Parish hub project - put on the back burner

Last night I attended a meeting of the Illogan Parish Council.

The members received a report that the ownership of Illogan Village Hall lay with a charitable trust rather than with the council. To determine this position has taken several months, involving a long investigation of the legal title by the council's legal advisers.

This means that IPC is no longe in a position to make plans for capital investment in the village hall - any such investment is for the trust to consider. However, there was a feeling that any suggestions for the development of the village hall for the benefit of the community would be favourably received by the council.

It was decided that IPC would secure its lease of office premises on a longer term basis but continue to look for suitable premises to purchase outright.

Several agenda items provoked somewhat critical observations concerning the management of Cornwall Council.

Members of Mebyon Kernow are extremely critical of the arrogant way that Cornwall Counsil cabinet operates. MK town and parish councillors believe in  ground up democracy and will be urging the councils that they are members of to support the campaign to get Cornwall Council to think again about privatisation of public services.

I have submitted the following motion for the next meeting of IPC and I understand that Mk councillors across Cornwall will be submitting similar resolutions to their councils:

Illogan Parish Council calls on Cornwall Council to reverse its decision to proceed with the Strategic Partnership for  shared services until such time as the majority of elected members of Cornwall Council have voted to support the proposals. Also, should this motion be passed, IPC directs that the Clerk both writes to the leader of  Cornwall council expressing these views and signs the 'Strategic Partnership for Shared Services' petition (to be found at http://www.freepetition.co.uk/cornwall/SignPetition.aspx?apcode=%20P42ID119201284958 ) on behalf of Illogan Parish Council." 

Illogan Parish Council currently has three vacancies. The time limit for applications for the vacancy on the Tehidy ward has now passed but two other vacancies are still open for candidates who might wish to be co-opted to serve as a member of the council until the elections in May still have time to submit a written application. Interviews for all vacancies (always provided that no bye election is called) will be held at a meeting immediately before the next IPC meeting on October 17th 2012.