Newly elected Council Leader Julian German has visited three very different projects across Cornwall to celebrate the great work of communities delivering improvements for residents supported by Cornwall Council. 

He visited Cawsand to meet with the Peninsula Trust and hear about the partnership working between a small Cornish community and Cornwall Council to rescue and transform buildings to provide much needed affordable housing for local people on the Rame Peninsula. 

The Peninsula Trust, a local community led organisation, came to Cornwall Council with a proposition to buy and renovate three Council owned coastguard cottages in Cawsand village and then let them to local families at an affordable rent.  The Trust, which already runs the Rame Centre community hub in Millbrook village is also working to rescue the Old Ship Inn at Cawsand, rebuilding it as a community-owned café and heritage centre with flats for affordable rent above.

Cllr Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for homes said: "This is a practical demonstration of how we are serious about working with partners and the community to provide the right homes in the right place."

Simon Ryan from the Peninsula Trust said:  "Cornwall Council is helping us take the lead in helping our community.  The demand for housing is huge and working with the Council we can start to make a difference.  We're getting enquiries from all over the country asking how we are doing what we are doing and I tell them it's down in no small part to the support we are getting from Cornwall Council."

Debbie Patterson, Chair of the Peninsula Trust explained the plans for regenerating The Old Ship Inn:  "With funding from the community and brilliant support from Cornwall Council we're going to build a community café and restaurant and eventually, a heritage centre and four flats for local people which will help bring this community back to life."  

Julian said:  "It's great to see first-hand that the Council is helping to support the community in Cawsand, who have done a tremendous amount of work to bring forward affordable housing for local people and improve the lives of residents with their plans for a community hub for their village."

Julian then visited Summerleaze beach in Bude to see how the community there is working to tackle the climate emergency.

He joined representatives from A Greener Bude, an umbrella scheme created by the town's most influential plastic warriors and environmental organisations, representatives from the Bude Cleaner Seas Project, Mors Bags Bude Baggers - a group who meet once a month to sew, cut out bags, swap material to make reusable fabric shopping bags and the Your Shore Beach Rangers.

He also met world record rower Kiko Matthews who became the fastest female to row the Atlantic solo and unsupported last year.  Kiko started Kik-Plastic  which aims to grow community awareness around plastic and the environment as she cycles 7,200km of the coast, stopping each day to help with a beach clean.

Avril Sainsbury from the Cleaner Seas Project in Bude said: "We've got a very strong community and lots of environment groups who work together under the banner of A Greener Bude.

"We are very big on beach cleaning in Bude and we were delighted to welcome Kiko Matthews and Cllr German today to show them what we do here. Even when the beach looks beautifully clean, a sift through the sand will show microplastics which are damaging to our waterways and oceans."

Councillor Rob Nolan who was appointed as Cornwall Council's cabinet portfolio holder for the Environment and Public Protection this week said: "It was great to meet the members of A Greener Bude and to hear about their tireless work in making their town more sustainable by tackling marine plastics, pollution and climate change to name but a few.

"As the new portfolio holder for the environment and public protection I am looking forward to working with residents to identify how we can fight climate change together including identifying what we need to do to become carbon neutral by 2030." 

Julian German was then joined by the cabinet portfolio holder for economy and planning Bob Egerton in a visit to the Telegraph Museum in Porthcurno to hear how an innovative project to encourage more people to appreciate Cornwall's culture and heritage started there. 

Museum Director Julia Twomlow explained how they are engaging the local community and visitors through the Augmented Telegrapher project, which is the 'pilot' for the wAVE project.  The wAVE project will eventually see five museums across Cornwall and Scilly using virtual and augmented reality technology to bring Cornish heritage alive.  The new technology will include virtual reality headsets, high definition projection techniques and computer generated imagery to create new, immersive visitor experiences, related to the museums own community stories.

Julia Twomlow, director of the Telegraph Museum Porthcurno, said: "It is really warming that Cllr German visited us so early in his term of office which shows his commitment to culture and heritage in Cornwall."

"Because the Telegraph Museum's history is in technology, together with Falmouth University we are ideally placed to explore new ways of interpreting our story and collections to make the visitor experience even more dynamic and interactive."

The technology will be developed by Falmouth University in partnership with Cornwall Museums Partnership and will be launched in phases at the Telegraph Museum Porthcurno; Castle Heritage Centre, Bude; St Agnes Museum; Isles of Scilly Museum and the Old Guildhall Museum & Gaol in Looe from later this year up until the end of 2020.

Julian German said: "We're committed to telling the story of Cornwall's history, culture, arts and our heritage.  Our culture makes us distinct and unique and it is not just good for our society, it is great for our economy."

Bob Egerton, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for economy and planning adds:  "Our creative sector is a huge cultural and economic asset that is growing at twice the rate of the UK economy. We have a rich and diverse creative economy rooted in our distinctive sense of place."

Julian says: "On my first full day as Council Leader it has been wonderful to go out and meet residents, volunteers and organisations from across Cornwall working on projects that are transforming their communities."

"This morning we heard about plans to transform one of the oldest buildings in Cawsand into a cafe, heritage centre and flats for local residents thanks to community investment from individuals.

"Then we visited Summerleaze Beach in Bude where we met a wide range of residents who found that getting involved in environmental action has been a great way in becoming part of the community. A Greener Bude is really helping to make sure that resources are being used wisely and that groups aren't duplicating activities and are pulling together to gain the maximum benefit."

"Then this afternoon we visited Porthcurno Telegraph Museum which is pioneering the use of Augmented and Virtual Reality technology under the Coastal Communities wAVE project to enhance the visitor experience in museums in Cornwall."

"As a Council, we want every community, from Porthcurno to Bude to Cawsand, see real improvements in the places where they live.  We will step up our efforts to help local people find solutions to issues that affect them and I look forward to learning more about these projects and meeting more inspiring individuals across the Duchy in the coming months."

 

Story posted 23 May 2019