At long last a chance to update you on the business of Tintagel Parish Council.

Happy New Year. Let us hope it will be better for all of us than 2021 was. Most of the Councillors have settled in well to their new roll. Unfortunately a couple have found it necessary to resign for personal and/or family reasons. So we do have a couple of vacancies. If you would like to apply to join the Council please contact the Clerk. To qualify to be considered for joining the Council you must live in, or within, 3 miles of the Parish, be over 21 years of age, and have no criminal convictions against you. If you feel you would like to help improve your Parish and work alongside the other Councillors to make things happen, then please contact me.

So, what is Council doing at the moment?

They are hoping to begin the process of producing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for Tintagel Parish. This is a big step, but a step in the right direction if you want your villages to retain their identity and not to be spoilt by over development, over run by second homes, or have every green space built on. An NDP could help to bring affordable homes for 1st time buyers, local employment for local people, protect green spaces, and help maintain the things you like best about your area. But, yes there is always a but, it would need the full and committed co-operation and commitment from the residents. We would need volunteers to form a Steering Group, we would need people with expertise in planning, infrastructure, education, hospitality and so on to come forward and guide the plan to a successful conclusion. We would engage the services of a professional in Neighbourhood Development Planning to guide the process, and advise on all aspects of the plan. Grants are available to cover the costs incurred in producing an NDP.

An NDP is not constructed by Parish Council for the area, it is a plan constructed by the residents, for the residents, and will be effective over the next thirty years. The first step will be to call a public meeting to gauge enthusiasm for an NDP. Please look out for posters coming soon, and come along and have your say. I know in the past the Parish Council has tried to help local organisations financially by way of grants and donations. But just at the moment Council has a lot of issues to sort out and some of these issues will cost money to resolve. However, small grants will still be available to local groups and clubs to support the work they do. Council has produced a formal ‘Application for Grants’ form which may be obtained by contacting me on the address below. We have to adopt a formal process of application by statute.

The Council has not seen fit to impose any increase in the Precept this year. They realise this is going to be a difficult year financially for many people, and an increase did not seem appropriate. They are just going to ‘live within their means’ and do the best they can with what they have got.

The Visitor Centre, TVC, perhaps the greatest asset this Council has, will continue to provide the visitors with the information they need, and books, maps, guides, souvenirs and local crafts will all continue to be on sale. The TVC is run by volunteers and we need more. Could you give a few hours a week to talk to people, answer questions, point them in the right direction, help them enjoy their visit to Tintagel to the full? If so, please get in touch. What about when the TVC is closed? Evenings, out of season? The Council would like to see it used more by locals. A place to meet, have a coffee and a chat with friends, a ‘Memory Cafe’ adult education, over 60s club, and small group meetings.

Again, your views are sought. Do get in touch on any of the above. We would love to hear what you think.
Contact: clerk@tintagelparishcouncil.gov.uk or by phone to 07967937002.