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7 March 2022 Local Transport Survey launched


Subject: Rame Peninsula Public Transport Survey

Have your say!

The Parish Councils, Go Cornwall Bus, GWR and. Cornwall Council want to hear from you.

●What journeys would you like to make by bus or train but can’t?
●Should buses and trains be more convenient, cheaper, and accessible to all?
●Could the routes and times of services join up better with each other?
●How can information about trains and buses be more accurate and available?
●Does there need to be a different approach to how we get about, and how we can make transport greener?

A year ago (15 March 2021) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Buses are lifelines and liberators, connecting people to jobs they couldn’t otherwise take, driving pensioners and young people to see their friends, sustaining town centres and protecting the environment. As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up.” This was to be part of a £3 billion bus revolution.


Now, villagers on the Rame Peninsula are trying to follow that declaration through.  They have decided to run a survey (starting on 7 March 2022 until early May ) of all people aged 11 and over living in the Rame peninsula, Deviock and St Germans areas, to see what they think about improving and developing an integrated public transport system, linking trains, buses and ferries, and ensuring that the network meets their needs.  


The two public transport groups (Rame Peninsula Public Transport Users Group and the St Germans and Area Public Transport Group) have had extensive discussions with Cornwall Council, the parish councils, Community Rail Network, Go Cornwall Bus and Great Western Railway, and  have received backing to carry out the survey over the next two months. They are asking questions about the current journeys people make by bus and train - details of where they go, the time of day they travel etc. People are asked whether they can easily get to St Germans station, and about any local journeys which are not really possible. What are the reasons why they are difficult (such as the lack of bus routes, problems of timing, cost, etc)? Is information about bus or train services satisfactory, and what about delays or cancellations? Importantly, the survey asks for ideas about the integration of bus and train (and ferries), and if people have ideas about new ways of getting to places  - such as being able to phone for and book a mini-bus to get them to the main road, the ferry, or the train station (or perhaps to the seaside!)


Lizzy Stroud, chair of the St Germans & Area Public Transport Group said “We all know that in this time of climate emergency we need to use cars less and buses and trains more - but to be able to do that we need integrated services.” It is ironic that in these circumstances there are bus service cuts which are being proposed, and train companies are being told by the government to reduce their cost substantially.


The Public Transport Survey will run from 7 March and people can have their say till the start of May, using https://sgrug.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/transport-users-survey-go 

Printed copies of the survey will be in village shops, community centres, libraries etc on the Rame peninsula.
7th March 2022

Issued on behalf of The Rame Peninsula Public Transport Users Group, Secretary Geoff Cadwallader, 01503 230933


and  St Germans & Area Public Transport Group, Secretary Alan Cousins, 01503 230106 a.cousins345@btinternet.com

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16 February 2022. Scam warning re NHS Test and Trace

Cornwall Council warns of scam NHS Test and Trace text

Residents in Cornwall are being warned about a series of scam text messages claiming to be from NHS Test & Trace. The messages inform the recipient that they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 or Omicron and asks them to click on a link to order a test. They are sent from seemingly random mobile phone numbers – a tell-tale sign they are a scam.

Elizabeth Kirk, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Cornwall Council, said: “These texts can seem very genuine, but the NHS, government or Public Health Cornwall would never send messages like this from a mobile phone. “The most important thing is to remember that the scammers want you to click a link. If you click the link, you could enable them to download malware, viruses or other nasties. “It might also give them access to your passwords for internet banking or any other sites you access from your phone.”


If you click the link accidentally:

  1. Close the web page it opened ASAP. This prevents further harm.
  1. NEVER enter passwords or other personal information onto any page you have opened by clicking a link.
  1. Reset any passwords you may have revealed.
  1. Update your phone’s operating system.
  1. Block the number that the text came from.
  1. Report the scam to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime, run by the City of London Police. Visit the website or call them on 0300 123 2040.

Cllr Martyn Alvery, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, said:

“Scam calls and texts to mobile phones are a serious problem and some are extremely convincing.

“I would urge anyone who receives a text message that they are unsure about to think twice before clicking any links or divulging any personal information and seek advice.  

“For advice on scams call 0808 223 1133 and to report scams call 0300 123 2040. The more you respond to scams, the more you will be targeted.”

Follow Cornwall Trading Standards on Twitter - @TSCornwall - for information on the latest scams and advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.

People can also undertake a 20-minute scam-awareness training programme offered by Friends Against Scamsvisit their website for more information. The Think Jessica campaign also has useful information and tips on avoiding scams.

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20 January 2022; Street Lighting in Seaton

An application relating to a new housing development in Keveral Gardens, Seaton has raised concern among residents about the impact on light pollution affecting Seaton Valley.

Deviock Parish Council Chairman, Mark Gibbons and County Cllr Armand Toms have followed up the issues raised in a current application from the developers addressing the provision of street lighting. Although the original plan was originally approved in the 1960s , subsequent submissions established that permission remains valid, so the focus is now on reducing the impact of lighting. After discussions with the DPC Chair, the development company ha agreed to a revised application for unobtrusive, low level downlighting at the properties that would cause minimal light pollution.

Deviock Parish Council Facebook will update residents on any developments as they arise.

Deviock Parish Council Statement on application to discharge conditions at South Shores, Keveral Gardens development

PA21/12685 | Submission of details to discharge conditions 2, 4 and 5 of application no. PA17/04940

https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/.../applicationDetails...

History

This application is to obtain approval for various elements of the design not fully detailed at the time of the 2017 application PA17/04940. This 2017 application itself was for approval of Reserved Matters relating to a Planning Application approved back in 2011.

The original planning application for this site was approved in the 1960's and was resubmitted in the 2000s to establish that this remained valid.

Although (then) Caradon District Council council rejected this assumption, the site owner argued that development had already started, stating that the existing houses on Keveral Gardens were phase 1 and that the access road into the rest of the site had already been constructed.

It went to appeal but despite investing significant resources, Caradon District Council lost the case in 2007.

As a result, the application is subject to 1960s regulations and despite the best efforts of both Caradon and Cornwall Council to limit the impact of potential development, their hands were tied as a result.

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Street Lighting

The element of the current application that is of particular concern for residents relates to the provision of street lighting.  

Condition No 2 of the 2017 Approval requires that details, of any street lighting within the site, be submitted and approved before commencement of the development, in accordance with National and Cornwall Planning Policies.

The drawing submitted with the application to discharge the condition shows a total of twelve 2.5m high lamp posts evenly spaced along the private road of the development. There is no reference to how this lighting will be controlled.

The reason listed for this condition states that it is “in the interest of highway safety”, however the development is a private road at the end of an unlit private cul-de-sac so highways concerns would not seem relevant in this case.

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Planning Process / Public Comment

As this is an application for discharge of conditions, the Parish Council is not automatically consulted or invited to comment.

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Deviock Parish Council Response

On being made aware of residents’ concerns Deviock Parish Council immediately contacted our Cornwall Councillor to discuss the case.

Cllr Toms contacted the Planning Officer concerned and was informed that, as a result of the complex history of this application, they would be unable to refuse the current proposal for street lighting if it was progressed, as it complies with National and Cornwall Planning Policies.

Cllr Toms and DPC Chair agreed that the developers should be contacted to see if they were prepared to change their submission for twelve 2.5m high lamp posts in the interests of residents of Keveral Gardens and the wider parish community.

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Parish Council Solution

Further to a telephone call from the DPC Chair, the Chief Executive of the development company agreed to submit a revised application for unobtrusive, low level downlighting at the properties that would cause minimal light pollution with as little impact as possible on the neighbourhood.

As there is no legal or planning requirement for them to so, this concession is entirely discretionary and a goodwill gesture to residents.

If followed through it will appear on the Cornwall Council Planning Portal in the usual way in due course.

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Residents of Keveral Gardens have created a change.org petition to express their concerns but should note that petitions count as a single comment in planning terms.

Given the special conditions that apply to this application, and the Planning Officer’s view that refusal of the developer’s lighting proposals would be impossible, Deviock Parish Council is of the view that the negotiated solution here represents the best option for residents and that it is not possible for it to progress this further through the planning system and legal framework.

Further comments should therefore be addressed to the Planning Officer through the Cornwall Council Planning Portal here:

https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/.../applicationDetails...

It should be noted that although the portal currently displays the message “This facility does not accept comments on this type of application”, some residents have been able to so by contacting the Planning department directly.

You will also find links for reporting problems and enforcement on our website here:

https://www.deviockparish.org.uk/contact/report-a-problem/

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6 January 2022: Deviock Parish Council take Covid precautions at monthly meetings.

Given the significant increase in local covid cases since Christmas, Deviock Parish Council will not hold public meetings during January & February 2022 and will operate under delegated authority.

This precaution was agreed at the December meeting to minimise disruption to Parish business in this eventuality and is being adopted following consultation with our Cornwall Councillor and CALC (Cornwall Association of Local Councils).

If you wish to contact the Parish Council during this period, please email the Clerk – clerk.deviockpc@btinternet.com.

During the period of delegated authority, the Clerk will publish a monthly summary of decisions taken and the reasons for them (which would ordinarily appear in Minutes) on this website, to ensure that the public remain informed and all decisions will be ratified in a physical meeting at the first available opportunity.

Planning

Planning application notifications will be posted on our website in January and February (in the absence of Agendas) and residents are invited to comment in the usual way on the Cornwall Council Planning site. Members of the public who would usually speak at the physical meeting should write or email with their comments to the Clerk – clerk.deviockpc@btinternet.com by 24th January for January applications and by 21st February for February applications.

Public toilets in the Parish will remain open due to ongoing antimicrobial cleansing which has been in place since summer 2020, supported by daily cleaning until further notice.

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29 November 2021: Important Notice for all Poultry & Captive Bird Keepers

Cornwall Council have announced that new housing measures to protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will come into force from 00:01 on Monday 29 November 2021.

Whether keepers have just a few birds, or thousands, from Monday 29 November they will be legally required to keep birds indoors or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds and follow strict  biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of Avian Influenza.

Requirements

Poultry keepers must now do the following:

  • house or net all poultry and captive birds to keep them separate from wild birds
  • cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
  • reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products,  and use effective vermin control
  • thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
  • keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
  • minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds

Other Advice

  • The public are advised not to touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that they find. If dead swans, geese or ducks or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey  are found they should be reported to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.
  • Bird keepers should report suspicion of disease in England to Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301
  • Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk  for UK consumers.  There is no impact on the consumption of properly cooked poultry products including eggs.
  • Avian influenza is in no way connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is not carried in poultry or captive birds.

For further information :Andrew Burnside, Senior Trading Standards Officer , Cornwall Council

Animal Health Communities and Public Protection

Mobile: 07968 892205

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23 November 2021: Final Appeal to sign-up for Full Fibre Broadband in Downderry and Seaton

There is an opportunity to upgrade local property to full fibre to the premises (FTTP) as part of a scheme bringing Full Fibre Broadband to Downderry and Seaton, utilising government funding in partnership with Openreach. Government vouchers are available to communities where sufficient residents have pledged to sign-up with a provider to benefit from ultrafast broadband. Local residents Caroline Walmsley and Caroline Frith are leading on a local response to encourage individual households to sign-up. Following a recent meeting in the Downderry and Seaton Village Hall at which Outreach representatives set out the details of the scheme, they have announced that the village has now met 76% of the required pledges to secure funding to bring Full Fibre Broadband to Downderry and Seaton. They appeal to residents who have not yet pledged to do so by the end of the year and have set out a summary of what is involved.

Local community leads, Caroline Walmsley and Caroline Frith have prepared the following information:

THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS ARE….HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?  WILL I BE ‘TIED IN’?

 

When you pledge you are agreeing for the government to pay £1352 towards the upgrade of your property to full fibre to the premises (FTTP) connection. To ensure they are not paying grant money for an upgrade that isn't going to be used they require, within 2 months of the upgrade being complete, everyone who pledges to take out a Full Fibre (FTTP) package with any provider of their choice for a minimum of 12 months.  Your new package will have to be for:

i)  At least double your existing speed if your current speed is less than 50Mbps

ii) At least 100Mbps if your current speed is more than 50Mbps

 

There are numerous providers of FTTP packages including BT, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Sky, and many more. You may easily be able to upgrade from your current FTTC package to an FTTP one with the same provider in a simple transfer of service with no termination/transfer charges. Or, if your contract ends before the 12 month period it takes to upgrade the community, you could opt to be in a rolling contract, enabling you to move to a new provider of choice on completion of the upgrade.  The packages currently available vary in price from around £25 - £55.  The price of the package depends on the speed you choose, you do not need to take out the highest 900mb/s packages (unless you want to!) It just has to be a FTTP package and your provider will be able to tell you the options. You can also use price comparison websites to check packages and prices. 

Please contact your own internet provider and ask them to explain your options based on your current contract position.

 

Some people also seem to be worried about being 'tied in’. 

Your new FTTP contract will be no different to current contracts with providers you are already 'tied in' with. It is merely changing from one (FTTC) contract to another (FTTP) contract but the latter is faster and more reliable and you will, hopefully, find it is around the same cost, or even less.   

 

Please use your pledge and help our community to be future proofed (you may have 50 or 60 mb now, but that doesn’t mean that in a few years it will be sufficient for your added requirements or that others in your area will not be tapping into your current great speed); you could also add value to your property and put and end to your internet woes!  

The local community lead for Downderry and Seaton is Caroline Walmsley - dsfibrepartnership@gmail.com.

or email :  communityfibre @openreach.co.uk

www.openreach.copm/connectmycommunity

 

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10 November 2021: Volunteers needed for Cornwall Food Action in S.E. Cornwall

Last year, The UK government, donated half a million pounds across the UK, to provide surplus food to community groups during the Covid-19 crisis. That money ended in March and now the voluntary sector is struggling to provide supplies for their much-needed food bags, meals on wheels, community larders and village halls.

Cornwall Food Action is seeking new volunteers to collect and distribute local surplus food from the supplier to the VSO (Voluntary Sector Organisation) network in the east of the county, specifically between Rame, Saltash and Liskeard.

As we bring in more food streams to our network, we will need more volunteers to collect and deliver those supplies to the groups that need them. We don't feed people directly; we supply the organisations that do.

If you can offer us a couple of hours a week or more picking up and dropping off food from manufacturer to Food Hubs or groups, either in a community van or your own car (mileage is paid for), we would be delighted to have you on board. Full training and membership of our charity would be provided. Our website is being rebuilt as we speak, so please look us up on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cfacornwall

If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Claire Best, Charity co-ordinator of Cornwall Food Action,claire@cornwallfoodaction.co.uk or call on 07821021464.                  

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3 November 2021; Parish Council buys Seaton Wildlife Woodland

Deviock Parish Council is pleased to announce that pre-auction negotiations to secure a 4.4acre wildlife woodland in Seaton has been successful and that contracts were exchanged today. (3 November 2021)

Chairman of Deviock Parish Council, Mark Gibbons, said "This was only possible as a result of the extraordinary response to our public fundraising campaign which, together with our earmarked reserves for land took us over the line ahead of a competitive auction.

Thank you to all who have contributed so generously, to our partners who responded rapidly and effectively to support the remarkable efforts of Parish Councillors on the ground here, and to the media who have generated interest and awareness. It is less than two weeks since we set out to secure this land and I am delighted that it is now protected for the benefit of residents, visitors and future generations.

We look forward to working with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and other supporters on a sustainable, long term management plan for this habitat and its wildlife!"

(ends)

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