Altarnun Parish Council August 2025 Meeting Report

It was acknowledged at the August Altarnun Parish Council meeting that 20mph speed limits do vary across the UK, with some areas implementing them more widely than others, with the consequences of enforcement, we are now becoming familiar with. While some places have adopted the 20mph as a default speed limit in residential areas, others are taking a more cautious approach. In Cornwall each 30mph limit is being assessed on a case by case basis, with most roads being expected to be reduced to 20mph. The consultation process for our area is now underway and the Parish Council expect to be more fully informed what the proposed scheme and timescales for roll out in our neck of the woods will look like, at the September meeting. This has been hot topic at our meetings over the past few years and councillors fully expect that the reduced limit will apply through Altarnun village, the road leading to the primary school and in built developments such as Fairfield Park. No doubt there will be other roads in the Parish in scope, but there have been no early indications.

The council had also been asked to consider the management of some of the parish highway verges, which is a standing responsibility of Cornwall Council. The matter was fully debated within the meeting, and certainly there were some idealistic arguments for this to be pursued. However, for a parish council such as ours to continually deliver the resources required for this particular undertaking, was deemed to be unrealistic, especially as there would be no financial reimbursement made to the Parish from our unitary authority. Cornwall Council is tasked to deliver a defined service for our rural area, which is paid for from council taxes, and has a very robust reactive inspection process to verify a defect reported by highway users which will normally be carried out within 24 hours, and if deemed necessary, remedial works would be carried out as soon as possible.

It was reported that the completion notice of the audit of our 2024-2025 Annual Governance and Accountability Return is now published on the council’s website (altarnun.co.uk), alternatively electors have the right to obtain a copy in return of the payment of a small fee, upon application to the clerk.

Councillors dealt with the usual crop of planning applications, which related to the relaying of a driveway at Higher Tredaule Cottage and the replacement of a first floor bedroom window at Jamaica Inn. The latter having to go through the channels of the listed building planning process. All were supported.

In other planning matters it was reported that an appeal to overturn a decision which did not agree with the felling of a copper beech tree at Copper Beach House, Corner Park, Five Lanes was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate. The inspector gave a raft of reasons why it should remain.

The next parish council meeting will be held on Wednesday 3rd September which will start at 7.30pm in Altarnun Village Hall. Updates from various matters relating to our local highways will be received. It would be good to see as many parishioners as possible come along, please.