The consultation into the latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) ended last week and, as I usually do, I submitted comments on behalf of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall. Previous representations have gone unheeded and I do not have any great hopes that critics of the UK Government’s approach to planning policy will be listened to now. In my response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, I made the argument that politicians and…

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On Tuesday 10 September, I attended another meeting at the unitary authority at which councillors considered how best to secure a devolution settlement from central government. In one of my contributions, I spoke about the importance of securing Cornish control over all aspects of planning, planning policy and planning appeals. At that time, I was unaware that the UK Government had just classed the Cornish Lithium project at Trelavour, St Dennis, as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. The press release came…

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Three of Cornwall’s new Labour MPs made their maiden speeches in the House of Commons last week. Noah Law (St Austell and Newquay) spoke about Cornwall’s distinct Celtic heritage and national pride, plus the national minority status of its people, adding that “Cornwall’s heritage is not just a relic of the past but a living, breathing part of our identity, shaping our values and aspirations as a community.” Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) said that “Cornwall, with its proud and independent…

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The Clay Area Training and Work Centre (ClayTAWC) in St Dennis was founded in 1999 and, on Saturday 31st August, I was at the organisation’s “ClayTAWC Celebration Day.” Based in the Old School Building in the heart of the village, ClayTAWC (of which I am chairman) has traditionally helped provide training and education courses. It has also been an important community centre for the area. The Parish Council is based at the venue and, in more recent years, our staff (Kerry…

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