The One Cornwall Joint Implementation Executive is now homing in on the the boundaries of the Community Network Areas (CNA).

Hayle will be part of the St. Ives and Hayle CNA which is made up of the folowing wards:

• St. Ives North
• St. Ives South
• Lelant and Carbis Bay
• Hayle North
• Hayle South
• Gwinear-Gwithian and St. Erth

A CNA is an administrative area for the delivery of services and will be governed by a committee containing six unitary councillors and six town/parish councillors.

The Boundary Commission has indicated that, if the Implementation Executive agrees to a council size of 120 to 140, there is a good chance that it can report in time for elections next May or June.  After much debate, Penwith District Council agreed to support Kerrier District Council by voting for a council size of 123 members. If approved, this would give Hayle and district three Unitary Council members: Hayle North, Hayle South and Gwinear-Gwithian/St. Erth.  If there is not unanimity, the Boundary Commission will require more time and the elections in 2009 will default to 82 members (two for Hayle and district) with further elections perhaps two years later.

Even if Hayle and district gets 3 unitary members we will have lost 6 district councillors and two county councillors.  It is hard to see how this is an improvement in democracy.

Approximate boundaries of the new Hayle North and Hayle South Wards

I have been present at two presentations made to Hayle Town Council by the County's 'One Cornwall' team.  In general the town council was not, in principle, against the concept but felt that the County's proposal was insufficiently detailed to permit a proper decision-making process.

In particular, it was unclear how the planning process would work - there are four areas to be defined that would deal with planning applications and certain minor applications could be dealt with at town level: but the details are missing.  Also, to replace the district council's local knowledge there would be sixteen 'Local Network Areas'.  The initial proposal was that St. Ives and Hayle would be in an LNA which did not include St. Erth or Gwinear/Gwithian.  This is obviously a problem given the joint working we have fostered on the Hayle Area Plan - and, traditionally, Hayle and St. Ives have not seen themselves as a natural unit.

If there was sufficient time to understand the details and to get significant changes to obvious problems, it is possible that a workable solution could be obtained.  So far, none of the districts has come out in favour of the proposal.

Printed and Promoted by

John Bennett of 18 Riviere Towans, Hayle, TR27 5AF  

© Copyright 2008, John Bennett