Councillors

A Councillors' role

Councillors are elected to represent an individual geographical unit on the council, known as a ward or – mainly in smaller parishes – the entire parish or town council area. They are generally elected by the public every four years.

Contacting the Council

Whilst Councillors contact details can be found under each individual below, we strongly recommend that all enquiries are directed to the Clerk on clerk@sterth-pc.gov.uk (or 01736 757575), one of whose roles it is, as the paid employee of the Council, to deal with Council communications.  If you do wish to contact an individual Councillor directly then please do copy your email to the Clerk to assist in ensuring that a timely response is received.

Register of Interests

All members, co-opted members of district, and parish councils must complete a register of interests form to register their financial and other interests.

These can be found under each individual Councillor's name.

 

Cllr Nastassia Player

Cllr Nastassia Player

Our family moved to St Erth in April 2016 after relocating from Essex. We realised that it was time for my husband Mark, our son Ted and myself to move from a city with more prisons than art galleries to somewhere with a better quality of life.

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Since joining the community 2 years ago we have taken many opportunities to contribute as best we can to the village. I was soon attending the weekly playgroup with Ted and it wasn’t long before I was supporting the running of it, before the lead stepped down and I ran it with a small group of other volunteers. This support included providing activities and welcoming parents and children and running the cake stall at the farmers’ market. Since Ted started at St Erth School in September I have been an active member of the Friends of the school. As a family we have attended the duck race, vintage bike ride, scarecrow event and had lights on our garden fence to add to the village Christmas display.

I currently work for Poppy Treffry, a small Cornish independent business retailing across the world where I work on an old Singer sewing machine to create beautiful bags along with managing her shop in St Ives. I also work at Tate in St Ives where I am a Visitor Experience Assistant. My husband Mark is also part of the Tate team as well as being a Librarian at St Ives Library.

Previous employment experience which demonstrates my love of people and community include:

  • Chelmsford Borough Council Event Management – organising and programming free and heavily subsidised events such as ESSEXstreetdiversions, Mini Games Opening Ceremony and the 3foot People Festival (Britain’s biggest outdoor festival for under 5s). I co-wrote the Olympic Torch bid which was successful in bringing the Olympic Torch through the city in 2012. Supporting the network of local professional performers, venues and other creative businesses
  • Development Director for Essex Book Festival – beginning the growth of the engagement programme for the EBF as it gained charitable status and left the Essex Library service. This involved supporting the partnerships between authors, performers, young people and creative businesses. I also worked with a volunteer to create a Friends of EBF group.
  • Workshop Leader at Make, Do & Mend – teaching adults a range of skills including book binding, moustache shaped cushion making and quilting. I also took these workshops to the national Knitting & Stitching shows in Ally Pally and Olympia.
  • Event Organiser at Just Imagine Story Centre – liaising with authors and schools and planning community literacy events.

To give a brief education history my first class BA (hons) is in Fine Art from Sheffield Hallam and my MA with distinction is in Book Arts from Camberwell College of Arts.I am very keen to continue to work for the local community and see becoming a Parish Councillor and working with the rest of the team as a natural next step.

Cllr Tim Greatrex

Cllr Tim Greatrex

My family are relative new-comers to the village, having moved in from Carbis Bay in summer 2018. Both my wife and I work for the NHS, and previous to this I have worked for an automotive manufacturer and London Underground.

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We were attracted to settle in St Erth by its reputation for having a great community and quiet setting and have not been disappointed. We quickly made good friends with a number of people in the village.

A year after moving our son was born in Helston Community Hospital, and we're very excited about bringing him up in this lovely place. Ensuring St Erth continues to be a safe place for him to grow up, maintaining the sense of community and ensuring the continuation of the amenities he needs is why I have put myself forward to be a councillor.

Cllr Winnie Chappell

Cllr Winnie Chappell

I was born in the centre of St Erth almost next door to our Parish Vestry Rooms in 1942 into a long established St Erth family many of who were also born in the same house. I went to St Erth Primary School until I was 11 and then to St Ives Secondary Modern until the age of 15.

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I worked at Primrose Dairy until I got married in 1963 at St Erth Methodist Church. I have three daughters and one son all of which attended St Erth Primary School until they were 11 years old, three of them went on to Hayle Comprehensive School and our second daughter went to Penzance Grammar School for girls.

They are all living in the Redruth area unfortunately, in their own properties and they have produced six wonderful grandchildren for us.

I was employed in several different jobs after bringing up our family, Sales Manager, wages clerk, receptionist and up to my retirement I was the “Saturday Girl” at Flowertime Florist delivering their flowers for all occasions.

About fifteen years ago I began to think how I was going occupy my spare time during my retirement as I had no intension of being a couch potato and to date I often wonder how I ever managed to work.

I was first became involved with Penwith Housing Association (PHA) before I retired, as a tenant representative on their Peninsula Tenants Committee (PTC) working on various sub groups. In August 2004 PHA formed their own resident auditor group, a small group of residents were trained to look into all aspects of the housing business, this group were known as the Resident Auditor Team. I am one of the original members and to date we are still going strong. This is work that I thoroughly enjoy. I am still a very active tenant within PHA.

I have been a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Organisation for over 15 Years and in 2011 was chosen as the coordinator of the Year.

About 10 years ago elections were held for St Erth Parish Council and I felt that I would like to occupy some of my time working as a councillor so that I could give something back to the Parish. I was nominated and elected onto the Parish Council and have continued working within the Council and have seen it going from strength to strength. I will hopefully be able to continue doing this for many Years to come.

I feel very passionate about St Erth the place I was born and grew up in, it is quite a lot different now, there is so much more traffic, when I was a Child, Children could play in the road as there were only three cars in the village and public transport was slower but we did have a more generous service, however time marches on and we must not standstill, but with care and attention to detail we can hopefully go forward and keep St Erth a beautiful village.

 

Cllr Ed Jenkin

Cllr Ed Jenkin

 
T: 01736 755631
E: Via the Clerk
Register of Interests Form

I was born in the parish and have lived and farmed here all my life.  I have been on the Parish Council for over 20 years, having been Chairman for a number of those.  I have served on various committees with a particular interest in the countryside.

Cllr Janet Kersey

Cllr Janet Kersey

I have lived and worked in the Parish since 1986, having known the area all my life, and have been involved with various village groups, including being a founder member of the St. Erth Residents Association.

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I have always been interested in and passionate about the quality of life for all, and especially those who suffer most when, for example, various services are threatened or removed from the village and access to fundamentals is denied or made very difficult. I feel that, as a Parish Councillor, I would be able to be in a stronger position to help maintain that which is of value in our locality, as well as to initiate and support improvement of anything else that would add to that quality of life, in whatever form it may take.

One of the recent issues I tried to champion, and subsequently campaigned for, especially as a service user myself, but also because it would have affected disproportionately the less well-off or able in our community, was to retain the already basic public transport service that at the time was threatened with being axed completely. Whilst this was thankfully achieved, I remain keen to not just maintain but improve various links for non-car users, and indeed those wishing to use the car less in and around the village, both in terms of bus services and with cycle and walking routes, particularly bearing in mind the stated aims of the upcoming changes to St. Erth Station. I continue to keep up to date with the Penwith Rural Transport Forum since it was formed and attend meetings where possible.

As a regular walker, cyclist and lover of the rural nature of the whole of our Parish (one of the sustaining ‘values’ of any community that I feel is sometimes overlooked), I have an enduring interest in ensuring that any necessary and generally helpful improvements or developments are done as sensitively, unobtrusively and with as low an impact as possible towards this aspect of the village that so many of us appreciate.

I have known many of the older and not so well off residents of the village too for a long time and have become very aware of their concerns and their feelings of helplessness at sometimes not feeling properly considered as far as certain village decisions go, and would therefore hope to be able to represent and include their viewpoints if and when necessary..

Although I have personal feelings and ideas about many social issues, including the above, I am also an open-minded person who will listen fairly and fully to other viewpoints before making a considered and I hope sensible decision on any matter. I believe it is both a great responsibility and an honour to serve as a Councillor for the village that I have known all my life and lived in for a great part of it, and I do not take the role lightly.

Cllr Jean Lee

Cllr Jean Lee

I was born in Birmingham and like a lot of families we holidayed in Cornwall for years. I first saw St Erth when I was 8 years old and thought ”what a lovely place to live”.

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I left the Midlands in my 20s, moving to Worcestershire, then Dorset, Oxford, Rugby, Leicestershire and then on to Cornwall, Fraddam in 1991 then St Erth next to my parents in 1995. My parents retired here in 1986. My son attended the village school, went on to Hayle and married in the village church 2012. Last April they moved into my parents home.

Workwise: I have been involved in secretarial, typesetting in Dorset and Oxford. Timeshare for Clowance Estate, telesales and for the last 12 years have been at Morrisons.

My hopes for the St Erth area – for it to be as appealing to future generations as it was for me and my family, albeit with sympathetic progress.

Cllr Stephen Murley

Cllr Stephen Murley

I’ve spent the vast majority of my life living in the village, and was only away for a short time when I resided in Plymouth during my university years but was always home most weekends.

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I have therefore grown up with the village, having attended the primary school where I enjoyed many happy years before moving on to the “big” school of Hayle. I’m a part of the Parish Church community having been a member of the junior choir during my teenage years and now find myself on the Parochial Council as well.

The village is my entire life, and where I spend the majority of my days throughout the year, walking the footpaths, enjoying the peace and tranquility, nature … and the occasional social interaction.

I work at Geevor Tin Mine where my interest in local history is strengthened and rewarded, as I am responsible for looking after the museum’s collection.

My main aims during my time on the Parish Council is to improve and enhance the green spaces, maintain the heart of the village, and enable more communication going both directions between the council and residents.

Cllr Josiah Parris

Cllr Josiah Parris

I spent a very happy childhood here in Cornwall, growing up in Towednack and going to Nancledra school before my family and I moved abroad. In 2013, now with a family of my own, we decided to move back to the county. 

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After getting to know St Erth when visiting a childhood friend and her family who live here, we fell in love with the village and have lived here since 2014.

I'm a teacher and one of my main passions in life is helping people. When the opportunity to become a councillor came up, it felt like another great way to give back to the community I love. St Erth is very special. The sense of friendly community, the balance of traditional and modern, and the fact that our population represents a diverse range of backgrounds - these are all real assets.

I feel very strongly that we have a fantastic village and parish here and I am keen to contribute to protecting that - while also embracing positive changes as need be.

Cllr Paul Rodda

Cllr Paul Rodda

 
T: 01736 850204
E: Via the Clerk
Register of Interests Form

I am 57 years old. I was born in St Erth Parish and have worked within the parish all my working life. I am a vegetable farmer who very much cares about the countryside and what happens within it. I am married and have two daughters.

Cllr Angelo Spencer-Smith

Cllr Angelo Spencer-Smith

I have lived in the parish since mid-2007 and became a parish councillor in May 2010 because I strongly believe that it’s my duty to have an active role in my community, helping shape a better future for everyone, and in particularly for the most vulnerable or those that can’t help themselves.

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Background and Education

Born in Penzance, my early childhood was spent growing up between the UK and Italy, before returning to Cornwall in my early teens, where I studied at both Humphry Davy School and Penwith College. I have a degree in Recreation Leisure Management from the Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Professional

My professional background is in international brand management in the drinks industry, living and working in Europe and travelling internationally. I returned to live in Cornwall in 2003. I now own and run a marketing and management company that supports ambitious businesses to manage and grow their brand value through unified communications.UCP Business Mentor: Since May 2011 I have been mentoring Cornish graduates within the Unlocking Cornish Potential, providing specialist knowledge and experience to help deliver successful new initiatives.

Charity Involvement

ShelterBox: Volunteer speaker and response team member for the disaster relief charity, deploying at short notice in the aftermath of human or natural disasters. I was privileged to go to the east coast of Madagascar in Feb/Mar 2012 to help deliver shelter to victims of the category four cyclone Giovanna, and again in Aug/Sep 2014 in Nepal in response to sever flooding.

Residents Association

I am also a member of The St Erth Residents Association (SERA) since 2008 – where I set up and co-led a project to audit the energy use of community building spaces in the parish, in order to identify potential improvements for efficiency.

CommitteesAs a parish councillor I serve on the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, chair the Economic Development Group as well as being a member of the Governance Committee and Communication and Engagement Committee.

Other Interests

My hobbies and interests include sailing and surfing, and photography, and spending time with family and friends.

 

Cllr Ted Taylor

Cllr Ted Taylor

Born and educated in St.Ives, followed by higher education at North Devon College Barnstaple and an apprenticeship at Falmouth Ship Repair Yard until its closure in the late 70’s. I then transferred to HM Dockyard Devonport to complete my training.

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Subsequently, I joined a large newsagent’s chain as a Relief Manager, covering Devon and Cornwall and later, worked at St.Ivel Dairy, St Erth, from 1988 until 1997. After the factory closed I started work at Safeway’s (now Morrison’s) supermarket until 2004.

I moved to St. Erth in 1984 with my wife and we have 3 children, so I am aware of issues affecting families and young people and have always wanted to get involved in voluntary work of some kind to give something back to the community.

Over recent years, I feel that the strengths of traditional local communities have diminished for many socio-economic reasons but believe that working together will achieve more and help us to reverse this trend. I am a firm believer that you get out of life what you are prepared to put into it.

I joined Penwith Housing Association Tenants Committee to fight for tenants issues, working with the ‘Service Review Group’ to compile polices and with the design team for Decent Homes. I was also a member of the Resident Auditor Team, working with PHA and tenants to check on standards, quality and best practice and although no longer a committee member I am still very much involved in residents’ issues.

I became a Parish Councillor in 2010 and became Chairman of the Parish Council in May 2012 and am very proud of what has been achieved since then including:

Improving the ways in which the Council communicates – by the continuing development of the Council’s website, conducting two residents’ surveys, the installation of a new, more visable notice board outside of the Star Inn and the forthcoming Parish newsletter.

Neighbourhood Planning – by starting the process to create a Neighbourhood Plan, taking advantage of the Government’s decision to give local communities more power to influence decisions about where they live.

Increasing the number and quality of open spaces – by developing the Youth Shelter and CommunityPicnic Area at The Green Lane and upgrading facilities  at Battery Mill Lane Park.

Governance – by ensuring that the Council always operates within the Law and has careful regard to the Code of Conduct, Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and follows ‘Best Practice’ in everything we do.

Investing in the Council’s assets – by preparing for the renovation of the Vestry Rooms, to transform the building into a modern, safe and efficient building which will be available for Community use.

I belive that because young people should have the opportunity to continue to live and work in the Parish they grew up in, I have a keen interest in all housing related issues.

I remain very positive about the future of the Parish and look forward to working with the community on Neighbourhood Planning in particular and on other matters, as we have previously.