Cllr Rachael Gaunt, Lelant Ward
St Ives Town Council, Cornwall

Dear Simon and Sarah,

Many thanks for taking the time to speak with me today at 2pm. I write, as promised, to update you on the progress I have made this week regarding our shared desire to facilitate more opportunities for residents within the proposed LTE to have ongoing opportunities to engage with the Town Deal project team.

I have spoken directly with the project manager / lead consultant, appointed by the Town Deal board and he has committed to facilitate both a tailored mailshot and a number of drop in sessions in 2024 specifically for residents of the LTE so that a two way dialogue with the team can be established. I understand that there will also be further engagement events planned for 2024, but as yet I have no details of them. I have requested that at least 4 events for LTE residents take place in 2024 and that any material produced for resident input is framed from the point of view of a resident rather than a visitor. I have also made the point that many living in downalong do not have access to digital channels and that it is important that we allow for many different styles of communication and opportunities to provide ideas and feedback. 

I understand that initial feedback from the first round of consultation will be available in mid to late January 2024 and that this will be used to inform the shape of any future engagement. I have asked that I am included within this feedback loop, even in draft, so that I can make sure that there are opportunities for further resident input designed into the work ahead. 

While I do not have any details of engagement approach for 2024 and beyond I do know that it will have targeted areas of focus to include emergency services, LTE residents, public transport providers and other specialist interest groups such as delivery companies, centrally located businesses and others. 

To me the proposals are better described as a suite of projects, some are interconnected and others are stand alone. At some point all of the possible projects needed to be publicly promoted but I can see that the process to date has been glitchy. Improvements in communication methods are possible and I will be championing this! I look forward to working with you and other residents within your network to make sure the input and concerns of residents within the proposed LTE can be heard and responses to concerns given. Also that engagement with residents becomes a longer term process.

Despite the glitchy nature of the initial consultation can you please continue to encourage residents, and others, within your network to engage with the current initial consultation. This can be done in a number of ways:-

• The attached form [Download Here] can be filled in by hand and returned to the Guildhall or library, where it will be posted back to the Town Deal project team

• Alternatively paper copies of the form can be collected from the Guildhall or library

• A digital copy of the form can be found here https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/embeds/projects/28186/survey-tools/31079

• A physical display of the boards is now hosted outside the Guildhall under the shelter and will be there until 5th January 2024

• A digital copy of the same can be found here. [Download Here]

I am sorry that the process to date has been far from perfect but you have my commitment to work with you to improve that into 2024. Thank you both for doing what you can in the meantime. You made the point in a previous email that no Councillor at St Ives Town Council lives in Downalong. If you meet any resident that would like to consider standing to become a Councillor then please do give them my number. 

Many thanks and I will be in touch again when I have details of any emerging timeline for ongoing engagement opportunities.

Cllr Rachael Gaunt

St Ives Town Council