A greener Cornwall for Cornish communities

For me the positives far exceeded the negatives under 'lockdown'. Delabole was always a community spirited place, but the response of the village has been outstanding. As a conservationist I have always valued nature, but even I have been bowled over by the beauty of flowers, trees, hedges, birds and bees, during the stunning spring weather. It was good to see people you don't normally see on country walks beginning to appreciate the nature all around them. Initially going everywhere on foot and by bike, made you notice things more, take paths you had never ventured down before, build up mental maps of the surroundings, and talk to more people. I valued the quietness of the roads and countryside. We want less traffic on our roads and less pollution. We want to be able to be able to cycle and walk in our country roads without the danger of being knocked over by cars. In the absence of pavements, we want want more combined cycle and walking paths created, away from the roads, so we can get from A to B under our own steam. And I don't just mean coastal walks for the tourists, but paths that allow the residents to travel between villages and towns in safety (and beautiful surroundings). Plus a grant scheme to allow residents to borrow and/or buy electric bikes to cope with the hills and distances in Cornwall. I am concerned by the idea we should build our way out of the economic effects of COVID-19. I think it is a great mistake to relax planning regulations. Local residents must retain the right to veto inappropriate developments and both Whitehall and Cornwall Council can not be allowed to dictate what is built in our villages. We don't want a whole load of extra houses built in inappropriate areas. For instance Delabole doesn't have the local shops, doctors, dentists, post offices, banks, schools, parking etc to cope with such schemes. A handful of houses spread around the village for local people to rent is fine, but big developments are a no-no. They will merely attract outsiders to our villages and will not benefit the existing residents at all. Second homes and holiday homes should definitely be discouraged as they don't contribute to community life, and price young people and existing renters, who might want to buy at some stage, out of the area. (Any houses that are built need to have solar panels and other green features built into them from the start.) The green belt around villages and towns should be protected. We need to prioritise the likes of community centres, post offices, banks and free ATMs to villages and small towns, so we don't have to travel miles and miles to access facilities. Biodiversity should be protected and expanded. Tree planting, rewilding, natural regeneration of woodland and forests should be prioritised. Introduce native species such as beavers to cope with flooding. Protect trees so local councils, developers or whoever can't just cut down large trees valued by the village without consulting widely, just because they claim they might be slightly unsafe, get in the way of buildings etc. Please plant community orchards for residents to have access to free fruit. We want wildflowers planted on verges, things left to grow a little wild rather than mowing things closely. I want access to libraries, to adult learning, art centres, galleries, theatre for the residents in North Cornwall, so we don't have to travel to Truro, Penryn, Falmouth, St Ives to access such things. Forest school should be provided for all nursery, primary and secondary schools. Geography field trips and other trips out of the classroom should be promoted. We can't let COVID-19 prevent such trips just because they are difficult to execute. A natural history GCSE should be promoted. School sports fields and access for the community to sports grounds, leisure centres etc should be provided. More public loos should be provided, as closing toilets during lockdown had loads of bad effects. People should be fined for dropping litter on the beaches and countryside. How about locals paying less in local car parks? Protecting our NHS services should be promoted, such as more NHS dentists, physios, GPs, free parking at hospitals etc. I could go on, but essentially promote nature, green initiatives, and look after your residents as opposed to just catering for tourists.