After nine long years, including £60 million spent in the last three years alone – without a single house or stadium in sight – is it time that Cornwall Council stopped wasting vast time and resources on this chaotic and damaging vanity project and started focusing on services that taxpayers fund them for?

Will Kate Kennally, Phil Mason and their band of merry boys and girls start looking at and listening to the evidence or continue down the road of social madness, chaos and bankruptcy?

The following three painful yet insightful letters need no explanation:

Dear Mr. Daly,

Re: Langarth “hybrid” Planning Application PA20/09631 Presentation to Truro City Council - 7th January, 2021

Thank you for yet another interesting presentation in respect of the above application. I do believe the enormity of the application is now being revealed!

It has taken a considerable amount of time to “struggle through” the majority of the 367 documents attached to this application. Some I have found interesting, some I despaired over and others I did not understand. But my heart sank when I read the Executive summary of the Landscape Strategy - “The Masterplan has been inspired by the “Emerald Necklace” in Boston that is connected by green infrastructure across the City and the steeply sided slopes help to convey a place of distinctiveness” - we can also expect the creation of FOREST CORNWALL and managing water in an inspiring way.” So having been transported in to Alice in Wonderland or a Utopia of Cornwall Council’s making I pressed on with the reading of the interminable documents and my initial questions are as follows –

1. It appears the site boundary now encompasses the whole of the adjoining A390. I find this surprising so why has this thought to have been necessary?

2. Try as I may I have been unable to determine how much of the site is to be subject to ‘cut and fill’, to what depth and in what areas of the development site? It appears from the drawings that much of the displacement will take place during the construction of the NAR which appears to be unnecessarily wide and has countless SUD ponds throughout its periphery. Surely such work will involve the owners of the Mineral Rights of the area becoming involved - have they been consulted?

3. Studying the road layout was not easy. I found it confusing as to which roads within the site are allowing motorised vehicles and those which are for bicycles and pedestrians only. Are you able to confirm that provision has been made for emergency vehicles to gain access to each property? I am still not clear how motorists are going to be able to exit the site. It appears from the plans that the NAR (Northern Access Road) is actually a road to ‘nowhere’ so how can it be taking a third of the traffic off the A390 bearing in mind that the number of parking spaces at the Treliske Hospital are being reduced by some 48 spaces?

4. There are interesting reports of past mining activity in the area. Lead mines, adits, etc..., together with reports of contaminated land of one kind and another. During the construction period much of this land is going to be disturbed and the contaminants and heavy metals are very likely to find their way into the River Kenwyn and onwards to the SSSI. So what mitigation measures are to be put in place to prevent this happening?

5. Probably this concern should have been placed at the top of the list and that is of Land Classification - grade 1, 2 and 3A. Grades 1 and 2 are exceedingly rare in Cornwall and yet Cornwall Council are seemingly prepared to ignore their own policy of refusing planning permission on the ‘best and most versatile land’ and allow farming to cease on what I consider to be this ‘precious’ agricultural land. Grade 3A is also valuable due to the microclimate of Cornwall. Has the loss of this valuable farming land been given serious consideration?

6. I read the Design section with disbelief. There was once a popular song which contained the words of “Little boxes, little boxes...” Well, that is exactly what is proposed - one cube on top another cube with large windows for everyone to look in and see what one is doing... It is stated that the architectural designs have been brought in from “other places”. When I realised that the Cornish vernacular architecture was not being valued or incorporated it became obvious to me that these houses were not for our local young people but to ensure and encourage people from other parts of the country to come and live here and feel at home with suburbia designs. Have the housing designs been agreed or is there an opportunity to make representations/changes?

Needless to say, this is only a short summary of my ongoing concerns and questions and i would ask that they be considered as preliminary comments/objections - the plans show thousands of trees ‘boulevards’ (very Cornish!) trees everywhere but trees require maintenance, management, their leaves need removing from pathways and roads and how is it expected that trees are going to flourish on the ridge line? So, who exactly is expected to finance the Maintenance of the site?

Will the proposed ‘Company?’ retain the Council tax paid by the residents and/or commercial enterprises acting as a feudal landlord? Are we certain the Suds system is going to work satisfactorily? In my opinion it could starve the River Kenwyn of water or the disturbance of the hydrology of the area could flood Truro. Does anyone really know the answer? So now as an elected Truro City Councillor I turn to the matters which I consider will affect the City of Truro.

1. It now appears from the proposed plans of the A390 that to access Truro by a motorised vehicle from Chiverton Roundabout one will have to participate in an ‘obstacle course’. Please will you clarify how many roundabouts, traffic controls (of one kind and another), pedestrian crossings (with and without signals) will have to be successfully overcome before arriving at Sainsbury’s roundabout?

2. I require evidence that such a complex and vast SUDS system has been successfully installed in other large developments taking into account the nature of the soil and subsoil of this site. If it is very successful it could well restrict the flow of the water in the River Kenwyn if it doesn’t work, then properties will be flooded in the valley and in the City of Truro. So, are we venturing into the unknown? However, what is more concerning is the statement that these calculations are for only 1 in a 100-year event.

3. I found only one map which contained any information on FOUL DRAINAGE. Some of the effluent is apparently to be pumped up over the ridge down into the Calenick pumping station and the other is going to find its way down towards Truro.

ALL THIS IS SEEMINGLY BEING PROPOSED WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN AGREEMENT HAVING BEEN SIGNED BY SWW AND THE TRURO NEWHAM TREATMENT WORKS BEING DECLARED OVER CAPACITY IN JUNE 2017.

The sewage pipe from Langarth goes along St. Georges Road where there is little gradient and should the sewage be stored in tanks before it is pumped down at certain intervals then by the time it arrives in Truro, it is likely to be in a putrid state which will in turn could well become a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. So, when may we expect to receive details of how the foul sewage is to be disposed of, the percentage being directed towards Calenick and the percentage being directed towards Truro, the number of pumps involved, the start and expected completion date of the work by SWW?

4. Importantly I require to understand what effect this new development will have on the economic future of the City of Truro If one takes a look at the enticing drawings of the ‘new town’ with its happy and contented people sitting and walking in the warm sunshine with busy shops surrounding the ‘square’ and then address the reality of retail business at the present time , even the village of Devoran cannot support one shop, one has to question is this development going to enhance the ‘vitality and viability’ of the City? Neither have I read or found any report undertaken on the statutory (?) ‘sequential test’.

I look forward to your response in due course. Although not all I have written is in the form of questions, I would appreciate your further comments on the subjects raised - perhaps even correcting my assumptions, allaying my fears but not forgetting to answer the questions as well! Meanwhile please post this letter on the public comments section of the Planning application.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Armorel Carlyon (Cllr. Mrs.)

Independent member of Truro City Council

Dear Cornwall Councillor,

FYI., I sincerely hope this will be of interest and prove helpful.

Kind regards,

Ken Rickard,

St.Dennis

A Cornwall Council Taxpayer's experiences and opinions on the Langarth Garden Village Project, Planning Application 20/09631.

Introduction

Sometime in the near future all Cornwall Councillors will be faced with the final determination of the above planning application, no doubt one of the biggest, most costly and controversial project they will ever likely to be faced with. This is a project labelled by many as a senior civil servant  pursued cosmetic and CV enhancing project lacking in serious consideration for historical and environmental damage, reality of financial consequences and the unprecedented future. There is no doubt it has travelled a controversial path for many years dominated in the early stages by questionable and controversial practices not compatible with normal democratic process. The situation surrounding the promised stadium is questionable to say the least, with a business plan lacking in reality and viability, as now proven by the withdrawal of support form the Sports Council and lacking funding from Westminster. We now understand there is a revised planning application being considered. 

Public Opposition

This planning application has been opposed by Truro City Council, and the Kenwyn Parish Council, along with the elected member for the respective ward and its people. 

The reality is this project is an unsustainable gamble of public money that has the prospects of becoming a financial disaster that would place a millstone around the necks of Cornwall’ Council taxpayers for many years to come.

There is also a significant county wide consensus of opinion that this urbanisation project by being surrounded by a significant amount of adverse issues is not in the best interest of our County’s and its tax payers wellbeing on many fronts.

The actual number of homes to be built varies from day to day depending on the topic on the table.

Transparency and Accountability

In the application there is no sign of the present cost to date or the projects overall cost or projected viability or returns. Although we do know that so far, the cost of various land purchases, legal costs and Cormac costs amount to around £60 million, all of which has been borrowed and obviously already incurring interest at taxpayers’ expense. There is no positive explanation of how this money will be recovered. Another bone of contention is the lack of sight of an Environmental Impact Assessment or a Hydrology report, both of which could impact the positivity of the project. Another failure is the lack of a comprehensive surface water and sewerage disposal plan showing how this is transferred to the already overloaded sewerage works at Newham, Truro, surely a potential public health issue.

Negatives and Anomalies

This project will seriously adversely impact the climate emergency ambitions as people create various levels of pollution, such as emissions from cars (potentially 7,000), and other motor vehicles attending to delivery, normal and emergency services along with general maintenance. People create carbon.

The majority of homes planned will not be affordable to Cornwall’s wages earners and will undoubtedly attract out of the county interest.

it will adversely Impact an already overloaded infrastructures, such as the Treliske Hospital, local roads, and health and dental services to name a few.

It will considerably reduce agricultural land, 66% of which is top quality and because of todays UK import situation, ambitions of carbon reducing, and the unprecedented future, has the distinct possibility of being required to produce food in the very near future. 

Other negatives to be taken into consideration include the destruction of Heritage features such as, Sites of Known as Potential of Logical Interest and sites of Known Historic Interest, there is also the destruction of considerable areas of Bat and Badger activity, Trees and Hedges of Ecological Importance, Habitat of a considerable amount of Flora and Fauna, and of cause the destruction of existing Buildings.

It will require the re-routing of two overhead power lines, apart from that it will adversely impact the already congested A390 highway into Truro, the flight path of Truro airfield and the air ambulance landing at Treslike Hospital, it will certainly impact the Kenwyn river, the commercial viability of the City of Truro and and the local village of Threemilestone along with the integrity of the UNESCO site, It will destruct food producing agricultural land, which no doubt sooner or later will be required to produce locally grown foods as a necessary brought about by un precedented future, especially if the desire to reduce carbon is genuine.

Another anomaly which deserves serious consideration prior to determination of this planning application, is the risks recently included in the 25-page Business Case agenda report presented to the council's cabinet on 4th November 2020, where five of the seven anomalies presented highlighted serious risks to costs, this along with the very shallow business case (not for public viewing) not the most inspiring confidence in convincing assurance of the projects financial stability  

Democratic process

We have seen many examples of senior employed officers obtaining cabinet members support to follow their lead,  the most significant involving this project was the admission by a cabinet member in April 2020 who admitted that after being frustrated with negotiations he was at the point of pulling the plug on the deal to purchase 100 acres fo land  at a cost of £36 million, he was persuaded by employed officers to agree to the purchase of this of land for this project, (as witnessed on web cast and recorded) This financial transaction was conducted without scrutiny or adoption by full council and was conducted one day before the Prime Minister issued guidance advising authorities not to conduct land purchase deals due to the pandemic. This surely questions what reasons officers had for pushing this deal through? Other land purchase transactions have been conducted without members approval or due consideration for the covenants in place or the opportunities for remaining landowners to engage in ‘ransom’ situations which could prove very costly, or consideration for costs and the unprecedented future. Many people have financially benefited from land deals surrounding this project.

The lack of democratic process and scrutiny through out this project although it does note indicate the involvement of possible cronyism, maladministration or malpractice, it does not eradicate it.

Summary

It does appear that this senior officer pursued project has turned out to be more of a gamble rather than the golden egg the in house “Treveth” company was supposed to create. Sadly, this ambition has failed to recognise the failures of similar ambitions by other authorities who have gone on to experience dangerous territory of no profit and unable to keep up with loan repayments.  Although we have no proof that this will apply to the Langarth project, one would have hoped that lessons had been learnt and logic applied. The present situation sadly speaks volumes for the authority's leadership’s competence.

Now reality has come home to roost in the form of this Langarth Garden Village project, where sixty million pounds have already been spent with no guarantee of the projects viability or sign of positive returns, all resulting in creating a financial millstone around the necks of council taxpayers for many years to come. Then there is more land yet to be purchased and negative anomalies to be addresses.

Recent advice published in the Local Government Lawyer reported the following statement “All councillors should be more careful in accepting information without reasonable evidence, and unsubstantiated statements should be more rigorously tested prior to any agreement of council (officer) recommendations”.  Councillors would surely benefit from this legal advice which I sincerely hope will taken on board.

As usual this is written with sincerely as my point of view as a council taxpayer, one of the very people councillors were elected to represent with a remit to ensure a duty of care is practised along with democratic governance and and the secure and prudent use of their taxes in an accountable and sustainable manner. This does not include gambling with taxpayers money or inflicting long term debt upon them.

Also, in a sincere and logical world I see no way elected members could ignore the many negative anomalies and irregularities in this what can only be described as a financial gamble with public money, which this project appears to be. Please give these opinions, facts and views your serious consideration as at the end of the day should the ‘dirt' hit the fan and should the inevitable council tax rises hit the pockets of council taxpayers, the significant brunt of accusations and blame will fall on elected members, not the employed officers who will no doubt shovel the blame onto members. 

THERE IS NO DOUBT THE BALL IS IN THE MEMBERS COURT. 

Kind regards,

Ken Rickard,

St.Dennis.

Dear Cornwall Councillors

I am incredibly dismayed that you still continue with the Langarth proposed development despite huge opposition. It will not benefit anyone in the Truro area, in fact, it'll make life unbearable for those that live in Truro and for those that have to commute through Truro.

I'm sure you've had many objections and emails stating the reasons why people don't want Langarth to be built. I will add a few reasons before I serve a warning to you regarding two Local Authorities over the Tamar.

Grade 1,2 and 3 a which makes up the 3 farms agri-land at the proposed Langarth site is critically low and this is prime food producing land which needs preserving AT ALL COSTS. You cannot eat bricks and concrete. I urge you to reconsider this poison chalice planning proposal.

Your plans do not seem to have a joined-up approach when it comes to the NAR or how the struggling Sewage works at Calenick are going to cope. As for traffic, we all know that this stretch of the A390 is in an AQMA as it is excessively polluted. It will surpass excessive once Langarth has been built. I could go on and on, but you probably won't listen.

All I ask is that you read this and then question whether the maths add up.

"As councils found themselves increasingly starved of funds by central government, many looked for ways to make money on the side. Trouble is, local authorities are not full of people with experience running office rentals, house building, shopping centres, solar farms or – very fashionable this one – “social energy” companies, so commercial successes were thin on the ground.

Labour Croydon council, with debts of £1.5bn, is the only authority actually to go bust in 2020, and therefore gets the gong, following the collapse of its wholly-owned house building company Brick by Brick. BxB proved very good at losing money (it owes the council at least £110m in unpaid capital and interest on loans) but not so great at building stuff.

Who’s next? Tory Cambridgeshire county council is in very dangerous territory, for similar reasons. It, too, set up its own house-building company, This Land, in 2016. This Land has not only turned no profit, but has found itself unable to keep up with its loans from CCC." Private Eye 

Doesn't bode well does it for Local Authorises turning property developers? Don't say you weren't warned. 

Kind regards

Julie Fox 

Finally, one comment that may get some councillors thinking about their own consciences:

“How sad it is that we have been sold down the river by the donkeys at the Kremlin. Despite the sensible remarks made to the Council over the years by Ken and the rest of us, I have no hope that they will ever see sense. Hopefully they will destroy themselves through their folly.....”