St Austell Parish boundaries changes back for decision
They will be talked about next week.
Two bids to alter the parish boundary around St Austell will be back on the table for Cornwall Council next week. St Austell Town Council has submitted proposals to change the boundary in two places to ensure people using services provided by the council are paying for them.
Cornwall Council has been considering submissions made to a community governance review since 2019, inviting parish and town councils and members of the public to suggest any changes which should be made to parish boundaries. However, whilst Cornwall Council has resolved or agreed many of those put forward in several areas the process was put on hold to allow local elections to take place.
In many cases the boundary changes submitted were due to developments which have taken place since the last review which mean that people are now living in areas which were previously undeveloped. As a result they have been able to use local services which are often provided by the neighbouring council to where those people live.
In the St Austell area there are two boundary changes which will be considered by Cornwall Council’s constitution and governance committee. If any changes are to be made they will have to be approved by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England as the parishes involved are protected.
The first change relates to the boundary between St Austell parish and Treverbyn parish taking in the areas of Carclaze and Boscoppa. The second change is to the boundary between St Austell parish and Pentewan Valley parish and relates to the area of Higher Trewhiddle which is currently being developed with a large number of homes and facilities.
In the case of the boundary with Treverbyn parish, St Austell Town Council had requested that parts of Carclaze and Boscoppa should be transferred from Treverbyn to the town council saying that the areas are “logical extensions of the town and its facilities and services”. It suggested that the A391 should act as a natural boundary between the two parishes.
However, Treverbyn Parish Council did not agree and Cornwall Council also received concerns from local residents in the area. The council had initially recommended that no change should be made to the boundary.
A public consultation was held on the suggested changes put forward by the town council with 51 of 52 respondents who live in Treverbyn Parish saying they would prefer no change. Seven out of nine respondents who live in St Austell parish said they supported the change.
One of the arguments put forward for the change was: “Residents in the area make use of services and facilities in St Austell Town but don’t currently contribute financially towards their upkeep.”
On the flipside one of the arguments against the change was: “A transfer to St Austell would lead to significantly higher parish precepts (council tax charges) without there being any guarantees the additional funding raised would benefit the area. The concern is that precepts raised in the area would be spent on services / facilities outside of the area, mainly in St Austell town centre rather than to support services and facilities in the Carclaze and Boscappa area.”
The proposed changes to the boundary of St Austell parish and Pentewan Valley parish is due to the development at Higher Trewhiddle. The town council wanted to have the housing being developed in this area to be part of St Austell parish.
Cornwall Council’s draft recommendation had backed the change saying that it was “likely to better reflect the identity and interests of the area and secure more efficient and convenient community governance”. The council’s electoral review panel supported the boundary change on the basis that all development should be in one parish and not split between two, but a final decision was deferred until after the 2021 local elections due to the difference in opinion between the town council and Pentewan Valley Parish Council.
The arguments in favour of a change of the boundary include: “New residents of the development in this area will use services funded by the St Austell Town Council tax precept.” And another states: “The new estate is clearly an extension of the town and marketed as such, very close to the school which will serve it, the St Austell Arts and Community Centre and the town centre, and well within the bowl landscape which reaches out from the town.”
Those opposing the change say there is a “desire to retain the rural character of Trewhiddle and fear that a boundary change would lead to the town encroaching further”. There were also concerns that transferring to St Austell Town Council would lead to higher council tax charges “without there being any guarantees the additional funding raised would benefit the area”.
Pentewan Valley Parish Council had also criticised the community governance review undertaken by Cornwall Council saying it was “a flawed process”. They said that the panel was “heavily biased in favour of large urban areas” and highlighted that it was chaired by a Cornwall councillor who was also a St Austell town councillor.
Cornwall Council’s constitution and governance committee is due to meet on Tuesday (November 1) to consider the proposals and make recommendations for how to take the issue forward.