The Cornwall We Want

What are your hopes and fears for the future?

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  Cornwall needs to be brave and challenge accepted systems

  by jldstar, almost 6 years ago

  The future Cornwall I want to see...

  • Has an enviable cycling and rail infrastructure that connects towns with rural areas and prioritises active travel over polluting transport (e.g cars)
  • Has many more fast charging points for electric cars but also considers other sustainable forms of transport
  • Creates our own school curriculum - because the national one isn't fit for purpose - that teaches the truth about our colonial history and values and promotes stories and histories of diverse people with an explicit effort to include voices and examples of those so often missed. A curriculum that promotes and values kindness... Continue reading

  The future Cornwall I want to see...

  • Has an enviable cycling and rail infrastructure that connects towns with rural areas and prioritises active travel over polluting transport (e.g cars)
  • Has many more fast charging points for electric cars but also considers other sustainable forms of transport
  • Creates our own school curriculum - because the national one isn't fit for purpose - that teaches the truth about our colonial history and values and promotes stories and histories of diverse people with an explicit effort to include voices and examples of those so often missed. A curriculum that promotes and values kindness, tolerance and respect for all.
  • Creates a school curriculum that teaches about, and readies children for, climate change. A curriculum that values nature and teaches fundamental basic skills that will allow future generations to live sustainable lives (gardening, cooking healthy meals from scratch, fixing broken items so they aren't thrown away) and promotes physical and mental health and wellbeing.
  • Provides a post 16 education offer that trains young people for the future green economy, with courses mapped to predictions of future gaps and working practice to ensure long term employment.
  • embraces the idea of the 4 day working week which will make people more productive and allow more time to invest in our communities, local projects, being with family, exercising.
  • considers equality in all decision making and works hard to reduce impacts of any decision on vulnerable groups and those that experience inequality.
  • finds sustainable solutions to the broken housing system which results in affordable homes, fit for the future.
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  More public green spaces

  by S3b, almost 6 years ago

  Whilst we have a few nice beaches close by, I find it frustrating that we have barely any parks or free green spaces, despite being surrounded by fields and old disused clay lands.
  Currently, I spend time walking through the small area surrounded by busy roads to the side of the big Charlestown roundabout, because there’s just hardly any nice parks with trees, flowers etc., in the area, especially where I can walk my dog.. Aside from Falmouth and Newquay’s boating lake/rose gardens, we often find Cornish public places are shabby and left to thorns, nettles and mud, especially those... Continue reading

  Whilst we have a few nice beaches close by, I find it frustrating that we have barely any parks or free green spaces, despite being surrounded by fields and old disused clay lands.
  Currently, I spend time walking through the small area surrounded by busy roads to the side of the big Charlestown roundabout, because there’s just hardly any nice parks with trees, flowers etc., in the area, especially where I can walk my dog.. Aside from Falmouth and Newquay’s boating lake/rose gardens, we often find Cornish public places are shabby and left to thorns, nettles and mud, especially those in and around St Austell. Polkyth park is great for children, but we would just like somewhere pretty and peaceful to walk and have picnics, with big trees and wildlife and maybe stony rather than muddy, churned up paths. I walk around and I see so many places that could be improved and made a real attraction to uplift the area and its people, with a bit of effort. I think it must be particularly heard for wheelchair users and pram pushers to have somewhere nice to go and have a stroll, with parking near by.
  Other places all around the country seem to manage it, so why can’t we?

  
  
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  Protect the Cornwall we all love

  by Chrissy, almost 6 years ago

  Protection of Areas of Outstanding Beauty, county-wide wildlife corridors, better insulation of buildings, sustainable urban drainage and improved sewage that does not contaminate the sea, solar panels on new houses, inclusion of bat and swift boxes, the retention of greenspace and the planting of orchards as well as hedgehog highways.

  Our special county must continue to attract people and green businesses by standing as a model of how to conserve the culture, way of life, wildlife and beauty of our outstanding coast, moors, valleys and communities.

  60 per cent wildlife-friendly greenspace, excluding gardens, should be part of planning where new... Continue reading

  Protection of Areas of Outstanding Beauty, county-wide wildlife corridors, better insulation of buildings, sustainable urban drainage and improved sewage that does not contaminate the sea, solar panels on new houses, inclusion of bat and swift boxes, the retention of greenspace and the planting of orchards as well as hedgehog highways.

  Our special county must continue to attract people and green businesses by standing as a model of how to conserve the culture, way of life, wildlife and beauty of our outstanding coast, moors, valleys and communities.

  60 per cent wildlife-friendly greenspace, excluding gardens, should be part of planning where new housing will be surrounded by large areas of ponds, parks, meadows, orchards and nature reserve. Other parts of the country have worked with builders to make this doable.

  Wildlife corridors should be designed so that wildlife can move all around and through the greenspace and the residential areas. Whether it be hedges, strips of wildflower grassland or gaps under fences and walls, wildlife won't have the barriers they normally face.

  Sustainable Urban Drainage. Rather than shunting rainwater straight underground into pipes, in many places it will be directed along rills and swales on the surface - great wildlife habitat - slowing the flow and using nature to clean the water.

  Planting for wildlife, including a higher proportion than is usual of native shrubs, many hedges, areas of wildflower grassland for pollinators and butterflies, plus fruit trees in gardens.

  All manner of wildlife homes, from birdboxes built into the walls of houses to places where amphibians can hibernate.
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  Sensible, Sustainable, Sociable.

  by The Chef, almost 6 years ago

  Cornwall is a beautiful place, that is why we live here and love it so passionately.
  
  It is also why lots of people wish to visit.
  
  Lockdown gave us all (well, certainly me personally) time to enjoy it during some of the best weather we've had in years without the hustle and bustle of the usual tourist season.
  
  But that has come at a cost... A very high one for a lot of people. Arguably too high.

  We, as a society, here in Cornwall need to understand that we have a very unique dynamic and one in which we must... Continue reading

  Cornwall is a beautiful place, that is why we live here and love it so passionately.
  
  It is also why lots of people wish to visit.
  
  Lockdown gave us all (well, certainly me personally) time to enjoy it during some of the best weather we've had in years without the hustle and bustle of the usual tourist season.
  
  But that has come at a cost... A very high one for a lot of people. Arguably too high.

  We, as a society, here in Cornwall need to understand that we have a very unique dynamic and one in which we must play to our strengths in a way that is sensible for all, sustainable long term and sociable for those of us that are resident here.
  
  Love them or hate them, Tourists are one of the arteries of life blood of this county. They provide a 1/3 of the people with jobs and contribute about 1/5 to the local economy.
  We do need to embrace this, but in a much better way.
  Sensible and efficient transport links to help the fast and free flow of people in and out of the county.
  Adequate provision to accommodate those who do come down. More available campsites, hotels and other facilities and a shift towards promoting more 'year round' activities in the area rather than just a summer time location.
  But these need to be sustainable for the local economy and not rely on minimum or seasonal wages, or unduly impact the environment. They need to be provided with sound ecological principles that not only protect the environment, but also protect and create wealth and wellbeing locally.
  We should encourage the creation of local businesses rather than granting the creation of this new environment to large national corporations who's profits go to shareholders elsewhere.
  
  We essentially have one road, one airport, and one train line in and out of the county. The arterial routes off of that 'spine' need to be more efficient at dispersing that traffic.
  
  We need better more adequate housing, but not at the expense of greenbelt land, or the exclusion of local workforce. Large housing developments can and should occur primarily on brownfield sites and rather than having national builders come in a reap the reward of that, we should encourage local people to build or train for that industry.
  
  We should also be more compassionate to those who wish to take care of the land and protect it. I personally would love to find a small patch of land and build my own eco-friendly home upon it and grow fruit and keep bees, or to restore an old engine house and live quietly away minding my own business.
  Yet gaining planning for such things is largely impossible, but we see vast swathes of greenbelt given over to massive estates or huge supermarkets.
  
  We have the largest expanse of water around our county than anywhere else in the country, yet we do not make the best use of it. Fishing, sailing and other watersports could all be grown, if we made better provision for harbour facilities.
  
  All these things bring money and jobs to the local area, but that is dependant on having a good turn over of those people in AND OUT of the county, yet retaining that economy here IN the county.
  
  The adage of 'It's lovely to see people, but is also nice to see them leave" should not be underestimated, and that can be applied to business.
  We need to encourage people to come down, but not necessarily stay permanently.
  Bring in tourists, provide better facilities for them, and try to encourage a less seasonal focus on that industry.
  We need to use our resources as best we can and export that resource as best we can.
  Encourage local business, embrace the cottage industry and boost our creativity and export potential and invest in our green technology knowledge and local resource such as fishing and agriculture.
  We need to discourage those who will use our resource and economy to take that wealth elsewhere.
  Less focus on "big business" where local money/taxes are awarded to out of county businesses or housing is left vacant during the winter months as 2nd home holiday lets.
  
  I run a small business here locally, yet I export all over the world. I do this with very little impact environmentally, I don't travel a lot and most of my materials and stock are delivered via courier.
  I make good use of the internet (as slow as it is) to conduct that business and where possible I use local suppliers. We need to support each other.
  I am very fortunate that whilst the lockdown has impacted me, it has not been catastrophic. I have been able to weather this through good financial planning and flexible working.
  Some of my suppliers have not been so fortunate with the restrictions placed upon them.
  
  We need to make better provision for recycling of materials and encourage businesses (and people) to do so, and not penalise them as a result.
  The County needs to embrace it's green credentials, not simply putting up more and more wind and solar farms (something I am not entirely convinced over), but encouraging sustainable business, better local recycling initiatives and facilities, more solar in built up areas (on top of houses and factories) rather than on arable land as well as encouragement of enjoyment of the natural beauty of Cornwall.
  
  We need to focus on long term solutions that provide jobs and housing for the local population and economy that do not come at the detriment of environment.
  
  Think big, keep it small.
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  Affordable homes

  by Cornishbird, almost 6 years ago

  We desperately need good quality affordable homes especially for our young families. My daughter, her husband and 2 boys have lived in a mobile home for the last 10 years, both hard working with the hope of saving to build their own little home but it's very hard going. My son, his wife and children live in rented property (the first house they had to move out of as the landlady wanted to sell) and the house they are in now charges too much for what it is. They also work hard but the wages down here do not correlate... Continue reading

  We desperately need good quality affordable homes especially for our young families. My daughter, her husband and 2 boys have lived in a mobile home for the last 10 years, both hard working with the hope of saving to build their own little home but it's very hard going. My son, his wife and children live in rented property (the first house they had to move out of as the landlady wanted to sell) and the house they are in now charges too much for what it is. They also work hard but the wages down here do not correlate with the house prices. I also live in a rented flat. There are too many new houses being built that are either substandard and develop problems within a year or two or are way too expensive and get sold as either second homes or to incomers. A development of 'luxury' apartments near me offered local people 2 of the small ones and all the rest were bought by Duchy Holidays who rent them out for extortianate prices to holiday makers. This needs to be stopped. You need to give our local families priority. Many of them move away to areas where they can actually afford to live and my son and his family are thinking about this which will be heartbreaking. The house prices in Cornwall are some of the most expensive in the UK. My eldest son now lives on the Isle of Wight where you can purchase a well built victorian 3 bed semi for half the price similar properties cost down here.

  Stop selling to second home owners and incomers and put our struggling young families (and other locals first)

  Living during lockdown in caravans and sub standard rented accommodation with no garden is no fun for families.
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  Second home owners

  by Victoria T, almost 6 years ago

  My partner and I are both Cornish and both work for local Cornish businesses, we have worked hard to save deposits which is difficult whilst on a low Cornish wage.

  
  We have previously owned a property but we are now renting whilst we find the house the suits our needs.
  
  

  The Cornish folk have always struggled with competing with second home owners and cash buyers out of county, since COVID thebuyers market has gone crazy. We have seen houses go on the market, we call to book to view and we have been told they have been sold for full... Continue reading

  My partner and I are both Cornish and both work for local Cornish businesses, we have worked hard to save deposits which is difficult whilst on a low Cornish wage.

  
  We have previously owned a property but we are now renting whilst we find the house the suits our needs.
  
  

  The Cornish folk have always struggled with competing with second home owners and cash buyers out of county, since COVID thebuyers market has gone crazy. We have seen houses go on the market, we call to book to view and we have been told they have been sold for full asking from individuals outside the county that haven’t even seen the property. This has been the running theme for us over the last month, we have had 3 viewings cancelled and full price had been offered before our appointment, and 2 properties which we have offered full asking price which have been rejected in favour of trying to get more...

  
  How will locals ever be able to buy a property whilst competing with out of county wages and second home owners. Something needs to be put in place to support the local people and prevent us from being driven out.

  Victoria
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  A Fictional Story, Based On Reality...

  by Ozzy100, almost 6 years ago

  This village was once a picturesque fishing village, where every house was pretty and old fashioned, all the houses had slate roofs and pretty gardens, and the village looked like a place where time had stood still, I used to stand on the hill and admire the beauty of the village, with all the unique houses standing side by side, I used to walk down the road and say hello to all My neighbours, there was a real community spirit!

  But over the years houses have sold, people from other parts of the country have bought them, all the houses... Continue reading

  This village was once a picturesque fishing village, where every house was pretty and old fashioned, all the houses had slate roofs and pretty gardens, and the village looked like a place where time had stood still, I used to stand on the hill and admire the beauty of the village, with all the unique houses standing side by side, I used to walk down the road and say hello to all My neighbours, there was a real community spirit!

  But over the years houses have sold, people from other parts of the country have bought them, all the houses have been demolished and now look like concrete boxes with huge glass windows in them, but they don’t live in them, I now walk down the road and look at these ugly houses that are eyesores and see no one but holidaymakers, every house in this village apart from Mine is now a holiday home, I now stand at the top of the hill and cry as I look at a place filled with oversized glass houses that don’t blend in with the surroundings, My house is the last old house left, the last house that looks like a Cornish house, if Cornwall Council really cared they wouldn’t let this destruction happen, they wouldn’t be building on every green field available, and they wouldn’t let people build second homes, especially second homes that are all eyesores, so this is a plea from Me to Cornwall Council, if you really loved Cornwall you would protect it, you would stop building on green spaces, you would stop the build of ugly second homes and you would ensure all new builds blend in with the surroundings and use local materials, and you would protect our heritage, Please, don’t let our beautiful Cornwall disappear completely...
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  Making Cornwall as Great a place to work as it is to live.

  by Nik Butcher, almost 6 years ago

  I moved to Cornwall in order to launch my small business, aiming to help other small businesses retain their best people (currently the County loses its talent to other areas, due to the perception of Cornwall as a workplace) I was encouraged to move the business here, as both the Chamber of Commerce and the Council had talked openly about their desire to create a better Cornwall for employees and businesses.

  However, throughout Lockdown, small, innovative businesses, like mine, have been hung out to dry with no support whatsoever from any representative body, and have been lied to about why... Continue reading

  I moved to Cornwall in order to launch my small business, aiming to help other small businesses retain their best people (currently the County loses its talent to other areas, due to the perception of Cornwall as a workplace) I was encouraged to move the business here, as both the Chamber of Commerce and the Council had talked openly about their desire to create a better Cornwall for employees and businesses.

  However, throughout Lockdown, small, innovative businesses, like mine, have been hung out to dry with no support whatsoever from any representative body, and have been lied to about why we have not been supported.

  Whilst I will continue to struggle to survive hear as I genuinely believe what we are trying to achieve is worthwhile for the whole County, I do now understand why Cornwall lags so far behind the rest of the Country in living standards, average pay, employment, wellbeing, and almost every key area that is recorded by the NSO.

  If Cornwall truly wants to change, and those in power actually want to change, then they should actively embrace new ideas and the creativity I have found in many businesses and business supporters, rather than "stick to what they know" and carry on blindly ambling towards the cliff edge.

  Support innovation and innovation will support Cornwall. Support local people and local people will support Cornwall. Support new small businesses and new small businesses will support Cornwall. We can make Cornwall as great a place to work as it is to live, but the bodies that "run" Cornwall must prove that they actually want to.
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  You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone

  almost 6 years ago

  I echo many of the sentiments already expressed. The lockdown revealed the underlying quietness of this area (North Cornwall). We watched the sky clear over a couple of weeks and it’s been wondrous both day and night. The local supply chain has thrived in the crisis and we don’t expect to go back to our old shopping habits. Our non-recycle rubbish has shrunk dramatically at the same time, which tells us a lot about supermarkets. Only four months ago, one supermarket chain admitted that they carried sixty types of sausages. That is ridiculous.

  Suddenly, we are back to lots of... Continue reading

  I echo many of the sentiments already expressed. The lockdown revealed the underlying quietness of this area (North Cornwall). We watched the sky clear over a couple of weeks and it’s been wondrous both day and night. The local supply chain has thrived in the crisis and we don’t expect to go back to our old shopping habits. Our non-recycle rubbish has shrunk dramatically at the same time, which tells us a lot about supermarkets. Only four months ago, one supermarket chain admitted that they carried sixty types of sausages. That is ridiculous.

  Suddenly, we are back to lots of traffic, noise, light pollution, impatient and inconsiderate people and the like. That’s just the way it is – unfortunately, we’ll get used to it again. But then the crowds go away and our towns carry on because there is a local population to serve. It is beautiful here out of season.

  If we accept the definition of an ‘extractive economy’ as “a capitalist system of exploitation and oppression that values consumerism, colonialism and money over people and planet” (Grassroots Global Justice Alliance), then that’s what is happening to Cornwall.

  ‘The Cornwall We Want’ is the one that is being taken away from us before our very eyes. Our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is under relentless pressure from individuals and organisations who want to change the character of the AONB and devalue it. Every change of use of agricultural land, every excessive redevelopment of a property takes a little bit of the value off the AONB and concentrates it in the pocket of the developer. The planning system is stacked against those who wish to protect what makes any environment precious. As individuals, our capacity to resist this is limited and we worry that the Council will not have the resources to control the situation.

  The Butler Model, as pointed out by another correspondent, describes the process dispassionately. Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell described it as ‘Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone; they paved paradise and put up a parking lot’.

  More is not always better! How do we slow this down?
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  A Unique, Clean and Green place!

  by Ozzy100, almost 6 years ago

  Cornwall is a beautiful and unique place, with stunning coastline and countryside, but it is being destroyed by horrible developments, and the amount of second homes in Cornwall has increased hugely and is now ridiculous! Cornwall is seeing an increase in traffic, second homes, population and ugly developments! In order for Cornwall to appeal as a lovely place we need to keep Cornwall unique and different from the rest of the U.K!
  Overall, Cornwall council needs to listen to its residents and see what they want and what they think of developments, rather than ignoring them like they do now!

  ... Continue reading

  Cornwall is a beautiful and unique place, with stunning coastline and countryside, but it is being destroyed by horrible developments, and the amount of second homes in Cornwall has increased hugely and is now ridiculous! Cornwall is seeing an increase in traffic, second homes, population and ugly developments! In order for Cornwall to appeal as a lovely place we need to keep Cornwall unique and different from the rest of the U.K!
  Overall, Cornwall council needs to listen to its residents and see what they want and what they think of developments, rather than ignoring them like they do now!

  - Cornwall council should also have their own planning system, or make their planning rules more strict, such as all new builds must use local materials and traditional design.

  - Protect green spaces, and prioritise brownfield sites rather than building on green space all the time!

  - Create new cycle paths and walkways

  - Have more public transport to reduce traffic on roads

  - Ban the build of new second homes

  - Protect Cornwalls identity by protecting its heritage and using local materials on new builds, stop building on green space and ensure new builds blend in with current street scene and surroundings.

  - Make new homes available to Cornwall residents only.

  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PROTECT CORNWALLS IDENTITY AND KEEP IT A RURAL, UNIQUE AND A STUNNING PLACE! WE ARE SOOOO LUCKY TO LIVE IN CORNWALL SO PLEASE DON’T DESTROY IT...