This is one reason why Phil Mason must go! From one supporter: “I’m afraid Phil is "in it for himself". When Cornwall Council was formed in 2009, he maneuvered into a position of power using Machiavellian methods, rather than an open process of competition. He quickly sacked those who he perceived as a threat to his power or asked legitimate questions about the way he was running the department. He surrounds himself with "yes men" and creates a culture where staff are effectively bullied into approving anything. The Councillors think he is doing a good job because he creates a false impression of what a good job he is doing. In the civil service or private practice, he would quickly be exposed as a manipulative confidence trickster; but in Cornwall Council, he can get away with what he likes. A very shifty and unpleasant character.” In 2010 and before her election, Sarah Newton wrote: “It is essential that Cornwall’s new MPs work effectively with Cornwall Council to get the best possible services for residents, while keeping council tax as low as practicable. A Conservative government would deliver a major shift of power back from the EU and London to local people. Cornwall’s residents will get a new deal from central government. This will include: residents having the power to decide on the number and location of new homes; fairer funding for our schools and NHS.” Is it me??? I think Mrs Newton must’ve been talking about a Cornwall somewhere else!! Recent correspondence with local MP, Sarah Newton: From: kevin bennetts Sent: 15 January 2018 00:07 To: Sarah Newton; kkennally@cornwall.gov.uk; adam.paynter@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk ; Subject: RE: I (Case Ref: ZA50081) AN OPEN RESPONSE TO SARAH NEWTON MP Dear Mrs Newton Many thanks for your somewhat belated response to my correspondence dated 18/10/2017. You will be aware that since then things have moved on somewhat. The most recent open letter to you also copied to Ms Kennally Cornwall Council CEO Councillor Paynter Cornwall Council Leader and various others deemed relevant to ensure maximum dissemination of the contents on the 08 / 01 / 2018 was from the Cornish Solidarity Team who I am authorised to speak for. The open letter highlights what is perceived as a serial culture of buck passing secrecy and obfuscation which does nothing to address burning issues which neither you nor indeed Cornwall Council currently seem prepared to deal with in an open transparent manner that might begin to resolve the resultant damaging hyper development impasse that continues to fester to the detriment of all concerned. To be perfectly frank your reply below to my letter dated 18 / 10 / 2017 is a gushing bog standard example of the flaccid responses Cornish Solidarity have been monitoring from various Cornish MPs over time, but most particularly those sent by your office to various constituents who have taken the trouble to contact you with particular regard to unacceptable hyper development and planning matters. This has intensified in the wake of what many of us regard as the disgraceful spectacle of the Local Plan Enquiry, where Cornwall was effectively carved up by predatory corporate developers, some of whom are known to fund the Conservative party. I put it to you that generic mollifying replies solve nothing, they are simply not good enough, serving only to fuel the growing frustration and anger with the entire system that is already endemic. With all due respect you have failed abysmally to demonstrate that you have actually said or done anything constructive whatsoever to temper what your colleague Sajid Javid via his flagship ‘’growth agenda’’ fully intends to inflict on our Cornish countryside. The extensive list of thousands of comments arising (as previously supplied to you by Cornish Solidarity) that have been posted on the change.org petition site calling for the removal from post of the Cornwall’s chief planner say it all. This unprecedented move was initiated because the current chief planner has failed in his duty of care to represent the best interests of ordinary Cornish people increasing numbers of whom feel he should go. It necessarily follows that the powers that be, including yourself ,have no excuse whatsoever to be unaware of the depth and breadth of feeling that is driving this campaign. It follows that your constituency office can hardly be unaware of the groundswell of dissatisfaction with Westminster’s current hyper development agenda that appears to be diametrically opposed to your own professed love of our Cornish countryside which is being systematically trashed by corporate developers in bite sized chunks before our very eyes at this moment in time while you stand idly by. I am sure that if you actually take the trouble tostudy the comments supplied by the Cornish Solidarity Team you will appreciate that your constituents figure prominently in the messages that are coming your constituents, some of whom cannot afford a new home, while others are deeply concerned by the congestion and pollution or even more concerningly the pressures that are building in healthcare system particularly at Treliske. These ordinary people prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are distressed and angered in equal measure by what is going on, over which they have no control, because their elected representatives are wilfully ignoring them while pressing on regardless with a disastrous ‘’growth agenda’’ that is making your constituents lives increasingly intolerable. I put it to you, that if not listened to, these constituents could quite conceivably take their revenge via the ballot box at the next election to your own serious detriment given your current far from comfortable majority, many are already expressing regret at having supported you last time. The small dedicated Cornish Solidarity team exists in the interests of transparency and accountability to collate and disseminate any relevant information, in order to keep everyone who wishes to be informed up to speed on what is actually going on while corresponding when necessary with elected representatives on a non partisan basis. This response will be copied to those considered relevant and posted on the Cornish Solidarity Facebook page to be shared by those who may wish to. Yours faithfully Kevin Bennetts On behalf of Cornish Solidarity. ________________________________________ From: Sarah Newton Sent: Friday, January 12, 2018 3:27:32 PM To: kevin.bennetts@hotmail.com Subject: Re: I (Case Ref: ZA50081) Dear Mr Bennetts Thank you for your recent email. I appreciate you taking the time to pass on your concerns regarding the protection of the countryside. I am exceptionally fond of the British countryside. Here in Cornwall we are blessed to live in such a beautiful landscape. I am passionate about ensuring that this is passed down safely to future generations. I am, therefore, encouraged that the Government reconfirmed its commitment to protecting the Green Belt in the Autumn Budget. While it is up to local authorities to determine the development of new homes through local plans, I would like to reassure you that steps have been taken to protect the Green Belt from inappropriate development. The Housing White Paper, published in early 2017, emphasised a continued commitment to protecting the Green Belt. Ministers want to amend national policy to make it clear that: Green Belt boundaries should only be amended in exceptional circumstances, when local authorities can demonstrate they have fully examined all other reasonable options for meeting their identified housing requirements; and where land is removed from the Green Belt, local policies should require the impact to be offset. Planning policy also guarantees strong protection for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The Green Belt also enjoys protection against erosion from caravan and traveller sites. There is an ambitious programme to bring brownfield land back into use in England and work is being done with local authorities to drive this forward. This will ensure that development is prioritised on brownfield sites rather than at the expense of our countryside. I hope this information serves to address your concerns. Thank you once more for taking the time to contact me about this issue. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you feel that I may be of further assistance to you at the current time. Yours sincerely, Sarah Mrs Sarah Newton MP Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth Office 7, The Palace Buildings Quay Street Truro Cornwall Tel: 01872 274760 website: www.sarahnewton.org.uk email: sarah.newton.mp@parliament.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/SarahNewtonTandF/ Twitter: @SNewtonUK