As our small and unique Cornish market towns merge into UK-wide homogeneous shopping urban sprawl, this was the email discussion between one angry resident and the then Cornwall Council leader, John Pollard, back in the Summer of 2015: Sent: 02 June 2015 To: Pollard John CC Subject: Last night Dear John, It wasn't a great experience meeting you and your temporary CEO last night. I think you're a decent man; probably a good man and certainly a well-meaning man. In short, you're a nice fellow. But I don't want a nice fellow to lead me, I want a leader. Your blue-sky Case for Cornwall is 15-20 years and four CEOs too late, John. You're perpetually playing catch up, and the one question that 'ordinary' people ask me every single day, in every sphere of life is: how far have the developers got their arm up the council's backside? You said you'd be happy to meet me one on one, but what for?? To repeat your well-intentioned exercise in short-term damage limitation, whilst daily, Cornwall burns, literally, under a sea of the most obnoxious and environmentally toxic man-made substance: concrete? These developers who control Cornwall's agenda, build cheap crap - I know, I lived in the dubious Tregolls Farm Wain Homes development for three years - which they then flog on at grossly inflated and locally unaffordable prices (for most people here that need housing). I will meet with you, but first, I need some action from you and your executive: 1- Get rid of the deadwood, including expensive CEOs with no idea about or interest in Cornwall (I could probably find you half a dozen intelligent, competent and effective CEOs at less than half the cost, but with their heart and soul firmly rooted in Cornwall's future wellbeing), colour-blind planning officers (those who alarmingly think a farm is prime brownfield development material, presumably because there's a shed in the corner of the land), corrupt councillors (awaiting a sticker from prince Charles) and spineless yes-men disguised as councillors and overpaid officers. 2- DON'T ignore people; listen properly because otherwise your 'reign' will be remembered as fondly as that of Whalley, Robertson, Lavery & Co. should you continue to ignore real people, in favour of grand schemes, ideas and corporate business, above ordinary people trying to make an ordinary living in the Duchy. 3- When it comes to tough decisions (and I'm talking about development plans, not sacking half your staff or closing local toilets), grow some balls! I'm not trying to be offensive here; but you need to be bold and brave. It will probably cost you/us less in the long run, to get a decent lawyer to fight for your planning agenda AGAINST that imposed by developers, than having to deal with the consequences of the current development madness, which is rendering life for ALL here in the Duchy, intolerable, in terms of Treliske, traffic, parking charges, schools & nurseries, GP surgeries, police & safety, sewerage & flooding, mental health beds, air and water pollution, loss of green & recreational spaces, loss of wildlife, greenbelts and other aesthetic wonders that have been here for generations, and of course (again), bloody traffic.... John, you've just been re-elected leader of our council; bloody LEAD, for God's sake, and start standing up for one and all here in Cornwall; take advice from local business, charity bosses, environmental experts, political movements (including many parish councillors) who will all gladly give their time for FREE, if they were truly and genuinely engaged in the process of making things better in Cornwall. I really wish you well, John, because yours is not an easy job. But as was repeated again and again by members of the public, at last night's meeting, the general perception of Cornwall Council at the moment, is rather dire, and in that context, whatever ideas you put out for consultation, these will be very badly received and overshadowed by that perception. Kind regards, To: jpollard1@cornwall.gov.uk Subject: RE: Last night Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 John, I heard the BBC radio Cornwall programme on Monday, during which you complained that Laurence Reed was filtering only complaints to you; fortunately (for you), there was one old boy who was happy with some work in St. Agnes (?!). The papers are full of letters, weekly questioning or worse still, the council's leadership re. development and services, and people on the streets of Truro and beyond, are complaining about it daily. Over 100 members of the public, some themselves representing hundreds more, bothered to turn up to your presentation, on Monday night, where not one expressed any interest in your Case for Cornwall - and in fact quite the opposite - but complained to you and Andrew Kerr directly about the complete lack of direction at planning. Again, as with every morning, I arrived at work, only to hear work colleagues at every level moan about traffic, lack of dental practices, road surfaces, over-development and... traffic. I'm sorry John, but I'd rather you were honest, put your hand up and said: "Yes we do hear what the problems are, but there's absolutely nothing we can do about it because the developers run the agenda, the numbers, the targets and all our plans and strategy, re. housing development". At least that would be honesty and a good starting point, and maybe then, some of us could actually stop attacking you and your colleagues, and instead focus our own efforts on helping you overcome this difficult issue. At the moment, and to many of us on the outside, you seem to be whistling, with your head in the sand!! Kr, From: jpollard1@cornwall.gov.uk Subject: RE: Last night Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 Thank you for this – you may suspect that my view would be different but I really believe the issue is not that I am not listening, more that I do not agree with you – sorry! Oll an gwella John John Pollard Leader of the Council Councillor for Hayle North Division External tel: 01872 322570 Mobile: 07967 272 808 jpollard1@cornwall.gov.uk The Exchange, County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY To: jpollard1@cornwall.gov.uk CC: georgea@parliament.uk; steve@stevegilbert.info.uk; sarah.newton.mp@parliament.uk; sheryll@sheryllmurray.com;akerr@cornwall.gov.uk; pcrich@cornwall.gov.uk; fiona.ferguson@cornwall.gov.uk; ehannaford@cornwall.gov.uk; phil.mason@cornwall.gov.uk;contact@danrogerson.org Subject: RE: Last night Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2015 This is exactly what's wrong, John!! You fail to listen at every turn, even when you invite us for consultation, for our comments and suggestions. Now I write to you twice - two pretty direct and damning letters, and you respond with: "you may suspect that my view would be different but I really believe the issue is not that I am not listening, more that I do not agree with you – sorry!" This is not only very poor, but it also highlights two major problems: 1- You have utter contempt for anyone who may express different views, and 2- You are completely blind to the anger that is growing, daily, around you, outside of your comfortable office at County Hall. You seem so detached, as to be turning into the Emperor with his "new clothes". What can you tell me about this particular post which I just read today, and seems symptomatic of your completely out-of-control planning officers: "...Tredinnick Windfarm planning permission... overturned in the High Court?... It has apparently emerged that the developer was allowed to choose the planning officer they wanted to handle the case... The next question being does the same apply to housing developments which could also be a damning indictment of the Private Developers forum... It is also highly suspicious that the minutes of this uncomfortably incestuous uncomfortably cosy gathering of planners and developers who regularly get together stopped publishing its minutes in 2013 yet continued to meet... To further add to the suspicious nature of this there is no corresponding forum for those opposed to development where a counter viewpoint can be expressed... DEMOCRACY???... What do you think, John? Democracy? I wonder, indeed. Andrew Kerr had the cheek to state, on Monday night: "It's a developer-led world"; pray tell me, since when were developers elected to decide on housing numbers, when we pay huge salaries to council officers and planning consultants (and councillors) to decide this for us? Again, Andrew Kerr talked about the need for more of the right type of housing; were you, or he, or CPO Mason even aware of the following estimates: Houses standing empty and unused: circa 6,000 Full time residence suitable properties used for non-residential occasional leisure by non-residents of Cornwall: circa 20-30,000. Full time residence suitable properties used for non-residential occasional leisure by non-residents of Cornwall but disguised as business to avoid council tax payments and offset business rates for break even/paper loss purposes: circa 5-10,000. Full time residence suitable properties used by private companies for commercial 'holiday' letting: 20-30000. Full time residence suitable properties used by non-residents as component of valuations inflationary 'By To Let' portfolio for personal enrichment through demanding extortionate rents: circa 10-20000. Probably not, because when you and Andrew Kerr talk about housing, you've never actually commissioned any survey or audit of this... because it doesn't interest you, really. Yet some of your councillors spent time and effort working with many external organisations to achieve the UK's recognition of the Framework Convention PNM; yet your completely undated, uncosted, unreal 'Case for Cornwall' did not mention this once, again, as pointed out strongly by one of Monday evening's contributors. Why the hell is CPO Mason - and his obviously very well qualified support officers - designating farms as BROWN-field development?! That in itself is perverse to the extreme, and morally bankrupt, when you consider the massive over-development going on around us, every day; Togarrick Farm and Treloyan Manor being just two such examples. Andrew Kerr is leaving (bet he can't wait), but Phil Mason must resign, given his extremely poor value for money, and the mess he is helping create for YOUR customers. As one of the council's customers and employers, I demand this because I am not receiving value for money; in the private sector, your whole planning section would be sacked without much fanfare, for causing so much harm through sheer ineptitude and complicity with the developers. Why do you blame central government for this 'mess', yet local MPs, whose government it is, state (in writing, as I confirmed to you at the recorded meeting on Monday), that the responsibility for planning in Cornwall is solely, ie 100% with Cornwall Council; so which is it, John? I returned from an international conference in Austria two weeks ago, where multinational CEOs spoke of three central issues, in every presentation: 1- Customers 2- Employees 3- Sustainability These being at the heart of every successful (21st century) business, some with 50-100,000 employees worldwide. You and your officers have failed on all three counts. It's an absolute disgrace. Your 'Case for Cornwall' would be fantastic and well supported, if only it were part of a genuine, honest and well thought-through plan FOR the residents of Cornwall, ie. YOUR customers, rather than simply allowing more profiteering time for developers to keep sucking away at Cornwall's Green Gold, destroying the very fabric of our communities & environment. Yours (feeling severely tested), Sent: 08 June 2015 To: Pollard John CC Cc: Andrew George; Sarah Newton; sheryll@sheryllmurray.com; akerr@cornwall.gov.uk; pcrich@cornwall.gov.uk; fiona.ferguson@cornwall.gov.uk; ehannaford@cornwall.gov.uk; phil.mason@cornwall.gov.uk Subject: RE: Last night Dear John, And further to my previous emails, perhaps you'd like to find out why this legal firm partner (Susan Ring - see below) has labelled your chief planning officer's department as lacking "fairness and transparency" and having a "systemic problem" living within it? Perhaps Phil Mason would like to add a few words in his own defence, as well as that of his team, which he told me just a few short months ago "have relevant specific technical expertise." (see Phil Mason's email to me also below) Again, John, why do Mr Mason (who doesn't feel it necessary to show up for strategic planning meetings!) and his team need retail consultants to advise them, and why are the developers and the retail giants deciding on numbers and locations for Cornwall's future housing needs?? Until and unless you can answer these questions concisely and directly, I will continue to assume - as does this legal partner - that Cornwall's planning is a shambles, out of control and directed by the developers using their own agenda (large profits), rather than by the population you 'serve'; and on that basis, not just Andrew Kerr, but Phil Mason and Edwina Hannaford, at the very least, MUST RESIGN. This is my kids' future Cornwall, your clueless officers are tampering with, during their highly remunerated few months at Cornwall council (Andrew Kerr=18 months??). Please can you provide answers to the above questions at your earliest convenience, because if incompetence clouds this particular project, I wonder how many more have been approved in a similar haphazard and unprofessional manner?!! Should we be asking this law firm to re-examine every recent planning application, if your planning department cannot be trusted to serve our needs objectively and independently? Regards, As reported by the BBC: Susan Ring, partner at the Richard Buxton law firm, said there was a "systemic problem" in Cornwall Council's planning department. Cornwall Council did not defend the case at the High Court and agreed to pay costs of £9,500 to Peter Waller who brought the case. Clean Earth Energy made the application for the turbine at Tredinnick Farm near Newquay which was approved by the council's central area planning committee. The facts presented to the High Court said Cornwall Council "failed to have regard to, or determine, the dispute" over the amount of electricity the turbine would generate. 'Fairness and transparency' Court papers said the Cornwall Council planning officer failed to report "the objection of English Heritage" and "the concerns of the National Trust". Mrs Ring said under the council's 'planning performance agreement' developers could choose which planning officer they wanted to deal with their application. She said: "This does not instill public confidence in the fairness and transparency of the planning process." Letter from Mason (March-2015): “With regard to the issue of my not attending the Strategic Planning Committee meeting, the Committee was led by the Council's Strategic Development Manager, David Edmondson, whose specific role is to lead on and oversee all planning work in respect of major planning applications. He was supported by the Assistant Head of Planning, Nigel Doyle, and the Group Leader for major planning applications, Chris Daly. The applications were presented by the Case Officer as well as other officers who have relevant specific technical expertise. The Council was supported by an expert Retail Consultant. Whilst I have taken a close interest in the negotiation and consideration of the applications discussed last week, I was happy that my officer team was strongly represented with all of the appropriate people in attendance. I am responsible for thirteen different Council services, including planning. Whilst the leadership and effective and efficient provision of the Planning Service is my direct responsibility, there are other officers specifically responsible for considering and reporting upon major planning applications. With regard to the issue of planning across Cornwall, there is a long-term Strategy being prepared for Cornwall, the Local Plan, which is going through an independent examination in May and July this year. All the details are available on the Cornwall Council website. In respect of Truro specifically, the Council has adopted a Development Brief which was used to guide the decision-making for the applications that you have cited. Truro City Council is also preparing a Neighbourhood Plan which is subject to consultation.”