townclerk

St Just Library and St Just Town Council offices are both closed until further notice. Library books can be held at home until the library reopens, and no fines will be charged. Pendeen Play Park and St Just Recreation Ground are also closed, as are the public toilets.
Town Council business continues, with office staff working from home. The Town Clerk can be contacted during working hours on 07907 039014 or by emailing townclerk@stjust.org

Members of the public can of course continue to contact their local councillors by phone or email. Councillors are being consulted by email on Council matters and following emergency legislation will be able to conduct virtual meetings online, to enable the essential business of the Council to be conducted.

The Town Council is actively supporting the work of the Food Bank by opening the Library foyer on Saturday and Monday mornings 10am – 12noon to receive donations. The door is left open and the collection box by the door, so contributions can be left without touching anything or coming into contact with anyone. Donations are then transported safely to the depot, from where they are distributed to members of our communities who need support at this time.  Boscaswell Stores continue to collect Food Bank donations as well.

ST JUST IN BLOOM

In view of current government restrictions, and with future uncertainty, our group has decided that St Just in Bloom will be unable to provide and maintain floral displays around the town this year.

If restrictions are lifted before the end of the season we may be in a position to provide some flowers in the town centre, and where possible we will try to continue to maintain some of the public spaces that St Just in Bloom usually look after.

The Britain in Bloom competition has been cancelled for this year, but the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ judging may go ahead later in the year.

With regard to our own competitions, the painting and photographic competition will not go ahead, but it may be possible to judge the gardening competition later in the year. We will make a final decision when restrictions allow it.

St Just in Bloom Committee, April 2020

We’re now in the second week of ‘lockdown’ and the council would like to thank all residents for the way they are coping with a very different way of life. We’re particularly sorry that the Library has had to close until further notice, which we appreciate will be a great loss for many people. Books can be renewed online, but overdue charges will be removed at this time. We are indebted to one of our councillors, Daisy Gibbs, for the work she and others have done in creating a network of volunteers in the area, a directory of local shop services, and considerable support on the Facebook page ‘COVID-19 Mutual Aid St Just in Penwith Parish’. Three part-time members of our staff have volunteered to help the community during this time of closure; and a team of councillors and staff, together with some Cornwall Council staff who live locally, are working together on emergency response plans for the community at this time. If you need to contact us, please see the contact details on this website for the Town Clerk and members of the Town Council. Finally, if you can, please support the Food Bank. We are opening the Library foyer on Monday and Saturday mornings, 10am – 12noon, to receive donations.

Try Deputy Mayor and Cornwall Councillor Sue James link  on Coronavirus help, advice and support. https://www.suejames.org/coronavirus-special-blog/

 Volunteer Cornwall have a call centre all assigned to Covid-19 response. They can provide all sorts of support around health and wellbeing. Their phone number is 01872 265300 and the email address for people needing help is requestforhelp@volunteercornwall.org.uk

A new collection point for our local food bank will be available starting this Saturday (28th March). All those of you who can give donations should bring them to the Library foyer in Market Street between 10am and 12 noon on Saturdays and Mondays. The box will be placed very close to the door so you can simply drop your donations in. Obviously, the Town Council Office and the Library itself is closed, and if there is a queue for donations, please observe social distancing and only access the box one person at a time. At the moment, the Food Bank is in particular need of hair shampoo, shower gel, deodorants; spray cleaner, washing up liquid and clothes washing powder/liquid (along with plastic bottles/bags to decant large bottles into smaller quantities). Foods should be in cans or packets, and current particular needs are for Weetabix, jam, and tinned fruits (especially peaches and pears) and tinned carrots and peas. No fresh fruit or vegetables, please – these are sourced directly by the Food Bank in Penzance. We look forward to a tremendous and ongoing response from the community of St Just, and for thinking of others at this time.

For those who are in need of support from the Food Bank, because a change of circumstances means they have no money coming in at present and no savings, please contact a referring organisation e.g. your G.P. surgery, Citizens Advice, the Job Centre or your child’s school. They will pass on your details, along with any particular requests, to the Food Bank organisers. Food Bank deliveries are on Thursdays.

Last week, the Government ordered certain businesses – including pubs, cinemas and theatres – to close.

The Government is now extending this requirement to a further set of businesses and other venues, including:

• all non-essential retail stores – this will include clothing and electronics stores; hair, beauty and nail salons; and outdoor and indoor markets, excluding food markets.
• libraries, community centres, and youth centres.
• indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, arcades and soft play facilities.
• communal places within parks, such as playgrounds, sports courts and outdoor gyms.
• places of worship, except for funerals attended by immediate families.
• hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers).

There is a requirement for play areas to be closed today so Pendeen Playpark will be closed today.

The full council meeting tonight is now cancelled along with all other meetings; until further notice. The Town Council will be putting in place working at home arrangements from Tuesday 24th March 2020. To Contact the Council please send emails to either support@stjust.org or townclerk@stjust.org. Please don’t visit the Library and the Council Offices; which will remain closed until further notice.

The Library was open today and is due to open again on Saturday morning, although staff numbers are down. Lots of the Libraries in Cornwall are already shut or shutting today or tomorrow. This Saturday may be the last chance to take books out before this Library is required to follow suit and close.

We have been informed that Cornwall Council premises will remain open whilst it is safe to do so, and precautions taken based on the Public Health advice. The Library and Information Services are an essential lifeline for some members of our communities so will currently remain open, but they are investigating what practical precautions can be taken to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Library events and activities are cancelled, to reduce the risk of infection.

Cas Leo is the new Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer for St Just in Penwith Town Council. 

In urging everyone to recognise the climate crisis Greta Thunberg said:
“Every single person counts.
Just like every single emission counts.
Every single kilo.
Everything counts.”

Banner at one of the School Strike 4 Climate events in Truro

On 25 February 2019, St Just Town Council joined many Parish, Town, District and County Councils in recognising and declaring a Climate Emergency. Following on from that they approved an initial short term action plan, on 13 May and that required the Council to establish a Climate and Environment Action Committee consisting of elected Councillors and local residents. The Council is therefore seeking 3 residents who have the right mix of expertise, knowledge and passion to join the committee.

Deputy Mayor, Sue James, who has been so far leading St Just’s work to declare a Climate Emergency and start thinking about what can be done differently locally, says

“Having spent time listening to the science and evidence of the consequences of continuing to emit carbon and other harmful greenhouse gases as we do today, I believe we cannot afford the ‘do nothing’ option. I also believe that it is no good us waiting for someone else to act, we all have to do what we can as soon as possible and those of us elected to represent communities need to help residents make decisions that are less harmful to our local environment and the planet. At County Hall our young people made it plain that there is ‘no planet B’ and that by the time they are old enough to be decision makers, it will be too late.

“St Just Town Council were unanimous is voting to declare the Climate Emergency and the Terms of Reference for the Climate and Environment Action Committee we now wish to set up.”

The committee being established for the St Just Parish (so including Pendeen and the smaller hamlets) will consist of up to 6 Town Councillors and 3 residents and will be required:

1. To review the Town Council’s initial Climate Change Action Plan and develop a longer term vision for the Parish, in conjunction with the Premises and Amenities Committee, our local schools and residents.

2. To ensure that the Town Council is a source of information for local residents wanting to reduce, re-use and recycle, improve habitats for pollinators, planting trees and how to reduce their energy and water needs and bills.

3. To work with those developing the local Neighbourhood Plan to ensure suitable energy and environmental policies are developed and promoted by Town Council when making planning comments.

4. Work with the Tin Coast Partnership and Cornwall Council to reduce local residents’ dependency on petrol and diesel engine motor vehicles, supporting schemes that encourage more sustainable transport.

Click on the following link to view and download St Just Town Council’s Climate Change Action Plan April 19

Click on the following link to view and download the accompanying Climate Environment Committee Terms of Reference

So, if you live within the Parish of St Just and believe you can contribute to this important, establishing committee email townclerk@stjust.org giving your full name and contact details, what contribution you can make to the committee’s work and specifying any membership of Political Parties and/ or Climate Groups (to ensure mixed representation). Alternatively write with this information to The Town Clerk at 1, Chapel Street, St Just, TR19 7LS.

Applications will need to be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 12th September 2019.