As I write this just before Easter, spring is bursting out all over. The weather is lovely and I'm at the Growing Project helping put up the new poly-tunnel most days. We want to get it built quickly so we can get crops growing with all the advantage of this spring weather.
If you are wondering why the Butchers Arms car park is blocked off with massive concrete blocks, this happened after a large number of Irish Traveller caravans camped in the fields behind the pub in the middle of April. After Enterprise Inns, who own the pub, got the authorities to move them on, they have clearly decided it's safer to block everything off.
I've also put a piece in to this month's Parish Pump explaining what the Neighbourhood Development Plan is and where we are the process. This is a very important project for the parish, since if we don't have a plan, new housing developments could be built with very little control.
I'd like to welcome Charles Wadge, from the Queen Vic, to the Parish Council. I think it's very useful to have input from as wide a section of the community as possible.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk
with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the
Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page
is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com
or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs
for you to comment on these articles and other gems.
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Saturday, 15 March 2014
The Latest from Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
In my contributions to the Parish Pump I always try to keep you informed about what is going on in the parish in an impartial and objective way. So I was disappointed to be personally criticised for my reporting of what I have written about Sean Ellis moving his Wolf Centre to the parish. For those of you who do not have access to the internet and were not at the meeting...
At very short notice the Parish Council invited Shaun Ellis to an informal question and answer session so the community could find out what is going on. I was very pleased that, even in just a few days, word-of-mouth and the internet attracted so many people that it was standing room only.
On the internet I reported "There seemed to be about the same number of people who welcomed the Wolf Centre as were hostile. Shaun Ellis said that the Wolf Centre has 7 mature wolves, all raised in captivity. The wolf enclosure will be kept about 40m from the road and buildings are being soundproofed. The noise should be less annoying than the nearby dog kennels. Livestock and horses will not be disturbed. His daughter rides her horse by the wolves OK. They will have a small number of visitors (about 6 at a time) who will stay in local B&B. They have never had a wolf escape and they advise internationally as containment is their speciality. – Neighbours were concerned about the noise and risk of wolves, also a previous mobile home on the site burned out as the fire brigade did not have adequate water pressure when they attended."
My personal opinion is that wild animals should be free in the wild, but if Shaun Ellis keeps to the rules he is welcome as a member of the community.
The next big thing happening in the parish, is trying to run Millennium House through an organisation at arm's length from the parish council. I think this is a good idea and that both the parish and Millennium House will be run better.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
At very short notice the Parish Council invited Shaun Ellis to an informal question and answer session so the community could find out what is going on. I was very pleased that, even in just a few days, word-of-mouth and the internet attracted so many people that it was standing room only.
On the internet I reported "There seemed to be about the same number of people who welcomed the Wolf Centre as were hostile. Shaun Ellis said that the Wolf Centre has 7 mature wolves, all raised in captivity. The wolf enclosure will be kept about 40m from the road and buildings are being soundproofed. The noise should be less annoying than the nearby dog kennels. Livestock and horses will not be disturbed. His daughter rides her horse by the wolves OK. They will have a small number of visitors (about 6 at a time) who will stay in local B&B. They have never had a wolf escape and they advise internationally as containment is their speciality. – Neighbours were concerned about the noise and risk of wolves, also a previous mobile home on the site burned out as the fire brigade did not have adequate water pressure when they attended."
My personal opinion is that wild animals should be free in the wild, but if Shaun Ellis keeps to the rules he is welcome as a member of the community.
The next big thing happening in the parish, is trying to run Millennium House through an organisation at arm's length from the parish council. I think this is a good idea and that both the parish and Millennium House will be run better.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
The Latest from Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
With different responsible adults, I've started opening the Millennium House Cafe each Thursday evening between 6.30pm and 8.30pm so that the youths of Pensilva have somewhere warm and safe to gather for the evening, instead of being out in the cold. One of the girls asked me "Do you get paid for this", (I don't, I volunteer), but this got me thinking. I heard the Rev. Richard Coles on the radio talking about how worried he was for communities in this secular age. How the decline of the church, which used to be the "organised goodness" that brought everyone together, wasn't adequately replaced by the welfare state. As one of the secular members of the community, volunteering on the Parish Council, Pensilva Youth Projects, and even Callington Food Bank is my way of putting something back and bringing us together. It also keeps me busy instead of being slumped in front of the TV now I'm retired.
Here's an idea for bringing the community together that sounded interesting, "The Big Lunch" is something started by Tim Smit of the Eden Project. The idea is that, throughout the country, street parties happen on the same day, with neighbours sharing food and ideas, meeting neighbours they may never have spoken to before. This year it's Sunday 1st June. Anybody interested?
It was surprising to hear that Shaun Ellis and his wife Kim are moving their wolves to the parish. You might have seen Shaun on the TV actually living with his wolves as a pack member. They failed to get planning permission in North Devon, so are moving here. Their new neighbours are concerned about the effect that a pack of howling wolves will have on their sheep and horses. Can livestock learn to become accustomed to the noise? I don't know. Will a Wolf Centre be a tourist attraction creating local jobs? I've asked them to give a presentation about the move, so hopefully we'll get to ask questions and get answers.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Here's an idea for bringing the community together that sounded interesting, "The Big Lunch" is something started by Tim Smit of the Eden Project. The idea is that, throughout the country, street parties happen on the same day, with neighbours sharing food and ideas, meeting neighbours they may never have spoken to before. This year it's Sunday 1st June. Anybody interested?
It was surprising to hear that Shaun Ellis and his wife Kim are moving their wolves to the parish. You might have seen Shaun on the TV actually living with his wolves as a pack member. They failed to get planning permission in North Devon, so are moving here. Their new neighbours are concerned about the effect that a pack of howling wolves will have on their sheep and horses. Can livestock learn to become accustomed to the noise? I don't know. Will a Wolf Centre be a tourist attraction creating local jobs? I've asked them to give a presentation about the move, so hopefully we'll get to ask questions and get answers.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
The Latest from Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
I understand that
there is a lot of disquiet in the village about the future of Millennium House. There have been a number of changes in
the staff and running of Millennium House which were essential to reduce costs.
Change is never easy, but it will be a lot easier and more successful if we
work together. Millennium House is our parish community centre and is
subsidised by us through our council taxes. Local sports teams and many other
groups in the community benefit from the subsidised facilities. As well as paid
staff, we rely on volunteers to keep Millennium House running. Without
volunteers we would have to employ more staff, paid for by increased taxes. So
please volunteer.
I'm still comparatively new to the parish council, and don't know the history and personalities involved, but it is obvious to me that some people are still upset about some of the changes that have happened. I would like them to contribute to the future of the parish. Remember that Parish Councillors are volunteers and are all trying to do their best to make things better for the community. It's not all sweetness and light. Parish Councillors have different opinions. We disagree about many things, have our say, vote, and go with the majority. That's democracy. There are places vacant on the council, so I suggest that anyone who wants things to be run differently volunteers.
Millennium House has been our community centre for the last fifteen years. Built by Lottery and European grant funds, it is an asset that other communities envy, with reason. This facility exists and is not going away, so let's use it and enjoy it.
The December storms destroyed two greenhouses at The Growing Project, but I will help replace them with something even better. We’ve also started on the Incredible Edible Pensilva scheme for free fruit and veg in the village.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
I'm still comparatively new to the parish council, and don't know the history and personalities involved, but it is obvious to me that some people are still upset about some of the changes that have happened. I would like them to contribute to the future of the parish. Remember that Parish Councillors are volunteers and are all trying to do their best to make things better for the community. It's not all sweetness and light. Parish Councillors have different opinions. We disagree about many things, have our say, vote, and go with the majority. That's democracy. There are places vacant on the council, so I suggest that anyone who wants things to be run differently volunteers.
Millennium House has been our community centre for the last fifteen years. Built by Lottery and European grant funds, it is an asset that other communities envy, with reason. This facility exists and is not going away, so let's use it and enjoy it.
The December storms destroyed two greenhouses at The Growing Project, but I will help replace them with something even better. We’ve also started on the Incredible Edible Pensilva scheme for free fruit and veg in the village.
Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
The Latest from Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
We had a good turnout for the public meetings at the end of November, where I presented a slide show of information about our Neighbourhood Development Plan. We then had a good discussion followed by the opportunity for everyone to leave comments on Post-Its stuck on flip charts headed by different issues. These comments will be invaluable to the Working Group in creating a survey which we will all receive so that our democratic opinion on parish issues can form the plan we all get to vote on in a referendum. If we pass it, this plan will then have legal standing that can't be ignored by the local planning authority.
A few of the comments related to forming a community energy company that would generate and sell electricity locally and cheaper. I could get really enthusiastic about this idea. There is a similar organisation at Wadebridge called WREN. They also concentrate on helping the community save energy by good insulation and other measures.
The plan for photovoltaic panels of Millennium House looks like it will go ahead. The electricity generated will provide income and savings that can pay off the loan after five years. From then on we generate massive savings which should mean a reduction in our community charge.
I'm still working on the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk adding council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Last but not least, several of us are working on turning Pensilva Youth Project into a properly constituted charity so that we can expand what it does. I also want to involve young people in managing the project as full trustees. This has recently become possible since the minimum age for trustees has been changed from 18 to 16.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
A few of the comments related to forming a community energy company that would generate and sell electricity locally and cheaper. I could get really enthusiastic about this idea. There is a similar organisation at Wadebridge called WREN. They also concentrate on helping the community save energy by good insulation and other measures.
The plan for photovoltaic panels of Millennium House looks like it will go ahead. The electricity generated will provide income and savings that can pay off the loan after five years. From then on we generate massive savings which should mean a reduction in our community charge.
I'm still working on the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk adding council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.
Last but not least, several of us are working on turning Pensilva Youth Project into a properly constituted charity so that we can expand what it does. I also want to involve young people in managing the project as full trustees. This has recently become possible since the minimum age for trustees has been changed from 18 to 16.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Friday, 15 November 2013
The Latest From Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
At last, the Parish Council web site can now be found at st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk. I took the header sunset photo at the height of this year's heatwave and hope it reminds us that summer will return. As with the Facebook page, I'm trying to encourage interaction. So many of the pages can be used to leave comments. I’m still looking for contributions – background information
about the parish would be good. Don't forget, if you want to learn and join in creating
the web site, I’m still looking for volunteers.
By the time you read this, the Neighbourhood Development Plan public meetings at 7.30pm on 29th November (St Ive Institute) & 30th November (Millennium House) will be either just about to happen or over, (depending when you get your copy). Which is why we told you about them in last month's pump, but I'll mention them again just in case. The PowerPoint presentation for the meeting is available on the Parish Council web site.
The Facebook Page "St Ive Parish Council" (which non-Facebook users can view at www.facebook.com/stiveparishcouncil) is being updated regularly with local news items. Tell me if you want different items, or join in and be an editor/contributor. Maybe your group wants some internet visibility for your events – just ask.
There has been a minor case of vandalism in Millennium House (a broken ceiling tile) and now, in the evening, people are only allowed in on legitimate business. This means that those members of the community who used to use the reception area as an informal gathering point, mainly a few of the youth of Pensilva, will no longer have a warm safe place to meet. This has happened just when a few of us are trying to set up a proper youth club. Maybe it's good timing, as it shows that something needs to be done to provide a place for young people to gather in a safe environment.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
By the time you read this, the Neighbourhood Development Plan public meetings at 7.30pm on 29th November (St Ive Institute) & 30th November (Millennium House) will be either just about to happen or over, (depending when you get your copy). Which is why we told you about them in last month's pump, but I'll mention them again just in case. The PowerPoint presentation for the meeting is available on the Parish Council web site.
The Facebook Page "St Ive Parish Council" (which non-Facebook users can view at www.facebook.com/stiveparishcouncil) is being updated regularly with local news items. Tell me if you want different items, or join in and be an editor/contributor. Maybe your group wants some internet visibility for your events – just ask.
There has been a minor case of vandalism in Millennium House (a broken ceiling tile) and now, in the evening, people are only allowed in on legitimate business. This means that those members of the community who used to use the reception area as an informal gathering point, mainly a few of the youth of Pensilva, will no longer have a warm safe place to meet. This has happened just when a few of us are trying to set up a proper youth club. Maybe it's good timing, as it shows that something needs to be done to provide a place for young people to gather in a safe environment.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
Saturday, 19 October 2013
The Latest From Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney
By the time this goes to press the
window of opportunity to make representations to Cornwall Council about the
Neighbourhood Area for the St Ive Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan will be
closed – it ends 25th October. No other parish has had a single
comment at this stage in the process, so I expect that we will be made an
approved area this month. So now that that bit of bureaucracy is out of the way,
we can get on with finding out what you want the future of the parish to be,
and making it happen.
It’s not straightforward looking at the future of the parish. Three hundred people in St Ive right on the A390, so good communications, but with few facilities. Then we have two thousand people in Pensilva, with the school, surgery and industrial estate, but at the end of narrow lanes. The trend shows an increasing number of retirees joining the community, while the lack of jobs for the young drives them away. This skews the population towards the elderly, with a surprisingly large number of single occupancy dwellings. I’m working on the Community Profile document which shows the current state of the parish, which is why I see these issues which our Neighbourhood Plan will need to address.
The Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Group has now been given Terms of Reference by the Parish Council, which at least gives us all an idea of what we are supposed to be doing. We will be looking to include “local members of the community who can bring value to the project” in the working group, so keep a look out for forthcoming events.
The Facebook Page "St Ive Parish Council" (which non-Facebook users can view at www.facebook.com/stiveparishcouncil) is being updated regularly with local news items. Tell me if you want different items, or join in and be an editor/contributor. Maybe your group wants some internet visibility for your events – just ask.
The parish web site is still very much a “work in progress”. I’m still looking for contributions – background information about the parish would be good. Also, if you want to learn and join in creating the web site, I’m still looking for volunteers.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
It’s not straightforward looking at the future of the parish. Three hundred people in St Ive right on the A390, so good communications, but with few facilities. Then we have two thousand people in Pensilva, with the school, surgery and industrial estate, but at the end of narrow lanes. The trend shows an increasing number of retirees joining the community, while the lack of jobs for the young drives them away. This skews the population towards the elderly, with a surprisingly large number of single occupancy dwellings. I’m working on the Community Profile document which shows the current state of the parish, which is why I see these issues which our Neighbourhood Plan will need to address.
The Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Group has now been given Terms of Reference by the Parish Council, which at least gives us all an idea of what we are supposed to be doing. We will be looking to include “local members of the community who can bring value to the project” in the working group, so keep a look out for forthcoming events.
The Facebook Page "St Ive Parish Council" (which non-Facebook users can view at www.facebook.com/stiveparishcouncil) is being updated regularly with local news items. Tell me if you want different items, or join in and be an editor/contributor. Maybe your group wants some internet visibility for your events – just ask.
The parish web site is still very much a “work in progress”. I’m still looking for contributions – background information about the parish would be good. Also, if you want to learn and join in creating the web site, I’m still looking for volunteers.
Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.
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