The following points were taken from the recent Neighbourhood Development Plan initial survey and are issues which are causing concern amongst residents. Hopefully the replies will prove useful and informative.
All responses made are in good faith but should not be regarded as a definitive observation, position or statement of fact.
Aspects which Residents listed as requiring improvement, attention or action.
Parking’, ‘Need for a car park’ and ‘Underground car park’
Response:
The village was laid out to cater for horse-drawn vehicles when the need for space outside one’s property was only required to access it by foot. Since then, with the advent of the motor car and car ownership burgeoning, all similar villages suffer from the problem we experience. St Day has a higher car ownership per household than the SW average.
The problem is clear – how to solve it is not, where would a car park be located, which properties would need to be demolished to make the space for it, many in the centre of the village are listed?
Ban parking outside properties – where would the parking for these vehicles be sited?
If the roads were cleared of vehicles would that increase the incidence of speeding through the village? That was the case in a village local to us, so the no parking restrictions were removed.
Make certain roads one-way – if it significantly increased traffic past properties on roads with no footway would that be acceptable? It is also unlikely that buses would be able to run through the village.
Make the centre pedestrian only – that would probably cause some if not all the shops and Post Office to become uneconomic and close, it would also effectively cut off traffic links from one side of the village to the other with no through route for buses.
The solution for some is a problem for others.
Certainly insensitive parking does cause difficulty at times, especially for buses and delivery lorries, especially when double yellow lines are ignored. That is up to each individual, do we all obey the parking restrictions in St Day? Do we drive when it is possible to walk?
We will look at this issue within the NDP and try to find an acceptable result but for the above reasons do not expect it to be resolved easily, if at all.
‘Speeding through the village’
Response:
A few drivers drive far too fast for the conditions and are a source of annoyance and potential danger to all. Sadly whatever speed limit is in force an irresponsible few ignore it.
A variety of solutions have been investigated. The ’20 is Plenty’ campaign gained a lot of support, however placing a speed restriction of 20mph only has shown that this achieves an average reduction in vehicle speed of just 1mph (source: 20 is Plenty) and is expensive – over £10,000 for essentially no benefit. If combined with traffic calming measures it is effective but requires speed humps to be installed costing an additional £45,000. These humps are also regarded as having a negative effect – increased fuel use, extra noise as vehicles brake and accelerate which is a nuisance to those living nearby (and in our village centre exacerbated by the narrow streets and buildings). The problem of the parking in St Day is to an extent traffic calming.
A few volunteers spend time at the roadside on Speed Watch to remind drivers of the speed limit and are effective, if more of those concerned about speeding came forward to participate then it would be possible to run more frequent sessions.
‘Dog fouling’
Response:
A few dog owners act irresponsibly (and illegally) to cause a public nuisance and health hazard.
We have numerous bins to dispose of dog mess so there is little excuse for owners not to do so.
Enforcement and prosecution relies on evidence, with the advent of mobile telephones with cameras if you see anyone not clearing up after their dog take pictures and submit them to Cornwall Council – search their website for ‘Report Dog Fouling’. Fines for dog fouling can cost up to £80 and if taken to a Magistrates Court the maximum fine is £1,000.
Please do not leave dog faeces bags in the environment, it can take decades for the bags to break down and simply makes the problem worse – put them in one of the numerous bins provided for this purpose.
There is evidence that the spraying of dog mess with a luminous paint has a marked effect on reducing the incidence, we will review this at the next Parish Council meeting.
‘Poor Surgery location/premises’ and ‘Chemist facilities’
Response:
The new development of Mineral Way has space allocated in it for construction of a new GP surgery. A local organisation is considering funding this project and negotiations are ongoing with GP practice providers in the area to rent the premises but building the facility is dependent upon the success of these discussions.
A chemist shop in the village has been an issue previously, a national chemists chain were looking into the possibility but decided not to proceed. If a chemist shop were to open in St Day it is likely that our surgery would close down as it would lose its dispensing income.
‘Better bus service’ and ‘Public transport’
Response:
We have a regular service as far as Troon and Truro from early morning to late evening and also on weekends with connections to other destinations in Redruth, via bus or the major rail link. With present passenger numbers it is unlikely the Operator would consider a better service.
‘Speeding on B3298’
Response:
We recognise that most drivers ignore the 30mph limit on this road, which is in place to make the access roads to this B route safer due to the nature of the turnings. We are reviewing alternatives paid from Parish funds, indications are that no assistance will be available from County.
Speed Watch does run checks on this road at the Rugby field and the bottom of Church Hill, we are restricted on the frequency of these as a police presence is required for safety reasons. We have requested that additional sites are inspected where we could run checks without official support. If more residents volunteered for Speed Watch we could run more sessions.
‘Leisure facilities’, ‘Better play facilities (tennis court/zip wire)’
Response:
The Enterprise Centre, Church Hall, Methodist Church, St Day Community Centre, Mills’ Street Centre and St Day Public Institute are all venues where many leisure and social activities take place, as well as functions at the St Day in and Star Inn. So as a village we are fortunate to have so many locations fulfilling a range of interests. A leisure centre with a variety of physical activities on offer is a project which would require a colossal investment and one which the catchment area could not support int terms of patronage.
For tennis courts, prices for a single court run at £35k – £42k including fencing, well beyond the means which are at our disposal, location is also an issue.
A zip wire would on preliminary investigation cost about £6,000 for a 30m run and it would be necessary to ascertain the level of use/support for such an item.
We will include this as a question on the more extensive survey in 2018.
‘Lack of youth facilities’ /worker
Response:
A youth facility was made available at the Enterprise Centre when it first opened with a number of attractions such as table tennis and table football. This continued for in operation for a period until the adult volunteers who attended reduced to levels where it was not practical to continue. This was due to lack of new recruits who were willing to give up their spare time to attend the venue. We have potential venues where such activities could take place but would need sufficient volunteers to come forward and indications that it would be used sufficiently. A question for the longer survey in 2018, if sufficient interest is generated the possibility of a limited hours support worker could be considered
Cornwall Council have several initiatives to engage with young people which will be investigated.
The skate park, basketball practice area and the football and cricket clubs as well as the play areas all offer opportunities for young people to enjoy outdoor activities.
‘Support needed for local businesses’
Response:
The Parish Council is not equipped financially, legally or with sufficient expertise to provide assistance to individual local businesses. The Neighbourhood Development Plan would be be a starting point to improve facilities for local businesses if there were sufficient interest and justification (e.g. by including in any development small business units), but that is the extent of allowable Council involvement.
There are several organisations which are specifically set up to help local business. Cornwall Council offer a wide range of alternatives to help small businesses and start-ups – visit ‘Business Support and Advice’ on the County website. ‘Ciosgrowthhub’ is an independent organisation offering free advice and support; there are also many others which supply advice and funding and can be found on the Internet by searching ‘Support for local businesses Cornwall’.
‘Road maintenance and gully cleaning’ and ‘Condition of Pavements’
Response:
These works are the responsibility of Cornwall Council. Pot holes can be reported through the Cornwall Council website as can any issue relating to roads, gullies or pavements.
The variety of pavements in St Day is a function of many years of development, we are fortunate that some historic examples have not been removed and are of particular significance. This may mean that they are not as smooth and level as a tarmacadam surface but should be preserved. The loose cobbles in the Market Square are the subject of discussions with Cornwall Council.
‘Poor Infrastructure’
Response:
One of the opportunities presented by the Neighbourhood Development Plan is to highlight such issues. Building ‘creep’, the construction of small number of properties may not effect the infrastructure of an area significantly, however over time the cumulative effect can be high. The NDP can contain sections identifying where there is a strain on the local environment and services.
‘Lack of dog bins’
Response:
We have approximately 30 dog bins in the Parish which appear to cover the need reasonably comprehensively, if there are areas where there is a significant lack then please advise the Parish Council for consideration.
‘Lack of tourist facilities – café, museum’
Response:
Desirable features which rely on a very high volume of trade to be viable. It is probable that St Day has an insignificant tourist presence at this time. Whilst publicity to increase that is possible it is expensive and requires a notable series of attractions to promote, it is difficult to see how our current assets would meet that criteria.
‘Traffic island/speed signs at bottom of Telegraph Hill’ and ‘Lack of safe crossing on B3298’
Response:
The installation of pedestrian crossings or refuges is expensive (£20k – £50k for a crossing £15k for a refuge) and beyond the means of the Parish Council to fund. Cornwall Council are unlikely to consider either for this route. Whilst a refuge is cheaper it is difficult to identify a section of road where it is both convenient and also possible to install with major road widening.
Speeding is a primary factor in making this road more hazardous than it should be, the Parish Council is considering ways to address this and in the meantime regular Speed Watch activity is conducted to remind motorists of the 30mph limit.
‘Remove overhead cables’
Response:
This was a recommendation of the 2008 St Day Appraisal commissioned by Kerrier Council.
Cost to lay power cables underground start at £10.2mn per kilometre. We would all like to see our streets without overhead cables but it is most unlikely the Power Company would consider laying already existing overhead cabling underground with that level of expenditure.
‘New Village Hall needed’
Response:
A wonderful asset for any village, we do have a number venues which offer a number of activities and the opportunity for public meetings and private events.
Cost estimates vary for a new building but as a minimum for a wooden construction it is probably in the region of £250,000 for a modest 10mx25m area, which offers little in addition to that already available. A more spacious venue at 30mx30m would be close to, if not in excess, of £1mn. This does not mean that consideration would not be given to such a project, but this would involve a substantial amount of work and significant commitment by Residents’ to procure funding.
In the meantime the St Day Old Church Community Interest Company is working hard to turn the old church into a site for public use.
‘Improved mobile phone signals required’
Response:
The new mast in the corner of the Enterprise Centre Playing field is yet to be commissioned, which should improve signal for a large proportion of the Village when it does start working. The management company responsible for the mast has been contacted for details on when the commissioning is likely to take place, with no response – a further request will be made.
‘Clearance of overhanging trees from gardens’
Response:
It is the responsibility of the tree owner to cut back trees, bushes or plants which cause a nuisance to traffic or pedestrians on the highway or footway. If requested to do so and no action is taken then Highways have the right to enter properties to carry out the work which may be at a cost.
Where this relates to issues between neighbours then guidance is available on www.gov.uk ‘resolving neighbour disputes’.
The Minor Works Group may undertake some light work on this issue, all cut material is the property of the owner and must be returned.
‘Mains Gas needed’
Response:
Because the choice of fuel used to provide heat , cooking and hot water facilities to a home is that of the property owner it is not in the remit of the Parish Council to require laying of gas pipelines. It is possible that the mains gas provider would consider running new pipework to supply properties were a sufficient number of house owners in the area willing to convert, this would be an issue for the local residents.
‘Speeding at Scorrier’
Response:
The Redruth to Chacewater road is recognised as experiencing speeds averaging about 10mph over the legal limit. A proposal is in place to introduce traffic calming at the Scorrier crossroads junction with the B3298. A junction which has the second highest accident level in the County.
‘St Day Feast outdated’
Response:
The St Day Feast dates back to medieval times, although not in its current form. The feast committee in the June Newsletter asked for ideas on introducing new attractions to the Feast, any suggestions should be made to them – contact details are available on the Parish website.
‘Town Clock (bell)’
Response:
The clock and tower has undergone substantial renovation and is now back in full working order, after some adjustment to the tonal quality of the bell. Striking the time has been a feature of St Day since 1830 and is regarded as an essential part of our community.
‘Lack of fairfield’
Response:
Fairs have previously been held in a number of places around the village which have subsequently been developed. Fairs are declining in number as their popularity wanes and the Parish Council have had no requests to site a fair in the Parish, although there are locations where it might be possible to hold such an event.
‘Skatepark’
Response:
This is a source of activity and enjoyment for a number of our young people, together with the associated Teenage Village. It is recognised that litter is a problem and a new litter bin is being placed on the site by the Parish Council.
‘Broadband’
Response:
High-speed broadband is available throughout the village, if there is an area where it is not provided please let the Parish Council know so representations can be made to the supplier.
‘Lack of litter bins’
Response:
There are many litter bins in and about the village, most are dual purpose for dog mess and litter. If there is a particular area where there is a need please advise the Parish Council for consideration.
A new, large, litter bin is being sited at the Skatepark.
‘Schools’
Response:
The St Day and Carharrack Community School is an asset for the area as is the adjoining Nursery.
It ensures the presence of families living in the area and provides a mix of age ranges which every community needs to prosper. Parking and speeding associated with the drop-of and pick-up times are issues and new road markings have been painted to help alleviate this.
‘Scorrier needs its own identity’
Response:
Scorrier is currently at the cusp of four Parish or Town Council boundaries and is also currently split between St Day and Chacewater Parishes, which is less than ideal. Cornwall Council is embarking on a Community Governance Review in 2019 which will look at civic boundaries. It is expected that representations to that Review will be allowed.
‘Too many empty properties’
Response:
At present we have only one empty property identified in the Parish, Cornwall Council offer assistance to owners to bring these back into use. Please report any property that has been empty for a period to the Parish Council.
‘Poor upkeep of cycle paths’ and ‘ Lack of cycle paths’
Response:
There is an agreement in place with Cornwall Council regarding the regular maintenance of cycle and footpaths, if there is a problem with a cycle route or footpath please report this to the Parish Council.
The Mineral Tramway cycle route through our Parish totals 60km and joins the Engine House trail which is nearly 40km long, there are other cycle routes signposted in the Parish. Cornwall Council has web pages devoted to details of cycle trails.
‘Reduce light pollution’
Response:
The extensive public lighting in the village is designed to ensure our streets are safe for all, certain areas have little or no footway.
Lighting during all the hours of darkness is also a contribution to deterring criminal or anti-social behaviour.
‘Public access to Scorrier Estate’
Response:
The Estate is privately-owned land and there is no public right of access to it, this is the decision of the land-owner. There is no legal obligation for landowners to provide public rights of way.
‘Lack of dropped kerbs’
Response:
Please advise the Parish Council where there is a problem and it will be reviewed at a subsequent Council meeting.
‘Sewerage facilities’
Response:
If there is a problem with mains sewerage this should be reported to South West Water, the Parish Council will make additional representation if requested and justified.
‘More disabled facilities’
Response:
It is unclear to what this point relates, if the author would provide additional details to the Parish Clerk a response will be provided.
‘Less parochial attitude’
Response:
The objectives of a Neighbourhood Development Plan are restricted to concentrating on the area defined – in this case our Parish. It is the responsibility of the Parish Council to address issues arising within the Parish boundaries.
Our school caters for pupils outside the Parish and the Saints Football Club at the Enterprise Centre caters for players of all ages many from outside the Parish.
Our Public Houses attract many out-of-Parish visitors.
‘Community support groups needed’
Response:
There is a limit to the amount of support a village the size of St Day can provide and we look to nearby towns for this. The Parish Council does support these types of groups with grant funding when possible. When any such group asks for publicity in our Parish Newsletter we are always happy to provide this free of charge.
‘Make Vogue to Redruth 30mph’
Response:
Evidence from the B3298 shows that the 30mph limit on this road results in very few drivers adhering to that speed or lower – many travel at over 40mph. It is unlikely that a similar speed limit on the route to Redruth would produce a change in the majority of motorists’ driving habits.
It is also probable that Highways would not consider a request for a speed limit reduction except on safety grounds for which a substantial case would need to be made.
It is noted that a number of accidents have occurred on this road caused by excessive speeds well over the limit, in such cases whatever speed restriction is in place it would be ignored.
‘Better educational provision’
Response:
We have a school which is well-attended and a number of alternatives for older pupils at nearby centres, which are on the local bus routes.
Secondary and Further Education establishments are also available in Redruth, Pool, Camborne and Truro.
With the population size of the St Day and the surrounding Parishes, providing additional educational establishments to those already available within a reasonable distance would not be a proposal which would be considered by Cornwall Council or the Education Service.
‘House Prices’
Response:
For limited income families or individuals the prospect of purchasing their own home is, in many instance, beyond their means.
Cornwall Council is investigating approaches which allow them to obtain land, install basic services and infrastructure for developers to commence building which should lower costs and thus prices.
The County Council is also investigating if building their own developments is an avenue to pursue.
Rock Parish embarked on a project with gifted land for self-build properties at costs of under £100,000. This can be considered within our NDP but would require a substantial amount of local support if it were deemed a feasible approach.
Housing Association developments are an alternative, the new housing at Mineral Way is an example. Consideration is being given to similar developments to meet the needs of local people.
‘Shared Commuting’
Response:
The Carshare Cornwall web site aims to match commuters to reduce the number of cars on our roads.
‘Replace baby swings at Rugby field’
Response:
These have been replaced. Cornwall Council removed them for ‘safety reasons’ and wished to remove the facility completely. The Parish Council commissioned its own safety review by the supplier of the equipment which reported that there were no safety issues which would prevent the removed swings being replaced and the play area continuing to be used.
‘Need for a street cleaner’ and ‘Litter/fly tipping’
Response:
The Parish Council employs a street cleaner for the main area of the village. Quarterly litter picks are also organised through the Parish Newsletter – only about seven volunteers usually respond. More frequent litter picks round the village could be organised if more volunteers were to come forward. All Residents can assist by refraining from dropping litter and also picking up litter when they see it and either depositing it in a nearby bin or taking it home to add to their domestic refuse collection.
If fly tipping is noticed it can be reported via the Cornwall Council website and removal will be organised.
‘Do not like community speedwatch’
Response:
110 Respondents identified speeding through the village as a problem. Community Speed Watch is manned by police approved volunteers to remind drivers to travel within the required speed limit, the volunteers give up their time to help make the roads in and around the village safer for all.
‘Wheal Jewell Travellers’ Site’
Response:
Our County Councillor and the Parish Council are aware of issues involving this site. A meeting held in September with the Chief Executive of Cornwall Council on the subject expressed dissatisfaction at the perceived lack of action in addressing reported problems. The response was one of concern and support for finding a resolution. As a result senior representatives of the organisation which Cornwall Council employs to manage these sites attended the Parish Council meeting in October. They explained the measures being taken by them on various aspects. Whilst the actions presented will take time to come into effect it is hoped these will generate a marked improvement for both residents of the site and the surrounding area.
‘Poorly maintained houses’, ‘Affordable Housing – upkeep’ and ‘Renovate redundant buildings’
Response:
The Parish Council has no authority to address any apparent shortcoming in the appearance of a private property. Representations have been made to the relevant Housing Association relating to the appearance the Fairfields development which has resulted in an agreement to redecorate the exterior of these houses and improve maintenance of the front gardens.
If a building’s fabric is thought to be a public danger then the Parish Council can involve Cornwall Council’s Building Regulations Department.
‘More shops needed’ and ‘Lack of a Fish and Chip shop’ and ‘A shop in Scorrier’
Response:
The number of stores in an area is a direct relation to the size of the population and the spending power it generates. To encourage more businesses to open in St Day or other parts of the Parish would require a very significant increase in the number of new houses built, which would alter the character of our area. We also have the issue of parking within the centre of St Day – already a major problem – which additional shops would exacerbate. Of those who returned the survey 162 identified that St Day had a good range of shops. For the size and population of our village we are unusual to have the facilities currently provided, many larger villages have far fewer shops than St Day. Sadly the Fish and Chip shop closed through lack of custom to keep it economically viable.
‘Lack of disabled parking’
Response:
Disabled parking bays are provided only for very severely handicapped individuals. Cornwall Council have to embark on a lengthy legal process which includes public consultation, which may result in the refusal of the request. An application form is available on the Cornwall County website.
‘Lack of Public WCs’
Response:
The Public Toilets at the rear of the St Day Community Centre are available from early morning until late evening, the Parish Council pays for these toilets to be maintained. St Day is fortunate to have such a facility.
‘Lack of Community Events’
Response:
There are many social events run by a variety of organisations in the village. There is a list of a number of these on the Parish Council Website, which also has a calendar where organisations can have the dates and times of their events included. This facility is only as good as the information provided. The Parish Newsletter is also a source of information. The Parish Council will review the list of organisations and activities available
‘More Street Lighting’ and “ Street lights on B3298′
Response:
The cost of supplying and erecting a standard street post and lamp is approximately £2,500, to provide power the cost is approximately £50 per metre. We have a reasonable level of street lights throughout the village. Given the current pressure on budgets Cornwall Council is most unlikely to consider any application for additional street lighting unless it is assessed there is a major safety issue involved, which currently it is not possible to justify.
‘Lack of Iighting on footpaths especially Barracks Lane’
Response:
For the Parish to provide just 10 street/footpath lights would cost about £30,000 which is more than the Parish receives annually from the funds provided by Cornwall Council in the Parish precept.
‘Lack of Control over new development’ , ‘Random developments’ , ‘Inappropriate new building’, ‘Stop/reduce building on greenfield sites’, ‘More up-market housing needed’, ‘Improve Housing’ and ‘Use of waste land’.
Response:
These issues are the very reason we are producing a Neighbourhood Development Plan for the Parish. Once adopted the Plan will dictate how many, of what type and appearance of housing can be built where in our Parish, this will be a legally binding document on Cornwall Council and Developers. We will set up working parties to review our Parish to determine the location and type of housing development until 2030, the results will be presented to the Residents for approval and if a majority vote in favour we will be in a position to make sure any development adheres to what has been decided.
‘Mineshafts’
Response:
The mineshafts which have been mapped are capped or fenced, however many are not recorded in any way so it is impossible to identify their location – a factor of the Cornish environment.
‘Better information for the public/more notice boards’ and ‘Lack of community awareness’
Response:
The Parish Council will investigate the introduction of more notice boards at appropriate locations around the village. The Parish Council Website ‘stday.org.uk’ and the Parish Notice Board on Facebook as well as the Parish Newsletter all contain updates on the Parish and activities. We will ensure use is made of these to inform our Residents, however pre-notification is required to include any activity.
‘Preservation of historic buildings’ and ‘Protection of Wildlife’.
Response:
The Neighbourhood Development Plan will incorporate sections on both these topics as they are essential elements to the character of the Parish. Many buildings are already protected, the Cornwall Industrial Settlements Initiative (2002) for St Day identified many additional features and properties which will be included in our Plan, whilst not giving listed building status it does provide a measure of protection.
‘Policing’, ‘Vandalism’,’CCTV’ and ‘Need for Neighbourhood Watch Schemes’
Response:
The Police Inspector for our area addressed the Parish Council meeting in September and one of our Councillors also attended the Police Liaison Meeting in Camborne last month. The message was the same at both – with the Police Service in Cornwall under increasing budgetary pressure we, regrettably, can expect less police presence in the Parish. Our Police Community Service Officer has left and will not be replaced, the rationale being that crimes and the type of offences we predominantly experience in the Parish are both infrequent and of a minor nature.
Neighbourhood Watch is an alternative, but this is a local residents initiative and not within the Parish Council purview, although the Parish Council would consider supporting moderate set-up costs.
CCTV coverage to be effective needs to be widespread, the considerable cost would have to be borne by the Parish. Isolated cover may be considered, if justified.
‘Open Scorrier Station’
Response:
A sentiment supported by many Towns and Villages across the UK which have lost rail services. Sadly not something which would be considered by Network Rail or the Operating Companies.
‘Lack of Bus Shelters’
Response:
The two bus shelters in the village are the responsibility of the Parish and are sited to have a minimal impact on the area and its residents. Apart from cost (about £2,000 each) we have to consider the feasibility, siting and residents affected. The bus stop outside the Post Office is not practical for a shelter and relocating the stop would mean moving it a considerable distance from this convenient location. The stop by the Clock Tower is most unlikely to be considered for Heritage Site reasons.
‘Lack of a Public Telephone’
Response:
BT removed the unit by the Clock Tower due to lack of use – the advent of mobile telephones has resulted in many similar instances across the country. As a commercial company BT will not consider retaining loss-making aspects of its business, calls from boxes have declined by 90% and it is closing 20,000 (half) of its remaining boxes as it costs £6mn pa to maintain them with little or no income to offset this. The Parish Council will examine if re-instatement is possible.
‘Improve road junctions’
Response:
County Highways will only consider road junction amendments where there is a proven safety issue. The Scorrier junction is currently under Consultation for a scheme to make it safer at cost of £100,000 (payable by Cornwall Council) due to its accident record. The cost of changes to junctions does vary but is invariably in tens of thousands of pounds.
The B3298 is recognised as having hazardous junctions onto it hence the 30mph speed limit from Tollgullow to Carharrack, but not a record which justifies any changes. Regrettably motorists rarely adhere to the limit, the Parish Council is currently reviewing alternatives to reduce speed on the Parish roads from its funds. In the meantime Speed Watch is active on the B3298.
‘Better access to Parish Councillors’
Response:
Contact details for all Parish Councillors and the Parish Clerk can be found on the Parish website ‘stday.org.uk’, all Councillors live in the Parish (with one exception who can be found most days in the Post Office!) and are often be seen in and around the village. Councillors welcome any approach on Parish issues. The monthly Parish Council Meeting is open for all to attend and any Parishioner can table an item for debate at the meeting. The Parish Notice Board on-line via Facebook is also an opportunity to comment and request a response from the Parish Council. The Parish Newsletter contains contact details for all Councillors as well as a report for the last quarter.
‘Stop dogs barking at Pink Moors’
Response:
This is a local issue and has to be addressed by those affected. It is recommended that the Cornwall Council Website is visited and searched for ‘Environmental Protection – Noise’. Information on the alternatives available are explained, as are the steps which can be taken.
‘More native woodland planting’
Response:
The Parish Council can only determine what happens on land the Parish owns, for St Day this is very limited. Realistically there are no open spaces on Parish land where even a minimal level of tree planting would be feasible.
‘Clean Signs’, ‘Upkeep of green areas’, ‘Clear weeds from pavements’ ‘Overgrown roadside hedges’, Poor Pedestrian access to Redruth and ‘Footways better upkeep/extension of/signage’
Response:
A Minor Works Group has recently been set up to carry out small jobs around the Parish, appeals for more volunteers have been made in the Parish Newsletter as currently only 5 residents participate. The first task this group carried out was to clean the memorials on the rugby field and the nearby roadsigns. Other works will be done but this relies on more helpers to assist.
The Parish pays for certain footpath maintenance, (other is carried out by Cormac – for example the bridge repair on the footpath off Pink Moors) grass cutting in certain areas and weed spraying on as regular basis as can be justified (given the rate at which both grass and weeds grow in the South West). Other areas – such as the rugby field and Trenant field are not the responsibility of the Parish Council, if there is an issue with any area please advise the Parish Clerk.
Extending footways is an extremely costly undertaking and in many instances impractical due to the road width. We live in a rural area where it is usually accepted lanes and roads do not in general have an accompanying footway.
Whilst there is no footway to Redruth we do have a regular bus service with several stops through the Parish.
‘Lack of Allotments’
Response:
The Parish does not posses any land which is suitable and would be required to purchase an area which is not contaminated, if sufficient Parishioners request such a facility the Parish Council will review the possibility.
‘Greater Parish Council Presence needed’
Response:
The NDP is an example of the Council acting on behalf of its Parishioners, the level of involvement in the Parish by the Council can be reviewed on the Parish website where minutes of all meetings are recorded. A significant amount of time is given by all the Parish Councillors, who are unpaid volunteers, on behalf of the Residents. It is recognised that insufficient information on the work the Parish Council does is available and steps are being taken to correct this.
‘Improved funding from Local Government’
Response:
This is not an area over which the Parish Council has any significant control – the amount provided is based on a submission from the Parish Council, which must be within 2% of the previous year’s level, any higher and this triggers the need for a referendum of the Parish Electorate. Parishes can make representation to the County Council for funding for specific projects. With the reduction in funding from Central Government to councils the threshold for justifying fund allocation is now extremely high.
The Parish Council will look at opportunities via grants or other avenues to fund projects which benefit the Parish.
‘Christmas lighting’ and ‘Xmas lights – need more funding’
Response:
The Parish Council is considering this issue amongst other aspects where we could provide some limited funds to make improvements to the Parish for the benefit of all the Residents. We already provide a small grant for the provision of a Christmas Tree for the Market Square, any amount left over being retained by the Christmas Lights Committee.
‘Provide Wheelie bins’, ‘Improve recycling’ and ‘Better refuse/recycling collections’
Response:
The current method of collection is the most suitable approach, to provide wheelie bins is not practical for many properties in St Day centre as they do not have access to the rear of their premises and most do not have storage space at the front of their building. Cornwall Council is testing seagull-proof bags which, if successful, will be available in the future. To avoid litter from animal or bird damage to refuse and recycling bags only put them out on the day of collection.
The improvement of recycling is within the hands of the Residents, recently Cornwall Council extended the types of item for recycling to include plastic bottles etc. It is up to each individual to recycle using the bags provided, if you do not have the requisite recycling bags then these are available via the Cornwall Council website, in most cases at no charge.
We have a weekly refuse collection and two-weekly recycling collection, some areas are looking at doubling the time between collections, let us hope this is not the case for St Day.
‘St Day Old Church’
Response:
The Church Community Interest Company is active in its aim to purchase the site and utilise the church for arts and other projects. Some details are available on the St Day Parish Website and information on the officers of the Company is available through Companies House website.
