Latest News - Mawnan Parish Council

The proposed development in Castle View Park will not be included on the agenda for the June meeting of Mawnan Parish Council.

Mawnan Parish Council feels that it is more appropriate to hold an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council on Thursday 1st July 2010 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall to enable people to speak on the plans.

This planning application is proposing one of the largest developments the village has seen for some time. The application includes 8 affordable dwellings and it is important that all parishioners are able to give their views.

Mawnan Parish Council is a statutory consultee to Cornwall Council. The observations made by the Parish Council to Cornwall Council will be based on the necessity for the houses, public opinion, planning law and the plans submitted. Mawnan Parish Council encourages all members of the village to attend the meeting and express their views.

The proposed plans are available for inspection in the Parish Council Office by appointment with the Parish Clerk on a Thursday or Friday morning. Plans can also be viewed at Cornwall Council or on the Cornwall Council website (see instructions below).

If accessing the Online Planning System, you should use the menus on the Cornwall Council website (www.cornwall.gov.uk) to access Environment & Planning / Planning / Online Planning Register / West 2 (formerly Kerrier). Take the Advanced tab, and enter planning reference "PA10/03294"

MAWNAN PARISH COUNCIL

sends Christmas and New Year Greetings

to all Mawnan Parishioners

The council is pleased to announce that MS SARAH MOORE has been appointed Clerk, effective 1st November 2009. Sarah has been working from Camborne Town Council, and also as temporary Clerk to Crowan Parish Council.

Sarah has also been appointed as Clerk to Budock Parish Council, and will work out of the office in Mawnan Smith in both capacities. The office will continue to be open to members of the public on Thursday and Friday mornings, from 10.00am to 12.00 Noon.

A handover of responsibilities from John Harrop will take pace during the next two weeks. The council wishes to thank John for his hard work over the years, and to extend its best wishes for the future.

BUDOCK & MAWNAN PARISH COUNCILS wish to appoint new Clerks to the Councils. Hours approximately 22 per week in total. The preferred option would be to appoint one individual to both positions. However, if appropriate, two separate appointments may be made.

Mr. John Harrop
Clerk to Budock & Mawnan Parish Councils
Telephone : 01326 368067

As part of the council's commitment to the promotion of Democracy and Citizenship, Cllrs Gartside and Mrs Lawry, plus the Clerk to the council presented election manifestos to the pupils of Mawnan School on Thursday, 21st May 2009. Pupils were also invited to ask pertinent questions. A number of pupils assisted by acting as "election agents" for the three candidates.

There followed a ballot on the morning of 22nd May 2009, as a result of which the Green Party candidate was selected, and gave an acceptance speech.

The Parish Council wishes to thank all of the pupils for their cooperation, and looks forward to assisting at similar events in years to come.

At the councils AGM, Cllr DAVID GIBBONS was elected to succeed Cllr Malcolm Dearnley as Vice Chairman of the council, for 2009/10. Congratulations to David.

Please note that, due to annual leave, the Parish Council office will not be open on Thursday/Friday, 9-10th April. It will reopen the following Thursday, 16th April 2009.

A number of people in the village have recently experienced a “buzzing or singing” in the ears. It would seem to be highly unlikely that everybody is suffering from tinnitus at the same time and it may well be being caused by some external source. Before the Council looks into this any further, we are anxious to understand how widespread the problem really is.

If you have also experienced this problem recently, we would be grateful if you could contact the Council by phone on 251051, e-mail at clerk@mawnan.org.uk, or leave a note in the Council office in Goldmartin Square.

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at 7.00pm in the Memorial Hall, Mawnan Smith, immediately prior to the April meeting of the Parish Council.

All electors of the Parish of Mawnan are entitled to attend this meeting, at which local organisations will be invited to give reports on their activities during the past year, and any other parish affairs may be discussed, and resolutions passed about them.

It has been reported to the Parish Council that Maenporth Beach car park has been substantially extended, meaning that there is less actual beach than previously existed.

The council understands that the beach, which was historically part-owned by Carrick District Council and The Crag (and later Pilkingtons), is now 100% owned by Carrick, but leased back to the Maenporth Estate (ex-Pilkingtons) on a 99-year lease. It is understood that the car park itself is maintained, along with the beach, by the owners of the Beach Cafe, in return for parking fees paid by members of the public.

The council is to schedule a meeting with the Maenporth estate, to discuss the operation and size of the beach car park.

The proposed self-build scheme off Castle View Park, Mawnan Smith has been at the planning stage for many years, with little progress being made due to access problems cited by Cornwall County Highways.

It may well be that the scheme will never be in a position to proceed, so the Parish Council will discuss this matter at its next meeting, on 19th March 2009.

A number of incidents have been brought to the attention of the council by members of the public and local groups. These have included repeated damage to the public toilets, damage at local churches, incidents of projectiles being thrown at vehicles, and reported intimidation of older residents by groups of youths.

ALL suspicious activities, or situations ehere you might feel intimated should be reported to the POLICE immediately on 0845 2777 444, as they are unable to respond to an incident until they are made aware that it has occurred.

This matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the Parish Council, along with suggestions that Neighbour Watch areas be set up, and that the police have a more visible presence at twilight, when a number of the incidents have occurred.

The first Chairman's Blog has now been posted on the website. CLICK HERE for details.

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has confirmed that Mawnan should retain its Quality Status for the next four years. Mawnan is one of just 15 Quality Town & Parish Councils in Cornwall, and was the second in Cornwall to achieve this accolade, back in November 2004.

Quality Council status brings real benefits, shows an ability to deliver efficient services to local residents, and gives the council greater authority when seeking delegated functions from principle councils.

As promised by County Highways, the work is now underway, and should be completed very shortly.

Parish & District Cllr Rex Sadler, former Leader of Kerrier District Council and long standing District Councillor for Constantine, Gweek and Mawnan, has been honoured with an MBE in the New Year Honours List.

Cllr Sadler is awarded the MBE for his services to local government in Cornwall, and will be presented with his medal in London later in the year. MBE's are awarded for achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field or which stands out as an example to others.

At the December council meeting it was recommended that the Parish Council's Budget & Precept for 2009/10 be set at £43,200, i.e. NO INCREASE over the current year, 2008/09.

This budget is based upon the Council retaining in balances certain amounts required from the current budget to deliver previously agreed services. Earmarked (committed) will be retained from 2008/09 for :-

• CPO to extend Graveyard £ 12,272
• Highway Safety – Future Expenditure £ 8,000
• Public Toilets – Future Expenditure £ 1,500
• Memorial Hall – Future Expenditure £ 500
• Clerk’s Pension Contributions Reserve £ 823

The 2009/10 Precept will be approximately £52 per “Band D equivalent” Household, or £35 per Elector.

County Highways have confirmed the siting of the Variable Message Sign (Speed Visor) on Grove Hill, above the Shute Hill juncton. Installation will take place in early January 2009, and the sign will incorporate both a flashing 30mph sign, and a School warning sign.

The Parish Council, in conjunction with Cornwall County Council, has set up a recycling facility for small household batteries. AAA, AA, C & D, plus button batteries used in hearing aids, mobile phones, etc. can be recycled.

The recycling tube is installed inside the "Hammer 'n' Hoe" shop, Goldmartin Square, Mawnan Smith. Many thanks to the proprietor for his assistance.

2nd October 2008 - Cllr Nigel Gilmore to run one full and one half marathons

Just thought I’d let you know that my New York Marathon sponsorship is going very well and, thanks to everyone’s support, I’m making good progress towards my target pledged to Health Unlimited, so a big thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, even though most of you do seem to think I’m crackers!

However, I am also running in the Great North Run on Sunday 5 October, again on a charity place, and this time I’m aiming to raise money for the World Cancer Research Fund. Again I would be very grateful for any contributions, but I am most definitely not asking you to contribute twice, merely trying to provide you with more choice!

If you would like to sponsor me for the Great North Run, the easiest way would be if you could let me know how much for and then to pop a cheque in the post.

I promise that having had a gap of 13 years from long distance running and fundraising, I will not be making a habit of this!

The council is pleased to report that a Community Grant from Cornwall County Council has doubled the contribution made by Mawnan Parish Council, towards new chairs for the Memorial Hall. The chairs have already been ordered and delivered, and should be of great benefit to everyone using the hall.

Cllrs Mrs Beth Lawry and the Allotments Group have been informed by County Farms that it will not be possible to make available the land immediately behind the MCA Hall, at Carwinion Playing Fields.

The council and the Allotments Group are still on the lookout for sufficient land for up to 20 allotments, so if anyone can help, then please get in touch with :-

Cllr Mrs Beth Lawry or Alex Roebuck, Rosedek, Carlidnack Road, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5HA Telephone (01326) 250670

Back in October 2006, the restoration of the old village smithy commenced. With a budget of some £385,000, the Mawnan Anvil Trust has restored it to its former glory, and developed three Craft Workshops alongside it. The centre is now a wonderful tourist facility for Mawnan Smith, and with St Michael's Church, has really created a new heart to the village.

There is now a welcome opportunity to complete the development. The blacksmith's house, "Chy an Scol", could be made available for purchase, and converted into a village amenity.

With this in mind, the Anvil Trust and the Parish Council have held preliminary discussions with the current owner, and formulated tentative plans on how this building might be utilised to the best advantage, for the benefit of the community.

Ideas are still at a very early stage, but we would welcome opinion and discussion on how people feel about this possible development. There is no doubt that the Anvil Trust, and the village as a whole, could benefit from a cafe. One idea is to convert the downstairs, some 51 square metres, into a cafe and a craft shop. The garden, of approximately 460 square metres could be converted into a seating area for the cafe, with an arched entrance joining the Smithy and Craft Workshops to "Chy an Scol". The existing craft units are proving both popular and successful, and the house garage could be converted to become an additional craft unit. These facilities would all generate income.

Upstairs is an open book. At 36 square metres, there are several opportunities available. The Parish Plan demonstrated a requirement/desire for a reading room and an internet cafe.

There might be some room for a local history museum, as in the Tolman centre in Constantine, where artifacts and photographs could be exhibited.

If the parish agrees with our ambitions to purchase the property and develop it into a village amenity, a new charitable trust would be formed with representatives from the Anvil Trust and the Parish Council.

The new Trust would be looking to obtain grants from various funding bodies to the tune' of some £400,000 to cover the purchase of the property and the necessary conversions.

Whether or not any of this is possible is dependent upon attracting grant funding. Both the Anvil Trust and the Parish Council have had considerable success in the past, but we know that unless the village really buys into this initiative then it will not be successful.

We are, therefore, holding an Open Meeting at 6-30pm on Thursday. 19th June 2008. in the Memorial Hall, for anyone to put ideas forward. We should have an artist's impression of the exterior, and photographs of the existing property, to illustrate what could be achieved.

Above all, however, we want to hear your ideas. If we are successful then we can be proud in the knowledge that we will be helping to create a vibrant and dynamic village centre, protected against development for future generations.

If, for any reason, you are unable to attend the meeting, but have an opinion or idea which you would like to put forward, then please complete the attached tear-off slip, and return it to the Parish Council Office.

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I am interested in the possibility of seeing further development alongside the existing Anvil Trust facilities.

Copies of the second version of the guide are likely to be in very short supply by the end of the busy holiday period. A reprint is scheduled for the autumn, after which copies will be available in local shops and hotels, as in previous years. The Parish Council wishes to thank advertisers and sponsors for their kind contributions, which make production of the guide possible.

The Junior Playing Field Trust has obtained a grant of £6,500 from the National Lottery, to allow the removal and replacement of the old swings which have been in place for almost 30 years. At the same time as the new swings were erected, new safety surfaces were installed.

The Parish Council and the Trust wish to thank the Lottery’s “Awards For All” scheme for their grant, which made all of this possible.

The county-wide PPIP program has resulted in new sign and way marking, replacement stiles and gates and other upgrading work. The Parish Council wishes to thank the County Council for its investment and hard work.

At some time over the weekend of the 27th / 28th October, thieves struck and stripped lead from the roofs of Mawnan Parish Church and the Methodist Chapel, causing thousands of pounds of damage. Anyone who saw anything suspicious should report it to the police.

It was reported at the Council meeting last evening that the speed visor in Grove Hill is completing trials to determine the best permanent position for the device (aimed at reducing traffic speed around the School).

Footpath 16 (alongside the Junior Playing Field) has been in need of resurfacing for more years than we can remember. Now after much chasing, the work has been completed. Cllr Mrs Briars recalls that this was a "need" she raised when she first joined the Council 35 years ago.

"This is your story, it's about the role the village played in World War Two. It's taken over a year to produce and I hope you think it’s worth it" Those were the opening words of Dr. Denis Gartside, Chairman of Mawnan Parish Council as he introduced the video "Mawnan At War". Over sixty five invited guests, members of local councils and MP for Camborne and Falmouth Julia Goldsworthy watched enthralled as the story developed.

From the escapades of the Home Guard, the bravery of the Special Operations Executive in the Helford River ferrying agents to and from occupied France, the build up to the D-Day landings from Trebah and the Latymer School evacuees, "Mawnan At War" is a nostalgic and personal story of the role Mawnan Smith played in the Second World War.

Using archive film and photographs provided by villagers together with contemporary interviews, the story is told through the eyes of residents and veterans - sometimes sad, sometimes amusing but always highly personal and provides this unique insight of the village during the war years.

The sixty minute video was funded by D-day Voices and Home Front Recall and will provide a historical record for future generations.

The DVD is now available free of charge (1 copy/household) from the Parish Council office

The Parish Council is most grateful to the trust for their kind donation of £250 towards footpath maintenance in the area.

Comments have been made recently about Admin costs of the Parish Council. In a random survey of Town & Parish Councils of similar "financial" size to Mawnan, costs, excluding staff, are a modest 9.4% of the precept. Last year was higher because of set-up costs of the PC office.

Congratulations to our neighbours, Constantine, on winning through to the next round of the Best Kept Village competition.

On behalf of the Parish Council I would like to thank all those individuals of represented organisations for the excellent effort in presenting our village life and activity in such a creditable way.

The judging was undertaken on the 24th of August and so many parts of the village looked wonderful. I would also like to thank those residents, shopkeepers and the Red Lion who greatly added floral colour to the village.

The final part was a collective description of many of our organisations, given in the Memorial Hall by 20 representatives, including our (sadly) retiring Vicar.

With the retirement in March 2006 of our long serving Clerk, Mrs Sarah Mason, after more than 10 years service to the community, John Harrop has now been appointed as Clerk to the Council and will pick up the reins on 1st April 2006.

The Parish Council has set up a small central office, where the public can discuss problems with Councillors (by appointment), and look at any plans coming before the Council. The office is in Goldmartin Square, in the premises of P Berry + Co, and is open to members of the public on Thursday and Friday mornings between 10.00 am and noon. The office will be manned at those times by the Clerk to the Council. A Councillor may also be present.

However, we would recommend 'phoning to ensure that there is someone in - they may be out on other business.

The Parish Council has been working hard to improve the facilities in the toilets opposite the Red Lion. New windows have been fitted and interior fittings upgraded. A new cleaning contract is in place, and timelocks have been fitted to the doors. Hot air hand dryers have been installed.

The toilets are open from 9.00 am to 8.00 pm. The disabled toilet is available to key holders 24 hours a day.

This report takes the form of questions and answers in order to make presentation and understanding easier. The answers are backed by hundreds of different statistics which needed careful analysis in order to produce this report. Councillors are welcome to inspect the actual SpeedVisor results should they wish.

A1. In order to find out we used the SpeedVisor to monitor traffic speeds both northbound (coming into the village from the Bosveal crossroads) and southbound (out of the village towards the Bosveal crossroads). The northbound measurements were taken between 28 January 2004 and 18 February 2004. The southbound measurements were taken around March/April 2004 but the results were lost when the SpeedVisor was destroyed by a ‘hit and run’ driver.

The northbound results (in monitoring mode – ie no flashing sign) showed that the average speed of traffic overall was 31.9 mph which does not sound too bad, but 9.0% of traffic was exceeding 40mph (342 vehicles in all or nearly 50 each day) and all told 62% was exceeding the 30mph speed limit – that is 2350 vehicles or 335 each day. Remember, these vehicles are approaching the bend in the road above the school, the Shute Hill junction, the entrance to Abbeyfield and the footpath to the Junior Playing Field. They cannot see round the bend from the point their speed was measured so cannot see school children crossing the road, or traffic emerging from Shute Hill or other hazards further down the road.

It is also worth keeping in mind the facts about pedestrian survival in the event of being hit by a car. At 30mph a pedestrian stands an 80% chance of surviving being hit by a car. At 40mph a pedestrian stands only a 20% chance of surviving. Put in context with some of the statistics above it can be seen that nearly 50 times a day there is the potential for a collision with a speeding vehicle to leave a pedestrian with less than a 20% chance of surviving.

Q2. Traffic calming measures were introduced in the summer of 2004. Have they improved matters?

A2. In order to find out the SpeedVisor was brought back to monitor northbound traffic (ie coming into the village) between 23 November 2004 and 15 December 2004. Northbound is the only before and after comparison we can make because of the loss of the Southbound data to the ‘hit and run’ driver.

In general the traffic calming measures had a negative effect – that is to say traffic speeds increased. The average speed (in monitoring mode – no flashing sign) rose from 31.9mph to 33.5mph and the percentage of traffic exceeding 40mph rose from 9.0% to 11.4%. The percentage of traffic exceeding the 30mph speed limit is difficult to compare due to changes in the way the information has been presented but it would be reasonable to say that there has been an increase probably to around 70%.

So, to put absolute numbers on the results from the second SpeedVisor measurements:

- 555 vehicles were exceeding 40mph (nearly 80 each day)
- 3400 vehicles were exceeding 30mph (over 480 each day)

Q3. All the statistics mentioned already were taken with the SpeedVisor in monitoring mode (no display of ‘30mph Slow Down’). When the display was switched on, how much difference did it make?

A3. The display does make a difference but in some respects only a marginal one.

Looking at the northbound results again, the display reduced average speed in the first measurement period from 31.9mph to 31.7mph and in the second from 33.5mph to 31.7mph.
It increased those complying with the speed limit from 37.3% to 41.3% (first measurement period) and from 29.5% to 32.5% (second measurement period).
It does seem to alter the behaviour of faster drivers more significantly, reducing the over 40mph drivers from 9.0% to 6.3% (first measurement period) and 11.4% to 4.8% (second measurement period).

- Average speed dropped from 30mph to 28.9mph.
- Those complying with the speed limit increased from 51.7% to 55.3%.
- Those exceeding 40mph dropped from 3.2% to 1.2%.

The statistics do show that when the display is switched on behaviour can be changed quite dramatically, but it doesn’t last more than a couple of days before speeds creep up again.

A5. From about 7am through to around 4pm speeds are fairly constant. After 4pm speeds increase and at 9pm to 10pm one third of traffic exceeds 40mph and average speed (northbound) increases towards 40mph. Southbound results are much less dramatic.
Even so, at 8am/9am when the children are going to school around 10% of northbound drivers are exceeding 40mph and between 3pm and 4pm the figure is around 7%. Average speed northbound at these times is 32/33mph. The fastest 15% of drivers are exceeding 38mph at these times.

Southbound drivers are averaging about 30mph at these times with only 1 or 2% of drivers exceeding 40mph.

A6. It is proposed that an Action Plan be drawn up and agreed by a number of parties including the Parish Council, the Police and the school. Any other interested parties could also be included. The results from the Parish Plan questionnaire also need to be factored in.

Grove Hill is not the only traffic issue in the parish. Boskenso corner needs consideration (bad visibility) as does the traffic speed through Penwarne which is being monitored by PC Whyte. There may be others.

During its preparation the plan needs to be discussed with Cornwall county Council Highways Department and County Councillor Neil Hatton.

Ultimately, decisions will need to be taken about what traffic calming measures (if any) are possible/affordable/desirable and how/who will implement them.

Five people from the village have almost completed a training course to become medical First Responders, who will be able to give help to heart attack victims in the precious few minutes before the ambulance arrives.

Advice - if you need to call out an ambulance, make sure that you tell them where you are - this can save precious minutes.

Mawnan Community Website - Parish Council