Report September 2017

15/16 St Clement Street

I hesitate to say anything but there’s a mini-digger, a pile of aggregate and a man with a theodolite on the 15/16 site. After all this time we may be seeing something!!!

Lemon St Signage

A concerted effort by Planning Enforcement, Connie Fozzard and myself has removed the unsightly ‘For Sale’ signs which were proliferating and making Lemon St look like a vacant lot in Detroit. We pointed out to the Estate Agents that they were lowering the tone and thereby the value – sense hath prevailed!

High Cross CP lights

I’ve spoken to the manager of High Cross multi storey CP and he has done as much as he can to reduce the glare from the lights on the top storey. He is, of course, trapped between wanting to be neighbourly and fighting the incursions of people who want to test the parameters of health and safety – I hope things are better.

Idless Lane

The ongoing saga of the proposal to build a single dwelling immediately behind The White Cottage is coming to a close (hopefully!). It will go to committee next month.

Weeds

Cornwall Council’s centrally imposed financial shortages have forced Truro City Council to take on the responsibility for managing street weeds. Mr Budge has bought a machine which is very efficient but the season has fought back with vigour, so weeds abound.  The problem is exacerbated by commitments to reduce chemical pollution, which eliminates spraying. The tension between goodness and practise may mean this policy has to be rev isited.

Falmouth

Martin Wright visited Falmouth CS recently and he will  report back tonight.

Langarth

Herein lies a lengthy tale. Cornwall Council has now intervened ‘to unlock’ the site by seeking to purchase a significant portion of the site in partnership with the housing association which runs the social housing estate in Threemilestone. It is seeking consent to borrow money to construct the access road, other services and a range of different sorts of houses, including 50 ‘affordable’ houses. This is a deeply controversial proposal which is exciting much concern, with a range of issues from the moral implications of using public money to intervene in private markets to what will happen to the sewerage. CC cabinet voted today to seek a deral – we must wait and see the outcome.

Local Plan

No sooner is the Local Plan finalised and being effectively in force thanwe begin to hear talk about a 6 year review. This will begin next year.

In-town refurbishment of upper floors

I am trying to encourage the Council to take seriously the opportunity to engage with property owners and to bring first and second floor ‘over the shop’ accommodation back into residential use. We can’t just continue sprawling outward – somebody at the Council today referred to Langarth as ‘St Agnes East’!

Man Engine

Great news that GoldenTree Productions won the popular vote for best lottery project of 2016. We hope to see Man Engine up on his feet again ere long!

Nansledden

It is noticeable that photography pages in the Western Morning News often include shots of the Duchy development at Newquay – Nansledden. It is two years old but people find it attractive and evocative – a lesson to be learned there!

Carrick Site

Lastly, Truro Community Times has carried an article about the Carrick Site which I hope is prompting some debate. We are just working up some questions for a social media survey amongst young people.

Bert Biscoe