C4C - CoVoc Conference a resounding success

C4C - CoVoC Conference a resounding success!

An excellent conference was organised on Saturday 10th March, 2018 at Crossroads, Scorrier, Redruth organised by Cornwall4Change and Community Voice On Planning.

Extremely well attended including by many KMTU members, the room was crowded with scores of those concerned at the amount of house building going on in Cornwall which is destroying all that is held dear.

Cwll Cllrs Loveday Jenkin and Rob Nolan were present in the audience along with dozens of town and parish councillors.

Engaging speakers comprised: local Cllr Paul Dyer, Cheryl Tyler Chair CoVoP, Justin Hacque Chair CPRE South Hams, Jenny Unsworth Secretary CoVoP and other activists including a retired Circuit Judge.

Although non political party, the conference had attendees from several local and national political parties as well as many with no affiliation.

All asked just where were Cornwall's MPs in this crisis of overbuilding and why 'blown in' Planning Inspectors from Bristol were trampling over local aspirations and concerns?

The conference heard there is NO need for extra housing in Cornwall, so much stands empty and new development is a money making racket lining the pockets of developers and many in Government who are in the pay of developers. Just where are the services and extra jobs was a common cry?

Many reported new homes as being substandard and unfit and people are being financially conned with many unable to sell on appallingly constructed properties.

There was huge Cornwall is being slowly made less democratic with forced reductions of Councillors to the lowest levels every leaving civil servants and unelected quangoes to run amok. 'Devonwall', the reduction of MPs was roundly condemned by many.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP was called arrogant, autocratic and power hungry and as detesting real Cornish aspirations.

Local Enterprise Partnerships were criticised for being undemocratic and generally out of touch.

Many condemned Neighbourhood Plans as being a waste of time and toothless.

The resounding message from the conference was that there needs to be a three prong assault:

the first being contacting Councillors to voice your concerns regarding planning

secondly, contacting MP's to make your views known

thirdly, the need to combine forces to campaign against the National Policy Planning Framework

All were reminded that we pay the wages of Cornwall Councillors and MP's and we will be heard. Failure to respond to communications an ever growing problem reported by many present must be referred to the appropriate ombudsmen.

Kernow Matters supports C4C, CoVoP, Cornish Solidarity and all others whose hard hitting message should be heeded!

Cornwall4Change can be contacted on: contactus@cornwallforchange.org

CoVoC maintain a website here: http://covop.org/

Kernow bys vyken!