Please attend the Magistrates' Court (Truro) hearing on 31st March, where Hayle & Par homeowners take on Southwest Water (SWW) - supported by Cornwall Council - over raw sewage overspills and floods, burst pipes, homes placed on SWW blacklists due to subsidence and cracks, toxic drinking water, polluted bays and rivers and withheld council taxes.
The People vs the Corporates... and Cornwall Council takes sides, as does former Truro MP, Lord Matthew Taylor, who now has a double interest, both as SWW Director as well as his fingers in many new housing pies around Cornwall, with his friend Charles Windsor.
If you have a few minutes, here's some interesting comments from our Incinerator friends in St. Austell re. the Incinerator catastrophe poisoning your kids and your wallet:
Incinerator/Waste.
As we all now know the saga of the failure of Cornwall Council to employ competent people to oversee the incinerator project has once again come home to roost, this time it is yet another roof damage incident, the third to occur in two years. This latest occurred during the afternoon of Sunday 9th February 2020, when serious damage to roofing sheets occurred, resulting in large amounts of insulation material being blown over large areas of St.Dennis (near St. Austell). This found its way into gardens, fields, hedges and onto clothes lines and properties, all of which presented a potential danger to people, animals and the environment. The same day, an official complaint was lodged with the Council’s Chief Executive officer (Kate Kennally) on the grounds that flying debris presenting a potential danger to people and the environment. I also asked for an inquiry to be held into this latest failure at the incinerator. No reply has been received to date.
With the polluting monster still requiring 40,000 tonnes of waste from North Devon to keep it fully occupied, destroying valuable resources en route, its performance has been yet again affected by a generator failure which prevented the production of electricity between 22nd and 30th January this year.
Apparently, during maintenance, a fault was found which resulted in the incinerator being “brought down”; a full investigation is under way. In the meantime, the incinerator continues polluting the air we breathe with dangerous emissions, including thousands of tonnes of CO2 and Carbon resulting from its operation and disposal of residue. The shredding project continuing at Connon Bridge, near Liskeard, necessary due to the incinerator’s faulty design, creates additional emissions, waste miles and costs millions to Cornwall’s taxpayers.
After numerous requests for sight of the engineers’ report outlining the core reason for the turbine failure in 2018, I still have not received this report. Opinions relating to these failures at the incinerator vary, but most likely it is down to senior council officers’ gross incompetence coupled with corruption, collusion, conflicts of interest and maladministration of taxpayers’ money, some of which has continued since 2002. New Waste Collection Contract and resulting procedures. The new contract now finalised, after amendments and a re-tendering process, has been eventually awarded to Biffa and is due to come into force in October 2021.
A recent briefing at Lys Kernow (Cornwall Council) clarified many issues including the procedures and proposals involving food waste. Some of these will require new storage facilities and planning approval. No food waste will be left in these depots overnight as the daily collections will be transported daily by road for treatment at Anaerobic Digestion plants at Holsworthy or Langage Farm, near Ivybridge, in Devon; this will create in the region of 450,000 additional HGV miles a year. There are no current plans to build an AD plant in Cornwall. Whereas public consultation resulted in retaining present weekly black bag collections and fortnightly collections of recycling, it came as no surprise that, as usual, the Council’s employed officers ignored the result of public consultation and persuaded the cabinet to adopt the new procedures. Apparently obvious negatives, such as lack of storage, health issues, vermin issues, fly tipping, costs, and additional HGV mileage, were ignored along with the consultation results. Yet another product of the unpopular and unwanted Unitary Authority.
Air Quality. As many will know this issue is very close to my heart, not only because it has affected my quality of life, but because of its long-term effect on the health of our local communities, and humans and the environment in general. My reporting on this subject has spanned many newsletters and although ridiculed by civil servants at Cornwall Council, the facts I circulate are factual. I have no respect for those who are paid to serve, failing miserably by attempting to mislead, for ulterior motives and reasons.
The relevance of poor air quality is gathering speed and attention following years of being sweep under the table by those who benefit from financial support from multinational companies and other sources. The fact remains that 1 in 3 people visiting doctors’ surgeries in the UK today, do so because of respiratory problems.
Public Health England reports that in the UK, poor air quality is responsible for 40,000 deaths a year; the World Health Organisation claims poor air quality is responsible for half a million deaths a year worldwide.
Both these organisations and research has proved that PM 2.5 emissions, such as omitted by incinerators, present adversity to human health by contributing to cancer, heart and lung disease, strokes, asthma and dementia.
Although Defra follows the Government’s line that there is no problem with emissions from modern incinerators, more and more reputable bodies are proving that this is not true. A new report by the Particulate Research Group claims the Government has made “misleading statements’ about the health dangers posed by waste incinerators. This report is based on an analysis of Government answers to Parliamentary Questions asked by Dr David Drew, the MP for Stroud, about particulate matter emitted by municipal waste incinerators.
The Group says Government Ministers omitted “important caveats” and provided “incomplete information”- resulting in criticism that the Government had misled Parliament. The Particulate Research Group (PRG) convened by Ron Bailey and chaired by Dr David Drew, comprises eminent scientists, Professors Mike Reeks and Vyvyan Howard, alongside Shlomo Dowen of UK Without Incineration Network.
PRG also found “numerous shortcomings” in the Government’s regulation of emissions from municipal waste incinerators, along with gaps in the Government’s research and assessments resulting in it “failing to do its utmost to protect the public”. A recent spike in mercury, cadmium and thallium reported by Ashley of Plume Plotter for 8th & 9th January 2020 was reported to Cornwall Council’s Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods, with a request that if these emissions were not correct, would he supply the council’s record of emissions for these particular days.
The reply received from Mr Masters was so unbelievably incomprehensible, it was disrespectful and incongruous. A new study researched by Dr Mark Porter for Kings College London and published in the times in October 2019, stated that air pollution can trigger cardiovascular problems and lung disease. The Lancet Planetary Health magazine published on 30 January 2012, stated that air quality increase the risk of cardiac arrest. Otavio Ranzani of the Institute of Global Health reports that air pollution, apart from damaging organs such as the heart, lungs and brain, also increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
The body’s immune system mistakes the tiny particulates given off by traffic and industry releasing large quantities of unneeded enzymes and acids that cause inflammation and weaken bones.
Latest research comes after 175 doctors and health professionals warned Boris Johnson in December 2019, that the NHS is struggling to cope with a public health crisis due to air pollution.
Hospital wards and GP surgeries are clogged with thousands of cases of asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia, none more so than here in Cornwall.
Ken Rickard, Chair CWFSDB. Chough News Climate (Hypocrisy) Emergency Although we are aware Cornwall Council has allocated £960,000 to combat climate change (Climate Emergency), as things stand, and in reality, this is yet another addition to Cornwall Council’s growing bank of hypocrisy.
1.Trees, while the council has plans to plant new tress, the fact remains it continues to sanction the cutting down of healthy and mature trees for the benefit of developers and speculators.
2. Newquay Airport. The present level of utilisation creates vast amounts of emissions, which adversely effects the so-called emergency. Recent reports have suggested that the departure lounge at the airport is so full of the council’s employees, it resembles a committee meeting room at County Hall.
3. Spaceport, Richard Branson’s project continues to rumble along a road of promises and postponements, if it ever comes to fruition will create untold amounts of pollution into the atmosphere with emissions and a variety of chemicals.
4. Carbon Saving scheme for new household carbon saving boilers (hot water and Page 4 of 8 heating systems). For some unknown reason Cornwall Council does not support this scheme, although other counties do. This completely disregards any form of combating climate change.
5. Housing development. Completed and planned developments create carbon and other airborne emissions, as do overloaded infrastructures and services such as sewerage.
6. Roads. Cornwall’s roads are already at breaking point with numerous traffic lights, junctions and many congestion hot spots all causing stop and starting, and slow moving traffic all creating vast amounts of emissions.
7. Waste miles. With the now required shredding project at Connon Bridge, and the disposal of incinerator residues creating in excess of 500,000 additional HGV miles, this will be increased by a least another 450,000 additional HGV miles when the new collection procedures come in force later this year when the food waste will be transported to Devon for treatment. Lender Option Borrower Option (Lobo) Penalties. Due to Cornwall County Council’s decision to borrow by using LOBO loans while knowing they are a risk as regards to high interest rates, this has now resulted in the council being fined £45.2 million (debt premium repayments) to exit the loans, due to “serious failings” around the use of the controversial loans. It is suspected that these loans were taken out around the time of signing the waste contract with SITA. In January 2019 the present council had to borrow money from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) in order to repay the loans. Auditors Grant Thornton “stated we will be closely monitoring the council’s current investment strategy and we believe it critical that the council exercises much stronger governance arrangements than its predecessors”. Interest rate increase. The recent increase in the PWLB interest rate of 1% has no doubt had a significant setback on Cornwall Council plans to be a speculator. The silence on this subject is deafening.
8. ESAM West Carclaze. The £9 million high tech industrial estate, part of the West Carclaze garden village, is still only 44% occupied after being opened for 18 months - only 15 of the 32 business units are currently in use.
9. Spaceport. While the ongoing list of postponements and promises continues, Mr Richard Branson has until April 2020 to demonstrate a successful launch before it will be subject to another vote at Cornwall Council when the capital budget will be signed off. Recently Virgin admitted that preparing its Launch One rocket for the rigours of a horizontal launch were proving more tricky than expected. A recent trip to Houston to sell the Newquay spaceport project, has cost our taxpayers in the region of £2,500. In response to growing concern about the Cornwall Development Company’s hunger for globe-trotting, which is not in keeping with the council’s climate emergency ambitions, it has promised that the spaceport team will monitor and record the carbon impact of flights and journeys made. So that will be alright then?
10. Cornwall Council Officers trips. There are rumblings of returning to the Cannes Champagne shindig again in 2020.
11. Stadium for Truro. This proposed project would be built on good food producing farmland, still rumbles on along a path of inconsistent and unsubstantiated predictions, with uncertainties about the land purchase, its situation, parking, amended plans, and inappropriate sewerage disposal. More importantly it is still without a feasible business plan. We now know that Sport England has walked away from the project, as Mr Evans’ plans move away from a health and public benefit-related project, as he claims that would be unworkable, and instead becomes a private enterprise without community benefit.
Mr Evans, owner of the Cornish Pirates, who now appears to be taking over as the leading light, wants more land and has plans to build a hotel by the stadium. The question is now: will Cornwall Council hand over money to a private sports club without wider benefit to the community? This uncertainty will do nothing to win over critics from the East and North of the Duchy who would see no benefit from the stadium. While the Cornish Pirates and Truro City football club only attract relatively small crowds, there are serious concerns about the longterm revenue predictions.
There are also very serious concerns about this project presenting another adversity to local amenities and already overloaded infrastructure. With sustainability still being a sticking point, and knowing that Sport England has walked away from the project, its not lost on anyone that the Cornish Pirates’ hopes of promotion to a higher level of rugby are very doubtful, due both to RFU rule changes and the lack of progress with Government funding.
The reality is, if funding was available, it was scheduled to be paid to Sport England as a non-private business; the present situation creates a further complication as Government money cannot be paid to a private company, which is now the ambition of the Pirates owner. Further negatives have now emerged with the change of Chancellor and the RFU reduction in funding to Championship League clubs. The success of this project continues to be in further doubt as Cornwall Council says it has not changed its stance on its decision to hand over £3 million, IF Westminster does the same.
12. Langarth Garden Village. This proposed project continues to be controversial to say the least; it remains full of negatives and uncertainties. It is an element of the Council’s in-house company recently created, Treverth Holdings Ltd, which has a budget of £600 million (from loans!). In the opinion of many including councillors and local residents, this project is a bridge too far, and as also emphasised by the chair of the Council’s Strategic Planning Committee “Langarth is a mess, my own view after observing Councillors, Cabinet members, Senior Officers and Strategic Directors at close quarters for more than two year, is that it’s likely utter incompetence is to blame”.
If council taxpayers think this doesn’t concern them, think again as the £600 million loan will be in your name. Another well respected councilor, Cllr Harris, has stated “that the £600 million investment programme could end up as a financial mess that the people of Cornwall will be paying for many years to come”, he also said “he was concerned about the lack of clarity and that councillors are having numbers presented to them hidden in pink papers that don’t add up”. Cllr Harris also stated that information provided showed that Treveth will be loss making for a significant number of years, and stated he was convinced that this Cabinet is not capable of understanding what is put in front of them.
This all adds up the fact that elected members have been asked to approve the officer-led Langarth project without knowing the real facts, a situation that is far from ethical, reasonable or acceptable.
13. Cornwall Council. Where all is not well, and the knives are out. Following Andy Brown’s departure, Tracie Langley was selected as his replacement, after being offered from the list of recruitment consultancy, Title Hill, as interim Strategic Director and 151 Officer.
This is just yet another farcical situation which questions the Chief Executive’s (CEO) far from ethical conduct in as much as there is considerable suspicion about the manner in which Mr Brown left at such short notice for ‘personal reasons’. Mr Brown was an excellent and well respected 151 officer, who, in the past, had exposed fraudulent and unauthorised spending of taxpayers’ money, including the unauthorised spending of £2.3 million by Mr John Betty, which incidentally has never been clarified.
Andy Brown had a reputation for speaking his mind including his objection to the CEO policy re. the Council’s high tech “Oracle Cloud” project, which is considerably over budget and behind schedule. The question of whether Mr Brown was pushed or if were indeed “personal reasons” for leaving, still remain unanswered.
Senior councillors are now questioning the lack of transparency in relation to the CEO’s conduct which did not involve normal hiring procedures when bringing in Mr Brown’s replacement. More questions were asked about the fact that Tracie Langley, who incidentally had previously been convicted of forgery and was well known to Kate Kennally, was waiting in the wings to step in also at short notice.
Senior officials wasted no time in researching her background, and this whole incident reached the pages of Private Eye on the basis of a potential conflict of interest.
Concerns about questionable conduct conducted by the Chief Executive have been expressed by taxpayers, elected members and employed officers alike.
It does appear that the conduct of the Chief Executive resembles a path usually taken by dictators rather than a paid civil servant with responsibilities to manage and provide public services.
It is understood that investigative action relating to Andy Brown’s departure is being seriously considered, in the meantime the controversy continues. This latest pantomime has added to the tensions and dysfunctional relationships among senior managers at County Hall where emotions have been running high recently, due to the overuse of ‘personal reasons’ for bailing out, with officials/civil servants claiming the Council has become a war zone; there is talk of hiring private detectives to look into other cases of ‘personal reasons’departures. All with hefty NDA labels attached.