A GROUP spearheading a rival scheme to Coyte Farm have said they are "surprised" that Cornwall Council officers have recommended the controversial development for approval.

John Kneller, chairman of Together St Austell, which formed last month, said the group is shocked at the officers' conclusion as the vast majority of experts, organisations and the public oppose the scheme.

"However, we simply ask that the members of the strategic planning committee determine the application in accordance with current planning policy and recognise that the town centre is the heart of our community and its viability and vitality should be supported," he said.

"Our Together St Austell vision clearly identifies areas in the town that can be used to provide additional retail development without destroying what we already have."

Together St Austell was formed by the chamber of commerce and St Austell Business Improvement District. Their rival bid to Coyte Farm involves developing land at Higher Trewhiddle Farm, Sedgemoor and Pentewan Road.

Together St Austell received a further boost this week when M&M Asset Management supported their vision.

Backed by Apollo Global Management, M&M Assest Management has bought Old Vicarage Place as part of a bigger portfolio deal and will be looking to develop the site to provide St Austell with large retail units suitable for national chains.

However, Matt Kelly, investment director at the company, said: "Our ability to invest will be seriously curtailed if Coyte Farm goes ahead, and we will be registering our objection in advance of the planning committee meeting on January 16.

THE MAN who was appointed less than a year ago to oversee the spending of a £600,000 cash injection to St Austell has quit.

Myles Ward, who was appointed as manager of the Business Improvement District (BID), cited various reasons for his decision.

He took up the paid role back in April last year but will leave at the end of January.

Mr Ward, from Truro, has had a 40-year career in retailing including working for WH Smith, Woolworth's, and most recently managed operations and marketing for Tesco in central Europe before he took retirement in 2011.

He told the Cornish Guardian: "This decision did not come lightly or quickly.

"I still believe St Austell can lift itself up and has huge potential."

Rumours have suggested a reason for his departure was over the controversial Coyte Farm development.

"My personal view is the most damaging element is there not being a decision [on Coyte Farm].

"No one can carry on and set their stall straight until a decision has been made."

Chris Witt, BID chairman, said it was with regret they had received Mr Ward's resignation.

He said: "Since Myles has been in the role, he has dedicated himself to delivering a meaningful improvement plan for our town and to optimise the investment for the BID levy payers. Good relationships with local suppliers have been developed and during December we saw the improved Christmas lighting display and a full programme of events, all marketed successfully throughout the area.

"He personally now has a number of projects that he will be focusing on, as well as spending more time with his family. We wish him well in his future plans."

A Business Improvement District (BID) was voted in by the businesses of the town last January.

Businesses pay a levy on top of their business rates to spend on projects that they have indicated as priorities to attract more custom.

EAST LOOE Town Trust has said it is looking forward to a productive year and plans to work on a community flood and neighbourhood plan.

This year will see the completion of expensive restoration work at the Old Guildhall Museum.

Beyond that, the trust is becoming increasingly concerned about securing the long-term future of the Guildhall, which is a grade two listed building standing at the heart of Looe.

Looking back to 2013, East Looe Town Trust has maintained the museum, beach and seafront and has worked with other organisations, including Looe Music Festival.

East Looe Town Trust chairman John Warne, CB, said: "We are looking forward to a busy and productive year.

"Meeting the big challenges for the trust and the town are going to involve the main town organisations working together.

"From our perspective the revised bathing water quality directive, which could see the East Looe Beach designated as poor in 2015, would have the greatest impact.

"We will continue to do all we can within our limited powers as beach-owner to avoid this.

"We are also keen to play our part in work on the town council's community flood plan, and Neighbourhood Plan."

Last year, the trust revamped the seafront flower beds with the help of Looe in Bloom and seafront businesses.

Looe also welcomed new beach steps, completed with the support of grants.

A 32-YEAR-OLD man from Bude has been arrested following the death from a suspected drug overdose of a man found in toilets at Bideford Pannier Market on Monday afternoon.

Paramedics were called to the scene just before 3.30pm but the 25-year-old from Westward Ho! was pronounced dead an hour later.

Police confirmed the death was being treated as unexplained.

A man was arrested on suspicion of administering a poison substance with intent to endanger life and cause grievous bodily harm. He has been released on bail until March 25.

Formal identification is yet to take place and officers are currently in the process of contacting the family of the dead man.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out in the next few days.

A FISHERMAN was airlifted to hospital from a vessel just off the coast of Fowey during stormy conditions on Monday afternoon.

At 4pm a Navy helicopter from RNAS Culdrose near Helston was scrambled to a French fishing vessel called Mor Breiz a few miles off the coast.

"We had reports of a 35-year-old male who was suffering from severe abdominal pain," said Lieutenant-Commander Andy Watts from RNAS Culdrose.

"We were tasked through the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre and worked with Falmouth coastguard to locate the vessel just south of Fowey."

Once the ship was located a paramedic was winched down to the vessel.

"It was fairly windy conditions," said Mr Watts. "We had a paramedic onboard. He was winched down to assess the casualty first. Then we recovered both him and the winch man."

The French casualty, who did not speak any English, was flown to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for treatment.

"The fishermen were all French speakers which made it a bit difficult," Mr Watts said. We had to get the translation book out to explain what we wanted to do but it's something we are used to."

IT WAS one giant celebration in Lostwithiel as revellers saw 2014 in with a parade of larger than life characters.

The traditional giants' parade weaved its way through the town joined by lantern bearers and musicians, which included a bagpiper and drummers. Crowds of families joined in the party.

Amateur photographer Daniel Stringer, who is just 13, was there to capture the spectacular display.

Resident John Pegg was among the revellers. He said everyone had fun and it stayed dry during the procession. "It just seems to happen but a lot of work goes on behind the scenes."

A MUM who invented what is thought to be the world's first teething mitten is preparing to break into the American market.

Jodine Boothby, of Calstock, has sold 30,000 of the mittens, called Gummee Glove, since being launched last year.

She had the idea in 2011 when her ten-week-old son was teething and she saw a gap in the market.

Being so young, he could not yet grasp a traditional teething toy but Mrs Boothby noticed he was sucking and teething on his scratch mitts.

Mrs Boothby runs Gummee Glove from her home with her husband and the business has already gone global, with the mittens being sold in Australia, South Africa, China, Ireland and there are plans to sell them to the American market.

After designing the Gummee Glove, Mrs Boothby sourced a manufacturer and began selling them online and through a number of independent children's shops.

The business was launched with the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which funds the Coaching for High Growth programme delivered by Oxford Innovation.

Mrs Boothby said: "When I first heard about Oxford Innovation it sounded too good to be true.

"It is an amazing resource – especially for someone like me who was new to the business world.

"The coaching made me realise that the company was on the right track but that we needed to be clearer on where we wanted to go.

"My coach has helped me plan and prioritise – we had a rather scattergun approach at first but I no longer waste time on things that won't directly benefit the business.

"Our two main priorities are now to grow our UK market by signing up with a major distributor who can take us into some of the country's biggest retail outlets, and to enter the American market.

"We are talking to US distributors at the moment and plan to fly out there."

Mrs Boothby first met with business coach Rachel Woods in June, who has helped her launch her business world-wide. In October Gummee Glove won the Best New Product award in the Nursery Industry National Awards, alongside Britax, John Lewis and Babies R Us.

Oxford Innovation supports and develops high-growth businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and delivers the Coaching for High Growth programme.

This is financed by the ERDF Convergence Programme, which aims to build a stronger economy in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

WADEBRIDGE and Camelford Children's Centre is not meeting the needs of families in the area, according to government inspectors.

The Goldsworthy Way centre, which is run by Cornwall Council, has been ranked as 'requires improvement' following a visit by Ofsted and hasn't been previously inspected.

The report said: "Not enough of the families most in need, or who are less willing, are taking part in the centre's activities. As a result some families are not getting the information or specific support they need to improve their lives.

"Leaders are not using all the available information to review services or check whether families most in need are using them, and information gathering and target setting is insufficient to give priority to those most in need and make sure they get access to services and improve their lives and wellbeing. Co-ordination and planning of services to improve the lives of families in need, particularly those who live in workless or low-income households, is insufficient.

"Leaders do not track the progress of children and families most in need sufficiently and therefore the difference that these services are making is not clear."

The report did, however, praise the centre's staff, describing them as "highly committed and experienced and demonstrating good skills".

The council, which runs the centre, said there were many positives in the report.

A spokesperson said: "While the headline findings from the Ofsted inspection at Wadebridge and Camelford Children's Centre judge it to 'require improvement', the reports themselves have many positive comments about the staff and their commitment to helping families in the local area.

"Inspectors at the centre praised staff skills and experience. At Wadebridge and Camelford, the inspectors highlighted the work with those experiencing domestic violence and homelessness, stating that staff make 'a significant improvement to the lives of families in the area'.

"However, as the inspectors found, there are improvements we can make, and we will, of course, follow up on these recommendations to ensure our children's centres best meet the needs of the local community."

The Ofsted report highlighted that there are pockets of deprivation in Camelford and Padstow, where poverty levels are above the Cornwall average, but parts of the reach area are very affluent with a high population of working and middle-class homeowners in the Padstow and Rock area.

Meanwhile, Bodmin Children's Centre has also been ranked as 'requires improvement'.

The Ofsted report said that not enough families, particularly those who need most help and support, access services, and not enough of the families most in need are taking part in the centre's activities.

A WOMAN who is well known for her cooking and has helped raise thousands of pounds for charity has been named as the Rotary Club of Camelford's Citizen of the Year.

Gladys Biddick Cook, who lives at Tintagel, has been chosen for the award for her services to the community.

Born and raised in Michaelstow, the oldest of five Harris children, Gladys went to Michaelstow School and Sir James Smith's School at Camelford. She worked for Barclays Bank in various towns, ending up at Launceston before her marriage to David Cook on January 1, 1963. There was a heavy snowfall and all the guests had to walk to attend the wedding.

The Cooks have remained in Tintagel all their married life and brought up three children, with Gladys still involved in the Chapel and Women's Institute.

"If you want help to raise money for a charity, and if it involves cooking, she is the person to have at your side," said Rotary chairman Ray Jeffs, presenting the citation.

"Over the years Gladys has raised thousands of pounds for various charities including the chapel, ShelterBox, Children's Hospice South West, Cornwall Hospices, Merlin Appeal, and the Royal British Legion, to name but a few.

"She is well known for her cooking, from pasties to stew and dumpling lunches, big breakfasts, cream teas and safari suppers. Gladys organised for over 30 years the local Poppy Appeal."

Gladys said: "None of this could be done without the support of family and friends. I couldn't do it by myself."

MEMBERS of Port Isaac Rowing Club huffed and puffed their way through the steep streets of the village over the Christmas period for their annual gig push.

Before they started, they presented a cheque for £1,000 to their chosen charity for 2013, Riding for the Disabled, which has a base near Camelford.

The gig push to the Cornish Arms at Pendoggett signals the beginning of the rowing club's new fundraising year.

Throughout 2014 they will be raising money for the Merlin MS Centre, near St Austell.

THE LANHYDROCK Wheelers' cycling club held its second meal and awards evening at Bodmin's Wetherspoons.

Three awards were presented: 'Club Rider 2013' went to Mark Smith, 'Most Improved Male 2013' was won by Mark Diamond and Debbie Knowlden was named the 'Most Improved Female 2013'.

The club said it has many members who have achieved and accomplished great things: last year Gareth Smith went to Canada for the World Duathlon; Karen Wright and Heather Pritchard completed the Grand Prix Series for running; Cathy Willows came third in the Cornwall Tri Series; and Amanda Diamond and Karen White completed the Cornish Marathon. The Wheelers also had great results in the Dartmoor Classic and the Lands 100.

The club would like to thank Gary Clements and Matt Lewis for their efforts since starting the club in 2012 and hope the club will continue to grow. Anyone interested in joining the club should visit their Facebook page for more details.

The club meets twice a week, meeting at the entrance to Lanhydrock on Tuesday at 6pm and Sunday at 9am.

GUILTY: A nurse at Bodmin Hospital, found guilty of misconduct after having sex with a former patient, has been banned from the profession. See page 6.

THE proposed £110 million retail park at Coyte Farm has been earmarked for approval ahead of a crunch meeting later this month that will decide the controversial scheme's fate.

Cornwall Council officers claimed the development's benefits outweigh the impact it would have on St Austell town centre, in a report published yesterday.

If approved, the Coyte Farm plan – submitted by Metric Property and Mercian Developments – would see a major new retail park built, including Marks and Spencer, Next and Sainsbury's stores at St Mewan. In the report to members, council officers argue the development will bring economic growth to the town and improve competition and choice in the retailing sector for local residents, which they suggest would outweigh both the "substantial harm" it would cause to a grade 2 listed church in St Mewan and the loss of trade for shops in the town centre.

"The application would stimulate economic growth, via a fully funded scheme with a construction value of £50m which in turn would create employment opportunity to the benefit of the local economy," the report said.

The document states the development will harm the "vitality and viability" of St Austell but would create more jobs for the town as a whole.

"It may well result with the loss of employment opportunity elsewhere by the retail component drawing trade to the detriment of existing shops but a significant net gain in employment is expected," it said.

A retail impact assessment carried out by property consultants GVA, on behalf of the council, concluded the development would result in a 28 percent reduction in trade for shops in the town centre.

However, Mr Mason suggests the figure would be more in line with the conclusions reached by the applicant's consultants, Barton Willmore, which concluded the figure would be in the region of seven per cent.

"I have not attempted to identify a specific figure for trade impact," Gavin Smith, author of the report said.

"But when considering the assumptions underpinning the applicant's and CC [Cornwall Council] consultant's findings, the impact to the town centre is more likely to be similar with the applicant's forecast."

His report concludes the development would cause "substantial harm" the setting of St Mewan Churchtown, but this is outweighed by the "substantial public benefit" the development would bring to the town.

"I acknowledge the requirement to allocate special regard to the desirability of preserving the setting of Churchtown and that the affected heritage item is a national asset, but the identified public benefits are such that they outweigh the significance of any adverse effects on the listed buildings," he said.

Coyte Farm spokesman Simon Hoare welcomed the recommendations made in the report.

He said: "This is a major step forward to have secured recommendation to approve, which we very much hope the strategic planning committee will agree when it meets next week.

He added: "It is great news for the local economy, for the job market and for the future of St Austell."

Mr Mason's report states Cornwall Council received 414 letters and emails objecting to the plans, including two petitions with a combined total of more than 3,000 signatures, compared to 855 letters and emails in support of the application.

St Austell trader Ally Watkins, who set up the Stop Coyte Farm campaign, said she was disappointed with the findings of the officer.

"Coyte Farm is just far too big." she said.

"It is all about a developer making a lot of money out of Cornwall at everybody else's expense"

"If it is approved it is not just St Austell that will suffer so will all the towns within a 25 mile radius."

The plans will go before the council's strategic planning committee on Thursday January 16.

AN EMERGENCY fund is being created to help people who have been affected by the recent storms.

Cornwall Community Foundation is appealing for donations to a new fund to help people manage the aftermath of the severe weather.

All money raised through this appeal will be spent in Cornwall on grants delivered directly to people in an emergency crisis situation.

Members of the public and the business community who would like to help can donate to the fund by sending cheques made payable to 'Cornwall Community Foundation' to Suite 1, Sheers Barton, Lawhitton, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9NJ. Donors are requested to write 'Emergency' on the back of the cheque.

PENZANCE'S police chief is warning householders to take extra care of their household security arrangements.

The appeal by Inspector Jean Phillips follows several recent burglaries in the town when intruders have taken advantage of open doors or windows to gain entry to a property.

Inspector Phillips said: "I would ask all residents to review their security to ensure their windows and doors are closed and locked at night.

"I would also urge people to make sure they are locked during the day when they are in a different part of the house."

The three burglaries are:

Overnight January 3/4 in High Street, Penzance. The intruder broke into a house at the rear of the premises and took an Acer laptop, a quantity of cash, birthday cards and a Panasonic camera; crime ref, AP/14/17.

December 20 at Penrose Terrace, Penzance. The offender made his way into an insecure porch and stole parcels; crime ref, AP/14/17.

In the early hours of January 2 at Lyn Terrace, Newlyn, entry was made into a property through the rear yard and an insecure window at around 2am.

The occupants disturbed the intruder who made off with bank cards and keys; crime ref: AP/14/12.

If anyone has any information about any of these incidents, call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

THERE is growing concern for the welfare of a well-known missing St Ives artist whose car was found at Godrevy Point.

Lucie Bray, a seascape and landscape painter, was reported missing on Thursday after she failed to return from a shopping trip in Redruth.

The 39-year-old is being treated as a high-risk missing person by the police as she needs medicine which she is not thought to have with her.

Following her disappearance a search operation was mobilised including cliff rescue teams from Portreath and St Ives, as well as helicopters from both RNAS Culdrose and Devon and Cornwall Police.

Cliffs from Godrevy to Mutton Cove and Navax Point were examined to no avail.

Lucie is popular in the St Ives art community and her white painting tent was a familiar sight on Porthmeor beach.

Since December 2012 Lucie has also occupied one of the famous Porthmeor Studios overlooking the beach where she works on larger paintings, which featured in her exhibition at the New Craftsman Gallery in St Ives last year.

Lucie has lived in St Ives with her partner, Morag Robertson, a town councillor, since 2007 and has been active in the community.

Police are appealing for the public's help to find Lucie.

She is described as being of slim build, with short, dark hair, wearing a dark blue beanie hat, a black anorak and a dark grey body warmer.

Anyone spotting Lucie or with any information is asked to contact police on 101 ref 418 020114.

PENZANCE seems to have escaped relatively lightly in the storms of the past few days.

Extra police officers were asked to be on duty at the times of the greatest risk – the times around high tides – but in the event, the expected surges turned out not to be as bad as had been feared.

The promenade – often an indicator of how bad a storm has been – remained open for all but one high tide, early last Friday morning.

The closure was brief, and it was open again by the time most people were making their way to work.

Inspector Jean Phillips, of Penzance police, said: "The tide levels ended up not being quite as high as had been predicted; thankfully the winds were not at their most ferocious at the times of high tides.

"We did have some minor flooding cases but no serious incidents; the worst problems were in St Ives, where a number of businesses on Wharf Road were affected."

IN JULY a Hayle teenager was hailed as a hero after he rescued a young boy from the town's treacherous estuary.

Eighteen-year-old Ian Hencher was at the beach with two friends when he became aware of a father and son in trouble in the 200ft stretch of water between the sandbanks.

The pair of holidaymakers were struggling to keep their head above the water in the notorious stretch of the river, which is never patrolled by lifeguards.

Instinct kicked in and the teenager made his way over to the child, who was believed to be about ten years old.

He said: "I didn't really think; I just went into the water and grabbed him under the arms.

"His head was sinking but I got him before any damage was done."

The Cornwall College student was praised for his quick action by Phil Drew, lifeguard manager for Penwith.

COASTAL properties in St Ives suffered severe damage during the storm as massive waves crashed on to the shore.

Several apartments at Porthmeor Beach were flooded and a large section of the decking outside the beach café collapsed.

On the west side of the beach concrete paving stones were ripped up, railings pulled apart and wooden beach huts battered.

A wall of sand pushed up by the high tide is now covering some of the buildings along the beach to as much as a third of their height.

Driving wind, heavy rain and high tides saw water crash against Barnaloft Flats, on the edge of the beach, causing them to flood twice in four days.

Eighty-six-year-old Elizabeth Shaw had to be evacuated from her ground-floor apartment last week as water poured in.

Her son, Chris Shaw, said he couldn't believe the damage that the storm had caused.

"There was seaweed and sand everywhere," he said. "It's scary.

"We've been coming here and spending time here for the past 50 years and I've never known the sea like that.

"We've had to evacuate my mother. It was too scary for her to be there. It's unsafe."

Another flat suffered severe water damage after waves smashed a window and broke the frame, and after the initial onslaught of the storm last Friday morning residents shielded the apartments with hundreds of sandbags in an attempt to hold back the deluge.

Further measures are being taken to make the beach safe, with several areas now cordoned off.

One staff member at the Porthmeor Beach Café said he had never seen anything like it.

"It's hopefully a one-off; we never want to see it again," he said. "We're cleaning up and making it safe."

Chris Hibbert of Porthmeor Studios said they had been spared the full fury of the storm.

"We've suffered minimal damage," he said. "If this had happened three years ago we would have lost the studio, but since the renovation it's held out."

Cornwall Council said it had been working to secure the area as further severe weather warnings had been issued for the county.

A spokeswoman said: "A significant amount of sand has piled up against the properties and we are advising [residents] not to move the sand as it is offering added protection against high tides and waves. Work has taken place to remove debris from the beach that could cause further damage."

Despite lining their doors with sandbags, several restaurants and pubs along the harbour front also took in water as the sea breached the harbour walls.