Last Report to St Just Town Council before the Election

Last Report to St Just Town Council before the Election, given at their meeting Tuesday evening. At the end of the report, Sue makes her pledges to you so you can consider electing her to the Town Council as well as to Cornwall Council; so she is asking you to vote Sue James on 2 ballot papers!

“Since your last meeting, Cornwall Council has been concluding business for this administration. Most matters being to set in place governance and induction arrangements for the next administration and to confirm our submission to the Boundary Review on the number of Cornwall Councillors required from 2021 as 99. The only other significant development has been the good news that a Stadium for Cornwall is now more secure and without any need for the Council to step in with funding. However, the next administration will need to take decisions about whether it wants to take on nearby land not now required for retail development, to provide housing and if so the tenure mix and funding.

Locally, the open day at Carnyorth Outdoor Activity Centre was felt to be a success on many fronts. First, local people, mainly families, did attend and seemed to enjoy finding out more about the Centre and taking part in the activities of climbing, a treasure hunt and crafts. The Centre staff found it useful interacting with local people and hope to propose a summer activities programme for local youngsters, based on their discussions with parents. St Julia’s did well selling refreshments and Lafrowda raised awareness of its all year round programme with people that do not usually engage at that level as well as raising some useful funds.

The Easter events at the Methodist Chapel were well supported and the creativity of local people, through their displays, was good to see. Whilst opinions on precisely what the building should be used for in the future are varied, passion for the building to remain connected to its roots and publicly accessible unites people.

A reminder that a consultation regarding St Just Recreation ground is still running, on Cornwall Council’s website and that, along with Councillor Clemens, I am meeting young people at the Cape School Council on 26 April to listen and discuss the skate park there.

I hope that those who sit around this table after the elections will work collaboratively and creatively together to serve the needs of local people despite continuing financial constraints. For those that do not return I hope you will continue to engage and support our local community. I wish you all well.”

If you vote for Sue James in both the Cornwall Council and St Just Town Council elections then she will encourage the new Town Council to review:

• their position re St Just Library in the hope some paid staff hours can be retained to support the community taking over the running of the Library;
• review their decision to buy the building they currently rent and consider whether tax payers money could be better used to support other important buildings in St Just, like the library and or the Methodist Chapel and whether there is scope to share a building in the town;
• call a public meeting to discuss with the community their appetite for developing a neighbourhood plan, what local people want it to cover and not cover and how they want to get involved – this, as far as Sue’s concerned needs to be community not Town Councillor led;
• review and consider how the Town Council can support the people of Pendeen in developing a community cemetery;
• consult local people on parking issues and where more parking might best be placed and street parking managed sensibly;
• review with the St Just in Bloom team how open spaces are best managed around the town to support their work but keep in mind the need to encourage bees and other insects.

This is quite a list so Sue will not get all matters on the first agenda! Be patient with, especially as a General Election will follow closely behind!