Protect our county, beaches & water.

I am so pleased to read many extracts of other Cornwall residents, which echo my own priorities, hopes & wishes for our future. For too long I have felt negative changes were out of our hands and no one was listening. Not only do I feel Cornwall's MPS do not represent the needs of Cornish communities, I simply feel they do not care. I believe our healthcare suffers immensely and any positive resources, including talent from younger generations, are lost because there is no incentive for them to stay. I feel housing and the environment become exploited at the hands of commercialism and pollution is ravaging the county. The M5 this morning is already gridlocked with people travelling SW bound. It is time to act. Cornwall is fast becoming a pastiche, commercialised and exploited.

I went to a talk at the Uni, by Rob Hopkins, a fantastic speaker who has a vast amount of experience regarding creativity and planning, things don't have to be complicated, to improve but they do need the commitment of local authority teams, like Cornwall Council as well as transition groups and Extinction rebellion, who have represented Cornish concerns in the major cities, as well as at home. Why do some people wait for over 15years for an allotment, when our curb-sides are being sprayed with pesticides? A whole new attitude to green space needs to be addressed. Too often Cornwall chooses the 'easy', short-term options which are harmful. Tourism is not sustainable and yet, we have a huge array of talent and community willingness to support what is already here. Make it easier for Cornish people to live here. Stop the traffic and harmful excessive footfall by nourishing the communities that are here and struggling; housing needs to be sustainable and truly affordable, built by us, not commercial lego housing which frankly is ugly, unaffordable and defiantly not a 'secret', which is pro-ported to be on boards advertising to out-of-county or above average, local wage buyers.

Stop the swathe of building sweeping across our seafronts; make them walkable, Mediterranean and open opportunities for new business start-ups for younger people to gain experience. Make EVERY town plastic free, not just penzance. Ask all supermarkets to commit to selling local produce and ban plastic bags. Events must all adhere to no plastic and commitment to keep our beaches and seas clean. I would also like to see boat and marine environments better protected and less human and commercial waste in our sea; less motorised vehicles approaching beach-side, eel and kelp beds protected. Every motor and sail (including docklands) need to be part of the commitment, not an exception to clean seas.

Lockdown peace has been incredible. I had forgotten how lovely Cornwall can be when it is silent and the stars come out. For too long, the housing situation for renters has beeunstable, buying houses impossible and we have been left washed out and awaiting the horror that will be Brexit. I was in Truro college, working as a practitioner on the day of the vote and every college attendee was broken hearted about not having a say; they knew the college had been given huge funding from the EU and they also discussed what it would mean for them in terms of future struggle. Tourism leaches our resources, it doesn't embed industry and allow youth to stay here. It is time to change and protect our communities for the long-term. Cornwall could be a National champion area leading the way but it requires the backbone of our local authority and commitment from transparent, committed MPs to stand up to Westminster and demand change on behalf of us, not inspite of us. Environment minister and local MP from Helston voted for the continued destruction of woodland and HS2 development. This is exactly the kind of priority that needs to be replaced for the good of our county and everyone in it.