You can now view any (or all!) past newsletters in our shared Google Drive. Just follow this link:
Category Archives: Cornwall Council
From our Cornwall Representative, April 2015
There have been some changes to the committee structures and I am now a member of the Housing and Environment Advisory Committee. Please note the word ‘advisory’ but these committees do give backbenchers like me a chance to have more regular discussions with the relevant cabinet member. If you have strong views on anything to do with housing and the environment, do let me know.
Neighbourhood Plan Exhibition Day
On Saturday the 21stMarch about one hundred and twenty of you came to the Parish Hall at Golberdon, to see our exhibition showing what you all said in our survey at Christmas.
From Our Cornwall Representative, March 2015
Thank you so much to everyone who sent good wishes and kind messages during my illness. It really was appreciated. I would also like to publicly thank the Cornwall Councillors, Andrew Long, Bernie Ellis and Derris Watson, who have covered my case work. It is a very good example of how party politics is so often set aside to do our best for the communities we serve and I am very grateful to them.
When I left hospital I was confident that I would prove the staff wrong about the recovery time. They said at least three months and it appears they know more about it than me! I am making progress slowly and have been doing some of the ‘corporate’ work by phone and email. I am now able to pick up my casework again so please don’t hesitate to contact me in the usual way. I am still limited in stamina and driving, particularly at night, so it will be a few more weeks before I am attending meetings at County Hall on a regular basis but I am able to drive locally so will be able to come and meet with you to discuss any problems you may have.
I really have been touched at the many kind messages so, once again, thank you and I hope to now be able to make up for lost time in representing you when and where necessary.
Thank you.
Steph McWilliam, March 2015
Council Business – County and Local
Best Wishes to our Cornwall Representative Steph McWilliam
Steph is unwell at the moment, so there is no contribution from her in this edition of South Hill Connection.
We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to reading her column again in our next newsletter.
___________________________________
South Hill Parish Council
This photo was taken at the January meeting of the Parish Council. Apologies were received from Nick Easton, and from David Brent, whose sheep are lambing at the moment.
From our Cornwall Representative – Steph McWilliam
By the time you read this, the Remembrance Commemorations will be behind us but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without saying what a privilege it has been to attend the events in the three parishes I represent. The stand-out moments were the young bugler in Golberdon, the stunning poppy decoration cascading down the front of the pulpit in St Ive Church and the children at Upton Cross who, despite the weather, were a credit to their school and their community. I feel very proud to be your Cornwall Councillor. Thank you to everyone who organised these events.
From our Cornwall Representative – Steph McWilliam
I have only been down to Truro twice in August, once for the commemoration of the start of World War One and once for a meeting of Group Leaders about a governance review. The commemoration was simple but effective and I was impressed by the thought that had gone into planning it.
Parish Council Quiz Highways Bosses
Bert Biscoe, the Cornwall Council portfolio holder for highways, and Paul Allen from Cormac, came to the South Hill Parish Council meeting on the 15th July to answer questions from the Parish Council about the appalling state of the roads in our area.
From Our Cornwall Representative Steph McWilliam
It is summer, the sun is shining as I write and this month I would like to focus on the positive news from Cornwall Council. It is so easy always to talk about the problems and things that aren’t going so well but actually there is a lot of good work going on too.
From Our Cornwall Representative Steph McWilliam
Well, the budget setting process has begun and promises to be even more difficult than last year. There is no doubt that some difficult decisions will have to be made again and some people are going to be disappointed at the loss or changes that result. One that has not yet been decided is about the mobile library service. I have received the results of the consultation and there is no doubt that this service is highly valued. However, the results also suggest that some people, perhaps the most vulnerable, might benefit from a change from a mobile van to a home delivery service. Three options will be discussed shortly and, at the moment, I am inclined to think we will be better off making more radical changes now that can then be maintained for the next few years rather than having to make minor changes each year. However, no decision has yet been made.