Yes it has been a busy and interesting year. Council meetings have finished for 2013 but Jnauary 2014 is looking very busy already. The real chance to influence CC is within the structures of the Portfolio Advisory Committees but unless one wishes to spend all of every day in Truro it is not possible to be involved in more than the ones which we are allocated to. There is also spin off work from membership of those committees. The new way of governance has bedded down reasonably well and will hopefully give a little more democratic input into the way decisions are made. I still believe that we need to request the Sec of State for the power for Full Council to overturn a cabinet or portfolio decision.

Outside of CC, I have continued to be part of the Board for Cornwall Housing and to sit on Derriford shadow “Council of Governors”. It looks as if there will not be an application for Foundation status for some time to come so the shadow is likely to be a long one.

On a Parish level, the St Cleer Neighborhood Develeopment Plan is forging ahead. St Cleer has set its precept with a rise of about 10%. This is a s a result of the decisions made over a number of years to hold or reduce the precept whilst costs continued to rise and work on community assets was not done. We now have to catch up – but this only amounts to 25p per month extra on a band D property.

I attend both St Neot and Warleggan meetings and work with their councillors and residents in the same way as I have over the past 6 years.

I will always try to help anyone with a problem, if I dont know the answer I will try to discover one. I continue to make myself available whereever  I can.

I wish everyone a peaceful and happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year