Bewnans Kernow writes this week: “Cornwall Council is in the process of preparing a ‘Core Strategy for Cornwall’ which proposes the building of 48,000 new houses in 20 years. This will clearly bring huge changes to Cornwall and to the people who live here.
The Management Committee of Bewnans Kernow (the partnership of 65 Cornish cultural organisations) is concerned about the demographic and cultural impact the proposed changes will have.
These potential impacts are shown in a Report on the Cornwall Council Core Strategy Preferred Approach Equality Impact Assessment (attached here: Bewnans Kernow CC Core Strategy EqIA Report especially relevant pp14-17).
A helpful and constructive meeting was held recently with Cornwall Council planning officers. The Report was well received and the validity of the points made are accepted.
The key issues include:
– The number of people who are of Cornish origin/self-identification in Cornwall is currently likely to be in the region of 175,000-200,000.
– The Core Strategy seeks to facilitate in-migration of 80,000-100,000 people
within 20 years.
– This will considerably alter the proportions of the population in Cornwall.
– For every one per cent rise in the population the proportion of native Cornish falls by around 0.7 per cent.
Cllr Mark Kaczmarek – Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing
Equalities
Cllr Carolyn Rule – Portfolio Holder for Equalities
Your representatives in Cornwall
Your MP
Your Cornwall Councillor
Update: “Dear Colleague
Since sending around the BK Report on the Cornwall Council Core Strategy, which can be read here:
http://cornwallinformation.co.uk/BKreport.pdf
and is also attached, a number of people have asked us for a template for letters to the Council.
A letter that’s in your own words is generally more effective, but please use whatever info you need from below:
Dear Councillor………
[Why you are writing – reasons for concern include the points below:]
Cornwall Council Core Strategy proposes 48,000 new house in Cornwall over the next 20 years.
Cornwall Council is required to assess the positive and negative impacts on equality of its Core Strategy Preferred Approach.
The Core Strategy Equality Impact Assessment does not show the potential negative impacts on the Cornish.
The Core Strategy will facilitate in-migration of 80,000-100,000 people within 20 years.
It is estimated that 80% of the new houses built will be taken by those moving to Cornwall from outside.
The number of people who are of Cornish origin/self-identification in Cornwall is currently likely to be in the region of 175,000-200,000.
For every 1% rise in the population the proportion of native Cornish falls by around 0.7 per cent.
The Core Strategy (by facilitating in-migration of 80,000-100,000 people) will markedly alter the proportions of the population in Cornwall.
Cornish culture is of great economic and community value and Cornwall needs to preserve and develop this.
Large scale in-migration to Cornwall over the last 50 years has adversely affected the ability of the Cornish to maintain a sustained and sustainable population.
Further in-migration to Cornwall in similar / increased numbers will increasingly marginalise the Cornish within Cornwall.
Marginalisation of the Cornish will limit the ability of Cornish people to influence and participate in political, social, cultural and economic spheres in Cornwall.
What the Council should do.
It would be helpful if you could strongly request the Council to do the following:
To withdraw and revise the Core Strategy Preferred Approach in ways that will maintain the current balance in the population in Cornwall.
That an Equality Impact Assessment suitable for Cornwall’s populations (including the Cornish) should be drawn up and followed.
That, given its context (the homeland of a unique ethnic group and with a recent history of very rapid relative growth in overall population and housing stock) that Cornwall is treated as a special case. That this case is strongly made to Government with regard to Core Strategy negotiations.
Analysts and academics advise the Preferred Approach designation of a minimum of 48,000 new houses should be reduced to 12,000 as a number that is more appropriate to the needs of Cornwall’s residents.
A range of strategies, policies and mitigation measures which operate on a number of levels including the strategic level are developed and used to offset potential adverse impacts to the Cornish.
If you haven’t had the chance to write to Cornwall Council to let them know your views please do so, and circulate this message widely to your networks.
Planning
Cllr Mark Kaczmarek – Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing
mkaczmarek@cornwall.gov.uk
Terry Grove-White – Assistant Head of Planning and Regeneration (Strategic)
terryg-w@cornwall.gov.uk
Equalities
Cllr Carolyn Rule – Portfolio Holder for Equalities
carorule@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Mario Fonk – Equalities Champion
mfonk@cornwall.gov.uk
Your representatives
Your MP
Your Cornwall Councillor
https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1
Yn brederedh
Mick Paynter (Chairman) and the Management Committee of Bewnans Kernow”