The Five Islands School

Councillors have agreed the solution for safer pedestrian access to the new school.

Their decision follows months of complaints and a petition from parents concerned about their kids’ safety in walking to and from lessons, especially in bad weather or dark winter mornings.

A concrete pavement of 1.2m width, with a concrete kerb, will be laid alongside the Old Town sea wall.

There’ll be “eco drainage” to all existing storm water outlets, so that seawater can be dispersed as quickly as possible either from the road or the pavement itself.

Members decided that option after they reviewed a report commissioned from Cornwall Council’s highways team into routes and potential surfaces.

They discounted the idea of paths down Trench Lane, alongside the secondary sea defence on the opposite site of Old Town Bay Road, and they rejected another plan to lay a path to school across from the Old Town Inn.

All those suggestions proved more difficult to build or costlier.

Craig Dryden, the Council’s Chief Planning Officer, informed Councillors that he was waiting for a final price and design for the concrete works from Kier Western.

Cornwall Council indicated that a paved surface would cost £104,864.

A kinked left hand bend for vehicles travelling eastbound on the Old Town Road will also be straightened under the plan.

No timeline has been agreed for the work but the temporary barriers, which separated pedestrians and drivers, came down this week.

The original planning requirement was for a path to be competed, “prior to the occupation of the school”.

In September, when the school opened and no access solution had been offered, Councillors set a four month deadline for action. Now, over five months after lessons started, a safer way for the kids to get to school will, at last, be put in place.

Islanders biggest gripe remains dog fouling, according to the results of the Community Safety Partnership survey.

66% of islanders have had enough of the mess left when dog owners don’t clear up after their pets.

Two years ago, the Council had planned to train dog-litter wardens, in partnership with the Duchy and the Wildlife Trust. These officials would have issued penalty tickets to owners who left dog mess in public places, but the plans were pulled from a Council agenda hours before the members debated them by the Chief Executive, following legal concerns.

151 residents replied to the on-line questionnaire, which was five times the expected take-up rate.

Just over half of islanders, 52%, are still worried about speeding and road safety.

Continued concerns have led to investigations into the feasibility of a 20mph zone in parts of St Mary’s.

But the survey also has a positive side.

Islanders feel that there is social cohesion, with 95% of locals saying that people of different backgrounds get on well together in Scilly.

And the survey reveals that we feel safe in our beds. 93% of respondents feel very safe, all the time and 91% of people had not been the victim of crime in the last year, although the survey didn’t specify whether crimes had taken place on the islands or elsewhere.

And overall there’s a pat on the back for the authorities.

93% feel the St Mary’s Police and the Council are dealing successfully with crime.

The AONB needs “scrutiny” after costs have rocketed with little explanation.

That’s according to the Chairman of the Council’s Planning Committee, Amanda Martin.

Members heard that the department was set to spend £7000 on transport costs this year, a £3000 overspend on the estimated budget.

Richard McCarthy felt that increasing the budget to match the amount spent was too “convenient” and members were unsure where the money was going.

Chief Planning Officer, Craig Dryden, said £1500 of the excess related to the National AONB Conference which brought some delegates to Scilly last year.

The Council would claim that money back.

The cost of off-island boating trips so the AONB could go on beach cleaning duty was also a cost factor, Craig said.

But members felt that off-islanders could play more of a role to trim the costs.

Christine Savill said off-islanders always used to remove beach litter but conceded that health and safety regulations may mean there are problems with that now and Amanda felt that the AONB needed to better publicise when it was beach cleaning so people could join in.

Staff costs within the three-person team have gone up by £10,000.

Craig said £4000 of that was because of work on a special project and that additional work would be grant-funded.

The AONB Officer, Trevor Kirk, had also been through “job evaluation” and had received a pay rise.

Craig explained that 75% of the AONB costs came from grants.

Marian Bennett wanted to highlight what was good about the AONB and praised the “enormously beneficial” work of the department in maintaining the environment. She reminded Councillors of the economic benefits our landscape brings.

But Amanda ended discussion on the AONB budget by requesting a written report on all the AONB activities.  She told Councillors she wanted to know “who was doing what” and their responsibilities, adding, “and I do mean from the top.”

Dudley Mumford suggested that a small panel should look into costs and Amanda said she’d back that.

Members should expect “better accountability” and they had previously asked for more details about the department’s activities, she said.

Council Chambers at the Old Wesleyan Chapel

The Islands’ Council can’t fill two urgent job vacancies because English Heritage hasn’t paid the Town Hall grant money that it had promised.

It’s not the first time that the Government body, which can influence planning application outcomes, has been slow to offer funding.

Planning Committee members agreed that Chairman, Amanda Martin, would write to express the Council’s dissatisfaction with their “dilatory approach.”

English Heritage had made “positive sounds” about paying for two staff roles according to Craig Dryden, Chief Planning Officer, but he said they hadn’t put anything in writing.

Chris Savill supported sending the agency a “rap across the knuckles.”

The delay means that the Council can’t recruit an Historic Environment Field Advisor and part-time Archaeologist, a single position, which has been vacant since Eleanor Breen resigned.

English Heritage were to pay that salary.

A 25% funded full-time planning officer post can’t be filled yet either.

Craig told the Planning Committee that the hiatus means the Planning Budget is around £42,000 under spend, even though they have had to buy-in some services from Cornwall and employ a planning consultant, Bill Wilson.

Members commended Craig and his Old Wesleyan Chapel-based team for working in difficult circumstances.

Chris Savill was pleased day-to-day planning matters were being handled but there was slippage in strategic work.

Last year's Scilly Ten race on St Mary's

Entries are now being invited for this year’s Scilly Ten charity run.

The popular fun run will be taking place on Sunday 8^th April, starting at 11.15am from Lower Town Quay on St Martin’s.

The 10 mile road and off-road course (two 5 mile laps) will be open to individuals and teams from the age of 11 years (year 7) wanting to run, jog or walk.

The run will raise funds for Little Harbour children’s hospice, with all entry fee charges going directly to the charity.

Entry costs are £15 for adults (18+) and £5 for children (11-17).

Reduced Skybus and Scillonian travel is available for those entering the event and all finishing participants will receive a medal.

Entry forms and further details can be found on the website www.scillycharityrun.co.uk.

Lyonesse Guesthouse

Another St Mary’s guesthouse is to be allowed to convert to self-catering units.

Five rental flats and an owner’s flat can be formed from the Lyonesse guesthouse on the Lower Strand.

It currently operates as a twelve bedroom B&B.

All members attending the planning meeting voted in favour of the application but David Pearson said it was a “substantial development” and he was concerned that catering businesses are being lost within the town.

There’s been a noticeable shift towards more flexible accommodation in the last two years but Dudley Mumford warned that it Councillors rejected the application they could faced an appeal.

Planning consent was recently granted to allow Santa Maria on Sallyport to make a similar transition to self-catering.

In winter 2009/10, Trelawney followed a similar conversion.

Tresco’s Island Hotel closed in October last year and will reopen this May with the majority of accommodation providing cooking facilities.

Christine Savill, who chairs the Council tourism board, said self-catering is where the demand is and Chief Planning Officer, Craig Dryden added that the Blue Sail tourism consultants report had suggested a need to improve quality and diversity and that self-catering was a growth area.

Craig recommended approval because the removal of the single-storey lobby extension at the back would improve the appearance of the Grade II listed Georgian building.

Wooden sash windows would replace some UPVC units and general improvements to fascias would also enhance a building described by Amanda Martin as “very important.”

Conditions were passed to stop the units being sold on the open market.

The owners won’t be allowed to rent the flats to any one person for more than 28 days and the owner’s flat can’t be sublet.

What the new centre will look like

Councillors have praised plans to transform the former Wholesalers building into an Innovation and Enterprise Centre.

The units should assist existing and emerging businesses that wish to expand and develop.

Members approved the application to redevelop the unit, originally built in 1966, into 5,000 sqft of business space.

It has been unused since the Council bought it from liquidators last spring.

The Council’s Economic Development team put forward a strong argument for demand for the facility.

Three years ago they commissioned consultants to survey business needs and this showed around one-third of the 120 businesses surveyed were home based and 35% thought that their current workspace was inadequate for their work.

79% respondents said there were “no suitable premises” for their business or that “a limited choice was available” to suit their business need.

At the recent planning meeting, Councillor Marian Bennett pointed out that people had questioned the demand for the sports hall but demand had exceeded expectation. She felt people would ask, “how did we manage without that facility” when the Innovation was operational.

There has been interest expressed already from a local Cornish pasty maker and part of the development will be tailor-made for the golf buggy rental business that currently operates out of a unit on the lane to Moorwell.

Councillor David Pearson added that he was “very supportive” of this “positive venture” for the islands which would utilize superfast broadband.

David felt the scheme would prove attractive to business, “with all the mod cons of the technological world” and it would be “up to islanders to take advantage of it.”

PWBC Architects of St Ives have produced the plans. They have also worked on the Porthcressa regenaration and St Agnes Island Hall proposals.

The structure will retain the steel frame and will be extensively reclad, with an entrance through a glazed gable.

The building will be partly glazed to allow as much natural light as possible and clad using anthracite panels and vertical red cedar cladding. Doors and windows will be aluminium and timber.

Most of the 10 units will be on the ground floor but there will also be a small first floor gallery.

The architects report viewed by members pointed out that the estate shows “signs of neglect” that their rebuild would address.

They stated it is, “perhaps fortunate that the majority of island visitors won’t venture into the industrial zone.”

Landscaping will be undertaken around the redeveloped site, and the building will be a “lift” to the area, according to Craig Dryden, who claimed the plans were “modern and innovative.”

Marian echoed the Chief Planner’s view adding that the estate was an area, “of which we had felt ashamed.”

The rebranding of the area as the Business Park would also help improve the perception, she felt.

However, Amanda Martin felt it would help to remove the backdrop of the Moorwell Alp refuse site too, while David Pearson felt there could be some tweaking of the architects plans and he suggested they be made to look more ‘Scillonian.’

Members accepted the proposals after a positive and upbeat debate. However plans to include no parking spaces may prove more controversial when the site is open for business.

Chief Planning Officer Craig Dryden repeated his view, expressed during planning meetings outlining the new school that islanders should walk or cycle more.

He accepted that his stance may meet opposition but he feels that he sees too many cars driven around with a sole occupant. He’d like more car sharing and cycle racks will be included as a transport solution for the site.

A detailed plan for handling and disposing of asbestos contained in the building will also need to be agreed before work can start.

Builders who flout rules over working hours may face enforcement, says Scilly’s Planning Chairman.

Planning consent is usually granted on the acceptance of conditions banning work early in the morning, late at night or at the weekend.

However, Amanda Martin told members that she had had enough of conditions “being abused” by contractors.

She claimed to have been disturbed by Sunday working and the use of power tools in her own neighbourhood of Old Town.

Amanda says the rules are being flouted unscrupulously to make up time on overrunning work.

She feels that the community in residential areas should be, “allowed a day off” from disturbance and wanted restrictions adhered to for another major project, the Porthcressa Regeneration, which is underway.

Chief Planning Officer Craig Dryden said that conditions should be respected and Council staff had written to and telephoned one operator following noisy out-of-hours work in Porthcressa.

Craig added that the reprimand was not related to the Porthcressa Regeneration plan.

Glass-fronted balconies may be added to two of the cottages that make up the Hell Bay Hotel complex in order to sustain the business.

Scilly Councillors have reviewed an application made by agents working on behalf of Tresco Estate.

Their submission argued that, as Spring Tide and High Tide cottages are the only units without balconies, they are last to let and attract a lower tariff.

This is because they are furthest from the sea view and appear “disadvantaged” and “less attractive.”

The applicant says this has a negative effect on the financial viability of the hotel.

Three of the four balconies, one for each unit in the two buildings, would replace a pitched roof of a room below.

On all four balconies, the existing windows would be replaced with new doors to provide access. They would use hardwood materials.

Chief Planning Officer, Craig Dryden, recommended approval because it would improve the quality of the tourism offer on Bryher, a point also made by Tresco’s Agents.

He felt the design and siting of the units was acceptable, as it was set back from the coast path and the sea.

Bryher Councillor, Marian Bennett said she had been, “less than polite” about these buildings previously but she felt that the alterations would enhance their appearance.

Residents who campaigned for the removal of wooden sleepers on the Old Town sea wall have won a partial-victory.

In the same week that a petition was launched to get the alterations reversed, the Council has agreed to remove the oak blocks, but only from one end.

They’ll come off the Duchy, granite wall at the slipway side of the bay near to ‘Dolphins’.

On the adjacent stretch of wall, the 2 layered blocks will be reduced to 1 sleeper in height.

The Planning Committee Chair, Amanda Martin and Vice-Chair, Gaz O’Neil, have been given delegated powers to decide what is acceptable in terms of finished appearance, although Planning Officer, Craig Dryden said there had been no discussions on how the finished work should look.

The Councillors’ challenge will be in finding a visibly pleasing way to deal with the transition between the area of wall that will retain the wood and the area where it will be removed.

There was a well-attended site visit arranged to let Councillors view the wall.

Brian Lowen felt the wooden sleepers on the concrete wall had blended in with weathering but Amanda warned that not everyone shared that view.

Members were given a report by consultants Jubb, which answered some of the questions that the community had asked since the work was undertaken.

It stated that the storm drains in the wall need to be there to release water.

It also claimed that concrete couldn’t be used because it would be hard to produce to maritime standards on site and would be costly.

But while the addition of the wood has brought strong criticisms from members, they seem to have overlooked that they voted to approve the sleepers in a planning meeting in July 2011.

Although there was some debate on the plan, it was included as part of a much larger item on the new school plans, which dominated the discussions at the time.

But it’s the quality of work that has been an issue for some Councillors.

Amanda Martin spoke of “some would say substandard” workmanship with a “poor” build quality and she wanted that view conveyed to the contractor.

And whoever takes over now is likely to have their work heavily scrutinized, although there’s uncertainty over who will do the job and where the cash will come from.

The sleepers were added because a Flood Risk Assessment required 5 metres of wall to protect the new school in storm conditions.

Part of the wall, as it was before the additions, stood at 4.997 metres above sea level and Brian Lowen told the meeting of his surprise that all of this had happened, “for the sake of 3 millimetres” and that begs the question, “Why on earth did this happen in the first place?”

Members were warned that they could only recommend that the sleepers were taken away and Chris Savill pointed out that the new school project board would have to take matters further.

There’s no clear picture on when the timbers will be removed as no schedule of works had been outlined to Councillors at the meeting.

Richard McCarthy warned the meeting that, “timing was of the essence” and he wanted white line painting and reduction of the buttress at the Nowhere end of the wall dealt with at the same time.

But Craig Dryden pointed out that the project board wouldn’t meet again until February 29th.

It appears nothing can happen until then.

Who pays for the restorative work is also an issue. Brian Lowen told the meeting it wouldn’t be the original contractor, Kier, doing the work necessarily and it would be, “going out to tender now.” And that means there’s no clear timeline

Councillor Lowen suggested the whole incident would look “terrible” to the public.

“Once we have put them there, we’ll take them away again” he said.

For the Councillors and Council officers who didn’t monitor the job effectively and islanders who have complained bitterly about the work, Christine Savill’s view that, ”as soon as this issue dies away, the better” will strike a chord.

When that will be and at what cost is unclear and may suggest that officers have learned little from this public relations disaster.