'Orwellian' response to Freedom of Information Request made regarding Cornwall Council Planning Portal

George Orwell's dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel ' may have been set in times some 36 years ago now, but it appears that Cornwall Council planners have been reading it very carefully indeed for practical hints and tips in their employment of 'double speak'.

The reckless development of Cornwall which is placing our UNESCO World Heritage Status under real threat, is shocking but comes as no surprise when reading the results of a simple request made of the planners and submitted under the Freedom of Information Act.

The simple question asked was:

"How many objections have been removed from planning applications this year, and how many objectors have been informed that their objections have been removed?"

The response received back reads:

"According to our central record as at 28/05/2020, the figures to date this year (from 01/01/2020) are as follows:

·        Number of reports re: comments – 35

·        Number of individual comments – 59

·        Number of comments not removed – 6

In the above cases, all parties were written to advise comments were being removed.  However, we do acknowledge there may have been instances where individual officers may mark comments as “sensitive” on the system without being added to the above record, there then may also be some instances where the authors of the comments are not officially informed that their comments have been removed.

Whilst it is best practice and part of our procedure to advise each individual commenter if their comment has been removed and the reason for why it has been removed in order for them to resubmit their comment; should any comment be removed from our website, regardless of whether or not the commenter has been advised of the removal, the case officer will always be able to see the comment on our back office system in order for them to take any material planning considerations into consideration before making a decision.  The removal of the comment is purely due to the fact that the nature of the content either does not adhere to our website terms of use or the content is not deemed to be relevant planning considerations. The case officer will then refer to any material planning considerations that have been raised by either the public or relevant consultees within their officer report.  It is noted that unfortunately on this occasion you were not informed of your comment being removed which we do apologise for, however, as outlined above the case officer will still have been able to access your comment to review against the relevant policies and guidelines before making a decision."

Let's precis that shall we? "We tell everyone that their comments have been removed. Except when we don't!"

So the manipulation of the Cornwall Council Planning Portal continues along with the destruction of Cornwall and our heritage and the enormous strain placed on our limited infrastructure and our health and wellbeing with AQMAs (Air Quality Management Areas) popping up here and there.

In July 2019 Cornwall Council’s Climate Change Plan bluntly stated that in order to counter the "mass extinction event that threatens or severely impacts all life on our planet … action is incumbent on us all".

With housing estates popping up everywhere and with tourism promotion ridiculously now in the private hands of what is laughingly self titled 'Cornwall's official tourist board' - 'Visit Cornwall' - which seeks to line the pockets of its 950 subscribing members with completely out of control promotions resulting in virtual 'no go zones' for locals during the 'season' and appeals for special funding by the police in order to cope with the consequences of it, we dread what else is heading our way!

By the way, tourism, of which the late and much missed David Penhaligon MP famously remarked "You need more in an economy than just tourism, ice cream and deckchairs....." looks likely to be another sinking ship upon which the flag of Saint Piran has been pinned. In a good year, it provides 11% GVA (Gross Value Added) to Cornwall's economy which in rough figures is £1,860,000,000. (£1.86 billion). Mind you even of that no less than £745,000,000 - £745 million - is from locals spending to visit their own attractions, seasonal outlets, ice cream parlours and so on, known as 'local spend'. That's a tad over 40%! Naturally, the tens of thousands of us who work elsewhere in the real economy of Cornwall dutifully paying the wide suite of taxes and sitting in the traffic queues unable to access our own towns, villages and beaches, don't count as the sums made by tourism in the hands of corporations leaves Cornwall headed for who knows where along with the £400 million of VAT payments. Tourist tax like just about everywhere else in the world? Forget it.

With the ways things are headed though, most of the tourists will be living here in their wooden framed, estate based, defective homes.

Article 16 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities into which the Cornish were included in 2014 you cry out? You know, the part which reads " refrain from measures that alter the proportions of the population in areas inhabited by minorities". Forget it! Conveniently ignored under the weight of financial interests and pocket lining.

Kernow bys vyken!

Mike

for Matt, Tony, John, Teresa, Alex, Clive, Craig, Maria, Ronan, Rob & Mike

Steering Group Members - KMTU

Attached: copy of Cornwall Council FoI response