Are Councillors finally starting to listen to people’s genuine concerns, and more importantly, standing up for their electorate, rather than meekly doing what planners and officers dictate? To help them further along this road, as more than 7,500 households cry out for some planning common sense, here’s a selection of comments from this petition, to remind ourselves – and them - why we’re asking for the Planning Department to be completely reformed from top to bottom:
Quintrell Downs, Newquay:
“I have had enough of the planning office and local councillors destroying my home. I live in Quintrell Downs, Newquay and it is disgusting to see how far the local councillor John Fitter has supported the massive over development of this once beautiful area. Yes we have the beaches, which are beautiful, BUT we now have to contend with the struggling infrastructure, which cannot cope, the increase in air pollution, noise levels, lack of safe places to walk as all our beautiful public footpaths and Bridleways are being sold for personal gain, the fields where we could walk are now full of monstrosities they call houses (affordable not), despite the locals objecting in their numbers, the councillors no longer listen. These are civil servants doing a job paid for by us, but they choose to completely ignore us. Yes they are making names for themselves and will be remembered for hundreds of years to come. But they will only be remembered for the fact that they have sold off Cornwall and completely destroyed what once was the most beautiful place in the country, but is now just another poisonous, concrete filled, grey bit of land that has been raped of its history and beauty by people who should be put in front of a firing squad!”
Bodmin:
“We have had an ongoing very similar problem with a proposed allocation of 770 dwellings on Halgavor Moor Bodmin. Our group is supported by Bodmin Town Council, the CPRE and Scott Mann MP for North Cornwall.
Cornwall Council refuse to listen even though this moorland is a wetland and if developed will cause flooding. The developers, Wain Homes and CC state ‘no Habitat Loss’ even though otters are registered, an abundance of wildlife and a wild orchid field within the area. 12 Cornwall Members were invited to our public meeting chaired by our MP - only 2 attended and both were very much out of their depth - especially Bob Egerton who blames farmers for flooding, Matthew Brown made many mis quotes and was proven so. We must keep going until these people are replaced.”
Truro:
“We should be agitating for a referendum in Truro as to whether the residents actually want a new town there and put some pressure on the local councillors. I really think that most local people do not want the urbanisation, pollution and traffic this brings. Particularly when it is unlikely to be populated with Cornish people. I urge Cornish solidarity to demand a local referendum, to take to the streets with a new petition against it and for those councillors that voted for this desecration to be named.”
Mabe, Penryn:
“I attended the recent council meeting at their Dolcoath offices in Camborne along with many other Mabe residents and Trenoweth Quarry users. Yes, we are angry and insulted by the developers’ persistence in trying to push this application through against countless objections and swathes of common sense, as to why it should not be permitted. Initially 56 houses, the first time round and refused planning permission. Now 29 houses and lots of promises about affordable dwellings. We know it's not true! The "affordable" houses will not be as promised and the eligible families in the village are less than 5. Not to mention what the "Second phase" - and we all know there will be a second phase - will bring. The developers, Helford Atlantic, are in this business for one reason and one only... to make as much profit as possible from a piece of land sitting in their portfolio. That does not equate to the construction of many affordable homes, on the contrary, it requires the building of expensive, multi-bed houses with price tags to match. The councillors at the meeting seemed almost embarrassed that a Public Meeting had not been granted following the vast number of objection letters which should have triggered one automatically. There was certainly some confusion among some candidates and our own local county councillor was missing anyway (Peter Williams)?? An audience of voters not impressed and full of suspicion. Another extremely annoying comment that was made during the debate about this development came from the Highways representative on the council who reckoned that the road system in Mabe was perfectly adequate and there was no traffic problem which a new development would have any meaningful impact upon. This is absolute rubbish and utterly inaccurate. He mentioned a report that apparently supported his comments and that because there had been no reported accidents or fatalities, it must therefore be OK. Anyone who lives in or drives through Mabe will know how awkward, confusing, congested and dangerous the centre of Mabe can be, especially during the early mornings and late afternoons. Badly parked vehicles, a lack of pavements and a complete absence of crossings make it an accident waiting to happen. It is already overloaded at peak times and getting worse, due to other housing developments in nearby villages causing yet more traffic to use Mabe as a throughway towards Truro and Helston. Another proposed development of 60 houses was recently refused for the second time of asking, partly because of the traffic chaos so why is this falling on deaf ears now?”
Other Cornwall residents’ comments:
“Trying to build their way out of debt, doesn't work as other counties have found to their cost! We do not have a housing crisis, this has been manufactured, we have a need for some social housing but no way is this being met by these ridiculous poorly built, overpriced large developments. The figures show these are being built for inward migration, buy to let and second homes. We are being destroyed and overpopulated, whatever they are coming to Cornwall for is being concreted over. Notwithstanding that we now have air pollution, disgraceful, congestion, flooding, more sewage into the seas and all of our infrastructure on its knees, thanks Cornwall council and your not-fit-for-purpose planning dept.”
“Why oh why are not more of our elected councillors standing up for Cornwall and the local taxpayer? Everyone knows these are not for local people, firstly they are not affordable in any way, secondly the numbers are too great. Over three quarters of these homes go for buy to let, second homes and inward migration. They are destroying the very thing they move to Cornwall for, open spaces, fresh air not polluted by car fumes, and a better quality if life. Local residents are losing all of these to CCC disastrous housing policy, only being done because they are so in debt, again down to mismanagement!!!! Building for profit not need is destroying our way of life, wake up councillor, grow a spine and stop this corrupt CEO and planning department before it is too late!!”
“We all know that these new sprawling estates are not for local people, they are second homes, buy to let, and not affordable for our local young. As another person says in her comment, the very fact of people moving down here for the beauty and peaceful way of life is becoming the ruin of Cornwall as we have all known it, vast areas of our rural landscape is being tarmacked and concreted over, air pollution is becoming worrying, roads have become snarled up, these huge estates are being built with no infrastructure i.e. doctors, schools, shops, therefore everyone has to get in their car to go anywhere, please surely there must be some councillors that can stand up for their beautiful county (sic) instead of being willing to accept backhanders (and we all know that's happening). This mayhem of building and planning needs to change before it really is too late for Cornwall, and what happened to brownfield development only??”
“Where are the Councillors? If they have no conception of their role as our elected representatives to instruct the officers on policy, what are they all doing sitting in County Hall collecting their “expenses”, while the officers cover Cornwall in concrete.”
“I have it on very good information that Cornwall Council can get more funding if they increase the 52,000 houses to around 70,000! Government wants us to build 84,000. Also, if they build some social housing on top of the 70,000, even more money.”
“The problem is the wrong people are in control of Cornwall. People who neither understand, nor care about, Cornwall. They are all pretty stupid too - as can be seen from the hopeless decisions they made. Their shocking arrogance and deluded self-importance merely exacerbates the problems they continue to inflict on Cornwall.”
“This is a scandal that really ought to have a wider airing, for example on Newsnight. I wonder if one of our excellent and knowledgeable spokespeople, like Alan Percy of Cubert Parish Council would be able to outline the case against the council representatives who are letting us all down badly by urbanising our previously lovely county and spoiling the beautiful villages of mid-Cornwall in particular by allowing repeated mass development of green field sites. As for Newquay, St. Austell and Truro, they are beyond salvation.”
For reference:
bob.egerton@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Probus, Tregony and Grampound - Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy
andrew.mitchell@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, St Ives West - Portfolio Holder for Homes
kkennally@cornwall.gov.uk, Kate Kennally – CEO
John.Betty@cornwall.gov.uk, John Betty - Strategic Director Economic Growth and Development
pat.rogerson@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Pat Rogerson (Bodmin St Leonard)
jacquie.gammon@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Jacquie Gammon (Bodmin St Mary's)
leigh.frost@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Leigh Frost (Bodmin St Petroc)
geoff.brown@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Geoff Brown (Newquay Central)
joanna.kenny@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Joanna Kenny (Newquay Pentire)
oliver.monk@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Oliver Monk (Newquay Treloggan)
kevin.towill@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Kevin Towill Newquay Tretherras)
mark.formosa@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk, Mark Formosa (NewquayTreviglas)
As a reminder, there are currently nine Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) in Cornwall, where your kids, elderly relatives and communities are being poisoned on a daily basis; and conditions are worsening as the plan for 60,000 new homes around Cornwall takes shape:
Redruth, Camborne and Pool
Bodmin
Camelford
Grampound
Gunnislake
Launceston
St Austell
Tideford
Truro