April 2025

ST HILARY PARISH COUNCIL Meeting  Friday 4^th April 2025.

ATTENDANCE,

Cllrs  D Reed (Chairman) G Ford, (V/Chairman), J Howells, P Rule, M Ryan, T Thomas, L Vardy.

APOLOGIES

Cllrs  Behrens, W Searle, M West

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

Mrs V Robinson,

C/CLLR MARTINS REPORT.

Councillor Martin reported that he attended the St Aubyns Estate presentation at St Pirans Hall, on the proposed solar farm site at Trevarthian farm . It was a well-designed  presentation and i became aware of a mixed response to the proposal, Again concerns were raised about the use of good agricultural land.

The members have received a letter from Cllr Ollie Monk , The portfolio holder for housing , Concerning  the results of the “call for land”. We were given a link  to a map which gives us the current land identified. We will be making all of the sites available to local councils for their comments  on factors such as deliverability for a period of six weeks . Following that period for comment, the sites will undergo suitability , availability and achievability assessment according to the  Governments technical criteria..

I will be on the Miscellaneous Licensing Committee, after a series of training sessions .This is due to another move from the CC administration. As a result , all the committee membership are shifted to accommodate the change.

I am now on West Sub Planning, Central Planning, The Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee, The Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Miscellaneous Licensing, As well as a substitute for East and Strategic Planning. Even during Purdah, West and Central Planning and Licensing committees continues to meet,

The Planning Committee members have a training session once a fortnight .Last week we had a presentation from the Planning Enforcement team, which was very interesting ,enlightening,but depressing

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Nothing Raised

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

Mrs Robinson asked the Council about the proposed Solar Panel Farm at Plain an Gwarry, She stated that most of the residents are against the plan, She outlined several issues concerning the farm and the site in question, Batteries are not efficient  and the land  is unusable for farming  after 40 years and this will provide a problem for future generations,                                                                                                 The Chairman then stated that as soon as the Parish Council has the planning application they will then make their decision.to put to the planning department.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

It was proposed by Cllr Ford and seconded by Cllr Thomas that the Chairman sign the minutes circulated prior to this meeting as being a correct record of that meeting, All Councillors  agreed.(1 abs).

CHAIRMANS REPORT

The Chairman Cllr Reed reported that the security light at the School  was still to bright , The Clerk was asked to contact the  School.

PLANNING

PA224/09239                                                                                                                       After a discussion it was proposed by Cllr Howells and seconded by Cllr Ryan that the Council recommend refusal of this application vote taken  result  motion carried unanimously.

PA25/02123                                                                                                                      No decision , The Clerk was asked to contact the planning department for more information.

PROPOSED SOLAR PANEL FARM

All Councillors gave their views on this item , And it was agreed that the Council canot make any decision until they have the plans before the Council, And then if needed they will call a public meeting.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN UPDATE

Cllr Ryan reported that Cornwall Council had published a list on its website of only 11 NDPs out

of around 70 currently “made” that they believed would have additional protection under paragraph 14 of the NPPF.  These are views by the council as having met ALL of the following criteria

1. The NDP is less than five years old and

2. The NDP contains policies that seek to identify and address housing need in the neighbourhood area and

3. The NDP has policies and/or site allocations that seek to address that need such as by leaving space for house building within development boundaries or where specific sites have been allocated for new homes.  Plans that have drawn development boundaries tightly around existing developed areas such as the St Hilary NDP would be unlikely to comply.

Provided a plan is viewed by Cornwall Council as having met all of these criteria it will continue to apply the housing policies in that NDP until it reaches five years old.  In all other NDPs, including that of St Hilary, housing policies, in particular development boundaries, will become out of date and will be afforded significantly less weight in planning decisions.  However, other than housing policies all other NDP and Local Plan policies will continue to have full weight in planning decisions.

We are advised not to attempt to amend our plan at this stage until Cornwall Council has managed to update its housing policies and is able to demonstrate a five-year land supply sufficient to meet its new significantly increased obligatory government set targets.  This will probably entail new increased targets for each parish which in the past we have comfortably exceeded through windfall development but may now have to make specific allocations of land on top of this when we come to revise our plan.

In the meantime, we are encouraged to make a Neighbourhood Priority Statement which will not contain policies or be a legal document but will need to be taken into account by Cornwall Council when it writes its revised plan.  These statements are meant to enable local people to influence the nature and scale of development they feel is needed for their area.  Currently there are 10 parishes or towns engaged in this as a pilot which the council intends to roll out across the county by June 2025.

CIL PAYMENTS

It was proposed by Cllr Vardy and seconded by Cllr Rule that the Council should go ahead and purchase a bench that will be situated beside the telephone box along Relubbus lane.All Agreed

The Clerk was asked to get a quote for a proposed path around the  open Churchyard.  Need update onthe proposed work to the memorial garden, Cllr Reed suggested that we could distribute |Owl boxes around the Parish, Cllr Vardy thought that some of the stiles within the Parish should be made disabled friendly,  Cllr Howells suggested that we put some money towards a project called Marazion Memories

REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION

CLLR FORD                         Nothing to report

CLLR THOMAS                   Nothing to report

CLLR VARDY                       Nothing to report

CLLR RULE    Said that in his opinion the new 20mph restrictions  are not having any affect at all.

CLLR RYAN                           Nothing to report

CLLR  HOWELLS.  Reported that the bright lights at Tregonning hill are still causing concerns  CHT said that they are looking into the matter.

CLLR REED  Said that he recently attended  Cornwall council planning committee meeting but was not allowed to speak as he was not registered to speak.

The Chairman then closed the meeting at 21.08pm