LAUNCESTON Town Council has agreed to retain its original submission to the Governance Review that the entire Pennygillam Industrial Estate be within the town council area.

The town council was invited to submit responses to the Community Governance Review in January 2019.

Following work carried out by a working party, it was resolved that the following changes to the town boundary be requested:

i) all of Pennygillam Industrial Estate to be within the town boundary;

ii) To move the current boundary from Upper Chapel to the locally named Chapel Top Road so that it runs from the top of St Catherine’s Hill to Treburyse and returns on to the A30 via the eastbound slip road.

iii) include the area from Cross Lanes, at the junction with the A388 down to Millways, along the unnaned road to join the Dutson to St Leonard’s Road down to the River Kensey at St Leonard’s.

These recommendations were submitted in Stage 1 of the Governance Review, which ended in July.

Stage 2 of the review involved public engagement meetings to enable the Electoral Review Panel to hear views about the submissions. The Launceston area meeting took place on September 27 and members of the council’s working party attended to explain the council’s submission to the review.

A meeting was then held with representatives from South Petherwin Parish Council in regards to the town council’s submission for Pennygillam Industrial Estate.

The town council proposed all of the industrial estate to be within the town boundary, however South Petherwin Parish Council stated that they did not support this proposal and would consider to either retain the status quo or to consider that the area be part of the parish council.

At the start of the town council meeting on October 15, a representative of South Petherwin Parish Council, Dawn Rogers, told councillors the parish council wanted to keep the industrial estate as it is.

Discussing the issue, Cllr Rob Tremain referred to the meeting with South Petherwin and added: “We’ve agreed that we will meet from time to time with our neighbouring parishes to keep feedback going.”

He explained that currently the industrial estate falls half into the town council’s domain and half in the parish council’s domain, but felt that it would be easier to solely be in one or the other.

“I’m not fussed either way, whether it’s us or South Petherwin. Until we get the feedback from Cornwall Council we can’t do anything more.”

Mayor of Launceston, Cllr Dave Gordon reiterated that the recommendation was made in June, that still stands, and the response had been noted from South Petherwin.

Cllr John Conway said: “At the meeting we had on the Friday, it was accepted by all parties that it was ridiculous having Pennygillam Industrial Estate covered by two parishes. It doesn’t make a lot of difference which parish it is. Launceston made a proposal to include it in their parish. South Petherwin have made no proposal.

“The majority of people working at Pennygillam come from Launceston and not South Petherwin. It seems logical that Pennygillam should be within Launceston Parish.”

Cllr John Harris said that although it may be logical it is not relevant, adding: “That’s not really a logical argument, it’s just an observation.”

Cllr Paul O’Brien said by the town council taking the estate on, it would ‘ensure consistency in decision making’, adding that it does fall within the town boundary.

“The truth of the matter is we don’t receive any income from those properties, that all goes to Cornwall Council.”

However he said those responsible for the estate should be able to go to a single body with any issue, such as litter bins for example.

“We as a council are big enough to have the resources to undertake that kind of function.”

It was proposed for Launceston Town Council to take on Pennygillam Industrial Estate within its town boundary. The proposal was carried.