March 2024 Meetings Update
March 2024 Meetings Update
Through March we wrote to St Ives Town Deal Board Members and our elected representatives as follows:
Libby Buckley (Leach Pottery) On 11th March we spoke to Libby in a follow up telephone call during which our letter was passed on to her. You can read her email response of Thursday 21st March below.
Gareth Jones (LiveWest) - Despite telephone confirmation on 11th March that our letter had been received, Gareth would not speak by telephone & has not responded to our letter.
Councillor Andrew Mitchell As a result of his swift response, we held a meeting in Downlong with three Steering Group members on 27th March. You can read the summary of that meeting here. We have also received a text update on the Wharf Road Travel Restrictions as follows:
“I have had the Mayor confirm to me that the bollard wont [sic] be going ahead because of suspect tech and where the Town Council wants to place them...I understand that info has gone out in a comms update.”
Councillor Michael Evamy - No response
Councillor Joan Beveridge - No response
Councillor Kenny Messenger - Response below.
We also managed to meet with Councillor Rachael Gaunt here in Downlong.
You can read their responses, if any, here.
From: Libby Buckley XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cc: "Gareth Jones" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 11:17:32
Subject: FAO Libby Buckley - Downlong Residents & Threatened Low Traffic Environment (LTE)
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your letter and highlighting your concerns.
I just wanted to let you know that after the conversation with Simon and the letter you sent I have followed these up. The board are aware of a number of concerns around the potential low carbon proposals and the impact of residents, especially in Downalong.
We will make sure there are future opportunities for consultation with Downalong residents. As well of this I shall make sure your offer to be a potential community representative is passed on at the next board meeting.
There is a review of the responses to the recent consultation taking place and these will be shared shortly.
We will respond more fully at the earliest opportunity, but I just wanted to drop you a note to update you. (Personal Detail Redacted).
Best Wishes,
Libby
From: Ken Messenger XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:17:14
Subject: Re: Downlong Residents & Threatened Low Traffic Environment (LTE)
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for contacting me with regards to the Traffic Proposals for Downalong, we are hoping to get a Council meeting together to discuss the proposals, I will be in contact when I have more information.
I do share some of your concerns.
Ken.
Ken Messenger.
Meeting with Andrew Mitchell - 27th March 2024. Downlong
Present: Sarah Ashmore (Chair); Christine Blades; Simon Ashmore (Communications)
He has been in hospital longer than anticipated after complications having had a toe removed due to diabetes.
He does not get his council emails – our letter to him of 14th March was passed on by his fellow councillor, & Deputy Mayor Kenny Messenger.
He seemed au fait with some but not all the problems affecting Downlong Residents
We agreed to send to him a precis of our issues so far.
He has a car, enjoys driving it & would be angry if that right were restricted.
He agreed that if we wish he will facilitate Downlong Residents speaking at a future St Ives Town Council meeting.
Meeting with Rachael Gaunt - 16th March 2024. Downlong
This is a summary written by Rachael to Trisha Hewitt - It is an excellent precis of our meeting, demonstrates that our concerns are being seriously addressed & that Rachael seeks to help the Town Deal Project Team to engage with all residents of Downlong, whatever their views.
They have a growing membership, as they are only in the formation stage. They do all however live within the proposed LTE area and are galvanising other residents within the proposed LTE, many of whom were not aware of the November 2023 engagement events and therefore were enable to contribute. I attach a letter that they recently issued to Gareth and Libby for info.
As discussed on the phone this morning I met with 4 of their committee members on Saturday to try and begin to repair relationships and pave the way for direct involvement for residents with the proposed LTE. I understand that there are over 1000 dwellings within the LTE and the group are currently better trying to understand how many of these dwellings are homes occupied by local residents. It feels unfair that they are having to do this work alone.
I have a large degree of empathy for the group as they have yet to receive any definitive feedback on their requests for meaningful involvement. Those living in the centre of St Ives are often overlooked as a living and working community, I know this as I have friends living in town. They are in fact the beating heart of central St Ives and it would be great to better understand their daily issues and work positively with them to see how the town deal projects could actually help! There is a parallel project www.lifeinstives.co.uk that may also help shed light on what it is like living within a tourist mecca. We will do well to remember St Ives is home to many but very few manage to live within the centre of town and without them we really will be Disneyland.
When I met with the group I let them know that Cornwall Council plan to issue a statement / update before the end of the month and that you have just been appointed to help with onward engagement. They really do want to engage positively and be part of workable solutions but they are totally opposed to any type of physical barriers linked to the LTE. They recognise that not all residents will share this view but they hope that their views and the magnitude of the impact, as they see it, is understood.
When I met with them I also had the chance to speak with a handyman, delivery driver and two linen end cleaning agencies, all aligned on the fact that they are the people who do need to access the LTE area and by excluding everyone you directly punish the only people who genuinely need access. I understand that barriers would have safe lists and passes etc but the number of interactions highlighted to me would, in their opinion, create a very busy back office! They feel that any type of physical barrier should be an absolutely last resort and that all of the behavioural change tactics should be employed first. We discussed many of those opportunities in our meeting, hopefully the forthcoming update will help to alleviate some of the concerns raised.
Please use this intro email to set up a time that suits you all for a face to face meeting. Thank you Trisha for agreeing to come and meet with the group. I think it will be a very valuable first step. I only sit on the transport sub group within the town deal and our next meeting isn’t until April so I am going to circulate a very brief note separately to Councillors and officers and the joint chairs of the board to let them know about my wholly positive meeting with the group on Saturday.
Thanks
Cllr Rachael Gaunt