Email: council@djpollard.co.uk

Updated August 23rd

North Quay

Cornwall Council and Carillion have hosted two monthly residents meetings through out the building works on North Quay. Residents of Clifton and Hayle Terrace have regularly discussed their concerns with the contractors. Last night they were invited to have a walk around the works. Throughout the residents have made many excellent points and last night was no exception but we were all once again impressed by the scale and impact of the improvements being made. If you haven't, take a walk and have a look.

Fire Station

I was a little dismayed this week to be told that when the Fire Chief visited the last Chamber of Commerce meeting, a small number of those present felt that the proposed site was not suitable. I need to stress that all the Town Councillors who have attended the briefings by the fire service are unanimous in their support. The Town Council enthusiastically voted its support. We have been fighting to bring a fire station to this Town for years. Dave Barratt who was Mayor over 10 years ago led a delegation, including myself, which worked to prove that the time targets could not be met. Now, at last the Fire Service have accepted that and have found the funding to provide for our needs while at the same time restructuring the service in Redruth and Camborne to provide new modern facilities and ensure more that 13,000 more people have better fire cover. Several sites in Hayle were investigated fully but in the end the only appropriate one was the eastern section of Commercial Road Car Park. It has to make sense!

Cornwall Records Office

The process continues and the three short listed sites are still being assessed - The meeting of the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on September 7th should provide more details with a decision by Cabinet at the end of September. Things are changing all the time - however we are still in there fighting!!!!!

Remember the Mayors Sponsored Walk in aid of St Julia's Hospice

Sunday September 9th -details from Hayle Town Council

Fire Station

The political process has been completed and the new plans for a Fire Centre at Tolvaddon have been agreed - this means that hayle also get its fire station!!! Years and years of campaigning have at last brought out long cherished ambition of improved fire cover for Hayle. We always knew that our arguments were strong but the Fire Service have now found a way to deliver. The overall plan will bring some 14,000 more people into safer fire cover - this is a wonderful result. The only hazard now is establishing the full funding package but the Council is confident that this can be achieved. Good news!!!

Free Home Insulation

From the CC website:

Householders in Cornwall are being encouraged to act quickly to take advantage of a Cornwall Council backed free loft and cavity wall insulation scheme before funding runs out later this year. Cornwall Council has previously provided funding for free insulation to householders over the age of 70 or in receipt of qualifying benefits. For a limited time Cornwall Council is extending its free insulation offer to all homeowners and private tenants in Cornwall. The offer is subject to availability and has been launched at a time when the current system of grant funded insulation offers is coming to an end. The Council will deliver this scheme through a partnership with Community Energy Plus. For the one in four households in Cornwall currently in fuel poverty, which is defined as spending more than 10 per cent of their income on heating, the potential savings of having insulation installed offer a strong incentive to take up the offer. For further information or to apply for free and discounted insulation through Community Energy Plus visit www.cep.org.uk or call Freephone 0800 954 1956.

Cornwall Bursary

As the Chairman of Children's Education and Families Scrutiny Committee I have been leading the discussion on the Council's scheme to support students in Higher Education. The committee will continue to be involved in establishing the detail of how the scheme works but I fully support the principle of encouraging ambition and support for all young people. The Council is also helping students in further education ( 6th Form College) and is promoting hundreds of apprenticeships.

Again from the CC Press office:

Cornwall Councillors back ground breaking scheme to encourage Cornish students to attend university 20 July 2012 Ground breaking plans to provide every Cornish student with financial support towards the costs of living and studying at university have been given the go ahead by Cornwall Councillors - making the local authority the first in the country to introduce such a scheme. The Council is committed to providing a New Deal for young people in Cornwall and the Higher Education scheme follows the launch of the Cornwall Bursary for post 16 students in February. A further scheme aimed at increasing the number of apprenticeship places across Cornwall will be launched later this year.

Hayle Harbour

The future management and control of the Harbour is now being considered. ING have a year from the start of development on South Quay to decide what form of organisation takes control. This is a vital decision for the Town and INg have promised wide consultation of the various options. I understand this will begin at the end of the month.

Archive

We are still doing our best to get the Archive in Hayle. There are now four key events - a meeting on the 19th to look at site options, a site visit towards the end of the month and then a Communities Scrutiny meeting on 5th July. If there is a result following that it will go to Cabinet in July - watch this space but I suspect there will be more twists and turns yet!!!!

Freedom of Information

Apparently FYI requests cost the Council some £338,000 a year. Between May 2011 and May 2012 the Council received 2,253 requests - an increase in around 900 on the previous year. It cost approximately £150 to process each straightforward request. It occurs to me that if the Council was fully open and transparent form the start many of these requests would have not been required??

Jubilee

Well done to all involved in the Jubilee celebrations in Hayle. The Hayle in Bloom event was a perfect vehicle for the Jubilee entertainment and thanks are due to the Choirs, Gig Club and SLSC for their endeavours. The fireworks were a fine conclusion and the launching point of Black Road inspired. What a joy it was to have the water in the Pool - why cannot we have that every weekend when the tide is suitable...............I won't start but it is time the people of Hayle shouted very loudly that we require this to happen!!

Cornwall Archive

An enormous amount of work continues! The process is that the Cornwall Council working group will receive a report from officers assessing the 3 shortlisted sites on June 18th. ING have invested in producing large document with input from their architects ( you have probably seen the drawings in the Cornishman) and some words from me! This has been submitted to the officers to use in compiling their reports. There have been several meetings between ING, Officer and myself. The competition is very stiff but we are putting up a good fight !!!

Hayle Town Swimming Pool

The supporters of the Pool and a number of Councillors have worked very hard to get the Pool ready for this weeks opening - congratulations s to all! There have been some customers on the sunny days this week. The Pool will now close until July and hopefully better weather and of course more customers during the holiday period. I think the motto must be use it or loose it but the Town Council is actively trying to improve the facility.

Progress!!

Despite a great deal of frustration over other issues, three pieces of good news this week:

SOUTH QUAY. Planning permission has been granted which means that ING should now get on with the development. They assure me that they have supermarkets queuing up to take over the site and that once the last few permissions are in place then development can begin - can't wait!!!

FIRE STATION. It has gone through committee - with unanimous vote for the new set up at Tolvaddon and Hayle. This is wonderful news. Despite the strong arguments in favour of retaining Redruth Fire Station from Redruth members, this is a whole package and gained full support. 13,000 more people within the 10 minutes response time and a more economic and strategic use of resources. And - a fire station for Hayle, at last.

CORNWALL ARCHIVE. We are now making our case to the Council officers and have received the full support of ING who own the land. Be assured we will fight all the way. I believe we have a very very strong case and will make it as forcefully as we can.

Cornwall's National Archive and Records Office

Hayle made a very strong bid to provide the site for the proposed new Archive and Records Office.(see below) There were 38 bids and Hayle emerged in the top three! Our site at Foundry has been short listed along with Redruth Brewery and St Austell. With the active and determined support of ING we are now working very hard to convince the Council that Hayle has the ability to host this fantastic facility. The Town and Cornwall Councillors will leave no stone unturned in promoting our site.

Beach Cleaning. I have chaired two meetings of local beach owners to discuss with Cornwall Council officers how to keep our beaches clean. I am pleased to say that Cornwall Council's operational arm, Cormac Solutions carried out a full clean of the whole beach from the Ferry to Godrevy prior to Easter - as a goodwill gesture. Subsequently we have established that local camp sites and beach owners have taken responsibility for keeping the stretch of beach in front of their sites clean. Thanks to Haven Holidays, Beachside, the Williams family at Sandy Acres and St Ives Bay Holiday Park the stretch from the Bluff to Upton is regularly cleaned. If we add Cornwall Councils cleaning of their sections at Upton and Within and the National Trust who control Godrevy most of our 3 miles of Golden sands are covered. There are the stretches west of the Bluff and east of St Ives Bay site which will not be cleaned. The suggested solution for those is that a 'levy' is raised by local businesses and Car Parks to ensure these areas are also covered. I am pleased to say that Hayle Harbour Authority Ltd, who have undertaken occasional cleans; Riviere Estate ( Mrs La Touche) and others seem prepared to participate and certainly we are confident that by next season a better coverage will be in place. S.O.S are also keen to support beach cleans and we are looking at other charitable organisations who can arrange and lead clean-ups along our sands. I am very grateful to David Attwell ( CC) and Sue Nicholls (Cormac Solutions) for facilitating these developments. Work on improving the situation will continue.

Beach Access: The engineers have come up with the outline proposal, all interested groups and individuals have agreed that a sloean. I am pleased to say that Cornwall Council's operational arm, Cormac Solutions carried out a full clean of the whole beach from the Ferry to Godrevy prior to Easter - as a goodwill gesture. Subsequently we have established that local camp sites and beach owners have taken responsibility for keeping the stretch of beach in front of their sites clean. Thanks to Haven Holidays, Beachside, the Williams family at Sandy Acres and St Ives Bay Holiday Park the stretch from the Bluff to Upton is regularly cleaned. If we add Cornwall Councils cleaning of their sections at Upton and Within and the National Trust who control Godrevy most of our 3 miles of Golden sands are covered. There are the stretches west of the Bluff and east of St Ives Bay site which will not be cleaned. The suggested solution for those is that a 'levy' is raised by local businesses and Car Parks to ensure these areas are also covered. I am pleased to say that Hayle Harbour Authority Ltd, who have undertaken occasional cleans; Riviere Estate ( Mrs La Touche) and others seem prepared to participate and certainly we are confident that by next season a better coverage will be in place. S.O.S are also keen to support beach cleans and we are looking at other charitable organisations who can arrange and lead clean-ups along our sands. I am very grateful to David Attwell ( CC) and Sue Nicholls (Cormac Solutions) for facilitating these developments. Work on improving the situation will continue.pe in front of the cliff by the Lifeguard Hut by the Bluff is our best option. Co operation with Bourne Leisure will enable disabled parking at The Bluff and a smooth path to the cliff. next we take our project brief and seek detailed drawings and costings as well as undertaking more meetings with Haven Holidays, Mr & Mrs La Touche, RNLI and Cornwall Council Pathway officers. It is looking very positive as long as we have sufficient budget. All acknowledge the need and accept the solution - we will continue our endeavours to make it happen. I am grateful to all involved, especially officers from Hayle Town Council and Cornwall Council

Polling Stations:

Cornwall Council is carrying out a review of polling stations in Cornwall and is asking members of the public to give their views on the suitability of the polling station they used the last time they voted in person. There are around 450 buildings which are currently used as polling stations in Cornwall. Most are village and church halls, schools and community centres - but in previous elections the Council has also used caravans and portacabins, a garage and even a 19th century Cornish castle."We would like as many people as possible to take part in this review by giving us their views on the polling station they used the last time they voted and we are particularly keen to learn of any alternative premises which may be more suitable".

If you have a view on Polling Stations you have used in Hayle, let me know and I will pass them on.

Waste

Lots of very bad publicity for Cory and Cornwall Council over their failure to get the contract right. Some people received a very bad service BUT the majority have enjoyed an excellent response. In Hayle I have only received one complaint about non collection but that was rectified by he next week. The story of the recycling bins on Commercial Road Car Park is not so good - the old contractor removed their bins days before the new contractor replaced them. This was bad management but to be fair to Cory since I contacted them they have kept the site very clean and tidy and perhaps most significantly much cleaner that the previous operator. Many have commented on the cleanliness of the town and the road sweeper's relentless and daily routine is bringing huge benefits - well done to him.

Cornwall Council have stated:

We received just over 18,000 calls from residents about the new rubbish, recycling and garden waste collections between 10 and 16 April. These calls were a mixture of queries, subscriptions and complaints and we continue to deal with these as quickly as possible. During the same period we have completed over 470,000 collections of refuse, recycling, garden waste and clinical waste. We also received 7,266 reports of missed collections which have been reported to Cory. We are aware that there are still problems in specific areas and are working with Cory Environmental to identify where the problems are occurring and what needs to be done to rectify them. A team of officers from the Council are working directly with the depot supervisors at Cory to deal with problems using their local knowledge of the area and are prioritising areas that are experiencing repeated missed collections. However we also need the continuing help from residents. Before you call us, please double check your collection day and remember that the collection time may also have changed. Rubbish and recycling needs to be out by 7am as the crews start their rounds at 7am sharp.

So lets keep it in perspective. Across the County there have obviously been bad errors BUT in Hayle things are looking good.

01.05.12

Watch the fantastic time-lapse of the North Quay Bridge construction by clicking: Bridge

Well done to the Hayle Archive for filming this - the DVD's are available for £5.50 from the Hayle Archive (see my Links page)

Rubbish!

The new waste contract came into force today with Cory being responsible for all waste collection and street cleaning. The officers have worked very hard to ease the change but I hear that the 10 extra call centre operators, employed to answer waste queries were no where near enough! I am sure that the collections will settle down once we all get used to any changes - However I already have three concerns:

The Green Waste system worked really well for us but the new system will not! I am obviously against paying for a service that up to now has been free and made my feelings very clear at Full Council. I do not have a large garden and on average put out green waste about 5 times tear. I considered paying g for the 6 collections offered under the new system BUT they have to be consecutive, April to September. Well my garden does not work like that - I have two composters which take most stuff but at certain times - March and October particularly I have lots of debris from pre and post summer tidying up - this I cannot have!!

There has been a complete **** -up of the neighbourhood recycling base at Commercial Road. This is a well used facility that we have ensured will remain ( the foundry one has been removed) and I have already complained that the bins are not emptied regularly enough. However CC surpassed itself by allowing SITA to remove the two Card/plastic bins days before Cory ( the new contractor) put the new ones there!! Chaos!! No notice explaining and workmen working overtime to clear up the mess when people left their recycling on the floor. I have made it clear to the Cabinet member - this should not have happened.

While we have done some work with the officers to ensure that the dog bins are in place - we identified those that were missing, including 5 not even on their list- and they will ensure that we have our complete quota, I am concerned that the new contractor who also does road sweeping will only clean 'as required' - but we will see.

Super fast Broadband.

It has arrived in some parts of Hayle - see the message from CC below:

I am pleased to inform you that super fast broadband has started to become available in parts of the Hayle exchange area. As from now businesses and households in parts of Hayle, Lelant, Connor Downs, St Erth and St Erth Station area can upgrade their current broadband service to superfast broadband from a range of internet service providers (see<http://www.superfastcornwall.org/how-to-get-broadband/isp-internet-service-providers-superfast-broadband.html> for the full list). Prices start from around £16.50.

Bridge Pour

I find myself being very critical of CC at the moment and have been passing on lots of residents complaints BUT we m must also recognise the huge investment into North Quay and the remarkable day last Wednesday when the concrete platform for the new bridge was poured in one day. There was a fabulous atmosphere with spectators all day - this is what change and improvement, development and regeneration looks like - and there is more to come!!!!

02.04.12

South Quay Planning Permission Granted!

The Minister sees no reason to call the plan in, the Case Officer has written to confirm the Permission given by Cornwall Council SO the work on South Quay can begin - well of course this is Hayle and not yet as there are some more 'permissions' to gain BUT to those who often ask me "will we ever see it in our lifetime John"-I believe I can now say yes! After years of disappointment and struggle we can see North Quay being transformed and there is now no reason why South Quay cannot be the same. Our next task is to make sure ING do it and do it quickly!!

15.03.12

Community Wheels

It is very sad that the Community Wheels service in Hayle has ceased operating. I know how highly valued the service was with the excellent work done by the drivers appreciated by all users. However it has been impossible to maintain sufficient cash flow and its has closed. Throughout last week I was in contact with the Chairman and Manager of the organisation and officers at Cornwall Council, trying to find ways to keep it going but this has proved impossible. It is a great pity.

Council Tax

I have written to Steve Double the new Cabinet Member for localism once again complaining that 'Penwith' residents are once again being penalised by Cornwall Council. The old District Council subsidised and provided a number os services that Cornwall Council no longer supports. So, the charge for such services is either now being added to the Town Council's demands on the ratepayer or being increased to what CC describe as a 'realistic' level to cover costs. the latest of these is burial charges which in some cases will nearly double! Add this to the charging for Green waste collection, care of our amenity areas and many others as well as the initial rise of 6% in our Council Tax at the beginning of the Unitary Authority and we the ratepayers are once again being penalised. If is is all in the process of making charging equitable across Cornwall - when will we see a charge go down???? I will continue making the point at every opportunity - it is unfair.

Hayle bids for Cornwall Archive.

I have put together a bid for the new Cornwall Archive and Record office to be built in Hayle. With the full support of Hayle Town Council and enthusiastic support from ING our bid will now be assessed by Cornwall Council. Our site is 'Viaduct Yard' - the open space opposite Jewsons and it fulfills 95% of the criteria CC have set down. The full bid can be seen at the Hayle Archive site: click here

Cornwall Council will decide on sites by May.

Fire Station Consultation - This is still the major topic of the month!!

Hayle Town Council are having a briefing from the Fire Chief, Des Tidbury this Thursday. We know that that Cornwall Council have focused on three sites, only one of which - Commercial Road Car park - they own.We will know more by the end of the week.

Click Here to see the Consultation Documents about the proposals to relocate Camborne and Redruth Fire Stations to a new 'hub' at Pool, incorporating Ambulance and Police and other services.

These proposals make financial and safety sense - the new facilities will replace those that are no longer 'fit for purpose' and more people will come into the '10 minute response time 'which the Fire Service now follows. In Hayle we started to campaign at a time when the 10 minute rule was national policy. This was subsequently changed but the Cornwall Fire Brigade have re-introduced it as a local benchmark. This new proposal will save money, make the service more efficient and offer the possibility of providing Hayle with the Fire Station we have been arguing for over the last 20 years.

I fully understand that those working at Redruth are concerned BUT from Hayle's perspective we will be safer than ever before and the whole process makes more people safer and the whole service more efficient.

You have until April 9th to respond to the consultation = PLEASE DO IT!!!!!

12.03.12.

St Piran

St Piran's Day continues to grow in stature with more and more becoming involved. A fun way is to join the masses in the celebrations in Perranporth next Sunday. Trek across the dunes to St Pirans Oratory and witness the story of St Piran - great fun! Sunday 4th March, Haven Leisure Holiday Park, 1.30 for a 2pm start.

Council Tax

You will soon be receiving this years rate demand. It will have gone up. Hayle Town Council's element has increased to pay for the extra responsibilities they have taken on in order to maintain services. The Cornwall Council element has been frozen because the Council agreed to accept the Governments grant to keep the amount stable .I could not vote against this because I know that many people will flind any increase unacceptable when their incomes have been fixed for sometime and other demands such as heat and light continue to rise .However I am very concerned about it because any future increase will be greater because we have not increased the sum this year. The Conservatives tell us that they can use savings to prevent this next year but it is certainly a short term solution which still leaves us with the long term problem.

To see see what I said at Full Council :http://www.cornwall.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/74006

Rubbish and Recycling Collection

Cory, the new contractor takes over on April Ist - BUT little will change. I have questioned the contractors closely on the new system and can continue to assure residents that:

Rubbish will be collected weekly, in your wheely bin but they ask that everything in the bin is contained in plastic bags/sacks - something many of us do anyway.

Re- cycling will be collected fortnightly - we can use the box as before but other FREE bags will be available for newspapers/plastic etc.

The recycling point at Commercial Road will be maintained.

However, Green waste collection will be charged for, you will be asked to subscribe to so many collections a year.

Cory will also take on the Dog Bins and I have a meeting with them this week to discuss Dog Bin provision in Hayle.

27.02.12

St Erth Park and Ride

The CC Strategic Planning Committee deferred their decision on this plan today - because of all the concerns that hayle Town Council have been expressing for he last two years - This is a huge investment but the Town Council continue to be concerned about: - integration of the 'Bus service; the danger that if St Erth station is developed, Hayle could be down graded; there is still no clear pedestrian or cycle way access to the 'transport hub' and we are unsure of the effect on the junction with the main road. I am not in any way against a new and improved St Ives Park and Ride - but at the current cost we have to make sure that it brings benefit to Hayle as well.

Time Bank

An opportunity - Hayle now has its own Time Bank- your chance to give and receive time!! - swop your skills to gain a service you require. Full details from Jude Thomas, 01209217614- judyt@volunteercornwall.org.uk

Wave Hub

Too little has ben made of the potential of the Wave Hub and poor publicity has made many of us unsure of its future - however good news this week that at least one company (Irish) believe that it will be effective for testing their machine and will provide energy,jobs and further investment! Lets hope so!

10.02.12

South West Marine Energy Park

Good news announced today that the South West will receive investment to develop Marine Energy. This is very significant for Hayle, the Wave Hub project and the North Quay Marine Renewable's Park. It means that the Government will ensure that Marine Energy development will focus ob our region and Cornwall Council have ensured that means in Falmouth and Hayle!!

Town Framework Planning Strategy.

You can have your say in the Core Strategy/Structure Plan that has been written by CC planners over the last 12 months. It identifies areas in Hayle where industry,houses and services could be placed in the future. An exhibition and consultation is being held at Passmore Edwards Institute between 12 and 7pm on TUESDAY 31st JANUARY.

Amenity Areas

We are all now aware that Cornwall Council are passing many local services to Town and Parish Councils. This could provide new opportunities for such services BUT will cost money. While the Council Tax charged by Town Councils will have to increase, you can be sure that the Cornwall Councils charge will not be reduced as it tries to cope with the Government cuts. In order to help Hayle we have negotiated a taper for the costs of managing and maintaining our public areas - the Plantation, Rec and Memorial Walk. This is a unique agreement which spreads the increase over three years, protecting the Council Tax payers of Hayle.

Foodbank

Congratulations to Deputy Mayor Jayne Ninnis and her team in setting up Hayle's Food Bank on Saturday mornings at Hayle Methodist Church. Over 30 families recently attended seeking vital support. We can all donate tins via the Church or the Co-Op - Many of us will not miss a couple of tins of food a week but it could make a huge difference to families in our town.

23.01.12

Loggans Mill

You may have seen the local adverts for the sale of the historic mill. Although initialy they (CC) just wanted to dispose of this important building we have negotiated with the Property department for a package and I am very grateful to a new officer, Ben Coleman who has brought his expertise and experience in London to 'market' the Mill in a very positive way. There could be funding towards its re-development through European Convergence funding and we have put a time limit on its renovation. The last thing we need is this iconic and important building festering in its current scaffolded state - and I hope we have achieved enough to see its development. You can view the details:http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=9883

Get involved!!!

I do not like the phrase 'cornwall conversations' but I do like the idea of listening to the people which is what it is all about. Alec Robertson, the leader of the Council explains the idea:

We are developing a Cornwall Conversations Panel for people who live in Cornwall to let us know their views on how well they think we're doing on important issues in Cornwall ranging from the environment, to adult social care and roads. It is important that we have a wide cross section of people to ensure that we get as many different views as possible as the more members we have - the more views we will hear. It would be very useful if Members could help spread the word to get as many people to join as possible. Please could you ensure that you mention the Panel within your local communities and at Town and Parish Councils meetings etc. People can join online at: www.cornwall.gov.uk/conversationspanel

Go on, give it a go and play your part in creating a better Cornwall.

Harvey's Foundry

I am honoured to be the Chairman of the Harvey's Foundry Trust and over the last few months we have kept our work in the public eye. In February I spoke at St James Palace at a conference organised by the Prince's Heritage Trust which has been a key partner in everything we have achieved at Foundry. Other speakers were the Government Minister for Heritage, the Chair of English Heritage and the Prince Charles. I used Harvey's Foundry as an example of how redundant historic buildings can be put to modern uses. In the summer we were able to show Baroness Andrews from English Heritage around the site and again she was full of praise for what we have achieved and lastly but certainly not least we have now been awarded £108,000 from Cornwall Council to finance our Phase Three. The Plantation Stores (some may remember this as Todds) has been passed to us from Cornwall Council as planned in the Penwith DC days, the Pattern Store (opposite Bookers) will be passed to the Trust under the agreements for the Harbour Planning permission and the Trust have appointed architects Purcell Miller Tritton (Bristol) to take the process through the planning stage. The renovated buildings will add extra life to what 10 years ago was a derelict area of the town, provide opportunities for small business to base themselves here and provide new jobs! Our phases One and Two have provided nearly 90 new jobs for the town and we see Phase Three as continuing that economic gain. Once in operation any 'profits' will be ploughed back into he community through our Heritage Centre - something Hayle has wanted for at least the last half a century. It all looks very promising thanks to Harvey's development officer, Laura Christan, the Trustees and Cornwall Council.

I am always surprised how little the people of Hayle know of the history of Harvey's and the work of the Trust - do e-mail me if you would like a tour or just go to Foundry Lane and have a look!!

28.12.11

Seaside Towns

It has now been confirmed that Hayle has been awarded £60,000 to improve Beach access. This will be used to create a disabled access into the Cove. Meetings with the engineers, Cornwall Council officers and the landowners, Mr & Mrs La Touche will develop a scheme with the advice of Disability Cornwall. The new slope will provide better access for all and will aid the inform, elderly and very young in getting onto the sands. Full consultation will take place at every stage.

Tourism

I believe Cornwall Council is still failing to support our tourist industry in a meaningful way. I understand that money is scarce BUT our visitors do not differentiate between a beach owned locally and a beach owned by Cornwall Council - they surely will after April 1st when the latter are cleaned but the former ar not! In Hayle we have managed to keep the Tourist Information facility at the Library because of the co-operation and efforts of the Library (especially Sally Faulkner) and that we were abel to divert some funding to support it for three years. Tourism is vital to our economy with 5million visitors a year spending 1.6 billion pounds with an estimated 20% of all employment in Cornwall being based in the Tourist Industry. We need to support this with the best facilities, most visitor friendly services and investment in the industry. Of course there is a huge part to be played by private enterprises which profit from visitors BUT the Council must also play its part.

Re-cycling.

As already described below the whole waste contract has been re-specified and awarded. Cost cutting measures also apply to 'civic re cycling centres' many of which have been cut. I am delighted that the recycling facility on Commercial Road Car Park will be retained. This is a well used and valuable service, right in the middle of the Town BUT I will campaigning to ensure that it is better maintained. At the moment the bins are often full to overflowing - especially the bottle bank and when I visit there is often waste and debris strewn all over the area. There is no need for this, I support the facility but it must be regularly maintained, cleaned up and emptied.

Fire Station

Movement on this project as well - Cornwall Council have earmarked sites for the new stations at Tolvaddon and Hayle but are now consulting on other possible sites which may prove to be cheaper and easier to utilize. Hayle Town Council are fully involved in the discussions and we look forward to more progress in the New Year. This is a long held dream,for the town and we must accept a few hiccups on the way however the trials by the Fire service have proved that the re location and building of the two stations will provide much better cover for thousands of people and the new buildings will be modern and therefore cheaper and more efficient to run.

06.12.11

Budget/Devolution

We have spent the last few weeks scrutinizing the budget for 2012/13. I am happy to explain the process in detail if you would like to contact me but in short:

The Government are pushing costs to Cornwall Council by removing financial support/grant.

Cornwall Council are pushing the costs of services to Towns and Parishes - if you want it, pay for it!!

Of course I have argued against this but the fact that Town Council will have to take on services is inevitable - especially as Hayle owns all of its amenity areas and Cornwall Council will not maintain them after April 1st. I have been determined to 'cushion' this transfer in terms of the effect on your council tax and I am pleased that at least I have succeeded in that! The Town Council are negotiating a phased transfer of responsibility for the maintenance of the Recreation Ground, KGVMW and the Plantation. Cornwall Council have also assured us that the Commercial Road toilets will remain open for at least a year so that the Town Council can negotiate taking them over.

An indicative budget has been approved and although I supported a series of amendments to moderate the effect on tax payers, I fear they were mostly lost. The budget will come back to Council in February when the decisions will focus on whether to accept the Government grant or not. Cornwall has set a budget which includes a 2.5% rise (modest in terms of inflation and not enough to maintain services). It can freeze its costs to you, the rate payer if it accepts a one off grant from the government BUT in 2013/14, if no grant is available, Cornwall Council will have to increase its council tax by at least 5% to keep up. We have two months to debate this and I am very keen to involve as many of the electors as possible. I will return to the detail later and welcome any views/opinions that you have.

04.12.11

Waste Collection

Another current topic at County Hall is the waste contract that has now been awarded to Cory Group. The officers have been working hard to create a cross county service, ironing out the inconsistencies that existed under the contracts created by the 6 District Councils. This is not easy as in every case there will be winners and losers. Having agreed that 'residual' waste will be collected weekly and 'dry' or recycling waste fortnightly the Council is now deciding on the manner of collecting - what kind of bins and bags. Final decisions have yet to be agreed but it is proposed that collection across the whole of Cornwall will be by bag and box which will be made available to all householders - although wisely they intend to utilize all existing boxes and reusable bags for as long as they last.

We here in the west have wheely bins - although not perfect for every location, a great asset for most .Cornwall Council have no intention of extending wheely bins across Cornwall BUT have assure me once again today that our use of them will be maintained, although if a replacement bin is required it will not be supplied free by the council.

We will definitely be able to use our wheely bins as now. However the intention is to insist that all rubbish is bagged before it goes into any bin.

Recycling will be collected fortnightly and the box we have now will be used for glass, there will be a blue bag for paper, a red bag for cans and plastic and an orange bag for cardboard. All receptacles will be supplied free. It seems to me to be a lot of containers for people who live in houses will out a lot of space space.

Green waste will collected fortnightly from one of three kinds of container - two sizes of wheely bin or a bag however the big change for us is that there will be a charge for the container - a sort of rent which will cover a contribution to the cost of the service.

Again nothing finalised but everything thoroughly planned so unlikely to change.

North Quay

You may have seen the press coverage of the latest phase of the North Quay works whereby the huge 'flood wall' is being constructed. Over 600 pre cast sections are forming the 1.7metre flood protection 'uplift'. This is a massive construction and of course being built because the Environment Agency insisted that any new building is constructed at this height above the existing quay. A similar raising of the levels will be necessary for the building on south quay- so this element of the infrastructure works will show everyone what it will look like (although on South Quay the proposal is to only protect the areas where building will take place not the public realm or car park). If you get the chance do go over to North Quay and have a look at the very skilled engineering that is being undertaken.

Stadium

The 'stadium' remains under consideration and I know local opinion is very divided. My belief is that it could be a wonderful asset but must not in anyway be a drain on the taxpayer and I am not at all sure that the proposed location is the correct one - however I am always grateful for the views of the electorate. Outline planning permission will be decided by committee on Thursday (17th November) and after Christmas the plans will be debated by councillors before a report goes to Cabinet. So early in the new year we may have a decision of some kind. Do let me know your thoughts.

15.11.11

Budget

A long two day debate on the budget for 2012/13 took place at the end of last week. Once it is available on the archived web cast I will post the link. I am determined that as the Town Council will have to take on many of the services delivered by Cornwall Council at the moment there must be some money in the budget to 'cushion' the transfer. This was supported by other councillors as most towns and parishes are in a similar position and we look forward to the Cabinet firming up its ideas of how to achieve this. There was also much debate about toilets and their closure unless towns and parishes take them on - again we are campaigning to ensure that 'finance follows function'. Your community charge will have to go up and I believe this increase needs to tapered over a number of years rather than imposed all at once. At the moment it looks as if Hayle Town Council will have to take on one toilet, the maintenance of all the amenity areas ( Rec, Memorial Walk, Plantation etc) the full costs of running the Swimming Pool and beach cleaning on April 1st. We are ambitious to take on more but the effect on the ratepayers of the town must be spread over at least 3 years if at all possible.

Loggans Mill

You may have seen the recent Cornishman article describing the ambitious plans by a private company to develop the Mill and the area in front of it. The historic mill is owned by Cornwall Council and I convened an officer group over two years ago to work towards its preservation and renovation. As a result we have negotiated with the CCproperty section to design and establish a way forward for the Mill which could include companies like the one cited in the paper developing the building. More information will be available at the beginning of December

Seaside Towns

We have been working on a bid for a share of 400,000 earmarked for seaside towns to improve facilities. Our project emerged from meetings held last Spring focusing on beach access. Hayle was one of the successful towns and have been awarded £60,000 to improve access onto the beach at the Cove. It is very difficult for the elderly or infirm to get onto the sands and totally impossible for the disabled - the intention is to use the money to make it accessible to all. There were two other elements of the bid and the part dealing with improved signage to the beach from the Town will be paid for by my members highways allowance but the employment of an officer to keep the beach clean and the Towans visitor friendly will not be funded by the grant and we will have to work with the Town Council to find other finance. The bid was made by the Town Council and its officers and those of the Community Network collaborated to put together strong case. There were 18 submissions form towns across the county and we are one of the eight that have been successful.

Olympic Torch

We have heard today that the torch relay will go from Lands End to Helston and not visit Hayle at all. This is not surprising but is disappointing. I am an Olympics fan (despite the fact that I failed to get any tickets!) but fail to see how our community can get involved if the torch will only pass us 10 miles away! I am also amazed that Cornwall Council see this as a major event bringing thousands of visitors to Cornwall and investing thousands of pounds into its promotion when the relay will pass by most of the county on the back of a truck!! However I do hope many Hayle people are selected as torch carriers and I will certainly go and watch it if possible.

07.11.11

South Quay - here we go??????

Well, we can only hope. Last Thursday the Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee decided to recommend approval for the supermarket on South Quay and now the task is to firm up the agreements for community benefit. However it has to be referred to the Secretary of State - he can decide it should go ahead or 'call it in' when there will have to be a Public Enquiry. Of course there may be complaints/appeals/objections from Morrisons and ASDA who were refused. Would n't it be a great sign of good will from ING if they brought the builders in and started some of the repairs to the quay walls NOW? We have been through an agonising and very long process to get to this point with lots of debate and 'soul searching'. Now we have a way forward I am sure we are all very keen to see things happening.

You can watch the Cornwall Council debate- http://www.cornwall.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/64504 but I suggest using the index points to reduce the time required!!

Traffic Regulations - Yellow lines!

After the election I was approached by a number of electors seeking control of traffic issues across the town. Well it has only taken two years but at last the officers have published their plans and many of you may have seen signs on streets where changes are planned. Things do happen - but frustratingly slowly.

Leisure Strategy

Over the last few months I have worked with two councillor colleagues, Cllr Phil Tucker and Cllr Alex Folkes to produce a Leisure Strategy for the Council. It maps out the ways in which an active lifestyle can be promoted by the Council,Clubs and the Community. Separately the Council has now agreed to hand over the running of its Leisure Centres to a Trust called Carrick Leisure based on the former officers from the County Council. This is sensible and helpful and follows the pattern of enabling 'arms length' companies to run services. However - I expressed my concerns at a recent meeting of the Communities Overview & Scrutiny committee. They are:

Bude Sea Pool and Jubilee Pool Penzance are included in the initial contract with he idea that they will be passed over to Community Trust to run BUT Hayle Open Air Pool is not because it is in the ownership of the Town Council.It is true that the Council have granted a small amount of money to cushion the impact but previously it (as Penwith before) was supporting to the tune of £20,000 a year. Now nothing - you all pay the same Community Charge as Penzance but our pool will not get the same support. Cornwall Council are also investing £2million into preserving the Jubilee Pool before it is passed over to the Community - fair? Do not think so!!

I am also perturbed that there are no Leisure Centres west of a line from Newquay to Helston which will be run by the Trust - those you use, Carn Brae, St Ives, Penzance are outside the contract (although St Ives will be added soon) - That means that the Council have no control over charges,services and quality in the Leisure Centres the people of Hayle use - again we pay our rates but could get a more expensive or lesser service because there is no investment in the management of these centres.

Devolution

I am all in favour of local control over local services. We are working through a whole series of proposed transfers at the moment. I have supported Hayle Town Council in demanding some 'joined up thinking' so that we can look at a package rather than Toilets, Car Parks and Amenity Areas (the rec, the memorial walketc) separately. Cornwall Council are listening and I have had a number of meetings with officers and Cabinet members who are becoming convinced that there needs to be a tapered transfer of the responsibilities - however there is still much to be done by all of us if we are going to get money into next years Budget to make it possible to cushion the effect on the Parish Rate. That's one thing we are working on at the moment .

Beach Access

Meanwhile the bid for £90,000 to improve the accessibility of Hayle Beach is reaching decision time. The Hayle Town Council clerk, Ellie Giggall, the Community Network officers Maxine Hardy and Kate Biljon have worked very hard to draw the bid together - decisions will be made before the end of the month, so fingers crossed.

09.10.11

SUPERMARKETS

The debate continues, Hayle Town Council made their feeling clear last Thursday, there was another display by Morrisons and ASDA this weekend and in two weeks time the Strategic Planners will re visit the proposals. It is time this long saga came to a conclusion - and hopefully one which will benefit the town. There are many different views which I have tried to reflect but I have an awful feeling that whatever the decision on October 6th (open to the public at County Hall from 10am) that will not actually be the end of the matter! Hayle needs to have all these issues resolved so we can move forward.

Watch the ING South Quay fly-through on:

http://www.hayleharbour.com/new-hayle-harbour-video.htm

Hayle Fire Station

Again - progress! This could really become a reality as the Fire Service are convinced that their plans for a new centre at Tolvadden will provide savings that could finance a new station in Hayle. I have been part of the campaign for this for over 20 years, we have made a strong case which has been accepted, the money can be found and it could happen!!

St Erth Park and Ride

Another major scheme which it is hoped will be completed within the next two years. Although it is principally a ne improved park and ride for the St Ives Branch Line the planners also hope it will become a 'transport hub' serving West Cornwall and of course there is talk of the Heliport re locating there. I am only concerned that Hayle accrues some benefit, that it easily accessible on foot and by bike, that 'bus and train services are co-ordinated and that Hayle Railway station does not suffer. I made these points to Cabinet last week (see Cornwall Council web site) when the funding for the next stage of development was agreed. Hayle Town Council have also tried to influence this scheme during several meetings but our views have not all been taken on board as yet - we will keep trying!

Cornwall Record Office

The Record office is a very successful and well used service but it has outgrown its premises at Old County Hall. This week Cornwall Council took an important step forward in fulfilling a long held ambition of many of us to establish a new purpose built Record Office which would provide a modern and easily accessible home for a wide range of records,books and archives. The overall cost is estimated at £10 million. They have only agreed to look at its feasibility and financial implications BUT it is another step forward

21.09.11

SUPERMARKETS!

The supermarket wars continue with each promising to support elements of the community and stressing the benefits the Town will accrue if their proposals are supported. Three important dates are:

Thursday 15th September - Hayle Town Council to discuss the applications from ING, Morrisons, Asda and the plan to re-locate the Rugby Club to Carwin Rise. The meeting begins at 7.15 and will be held at Bodriggy Primary School.

Saturday 17th September - I understand the Hayle Residents Association have organised a public display of all three supermarket applications at the Passmore Edwards Institute.

Thursday 6th October - Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee will decide the applications, County Hall at 10.am. This is open to the public if you would like to hear the debate.

I am still eager to listen to your views so so not hesitate to contact me. I hope that these applications can be resolved on the 6th as the whole saga has dragged on for far too long and Hayle needs to get on with building our future!

North Quay

There is a lot of interest in the building works at Copperhouse Pool and the scale of the engineering is now very clear. I have ask d that details of the project are displayed on site so that those following the development can see what is proposed.The causeway that is being constructed is a temporary measure to create an access for the bridge works. The new bridge will be completed next year and I have asked Hayle Town Council to name it in some way to associate it with eh Queens Golden Jubilee in 2012. Happy to consider any of your ideas - Jubilee Bridge, QE2 bridge etc. This will tie it in with the Memorial Walk and commemorate the Queen's service and the historic significance of the new infrastructure as the latest development in our Town. Sandra Rothwell from Cornwall Council Economic Development has given a very clear explanation of the proposals for the Marine Renewables Park on the site of the Electric Works which the new infrastructure will serve and it is clear the the Council are 'pulling out all the stops' to ensure that Hayle plays a prominent part in the development of alternative energy sources in the South West. I discover residents who are still unsure of what is being delivered by this project - I am happy to explain if you would like to contact me.

Copperhouse Pool

There have been a number of successful events based on King George V Memorial Walk over the summer. The 'Hayle in Bloom' event was a great success, the Pool has been used for rowing events, today we have had the Mayors Sponsored Walk and a month ago the Decorative Lights Committee organised a very successful Raft Race. It is possible to impound the water for sports activity but not for anything else - so the Raft Race has water but the added pleasure that those using the Memorial Walk can gain from a waterside rather than a mud side walk is not permitted. This is unacceptable and I am still trying to 'get more water in the pool' as I have done for the last 30 years!!

Seaside Funding

As described below we have pout in a bid to improve access to the beach and the 'quality' of the visitor experience in Hayle. Bids for funds were double the money available and we have been asked to refine our proposals - which we are doing at t he moment. Cornwall Council continues to abdicate what I believe to be its responsibility for the service provided to the thousands of visitor who come to our County and spend millions of pounds - I continue to campaign to limit this neglect as well as searching for the means to compensate for it.

11.09.11

Fire Station

The communities overview and Scrutiny Committee debated the latest report on Fire Cover for Hayle, Camborne and Redruth. I was able to speak in support of the proposal to close the existing stations at Redruth and Camborne and build a new Fire Centre at Pool as well as a small Fire Station min Hayle. We have campaigned for years to prove that the existing cover from Camborne is not really at the level it should be and as Hayle grows the problem will become worse. The Fire Service have now acknowledged this by developing a plan to archive greater cover within a 10 minute rep[osne time - the relocation will provide new workshops and call centre as well as a Fire Station at Pool and Hayle and increase the population covered by the 10 minute guideline by 27%. It will also provide some of the savings the service is required to make. You may become aware of complaints from Redruth that they will loose their Station but the greater benefits make this a justifiable change and in fact permanent staff at Pool will provide greater cover for the Redruth area. The report has gone back for further development and we should know more by next Spring.

Sea Side Funding

Below you will note that there are monies available to improve sea side towns. With the help of Kate Biljon we are developing a bid for a share of the £400,000 available. Hayle is one of 12 eligible towns. Our bid will focus on the beach - signs,safe access, disabled facilities and beach cleaning are all part of the plan. We have to express our initial interest by the end of the month.

Ventonleage Green

Another victim of the Cornwall Council cuts is the cutting of Ventonleage Green. This is common land and the council have decreed that they will only deal with land they own. happily, Hayle Town Council have stepped into the breach and will maintain this area of grass in the future.

15.07.11

Beach Cleaning - Good News!!

Cornwall Council's new 'Beach Strategy' (see below) proposed that the Council would only take responsibility for beaches it owns. To my surprise they implemented the plan not to clean our beaches for this season and I have already had complaints about litter at Hayle. THE GOOD NEWS is that Cornwall Council have now reversed the decision - they will clean all the beaches they usually clean for the rest of the season. I believe this to be in response to the pressure we have applied over the last few weeks. I raised it again with the Cabinet at a meeting on Monday. The positive element is that now we have time to develop other systems for keeping Hayle beach clean next year and I have already stared to work with Council officers and local land owners and stakeholders to ensure both visitors and local's have a positive experience at Hayle.

22.06.11

Hayle Tourist Information Centre

Despite the cuts and closure of some of these facilities (Penzance for instance) we have managed to save the TIC based in Hayle Library. This is a small but widely used facility and the following compliment was sent by a visitor to the Hayle Town website:

'this is not an enquiry, but a big thank you to the lovely lady in your tourist information office. she was really helpful and informative and seemed to know her job very well. she also told us of local eating places, buses, trains and local information,. well done, keep it up. there was no info office in st.ives or helston. great - thanks again'

Brilliant!

Hayle Library

As part of the development of the new Library service it is hoped to create 'Friends of the Library' groups across Cornwall. many Libraries already have such groups - St Ives for example but Hayle has been selected along with Looe, Launceston and Bodmin as pilots for this idea. There is an initial meeting to plan the approach soon and look out for publicity inviting people to participate.

Supermarkets.

The saga continues. The Strategic Planning Committee recently resolved that although they originally only agreed to a 5 month delay, they are prepared to extend that for an extra two months. Their reasoning was that there are still issues to be resolved with all three outstanding applications and they still wish to consider all three at the same time. My understanding is that the ING application is being 're- structured' by a new set of architects particularly focusing on the heritage issues .I am told that the ASA application is bearing agreement with Highways about the traffic management at Loggans while Morrisons have stated that they are ready for a determination although they too had some local highways issues to address. Cornwall Council are hosting a series of workshops looking at the issues raised when the original plans were considered.

However the Hayle applications will be decided by the Strategic Planning Committee on 22 nd September.

There - I've said it, I have been assured this is fact I just hope I am right!

Rubbish!

Cornwall Council has got itself into a fine mess ( and a costly one) with the appeals procedure over the incinerator at St Dennis - however we are getting closer to a conclusion although not to anyone's real satisfaction. The weekly/fortnightly waste collection debate has also been concluded and the Council has stated:

Cornwall Council's Cabinet has voted by seven votes to three to retain weekly black bag rubbish collections after considering a range of options for changing recycling and rubbish collections in Cornwall.     Cabinet Members also considered the results of the Council's recent waste canvass which received comments from just under 10,000 people. 66% of people supported the continuation of the weekly black bag collection with fortnightly recycling, with 34% opting for a change to separate weekly food waste and recycling collection, with a fortnightly collection for any remaining black bag waste.  

So for us things will remain as now and it is important to note that I(as have several other councillors) have gained the assurance of Julian German, Portfolio Holder for the Environment that wheely bins will continue to be emptied as they are now. I know that the Council only ever mentions black bags but that is because our area is the only one with wheely bins - you will be able to continue to use them.

07.06.11

Hayle Beach

We managed to bring some Cornwall Council officers together last week to discuss the state of the access to the beach. James Ortiz who is responsible for all beaches, Sue Nicholls who has done a brilliant job in supporting the services on Penwith beaches, Tim Bird who is the Countryside officer for this area and Alison Clough the Countryside Warden joined the Mayor, Maxine Hardy the Community Network Officer and myself. We have at least highlighted the problems but as usual progress is slow! We will convene a meeting of all beach owners in this area and commercial interests on the Towans, Tim Bird will look at signposting access points, the Harbour Company have agreed to clean up the area around Harvey's Towans and their part of the beach but long term solutions will take financial investment.

Cornwall Council have produced a Beach Strategy which is a fine document but only applies to beaches owned by the Council. In Hayle's case there are multiple owners between Porthkidney and Godrevy and the threat is that Cornwall Council will only take care of beaches it owns (in our case Gwithian and a small section at Upton Towans) This is not acceptable to me - the council must have a responsibility for ensuring that all visitors to Cornwall have clean and safe beaches to enjoy. Some may be in private ownership but they also have full public access! Officers and the Portfolio holder have been invited to the next Towans Partnership to discuss the issues - The fight is on!!!

01.05.11

Cuts!

It is very sad to me that peoples lives are now being badly affected by the impact of the budget cuts. I have been dealing with concerns in several areas where wholesale change and lower staffing levels are being applied. There is much restructuring and changes in workers roles and job descriptions as millions of pounds need to be saved. It does seem that the Council is trying to maintain services but it will require more for less and as we all know there is a limit to what people can or should be expected to do. We continue to fight for services - Hayle Children's Centre may not be able to provide all it has before BUT it will be there supporting families, Hayle Library will be a different place BUT it will not close, Hayle Gardeners will continue to produce a beautiful Town (with the help of Hayle in Bloom) but with less resources. The Tourist Information Centre is under threat in St Ives and closed in Penzance but we have secured enough funding to keep ours open for at least three years.

If you have a concern about a Council service, please make me aware.

Waste

The debate continues - have you checked the Council web site where Option A and Option B are described - you are not too late to vote, the voting ends on 14th May.

See below an extract from a recent Cornwall Council web site:

Just a few week's into our waste survey and we've already had 6370 responses with more arriving each day via the web site and in the post.    

Results so far:    

66% in favour of Option A Weekly food waste and rubbish collections Fortnightly recycling and garden waste collections. 34% in favour of Option B Weekly food waste and recycling collections   Fortnightly rubbish and garden waste collections     The survey is open till 14 May.    

How people can give their views :    On line via our web site - here <http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=27233> is the link to the survey page. By post: fill in the survey form at the back of the Guide to Services that was delivered with council tax bills. There is a FREEPOST address on the form or they can be dropped off at any one stop shop or library.

PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY - IT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

North Quay

Work is progressing on the infrastructure improvements to North and East Quays. There were many questions from the members of the public present at the 'neighbourhood' meeting hosted by the contractors. They, and our Cornwall Council engineer are all based in the old Octel building - if you have any concerns do not hesitate to contact them.

Hayle Beach

I continue to be concerned about the state of our beach. The western end is in private ownership but has total public access and I continue to try to get Cornwall Council to take some responsibility for at least organising beach maintenance. Cornwall has 5 million visitors a year generating about 1.3 billion pounds worth of business - the public require beaches with facilities like toilets that are clean and safe. I have set up a meeting of the CC officers involved on 26th April to discuss access to the beach which at the moment is very restricted.

Towans Partnership

We had a very good meeting last week and all who attended felt it was worth continuing. We have a new Chairman - Dick Goodere from Gwithian and a new Countryside officer - Tim Bird.

12.04.11

Rubbish and Recycling Collections

We have all been receiving our Council Tax demands over the last few days. Enclosed is a booklet 'Cornwall's Guide to Public Services'. This provides some useful contact numbers but I would ask you to look at the back page - 'What do you think?' It asks for your response to the two suggestions for the future collection policy. PLEASE LET THE COUNCIL KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.! The council is keen to hear your views. You will see that there is no mention of Wheelie Bins - that's because our area is the only one with them and because of expense there is no intention to provide them in any other area. We are fortunate in that the old Penwith provided these bins and I have been assured by Julian German, Portfolio Holder, that our wheelie bins will continue to be collected and emptied as now. There will be no change to the method of collection, only the frequency.

Sluicing/ Dredging

Last Wednesday the Harbour Master was due to present his report on dredging to the Hayle Harbour Advisory Committee. The meeting was cancelled with less than 24 hours notice. This is very disappointing as it means that the future policy for clearing the Bar, whether dredging, sluicing or as I suspect a combination of both has been delayed until the planning issues on South Quay have been resolved. Personally I do not see that there is necessarily any connection! However I understand that the report was not presented at the behest of the development wing of ING. I am trying to arrange a meeting with those concerned to illicit a time scale for the development of the dredging/sluicing policy - something we desperately need if our Harbour is to remain viable.

At Last!

It has only taken about 18 months but at last a new road sign has been put at the entrance to Amal an Avon - brilliant!

16.03.11

Loggans Mill

Readers may like to be reminded about the status of this building! It is an great icon to failure that sits at the entrance to our town and since my election I have been working to get something done! We have maintained the discussions with a developer started by Penwith but the signs there are not hopeful. The building is owned by Cornwall Council and there is money left in the fund established when the supermarket and houses were built. This paid for the scaffolding but those developments also made the site very 'land-locked'. Following the failure of the 'economic development' officers to further any scheme, I have convened an officer group that is looking at options and a way forward.

I was honoured to speak at a conference at St James Palace this week and managed to cite Loggans as an example of a redundant heritage building for which a solution has yet to be found. Other speakers included the Minister for Heritage and Tourism, John Penrose and the Duke of Cornwall. Prince Charles was very clear on what needed to be done, the Minister less so on what government was doing to help! I was very grateful to Peter Channon for allowing me to show some of his fabulous aerial views and I explained what we have achieved at Harvey's Foundry and highlighted the problems we still face with the Harbour and buildings such as Loggans Mill.

I am meeting with the officers looking at Loggans again this week - I will keep any progress posted on this site.

Various Road Works and New Signs

Just to reassure you - they are on their way!! I have the engineers planning schemes for Prospect Place, Amal-an-Avon, Phillack, Bay View Terrace, Madison Vean and St John's Street. Once their proposals are clear we will of course consult locals! The improvements at the bottom of Guildford are due to begin this month. I only regret that this is all SO SLOW!

Hayle Youth Centre

All credit to the Youth Service in this area ( in Council terms Locality One - which is the old Penwith ) because they have ensured a massive improvement in provision over the last two years. A combination of work by Youth Cornwall and the fantastic Hayle Youth Project (based on Penpol Terrace) and outreach work, particularly in the Reawla area, has ensured that there is a much better deal available to our young people. A clear example is that the Hayle Youth Centre at Highlanes is now open everyday, whereas previously is was only open on one evening.

Craig Walker from the Cornwall Youth Service is trying to re establish the 'Friends of Hayle Youth Centre' - a sort of adult watchdog support group. If you are interested in helping please contact me.

Libraries

Cornwall Council will not be closing any libraries but there will be changes. Opening times have been adjusted to create greater parity across Cornwall and other services will be made available through libraries in the future. We have secured the future of the TIC at Hayle and soon discussions will begin to investigate the possibilities of moving the One Stop Shop to what will be a more central location at the Hayle Library. The cross party group I have chaired for the last 6 months have completed their report and OI will be presenting the findings to the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 3rd March ( 10.am Lys Kernow (County Hall) and open to the public). The report describes possible ways to secure library services in the future.

26.02.11

Supermarkets:

So 8 hours of debate at County Hall and we are really no further forward!

ING - South Quay - deferred for no more than 5 months to sort out heritage issues. To come back to committee.

Morrisons ( Jewsons) - deferred for no more than 5 months to resolve traffic issues. To come back to committee.

ASDA - Rugby Club Site - deferred until they come back with an acceptable solution to the Loggans Roundabout. Decision delegated to officers.

Rugby Club relocation - withdrawn at this time.

Sainsbury's - refused.

So its now down to the applicants to solve the issues and re-submit to committee! Will it ever happen???????????????????????

10.02.11

North Quay

The good news is - the contracts have been signed, the contractor appointed and work will begin this week. This is the start of Hayle regeneration on a big scale - 13.5 million pounds to improve the infrastructure AND REPAIR THE QUAY WALLS!!!!!!!!

Other matters...........

Other issues that we are concerned with at County Hall - or lets get used to using Lys Kernow are:

Dog Control Orders. A panel has been looking into the Orders that apply across Cornwall and have concluded that they wish to support the Status Quo. So there will be no changes. I am disappointed in this because they say that if changes are required then Town and Parish Councils can do so - but at their own expense! I would like to see minor amendments to the rules that apply to Hayle Beach but do not agree that the Town Council should take over responsibility without some financial support.

I am uncomfortable with the fact that Cornwall Council are not prepared to bring a unified system across Cornwall with Dog Bans where it will cost them money but are desperate to do so with Car Parking where they accrue huge sums! I wonder why!!!!!

Car Parking. Well the panel here have introduced what they see as a more unified and fairer charging system across Cornwall but we are now told that charges will have to rise on top of the new tariff - Well NO! Make the original changes but leave the charges as they are - any shortfall should be taken from contingencies while the new charges can settle in and their impact be assessed.

Libraries. I am chairing a cross party group looking at library provision in the future. Our report will been finalised soon but I can assure you that no part of our recommendations will involve Library Closures.

23.01.11

Allotments

The Christmas break has enabled me to have my daily stroll in and around the Town to try to work off some of the excesses of food and drink. Today it was very heartening to have a walk around the new allotment site on Lethlean Lane. It is many years ago that the Town Council first began to discuss the provision of allotments following requests from local residents. We were also seeking land where a further burial grounds could be provided. I was determined that the cemetery should be created on what was Glebe Land in Phillack and we were able to combine both ideas to provide the current site which will provide a section to extend the now closed Lethlean Cemetery when required and give the Town its allotments ( for which there is already a long waiting list) It seems amazing that it is nearly 10 years since Marjorie Roberts, Shirley Oliver, Brian Capper and myself on behalf of the Town Council met with Rev Canon Tony Neal to have the first discussions on the possibility of this scheme - but at last it is being brought to fruition. Yes it has been slow and the negotiations with the Church protracted but the Town Clerk has worked steadfastly and hopefully the first seeds will be sown in the spring!!

Hayle Station

Over the last year we have put a great deal of pressure on First Great Western to improve services at Hayle. A Public Meeting supported the campaign coordinated by the Hayle Area Plan Partnership's Traffic and Transport Group and Hayle Town Council hosted a meeting of officials to debate the issues. It was a excellent example of all sections of the community working together and has resulted in better signing, timetables being displayed in Foundry and Copperhouse although it is still not possible to buy a rail ticket in the Town except through a travel agent. My colleague John Coombe CC led the campaign to get an early evening train to stop at Hayle and although we have not been able to get any other stopping trains, First Great Western are now providing an extra stop at Hayle from Truro to cater for workers and school children. I understand that it is very well used. We must not drop this issue, the public support it and there is no doubt that the potential of Hayle Station is not being exploited although my experience over the summer was that lots of visitors do look to use it.

North Quay Infrastructure

Friday the 16th December should be recorded as an important date in the regeneration of Hayle Harbour. The Secretary of State for Transport approved the Bridge Works on this day and this is the last element of the permissions required to enable the works to begin. Watch out for the beginning of works early in the New Year. This is wonderful news - for the first time over £13 million will be spent here in Hayle. This money is only available for these works - if the scheme had failed it could not be spent on a Leisure Centre or developing Sluicing, it would have been returned to the Economic Development coffers only to be spent elsewhere in the County.

My colleague, John Coombe and I issued the following statement:

"We are delighted to congratulate the project team on the incredible progress that has been made over the last few months. We have all been working together to create the Town's ambition of making the development of Hayle Harbour a reality. The endorsement of the Bridge Order by the Secretary of State for Transport enabling the new link across Copperhouse Pool to be constructed means that the works can now begin. The development of a new access road and associated works will:

Provide a new road across North Quay

Open up access to the Business Park on the old Electric Works site Create new opportunities for the development of the renewable energy industry, building on the huge investment in the Wave Hub project.

Establish a new road junction on Hayle Terrace.

Prepare parts of North Quay for future development

Build a walkway along the seaward side of the quay for all to enjoy.

Start to provide new and improved facilities for the fishermen at the North Western end of the Quay

Improve access to Hayle Cricket Club

Repair the East Quay Walls and safeguard the quays from Copperhouse Pool to the sea.

Investment to the tune of 13.5 million pounds has been delivered by County, Country and Continent. This is the first time in 50 years that Hayle has been the recipient of such large and clearly focused support and marks what we hope to be the beginning of the revival of our Harbour, which we have anticipated over the last 50 years.

20.12.10

Emergency Budget

I have received a number of letters concerning the emergency budget which will be debated at Full Council on Friday 3rd December (postponed from 30th Nov). I have always accepted that there had to be cuts because the grants from central government have been cut but my determination was to ensure that there was a minimum effect on Hayle projects. So although there are many cuts that I cannot be at ease with it is now clear that through the action of John Coombe and myself :

Hayle Day Care Centre will continue to receive its annual grant from Cornwall Council - at the same rate as last year

Hayle Library will be remain open and serving the community in the same way.

Hayle Swimming Pool will receive a grant ( although severely reduced) over the next two years

Guildford Road

Since my election I have been working with Cornwall Council to amend the traffic management scheme outside Loggans Chip Shop. The traffic priority here will remain the same but following a full survey of traffic movements last summer, the road alignment will change slightly to give some respite to the houses set below the ground on the western side of the road by moving traffic further east. Hopefully the priority will also be clearer to all.

30.11.10

Yellow Lines/Street names/Parking etc etc etc

I know that many of you who have contacted me with concerns about any of the above are concerned that nothing has happened - well it has but not yet to the stage where anything is different! One of the lessons I have learned is that trying to progress any action through the bureaucracy of Cornwall Council is painfully slow BUT I am pushing at every opportunity and if you have shared a concern with me, I have shared it with the officers involved.

Wave Hub

Great news that Hayle's Wave Hub is up and running and ready for business. We should celebrate the fact that although there may still be difficulties and the numbers of local jobs created by the Hub will be minute it does put Hayle on the map!! Our unique position between the waves of the Atlantic and a connection to the National Grid has provided us with something to make people notice us!. If we can now develop renewable energy in the area then jobs will follow, in the meantime this is really good news - the Wave Hub press release stated:

'The pioneering Wave Hub marine energy project has been 'plugged in' for the first time since its installation over the summer and is officially open for business. Wave Hub has created the world's largest test site for wave energy technology by building a grid-connected socket on the seabed 16 kilometres off the coast of Cornwall in South West England, to which wave power devices can be connected and their performance evaluated. Yesterday (November 2), the complete system underwent its first full test when it was connected to the grid network via a new substation that has been built at Hayle, where Wave Hub's 33kV cable comes ashore. Wave Hub's generalmanager Guy Lavender, speaking today at the Renewable UK annual conference and exhibition in Glasgow, said: "We've been continually testing the integrity of the whole system during the installation process but yesterday was the first time it was fully energised and plugged in to the grid, and I'm delighted to say that it went without a hitch. "From today the system will be permanently energised and monitored, so Wave Hub is well and truly open for business." The penultimate stage of Wave Hub's installation is expected to be completed today (Nov 3) when the last of 177 concrete 'mattresses' is laid on top of the subsea cable. The 25 kilometre cable is buried under the seabed to around five kilometres offshore and thereafter has been covered with 91,000 tonnes of rock. The mattresses are being laid at regular intervals on top of the rock to ensure the cable is secure. '09.11.10

What do I do?

I am sometimes asked - what do you do as a Cornwall Councillor? - well..... briefly, of course I try to help anyone who has a problem - phone me on 756794 and leave a message. There are not many decision making committees in the new council - it is Cabinet Government and I do try to attend as many Cabinets as possible to put Hayle's case- but there are Overview and Scrutiny Committees which investigate/assess/question proposals made by each directorate. I am Vice Chairman of Children Education and Families O/S and we are very rigorous in drilling down into decisions/ideas/proposals/policies being developed by the department including the Improvement Plan made in response to the very poor OFSTED report of last year. I also sit on the Human Resources Committee which has a vital role in trying to support and protect staff during this unprecedented period of change. I have chaired a Panel investigating Safeguarding and our 19 recommendations were all accepted by the Council and we are now ensuring they are implemented. Currently I chair a cross party group looking at Library Provision across the County - very challenging in the light of budget cuts. Over and above all this the promotion of Hayle, the development of Hayle schemes, investment in Hayle and the provision of jobs for the town are at the fore front of my activities. Add to this Town Council work, my activities as the Chair of Harvey's Foundry Trust, my support of the Hayle Archive and the Hayle Oral History Project as well as my Chairmanship of the Hayle Area Plan Partnership and my continuing Oral History work - and its pretty busy!!!!!

North Quay

We have been discussing the designs for much of the work on the infrastructure on North Quay - . The works will not only establish the roadway to the proposed business park but will provide essential links for the future. The Harbour walls on East quay will be repaired and pointed and the foreshore area in front of the Customs House be improved and secured. The 4 metre wide walkway will enable us to promenade all the way along North Quay on the seaward side and we have discussed possible finishes. Most exciting is the screen on the North Quay bridge - J & F Pools produced perforated metal which was exported all over Europe and I have proposed that this screen commemorates this lost industry which has been given scant recognition. This has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the designers and with the help of former J & F employees I am hopeful that we can create a significant memory of the works in which so many were employed.

Community Grants

I do have a small sum to distribute to local voluntary groups to support their work - let me know if there is an item/project/idea which your group needs to be funded and perhaps I can help.

You can always contact me via this site or 07967272808 or my colleague John Coombe ( South Ward) on 752831 or meet us on the first Saturday of each month when we hold open surgeries at Hayle One Stop Shop.

As your representative I am taking every opportunity to exert influence upon Cabinet members and raising issues with the officers. Be assured that I remain totally independent and have not made any agreements in advance, all issues are taken on their merits and I seek support for Hayle from all Councillors, whatever their party.

I really do want the residents of Hayle to let me know about issues that affect them.

25.09.10