AN OPEN MESSAGE TO THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL WHO CLAIMS TO RUN CORNWALL. “We are aware that many object to the severity of our language; but is there not cause for severity? We will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, we do not wish to think, to speak, or to write, with moderation. No! No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen; — but urge us not to use moderation in a cause like the present. We are in earnest — We will not equivocate — We will not excuse — We will not retreat a single inch — AND WE WILL BE HEARD.” www.change.org/p/cornwall-council-phil-mason-council-s-chief-planning-officer-has-failed-cornwall-and-must-resign Some messages from the Cornish public (found here, on this petition site) to Chief of Planning, Phil Mason, and his new boss, John Betty: (These people commenting below, Messrs Mason & Betty, are the people that pay your wages, your expenses and your pension, so please try not to ignore them) “Planning here is not carried out with the consideration of local residents or the environment in mind; it is done in the interests of English house-builders and big business.” “He (Phil Mason) seems to have something other than the best interests of Cornwall in mind, in much of his actions. Strange.” “Wasting taxpayers’ money and not doing the job properly. Cornwall deserve better” “We need someone who cares about Cornwall...and its future. Not someone who seems incapable of, or doesn't care about, the damage being done at oh so many levels. Get rid of him and his ilk.” “More houses aren't the answer without the infrastructure to support it, like schools, jobs and hospitals. We have too many shops that we don't need, like supermarkets, and now a stupid drive-in Costa Coffee; we need money spent on hospitals and schools, as they cannot cope with the population already here, as well as the influx of people in the summer months. Get the infrastructure right before building more houses, unless the houses are specifically for local people that already live here.” “There is something very wrong with the way planning is dealt with in Cornwall. It is time that someone with a true appreciation of the beauty of Cornwall, a stronger sense of the history of Cornwall and an understanding of why visitors actually want to come here, takes over.” “Housing developers seem to be given carte Blanche without the necessary infrastructure provisions (schools doctors surgeries hospitals etc) being provided.” “I totally disagree with the utter devastation of our beautiful countryside. Soon we will have nothing left except ugly flats and unaffordable houses (to local people). Where will it stop?” “The Persimmon housing development at the Tregolls/Treyew entrance to Truro has wrecked the area” “Planners should be working for US, and it’s not the will of most to destroy our precious environment- the source of our income too, for short-term gain. These decisions will ruin Cornwall forever. That is unforgivable.” “Mason seems not to respect residents or parishioners and must go before he does any more damage to the Cornish Land, a very special unique area. The growth of the potential development is way out of proportion and does not address local housing needs. Utter Greed on his part...” “I am saddened to see this beautiful county gobbled up by concrete. Most of the properties are way beyond the financial means of local people and only a very few affordable. We cannot sustain the health or education that these new builds will need. So come on planners get real, please” “There is clearly a need for this real threat to be addressed and the chief planning officer should be properly held to account at least.” “I have 2 children who permanently live and work in Cornwall along with 2 Grandchildren and with frequent visits even from this distance l can see the devastating effect the lack of planning control is having. Far too many homes being built as 2nd homes or expensive holiday accommodation. Little for the local young people wanting a home. This needs to change although l suspect it’s a little late.” “I am alarmed at the rate of development in a county where the infrastructure already cannot cope. The answer is not to invest more in road networks and increase further the concrete blight in the county, but to recognise what makes Cornwall unique from other areas. The ability to appreciate our picturesque scenery in relative tranquility is the reason we have such a thriving holiday economy, but those qualities are diminishing fast and Cornwall is already losing its identity.” “I want the beautiful landscape to be here for my grand children and their kids and grandkids” “As a Yorkshireman I understand the frustration of a system of governance that both denies ones people a voice and imposes decisions upon them that disregard their culture, identity, heritage and opinion. Like Yorkshire, Cornwall deserves a model of devolution and the devolved powers to correct that injustice and to bring them in line with those parts of the UK that have enjoyed such devolution for some time.” “I’m signing this because every time I come down it seems Cornwall looks like a dump or rubbish tip. It’s a SMALL place, geographically. What doesn’t he (Phil Mason) get about that???” “The trouble with these people is that they are not "ACOUNTABLE" TO YOU and me. Until this happens you will have people like this cretin doing just as he is told by WESTMINSTER” “I’m getting bored of watching this beautiful county disappear under tons of concrete and watching the infrastructure collapse under a plan designed just to make a few individuals rich with no consideration for the lives of people already in the county. The planning office has overstretched the system to breaking point.” “I'm sick of our beautiful Cornwall being ripped apart and overtaken exclusively for the benefit of people who have no connection to the area. I'm sick of the unbearable strain put upon our services and infrastructure by an unnaturally expanding population while local and national government do nothing to alleviate the situation. Worse, they actively seek to exacerbate the problems with ever increasing and ever more unsustainable cuts. I find it impossible to imagine people or ideologies less suited to office in authority.” "Whilst Cornwall appears to be at a standstill, with children unable to get to school and people unable to get to work due to no council gritting, your council is planning to spend in excess of £6 million in building a Stadium and 10s of £millions in subsidising developers. They always have their priorities right!" “I DETEST- what my Cornwall is being turned into; the total disregard that those who receive their salaries from us have for our views in what is supposedly a democratic process; the fact that those elected by us seem so weak that they fail to call a halt to the half witted ideas by our Planning g Officer and Chief Office; that those locals who genuinely need housing are not being adequately catered for while developers and Phil Mason massage statistics to manipulate planning for yet more houses which are NOT genuinely affordable to so many on average Cornish incomes. Time to end it! Stop making your payments until Phil Mason is gone. The Council cannot cope with taking us all to court.” Beware the rising anger, Cornwall Council, and especially those well-paid officer that WE employ to run our affairs. The blame game will not wash forever. Meanwhile... COUNCIL TAX RISES www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/how-much-council-tax-likely-1180384 But despite that, Cornish Pirates boss tells us why the Langarth Farm (free??) stadium should get £6 million of your tax money from Cornwall Council, to place it exactly where running costs and especially sewerage tanks (and runs to Newham), will burden taxpayers for generations to come. And why is Inox reneging on its free stadium promise… again? Sounds like the “free” stadium that has been used as a dishonest lure for Cornish rugby fans, is ostensibly a ticket for a developer of dubious repute, to cover several farms at Chiverton with some 1,500+ new homes…in the middle of nowhere. Stage right: enter John Betty; coincidence or more dark machinations at Cornwall Council planning??