VORSPRUNG CORNWALL 7

I shall post here continuing good news for Cornwall, developments which will positively help the people of Cornwall and the local economy and everyday lives. Everyone who wants the people of Cornwall to succeed in the modern world will welcome them. This post covers the first half of 2010. Vorsprung Cornwall 1 and 2 cover 2007, Vorsprung Cornwall 3 and 4 cover 2008, and Vorsprung Cornwall 5 and 6 cover 2009.

* The annual week’s festival of Golowan has ended in Penzance with a spectacular Mazey Day. It is good to see people thoroughly enjoying themselves and a local Cornish festival thriving, having been successfully revived for some years now. (June 2010)

* The building of fifty four affordable houses mainly for rent but with some for part-purchase at St Ives has begun. Completion is due spring 2011. This is a project of Devon and Cornwall Housing Association/Penwith Housing Association and ROK Construction and is largely financed by the taxpayer through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA, called the Housing Corporation until late 2008). More details here. (June 2010)

* A formal agreement has been made between Orascom Development and Imerys to establish a company, Eco-Bos, to develop an ‘eco-town’ in the clay country around St Austell. The plan includes more than five thousand houses and the first phase begins in the first half of 2011. This is an exciting, pioneering initiative which will help the Cornwall economy and provide eco homes for people. Read the details here. (May 2010)

* Camborne, (including Roskear and Tuckingmill) have got £520 000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to repair the town’s historic buildings. The project includes skills training, and the involvement of local people in creating proposals for looking after conservation areas and local six-formers in energy-saving research. There are some more details here. (May 2010)

* mycornwall.tv , launched last summer, has a fresh look access website. It’s a lively enterprise, offering a genuine county service with programs about Eden, the Pirates rugby match, an election meeting in St Ives, and an events diary, for example. It’s chock-a-block with stuff about life and enterprise in Cornwall. (May 2010)

* From October 2010 the mandatory national minimum wage will rise to £5.93 an hour (full adult rate). The present rate is £5.80 an hour. The rise is modest and responsible and will continue to help very many people in Cornwall. (March 2010)

* From next month, April 2010, the rents of social housing in Cornwall will go down; the average fall of Penwith social housing rents will be 1.6 percent. This reflects a fall in the retail price index last September and a government decision to carry that through to social rents throughout England. This will give a small increase in income to tenants which they will probably spend in the local economy. There is a possible downside: the rental income of the housing association will fall and that could impact adversely on their spending on housing. (March 2010)

* Cornwall has been awarded £69 million from the Labour government’s Building schools for the future program for a first stage of school physical improvements. Initially six schools will benefit from rebuilding or refurbishment: Camborne, Humphry Davy Penzance, Poltair, Pool, and Redruth secondary schools, and Curnow special school. Read about it here. (March 2010)

* Work progresses on the wave hub project in west Cornwall. An electricity substation is to be built at Hayle and preparatory work is beginning now. Read here. (March 2010)

* Two companies based in west Cornwall are prospering. PTT (Providers of telecommunications training) has won a contract with BT to be part of its apprenticeship training scheme. The day that, a photographic company, has now opened a USA office. Additionally, in east Cornwall, Cornish Crabbers, which builds yachts, has forward orders until June; good news after previous difficulties in 2008.

All very good news for the Cornwall economy and workers.

* St Austell is one of four areas taking part in the building of evironmental homes. See here.St Austell clay country villages will receive £9.55 million from the government in 2009/10 and between £2 and £6 million in 2010/11 for homes, along with £300 000 for ‘greening’ schools. Apprenticeships and other jobs will be created by the project. (February 2010)

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