Delabole Slate November 2022

COUNCIL CORNER Delabole Parish Council
The October meeting had a long agenda due to not having met in September. This month has been a ‘some you win,
some you lose’ or ‘you can please some of the people some of the time’ type of month.
Some you win - One item of good news for the Clerk was the External Audit Report which stated
‘On the basis of our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), in our
opinion the information in Sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR is in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters
have come to our attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements have not been
met’.
So, we have a satisfactory report for our first year as a Parish Council which is a tremendous result for us all. Our thanks
to the Clerk for achieving this result.
Some you lose – the Parish Council was appalled to be overruled by Cornwall Council concerning a planning application.
Having listened to objections and weighed up the situation, this was very disappointing. Even more worrying as we learn
that the Government’s proposed Investment Zones will overrule any Neighbourhood Development Plan. Let’s hope that
Delabole does not fall into a zone.
The Parish Council is very keen to develop a Neighbourhood Development Plan and will be holding a public meeting
early in 2023 to engage with the community and recruit volunteers for a working group. Ideally, a Neighbourhood Plan
should be compiled and owned by the community to set out where to site new homes, shops etc. The plan can say how
those buildings look i.e., to include Delabole slate in the construction, Cornish walls, planting trees etc. There is lots of
advice and information at .gov.uk. ‘Make a neighbourhood plan’. If you are interested in being involved with this please,
contact the Clerk, details below.
The same applies to Community Speed Watch. It’s a ‘community’ scheme, independent from the Parish Council and
should be organised and executed by a group of community volunteers. However, Cllr. Cann has kindly agreed to
coordinate volunteers so please contact her on 01840 211706 / 07726 297938
You can please some of the people some of the time – A member of the public who regularly attends Parish Council
meetings is of the opinion that the Parish Council is not representing the community or encouraging community
participation. This is disconcerting given that the public are invited to every meeting to communicate with the Parish
Council. Since inception, the councillors have been united in being transparent in every area, publishing minutes and
finances for all to see and in much more detail than other councils. The Annual Meeting in May was another opportunity
to engage with the council. So, what more can be done? Come along to a meeting, it’ll be lovely to see you.
The next meeting of Delabole Parish Council is on Tuesday 8th November at St John’s Church, 7.00pm.
Members of the public are welcome to speak or raise their issues with the council in the public section of the meeting.
Agendas and full minutes are available on line www.delaboleparishcouncil.gov.uk and on the Parish Council notice
board. The usual contact for our Parish Clerk is 07869 725450 or clerk@delaboleparishcouncil.gov.uk
DELABOLE PARISH COUNCIL
IS LOOKING TO ENGAGE A LOCAL,
SUITABLY QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED
ODD JOB / HANDY PERSON
ON A SELF EMPLOYED, AD HOC BASIS
TO UNDERTAKE MAINTENANCE,
DECORATION AND REPAIRS TO
PARISH COUNCIL PROPERTY
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION
PLEASE CONTACT
THE PARISH CLERK
07869 725450 or
clerk@delaboleparishcouncil.gov.uk
Community Speed Watch involves members of the
local community, and aims to engage and educate drivers
rather than issue fines and court summonses.
Using a staged warning system, first-time offenders will
receive education and warnings, persistent offenders can
expect further police action and even a court appearance.
Community Speed Watch (CSW) volunteers are inducted
through our Police Volunteer Programme (PVP). All
prospective volunteers are required to complete the PVP
application process which includes vetting and for certain
roles, health assessment clearance.
All CSW volunteers will undergo full training from our
Speed Watch co-ordinator and will be provided with
reflective jackets, signs, stationary and a speed detection
device (depending on location and availability). They will
be supported by a police officer (PVP support manager)
and covered by the force liability insurance.
It is not expected that PVP Volunteers will work a minimum
or a set number of hours, we appreciate any time that can
be given to the scheme. A few PVP volunteers are given
additional training and responsibility in the police station,
to administer the process that produces the warning letters.
https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/support-andguidance/on-the-road/speed-watch
© Devon & Cornwall Police