Strategic Plan 2025-2029

(Download the Strategic Plan 2025-2029 (PDF, 427KB)

 

Introduction

Town and parish councils operate at the most local level of government; their roles are ever changing, with increasing demands on resources and services.  The purpose of this Strategic Plan is to help St Erth Parish Council set out exactly what it wants to achieve, highlight key challenges it faces and how it plans to address them, and will provide a focus for Councillors to make decisions.  In addition, to give residents an understanding of what the Parish Council is trying to achieve in both the short and long term and how it intends to deliver this.  This plan is a living document that will be reviewed and updated annually to ensure its continued relevant and effectiveness.

Background

St Erth is a civil parish comprising of approximately 770 households and 1600 inhabitants.  The village of St Erth itself is built on and around the River Hayle but the parish itself covers from Rose an Grouse, the A30 and Water Lane to the north, St Erth Praze to the east and Relubbus and Townshend to the south. The village has recently expanded with the completion of 82 new properties on two separate developments, both of which formed part of the Neighbourhood Development Plan.  St Erth is a rural parish and the Parish Council acknowledges that whilst most facilities lie within the village the Council always considers the wider parish as appropriate in its decision making.

Mission Statement

Maintain and enhance the quality of life in the parish for present and future generations through best value processes.

Core Values

Quality: provide quality services within the resources available, while being mindful of Government legislation which affects the Council’s remit.

Community: positively engage with the community for which we operate and encouraging involvement with the activities of the Council.

Sustainability: represent the views of residents, whilst addressing environmental, planning and social matters.

Value: provide best value, considering price, quality and sustainability.

Leadership: strive to demonstrate clear and positive leadership when conducting council business with integrity and impartiality.

The Council

Current Councillors: Nastassia Player (Chair 2025/26), Tim Greatrex (Vice-Chair 2025/26), Clare Dyer, Ed Jenkin, Janet Kersey, Justin Matthews, Stephen Murley, Si Parris, Paul Rodda, Angelo Spencer-Smith & Ted Taylor.  Councillors are elected to office every four years, are responsible for taking the main business decisions concerning the Council’s policies and finances, and are unpaid.

Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer: Fiona Drew.  The Clerk is responsible for the day to day running of all the Council services and facilities and implementing Council decisions.  This is a paid post.

Council meetings: Usually held on the first Tuesday of every month (January may be different) commencing at 7.00pm and currently held at St Erth Primary School, School Lane.

Committees / Working Groups: Meetings are held as and when required.  Working Groups have no delegated authority to make decisions but report back to Full Council meetings with recommendations for consideration.

  • Staffing Committee: Councillors Dyer, Greatrex, Parris, Player & Rodda
  • Budget Working Group: all Councillors
  • Communication & Engagement Working Group: Councillors Jenkin, Murley, Parris & Player
  • Contracts Working Group: Councillors Dyer, Jenkin, Matthews, Parris & Taylor
  • Open Spaces Working Group: Councillors Dyer, Greatrex, Matthews, Murley & Rodda
  • Playparks Working Group: Councillors Greatrex, Kersey, Matthews, Spencer-Smith & Taylor
  • Transport Working Group: Councillors Kersey, Murley, Spencer-Smith & one tbc
  • Boscarnek Community Liaison Group: open to all Councillors
  • Treloweth Community Liaison Group: Councillors Dyer, Murley, Taylor

Facilities & services

Own and manage:

  • Vestry Rooms, Fore Street *
  • Allotments, Vicarage Gate
  • Play area & football field, Vicarage Gate
  • Public conveniences, Tredrea Lane
  • Green Lane park
  • Car park, Green Lane
  • Island by bridge, Tredrea Lane
  • Cemetery, Chenhalls Road
  • Land on Chenhalls Road
  • Land at Kew Treguarrak
  • Defibrillator, Tredrea Lane
  • Waste Bins (5)
  • Noticeboards (2)

Manage as Sole Trustee for the St Erth Playing Fields Association:

  • Battery Mill play park
  • Nature Park, Battery Mill Lane
  • Parts of Section 2 footpath along the River Hayle

Responsible for maintenance but do not own:

  • Churchyard, Church Street
  • New Churchyard, Chenhalls Lane
  • Defibrillator, St Erth Post Office
  • Defibrillator, St Erth School (50/50)
  • Defibrillator, Kew Treguarrak

Other:

  • Various Public footpaths (on behalf of Cornwall Council through the Local Maintenance Partnership) – cutting not maintenance
  • Community grants scheme providing support to local organisations

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

  • Full complement of Councillors
  • CiLCA qualified Clerk
  • Good assets
  • Improving track record of communication
  • Good reputation with partners & stakeholders
  • Financially robust & viable
  • Good community volunteer groups

Weaknesses

  • Time pressures for Councillors
  • Lack of public transport
  • Dog fouling
  • Parking
  • Lack of community infrastructure for population growth
  • Lack of facilities outside of village

Opportunities

  • Build on community engagement
  • Improve open spaces
  • Active asset management
  • Maintain the parish’s character whilst encouraging sustainable development
  • External grants

Threats

  • Ageing assets resulting in increased maintenance costs
  • Closure of river bank footpath: St Hilary
  • Lack of adherence to planning regulations and inadequate enforcement
  • Flooding
  • Traffic due to increased population
  • Impact of external agencies – Multi Modal Hub, SWW Sewage Treatment Works, SUEZ Recycling Centre
  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Impact of Climate change

External Influences

Cornwall Council – highways / transport / planning / rubbish collections / Public Rights of Way (PRoW)

Environment Agency – river / flooding

SUEZ – Household Waste Recycling Centre & Waste Transfer Station

South West Water – Waste Water Treatment Plant

Diocese of Truro – Glebe Land

Police – anti-social behaviour / vandalism / traffic related

Community Assets – St Erth Shop, St Erth Community Primary School, Star Inn, St Erth Methodist Church & Hall, St Erth Church & Hall (The Old School)

St Aubyn Estates – land owners including various PRoW footpaths

Network Rail

Highways England

Finances

The total income for the Council is budgeted at £91,266 for 2025/26.  The majority of the income comes from the precept issued to Cornwall as the local authority.  The precept for 2025/26 is £80,458.  Other sources of income include: Cemetery Fees, Allotment Rents, Service Agreement with Cornwall Council and Grants.  The total expenditure for the Council is fully budgeted and a breakdown of this, income and the Council’s reserves can be found in this year’s Budget (PDF, 13KB)

Objectives

Communication

  • Undertake activities to improve engagement and communication with the community
  • Actively encourage open and transparent distribution of relevant information
  • Support community events
  • Refresh understanding of the community’s priorities

SEPC Services

Improve open spaces:

  • Consider plans for Council and PFA owned land, utilising grants where available

Asset management:

  • Consider best use of current assets, and how any sale of assets could be used to further other objectives to improve the community

Action against Climate Change to protect our environment:

  • Identify sites to plant more shrubs and trees, particularly native species
  • Work with the School and community to support the delivery of projects that will improve community access and facilities
  • Actively source sustainable goods and services, including, where feasible, using local traders

External Services

Road safety:

  • Actively engage with Cornwall Council and Highways regarding potential solutions to traffic issues

Transport

  • Actively engage with Cornwall Council regarding the Bus Service Improvement Plan

Sustainable development:

  • Carry out a review of the Neighbourhood Development Plan, considering what has gone well, what needs amending and what needs adding

Existing Commitments

  • Sale of Vestry Rooms
  • Installation of basketball hoop & grass seeding area at Battery Mill play park
  • Grass seeding of new land at Kew Treguarrak
  • Maintenance plan for Nature Park
  • Replacing Toilet flooring & associated work
  • Replacing allotment fencing and agreeing plan for unutilized area

Priorities

The Council has identified a range of projects it aims to complete during the lifespan of this plan in order to deliver its objectives, but acknowledges that limited financial and human resources will mean these projects require prioritization.   Please refer to the attached Action Plan for the proposed priorities, which will be reviewed and updated regularly based on project viability and completion status.

Adopted at the Council meeting on 3rd June 2025 (036/06/25-26d)
Next review due June 2026 or earlier if needed