Email: council@djpollard.co.uk

Allotments

The Christmas break has enabled me to have my daily stroll in and around the Town to try to work off some of the excesses of food and drink. Today it was very heartening to have a walk around the new allotment site on Lethlean Lane. It is many years ago that the Town Council first began to discuss the provision of allotments following requests from local residents. We were also seeking land where a further burial grounds could be provided. I was determined that the cemetery should be created on what was Glebe Land in Phillack and we were able to combine both ideas to provide the current site which will provide a section to extend the now closed Lethlean Cemetery when required and give the Town its allotments ( for which there is already a long waiting list) It seems amazing that it is nearly 10 years since Marjorie Roberts, Shirley Oliver, Brian Capper and myself on behalf of the Town Council met with Rev Canon Tony Neal to have the first discussions on the possibility of this scheme - but at last it is being brought to fruition. Yes it has been slow and the negotiations with the Church protracted but the Town Clerk has worked steadfastly and hopefully the first seeds will be sown in the spring!!

Hayle Station

Over the last year we have put a great deal of pressure on First Great Western to improve services at Hayle. A Public Meeting supported the campaign coordinated by the Hayle Area Plan Partnership's Traffic and Transport Group and Hayle Town Council hosted a meeting of officials to debate the issues. It was a excellent example of all sections of the community working together and has resulted in better signing, timetables being displayed in Foundry and Copperhouse although it is still not possible to buy a rail ticket in the Town except through a travel agent. My colleague John Coombe CC led the campaign to get an early evening train to stop at Hayle and although we have not been able to get any other stopping trains, First Great Western are now providing an extra stop at Hayle from Truro to cater for workers and school children. I understand that it is very well used. We must not drop this issue, the public support it and there is no doubt that the potential of Hayle Station is not being exploited although my experience over the summer was that lots of visitors do look to use it.

North Quay Infrastructure

Friday the 16th December should be recorded as an important date in the regeneration of Hayle Harbour. The Secretary of State for Transport approved the Bridge Works on this day and this is the last element of the permissions required to enable the works to begin. Watch out for the beginning of works early in the New Year. This is wonderful news - for the first time over £13 million will be spent here in Hayle. This money is only available for these works - if the scheme had failed it could not be spent on a Leisure Centre or developing Sluicing, it would have been returned to the Economic Development coffers only to be spent elsewhere in the County.

My colleague, John Coombe and I issued the following statement:

"We are delighted to congratulate the project team on the incredible progress that has been made over the last few months. We have all been working together to create the Town's ambition of making the development of Hayle Harbour a reality. The endorsement of the Bridge Order by the Secretary of State for Transport enabling the new link across Copperhouse Pool to be constructed means that the works can now begin. The development of a new access road and associated works will:

Provide a new road across North Quay

Open up access to the Business Park on the old Electric Works site Create new opportunities for the development of the renewable energy industry, building on the huge investment in the Wave Hub project.

Establish a new road junction on Hayle Terrace.

Prepare parts of North Quay for future development

Build a walkway along the seaward side of the quay for all to enjoy.

Start to provide new and improved facilities for the fishermen at the North Western end of the Quay

Improve access to Hayle Cricket Club

Repair the East Quay Walls and safeguard the quays from Copperhouse Pool to the sea.

Investment to the tune of 13.5 million pounds has been delivered by County, Country and Continent. This is the first time in 50 years that Hayle has been the recipient of such large and clearly focused support and marks what we hope to be the beginning of the revival of our Harbour, which we have anticipated over the last 50 years.

20.12.10

Emergency Budget

I have received a number of letters concerning the emergency budget which will be debated at Full Council on Friday 3rd December (postponed from 30th Nov). I have always accepted that there had to be cuts because the grants from central government have been cut but my determination was to ensure that there was a minimum effect on Hayle projects. So although there are many cuts that I cannot be at ease with it is now clear that through the action of John Coombe and myself :

Hayle Day Care Centre will continue to receive its annual grant from Cornwall Council - at the same rate as last year

Hayle Library will be remain open and serving the community in the same way.

Hayle Swimming Pool will receive a grant ( although severely reduced) over the next two years

Guildford Road

Since my election I have been working with Cornwall Council to amend the traffic management scheme outside Loggans Chip Shop. The traffic priority here will remain the same but following a full survey of traffic movements last summer, the road alignment will change slightly to give some respite to the houses set below the ground on the western side of the road by moving traffic further east. Hopefully the priority will also be clearer to all.

30.11.10

Yellow Lines/Street names/Parking etc etc etc

I know that many of you who have contacted me with concerns about any of the above are concerned that nothing has happened - well it has but not yet to the stage where anything is different! One of the lessons I have learned is that trying to progress any action through the bureaucracy of Cornwall Council is painfully slow BUT I am pushing at every opportunity and if you have shared a concern with me, I have shared it with the officers involved.

Wave Hub

Great news that Hayle's Wave Hub is up and running and ready for business. We should celebrate the fact that although there may still be difficulties and the numbers of local jobs created by the Hub will be minute it does put Hayle on the map!! Our unique position between the waves of the Atlantic and a connection to the National Grid has provided us with something to make people notice us!. If we can now develop renewable energy in the area then jobs will follow, in the meantime this is really good news - the Wave Hub press release stated:

'The pioneering Wave Hub marine energy project has been 'plugged in' for the first time since its installation over the summer and is officially open for business. Wave Hub has created the world's largest test site for wave energy technology by building a grid-connected socket on the seabed 16 kilometres off the coast of Cornwall in South West England, to which wave power devices can be connected and their performance evaluated. Yesterday (November 2), the complete system underwent its first full test when it was connected to the grid network via a new substation that has been built at Hayle, where Wave Hub's 33kV cable comes ashore. Wave Hub's generalmanager Guy Lavender, speaking today at the Renewable UK annual conference and exhibition in Glasgow, said: "We've been continually testing the integrity of the whole system during the installation process but yesterday was the first time it was fully energised and plugged in to the grid, and I'm delighted to say that it went without a hitch. "From today the system will be permanently energised and monitored, so Wave Hub is well and truly open for business." The penultimate stage of Wave Hub's installation is expected to be completed today (Nov 3) when the last of 177 concrete 'mattresses' is laid on top of the subsea cable. The 25 kilometre cable is buried under the seabed to around five kilometres offshore and thereafter has been covered with 91,000 tonnes of rock. The mattresses are being laid at regular intervals on top of the rock to ensure the cable is secure. '09.11.10

What do I do?

I am sometimes asked - what do you do as a Cornwall Councillor? - well..... briefly, of course I try to help anyone who has a problem - phone me on 756794 and leave a message. There are not many decision making committees in the new council - it is Cabinet Government and I do try to attend as many Cabinets as possible to put Hayle's case- but there are Overview and Scrutiny Committees which investigate/assess/question proposals made by each directorate. I am Vice Chairman of Children Education and Families O/S and we are very rigorous in drilling down into decisions/ideas/proposals/policies being developed by the department including the Improvement Plan made in response to the very poor OFSTED report of last year. I also sit on the Human Resources Committee which has a vital role in trying to support and protect staff during this unprecedented period of change. I have chaired a Panel investigating Safeguarding and our 19 recommendations were all accepted by the Council and we are now ensuring they are implemented. Currently I chair a cross party group looking at Library Provision across the County - very challenging in the light of budget cuts. Over and above all this the promotion of Hayle, the development of Hayle schemes, investment in Hayle and the provision of jobs for the town are at the fore front of my activities. Add to this Town Council work, my activities as the Chair of Harvey's Foundry Trust, my support of the Hayle Archive and the Hayle Oral History Project as well as my Chairmanship of the Hayle Area Plan Partnership and my continuing Oral History work - and its pretty busy!!!!!

North Quay

We have been discussing the designs for much of the work on the infrastructure on North Quay - . The works will not only establish the roadway to the proposed business park but will provide essential links for the future. The Harbour walls on East quay will be repaired and pointed and the foreshore area in front of the Customs House be improved and secured. The 4 metre wide walkway will enable us to promenade all the way along North Quay on the seaward side and we have discussed possible finishes. Most exciting is the screen on the North Quay bridge - J & F Pools produced perforated metal which was exported all over Europe and I have proposed that this screen commemorates this lost industry which has been given scant recognition. This has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the designers and with the help of former J & F employees I am hopeful that we can create a significant memory of the works in which so many were employed.

Community Grants

I do have a small sum to distribute to local voluntary groups to support their work - let me know if there is an item/project/idea which your group needs to be funded and perhaps I can help.

You can always contact me via this site or 07967272808 or my colleague John Coombe ( South Ward) on 752831 or meet us on the first Saturday of each month when we hold open surgeries at Hayle One Stop Shop.

As your representative I am taking every opportunity to exert influence upon Cabinet members and raising issues with the officers. Be assured that I remain totally independent and have not made any agreements in advance, all issues are taken on their merits and I seek support for Hayle from all Councillors, whatever their party.

I really do want the residents of Hayle to let me know about issues that affect them.

25.09.10