Welcome to the Lanner Parish Plan. These pages are an on-going, developing programme showing how our community sees itself evolving over the next ten years or so. It is very much “work in progress”. We invite comment, suggestions and criticism from anyone interested in Lanner, whether or not you live or work here. Please do send us your thoughts which will certainly be taken up in the debate. Content last amended 17 August 2011. 1. The Background to the Plan. The need for a Parish Plan had been discussed for some years by Lanner Parish Council but it was never taken forward: primarily because there seemed little enthusiasm for the process in the community overall, and partly because residing in the parish were also three district councillors including a county councillor who were alive to local issues at both those tiers of government. This situation changed in 2009. First, the creation of Cornwall Council as a unitary authority meant the abolition of the district councils. The loss of the district council, and representation at that level of decision making, generated a concern that decisions could and would be made affecting the community with reduced, or indeed no, local input. Second, a proposal to build 25 new “local needs” homes on a green site without a proper survey of actual need and against local wishes provided a clear example of why a parish plan was required as an expression of local aspirations which could help decision makers avoid conflicts with the community. 2. Introduction Lanner was effectively created from the nineteenth century copper mining boom. Before then it was a scattering of homesteads of farmers and tinners within the parish of Gwennap, but from around 1800 it mushroomed and in 1844 became a parish in its own right. The skills and technology learnt and developed in the mining industry were already fuelling a migration of labour by the 1830s to the Americas, South Africa and Australia, accentuated by the copper collapse of the 1860s, and in 1929 the industry died in Lanner with the closure of Tresavean Mine. Periodic poverty at or just below subsistence level was a common feature of life in the parish and it was not until the latter half of the twentieth century that the decline in population was arrested. New housing, commenced in the 1960s, initiated a recovery in the fortunes of Lanner and it is now one of the largest villages in Cornwall. Both the rural parish and Lanner village are bisected by the A393 Redruth – Falmouth road with high ground to either side, dominated by Carn Marth at 235 metres (771 feet) above sea level: but even more so by the rich industrial heritage. At present there are 1187 households in the parish housing an estimated 2690 persons. The nature of the parish has changed: whilst retaining a rural environment where farming and open space account for 83% of a total land mass of 1452 acres, Lanner is very much a dormitory village with employment based in Truro, Redruth/Camborne or Falmouth. In addition, village expansion together with that of Redruth has added a suburban feel to parts of the parish. The age distribution of the population in 2008 was as follows: 1 Age Range Lanner Cornwall Lanner Deviation 0 – 15 18% 17% +5.88% 16 – 29 14% 15% -6.66% 30 – 44 21% 18% +16.66% 45 – retirement 24% 24% 0% Over retirement 23% 25% -8% 3. The Process The process for preparing the parish plan was initiated by the Parish Council, which has also been the primary funder of the project. It was a prerequisite that the process should be community driven and as many opportunities as possible provided for input and discussion. A small Steering Group of members of the community, including some parish councillors, was set up to drive the project aided by advice from our local Cornwall Council Regeneration Officer. It was agreed at an early stage that a variety of events and media should be employed to offer attractive and convenient ways for community involvement. It was also agreed that comment should be encouraged throughout the process period and also after publication of the plan. For these reasons the Lanner parish website was expanded to show this document as it develops and invite comment and ideas through a forum. Funding for this element of the process was obtained from the local Cornwall Council Community Network. It was thought that this facility might be particularly useful in attracting comment from younger members of the community. The core of the process was seen as being a detailed questionnaire to be circulated to all households in the parish. Funding towards this has been secured from the Mining Villages Regeneration Group. To develop a relevant questionnaire it was decided to hold a day long event in the village hall to determine what issues the community deemed the most important. This event was publicised by a parish newsletter, direct letters to local businesses and community organisations, posters, and coverage in the local media, and was held on May 13 2010 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Comments were taken at “stations” which focused on specific themes and these were added to and enhanced by stands provided by the police, fire service, waste disposal service, churches and Lanner Band. In addition a photographic display of Lanner past and present helped attract people to the event. Attended by some 150 people (over 6.5% of the adult population) the ideas put forward were then analysed and the questionnaire developed over the summer months, eventually being distributed to all households and businesses on November 2 with pre paid return envelopes. This questionnaire produced a 22% (272) response and, with the 23% response received from the Parish Council’s Local Housing Needs Survey of summer 2010, forms the basis of this report. This process has been reinforced by members of the Group having direct conversations with certain key stakeholders such as South West Water and Lanner School. The report was presented to and received by the community at the Annual Parish Meeting on 15 August 2011. 2 4. Land Use ,000 Sq M Acres % Cornwall % Total Land 5874 1452 Domestic Buildings 104 26 1.78 0.62 Domestic Gardens 480 118 8.17 2.54 Non Domestic Buildings 22 5 0.38 0.35 Roads 234 68 3.99 1.80 Green space 4923 1216 83.80 91.29 Respondents are generally happy with the distribution of land use within the parish except for housing, where 30% think there is too much, and car parking where 54% think there is not enough. 5. Environment Lanner provides a pleasant and valued environment in which to live and work, a claim with which 93% of the community agrees. The parish is particularly fortunate in having some 12 miles of footpaths and bridleways. They are very well used, with 92% of respondents using them – mainly for recreational purposes (85%). The responsibility for maintaining these paths rests with Cornwall Council but the contracts to keep them trimmed back are administered by the parish council who receive a contribution from Cornwall Council of about two thirds the total cost. The exception is the Tresavean Trail which, though owned by the parish council, is directly maintained by Cornwall Council as part of the Mineral Tramways Network and is part of the World Heritage Site. Parishioners were asked whether, if Cornwall Council’s monetary contribution should be cut back along with other budgetary cuts, the parish council should nevertheless continue maintaining the paths to the current standard and 80% wished this to happen. In addition, 83% were keen to see the parish council trim well used paths even where these are not on the Definitive Map. 66% of respondents found existing footpath signage adequate. Litter is perceived as a problem and 60% would like to see more litter bins, including dog bins, along the footpaths and trails. Extra seating along the Tresavean Trail is seen as desirable by 45% of respondents. Just over half (51%) would like to see the area of the Tresavean Mine, which is owned by Cornwall Council, improved and with better access. Within the village itself litter is not regarded as a major problem (37%) although fewer than half knew that the parish council employs someone to pick up litter in various parts of the built up area. It is in the countryside that litter is seen as a bigger problem (53%). Notwithstanding this, 68% would like to see a monthly litter pick in the village and 59% of respondents would directly help. Only 29% believe fly tipping to be a problem in the parish, and within the village 41% would like to see more litter bins and 49% more dog bins: even on the understanding that this would increase the parish council’s expenditure. An overwhelming 79% regarded dog fouling as the direct responsibility of dog owners and for all types of littering 90% called for rigorous penalties to be applied. The general impression is that litter is regarded with zero tolerance and measures should be taken to bring the incidence of littering down as low as possible even if the efforts required are disproportionate to the physical size of the problem. When it comes to the proper disposal of waste, there is no doubt that weekly refuse collection is highly valued with 91% calling for it to be maintained. Further, 72% want to see the continuation of fortnightly recycling collections. 74% would like to see the recycling service 3 expanded to include green waste, and 57% wish for central recycling points in the village.