March Updates
Category Archives: General Interest
Parish Council Report
New Councillor – It gives me great pleasure to welcome Carol Samuel as our new Councillor, coopted at our January 2020 meeting. There was a very good response to the vacancy advert, and I take this opportunity to thank those who expressed and interest in the position.
Recreation Field /Play Area – The Council are looking at options to create a natural habitat wildflower area at the top of the recreation field, so if you have any ideas please let us know.
The fencing around the children’s play area is going to be replaced and the Council are looking at options and costs to get the work completed as soon as possible. As part of this work the fence line will be moved slightly to increase the size of the play area in the bottom corner of the site.
Weekly inspections are carried out on the play equipment and any repairs identified are dealt with as a matter of urgency.
The grass cutting contracts are now available to any contractor interested in tendering for the work. The closing date is the 14th February 2020. Please get in touch if you would be interested in submitting a price. Contractors will be required to provide insurance and the appropriate certificates to carry out the work required. The contractor will be appointed at the February 2020 meeting and the decision will be based on costs, work standards and “best value”.
The field is available to hire for private functions and can also be used in conjunction with the hire of the hall. Hire requests are approved at the discretion of the Council, so if you would like to hold an outside event and need some space, please get in touch.
Climate Change – At the start of our November 2019 meeting, the Chairman Cllr David Skelton gave a short presentation on climate change and how we can all do our bit to help stop a world-wide climate emergency. Several members of the public attended and shared ideas on what measures could work in South Hill. Those present were challenged to make the top 10 pledges, see here and also to find out their own carbon footprint using one of the easy to use carbon calculators such as https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/ or https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
Traffic speed – The Council recognise that much of the traffic travelling through Golberdon is exceeding the speed limit, especially during early mornings and later in the day. Often in these circumstances local residents can be to blame as drivers become complacent with the road layout. Cornwall Council have been notified of our concerns and we are working with them via the Community Network and the Police to address this matter. We are also in discussion with local Community Speed Watch teams who will be visiting the village to carry out random speed checks. Please be aware of your speed. We do lack the safety of pedestrian footways and need to protect our residents, the children walking to the school buses, and those who visit.
Bus Stop Sign – Cormac have agreed to place a bus stop sign on the post opposite the existing shelter in Golberdon. This was requested so that the designated stop could be clearly identified.
Potholes and Blocked Drains – If you come across a pothole. Blocked drain on any other highway issues the best way to report this is directly to Cornwall Council. The easiest way is to use a smart phone or computer and follow the link. You will soon see if it has already been reported and you will get updated when the problem has been inspected and the work done. You can also phone 0300 1234 222.
Footpaths – As the days get longer and the weather improves the Council will be looking to carry out some maintenance work on the parish footpaths. The Council can now accept the help of volunteers to trim the public rights of way and complete minor maintenance work. For anyone who is interested please get in touch with Cllr Andrew Budd. You do not have to commit and volunteers will be supervised, and work in groups. Thank you to those people who have already put their name forward.
Meetings – The Parish Council meet on the third Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall at Golberdon. Meetings start at 7.30pm and last approximately two hours. At the start of every meeting there is a public session where members of the public can address the Council on any subject relating to the parish. Otherwise if you would like to just sit and listen, you are welcome – it’s surprising what we do.
Information and contacts – Information on the Parish Council including our meeting agendas and minutes can be found on our website www.south-hill-pc.gov.uk
Sharon Daw is our Cornwall Council Ward Member and her email address is sharon.daw@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk
Jenny Hoskin (Parish Clerk) telephone 01208 72789 or email southhillpcclerk@gmail.com
Tree planting Lezant
Nick Barnes is planting 5,000 native broadleaf trees on the family farm. He is doing this because it will benefit future generations, not because it is going to be any sort of big money spinner. In one year, 7 or 8 trees will create enough oxygen for one person to breathe. So, once it is established and growing strongly, Nick’s miniature forest will produce enough oxygen for all the inhabitants of Lezant parish. Just think about that!
Trees produce all this oxygen when they are busy growing. With the help of sunlight shining on the leaves and water and other nutrients from the roots, they convert the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into sugars such as cellulose. Cellulose is not just a junk-food thickener but a main ingredient of wood. Oxygen is a left-over from this process. This also means that trees are important allies in the fight against global overheating. We need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it is causing it to overheat: witness the ongoing forest fires in Australia and the thawing of the permafrost across Siberia.
If we don’t do anything about it the seas will rise and we will see mass displacement of coastal communities and loss of farmland across the world and in the UK. Anyone fancy starving? Did I hear you say ‘it’s not my problem’? Are you thinking, “Shouldn’t the Amazon Rainforest be an important part of this fight?” Well, the Amazon rainforest is being cut down to make way for palm oil tree plantations to help make more junk food for British consumers to eat. There are also soya bean plantations, to make food for American junk food beef cattle- the sort that are raised on massive, ‘feedlots’, fed on growth hormones and antibiotics to fatten them up quickly and stop them getting sick in the overcrowded conditions. There’s also the extraction of minerals to satisfy our insatiable appetite for more junk. Don’t forget that our ‘fantastic trade deal with Mr Trump’ is meant to ship, at huge cost to the environment, this awful American produce to our shores: in order to undercut our British farmers who produce high quality beef and other meat animals reared largely on natural grassland. Some of our ministers say that this cheap food will be a good thing – but that is because they don’t care about the climate crisis or our farmers and in any case they don’t need to worry as they as individuals get lots of money from the Institute of Economic Affairs, which is where the American Industry lobbyists (working for the fossil fuel companies, food companies, big tobacco, health corporations and the last but not least the sugar industries) channel their funds directly to those ministers who will ‘arrange them a great deal’.
What can you do?… Fight back! “Buy Local” to help in the climate fight! Also, if you care about the climate crisis, you could, if you own some hedgerow, allow some of the trees in it to grow to their full potential. This will suck CO2 out of the atmosphere as well as providing a home for wildlife. If you have a spare corner of a field, could you ‘round it off’ and plant some trees of your own, for the children of the future to benefit from? Or are you one of those MANY people who will never lift a finger unless you’re paid to do so? Article from Lezant newsletter
SHARE Feb. 2020 Update
Visit to Cotehele Mill SHARE had a successful visit to Cotehele mill to see the hydro installation on Friday 6th December. A group of 21 people went to see the 5kW generator on site and learn about the benefits and pitfalls of such an installation. Leaves, young fish and regulations all need to be addressed so planning is crucial for a successful project, but if done properly, this can be a good source of electricity for the wet winter months.
Parish Carbon Footprint SHARE had asked Atlantic Energy to perform a carbon audit on the South Hill Parish and the results were discussed at our meeting on 8th January. The results showed that the main contributors to our carbon footprint are manufactured items, transport (including transport of goods) and energy used in the house, in that order. We can all do our bit by buying less (do you really need it, can you buy second-hand), working from home or car share, and use renewable energy and LED lighting in the home. Also, to work towards going to a zero carbon footprint, we would need to replace our cars by all electric cars, turn off electrical items we don’t use (don’t put our items on standby, switch if off at the socket), use heat pumps for heating our houses and only use renewable energy sources. For those who missed the presentation, Astrid will present the results again at the W.I. meeting on 6th May and we’ll post results on the SHARE web page.
For more info on this, any other thoughts or to join SHARE SHARE@south-hill.co.uk or phone Secetary Astrid Fischer 07875 284346
Recycling for charity
SHARE is saving valuable resources being wasted. These plastic items are sent to TERRACYCLE to be made into new products like park benches & waterbutts and credit KICKS COUNT charity, who aim to reduce the UK’s still-birth rate.
We have set up a number of collection points to drop your items
– at the entrance to Green Meadows PL17 7LT – the porch at the Parish Hall in Golberdon – the porch of St Sampson’s Church, South Hill – by the bench at Trevigro – at Beeching Park Stores, Kelly Bray – and many more https://south-hill.co.uk/charity-recycling/
Competition Time: We’re rewarding our best recyclers and best locations, so please write your name on your bags or pop a note inside so we can Thank you.
We’ve also visited the local schools to encourage more recycling. If you are connected to a school please get involved and support them, there’s a competition for them also.
The items we can accept UPDATED: o empty lipsticks, balm, gloss, mascara, eye shadow compacts, facial wipes packs o tubes from creams, gels, lotions, ointments, plastics in hair dye kits o all biscuits and crackers wrappers, inc multipacks and individual cakes, mini rolls o all crisp and snacks packets inc popcorn, pretzels, peanuts and pringles o all sweets and confectionery wrappers (no trays, paper or foil) o baby food pouches and lids and snacks like Ellas, Kiddicious, Goodies o triggers and pumps off bottles, disposable latex style gloves o plastic air fresheners and plastic packaging, inc plug-ins o dishwasher salt & tablet packs, stain remover & cleaning wipes packets o used toothbrushes, electric heads, tooth paste tubes & dental floss packs o pet food pouches, must be clean, dry and bagged + plastic biscuit & treats bags ALL PETS.
o WE CANNOT TAKE anything not on this list, the manufacturers that sponsor the programs are very specific about what can be accepted. o WE CAN NOT ACCEPT pill blister packs, fruit & veg bags, Quorn packets, any yoghurt packaging, cheese packets, bread products, coffee & tea packets, coffee pods, cling film, shrinkwrap, plastic from flowers & cards, any cereal packets, any frozen bags, trays, foil, paper, cardboard, kitchen/toilet roll bags, muesli, granola, pasta bags, rice packs, cornflower/complan packs, Capri Sun pouches. o
Please bag like items together to help with sorting and join us at Green Meadows on Fridays at 10am to sort and box up. It’ll be an eye opener !! SHARE@south-hill.co.uk, FB group web page on line here Text Ali 07305 044049
I’m also collecting for Hill Pony Resources :- o used stamps, old mobile phones, gadgets, cameras, sat navs, unwanted jewellery, any banknotes even if obsolete.
Recycling For Charity – help for the confused
in partnership with 
The waste that SHARE collects for recycling is sent to a company called Terracycle, where it is sorted by type and then goes on to be made into other products such as picnic benches, furniture, garden planters, playground equipment, watering cans…
By agreement with certain manufacturers of plastic packaging, Terracycle collects very specific items. For example, the Hovis scheme takes all brands of bread loaf bags (not just Hovis ones), and Colgate offers a scheme collecting all brands of toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. There are also schemes for biscuit and cake wrappers, confectionery, crisps and snacks, pet food pouches, home care products and personal care products. Most of these items can’t be accepted in kerbside recycling collections.
The similarity of many plastic products can lead to some confusion. For example, is a bag with apples in the same thing as a bread bag? The answer is NO, because the Hovis scheme only takes loaf bags. It doesn’t accept bags from rolls, wraps, crumpets etc either!
Here is a note found at Stoke Climsland Old School collection point this morning:
This person had also left several bags of perfectly well-sorted recycling, which we are grateful for.
BUT… there were very few things in this bag that we CAN recycle – pictured here (also 4 or 5 crisp packets)
There were several food trays that could have gone in the kerbside collection. And pictured below, quite a lot that we CAN’T recycle. These bags should go in your kerbside waste, and will be taken to the energy recovery centre at St Dennis. And I think old lightbulbs are often collected at larger supermarkets, along with batteries, or you can take them to your local recycling centre (Saltash or Launceston). The bread bag on the left of the photo is OK, but all the stuff in it was waste.
WE HOPE THIS ARTICLE HELPS TO REDUCE CONFUSION.
We have collection points at: the Parish Hall in Golberdon, Callington Tesco, Nanny Oakleys Cafe, the Tamar Valley Centre at Drakewalls, Launceston Co-op and Pets At Home, Tre Pol & Pen, South Petherwin church, Coads Green phone box, Upton Cross community centre, Millennium House Pensilva, and more.
Thank you to everybody who brings their non-kerbside recycling to our collection points.
We sort and package everything once or twice a week to be sent off to Terracycle via UPS. This is a real eye-opening experience, and should be seen by everybody at least once.
If you would like to help (even just once, no pressure to commit regularly), please email SHARE@south-hill.co.uk or leave a message on our Facebook page
Church Matters – October 2019
The three words that can save your life – so ran the BBC news headline that recently caught my eye. Reading through the corresponding article I learned of a group of friends who had got lost in a forest on a dark wet night. They had no idea where they were and so, finding a spot with mobile signal, they dialled 999. On answer one of the first things they were asked to do was to download a smartphone app called “what3words”. Having downloaded the app they were able to give three words that precisely gave their location such that they were swiftly found by a search and rescue team.
Having read the article I promptly downloaded the what3words app onto my iPhone to see what it did. The developers of the app have divided the world into 57 trillion squares, each measuring 3 metres by 3 metres, with each square having a unique, randomly assigned three-word address. When you open the app on your phone you’re presented with a grid of squares with your location identified by a blue dot in one of the squares. You can also view the grid superimposed on a satellite picture so you can see exactly where you are in relation to your surroundings. For instance, as I sit here at my desk in the Rectory typing this article, my three-word location is jumps.rationed.nearly. From the satellite picture I can see that the whole Rectory has around 30 squares, and so if I moved to the kitchen I could find myself at refilled.factor.fights. If I were to head over to the Church and stand in the porch I’d be at crop.ballots.drifters.
It’s fascinating to explore the app, and not just to see the sometimes playful combination of words that have been randomly generated (there’s a location within the Stoke Climsland Old School that is executive.dime.agreed). You can see just how powerful it is and why the emergency services can be keen to see it installed on people’s phones. It is far more accurate in pinpointing a location compared with postal codes, and hence in an emergency situation it could literally be a life-saver.
This idea that three words can save your life got me thinking – within the Christian faith we also have three words the can save your life, and those same three words work wherever you are in the world. The words are “Lord Jesus Christ”. Lord – the acknowledgement that there is a God over and above us. Jesus – the earthly embodiment of God who shows us what God is like. Christ – the anointed one, the Messiah, who died for all sins, was resurrected and now waits for us to join him in heaven. For those who have come to understand the full significance of those three words it is not only a life-saver here in our earthly days as we see our lives transformed, but it is a life-saver for the whole of eternity.
Anytime, anywhere, the same three words apply. Lord Jesus Christ.
Tony Stephens
Cornwall Council Climate Change Consultation
We asked people to let us know what was most important to them
· Reducing car journeys through more buses and trains, more frequently and helping people to walk and cycle more easily
· More public charging points to help people switch to electric cars
· Building more energy efficient new homes
· Making existing homes more energy efficient and greener
· Getting more solar energy panels on rooftops
· Creating more large scale renewable energy farms
· Planting more trees
· Helping nature and wildlife to thrive
· Making it easier to reduce, reuse/repurpose and recycle waste
· Making it easier to reduce single use plastic(s).
CAN YOU tick off any of these as things you have done ?
· Rung an energy supplier to see if you can switch to green energy
· Buy local seasonal produce as much as possible
· Educated yourself about the science and impacts of climate change
· Contacted our MP and ask your friends make these ten pledges too
· Walked, cycled, used public transport or arranged to car share to work or shop.
· Worked on your carbon footprint using one of the many easy carbon calculators e.g. www.footprint.wwf.org.uk
· Done a home energy check to find out how much you can save energy in your home www.hec.est.org.uk and/or asked the energy saving trust by phoning 0800 512 012
· Reduced your holiday air miles
CAN YOU add to this list? Let us know your thoughts, speak to your Parish Councillors.
South Hill Parish Council September Report
Thank you to all who came along to the Horticultural Show and submitted your concerns, comments and suggestions on parish matters.
The speeding of traffic through Golberdon continues to raise concerns for the Parish Council and we are hoping to receive some assistance to deal with the matter. The police don’t have enough officers to tackle this directly. We have three volunteers for a Community Speed Watch Scheme. The CSW coordinator and our local police officer are working on the practicalities. If you have a few hours to spare to help, please let me know. You might prevent an accident, injury or worse. Traffic surveys generally have identified that local residents are often to blame for speeding in their area, becoming complacent with the road network and the local village status. Please SLOW down and help to keep everyone safe.
General maintenance repairs are being carried out to the children’s play area equipment and inspections are completed on a weekly basis to ensure the site is kept to an acceptable standard. However, if anyone finds anything that raises concerns please let us know.
Our Cornwall Councillor, Cllr Sharon Daw has a small sum of money available for organisations to benefit the community. Applications can be made to Sharon direct on sharon.daw@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk
Alternatively there is funding from the Trefinnick Solar Farm that organisations or individuals can apply for. There were lots of good suggestions made at the Horticultural Show such as a community orchard/meadow/woodland or a green burial ground. For the Parish Hall, kitchen improvements, radiators, more solar panels, film club equipment and better marketing of the Hall for celebration functions. Other ideas were a community electric car, creating wildflower verges, grants for households to install more efficient and sustainable heating, grants for water butts and compost bins and an extra dog waste bin. All of these ideas are very welcome and in principle eligible for funding. For them to proceed further, YOU, either individually or with a local group need to provide more details with costs so that the parish council can evaluate them.
The parish council considered a request from the Hall committee for funding for radiators in the kitchen, meeting room etc. More information was required about the running costs of the new heating system and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments that will be received before a decision could be made. Consequently, it was decided not to place an order for installing the additional radiators. It was agreed to proceed with the cavity wall insulation for the Hall using the existing funding.
The Parish Council continue to monitor planning in our parish and identify any aspects of development that do not have planning consent or do not comply with the conditions on the approval granted. We are working with the planning officers from Cornwall Council to resolve matters within the parish, and liaising with neighbouring parishes on sites within the area. We now have a central planning team that focuses on all planning within the eastern part of the county.
As many will know, Jody the mannequin disappeared from the phone box. We have collected suggestions for the future use of the old telephone kiosk and replacing Jody was the clear favourite. We are looking at the costs of Jody II.
Our September meeting is always a long one, as there is no meeting in August, and this one was no exception.
There was not time to discuss declaring a Climate Change Emergency in the detail that it deserves. It was agreed that councillors needed more information about what this means for a small council like ours and what practical measures local councils can take. Our neighbouring councils, St. Ive and Stoke Climsland, have each declared Climate Change Emergencies so it was decided to ask them to come and explain to us what they have done.
This will be a public meeting and we encourage you all to attend, sorry we don’t have the date yet, please look out for it.
The parish Remembrance Service will be held on Saturday, 9th November at 2.30pm Posters will be published nearer the time and information placed on the parish council website www.south-hill-pc.gov.uk
Jenny Hoskin (Parish Clerk)
telephone 01208 72789 or email southhillpcclerk@gmail.com
Editor I note Openreach have been busy around Trevigro installing fibre broadband.
Over a year ago the Parish Council questioned why the property at 1 Moorland View, Golberdon had been left empty for so long. Many will have noticed the array of workman over many weeks working here, progress at last.
October PC meeting 15th , the 3rd Tuesday, starting at 7:30pm prompt.
Tregaver One Year On
It’s been a year since I moved to Golberdon, and I can honestly say I’ve loved my time here so far!
The village is so friendly and helpful, my neighbours are always wonderful. I’ve had a bank card drop back into me that my boiler engineer dropped on the street…. I’ve had Dick helping to try and jump start my truck when it wouldn’t start… I’ve traded eggs for a bag of kindling, rhubarb for recycling bins and another neighbour “stealth dropped” some wonderful tomatoes on my doorstep!
I’ve not had to take anything I no longer need to the tip – I’ve rehomed a table, a mirror, shelving units and numerous other bits and bobs by dropping them to the free corner, and also acquired some gems too – a great little shelf unit, a fabulous casserole dish to name just a few!
Business and farming wise, it’s been an amazing year too. I lambed for the first time ever this year, by myself (remember the freeze in April? I camped at the field and my tent was like an igloo one morning when I woke up with ice burns on my eye lids!).
I only have 2 ewes and borrowed a tup back in November. He did a proper job, and we were rewarded with 4 marvellous lambs (Branok, Bryan, Brea, and Beryan) to add to our fibre production crew at Tregaver – 3 boys, now castrated, and a ewe lamb which will be bred when she’s of age.
I also bought 2 valais x lleyn lambs (Byghan and Ballow) a few months ago – their fibre is superb, perfect little locks which are much softer than pure valais black nose!
And one of the most exciting things… We finally have goats at Tregaver, making it a genuine “place of the goats”. We welcomed 5 gorgeous angoras from Devon. So we’ve now got a Boudicca, Barvus, Bolitho, Barthek and Baya.
As you can see, all of our livestock have Cornish or Celtic names – Bolitho is my family name back to 1611!
So here’s to another year in Golberdon, and here’s hoping our fibre business continues to grow!
Caroline Rimmer https://etsy.me/2nC60Vk