St Austell and Newquay’s Member of Parliament Steve Double is speaking at the Boundary Commission’s Hearing held on Monday to determine the future boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies in Cornwall.
Proposals brought forward to regularise the number of voters across all of the Parliamentary constituencies, across the UK, would see the historic China Clay Area separated into different Parliamentary constituencies, with the Roche and Bugle Cornwall Council division earmarked to move to the South East Cornwall constituency.
But local people, including Steve, and Chairman of the St Austell and Newquay Conservative Party and Cornwall Councillor James Mustoe are backing an amendment put forward by a cross party group of Cornwall Councillors to keep the China Clay Area whole.
Commenting, Steve said:
“I have not commented on those proposals publicly previously as I wanted to listen and understand the views of local people. Having done so, it is clear that there is a strong desire among many local people to keep the historic ties of the Clay Villages together and linked to St Austell in the same Parliamentary constituency.”
“I was pleased to make the case for this at the Boundary Commission hearing in Exeter.”
“Our constituency is currently too large and we need to reduce the number of voters. There are two proposals put forward. One supported by a cross party group of Councillors on Cornwall Council is to move St Columb Major into the North Cornwall constituency. The other would see Fowey, Tywardreath and Par move into South East Cornwall.”
“For a number of reasons I believe moving St Columb Major to North Cornwall is the most logical change to make. I believe it would be wrong to split Par and St Blazey, which in many ways is one community, into different constituencies. St Columb has many natural and historic links to North Cornwall and this is the alternative proposal I spoke in support of”.
Cllr James Mustoe, Chairman of St Austell and Newquay Conservative Party and Cornwall Councillor for Mevagissey and St Austell Bay also spoke at the hearing. He said:
“The China Clay area has longstanding cultural and economic connections to the town of St Austell, which endure until today. The proposals as they stand tear the heart out of the China Clay area, communities that both strongly identify with each other, but also look towards St Austell naturally as their nearest town.”
“I back the cross party proposal by Cornwall Council to balance the electoral numbers needed keeping the China Clay Area wholly in St Austell and Newquay Constituency, by moving St Columb division to North Cornwall. The proposals put forward by others to move Fowey, Par and Tywardreath to South East Cornwall are a terrible idea and not one I support, not least because it would see Par and St Blazey divided between constituencies!”
“Cornwall Council currently administers the Chine Clay Area on a wider level via the China Clay Community Network Area, and it is through this accepted administrative area that the community is able to bid for funding, and share aspirations for future growth and development opportunities.”
“With the tremendous opportunities due to be offered to Cornwall from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, more details of which are due to be announced this month, it is only right that areas that suffer from increased deprivation, such as the communities in the China Clay Area, are allowed the best possible chance of being to access and bid for this money.”
“Keeping them whole in the same Parliamentary constituency, St Austell and Newquay, will achieve this, and I am pleased to have supported the amendment proposed today, to keep the China Clay Area whole, and hope these proposals are adopted in the near future.”