St Just and Pendeen News & Events

I thought it was worth me sharing a few things that have come my way and you might have missed.

Did you know that the Farmers’ Market in Pendeen is back on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10 till 1? It is now outside, opposite Pendeen Church in Church Road with traders under sturdy gazebos. Most people visiting say they love the atmosphere so, if you have not popped along, give it a try. A refreshment van with breakfast in a bun, drinks and snacks is available.

At the Farmers’ Markets on 17th October and 21st November, Sustainable Pendeen events will be there with heating and energy clinics.

Also, have you been keeping tabs on what is going on with the Penwith Landscape Partnership? Here is their most recent Newsletter to help you catch up and decide whether you want to get involved or benefit from their many projects.

PLP Newsletter No 13 FINAL

If you did not see my post about Outstanding Penwith at Night photography competition then here is the link: Outstanding Penwith at Night

This Friday myself and a few others from the Lands End Peninsula Community Land Trust are going to visit the Warren’s Factory site, now sadly empty and boarded up. I’m having some, probably crazy thoughts, of how we might take this on, either on our own or in partnership with a local commercial developer, to put something there that the community can have a real say on.

Ideas include, cohousing for older people (if you do not know what this is follow the link), possible other housing for local people – live/ work homes, self-build plots, homes to rent? There is also interest in providing garages so that those with no off road parking could buy/ rent one to have somewhere safe to park and also charge an electric car, if they make the switch. Do email me if you do not think I’m mad and want to be kept informed – use my personal email for this: sue.carnyorth@homecall.co.uk as I am looking at this as Chair of the Land Trust not your Cornwall Councillor. However, I expect I’ll be switching hats/ wearing multiple hats, if this progresses.

OUTREACH Parish Magazine continues to be mainly on-line but a few printed copies are at key public locations. Here is a link to find it: Outreach Magazine

Below is my contribution for October.

Update from Councillor, Sue James As We Get to Grips With “The Rule of 6”

My heading might well be out of date by the time you read this but the Rule was just being implemented as I typed. I’ve seen posts on Facebook that probably sum it up: you cannot have more that 6 people together unless there is a till or device to accept payment cards! However, I do not want to sound as if I’m just making Political jibes at our Government, as I do realise that if the economy totally crashes, and many more people lose their jobs, more families will be thrown into financial difficulties. That could be a similar crisis to the health impacts of the pandemic; the difference probably being that many younger people and families would be seriously impacted by a worsening of the economy whereas it is older folk more impacted by the Virus. Whilst the Rule of 6 does seem a clearer message, I suspect that by the time you read this, many exceptions will reveal an inconsistent public health message, causing people to follow their own safety rules to protect themselves and those closest to them, rather than obeying Government rules.

Oh, and do not get me started on the prospect (as I write) on the Government breaking International Law with its defence that it is only breaking the Law in a specific and limited way! So, if I get stopped for driving at 65m.p.h on a 60 m.p.h road, because I want to get past a convoy of slow moving vehicles before the road goes from 2 lanes to 1, can I say “I was breaking the law in a specific and limited way”, as a legitimate reason to avoid points and a fine?

Moving to local more day to day stuff, the Town Council had its Annual Meeting at which it was agreed that I remain the Deputy Mayor and Marna Blundy continues as our Mayor through to May 2021. I’m sure she will offer you more on Town Council matters. The Lands End Peninsula Community Land Trust (LEPCLT) also had its AGM and I’m still Chair of that charitable company. We re-stated our willingness to support local groups that want to pursue projects benefitting the community where that involves land and / or property.

LEPCLT continue to support those involved in getting funding to replace the Skate Park in St Just, and anticipate taking on a lease for the land from Cornwall Council, over the next few months. Whilst initially, I have been dismissive of the idea that the Community Land Trust could do anything with the Warren’s factory site in St Just, I have now started having (probably insane) thoughts that it might be possible to have supported living units for older and/ or disabled folk; and possibly even some units that people could stay in for temporary care and support, rather than going into hospital or as a route to rehabilitation to help them fully recover after hospitalisation.

If anyone thinks this is worth exploring and wants to help and / or has the odd £100,000 to spare, then do get in touch. The site is of course big enough that it could support regular housing or even some business units, with careful planning. I lack the technical knowledge on whether some of the current buildings could become the starting point, rather than knocking them all down and starting again. Is re-use and recycle the site, better than demolish and re-build?

I have put my name to a motion coming before Cornwall Council on 22 September opposing the Government’s wish to further distance planning decisions from local people and their elected representatives, who know what communities need and respect local distinctiveness. I hope that local folk who voted Tory did not believe they were voting for those wanting to build, build, build purely for profit, to have more of a say over the future of their town than those living in it. I recognise that, as we live in a protected landscape, we will be exempt from the worst excesses of the changes but our friends nearby in Penzance will not.

By the time you read this, I will have hopefully submitted the draft document that will eventually lead to our Dark Skies, above the West Penwith AONB, being protected by an International Park Designation. Now that we have scaled back our ambition, I hope we are not far from finalising our bid, and will have something to celebrate early in 2021.

Foodbank and Street Food Project are still welcoming our help, whether that is donations of all kinds of food or cash. When giving cash, ensure I know which project you want to benefit but we give food to whichever project we believe can make best use of it, although most probably goes to Foodbank. People can donate at St Just Library, during its normal opening hours but sadly Spar, in Pendeen are not proving such a reliable donation point. If any other local Pendeen/ Trewellard location, that is regularly accessible to all, wants to offer to be a donation point then do get in touch and I’ll get a box to you.