. We will consult the wider public and define a policy for the management of all wildfowl in the area which will then set the ground rules for interventions such as Flora Day swan protection.”

I am happy for this entire email to be made public. My aim is for everyone to work together, as we all appreciate Coronation Park as a great place for all ages”.

As part of Cornwall Council’s Devolution deal, there was a requirement for the Council to look at how it is governed. This includes the number of Councillors who serve at the Council. For those who do not know, there are 123 Councillors.  It is easy to say there are too many, but this is often from a viewpoint of not knowing the role. In Cornwall we also have the difficulty of rurality where we have any small settlements. So too big of an area, makes it difficult to cover.

The Boundary Commission – who ultimately will set the number of Councillors – wanted the review to take place in time for the May 2017 elections. This was impossible to do, and the Council successfully argued for the review to take place, but not implemented till the 2021 elections. This is not about turkeys voting for Christmas, but making sure there is fair representation, and electoral boundaries reflect Cornwall’s settlements.

A lot of work has been undertaken with engagement from lots of different areas including town and parish councils, businesses and other public sector bodies. In gathering evidence, it is clear there are some divisions that have a low number of electors – some too many. These are not in-line with the Boundary Commission own rules, and the Commission is right in asking for a review.

Today, at the full meeting of Cornwall Council the debated and voted on its recommendation for the new size of the Council. This number is for 99 Councillors. This overcomes many of the issues raised by the Commission. The Tory’s want a lower number of 85, but this was resoundingly defeated.

A vote was taken (recorded) and it was approved that Cornwall Council would submitted its recommendation for 99 Councillors by 66 in favour, 13 against and one Abstention.

For those who want to read and understand the whole process and documentation by clicking HERE. There is a lot of documentation.

At the end of the day, it will be the Boundary Commission we set the numbers using their own methods and evidence.

 

Coronation Park is a much-loved and well used facility not only from residents of Helston, but from the surrounding towns and villages too. For me, my ambition has always been about securing the long term future of this area, including much needed investment to bring it back to its former glory; and giving the community more control over how this area is operated. I cannot convey enough how important the park and facilities are to Helston, and the wider community

Sadly, Cornwall Council is not able to fully fund the restoration of the area due to budget pressures and the difficulty of going to other funding sources as most will not give grants to a local authority such as Cornwall Council.

Members of the SKA, Helston Mayor and me!

This is why for the last few years I have been working on securing the future of this area and the much needed investment. To achieve this, it is about bringing people together for a common goal. Therefore, I am very happy to support South Kerrier Alliance’s aims of taking control of Coronation Park as they have a proven record of delivering and running projects.

South Kerrier Alliance (SKA) has agreed terms with Cornwall Council to take over the running of the entire area with a 99 year lease. This includes the lake, car park (not Fairground), skate park and play park. The cafe will still be run by the current leaseholder, but the landlord will now be the SKA. By transferring the running of Coronation Park brings more local control over this area.

Funding has always been key in bringing this site back to its former glory and therefore, I am very pleased to have helped secure over £120k worth of funding from Cornwall Council as part of the transfer. This large amount of money will be used with other matched funding to do the required work on the area. This is not the only pot of funding that has been secured as the Helston Downsland Trust has agreed to contribute a further £55k.

I believe this is a great result for Coronation Park as the future is secure and has a large amount of funding to start the regeneration of the area. It also allows the SKA to go to funders will a large amount of funding than can be matched to other pots.

Thanks should also be given to Cornwall Council and officers in devolution and open spaces teams who understood the wishes of the community and agreed this devolution deal. Thanks to the support from my fellow Cornwall Councillors in the Community Network Area in bring about this transfer. I look forward to working with this new local partnership.

When it comes to planning drawings it is sometimes hard to see how big a building is when is comes to size and scale and how it impacts on an area using just the standard 2D planning application drawings. In trying to understand just how big the building would be, and how it would sit in the shipyard, today I paced out the building size using the scale plans. In doing this it really did give me an insight on how big this building is not just on the proposed building footprint, but the ridge-height too.

I took the picture below from near the wall on the entrance to the Shipyard to give a scale of length. The two red lines is the width of the building.  In trying to understand the length of the building you just need to compare the three current blue Shipyard buildings as they are roughly the same length as the proposed building.   As for the ridge-height of the proposed building, it is easy to visualize this by looking at the Kota sign and imagining the height of the proposed building to be between that and the ridge-line of Kota.

When you take into then take into consideration all the measurements, you really see the scale of the proposed building. It is huge. For anyone interesting in seeing the scale of the building, I have marked out the length and width of the building with yellow paint at the key points. These measurements are not inch perfect, but as good a I can get.

Width of the proposed Shipyard building.

 

It is important anyone with a view on this application make their feelings known in writing. Porthleven Town Council will be meeting to discuss this application on Thursday 23rd Feb at the town council offices at 7pm. This is a public meetings, and all are welcome.

Porthleven Town Band has wanted to have its own bandroom for many a year. Its current location in the shipyard is not ideal for their needs. The problem has always been where could bandroom go, as the Band owns no land.

Over the last several years – in my Cornwall Councillor – role I have been trying to help solve their problem. There has been a few options for a permanent home, but until now, those options have not amounted to anything.

This got me thinking as I knew the Porthleven Gig Club wanted a more permanent home for its gigs, but funding was always an issue of how to pay for it, and the Cricket Club wanted electric power to their club house. I thought of one option that would solve everyone’s want. That option is to use the Amenity Area. However, there was another option of using part of Moors which was put forward by the Harbour and Dock Company.

For those who do not know, the vast majority of the Moors playing field is owned (held in Trust) by Porthleven Town Council, with a small part owned by the Harbour and Dock Company (from the river to the upright stones for net drying). The Harbour and Dock Company wanted to use its part of the Moors to build a building for the band, however, it would need the town council’s permission to use its part of the land as the building requires a large area.

My problem with using the Moors to build on is this is a well used play area. Whilst the band do need a home, I think it would be wrong to place a building on this area. It also would totally change the feel of the area as the proposed building for the Moors is rather large.

A further problem with the Moors and placing any type of building in this area is it is in a high-risk floodplain with a high water-table. To mitigate against this would require the building being raised high off the ground. This would result in any proposed building looking more like a three-story building. Again, the size and scale of this would have a negative impact on the playing area. There is also no parking. The following picture is the building concept for the Moors.

Concept design of a band-room on the Moors

As I said beforehand the solution to everyone’s problem is to use the land which is commonly known as the Amenity Area along Methleigh Bottom. This sits between the Cricket Club and Methleigh Meadow. I had this area transferred from Cornwall Council to the Town Council  a few years ago a for £1. This site fits the bill on many fronts as it is out of the flood plain, it has a footpath leading to it and has ample parking. It is also in the ownership of the Town Council.

Both options were put to the town council as both require council consent for the land to be used in this way. I am very happy to report the Town Council unanimously granted permission for Porthleven Town Band to take their option for the Amenity Area forward and start the process of planning that will enable the plan to move from a concept to a design that can be submitted to the planning authority. It was taken on board that the new building will have something for the Gig Club.

Concept design of the building for Porthleven Band at the Amenity Area

The Town Council did not support the idea to build on the Moors playing field. Therefore, this does not go further than a concept. Even though another party might want this to happen.

It is a good choice to use the Amenity Area as I believe this is the best option as it will not only benefit the Band who find a permanent home, but also Porthleven Gig Club who gets proper storage for their gigs and will be able to use the facilities in the new building (subject to agreements between the parties). The Cricket Club will also benefit, as the band will bring electric power into the site which means the Cricket Club can connect to it. As previous to this, the costs of putting in electricity was several thousands of pounds.

It is a win, win, win for three community groups.

My inbox has a concern about speeding in and around Porthleven. In the past, I have managed to reduce the speed limits on the Porthleven Road and Methleigh Bottoms from 60mph to 40mph. In those calls, I get requests for all sorts of traffic calming measures. However, before any action can be taken, you must have the evidence of a problem; as without that evidence, you cannot get a scheme of works done.

One of the areas of concern is the perceived speed of those travelling along Wellington Road. In response to those concerns, I requested (for obvious reasons I do not tell people) a speed monitoring camera installed to see if there is excess speeding. I have now had the results back.

Whilst there is the perception of speed, when you look at the data the majority of traffic is within the speed limits of the road. As the following two graphs will show.

The westbound levels are higher that the eastbound, but this is from those coming from a 40mph zone to 30mph. When you look at the data further the:

• Eastbound traffic in the period had 6,882 vehicle movements 73% of all movements were under 30mph and only 1.1% were over 40mph.
• Westbound traffic had in the period 7,316 vehicle movements with 55.3% under 30mph and 2.2% over 40mph.

What is interesting is the majority of those going near or over the limit are between 2am and 6am for eastbound. Westbound is slightly more even on the under 30mph and between 30/40mph but this is due to the changes from a 40mph to 30mph zone and where the camera would have picked the up.

In summary of the information, and having spoken to highways about the next step, it is with regret there is little formal changes that can be made to the road by means of any traffic calming measures. It really comes down to education and how people need to be more aware when they enter Porthleven from Helston. I will also be talking to the police and see if we can have a little campaign about speed awareness.

Please slow down.

Back in 2016, I put forward a request to Porthleven Town Council to look into the feasibility of Porthleven having its own Youth Worker to help engage with young people. The principle of this was accepted, but could not be taken forward until the budget had been sorted.

I am now pleased to say, from April, Porthleven will have two Youth Workers initially for one day a week to work with Porthleven’s young people in a variety of ways. This Youth Work will be delivered by the experienced young people organisation Penwith Community Development Trust who are also delivering two days of Youth Work at the Furry Youth Cafe in Helston.

A month ago, I reported that the Fairground Car Park would be resurfaced in February due to the stage of the area. I am pleased to say work has started on the resurfacing and will take two days to complete.

As you can see from the pictures this is not just filling in the pot and man holes, but putting down a lot of material to make this a better car park. Speaking to the men on site today, they say this resurfacing will use over 100 tonnes of material.

Thank you to Cornwall Council’s Car Parking Services and Cormac for acting so quickly to my request for something to be done. To help Cormac complete the job, can people avoid parking in this area whilst the work is being carried out.

 

Work is underway at Helston’s Fairground Car Park

After the excitement of the Shipyard application being live and open for comment; brace yourself for another one. This time it is a re-submission of thee timber shelters and kiosks in the location of what is being named at Harbour Head Terrace.

The official planning application number is PA17/00847. The documents can be found HERE.

The plan for Harbour Head Terrace

In the Design, Access and Heritage statement it says:

“At the centre of the proposals is the desire to enhance the communal enjoyment of the Harbour Head, the harbour itself, and the popular views of the harbour and notable buildings. The proposals offer an appropriate and sustainable use of the Harbour Head Terrace for the long-term benefit of the local community and wider area. The Heritage Impact Assessment produced for the purposes of the application outline the conservation principles which are to:

• Improve views of the inner and outer harbour by providing an appropriate public space;
• Enhance the communal and aesthetic heritage value of the Harbour Head; • Bring sustainable new uses to the existing Harbour Head.
• Enhance the Harbour Character Area identified within the Conservation Area.”

It goes on to say:

“Alongside this, there are clear objectives regarding benefits to the local economy which are to:

• Promote permeability, activity in the local and wider area;
• Promote local arts, crafts and trades to exhibit and trade in the local area;
• Support local events, markets, concerts, and festivals;
• Promote regeneration in the local and wider area.”

All the document information can be read HERE. You can also make comment online, or like the Shipyard application at one of the applicants consultation events, If you cannot make either of those events, you can officially comment to Cornwall Council and/or Porthleven TC.

The proposed design of the sheds

Drum-roll….

The planning application for the new building located in what is commonly known as the Shipyard is now live after it has been validated and has an official planning reference number. I am sure this application will be of interest to those near and far; as it is quite a fundamental change to what is currently located in the Shipyard.

The planning reference number is PA17/00573 and all the detail on the application can be found HERE.

There has been a pre-application on this proposal and Cornwall Council gave advice and whilst “there is support in principle from a planning perspective for development within this area of the Shipyard”. However, the Council’s advice raised a number of issues that needed to addressed

• There is potential conflict in views from the harbour towards the town between the building proposed and the Grade II* Methodist Chapel.
• The loss of the historic wall to the West of the site to facilitate access by service and good vehicles has potential to result in the loss of significant element of historic fabric”
• The site lies within Flood Zone 3” The proposed finish floor level of the ground floor is raised to 7.00m which is similar to the adjacent building to the west.

In the Design, Access and Heritage Statement (Click HERE), it says these concerns have been addressed.

My advice would be for everyone to read the planning documents, attend the public consultation arranged by the applicant, and take part in the official public consultation (which is live now) making your views know to both Cornwall Council and Porthleven Town Council.

The building elevations

Layout of the Shipyard Building

Three-years ago, Porthleven was hit by a series of storms that did serious damage to the harbour infrastructure, including smashing the baulks that protect the inner-harbour. The loss of the baulks resulted in boats being at the mercy of the raging sea and several were sunk on their moorings (blog posts HERE).

Roll-on almost three-years to the day, Porthleven was again hit by ‘Storm’ Doris, which whilst not the same intensity as previous storms, it was still powerful with huge swells and waves hitting the coastline. Damage was limited, but one of the baulks that protect the inner-harbour was split.

However, this weekend was the start of a series of fund-raisers for The Fishermen’s Mission. In a stroke of genius, the smashed baulks from three-years ago, are being painted, carved, printed etc. by various local and nationally celebrated artists and craft persons. These pieces of work, will be auctioned at a special event on the 18th March. More details can be found on Facebook HERE and on the Fishermen’s Mission site HERE.

The first fund-raiser was an evening of entertainment by the Cornish comic Kernow King. He entertained over 150 people in Porthleven’s Public Hall. In an amazing token of generosity, Kernow King waved his fee, and therefore, over £1000 was raised from this one event alone.

Getting ready for Kernow King

The second event was to showcase work from many of those who have created something on the damaged baulks, prior to the auction. In a very creative way, the artists work was projected onto the iconic Bickford-Smith Institute at dusk.

One of the artists work being projected onto the Bickford-Smith Institute

This Friday, the Monitoring Officer (top legal bod) has sent an email to all Cornwall Councillors informing them that the decision made by Cornwall Council’s Cabinet on allocating £536k to the EU Capital of Culture bid has been ‘called in’ as follows:

I am writing to formally advise you that I have agreed to the Request For Call-In in respect of the Cabinet decision regarding the EU Capital of Culture Bid on 25 January.

The Grounds for call-in were that:

• That there has been inadequate consultation with stakeholders prior to the decision being made; and

• That there was inadequate evidence on which to base a decision and that not all relevant matters were taken into account.

It is anticipated that the Call-in will be considered at the Scrutiny Management Committee which is already scheduled for 14 February.

This Call-in power is one all Councillors can exercise if they disagree with a decision. This power is not lightly used, and therefore, this is a serious challenge to the decision. Any Call-in has to have strong ground, which also have to meet certain legal requirements.

The points of the Call-in will be discussed at the Scrutiny Management Committee who will examine all the points surrounding this decision. From this, the committee can recommend either to uphold the original decision or to vary it in some way. If there is a change it will be referred back to Cabinet with a recommendation which the Cabinet can ignore or accept. If no change, the original decision is acted upon. I can imagine this committee meeting will be one of the most well attended…

This Call-in puts the short timescale for the Capital of Culture bid under even more pressure, as nothing official can happen with the bid until such times as the Cabinet has dealt with the Call-in.

My views on the bid are exactly the same as when I voted against the recommendation at the last Cabinet HERE.

Cornwall Council and the Met Office have today issued a storm warning in reference to Storm Doris. This storm will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Cornwall today, Thursday and during Friday. Cornwall Council is warning residents to be prepared and take precautions where necessary.

The latest information from the MET Office and the Environment Agency is for the wettest weather to move across Cornwall on Thursday, with the highest winds expected on Friday.  There is currently a Met Office weather wind warning in force, for Friday, with the risk of high winds across coasts and hills and large waves along southern coasts.

Porthleven today, Thursday

Porthleven today, Thursday

Between 10 and 40mm of rain are expected to fall on parts of Cornwall on Thursday, with Gale Force 8 winds expected early to mid afternoon, before the wind slowly eases by early evening.

There are two peaks of strong winds expected on Friday –the first arriving late morning to mid-afternoon, followed by the second peak during mid-afternoon to early evening.

The winds will be at their strongest across the Isles of Scilly and the southern coasts of Cornwall, and around hills during these peaks, ranging from Gale Force 8 up to Gale Force 9 on occasions, with gusts of between 50-65mph,and possibly up to 70mph.  These winds may cause some travel disruption – particularly on exposed bridges and high sided vehicles, as well as potential disruption to air and ferry travel  There is also the risk of damage to trees and potential disruption to power supplies, as well as the risk of injury from flying debris , such as bins, bins, fences and trampolines and temporary structures.

The strong winds are likely to be accompanied by large waves, especially around the Isles of Scilly, and the southern coasts of Cornwall, like Porthleven which may present a hazard to the public on beaches, sea walls, piers and promenades, especially at high tides.

All the agencies are monitoring the situation closely and are on standby to act if the situation deteriorates. For further advice on preparing for flooding is available on the Cornwall Council website at www.cornwall.gov.uk/flooding

Be safe during this weather front. If you are going to ‘wave watch’ please do this from a safe place as you not only endanger your life, but you put at risk the lives of the emergency and rescue services who will attempt to save you.

Not like this idiot…..

Idiot from 2014

 

Porthleven Harbour and Dock Company are holding two periods of public consultation in reference to two planning applications they have submitted. The first is a building in the Shipyard and the second is three structures on what is being called Harbour Head Terrace.

I am sure people will remember a previous pre-application for the Shipyard building and how there was concern about the use of this building. This pre-app never progressed to a full planning application. This time a planning application has been submitted (not yet validated yet) for a shop/cafe and office space.

The second application is for is for a re-submission of three structures on Harbour Head Terrace. This was previously withdrawn by the application due to concerns from the Conservation Officer.

 

This public consultation is arranged by the applicant. The applications will still be subject to the official consultation by Cornwall Council and Porthleven Town Council. This will be where anyone who wants to support or object to these applications can make their views know.

This event is listed on What’s on in Porthleven – HERE

A few months ago, I asked residents about amending the current dog beach ban for Porthleven Beach. As highlighted HERE. I put forward a series of changes which were also supported by Porthleven Town Council.

I am pleased to say Cornwall Council have agreed to this request for a change and will be officially changed from the current ban period and timings. The ban will now start on the 1st May and end on the 30th September. The hours of the ban have also changed and will be between 9am and 6pm. The previous ban period and timings were from Easter Day till the 1st October and from 7am to 7pm.

There is no changes to the beach East of Blue Buoy Steps with access for dogs all year round.

There has been a lot of speculation on the future of libraries, One Stop Shops in Cornwall. For Helston and the surrounding area, these vital services have been located at two different locations in Helston.

To add into the mix, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP or Jobcentre) have been looking at its long-term commitment in Helston and had recently announced various offices that were under review  – which included Helston.

Myself and my fellow local Cornwall Councillors have argued all three of these services are vital, and it would be a huge blow to Helston, Porthleven and the surrounding area if they could no-longer access these services.

After various meetings with officers about the future of these services, I am pleased to say in a message from two portfolio holders which cover the council services and localisum, they have confirmed the long-term future of the Library, One Stop Shop services and Jobcentre by moving the latter two into the Library. As follows:

“In Helston the Jobcentre will be sharing premises with the library.  This will preserve access to the Jobcentre and ensure the library has a flexible space that will allow it to deliver a modern service.  It will also mean we are able to extend the library’s opening hours.  The Information Service that is currently delivered from Isaac House will be moving to Helston Library too, making it easier for people to access more services in one place.”

This is excellent news and I am pleased the views of local Cornwall Councillors have been taken into account and we have protected three vital services in Helston. My understanding is the Registration Services, which offers Weddings will remain at Isaac House. Issac House is not owned by Cornwall Council and is owned privately.

It might seem daft, but public toilets are liable for business rates (officially called Non-domestic Rates NDR), even though they are not something I would call a businesses, more of a service. Cornwall Council has previously lobbied Central Government over the unfair burden of charging business rates on public toilets. No matter if they are run by a Town and Parish Council, a community group, or Cornwall Council.

The good news is the Government has tweaked the legislation and will give local council’s the powers to award discretionary relief from April 2018 under the Local Government Finance Bill. I welcome this.

However, there is a sting in tail. On one hand the Government allows Cornwall Council not to levy this charge, but it will be the local authority who have to pick up funding shortfall in funding.

Applying these powers to the public toilets that are the responsibility of Town and Parish Councils in Cornwall would create a £156,000 funding shortfall for the Council.  If the powers were applied to all public toilets in Cornwall, the shortfall would increase to around £250,000. That’s a lot of money to lose.  I believe the Government should compensate local authorities for any such funding shortfall. It has done previously with other business rate relief measures.

In the past, Cornwall Council collected business rates  and sent them to the Government, who in turn gave the Council a percentage back. Then, we collected and kept part of the NDR with the rest going to the Government. Now the Council keeps all, but gets no grant from the Government.

 

Back in September 2016, Helston Town Council decided not to apply for a Road Closure for the Porthleven Road during Flora Day 2017. I was very concerned this was an error and would put the public at risk as my previous blog highlights.

Several months on and at last weeks Helston Town Council meeting I congratulated the Mayor, and the Councillors for agreeing to reconsider their previous decision. In reaffirming my concerns, I wrote another letter to the town council. My second letter is as follows:

“Further to my letter dated the 7th September 2016 which expressed how I was very disappointed that Helston Town Council had decided not to apply for a Road Closure for the Porthleven Road on Flora Day 2017; I am pleased this issue is being discussed again by the Town Council.

My view on this issue is exactly the same as it was beforehand. This road must be closed on the grounds of public safety due to the sheer number of people attending Flora Day and the Fair. Without a Road Closure it will put the public in danger from vehicle movements

Furthermore, not closing the Porthleven Road will lead to serious congestion due the amount of traffic trying to navigate the area both near the Fairground Car Park and at the junction to Furry Way. This will in turn increase the risk for the public.

There is a minimal cost to having a Road Closure, as the cost of applying for one can be absorbed into the other application for the event.

The viewpoint of Cornwall Council should pay for this because it receives around £1400 in payment from the Fair is not possible. As you know this income is used to maintain the car park and keeps it free. Without the income, it makes my role more difficult in arguing against making it a fee paying car park.

I have asked the Fair operators for a contribution to help with the minimal costs for operating a Road Closure but as yet, I have not had a formal response to this request.

This closure has proven to work in the past, and I strongly believe it should continue. I urge you as public servants to reconsider your previous decision and apply for a Road Closure for Flora Day 2017.”

In the months between my two letters , I have been talking to the Fair operators, Anderton & Rowland to see if they would help out financially. I am pleased to say they agreed to my request for £500 to help with the small costs of a Road Closure. All credit to Anderton & Rowland for this, as they understood the importance of this Road Closure (their response came just after I sent my letter).

I am very pleased to say, Helston Town Council  at last nights during one of their committee meetings, they have reconsidered their original decision and will now go-ahead and apply for a Road Closure for the Porthleven Road for Flora Day 2017.

Whilst I disagreed with their original decision, credit to the town council for now applying for this Road Closure. Thank you.