Village Green on a Beach?

Village Green
Public Enquiry

As those of you who have been following the campaign will know, early in the summer of 2004 it was announced that the application to register Polgaver, Crinnis and Shorthorn beaches as a Village Green would be examined at a non-statutory public enquiry on November 8th 2004. (If you would like to know more about the background to the application have a look here )

The decision of the Inspector, Mr Vivian Chapman, QC, is expected to be announced early in the New Year. He will make his recommendations to Cornwall County Council, who will then make the final decision on the status of all, or part, of the beaches. Based on previous cases, no Council has yet run counter to an Inspectors recommendations. However, a right of appeal exists for both the applicant and the objector.

On 02/08/2004 a key article by Steven Morris of The Guardian reported, in discussing a previous case at Whitstable Bay in Kent, that;

"the barrister who heard the Whitstable inquiry, Philip Petchey, told the Guardian there was no reason in principle why another beach might not be designated a green if the boundary was set above the high-water mark and as long as it fulfilled the other criteria, such as being used as a green for 20 years to indulge in lawful sports and pastimes."

We are confident that the Carlyon Bay application meets the criteria for a Village Green and the argument was well made. It has become increasingly clear, from all the support we have garnered, that this community does not want to lose it's village green and we are hopeful that this strength of feeling will be recognised by our representatives in local government.

Meanwhile, as we wait for Mr Chapmans decision, here is something a little light hearted for you to ponder;

Ode to a beach

We went down to Carlyon Bay
Our banners flying high,
to air our views about the beach
and the building that was nigh.

we walked straight through the barrier
and out on to the sand,
all of us quite happy
to link up hand in hand

'We will fight them on the beaches'
the man from Baywatch said,
and old Trelawney may be gone,
but his spirit sure ain't dead.

For we are Cornish people
And we will fight against this wrong
we might be very laidback
but we won't be trodden on.

We met the man responsible
for making far fetched claims,
'Jobs would be created
and local folk would gain.'

We've employed a man, an expert,
a very clever chap,
He's been to school and learnt his trade
What a load of cr*p!

This man built a mighty wall
with boulders, steel and sand
And said, 'It will hold back the sea.'
- the silly little man.

When the South East gale arrived
and Spring tides were just right,
the sea rose up and came ashore
with all it's crashing might

It pushed and shoved and pounded
and with higher winds and tide
the mighty wall along the beach
began to slip and slide

The storm raged on for several hours
And big holes did appear -
the sea rushed through the gaping breach
and settled in the rear.

'We told you so!' the locals said,
'We said it wouldn't hold,
We know the power of the sea'.
But these experts won't be told

When will these people realise
That the forces are unknown?
And when winds and tides form partnerships
the sea will claim it's own.

They think that nature can be tamed
but the truth can now be seen,
so return it to it's natural state
and declare it a Village Green!

Geoff Osborne

Many thanks to Geoff, who sent in the poem.

For more details about the Village Green Enquiry see press releases here and here

Further background to the Village Green Campaign can be found here