With Cornwall now officially Britain's Hepatitis E capital, it's a wonder tourism is still grinding the Duchy down to a standstill. Not wanting to rock the boat too much and with an eye firmly on the money ball, Cornwall Council and SWW/Pennon Group have earmarked ever more and larger new estates cluttered around each and every town and village, whether sustainable or not, whether dangerous or not and whether wanted (and deemed essential) by local communities or not, thanks to a compliant and complicit planning department with the full backing of a morally bankrupt and clueless planning inspectorate in Bristol. And it's often built with anyone but the Cornish in mind:
https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/20603853.pensioners-london-moved-social-housing-cornwall
So why do SWW allow all these Garden Villages to go ahead which adversely impacts our infrastructure including our obviously inadequate water storage facilities? We thought the high water charges included money to improve infrastructure, but evidently not.
Half of Cornwall’s water has already gone – and it’s not even August
Cornwall’s reservoirs lost another 4.15% of their water last week, continuing the depletion of reserves which is worrying water companies, the Environment Agency and the government.
Colliford reservoir fell from 50.1% to 46.2% capacity. Stithians fell from 52.7% to 48.3%. The data is published recently by South West Water.
The start of the “official” tourist-season this week is expected to stress supplies even more. Without rain, Cornwall’s reservoirs are heading for the sort of “restrictions on use” drought measures which could mean hosepipe bans before the end of August.
And that's just half the problem! There is now such a sewerage crisis that not just bays and harbours, but also fields, streams and other watercourses right across Cornwall are rapidly filling up with the human waste from a fast-growing population, thanks to 100% in-migration policy, as openly admitted by Phil Mason and Bob Egerton in 2018 (as then Chief of Planning and Chair of CC cabinet).
The ludicrous Langarth aberration - or garden village for initially 4,000 new units at Threemilestone/Penstraze is a case in point. No adequate sewerage provision so all developers walk away; the council, in its severely tested wisdom then pay 100x the value of the farmland in the first week of Covid lockdown, to an unknown "property developer" with a shady website and zero projects completed, before accepting that questions asked by many about sewage were valid; the plan? To have sewage holding towers between Treliske Hospital and Chiverton Cross, with trucks taking raw sewage for processing across town in Newham, once the towers, holding 10,000 residents' faeces, are full. Let's hope Treliske and Higher Town and Arch Hill residents in Truro don't get too many spillages on the way!
But progress and development come first; oh, and profits for corporate developers and part-time CC consultants - yes, John Betty again, friend of CEO Kate Kennally, is paid for a few hours' work over two years, to enforce said project, whilst suddenly leaving town after said deal (above) with a rather dark (unauthorised £2m) cloud over his head. The Council is yet to explain the sudden disappearance of £2 million in unsigned-for expenses.
And if Truronians didn’t have enough on their plates, wondering how a brand new and FREE Stadium for Cornwall turned into a 10,000-car and sewage quagmire, then there’s the other Truro City development (among many dubious ones dotted around Cornwall) at Pydar Street. How much has all this cost beleaguered Cornwall taxpayers, we wonder:
Dear Cornwall Councillor,
This is my latest opinion and comments regarding the questionable level of governance which is much in evidence within the county’s administration at County Hall today. It involves a variety of suspect motives, political ambitions, hidden agendas and no doubt obvious deficiencies, all amounting to elements of cultures and dictatorships that are not compatible with democratic or transparent process. In my many years I have never known such a questionable, incompetent and dictatorial culture as we are subjected to today where the lack of elected members’ involvement and the lack of the prudent use of council taxpayer’s money is firmly embedded.
This has created many adversities, none more so than the significance of the dubious control of capital expenditure, the lack of accountability and transparency, and the failure to protect the well-being of local communities and the County’s unique image along with the lack of sincerity to pursue climate challenge.
After much promise I am very disappointed that the latest administration has shown serious misgivings in allowing the present controversial situation to develop. As the saying goes, the buck stops at the top, where obviously the problems stem from and now thrive. The latest recent examples of utter confusion no doubt caused by the lack of positive negotiating skills are the Cornwall Museum blame shambles along with the reshuffle of portfolio holders’ responsibilities which has even confused cabinet members, the Falmouth Ships and Castles saga, the stadium ‘yes no’ shambles, and the Newquay airport/Spaceport/Aerospace Board fiascos, all of which show a lack of competence in management skills and have certainly earned their shambolic label.
The continued failure to use council taxpayers’ money in a prudent manner by senior employed officers suggests either that there are hidden agendas or that as there is a serious lack of financial competence and little awareness of financial implications.
In fact, there are failures on many fronts, none more significant than the continued failure of the Strategic Director for Sustainable Growth and Development to conduct his remit of ensuring sufficient houses are provided for the people of Cornwall, a task he has failed miserably while progressing with projects which are of no benefit whatsoever to those people This failure suggests that a hidden agenda has been promoted by the most senior employed officer, the CEO. For the sake of clarity and transparency, and to dispel any doubt about dubious involvement, this should be subject to an independent investigation.
Another questionable issue is the officers’ latest practice of the phasing out of elected members, now described by some as being stifled or muzzled, from involvement in discussion, challenge and decision making. As members are the voice and ears of the taxpayers, this practice stifles their views. It poses a serious infringement of democratic process and questions what suspicious agenda is behind the action of preventing members’ involvement in the county’s administration, a duty they were elected to conduct. This serious undemocratic breach requires clarification as to the part played in this by the 151 officers. If something is not right, it is not right, and this is not right. This situation requires serious intervention and examination as to its constitutional adherence and it certainly infringes the majority of the Nolan seven principles in public life, one of which is ‘Selflessness’ that forbids making decisions that would produce financial gain for family members.
The Truro Pydar Street re-development project, enthusiastically persuaded by senior employed officers with their suspect hidden and cosmetic agendas, was opposed by locals for many reasons, including the loss of valuable car parking space which will surely prove costly to retail outlets. The project was also promoted as providing some affordable housing which quite frankly means nothing as all houses are affordable to someone. To my mind, affordable is developers’ ‘get out of jail free card’. The project is being managed by Treveth, one of the council’s arm’s length companies, all of which are ultimately included in the responsibilities of the council’s CEO. However, the project has now reached its first hurdle - the hoped-for private investors interest has failed to materialise and has left the council’s senior employed officers, to save face, in a position of having to borrow the money instead and having to ask members to approve the council, ultimately council taxpayers, underwriting of the borrowing of £170 million required for the project. This is yet another financial gamble to be placed on the backs of present and future council taxpayers.
It must not be forgotten that council taxpayers are already underwriting a similar amount of borrowing that we are aware of, it may be more, for the Langarth Garden Village project which again the majority of council taxpayers and elected members do not want simply because it will not provide the much-needed social housing which the county is crying out for. In reality, these two projects are both, for obvious reasons, gambles with public money, which surely questions motives and competence of senior employed officers. No doubt sooner rather than later this conduct, in my opinion, will be open to charges of maladministration of council taxpayers’ money and the involvement of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, currently the Rt. Hon. Greg Clark.
I remind that the overall responsibility of the Pydar Street Redevelopment project ultimately rests with the senior employed officer team of Cornwall Council’s Chief Executive and the Strategic Director responsible for Sustainable Growth and Development, who also oversaw the £19 million Saints Cycle Trail project mainly funded by National Highways. The Cycle Trail project is now described by many as a diabolical financial and management mess after it was disclosed that it was overspent and was well behind schedule and the funder’s deadline which resulted in the council having to pay back some of the funding. It has also been shrouded in controversy and incompetence involving unauthorised spending and a disregard for legal advice. The fact is, considering the controversial record surrounding the senior employed officer’s conduct, it does not inspire any confidence in their ability to oversee the Truro Pydar Street Regeneration project in a competent and successful manner.
A well-known fact is a ship is only as good as its captain which is where the ultimate buck stops. In our case this is the highly paid chief executive who, along with the present elected leader, has a lot to answer for. The bottom line is that the management and administration of our county’s affairs is not being administrated in an ethical and democratic manner, and in my book that means the most senior officers are not fit for purpose as they do not practice the level of competence or responsibilities the position warrants. In my opinion, these senior officers have outstripped their responsibilities and have failed to discharge their dedicated powers in a correct and ethical manner and because of that they have infringed the majority of the Nolan Seven Principles of Public Life (copy attached).
Until the issue of the failure to use council taxpayers’ money in a prudent manner and the lack of a democratic process is subject to an independent investigation and dubious conduct eradicated there remains the distinct possibility of charges of maladministration of council taxpayers’ money being made.
I am a firm believer that the cultures of an organisation are of critical importance and flows from its leaders, sadly the cultures practiced by Cornwall Council’s leaders these days are not fit for purpose. I have always said the buck stops at the top where the ultimate responsibility lies.
I suggest that elected members make their concerns and complaints known to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Rt. Hon. Greg Clark, at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DT. E-mail communities@levellingup.gov.uk , before a ‘political’ mayor is really installed which would put members in a position of being like turkeys waiting for Christmas. I must add I am totally against a mayor - we have had enough political shenanigans already. The mayor subject will keep for another day.
I say the ball is in the members’ court - you get nowhere by doing nothing, doing something is better than doing nothing, a united front would be advantageous and effective. I suggest another option would be for an organised delegation to visit the ‘crows nest’ on the top floor of County Hall which would certainly attract media attention. I sincerely hope that members will fight to restore their democratic right to take their part in the county’s administration and to fight for a devolution deal without strings attached that would be advantageous to Cornwall not Westminster.
Kind regards,
Ken Rickard, St. Dennis
Perhaps the final say should go to Andrew George, former MP and now councillor in West Cornwall:
Cornish residents have a right to expect its primary democratically-elected debating chamber to be relevant to the most pressing matters of the day.
I cannot apologise for my protest at the most recent full council meeting last week*. The Conservatives appear to be managing the agenda to avoid inconvenient facts and discomforting controversies. I don’t respond well to muzzled conformity.
I’ve discovered, since becoming a Councillor last year, the full council meeting is not fit for purpose. Right now we have an NHS and care system in meltdown, the most serious housing emergency in living memory, the much–hyped Stadium has been ditched, and the Royal Cornwall Museum which has been a centrepiece of Cornwall‘s culture since 1818 facing “imminent closure“. But the Council’s meeting agenda ignores all of these matters. Instead, the main debates on the agenda last week were a minor adjustment to food waste policy (which would in any case have been better resolved under delegated arrangements), and an equally uncontroversial minor planning procedure.
Apart from the unsatisfactory, uncoordinated and piecemeal bunfight of the time-limited questions to cabinet members tacked on at the end of the agenda, there is no opportunity to properly debate the real issues of the day. And, once again, I and other councillors were unable to ask our questions anyway because it ran out of time!
We cannot go on like this. Full council meetings are largely irrelevant to the reality of life in Cornwall. The Council, and its scrutiny committees, operate in a straitjacket of procedural rules. It’s a wonderful place for tinpot dictators. But it’s useless for searching debate on the relevant issues of the day, decent scrutiny of the executive and holding the executive to account. The UK Parliament isn’t wonderful, but it’s a shocking contrast for people like me who have been fortunate enough to experience the benefits of the tools available to those who operate in Westminster. Patients are dying waiting for an ambulance. The elderly and most vulnerable are not receiving the treatment they need and deserve in a timely manner. Local young families are being evicted to make place for holiday lets. The Conservatives kept promising they’d find money for a Stadium for Cornwall, but that’s been ditched, and promises ignored. Then they make an incompetent decision of defunding the Royal Cornwall Museum leading to its “imminent closure“, and without consulting any councillors beyond Conservative Cabinet members. But Cornwall’s seat of (local) Government has nothing to say. This is simply not good enough.
Councillors have an agenda set for them which simply distracts from the real issues of the day. This is rubbing salt into the wound. What is the point of having a Cornwall Council if we cannot debate the matters that are relevant to the lives of the people we represent?
* I attempted to raise a point of order to protest at the Council Meeting on 12th July, that the Council was not permitted to specifically debate concerns about decisions made by the Cabinet on matters like the "imminent closure" of the RCM. This was dismissed by the Conservative Chair at the time.
Councillor Andrew George (Liberal Democrat) Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval & Heamoor
Little to add, if the Council’s own experienced politicians call this sham of an authority NOT fir for purpose.
If you’ve signed this petition, please also support this one:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/611113
Oh, and remember, in 2018, Head of Planning, Phil Mason, asked the council to back his scheme to borrow an additional £600m for more of his utter development chaos in Truro and around Cornwall; he’s done this on behalf of you and your kids (remember council taxes?); I wonder how much tax bills will rise with currently 10-15% inflation and fast-rising BoE interest rates??