St Just Town Council News

International Dark Sky Week 15-22 April 2023

Discover the Night in International Dark Sky Week! Visit the International Dark Sky website to find out why dark skies matter and what you can do to support dark skies. And you can join a low-light walk at Chapel Carn Break on 14 April at 7.45 pm, watch the sunset at the Bronze Age barrow and talk about the benefits of dark skies for the natural flora and fauna.

Bookings at https://pretix.eu/mayescreative/ccbreawalk/

Do You Have Unnecessary Street Lights?

A new opportunity is coming in for residents to ask for unnecessary street lights to be turned off. This will be lights in back lanes, small residential closes or cul-de-sacs that serve few people and where all the residents agree that they would prefer the lights not to be there, or at least turned off by midnight. Sound like you? If so, please talk to your neighbours. You’ll be improving your view of our wonderful night sky and helping local wildlife. If all agree, contact Sue James, Chair of the West Penwith Dark Sky Park group. She will need the street light numbers and a list of all the residents with signatures, house numbers/names and postcodes. Contact: cllrsuejames@gmail.com. Find out more about how you can act to reduce light pollution at: https://www.nightblight.cpre.org.uk/take-action-about-local-light-pollution

Cornwall Council has asked the Town Council to share the following details on the following:

The Time2Move Holiday Programme supports families during the school holidays to ensure children have access to fun activities, healthy food and physical activity. Activities for children aged 5-16 are taking place across Cornwall during the Easter holidays 3-7 April and 10-14 April. All children that attend will receive a healthy meal. Fully funded places are available for children eligible for benefits related free school meals.

There’s more information on the Active Cornwall website.

After many years of discussions, debates and negotiations, the free to use public car parks and toilets blocks in St Just and Pendeen have been transferred from Cornwall Council’s ownership to St Just Town Council. Putting local facilities under local control seems to work well in other parts of Cornwall, enabling decisions to be taken by the local council in response to local residents’ needs and wishes.

There are no immediate plans for change, other than residents should now contact St Just Town Council if there are any issues regarding cleanliness or damage. However, a report funded by the Town Vitality Fund will soon be published, reflecting the local communities Vision for St Just and Town Council will be considering ideas from that re parking, infrastructure for electric car charging and maybe electric bike hire facilities and charging.

Councillor Sue James, current Mayor of St Just was Deputy Mayor back in September 2011 and chaired a lively public meeting at St Just WI Hall to discuss a proposal from Cornwall Council to make St Just and Pendeen car parks pay and display.

Sue reflects:

“That was the start of the journey for the car parks and toilets being devolved from Cornwall to St Just Council. That WI hall was packed solid and our residents and businesses owners were united against charging, feeling such a move would kill our town and village.

“The Town Council knew it had to step up and agreed to pay Cornwall Council for their projected loss of income on the car parks and for servicing our public toilets, to keep them open. With a very small staff team, that arrangement suited the Council in maintaining services valued locally whilst not taking on the full responsibility of running such facilities.

“Now, in 2023, things have moved on; St Just Town Council already runs the local Library, has increased its staffing team and is ready to take full responsibility for our car parks and toilets.”

Cornwall Councillor Brian Clemens added: “This transfer is one of a number of devolution projects that have taken place over a number of years to allow communities to prescribe services and allow local councils to manage their environment to the benefit of the communities they represent.”

The full press release can be downloaded using the following link (PDF, 230KB): Press Release Regarding Car Parks and Toilets

Over the past year Morrab Library have asked the people of Penwith to think about what a more environmentally friendly and socially just future could look like locally. They have encouraged people to write down (and illustrate if they want to) this imagined future and to share it to be included in their ‘Penwith Futures Book’.

They are continuing to invite individuals and organisations to contribute to the book and they would like the people of St Just, Pendeen and the many hamlets in the parish to add their voice to the book by the end of April 2023. You can drop your entry into Morrab library, or email Harriet (harriet@morrablibrary.org.uk). You can find more info on the Penwith Futures Book website: https://morrablibrary.org.uk/penwithfuturesbook.

Cornwall Councillor’s Clements and Donnithorn have confirmed that the No 8 Service that covers the Penzance to St Just route via Sancreed will in April be re-routed back to include Tregeseal as it was before the changes made last year.

At the last St Just Town Council meeting they were informed The Royal Mail have sealed-off the post-box in Botallack for health and safety reasons. The residents have asked the Council to contact Royal Mail to support its reinstatement or the positioning of one; near the old site.

RESOLVED: The Town Council will support the residents by asking the Clerk to contact Royal Mail.

The response from Royal Mail is attached below:

Cornwall Council would like to promote public event in Penzance

Want to find out more about the proposed devolution deal for Cornwall? Come along to the public event in Penzance:

• 6.30pm – 30 January 2023
• St Johns Hall, Alverton Street, TR18 2QR

Full details also available in the poster.

For more info and to have your say, follow this link to the Have Your Say page on the Cornwall Council website: http://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/bigdeal

St. Just Town Council has purchased and installed a community defibrillator in the red telephone box at Portherras Villas, Pendeen ( TR19 7TH) for use by the public on people who have a sudden cardiac arrest (heart attack). This device is accessible 24 hours a day. A defibrillator is a portable machine that automatically sends an electric shock to the heart muscle to return it to its normal rhythm.

The Council has teamed up with a national charity, the Community Heart Beat Trust, which already sells and supplies defibrillators to parish councils and local groups elsewhere in the country. The Trust supplied all the equipment and provided installation and advice, but the Parish Council owns the unit on behalf of the community and is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. The equipment has to be regularly checked and replaced as necessary.

There are 2 other defibrillators maintained by the council in the parish. The first is attached to the wall outside of the Commercial Hotel ( TR19 7HE) and the second located outside the Boscaswell Stores, Pendeen ( TR19 7DN).

The National Coast Watch has also installed a defibrillator at the Watch Station, Cape Cornwall (TR19 7NN) It is also mounted externally and available 24 hours a day. A defibrillator is also situated at the Old Town Hall, Chapel Road, St.Just (TR19 7HT), at the St. Just Rugby Club (TR19 7PF) and the St. Just Co-Op ( TR19 7HE).

IMPORTANT: In the event of an emergency dial 999 and ask for an ambulance before you do anything else.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE TRAINED TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT – THE DEVICE WILL TALK YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

We want to hear from you with your views on the draft St Just Town Vision and Implementation Plan.

Informed by the feedback from the community, the draft St Just Town Vision and Implementation Plan is now published for consultation, seeking your views on the suggested objectives and projects and initiatives proposed to help ensure a successful and resilient future for the Town.

The Plan is published for viewing on the Town Council website until 7 February 2023.

The Implementation Plan can viewed below. Alternatively a larger version can be downloaded using the link underneath.

We would love to hear your feedback and comments via our online survey (link takes you through to SurveyMonkey), this should only take a minute of your time.

In response to a letter of condolence sent in September 2022 following the death of the Queen, King Charles has sent a thank you card and message to the people of St Just-in-Penwith Parish. This card will be on display in St Just Library, until the end of February for anyone wanting to see it.