Mabe: Housing numbers and Rural Parishes

The draft Cornwall Local Plan envisages that 500 dwellings will be added over a 20 year period to the existing housing stock in the rural Parishes of  Perranarworthal, Mylor, St Gluvias, Mabe, Budock, Constantine and Mawnan.  These Parishes comprise the rural elements of the Falmouth and Penryn Community Network Area

500 dwellings points towards an average additional 25 dwellings per year which equates to about 4 per year for each of the seven rural Parishes.  Expectation of local communities is of small scale developments: infills, use of brownfield sites and the like.  Not massive developments on agricultural land.  Indeed it can be no coincidence that Parish Plans, formulated before the initial consultation on the Cornwall Local Plan identify housing number increases in line with this average.

On Thursday 7th February Cornwall Council's Strategic Planning Committee considered a planning application for 90 dwellings in Mabe; more dwellings that the Parish Plan, based on extensive local consultation, expects for a 20 year period.  The Parish Council did not support the planning application on a number of grounds including the scale of the development, loss of a 'buffer strip', loss of grade 3a agricultural land and road safety concerns.

In case anyone should suspect a local nimbyism tendency this is not borne out by the fact that Mabe's dwelling numbers increased by 15% in the 20 years to 2010, against 14% for the entire Community Network Area, with the Parish Council having also supported the very extensive development of the University Campus at Tremough.  As an aside I suspect that in hosting Exeter University and Falmouth University, with Plymouth University operating the Tremough Innovation Centre, that Mabe Parish is home to more Universities then any other UK rural Parish.

Countering the over-development issue is the local affordable housing requirements.  The Planning Officer recommended approval on a number of grounds including the fact that 30% of the dwellings would be affordable, with the majority for rent at well below open market rates.  I have in recent years assisted a number of individuals and families with strong connections to Mabe who, through local affordable housing shortages, have to live elsewhere.  

My presentation to the Planning Committee - available as a webcast at http://connect.cornwall.public-i.tv/site/player/pl_v7.php?a=93891&t=&m=flash&l=en_GB - sought to address what are conflicting issues and whilst I started from the over-development position, reflecting the Parish Plan, did pay regard to all the issues.

Earlier in the meeting the chairman had made it clear that he would not allow members to question the local member - personally I'd have preferred to answer members questions to ensure that they had the fullest possible understanding of the issues - but instead had to say all I wanted to in one go.  This meant that I had to anticipate all possible outcomes including that the planning application might be approved and if it was I had to seek to secure the best deal for the local community.  Doing this without wanting to be seen to be in favour of or opposed to the application required a tight rope walking job.

The Planning Officer's recommendations including developer funded financial contributions to education, transport and open spaces.  I felt that any monies should be focused on local needs, rather than 'lost' to Cornwall wide budgets.  I am pleased that the Committee adopted my proposal that:

• the £164,160 school places contribution should be focused on Mabe Primary School,
• the transport improvement sum of £135,000 should, in part, be allocated to the planned Kernick roundabout pedestrian crossing with the balance allocated to Mabe Parish Council for other improvements,
• the £170,000 for 'open spaces' should be all allocated to Mabe Parish Council to ensure it is spent in accordance with local needs.

All-in-all I remain uneasy that the views of the local community, as set out in the Parish Plan, have been overlooked as regards housing numbers.  This does not sit easily with the localism agenda.  On the other hand the financial gains for the local community are not insignificant.  For example the Kernick pedestrian crossing, across the A39, will improve the 'walk to school' routes for Mabe Primary School and Penryn College whilst allowing greatly improved pedestrian access to retail outlets and Kernick Industrial Estate.

Did the Strategic Planning Committee make the right decision?  On the balance of all the material considerations I think they did.

 

Cornwall Council Tax: the case for no increase

Cornwall Council has published proposals for a 1.97% increase in Council tax for 2013/14.  This percentage is conveniently below the 2% level which would trigger a referendum.

Council tax is set by a meeting of all the councillors and whilst Cornwall Council's Cabinet have a duty to prove guidance on the level of Council tax they do not make the final decision. 

There has been some complaints that Central Government have somehow been unfair in their funding of local authorities, as the Coalition Government continues to address the financial mess it inherited from the last Labour Government.  These complaints carry little weight as increasingly it is accepted across the political spectrum that the Government has to balance the books.  It is impossible to continue to have expenditure exceed income with borrowing, repayable by future generations, filling the gap in the UK's finances.

Austerity is a necessary evil with the duty of Government to make certain that funding allocation is as fair as possible.  It is only right and proper that local authorities play their part in that process.

The argument will likely be trotted out at some stage that the proposed increase in Council tax is a matter of "a few pence a week per household".  This is clearly true however misses the bigger picture.

A quick look at the economic landscape shows there to be a number of these "few pence a week" demands on purses and wallets.  These include domestic fuel ( http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/smr/Pages/indicators.aspx ) and motor vehicle fuel (  http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/take/oil-and-gas-price-forecast-for-2013/305 ).  Then there is food price inflation ( http://www.effp.com/knowledge-bank/price-forecast-analysis/effp_latest_forecast.aspx ) and the capping of welfare benefits as part of the austerity programme ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9788019/Capping-welfare-benefits-is-the-moral-thing-to-do.html ).    It is worth pointing out that some of these factors are beyond any Governments control such as the price of crude oil however the Chancellor has shown himself willing to moderate the price of fuel at the pumps by scrapping the planned fuel duty escalation rise last Autumn ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/05/george-osborne-fuel-duty-autumn-statement ).  Offsetting these inflationary effects will be the rise in personal tax allowances taking effect in April 2013 which will reduce tax bills by up to £267 per year for standard rate tax payers.

There are many other inflationary pressures which in aggregate are far more than "a few pence a week".  It seems to me that Cornwall Council needs to remain a part of the austerity solution by continuing to exercise discipline to keep Council tax rates unchanged.  If it were to approve an increase, in part to fund the 20% increase in councillors' allowances, then I would regard the Council as failing to respond to the financial pressures facing individuals and families, many of whom are seeing no increase in their pre-tax incomes.

On the subject of councillors' allowances I voted not to increase them and am hopeful that before too long the Council has a further opportunity to discuss this issue and consider whether to reverse its previous decision.

Number of MPs

There has been some commentary in recent days about the possibility that Westminster may retain 650 MPs due to a potential decision by Lib Dem MPs to withdraw their previous commitment to reducing the number of Constituencies.  This has been seen in Cornwall as removal of the threat of a 'Devonwall' constituency.

However accepting that there should be a reduction in the number of MPs - why should they not bear at least some of the necessary reductions in staffing levels seen elsewhere across swathes of the public sector - I wonder if there is an alternative way forward for at least one political party to adopt for their next manifesto.

If it was accepted, nationally, that Cornwall should have a number of exclusive Constituencies - an approach which I support - then there is some logic to suggest that Cornwall's electorate figure should determine the number of MPs across the UK.  Based on the latest statistics if Cornwall had 5 MPs then, on a proportionate number of electors per Constituency, there would be 563 MPs; this would represent a 13.5% reduction from the current 650.  Adjusting Cornwall's MPs to 4 would reduce the total number to 450, a 30.8% reduction.

Olympic Torch Relay

Strange that at a time when there are so many important issues to be addressed that the next meeting of Cornwall Council has to deal with a motion on the status of the Chairman.  As the motion merely restates what is already the agreed position it does beg the question as to whether the motion is a good use of councillors time. 

Also odd that the motion assumes that Cornwall Council will be represented at Lands End and RNAS Culdrose when, of course, the decisions as to who to invite will rest with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games.  Some councillors seem to assume that Cornwall Council is so important that there is no question it will be invited to send representatives.

I was under the impression that it is bad manners to expect an invitation and to be pleased if one is received.

Lib Dems: Still keen on spending Taxpayers' Money

I understand from a journalist that Cornwall's Lib Dems have issued a press release attacking the decision to put out for review future options for Cornwall Newquay Airport.  They are quoted to me as having called the decision evidence of a 'fire sale'.

I sincerely hope that the journalist is mistaken as otherwise it would mean that the Lib Dems:

• May have read into a Cornwall Council press release something that is not contained within it,
• Are not supportive of reviewing Cornwall Council's cost base,
• Are not supportive of optimising the value of the Airport to the Cornish economy and the creation of jobs,
• Have learn nothing from their financial management of Cornwall County Council as evidenced in the damning reports from the Audit Commission,
• Continue to believe that money grows on trees or at least feel it right to spend taxpayers money without exercising financial prudence.

Liberal Democrats: Friends of Cornwall?

I confess I'd put aside the awful state of affairs that the Cornwall Council Conservative/Independent Administration inherited from the Liberal Democrats following the electorate's very sensible decision to boot them out of power from New County Hall in 2009.  However the awfulness of the Lib Dem legacy came rushing back into focus when I read the press release from Stephen Gilbert MP (St Austell and Newquay) on his opposition to the budget allocated to the Olympic Torch Relay.

To recap; the Lib Dems performance in Cornwall County Council amassed a sizeable collection of  'red flags'.  That was the Administration that botched the transfer of  Newquay Airport from the RAF leading to its closure and was responsible for putting the Fire Brigade and Childrens' safeguarding into interventions.  Those failures being only the tip of an iceberg of inept political leadership.

The Newquay Airport fiasco was not a 'one off' but rather evidence of an appalling lack of attention to risk management.  Soultions to all of these problems, and many more besides, have kept the current Administration busy whilst, at the same time, it has introduced fiscal prudence and set the Council on a journey to sustainable superior performance as already recognised in reports from various external auditing bodies and nominations for awards.

I'm sure that most of us want to live in a economically successful County rather than one which, for too long, has failed to achieve its potential.  To me having Objective 1 and, more recently, Convergence status are not badges of honour bur rather symbols of failure.

I had mistakenly believed that all politicians, irrespective of their beliefs, would want to see Cornwall and its people prosper.  Initially when I read Stephen Gilbert's comments I regarded him as a lone voice which, with a few minutes consideration, all other members of the Lib Dems would want to disassociate themselves from.  But no, the opportunity to put Cornwall down, again, has proved too strong for some of them to avoid.

The Olympic Torch Relay provides a unique opportunity to promote Cornwall to national, European and worldwide audiences.  The budgeted cost, of which over 50% is for road closures, security, first aid support and other necessary expenditures, will be in line with the costs which other Counties, and indeed Cities, will have to bear if they are on the Torch's route.  However, unlike them we are the starting point for the relay on Great Britain which, being a Saturday, enables us to reach not only people outside Cornwall but also the majority of the Cornish population.

The economic benefits hold out the prospect of being enormous, particularly well-timed as the Relay is at the beginning of the peak holiday season.  Coincidentally I met someone yesterday who is involved with the ticket office at the Lost Gardens of Heligan who reported that following last week's television programme on the Gardens, attendance has rocketted from both Cornish and non-Cornish visitors.  Even without any detailed consideration of figures it does not take a genius to extrapolate that effect across Cornwall when we appear on television news programmes, Sunday papers and other media outlets.  The benefits have every likelihood of lasting a long time and, rather than diverting the initial budget elsewhere to front-line services, we instead have the prospect of leveraging that budget into something far more significant to the long term advantage of Cornwall Council's front-line services.

The week ahead of the Torch Relay is Cornwall Business Week.  By attracting targetted journalists to come and experience the economic renaissance which is taking place in Cornwall, such as Wave Hub, Superfast Broadband, Combined Universities, Innovation Centres, Marine Energy Park, Heartlands, can be expected not just to extol Cornwall as a tourist destination but also as a suitable base for businesses and jobs.

Whilst I'm disappointed by Stephen Gilbert's comments they do, unfortunately, seem to fit into a pattern whereby some Lib Dems 'talk Cornwall down'.  Hopefully there are more strategically minded Lib Dems who will correct this view.

Port of Falmouth and the Chancellor of the Exchequer

Whilst the publicity surrounding the Chancellor's visit to Cornwall focused on the economic and job prospects arising from the successful bid for an Enterprise Zone at Newquay airport, he also gave time to understand the opportunities that the implementation of the Falmouth Harbour Masterplan would create.  The Masterplan identifies hundreds of new jobs and a major boost to the Cornish economy, including marine renewable energy developments and an increase in cruise liner tourists who would have opportunities to travel to attractions across Cornwall. 

 

Attending the meeting were Sarah Newton MP, Peter Childs and Mike Reynolds of A&P Falmouth, Mark Samson of the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners and myself.