2022/23 Annual Parish Council Report

Cllr Craig Dowler's report May 2023

Once again it has been a great privilege to serve as Parish Council chair for the past year and I want to start by extending huge thanks to my fellow councillors for their friendship and support throughout the year. Also, a privilege to have welcomed Jack Pannell to the team because he established a family tradition in following mum Lisa onto the council. My thanks in turn go to Carl Green who Jack replaced. Carl’s contributions during his time were valuable and much appreciated.

Likewise, I would like to think Altarnun’s relationship with our Divisional member, Cornwall Councillor Adrian Parsons, is second to none and all the hard work that Adrian undertakes on our behalf, a lot of which behind the scenes and unsung, is invaluable. His attendance at our monthly meetings is also second to none and they would be very much poorer in his absence. Thank you, Adrian.

I am also delighted that in the last year, and more so than in recent past years, so many members of the public have given their time to attend our meetings and again make invaluable contributions to sometimes challenge, but more commonly to help support the Parish Council effort. Long may this continue, with the hall being filled every month and once again, thanks to all. Also, in my travels around the Parish, people feel readily inclined to engage with the council, for which I am grateful, and they provide a crucial line of communication in order for us to facilitate remedial works, perhaps some change and a bit of information regarding what is important to them, but generally keeping us on our toes. Thanks to all.

Our past years successes have covered taking over the maintenance of Bolventor cemetery and my thanks go to Tony Naylor who managed this through on our behalf with the Diocese of Truro and has allowed us to manage some upgrades there. Our involvement with Superfast Cornwall to provide FTTP under the Trewint project which is hopefully going to be implemented and completed soon, will be a major benefit. We have forged relationships with Ocean Housing and developers, Devonshire Homes, relating to the impressive new residential homes being built at Gratton Field which will deliver much needed housing through Cornwall Homechoice. I really hope that local people will ultimately benefit.

From development that has taken place over the last couple of years we are now receiving funds from the Community Infrastructure Levy and in looking at ways to benefit the Parish have started to undertake the renewal and upgrade of our street furniture and also explore other schemes where this money will provide the most benefit.

Planning engagements maintained a high profile at our monthly meetings, and I am pleased to report that the council gave support to 93.1% of the 29 applications for which we were invited to make a consultee comment. The LPA generally followed suit.

Our campaign for safer highways continued and especially in liaison with National Highways to force an upgrade to the A30 not only at Plusha but at other trouble spots that have manifested themselves recently.

Prudent management of our finances through our reserves policy and the continued receipt of Community Infrastructure Levy grant monies allow us to be in a good place financially and not call for any more public money to support our expenditure. Not forgetting that this is made possible in the most part by the teams across Cornwall Council, Cormac and Corserve and the kindness of our ever widening supplier base in offering keen pricing for our procurements.

Finally, a special mention as ever for Anthony James who looks after Bolventor and Mr Paul Smart for the many hours of hard work he puts in around the parish maintaining the landscape, the cemeteries, our footpath network, our defibrillator, and other assets. Also, to Peter & Trish Allen for everything they do to make sure the council succeeds and is well publicised and to the very kind donor of funds for the future upkeep of Altarnun Parish Cemetery, the amount was £1000. This amount was applied to our cemetery reserve.

As a result of all this help and support, I know we will continue to flourish when looking forward to the next 12 months.