Cornish Social & Economic Research Group
» What CoSERG Thinks » Press releases » New Plans for Camborne-Redruth
‘In visiting the locality, it seemed to us that there would be some merit in searching for a suitable location to provide an urban extension to Camborne/Pool/Redruth.’
So said the members of the Panel, appointed by the Government to look at the comments aired at the Regional Spatial Strategy Examination in Public last year. A small select group who are neither accountable to the Cornish electorate nor can they be called to account by the people in the locality. In addition to the 6000 dwellings proposed in the original Regional Spatial Strategy an extension would mean an additional 5100 dwellings over a 20-year period, a total of 11,100!. The number of dwellings in Camborne-Redruth would increase by 60%, or in other words building a town twice the size of Redruth! The land, which would be developed, would be between 470 and 600 hectares, (60% to 75% of the current urban area), the size of 5 to 6 Carn Brea’s! or 660 to 840 rugby pitches!
No doubt it would be badged as sustainable, it would be asserted that it would help the economy, in the best interests of the community and of course it would help to solve the affordable housing problem.
Yet in reality, none of these statements would be credible or true. Expanding Camborne-Redruth by 60% cannot be sustainable either in a local or global context. Cornwall already consumes more resources than it should surviving by exploiting the rest of the world. Basing economic growth on simply building more houses is neither sustainable nor sensible. Short-termism at its worst. Such a development would obliterate the local communities, emasculating what is left of two of Cornwall’s historic urban areas and surrounding mix of field, moor and hamlet. As for affordable housing, well the housing is not to meet local needs but to facilitate the Government’s obsession to expand the population of the UK and the desire of people to move to Cornwall regardless of environmental, social or community impact. Indeed by building more houses, which will be marketed in the more affluent South East, more people will think lets move. Promoting Cornwall as a wonderful environment, a great place to live, will encourage more moves. Factors which the Panel with all their wisdom did not appreciate. Apparently, there are no limits to how many people can live in Cornwall, a strange position to take when sustainability is about limits.
Fundamentally what is crucial here is why should the communities in Camborne-Redruth have their future mapped out for them by a body totally unaccountable to them?
It seems to us that there would be great deal of merit in allowing communities in Camborne-Redruth to determine their own future, one that meets their aspirations and needs, not one that is imposed. A future, which allowed for the development of existing communities, not for induced population growth. A future vision which offers hope instead of despair.
14th January 2008