Local Action in Cornwall

Luxulyan Valley Study

Luxulyan Valley investigation works

FIRST GRANT ANNOUNCED BY CLAY COUNTRY LOCAL ACTION PARTNERSHIP SEPTEMBER 2009

Clay Country Local Action Partnership announced a £26,000 grant to carry out detailed investigations into the Treffry Viaduct in the Luxulyan Valley.

 This is one of the most strategic projects for heritage and sustainable tourism in the Clay Country Local Action area because this is part of the globally celebrated heritage of the south west and is within the West Devon and Cornwall Mining World Heritage Site. 

 Works will investigate restoration of the historic granite viaduct built between 1839-42 to provide a horse drawn tramway link to carry copper, china clay and granite from nearby mines and quarries. The structure also acted as an aqueduct carrying water to provide power for the Carmears Inclined Plane.  This water now drives a turbine generating power for the grid.

 The owners and friends of the valley will be involved in drafting the plans for the area. Funding for the total £90,000 project which is being managed by Cornwall Council also comes from English Heritage, Cornwall Heritage Trust, Cornwall Council, West Devon and Cornwall Mining World Heritage Site Office.

Chapel Allotments Project, Penwithick

Chapel Allotments Project, Penwithick

The completion of this project in April 2011 included clearing the boundaries of the site and improving the facilities available so that the full area can be used for allotments and to provide good access and water services.

 The Parish Council has a waiting list for allotment sites and is looking for new areas and at the same time the allotment area at the Chapel site was under utilised and needed a lot of improvements.

The Council was successful in August 2010 in getting a grant from Clay Country Local Action for the all the materials and costs of clearing and upgrading the site with paths, water taps, gates, plot edges, and fencing.  The labour for the works was found free of charge by the Council working with the Groundwork SW Green Team who put in tireless work moving scrub, barrow loads of trash, and putting up new fencing and pathways.

 Working in partnership with the Seeds, Soup and Sarnies Project, the local people interested in the allotment sites have set up family and community plots including the shared African Keyhole garden – see pic.

 Treverbyn Parish Council is tremendously proud of the site and the service they provide to their local community.  The council already has new allotmenteers starting to run their own plots on this site if you are interested call 01726 851001

 Seeds, Soup & Sarnies (Big Lottery funded project with Eden working in partnership with Family Learning Cornwall) 01872 327520

Treverbyn Village Hall

A hall for all? On the 9^th April the Treverbyn Community Hall Committee held a drop in community engagement day.   The day was run with assistance from the Clay Country Village Development coordinator and the Capacity Building project.   Over 80 community members enjoyed participating in the engagement, not to mention eating the delicious cakes baked by local residents.

The aim of the day was to ask local residents what they wanted to do with the hall.  The results of the engagement will be used to inform the plans currently being put together by an architect. They were also asked if they wanted to join the hall committee to support the running and management of the hall.  
The Community Hall Committee has already been successful in achieving a Clay Country Local Action Small Grant and Cornwall Council funding to support their contract for the architect and the legal work to set up their organisation.

The day clearly demonstrated a need and desire within the community.  The ideas put forward were many and varied and included social events such as village BBQs and Easter egg hunts, support groups, such as mental health groups and gardening groups, fitness groups, enterprising schemes and fundraisers including a cafe, bring and buy sales and a volunteer skills exchanges, and also more formal opportunities to learn, particularly focussing around art and craft ideas.  The desire for a recording studio also proved popular with some of the younger community members. 

Treviscoe Community Hall

Community groups to receive warm welcome at
Treviscoe Community Hall

Clubs and groups using Treviscoe Community Hall will be able to enjoy warmer and more comfortable facilities following the installation of underfloor and solid wall insulation as part of the Clay Country’s Sustainable Energy Communities Project.

 Work has just been completed as part of a £30,500 project funded by the Clay Country Local Action Group to enable the hall to adapt to the rising cost of energy by reducing the amount of heat loss from the building by more than 50%. This grant from the Clay Country LAG was agreed prior to its suspension pending a national review by Defra during summer 2011. 

Treviscoe Community Centre received help to develop their energy efficiency project from the Clay Country’s Sustainable Energy Community Officer Amy Walker, from Community Energy Plus, who is working to help local groups develop a range of projects that will help local communities react to the challenge of rising energy prices and climate change and stimulate interest in community-owned renewable energy opportunities. 

 Richard Puttick, Secretary of Treviscoe Community Centre, said: “Although the Community Centre is in regular use, keeping it at a comfortable temperature is often a problem, especially during the colder months.    The committee feared that groups may be discouraged from using our facilities in the future if it became necessary to pass the increasing costs of heating to hall users.  We’re expecting the insulation to make a big difference to our running costs while helping to secure the future of this important community resource.”

Amy Walker can be contacted on 07976 490 956

Whitemoor Playing Fields

Whitemoor Recreation Ground

The project is setting out to develop the range of play opportunities available to young and old in the community of Whitemoor.  The project also helps to develop the community of the village to take ownership and management of its own equipment.

 The community group running the play area recognised that their modest facility was an important focus for community activity and networking.  There is no other space for community outdoor events.  They not only produced and submitted their planning application but have also expanded their committee, run new events, and fund raised tirelessly and successfully bid to other grant scheme to secure match funding and achieve this project.

 The equipment was sourced by the best quotes and for the longevity of the materials and most innovative design for all ages and user groups.   The recreation ground committee recognise the need for a wider use of their open space as well as recreation and they have re-designed the use of the storage building to enable more storage for equipment for events.  The group has planned for the future to ensure that events will help to fund the maintenance and upkeep of equipment.

 The recreation ground committee is a group of really hard working local people with ambitious plans for a number of projects for this small village, of which this project is just the start.

Indian Queens Recreation Ground

Indian Queens Recreation Ground

 New play equipment for Indian Queens Recreation Ground is a priority by the Parish Council for St Enoder.  This central public space serves the communities of Fraddon, Indian Queens and St Columb Road and the key benefit to develop the range of play opportunities available for older children and teenagers of the area.

 Whilst existing equipment catered well for the Pre School age group, the Council recognised that appropriate facilities for teenagers were lacking in the Parish.  The new equipment includes Multi Use Games area and Skateboarding area to accommodate the range of uses requested by local youngsters.  The Parish Council held three useful meetings with local children, young people and parents in the parish to devise this project and the range of equipment.  With young people getting involved particularly for the layout of the skateboarding area.

 The project directly delivers actions identified as important in the Parish Plan and improves the provision community open space and therefore delivers aims for both local and national rural development strategies.