The public consultation on Cornwall Council’s scheme on the county’s future is about to end and residents of a town are saying no one knows about it and have not been consulted.
County Hall has been asking people’s opinion on the Cornwall Site Allocations Development Plan, a scheme on the development of Cornish towns for the future, for two months.
The consultation started on Monday, June 12 and will close on Monday (August 7).
In Bodmin, the framework sets several objectives including improving the town centre, the tourism offer, the quality of jobs, training and education, air quality, etc. One of the scheme’s target is to deliver 3,100 new dwellings between 2010 and 2030, at least 22,833sqm of additional office space and 24,667sqm of industrial space.
Christine Howard, who is one of them, said: “No one knows about this scheme, one of the people I know only found out because he sold his house.
“We have done some research, gone through the archives, and realised that there was a lack of compliance by Cornwall Council.”
She said several residents have been asking for the deadline to be postponed for four weeks.
“We have been trying now for several weeks to delay the deadline for the public to have some input to reply to their proposals,” she said. “We are extremely concerned with the Bodmin area as we can find no-body that is aware of these proposals and deadline of August 7.”
She said that they contacted Cornwall Council but that their interlocutor refused and said the exhibition in 2013 organised by Cormac was actually the scheme’s consultation.
“We’ve done all research possible but I haven’t got the energy to fight,” she said. “The whole of Bodmin should have a say.
“Nobody knows anything and the public had no chance to have their input added.”
Christine explained that nothing has been posted in Bodmin’s library, or in Chy Trevail public notices and that the impact of social media is limited.
During last month’s town council meeting, on July 20, a 79-year-old resident said: “Why weren’t the public informed? I found out by incident, I was told by an estate agent.
“There are people older than me that are affected by the Bodmin development plan. Some of them won’t go on the council’s website, some of them don’t have computers.
“The lawyer we have consulted said whatever is happening now might be illegal, because there was no notice.”
A spokeswoman for Cornwall Council said that the plan was advertised in local media through stories in paid ads, on their website and through consultations and that they are hoping as many people as possible would give their input.
Bodmin’s housing schemes will take place on Castle Street with approximately 150 dwellings, there will be the Halgavor urban extension on 37 hectares. Approximately 770 dwellings will be built there. The others include St Lawrence’s urban extension with about 780 dwellings and Callywith Urban Village with 650 dwellings.
Under the proposals, an extension of Berrycombe as well as a new school at St Lawrence will be built. Transports and health services are also expected to be improved.
Article originally appeared on Cornwall Live
