News Archive

Crowds out for Remembrance Day

Remembrance Sunday saw services across the area carried out in uncharacteristically balmy conditions.
Tywardreath welcomed two of its favourite sons back to the fold in the shape of Royal Marine Spencer Turner and from the RAF John Boulton.
Joining Royal British Legion Chairman Ivan Barrett was MP Steve Gilbert. Mr Gilbert had decided to focus on the St Austell half of his constituency as he joined veterans and representatives from all branches of the forces, as well as cadets, guides, Brownies and Rainbows as they took the long march down the hill through the village to pay their respects to the village's service personnel in both World Wars and conflicts since.

[ View Story ]

Village wants link to Goss Moor

PARISH councillors are calling for a disused railway line in St Dennis to be converted into a recreational trail as part of a potential £1m project to bridge a number of ‘missing links’ across the Clay Country.
The Clay Country Trails Feasibility Study Draft Report, which was released to parish councils in a number of villages last month, has outlined a series of recommendations to provide and improve facilities to cater for and encourage walking, cycling and horse riding within the China Clay industry area.
The study, which was carried out by Cornwall Council, identifies ‘missing links’ and opportunities to extend trails in a bid to connect the Clay and Goss Moor trails with a large number of existing clay haul routes that are no longer needed by the industry.  
Members of St Dennis Parish Council said they hoped a short section of the Newquay to St Austell branch line in St Dennis will be cleared to provide safe access for villagers to Goss Moor.

[ View Story ]

Beaches reaching new high standards

St Austell’s beaches are on track to meet higher bathing water standards as they all pass the latest DEFRA bathing water standards.
Readymoney and Gorran Haven Little Perhaver passed mandatory standards whilst Polkerris, Par (pictured), Crinnis Golf Links, Crinnis Leisure centre, Charlestown, Duporth, porthpean, Pentewan and Vault beaches also passed the more stringent guideline standards.
Local MP Stephen Gilbert has welcomed news from the Environment Agency commending the standard of bathing water at beaches in the St Austell and Newquay area.
He said that not only does the quality of the water exceed current EA standards but that the beaches are on track to meet stricter European standards being introduced in 2015.

[ View Story ]

Firework near miss at display

TYWARDREATH School’s bonfire night celebrations nearly turned to disaster as a rogue firework from a nearby property streaked  across the packed school playing field and landed inches from children and their parents.
Revellers were left shaken and angry as the firework scorched to earth in the field where hundreds had assembled in anticipation of the school’s official fireworks display.
The incident had police rushing to a house bordering the school where a man admitted accidentally allowing a rocket to fire at head height from his garden.
The stray firework was one of several launched from the property over the heads of the assembled crowd minutes before the school’s display was due to start.

[ View Story ]

Bigger harbour for Mevagissey

Mevagissey Harbour could be set for a new look as proposals are put forward to increase the length of the inner harbour jetty and put in an additional crane.
Mevagissey Harbour Trustees have put forward plans to Cornwall Council to repair damage to the jetty and extend it in to the harbour by ten metres as well as installing a crane on the new extension.
Due to the Grade II listing on the jetty, the trustees met with the Conservation Officer and a separation membrane between the new and existing jetty has been included in the plans to ensure reversibility.
The proposed expansion, along with the additional crane, will increase the capacity, and is expected to provide financial support for ongoing running costs, from two boats to five boats.

[ View Story ]

Town looks to extend CCTV coverage

Negotiations are taking place between White River Place and St Austell Town Council to join forces in providing CCTV coverage for the town.
In March this year, Cornwall Council ceased funding for CCTV monitoring services in St Austell and Newquay. St Austell Town Council and Newquay decided as a result to fund a reduced level of CCTV themselves.
St Austell Town Council currently contributes one third of the cost, with Newquay Town Council paying the remaining two thirds. The service is said to be successfully, but the Council are now looking to increase its coverage.
At a St Austell Town Council meeting on Monday, councillors considered recommendations which included the Town Clerk being given authorisation to approve additional CCTV for events in the town, an additional camera in Biddicks Court, that the current partnership be confirmed for the next three years and that negotiations continue between the Clerk and White River Place for a joint partnership.

[ View Story ]

Olympic torch coming to St Austell

ST AUSTELL will be at the centre of World attention on May 19 next year when the Olympic Torch travels to the town on the first day of its relay.
St Stephen, Stenalees and Bugle — as well as the Eden Project — will also be among the first places visited by the Torch during its 70 day tour of the UK before arriving at the Olympic opening ceremony on July 27.
8,000 people — half of whom are expected to be young people — will be chosen as torchbearers and will visit over 1,000 towns, cities and villages on the journey.
The Torch is 80cm tall, weighs 800 grams and is gold in colour, made of a special aluminium alloy. The triangular shaped torch contains 8,000 cut out circles to represent the 8,000 inspirational people who will be carrying it on the journey.
The relay begins on Saturday, May 19, where it starts at Lands End and finishes in Plymouth. The route also takes in The Eden Project where the helium balloon used by Eden gardeners to reach the dizzy heights of the Tropical Biome has been chosen as a unique mode of transport for the Torchbearer.

[ View Story ]

Northern expansion turned down

Wainhomes appeal for their Northern Expansion development in St Austell has been refused by the Secretary of State as he feels the proposal is ‘prejudicial’ to Cornwall's emerging development plan.
The controversial planning application for 1,300 homes towards Scredda was expected to be decided by the Rt Hon Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on Monday, May 9, but a request for more information resulted in delays with a decision not issued until yesterday.
Wainhomes had applied to Cornwall Council for the development of 126 acres of greenfield land to the west of Carclaze, which also includes a new primary school, retail and employment space, care home and transport hub, in November 2009.
The application was referred to the Secretary of State after Wainhomes made the decision to opt out of having the decision made by the local authority.

[ View Story ]

Zombies invade St Austell

The damp, dank, dark subterranean caverns, passages and catacombs of St Austell’s ancient Market House proved irresistible as the perfect host venue for the inaugural St Austell Zombie walk.
With a peasoup Hallowe’en fog enveloping the town, the flesh craving recent dead shrugged off their mortal shackles and exhumed themselves for some Zombie party fun.
Zombie pirates, the St Piran brigands, shuffled their stinking carcasses to a new beat, Zombie shanties, as they led the swelling ranks of the living dead around the town en route to White River Place.

[ View Story ]

Double election victory

THERE was a shock turnaround in the Mount Charles ward St Austell Town Council by-election last week as the Lib Dems came last in the four party race.
Conservative Anne Double took the seat with 266 votes, representing 41% of the vote for the seat vacated by disgraced Lib Dem Councillor Dennis Bennett after he was found guilty of a sex attack on a man in August.
With torrential rain for most of the day,  the turnout wasn’t great with only 653 votes cast, making a turnout of just 17.5%. Clearly however, it was Mrs Double’s old fashioned family values that won the day, making it double the presence on the Town Council, too, for her family — as she joins husband Steve, who is councillor for the Poltair ward and also a Cornwall councillor.
A jubilant Mrs Double enjoyed heavyweight political support as she was accompanied by Tory MP for South East Cornwall Sheryll Murray.

[ View Story ]