The Cornwall We Want

What are your hopes and fears for the future?

• Share How much is too much? on Facebook Share How much is too much? on Twitter Share How much is too much? on Linkedin Email How much is too much? link

  How much is too much?

  almost 6 years ago

  I've been reading the other responses and understand both sides of this argument. We do need tourism and all that means and brings but wouldn't it be nice to have less tourists? It has been delightful to to enjoy some summer without the hoards hasn't it? However we do need those hoards to keep us going - I get it. However do we actually need more? More apartments more second homes more campsites more tourism. Surely we have enough to maintain a busy vibrant tourism industry that does provide employment, albeit very seasonal and in large part low paid and... Continue reading

  I've been reading the other responses and understand both sides of this argument. We do need tourism and all that means and brings but wouldn't it be nice to have less tourists? It has been delightful to to enjoy some summer without the hoards hasn't it? However we do need those hoards to keep us going - I get it. However do we actually need more? More apartments more second homes more campsites more tourism. Surely we have enough to maintain a busy vibrant tourism industry that does provide employment, albeit very seasonal and in large part low paid and short term. My concern is if you look around the county you see small (and some not so small) coastal villages dying because there are too many second homes/ holiday homes. There is a difference between the two and unfortunately too many of those second homes register as businesses and claim to be full for large parts of the year but they aren't, they are of no active benefit to the local economy ( I absolutely know of second homes that are used regularly and contribute and engage with the local community- they are to be commended). Mostly these homes lie empty and pretty but of no help to the local communities. Even worse I have heard of more than one or two incidences for these people claiming business interruption money from the council and getting it! No fault of the Council but talk about greedy and thoughtless whilst other local businesses are really struggling. I think the only way around this must be for there to be more stringent checks on second homes being used as second homes or as businesses or fake businesses.

  There must be other ways for the housing market to be more equitable. Because of all these beautiful new buildings or renovations the house prices go up and local people can afford less. We are a poor county, rich in environment and welcoming people. Already we are hearing about many families wanting to move down here after COVID - how long will they actually stay? How well will they integrate and contribute to the local community? Will they in fact bring some of their fearful way of living with them? Sadly I think they will - chains and locks and walls and barriers to protect what belongs to them - this is not the cornwall I have grown up in (and I'm under 50 so don't think I'm hankering after some 50's dream) which is safe, inclusive and welcoming. Of course things change and they should but we have this moment when we can choose how to progress. How radical do you want to be? Could we be the first county to be driven by carbon free energy (mad complicated I'm not stupid but why not)? Can we be focused as a county on not encouraging multi nationals to blight our high streets however they end up looking? No more Macdonalds or Dominos allowed for instance. Can the council stand strong against very powerful companies / developers / business lobbyists? How about you want to build a new housing development in cornwall - sure but it HAS to have solar panels on all new builds and really accessible to local families. How about we limit the number of houses that can be sold as "second homes" at open market value. How about haveing a two tier pricing structure? Of course its very difficult and I'm sure unscrupulous people will find a way to abuse it but what about the people who live and work here? Seriously. What about them? As the house prices increase the private rents increase. The wages don't. Poverty increases. there are many other things I could waffle about but I'll stop for now. To make any massive change the Council will have to be radical, dynamic, bold and fearless. Be brave Cornwall Council be brave
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  Cornwall can be a global powerhouse

  almost 6 years ago

  Lockdown forced many organisations that were reluctant to move to flexible offsite working to have to bite the bullet. The net result is an explosion in associated products and services to support this new way of working. Being digitally connected means you can be anywhere... Boston, Bombay or Bodmin - the Cloud allows us to pass over traditional distance and time barriers.

  To that end, we are not constrained by tourism and agriculture as the dominant sectors. We could move to a more flexible work model that involved more digital working over the winter months and supporting the traditional economies... Continue reading

  Lockdown forced many organisations that were reluctant to move to flexible offsite working to have to bite the bullet. The net result is an explosion in associated products and services to support this new way of working. Being digitally connected means you can be anywhere... Boston, Bombay or Bodmin - the Cloud allows us to pass over traditional distance and time barriers.

  To that end, we are not constrained by tourism and agriculture as the dominant sectors. We could move to a more flexible work model that involved more digital working over the winter months and supporting the traditional economies in the summer.

  There is a real chance to explore this vision of a future that could help us be more sustainable as well as contributing to wider societal issues.

  Emphasis on training & development, digital access and an integrated approach to all of the residents and visitors to Cornwall - even if only from over the Tamar in England.

  Things to support that:

  • Policies that put digital & sustainability first
  • Lobbying to secure regional development for the inevitable city migrants
  • Integrated infrastructure - both physical and digital
  • Review every service and explore radically different ways of delivering them
  • Invest in education, including the use of the hidden knowledge base that exists in our communities
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  Lets praise cyclist

  by Toby, almost 6 years ago

  Bicycles are clean quiet and cheap to run. Just for awhile during lock down the roads were quiet and safer than they have ever been for those on two wheels. As traffic has increased the old ways have come back with less consideration and more haste.

  Cycles don't cause congestion motor transport does that, if you do not want us on the roads then make sure there are cycle lanes everywhere. Cornwall is a hard place to cycle with all its hills, but dedicated cycle lanes will at least keep us safe.

  If we really want a cleaner and greener... Continue reading

  Bicycles are clean quiet and cheap to run. Just for awhile during lock down the roads were quiet and safer than they have ever been for those on two wheels. As traffic has increased the old ways have come back with less consideration and more haste.

  Cycles don't cause congestion motor transport does that, if you do not want us on the roads then make sure there are cycle lanes everywhere. Cornwall is a hard place to cycle with all its hills, but dedicated cycle lanes will at least keep us safe.

  If we really want a cleaner and greener Cornwall then we have to reduce those that pollute and encourage those that don't.
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  Be less reliant on Tourism

  almost 6 years ago

  It is time that Cornwall became less reliant on toursim otherwise we become more vulnerable in circumstances such as Covid. Having c 60% of your economy based on tourism is suicide.

  July the 4th will see a Tsunami of visitors ignoring self distancing, bringing Covid to Cornwall, grid locking roads etc. etc.

  I realise that current businesses need then but we should plan to rely less on them.

  
  

  Remember we live here we are not DisneyWorld we are a community and we need proper sustainable industry not just tourists. I think like so many countries I have visisted there should... Continue reading

  It is time that Cornwall became less reliant on toursim otherwise we become more vulnerable in circumstances such as Covid. Having c 60% of your economy based on tourism is suicide.

  July the 4th will see a Tsunami of visitors ignoring self distancing, bringing Covid to Cornwall, grid locking roads etc. etc.

  I realise that current businesses need then but we should plan to rely less on them.

  
  

  Remember we live here we are not DisneyWorld we are a community and we need proper sustainable industry not just tourists. I think like so many countries I have visisted there should be a tourist tax. This would be added to Hotel bill or nightly fee on campsites. This could go towards building a more sustainable economy for Cornwall.
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  Wildlife Abundance

  almost 6 years ago

  During the initial lockdown when the roads and streets were devoid of traffic and humans, wildlife made the most of it and moved about without fear of these two threats. There was a significant reduction of dead animals on the roads! Nature was at its best and it took me back to when I was a child growing up in the 1960's, when there wasn't the amount of traffic we have now and vehicles weren't built to be killing machines at high speed! I live on a busy A road and the lack of traffic was astounding, I actually heard... Continue reading

  During the initial lockdown when the roads and streets were devoid of traffic and humans, wildlife made the most of it and moved about without fear of these two threats. There was a significant reduction of dead animals on the roads! Nature was at its best and it took me back to when I was a child growing up in the 1960's, when there wasn't the amount of traffic we have now and vehicles weren't built to be killing machines at high speed! I live on a busy A road and the lack of traffic was astounding, I actually heard bird song for the first time on that street, and could actually cross it without fear of being mown down! You could say that myself and wildlife are at one!

  
  

  
  
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  No more cycles!

  by robertC, almost 6 years ago

  Please no more cycles on our roads and lanes - they are dangerous and cause major congestion - they need dedicated tracks/lanes.

  Please no more cycles on our roads and lanes - they are dangerous and cause major congestion - they need dedicated tracks/lanes.
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  Dangerous delusions

  by Realist, almost 6 years ago

  Too many of these posts hanker after a return to post-WW2 rural life, without tourists and second home owners. This is dangerously delusional. The Council can pander to these populist views or provide realism and help enable a better economic environment.
  
  

  This pre-lockdown Guardian article https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/04/levelling-up-britain-why-cornwall-needs-more-than-just-tourism

  Covers the issues well. If Cornwall wants to diversify away from tourism, that so many posters on here seem to complain about, and it wants to foster a manufacturing base then It needs to improve its connectivity to the rest of the UK by upgrading the A30 to a motorway from Exeter all the... Continue reading

  Too many of these posts hanker after a return to post-WW2 rural life, without tourists and second home owners. This is dangerously delusional. The Council can pander to these populist views or provide realism and help enable a better economic environment.
  
  

  This pre-lockdown Guardian article https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/04/levelling-up-britain-why-cornwall-needs-more-than-just-tourism

  Covers the issues well. If Cornwall wants to diversify away from tourism, that so many posters on here seem to complain about, and it wants to foster a manufacturing base then It needs to improve its connectivity to the rest of the UK by upgrading the A30 to a motorway from Exeter all the way to Penzance and it needs to install a fast intercity rail line alongside it. Massive cost and massive disruption- Will the locals allow that even if the rest of the country subsidises it?

  Otherwise it needs to use its fading broadband advantage by studying digital-friendly skill sets in its schools and colleges. Lockdown has shown us just how much can be achieved online/working remotely away from an office. As everywhere, educational attainment is the path to prosperity (though the fact that physical communications with the rest of the U.K. are so poor doesn’t help). Parents need to break the poverty cycle by providing discipline at home and support for teachers in school to get the best out of those in school. If a child is disruptive at school they lower their own attainment and those of their classmates. Poorly educated parents tend to block such school discipline and fail to provide it at home and so the cycle perpetuates. The economically deprived county needs to help itself break the cycle. Tough but possible.

  Cornwall needs to foster the greener economy and greener tourism. One small but visible sign that this is not happening are the lack of electric charging points across council CarParks to encourage the use of electric vehicles - less noise, zero tailpipe emissions! I am sure many of the charging networks would love to partner with the council to do this at little or no cost to the council!

  Second homes that are rented out provide for greater economic impact than those that are not but those that are not rented out pay council tax subsiding local residents because such second home owners use less local services. When second homes are rented out they bring much greater spending power to the local economy than the average local resident. However, many of these homes are registered as businesses and thus do not pay council tax and business turnover isn’t large enough to pay business rates to offset this. This needs to change. All homes should pay council tax or business rates of a similar level per household.

  The council needs to stop giving a platform to the delusional who view outsiders as the problem and use its resources and powers to foster better integration with the national economy and maximising greener tourism making Cornwall a haven for such an industry that is the biggest segment of the local economy.

  
  
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  Accessability

  by Skylark, almost 6 years ago

  We all want Cornwall to be able to maintain its rural nature and for nature to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Reducing traffic, supporting walking and cycling are all important aims. However those with disabilities must also receive equal opportunity. Talk to Cornwall Mobility and lets see what infrastructure needs top attention and priority in this respect. A Cornwall accessible for all without overcrowding is my vision and hope.

  We all want Cornwall to be able to maintain its rural nature and for nature to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Reducing traffic, supporting walking and cycling are all important aims. However those with disabilities must also receive equal opportunity. Talk to Cornwall Mobility and lets see what infrastructure needs top attention and priority in this respect. A Cornwall accessible for all without overcrowding is my vision and hope.
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  Lockdown gave a brief magical period

  by quokka, almost 6 years ago

  During Lockdown, the lack of traffic was glorious! I could hear the birds, I could cycle safely in lanes and in the town with my children. My lungs didn't burn from traffic fumes (we were regular cyclists before lockdown); I could cycle further, and I'm sure that was down to clean air. I never knew what clan air smelled and tasted like before lockdown! Seeing other people out and about walking and cycling was such a pleasure. Feeling safe when I was cycling was glorious. We need to focus on making communities sustainable, so that people don't need to get... Continue reading

  During Lockdown, the lack of traffic was glorious! I could hear the birds, I could cycle safely in lanes and in the town with my children. My lungs didn't burn from traffic fumes (we were regular cyclists before lockdown); I could cycle further, and I'm sure that was down to clean air. I never knew what clan air smelled and tasted like before lockdown! Seeing other people out and about walking and cycling was such a pleasure. Feeling safe when I was cycling was glorious. We need to focus on making communities sustainable, so that people don't need to get in a car to get what they need, so that people can have jobs in their local area without needing to commute for ages in a car. Moreover, we need jobs that people can work at which aren't dependent on tourism. How nice it was to have our home to ourselves for a little while (although I have learned that it's the locals who don't pick up their dog poo - can't blame that one on tourists since it was everywhere during lockdown!).
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  Change is required

  by RW, almost 6 years ago

  I think my comments will support many of those made by others.

  I think the lock down period has demonstrated to many that there are significant problems with the way we have come to live our lives. However it is unrealistic to think we could instantly stop many of the things that impact badly on Cornwall, such as:

  As others have said - tourism causes a significant numbers of problems:

  It creates jobs - but mainly low paid jobs and these are often summer only i.e. cheap part time labour with few career development opportunities.

  A large number of second... Continue reading

  I think my comments will support many of those made by others.

  I think the lock down period has demonstrated to many that there are significant problems with the way we have come to live our lives. However it is unrealistic to think we could instantly stop many of the things that impact badly on Cornwall, such as:

  As others have said - tourism causes a significant numbers of problems:

  It creates jobs - but mainly low paid jobs and these are often summer only i.e. cheap part time labour with few career development opportunities.

  A large number of second homes inflate local house prices and reduces the housing stock for local people,.

  Tourism and second home ownership does not even provide all year round customers for local shops forcing many to close during the winter and/or charging higher prices for goods to make up for the lack of customers in the winter.

  Tourism and second homers add greatly to the demand for increased public services (health, water, waste disposal, roads etc) for relatively short periods each year. These peaks are difficult and expensive to manage.

  There undoubtedly many more issues that need to explored but this is enough for the moment.

  So how can we improve things - I do not think there are instant solutions but we could make a start:

  Stop the development of more camp sites, blocks of flats and other 'holiday let self catering' types of accommodation and encourage new owner managed bed and breakfast establishments. This would at least spread the tourism income more widely within the community, and just as importantly slow down the increase in tourist numbers as it would probably make holidays more expensive.

  Develop sustainable business sectors making use of the natural advantages of Cornwall, such as boat building, marine engineering, fishing and fish processing, thermal energy development, solar, tide and wave power energy solutions. And don't forget farming, agriculture alonfg with the new ways of developing food production.

  And for our communities:

  Provide and maintain footpaths, cycle ways - including access to many of these for disabled or impaired walkers and cyclists.

  Decentralising some services - more costly certainly but enormous increases community morale.

  Develop/improve our education establishments and get world class research carried out in Cornwall to provide opportunities for local kids to develop and stay in Cornwall (assuming we can create the businesses that will employ them e.g in the areas suggested above).

  Support the development of cultural opportunities - including or especially for young people. The Hall for Cornwall is fine but we need a venue for large events/concerts/etc too.

  I could go on, and on and on - but that is enough for now.

  
  

  I need a cup of tea!!!!