Ertach Kernow - Cornwall's heritage so vital for our economy
Cornwall is hilly, those of us who live here know that, and it’s all part of the Cornish environmental charm. Coming into Newquay on a rather crowded bus last week and sitting next to a person on holiday I asked how her holiday was going. Obviously the weather was an issue, fair enough, then of course it was the hills at which point others chimed in with comments about their holiday parks location and not knowing about the hills surrounding it and within the park. Speaking to visitors out and about there’s definitely a difference between those tourists who know about Cornwall and its wider environment beyond the beaches, and at least something of Cornish culture, and those that do not, with no interest in it whatsoever. Tourism whether we like it or not is crucial, although not necessarily the most important part of the overall Cornish economy. Perhaps we need to provide better information about Cornish history, culture and environment, including terrain, when ‘selling’ Cornwall to potential visitors. Europeans seem to know far more than those coming from England, including about our language and identity. Better education aimed at travellers may be key to encouraging quality tourism with their potentially larger spending capacity rather than English mass tourism which can also be fickle.
A concern for Cornish heritage is the loss of our historic communities, well-loved buildings and damage to Cornwall’s environment. Although there is a revival in certain aspects of Cornish culture, such as the language, there is much which is being lost. As the growth in people speaking the Cornish language grows another aspect of the spoken word is dying out, our dialect. Words and phrases used for countless generations are gradually being forgotten. Swamped by incoming English families and the decimation of age-old communities Cornish dialect is more than just endangered. Dialect is on the verge of total loss with only a few people collecting and preserving this lesser-known and underappreciated part of Cornish heritage. Paul Phillips has been doing this important work for many years with his database available on the Kernow Goth website.
As always click the images for larger view
Gradually the Cornwall that generations of folk have called home and distant relatives across the worldwide Cornish Diaspora call the homeland is being changed. Developers and planners sweep away communities, building for those who wish to live in Cornwall not necessarily for those families who do live and have lived here for hundreds of years. Local development plans and heritage assessment reports are investigated and written, often perhaps hoping that this will preserve something of a bygone age within our towns and villages along with their gradually diminishing Cornish communities. Time and again these plans are reinterpreted and contested by ‘big money’ as developers cash in on valuable sites and some town councils with little interest in maintaining something of the past let it happen. Large buildings totally out of place gradually take over and once the wedge has been made further similar development becomes more likely thus overriding any Conservation Area Appraisal or neighbourhood plans. Atrocious poorly built blocks of ‘apartments’ often using inappropriate building materials, unsuitable for Cornish coastal weather, frequently containing underutilised second houses now scar our towns. Concerns from local communities about the scale and designs are repeatedly brushed aside. Newquay fast becoming known for this type of construction will soon have a building replacing the well-loved Hotel Bristol that could only be described as a monstrous carbuncle. Lee Trewella reported in Voice newspapers in March that this ‘one of the most controversial planning applications in Cornwall in recent times – a proposal to demolish a historic hotel in Newquay and replace it with almost 200 apartments and a hotel – has been approved by Cornwall Council’s planning department behind closed doors under delegated powers.’ Is this going to be a worrying trend?
St Ives has taken steps to limit second houses, only time will tell whether this policy is successful or not. Recently a person, what Cornish folk might term a ‘blow in’ painted his property bright cobalt blue, a colour completely out of keeping for this historic Cornish town set within a conservation area. He had not sought planning permission and was required to repaint it white to maintain the bygone nature of the district. As in Wales incoming English people can sadly cause issues by trying to change the nature of Cornish towns, although many do a great deal of good by supporting Cornish traditions and culture. St Ives residents had what was termed a David and Goliath win in April when Whitbread the owners of Premier Inn’s had their application to build a large five story hotel rejected by the West Cornwall Sub-area Planning Committee of Cornwall Council. The mayor of St Ives said this would have been ‘a massive eyesore on the landscape’ and wasn’t needed. No doubt Whitbread will continue resubmitting until they get their way.
The ruination of many Cornish towns through inappropriate building is a major issue with long term local people. It’s not necessarily rebuilding which is the concern but what the replacement often increasingly out of keeping with surrounding buildings and gradually changing the nature of local communities. The worrying aspect of the planning process is that these buildings are time and again recommended by the planning department in Truro where unelected officials override the wishes of local parish or town councils and the people who live there. Is this an erosion of local democracy? Will a new Labour government keen to revitalise the UK economy start enforcing even larger building quotas on Cornwall overriding all levels of local government including Cornwall Council at Lys Kernow. Where is the protection for the Cornish national minority as they are edged out of their historic homes?
What can be done to help preserve our historic town centres, a different but associated question to what can be done to save Cornish heritage. Many towns and parishes throughout Cornwall have commissioned Conservation Area Appraisals, Heritage Assessments and Neighbourhood Plans and most of the larger towns now have areas designated as conservation areas. One very noticeable omission from this list is Newquay with only a minute defined area around St Columb Minor church. Really? Is there nothing within Newquay’s town centre worth conserving? Yes of course there is, and something should be done to better protect what remains of some highly valuable late Victorian buildings before it’s too late.
Cornwall’s environmental heritage is under increasing threat with land outside Cornish towns gradually being taken for construction of new homes and of course second houses to the detriment of the countryside. Loss of green fields and historic stone hedges is a crying shame, but sometimes there are areas of land with interesting ecology which must be preserved at all costs. On the outskirts of Bodmin folk have been fighting to save what is known as Halgavor Moor from a high-density development. There are many issues with this site including flooding and the former MP for North Cornwall Scott Mann described this as the ‘most inappropriate planning application he had seen in his time both as a Cornwall Councillor and later as the MP for Cornwall’. During a visit to Bodmin by the leader of Cornwall Council, Councillor Linda Taylor, she indicated her objections to the plan, but said due process would have to be undertaken via planning procedures.
Truro, like Newquay’s Nansledan, is seeing huge development on its outskirts at Langarth. Separately there is controversy regarding the construction of 274 houses on land at Dudman Farm by Wain Homes. The planning officer has recommended approval subject to certain conditions despite the opposition of Truro City Council and Kenwyn Parish Council. Cornwall councillor Rob Nolan commented saying ‘Why not send these applicants over to Langarth, where the council has permission for over 4,000 houses and are building the roads, sewerage and providing quality infrastructure? Surely that should be developed before we build over a beautiful valley site like this one?’ Comments from the general public show this area is highly valued for use as a place to visit for wellbeing and tranquillity as well as wildlife and as relatively close to the city needs to be preserved. This is currently being considered by the Cornwall Council planning committee.
Within the Cornwall Council administration the portfolio holder for environment and climate change is Councillor Martyn Alvey who represents the electoral division of Feock and Kea. Heritage falls under his remit and encompasses a huge raft of responsibilities including Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Site, Archaeology Service as well as ten other responsibilities not connected with Cornish heritage. Other cultural interests fall under the control of Councillor Carol Mould representing Wadebridge East & St Minver. These include Cultural Services and Cornish Language, Library and cultural services, Parks and Open Spaces and again a further ten briefs generally unrelated to heritage. Given the importance of Cornish heritage to Cornwall’s tourist industry and the Cornish people as an acknowledged national minority with their own heritage, should there not be a specific portfolio holder to stand up for and oversee this wide-ranging theme. Perhaps with its own dedicated cabinet advocate for Cornish heritage many issues would be better dealt with and losses to wider heritage sites and organisations minimised.
There have always been councillors who have their own agenda and it’s far better when councillors do it for reasons of public service for the benefit of their local communities or our nation rather than as a career or personal enhancement. Perhaps next year’s Cornwall Council elections will see more councillors who have greater interest in Cornish heritage sitting at Lys Kernow.
Our ongoing Cornish Place Names project promoting knowledge about the Cornish language names of Kernow's towns, villages and places. Downloadable poster and audio pronunciation is available via this link to 'Penzance'. Click image to access.
![CPN - Week [007] Penzance](https://www.cornwallheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CPN-Week-007-Penzance-Scan-QR-Code-or-via-website-address-300x298.jpg "CPN - Week [007] Penzance - Scan QR Code or via website address")
