UPDATE 9th September 2002
The latest draft of the Kerrier District Local Plan is now available for viewing at the Council Offices, Dolcoath Avenue, Camborne.
UPDATE 28th April 2002
This years Four Lanes Fun Day is on Saturday 3rd August. The show is well worth a visit as it is one of the largest local shows (if not THE largest). Come along and visit our stall.
Due to work commitments the annual Spring Clean was not organised for this April. People dropping their litter on the Carn, along with refuse and building waste, is still a problem.
UPDATE 31 - July - 2001
The shaft capping program for Carn Brea started yesterday (Monday 30th July). The capping program is part of Contract 10, issued by Kerrier District Council earlier this year.
The company awarded the contract is Symons Construction of Penzance. Their most recent work was on West Basset Stamps at Carnkie.
The Cornwall Archaeological Unit are keeping a watching brief on the works and the CBPG committee will be keeping a close eye on proceedings. Some 10 shafts are scheduled to be 'secured' during the works.
UPDATE 17/Jan/2001
Following the 3rd September update, KDC have not progressed any further with any new proposals regarding Carn Brea. Their official line is that they have too much work on, especially with the introduction of the controversial new 'Cabinet' structure for running local district councils introduced by central government.
So, for the moment at least, the Carn is resting peacefully, undisturbed, apart from a recently abandoned car on the summit, which was set alight last week. KDC have since removed the car.
UPDATE 03/September/2000 - Is it starting again?
It is now over 4 years since the fight began to save Carn Brea from unwanted change. When the far-reaching proposals were first revealed to a surprised and sometimes shocked public, many believed that the lure of money and the power of Kerrier District Council would force through the scheme, regardless of the opinions of local people. Those 420 people who joined together to fight the proposals, were sufficiently confident of the rightness of their argument to attack the plans with vigour.
No sooner had the first protest letters hit the West Briton, than the protesters were joined by local councillors, of all political persuasions, environmentalists of many disciplines, historians and archaeologists with wide-ranging local knowledge and ex-patriot Cornish, from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America. The Carn Brea Protection Group's committee, supported at every stage by you, wrote letters, attended Council meetings at parish and district level, drafted alternative proposals, appeared on TV and spoke on radio, gathered over 1,600 signatures on a petition, held public meetings, talked to council officers and each of the bodies who had drawn up the original plan, and generally forced the issue into public and official view.
It soon became apparent that the plans had few supporters, apart from those out of touch with public opinion. As you will be aware, when Kerrier District Council Amenities Committee finally considered the plan, they followed the lead of the Carn Brea Hill Joint Working Party and voted unanimously to reject the proposals in their entirety. The demise of this ill-conceived set of proposals illustrates that local people can influence events, even when they are presented by so-called experts as 'the only reasonable way forward'.
We said then, that "in the future let us ensure that we are always consulted in such matters."
Not so it would seem. Kerrier District Council are reviving some of the original proposals for the Carn. The same proposals that were UNANIMOUSLY voted out by Kerrier councillors in 1996. For now they appear to be concentrating on the bracken issue again.
The Carn Brea Hill Joint Working Party (CBHJWP), a Kerrier District Council committee, has become active again, with mostly new councillors on the list. Unfortunately their initial meetings this year were conducted without informing those committee members from representative groups, such as the CBPG! An oversight I am sure. Meetings have been held at KDC, including a site meeting on the Carn to discuss the revived proposals without any notification of the CBPG. This happened in 1996 and it backfired badly on the Council.
On Monday 4th September 2000, we were able to attend a meeting of the KDC Amenities Committee, which makes the final decisions on Carn Brea proposals. Concerned members of the public filled the public area to hear what the committee members had to say. Unfortunately the public were not allowed to speak during the meeting, but opinions were made known to Councillors before the meeting by concerned group members and during it by Councillors Tommy Bray and Bryan Beer, who support the CBPG.
A flyer will be sent to all the committee members entitled "
The truth about Bracken and Carn Brea".UPDATE 17/May/2000 - Clean Up; Fire; AGM
Spring Clean Sunday 30 April 2000 the Carn Brea Protection Group carried out the annual Spring Clean of the Carn, as part of the very successful National Spring Clean, which has been running for 10 years. The CBPG has been taking part for some 4 years now, and every year there is less rubbish to collect. There is still more than the group would like to see, but the annual reduction in the volume of rubbish on the Carn is reassuring.
Unfortunately the fly tipping on the roads leading to the north face of the Carn is still continuing, and the group urges anyone walking in that area to keep an eye out for offenders and record any vehicles they see dumping rubbish. Anyone with information on fly tipping should contact the Environmental Officer at Kerrier District Council on (01209) 614000. Anyone caught fly tipping on or around the Carn will face stiff penalties from the courts.
The Fire The recent fire, which swept over the Carn, came a bit late in the year to have been wholly beneficial to the Carn. Unfortunately a lot of birds were already nesting amongst the dense flora and the heather and flowering plants were vibrant and colourful as usual. It is not thought that this fire started by accident. One unexpected benefit from the fire was the exposure of rarely seen archaeology on the south side of the Tregajorran end of the Carn. Joe Thomas and Michael Tangye, two eminent local historians, were able to show the clean-up crew around the very interesting walls, foundations and 'medieval' lynches or terraced fields of the former small-holding.
AGM On Wednesday 3rd May the CBPG held their annual AGM, this year at Four Lanes Methodist Hall, which happens to be where it all began 4 years ago with a large, impromptu meeting attended by scores of concerned residents of the area. The 2000 AGM was well supported and the current committee was re-elected. Generous donations and membership on the evening raised over £30 for group funds.
Topics discussed included Kerrier's plans to cap seven mine shafts of South Carn Brea Mine, on the Carn behind Carnkie village. The shafts are to be capped under supervision of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit and all works will be carried out sensitively, with minimal disturbance. The shafts are being capped for safety reasons.
Carn Brea is being watched over and enjoyed by the CBPG's ever vigilant international membership of over 400 people.
Car Stickers The secretary has located a stash (well 5 actually) of the world famous SAVE THE CARN car-window stickers, designed by Anne and Elle Lenten. As these are now collector's items (there is not likely to be a re-print), they are for sale at a minimum of £2.
Please note that they are PERMANENT. Removal may require a call to AutoWindscreens.
UPDATE 30/July/1999 - Public Meeting held by Kerrier District Council
On Wednesday 28 July a public meeting was held at West Basset stamps as part of the on-going liaisons between Kerrier District Council (KDC) and the public over the building consolidation, shaft capping and environmental works at the Stamps, located at Carnkie, Redruth. The meeting was chaired by Tony Sandercock from the Services Department of KDC.
The capping of the several shafts on the site is all but complete, with a special design for Lyle's Shaft, where, in order to preserve the archaeology around the shaft, the shaft was bridged by widely spaced concrete beams. The final concrete slab on top will be finished off with steel grills, so that visitors can view the shaft and its well preserved brick-lined collar.
Several colonies of rare bryophytes have been identified on the site, and these are to be protected by clearing encroaching vegetation where necessary. There will be some minor tree planting at 3 locations, but only using native species, such as willow, hawthorn and birch.
A number of cattle-grids and kissing-gates will be put in place in order to control the passage of horses over the sensitive site. These measures are also intended to lessen the conflict between local residents and some horse riders who do not use designated bridleways although as yet there are NO designated bridleways within the West Basset Stamps area. KDC intend to have a path from the bottom to the top of the site declared an official bridleway.
Some interpretation signs will be erected on low stone plinths. The signs will be A0 size, and in the form of acid-etched, marine-grade steel, and made locally.
A few granite boulders will be put in at strategic locations along the side of the main access road, to prevent access to the site by 'Travellers'.
KDC are to be commended for their handling of this site, with plenty of public meetings and the flexibility in their plans to take into account the varied (and sometimes conflicting) views of the public, they are heading towards creating a site which almost everyone is happy with.
If only KDC had carried such thorough and continuous consultations in the past regarding other historic industrial sites in the area, there would have been a lot less aggravation and we would have a lot more archaeology, history and wildlife to enjoy.
THE ECLIPSE AND CARN BREA
I spoke with Tony Sandercock of KDC recently, concerning the eclipse and Carn Brea. Following a site meeting on the Carn with myself, Councillor Bryan Beer and Mrs Whitbread-Jordan some months back, he has put in place the following for the day of the eclipse:
· The field on the right after the first junction on Carn Lane will be a car park for the day, with access in at the bottom gate (by the junction) and access out at the first gate opening onto Carn Lane as you progress up the lane.
· A security guard will be on the summit all day.
· Parking will also be available on the north side of the Carn.
· The Castle will be open all day.
· A large litter bin will be placed on the summit, just for the day.
· The Cornwall Archaeological Unit will be putting up signs asking people to be careful of the archaeology present.
· KDC will likely put further temporary signs up warning of the dangers of lighting BBQs or being careless with cigarettes. At this time of year the Carn is a fire hazard, and a fire during the eclipse, with so many people expected on the summit, does not bear thinking about.
· The emergency services have all been informed of these measures.