Local Playing Fields : Alverton

treeve

New Member
Something has come to my attention, which to my mind constitutes another attempt to erode the infrastructure laid out by Penzance Borough Council, a number of years ago.
This has brought into the microscope some memories of my own.
When Princess Royal Estate was laid out first there was an area at the top of the hill (what used to be known as Tul Tuff Hill of ancient date) was set out as a dedicated Playing Field with goal posts; the field had at its far bounday a steel mast with telephone relay equipment; it also has allotments (which I have no doubt are governed by various bodies and much represented in www.allotments-uk.com ; the field also has a Public Right of Way (if my memory serves me well there are two routes) to Bluebell Dell. Public Rights of Way cannot be moved or blocked without Due Course of Law. The Mast itself was built in a position discussed with The Williams Family who originally owned the land, in fact they laid out restrictions on the whole of the copse and woods at the top of the hill as it affected their views. The remainder of the area fringed the top of Higher Lidden Estate, all of which (save one house) was designed by myself as a part of the work undertaken by Geoffrey Drewitt, of Cowell Drewitt & Wheatley, later Drewitt & Drewitt. As such I had privy view of the legal documentation and conveyance drawings (in fact I prepared many of them).
The field is used as declared by the County as well as being a nominated Playing Field. Cornwall Neighbourhood for Change.
CN4C Free weekly play sessions for children aged 5-12 years
Alverton Every Tuesday and Wednesday at Alverton Recreation
field (near telephone mast) at 4.00-5.30pm (no sessions during
School Holidays.)
It is also covered by The Childcare Coordination Team as on cww.cornwall.nhs.uk/childcarecoordinationteam/index.php
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I have a distinct memory of a time when there were a number of youths with a lot of energy to expend in this area.
They used the land adjoining my house as a football ground until late at night, all weekends; it was an extremely noisy time, with the ball being kicked against our house (including windows). We had three young children and they needed sleep. There were constant violent scrums along our pathway which directly ran along our living room wall; it was hell. I protested to Penzance Borough Council and The Police. After exchange of letters, a release (joint between Penzance Borough Council AND the Police) went around this part of the estate that this area was NOT to be used for Ball games, BECAUSE there were already two Playing Fields on the estate ... in Love Lane behind The Pirate and in the Playing Field up by the mast.
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It has come to my attention that there is a plan afoot to build housing on this field.
Whatever its designation under Penzance Borough Council's day it would have been transferred as such when it was sold to its current owners.
I have some concerns that there is No Planning Permission for Change of Use.
It would be interesting to have proof final of ownership boundaries in any event and any Planning designation for that area, on top of which what of services to be provided as well as the provision of a safe working site as access for those works planned, particularly on an already occupied estate?
Please can anyone provide any information as to the designation of the use of the hilltop?
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It has ridiculous connotations when I get leaflets pushed through my door beguiling me to believe that there are authorities and groups in Cornwall whose interest is to ensure a Community Spirit, when there are those in their midst whose sole purpose appears to be to destroy it, by removing the areas where young children can play and youths can expend their energies well.
 

tabtab13

New Member
There appears to be a big move by Cornwall Council to build and build at the moment - I believe government money is being offered to finance this?

I've heard rumours that the two fields in Love Lane by the Cottage (one being a nature reserve and both owned by the Council) are going to be built on. What the plans for access to these new houses will be, I have no idea.

I haven't seen any planning permission signs put up, so it might be just rumours going around - was just wondering if anyone else has heard about this or knows anything about it?
 

treeve

New Member
The fields between the cottage and the football field have been rumoured to be the subject of a building site for some time, to my mind any idea of building there is against the fact of the river and the adjoining wetlands. This whole lower area by the river is traditionally wet, and was used for mill leats; I have walked up the river bed (in my wellies) and taken pictures; I have received permission from the adjoining owner to view the area upriver, to fill in the gap between the lower reach and that along to the Alverton Bridge (on site already). What exactly happened to the 'Brownfields Policy'? At least the ancient clapper bridge still exists, even if no one knows it is there.
I really feel that our authorities have been taken over by Morloks and Orcs.
 

Halfhidden

Administrator
Staff member
I believe that they also have their eye on the Princess May recreation ground... that's gone quiet for a while.
As far as I can tell the government is encouraging lots of development schemes... in many cases part funding them. The idea is to help the construction industry recover... and the housing market too. This all seems great until you hand over the whole thing to local government a.k.a. The Keystone Cops.
I think tabtab13 is right in his assumption on another thread... I can see Cornwall Council building a castle.
Are plans available yet?
 

treeve

New Member
The Keystone Cops were well meaning, industrious and determined; they also stuck together, were incompetent and hilariously stupid. Well, three out of six ain't far off.
 

tabtab13

New Member
These people in Government (local or national) are the descendants of families who never went to America from the 1700s onwards, but carry the same genes. Those who went there for profit saw no problem in taking land that 'belonged' to the native population, build on it, fence it in, exploit it and if any of the 'locals' were unhappy about it, spoke out about it or fought for their rights to keep it were 'dealt with'.

Of course, people need places to live, but building more and more houses is not the solution to the problem. The world has a finite limitation on population and resources so the problem at some point will need to be dealt with at source and I can see a point in the future where we will all be limited to the number of children we can have. And you may think this is entering the realms of science fiction, but further into the future, I can see only a 'select few' being allowed to breed, euthanasia will become law and then further on, an age limited will be imposed and once you reach that, you're in for the chop.

Far fetched? Possibly - but lets look at communicators in Star Trek. Do we not all have mobile phones now? Killer robots in the Terminator films - aren't the Americans researching and developing robots to fight in wars to replace men? Check out the films Logan's Run and Soylent Green for other possible future scenarios. Paints a grim scene? Well yes, but as long as there are people who are willing to exploit others for their own greed or needs, there's not much hope.

Or perhaps another solution will be we'll leave earth and colonise elsewhere as technology develops and we'll spread like a virus - because that's what we are, like it or not. No other species behaves like us - guess that's why we're at the 'top'. We have little regard for any other living thing and are more that happy to turn on ourselves as well if money and profit are involved.

What we're seeing now, both locally and globally is only the start, but the momentum is building .....
 

treeve

New Member
Nothing far fetched about it. I began to see the rot set in back in the 1990s. Candide, ever the optimist believes that "all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds". I have ever been the optimist, but firmly do my research and hope that the best will come out of what appears to be far less than a perfect world. For me Pessimism is a guiding pathway. For me, Ignorance is not Bliss. Knowledge can be very powerful, not necessarily knowledge of the academic variety, but knowledge of those with whom we are dealing.
 

treeve

New Member
A Plea

Is there anyone at all out there who has any knowledge or idea or hint or information which describes or leads to the qualification that the field up by the Alverton Mast was/is defined as a Playing Field, and therefore makes the use for building purposes more difficult or even impossible? The removal of this facility as a Playing Field ensures that there is NOTHING for local youngsters to use, which endangers themselves on the roads which are now used as a throughway to Newlyn (for which they were never designed) and causes problems for motorists, let alone the fact that in this world of enhanced awareness for the Community, this is a gross reverse step, actually stealing from the community for private gain.
 
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