Cornwall has turned into a giant car park crossed with a permanent building site. And they’re not building for you and me, and nor are they building pretty. Just concrete, glass and steel, timber frame if needs be, but the bottom line is, quick and nasty, greed not need. Cornwall has changed so rapidly, it’s frightening, but whereas we’re witnessing the tangible changes on the roads, in the streets and where Covid allows, on social occasions, the complete lack in proper planning, control, long-term strategy and forethought has turned Cornwall’s development free for all into an often invisible sewerage, health, noise and pollution catastrophe. Social media/Facebook sites are mushrooming lamenting the constant failed planning by Cornwall council, and yesterday alone, there were 16 ambulances waiting outside A&E at Treliske, with some parked on the main hospital thoroughfare due to lack of space. Meanwhile, Cornwall boasts of the UK’s highest concentration of hepatitis E, as bays, rivers, beaches, wells, streams and beaches becoming poisoned by sewage overspill, with SWW failing to meet the record rate of building new unaffordable and totally unsustainable estates. But they keep that as quiet as they can because new homes mean new customers!
One site which has been growing exponentially in recent months, but has actually been around for years now, is the FB group “Stop the destruction of Cornwall now”. A quick glance at this site from a variety of people reporting their own nightmares across the Duchy, both young and old, local or outsider, makes you shudder at the magnitude of the damage inflicted on this once beautiful and unique environmental and social landscape.
Here’s one testimony picked up only this week:
“Only just found this group and it’s really hit a nerve. Like most, I’m saddened and angry about the Carbis Bay situation and all the destruction, but just a reminder here about the ‘human’ cost of all this development, greed and land grabbing in our county. It’s 4am and as per the last 5 months, I’m not sleeping due to stress, depression and worry.
Have lived and worked in Cornwall all my life (58yrs). Way back in the early 2000’s, I was forced out of the village I loved and grew up in, because of second home ownership and rocketing house prices. I remember going to see Matthew Taylor, our MP at the time, who raised the issue in Parliament. Ever since, we keep hearing from governments about how we need houses for people, but here we are, in 2021 and the situation is worse than ever. Once again (after numerous times) I find myself having the rug pulled out from underneath me. The house I’m renting is on the market and most likely will be sold to some wealthy out of county buyer. Then I’m hearing all over the local news how landlords and agents are saying 50+ viewings on any property that comes up for rental. Plus I have a cat, which means basically I don’t have a cat in hell’s chance of finding anywhere. I’ve had enough of this insecurity and instability in my life. Working my butt off for 40+ years and never being able to buy a home, yet all the time paying ridiculously high rents.
I’ve suffered with clinical depression for 20 years and am now severely suicidal. I just cant cope anymore. In a desperate attempt to help my condition I’ve recently taken to cold water therapy and swimming. It’s very hard though, travelling down to Gylly beach in Falmouth for my regular session and having to look at this monstrosity..... just to remind me why I’m so ill
https://www.lumia-commercial.co.uk/properties/item/33-the-liner-falmouth
(up to £1.6million to live in a glorified block of flats overlooking a beach rammed with tourists).
To Boris Johnson and all your capitalist friends you will have blood on your hands. The wealth divide you are creating will be the next pandemic. And goodbye my beloved Cornwall. It was good while it lasted, but you’ve changed and this relationship no longer works for me.”
Whereas the PM is just one in a very long list of local and national politicians of all parties who have miserably failed Cornwall, this person is far from alone in this predicament, tragically.
Meanwhile, in North Cornwall:
https://cornwallreports.co.uk/north-cornwall-planning-embargo-could-remain-in-place-for-months/
Whilst we’re still talking about the St. Ives/Carbis Bay travesty.... A message received from the great folks of the Tyringham Action Group......
"We appreciate that this was in 2019 however the local community of Lelant and particularly Tyringham have not forgiven Cornwall Council for ignoring Planning Inspectorate conditions and allowing a developer to develop green fields (now Lannanta Forge)......
We are totally disillusioned at the planning system following the decision not to call in the above Planning application.
Throughout the planning process for this site Cornwall Council have deceived and have lied about processes and have been proved to have used out of date information , (over 4 years out of date) to make up their own Economic Viability Assessment when it was for the applicant to fulfil a planning condition and not the Council.
Planning Inspectorate conditions have not been complied with thus rendering Planning Inspectorate conditions imposed worthless.
PA19/01687 further demonstrates sub division of this site between affordable and open market housing with a large wall ,fencing and screening segregating the two sides which is morally wrong.
This should have been called in to preserve some sort of credibility to the Planning system.
We wish to highlight the fact that within 10 minutes of receipt of the Government notice being issued Cornwall Council issued their decision notice approving this application.
It is very unusual for Cornwall Council to act this fast in anything and demonstrates their improper prejudiced and intransigent manner in which they have pursued this application as they believe themselves to be above the law.
It raises a further serious question as to whether there was any bias towards and/or collusion with the Local Authority over this decision?
Derek Thomas our MP informed residents that following these planning applications and the manner in which this has all been handled that Cornwall Council Planning were unfit for purpose.
Cornwall Councils handling of this has been appalling and the Government appear to stand by the unlawfulness and illegality.
Tyringham Action Group"
#KernowMatters
Also, can you help with this bee survey:
Case study: Graham Coad - this man is part of the reason the council in Cornwall has been viewed with utter contempt and disgust by so many for so long; last May, he was finally defeated at the ballot box as many more saw right though his forked tongue and parallel “service” working more smoothly for developers than for local people...
One local called him out recently:
“As a councillor you played an enthusiastic part in opening the floodgates to blow ins who do not belong here and who inhabit second homes that locals cannot afford... You may have made a pretext of fighting for affordable homes for locals but you never listened to your flock and sneered at those who took issue with you... I put it to you, ex-Councillor Coad, that you spoke weasel words while sucking up to developers... Perhaps that is why you so deservedly lost your seat... That treachery has contributed to the loss of our community spirit and the dustbin of history will frown on the disgraceful part you played in that process along with your sidekick, John Pollard.”