Questionnaire Closed (Early)

5th January 2024

Today was the last date for completion of "the questionnaire". To give it its full title:

St Ives Town Deal

Low Carbon Transport Strategy

Public Engagement Questionnaire

The online version (here) was to be removed at midnight on 5th January 2024, some 5 weeks after the proposals & online questionnaire became available at 13:00 on 27th November 2023.

However it was closed 24 hours early by The Project Team. Here is the site at 12:48 on the final Friday, timestamped bottom right:

This despite written confirmation on the paper versions from The Library & still available on our website here that it would be available until midnight:

Not For Residents?

Many residents feel that this initial consultation exercise was not aimed at them & their concerns. Particularly the impact of the Low Traffic Environment (LTE) created by restricting traffic past Library Corner & at the top of Lifeboat Hill & so along Wharf Road into Downalong. Access to Downalong between 11:00 & 16:00 at yet to be defined "peak times of year" will be by permission only. Who will be permitted remains extremely unclear.

Here are some facts:

• The questionnaire was created by Cormac, a Cornwall Council Company, on behalf of Cornwall Council & St Ives Town Deal.

• They say: "Cormac is a leading civil engineering contractor providing a wide range of specialist services in Cornwall and beyond. Wherever we work our deep connections in our own communities give us a local perspective and a commitment to social value which makes us different from other contractors."

• Our survey says:

  • 13 of the 27 questions directly prioritise visitors to the town. e,g. "9. What is your main reason for visiting St Ives?" (No “I live here.” option provided - only "Other".)

  • 11 of the 27 questions can be answered with “I live here.”, which is not an option & makes the question meaningless for residents.

  • Not one question is specific to Downalong residents & the impact on their lives.

  • Post codes are collected in such a way that Downalong residence is deliberately obscured, lumping residents' responses with a much larger number unaffected by The LTE restrictions, so diluted.

"Please use the boxes below to enter your postcode as follows: TRxx x –so that we cannot identify
specific location"

Two examples of a TR26 1  __  __  post code below:

TR26 1NA

TR26 1BX

• The final page online offers: "To stay informed of the development of St Ives Town Deal funded projects, please visit: www.stivestowndeal.org.uk  or join the newsletter." The website is for St Ives Town Deal, but the newsletter takes you here: https://www.trurotownfund.com/contact/

• "continue to our website" leads here: http://www.trurotowndeal.co.uk/

Conclusion

"our deep connections in our own communities give us a local perspective and a commitment to social value which makes us different from other contractors."? Maybe not.

If this is the effort & attention to detail put in to a questionnaire, what hope for a robust & well thought out plan created with residents in mind?

Consultation will continue through 2024. To ensure you have you say if you or anyone you know are not signed up to our Downalong Residents database, please use the link below.