… because Persimmon Homes have announced a £600m profit share for its managers (over 5 years; equivalent to £4m/head). That's just one of the national developers currently concreting over Cornwall. So who cares about a few thousand Cornish kids’ health, if we can keep propping up an over-inflated FTSE 100 share index?!! www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36501536 www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/laura-donnelly/11953613/Air-pollution-stunting-childrens-lungs-study-finds.html 18/05/2017 - Council report : "Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) have been declared for the Camborne, Pool, and Redruth (CPR) area in 2005, Bodmin in 2008, Tideford in 2011, Gunnislake and St Austell in March 2014, Truro in July 2015, and Camelford in January 2017." www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/laura-donnelly/11953613/Air-pollution-stunting-childrens-lungs-study-finds.html www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/ One Redruth resident wrote this: Date: 10 December 2017 at 15:22:32 GMT To: "press.uk@greenpeace.org" Subject: Air pollution problems in Cornwall Redruth, Cornwall 10th December, 2017 Dear Greenpeace, I am writing to you as as resident of Cornwall who is currently ill with breathing related issues although I have never smoked. I am undergoing medical treatment, am on all manner of medication and two different types of inhalers. Nothing unusual there but what is surprising is that I have established that there are increasing numbers of people suffering in similar fashion. This is noticeable when attending the medical centre which has now employed respiratory practice nurses to deal with the issue. What is further surprising is that Cornwall is surrounded by the sea and is supposed to have a fairly healthy natural environment. The facts of the matter make for sobering reading: Cornwall Council has decided that the entire towns should be declared as an ‘Air Quality Management Area’ (AQMA) due to higher pollution Whilst more traffic sends the Nitrogen Dioxide readings sky high, in Truro, St. Austell, Bodmin, Redruth and other towns in Cornwall, the large national developers keep building huge unsustainable estates, at a rate 2.7 x higher than the national average. 28/11/2017 - Council report : "Monitoring has shown that air pollution levels in Launceston are higher than they should be and therefore an ‘Air Quality Management Area’ (AQMA) should be declared." 26/05/2017 - Council report update: "Our monitoring has showed that air pollution levels in St Austell are higher than they should be We have monitored levels of nitrogen dioxide in the town for several years and identified that there are several areas where levels of nitrogen dioxide have reached levels above the UK objectives and the EU Limit The AQMA was declared in March 2014." 13/04/2017 - Council report : "We have been monitoring nitrogen dioxide levels in Truro for several years. The biggest source of nitrogen dioxide is the exhaust gases from cars and lorries travelling on the A390. Our monitoring has showed that air pollution levels in Truro are higher than they should be... It was therefore concluded that an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) should be declared. Following a public consultation in early 2015, the AQMA was formally declared on 1 July 2015. The Council has decided that the entire city should be declared as an AQMA due to higher pollution levels being found" 14/07/2017 - Council report : "Our early monitoring showed that air pollution levels in Gunnislake were higher than they should be, so we carried out a detailed assessment of air quality in the village in 2011. The detailed assessment confirmed that there was poor air quality along the A390 and Defra agreed that an ‘Air Quality Management Area’ (AQMA) should be declared" 18/05/2017 - Council report : "Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) have been declared for the Camborne, Pool, and Redruth (CPR) area in 2005, Bodmin in 2008, Tideford in 2011, Gunnislake and St Austell in March 2014, Truro in July 2015, and Camelford in January 2017." I am from a longstanding Cornish family. I have seen my home environment literally swamped with locally unaffordable housing development bringing with it more and more cars. Housing estates are appearing on the green fields where I played as a young boy, fields that were being farmed. It seems that nothing can stand in the way of massive property development companies. They have the financial means to do just about anything. Their money buys better lawyers. It is blatantly obvious to me why an increasing number of people living here are suffering with respiratory illnesses. I suspect it is fairly obvious to you as well. The question is, what do we do? Can you help? Yours faithfully Is it therefore surprising to read the following results in the latest Cornwall survey: www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/28979484/cornwall-residents-survey-full-report-2017.pdf Difference 2016-2017 Enables me to influence Council decision in my local area 18% 17% -1% Is making the local area a better place to live 44% 33% -11% Is working to make the area cleaner 46% 39% -7% Is efficient and well run 26% 20% -6% Is trustworthy 31% 25% -6% Acts on the concerns of local residents 26% 23% -3% Is campaigning and standing up for Cornwall 49% 40% -9% Treats all types of people fairly 41% 36% -5% Finally and looking back at the new mass estate on Tolgarrick Farm (Arch Hill, Truro), which was turned down in 2012 due to traffic, pollution and flooding concerns, here's a recent email discussion between residents: On 10 Dec 2017, wrote: Obvious question surrounds why this application was refused in the first place and why it was subsequently allowed. Apparently, initial refusal was (partly) based on the fact that: "the proposed development does not relate positively to the existing townscape and landscape and would by reason of its prominent position on land outside the landscape bowl of Truro, result in unacceptable adverse visual impact to the detriment of the intrinsic character of the City and its countryside setting contrary to the aims and intentions of saved policy 2 of the Cornwall Structure Plan 2004, and paragraph 17 of the National Planning Policy Framework." So how did this change??" On 2017 Kev 10, at 19:06, wrote: "That was in addition to the unacceptable situation re. excessive traffic, and not forgetting the serious flood risks identified for Calenick in the valley below. Again, what changed? Lord Falmouth and persimmon Homes somehow got to Mason and his officers, and so they failed to defend this at appeal despite all conditions getting worse since initial appeal. Some councillors who witnessed the appeal hearing said the planners had so badly prepared the solicitor general who was there to fight the appeal that she was apparently made to look a complete idiot in front of the inspector, who subsequently dismissed the council's case out of hand. I'm sorry but deliberately losing an appeal IS CORRUPTION...!!" From: Date: 10 December 2017 at 20:07:12 GMT Subject: Re: IR Form - FOI-101003419238 - Deadline today 07/12/17 Going back several years, I can recall that one of the chief proponents for increased development in Cornwall was Lord Falmouth. He, or the son, put forward a whole list of sites, all of them green field and all of them on the Tregothnan Estates. I suspect that the son, Evelyn, is the one behind this. I'm not even certain that the old man's still alive, but he was very old and living in Kent, last I heard. I have it on reliable authority that Evelyn is up to his eyes in gambling debts, so here's a way to settle those and get himself filthy rich at Cornwall's everlasting expense. Perhaps we should be looking very carefully at him and his affairs." From: Date: 10 December 2017 at 20:04:27 GMT Subject: Re: IR Form - FOI-101003419238 - Deadline today 07/12/17 It's par for the course. CC's solicitors, at appeals, are given the barest of facts, out of date data and inadequate files in which to defend. It's as if they are deliberately 'throwing' appeals..." If just one developer (Persimmon) can afford a £600m bonus for its staff, how much can all these developers 'gift' planners, councillors, MPs, inspectors and ministers, to ensure they build exactly where they want, when they want, and bag all and any appeal costs against the council in the process???