Quality Town Council Status

[Cornwall Towns Association]

Greeting from Cornwall
I am chair of Looe Area Partnership in South East Cornwall and a Looe
Town Councillor. I was dismayed that the town council was told they
could not use the Looe Area Community Plan as evidence of its
community consultation credentials when renewing its Quality Town
Council Status and was embarking on a new plan despite adopting the
MCTI plan as the plan for the town.
I acknowledge that the Council needs to have its own business plan and
budget priorities but to reinvent the wheeel seems a waste of
resources. There is also a risk of consultation fatique in the town as
there is an expectation that there will be delivery. All this despite
at least 5 Councillors being totally engaged in the MCTI process. I am
told it is because its an area plan and was not town council badged
despite holding most of the consultation in the council Guildhall and
regular reports lodged with the council.
I have suggested that there is a Council badged prioritisation
consultation based on existing strategies and projects in the MCTI
plan instead of starting from fresh.

Has anyone had experience of dealing with this issue?
Edwina Hannaford

[Sandra Semple]

I couldn't agree with you more! We have a document that was updated
(called town strategy) and consulted upon no end but our auditor just
couldn't get around the fact that it wasn't called a town plan! What
really riles me is that we did have a version of the "community plan"
some years ago - it was totally unrealistic and few of the goals were
achieved. But because it had the right name, it was OK.

Where do we go from here - I am SO tired of re-inventing the wheel!
best wishes
Sandra Semple, Seaton, Devon

On Mar 18, 8:26 am, Cornwall Towns Association