THE LANDLORD of a well-known village pub in North Cornwall could be celebrating after a planning meeting on Monday.

Barry Burton, who owns and runs the White Hart in St Teath, has applied to Cornwall Council to vary or remove a Section 106 agreement which ties ownership of a house in his car park to the public house, and also restricts its occupation to employees of the pub or use as a holiday let unit.

Mr Burton told the Cornish Guardian yesterday that his application was advertised as if he wanted to sell the house, but that was not his intention.

"I'm 66 and thinking of cutting back on the work I do in the business. At the moment I let the house and will continue to do so, but if I wanted to lease out the pub and live in the house myself it could be awkward. Having the restrictions lifted will give me more options for the future." Cornwall Council planners have recommended the legal agreement tying the house to the pub be lifted when the east sub-area planning committee meets at Liskeard on Monday.

The house, called Yertiz and situated in the pub's rear overflow car park, was built in 2007. The site adjoins St Teath Conservation Area.

The application seeks to discharge the requirements of clauses of the agreement which tie the ownership of the dwelling and land to the pub, and restrict occupation of the house to owner, manager or employee accommodation associated to the White Hart Inn, or as holiday let accommodation used in association with the pub.

St Teath Parish Council does not support the application saying the agreement was accepted when the new-build application was approved, and should remain.

BODMIN Lions have presented £3,750 to Cornwall Hospice Care.

The money was collected during the club's annual Christmas sleigh ride around the town. The Lions also made a donation to Steve Puckey of Cornwall Search and Rescue.

Debbie Henshaw from Cornwall Hospice Care, which runs hospices in St Austell and Hayle, thanked the people of Bodmin for their generosity in donating so much money to the Lions during the Christmas collection.

For more about Bodmin Lions visit the club website.

STUDENTS and staff from Duchy College will meet the Queen for an Anniversary Prize presentation.

Pupils from the college's Rural Business School, based at Stoke Climsland and Rosewarne, will visit Buckingham Palace tomorrow for the ceremony.

Their award, which is given every two years, is in recognition of the work done to help promote prosperity and skills in the South West farming community.

Four Duchy College students have been invited to attend and they will get the chance to meet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Andrew Counsell, head of Duchy College, said: "This award is evidence of the Rural Business School's significant achievements and couldn't come at a better time as Duchy College has just started work on its Future Farm plans, a £10 million investment to bring the best equipment, knowledge and support to the agriculture and land-based industries in the South West."

The Duke of Edinburgh will present a certificate, signed by the Queen, to Mr Counsell. Amarjit Basi, CEO and principal of Cornwall College, will be presented with a medal by the Queen.

Duchy College is the first land-based college in England to be awarded the 2013 Queen's Anniversary Prize.

Catherine Ede, who lives near Callington and studied for a degree in rural business management at the college, is one of the four students to attend the ceremony.

She now works as a training leader with the school's Healthy Livestock Project. She said: "I am very excited to be visiting Buckingham Palace and even in with the chance of meeting the Queen.

"I have seen first-hand all the work and dedication the staff at the Rural Business School put in."

A WOMAN whose husband-to-be died from meningitis just two weeks before their wedding has raised £3,000 with her first skydive to raise money to fight the disease.

Kerran Parish, who admits she is petrified of heights, jumped strapped to an instructor from an aircraft 10,000 feet above Perranporth Airfield on Saturday.

She and Shane White, 38, had lived in their new home in Lostwithiel for only ten days when he died of meningitis in March 2012.

Her parents, Shane's father and younger sister and other relatives watched from the ground as Kerran and her cousin Joanne Harris, from Launceston, made the jump.

Shane would have turned 40 the day before the jump and had planned a skydive to celebrate.

"Jo went first; then it was my turn," Kerran said. "My legs were dangling below the plane and then we did a freefall at 120 miles an hour for about 30 seconds.

"A drogue parachute slowed us down and then the main parachute came out and we were just floating for five or six minutes. It was brilliant – quite an experience. I thought I'd panic, but I've never been as calm. I think it was because it was something Shane wanted to do.

"I'd like to thank everyone who supported us."

Kerran, 38, lives in the Lostwithiel home she bought with Shane. "We spent as much time together as we could; he made me the happiest I could ever be," she said.

Shane had been complaining of a headache, stomach and shoulder pains and a sore throat for a couple of days.

He visited his GP for vaccinations for his honeymoon, but the nurse refused to administer them, fearing he had a virus. His condition rapidly deteriorated and he was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

Staff treated him for meningitis, but he later suffered cardiac arrest and died the following morning.

Shane's family and friends launched a campaign in his memory for the charity Meningitis Now.

Founder Steve Dayman, who lost his baby son Spencer to the disease in 1982, praised Kerran for "pushing her limits and doing something scary to fight the disease".

To sponsor Kerran, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/ShaneWhite

THE Commons Transport Select Committee yesterday heard from senior figures in Cornwall of how the county suffered in the storms and floods. Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Chris Pomfret, part of the delegation, said they had discussed the aftermath of the storms, what government assistance was needed and the impact on Cornwall of the broken rail link due to the collapse of the line at Dawlish. "We made it very clear we needed a robust solution at Dawlish that not only deals with the current problems but also delivers a longer term solution on that exposed stretch of line for at least the next 10 to 20 years," he said.

THE EXTENT of Newquay's social deprivation has been laid bare following the release of statistics based on the latest population census.

They reveal that 95 households are classed as 'deprived' in the key areas of employment, education, health and overcrowding, 45 of which are in the town centre.

A total of 1,139 residences are said to be overcrowded, while 604 have no central heating – both figures being proportionally above the national average.

The information, made available through the Government's Office for National Statistics (ONS), also shows more than 6 per cent of people in the resort – 1,244 – are in 'bad' or 'very bad' health.

More than 900 people are unemployed in the town and almost a quarter of the population, 4,440, have no qualifications.

Geoff Brown, Cornwall councillor for Newquay Central and the council's Cabinet member for homes and communities, said the figures had not come as a shock.

He said: "Newquay has one of the highest numbers in Cornwall of children living in deprivation, in terms of housing and family income.

"We are working hard to raise standards in the private rental sector and there are a lot of ways we are trying to assist people but it's not helped by the Government's changes to the welfare system."

The emergence of foodbanks and soup kitchens over recent years was evidence of the change in living standards, he said.

In the town centre, Mr Brown's ward, 2.2 per cent of households tick all four deprivation boxes – four times the national average.

Councillor Dave Sleeman, the local member for Treloggan, said: "We don't recognise that there's a lot of poverty on our doorstep. I hear there are people on the breadline in this town. We've never had to rely on foodbanks and soup kitchens before. A lot of people are deprived, which is a worry for everybody."

Pat Lambshead, who covers Tretherras, said facilities were not lacking in the town, with schools and colleges addressing educational needs and enough doctors' surgeries to help those in need.

"I know the infrastructure is in place in Newquay to help people," he said.

All three councillors said more jobs would soon be available through the Enterprise Zone at the airport, Trevithick Manor retail park, near Morrison's supermarket, and Quintdown Business Park at Quintrell Downs.

They agreed more affordable housing should be provided among the many developments springing up in the Newquay area.

The ONS statistics are based on the 2011 census, analysed over the past three years.

A YOUNG girl has died after suffering serious head injuries in a collision with a van in the centre of Tintagel yesterday morning.

Police said the girl, who was believed to have been walking in the village with her sister at the time of the incident, was flown to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth in a critical condition. The collision took place at around noon on Molesworth Street.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police on 101 quoting crime reference number 280 of February 25.

For more details see page 6.

A NURSE who rushed to a Wadebridge pharmacy to get pain relief medication for a dying patient has been fined for leaving her car in the town centre for just three minutes.

Irate nurse Linda Irwin said she tried to explain her predicament to a Cornwall Council civil enforcement officer, but he wasn't interested and booked her, handing out a £70 parking ticket.

Mrs Irwin, who lives in St Mabyn, said that she would be appealing against the fine, and if it was overturned she would donate the £70 to charity.

Mrs Irwin admitted she shouldn't have parked her Smart car on the taxi rank outside Boots the Chemist, but said there were no taxis stationed on the rank at the time and her car was there for only a matter of minutes on Saturday.

She said: "Saturday was actually my day off, but I agreed to pick up the medication and take it to the nursing home.

"I explained to the civil enforcement officer that I was at the chemist's to collect emergency, end-of- life medication for a patient, but he simply wasn't interested.

"I remonstrated with him, and asked for his name, but he became quite unpleasant and was extremely overbearing, insisting on taking a photograph of me.

"I know I shouldn't have parked in the taxi rank, but it was an emergency and on the ticket I received it showed I was parked there for just three minutes.

"Yes, I was wrong to park in a taxi bay, I appreciate that.

"But, for me, it's not about the £70 fine, it's the principle of receiving a ticket in those sort of circumstances.

"I have appealed against the parking fine, and if I succeed, I will donate the money to Cancer Research UK," said Mrs Irwin.

The council said while it would expect health providers to park legally and safely wherever possible, it recognised that there may be times when nurses or other NHS staff have to park in restricted areas and has worked with healthcare providers to develop a scheme which covers such occasions.

A spokesperson said: "While penalty charges will be issued if a health provider contravenes parking restrictions, under the scheme the individual is asked to request a senior manager to sign a form stating that they were 'legitimately' parked. This would then lead to the penalty charge being dismissed.

"Alternatively, the individual can appeal against the issuing of the penalty charge through the normal appeals process.

"All Cornwall Council staff are required to treat members of the public with dignity and respect. If anyone feels that this has not happened then they can make a complaint using the council's formal complaints process," she said.

WORK has finally begun on a £12.3 million road improvement scheme that will see the construction of a long-awaited link road connecting St Austell to the A30.

After more than ten years of discussions and consultation, works finally began this week to build a 1.6km stretch of road between the A391 and the A30, a new roundabout, and alterations to the Scredda roundabout. The scheme also includes two new bridges to provide safe walking and cycling links across the A391 to the clay trails.

"The first phase of the work will focus on diverting services and setting up the site compound," explained Tim Wood, Cornwall Council's assistant head of transportation.

"The new road will divert the existing A391 so the majority of the construction will take place without disruption to road users and traffic flows will be maintained, especially during the peak summer period," Mr Wood continued.

It is hoped the new road, between Scredda and Penwithick, will alleviate congestion in the area and improve road safety.

The project, which will be delivered by Cormac Contracting Ltd, is scheduled to take 18 months to finish.

The council said residents would be kept updated about how the construction work was progressing throughout the scheme.

Welcoming the improvements, Bert Biscoe, the Cornwall Council Cabinet member for transport and waste, said: "It's a measure of Cornwall's resilience and engineering excellence that, via Cormac, we are able to be competitive and to deliver our own infrastructure projects."

Funding for the works includes £5.9 million from the European Regional Development Fund and the balance from the Department for Communities and Local Government in support of the St Austell and China Clay Eco-communities.

SOME 45 jobs have been saved after a Newquay business on the brink of folding was rescued at the last minute – by its original founders.

Nick and Kath Whitworth, who set up Celtic Sheepskin in the Seventies, regained control of the company after it entered into administration earlier this month.

The couple bought back the company for just £60,328 from consumer brands specialist Piper Private Equity, which became the majority shareholder in 2011.

But due to "challenging market conditions" the company struggled, losing around £2 million between May 2011 and Nov 2013.

A spokesman for Piper Private Equity said: "Unfortunately, very challenging market conditions led to insufficient demand for the new product.

"As a result, the founders have decided to buy back the business and fund a revised strategy, returning to the company's heritage."

A total of 52 jobs were originally set to go, but as a result of the deal most of the company's workers will stay on.

Emily Bates, managing director at Celtic Sheepskin and Co Ltd, said: "We're now running a leaner operation. I think it's really important to remember that Nick and Kath chose to save this business, which has saved 45 jobs, and a brand that's treasured locally.

"Unfortunately we've had a couple of years of poor trading linked to the expansion we had planned.

"We looked at expanding our clothing line and put more costs into the business's marketing team, but we didn't see much of a return, so the original founders of the business came back to rescue it."

The company originally started out selling sheepskin boots and leather goods, steadily growing and diversifying to become one of the largest suppliers of sheepskin products in the UK.

In 2009 the Cornish Guardian reported on how the firm was bucking the national trend and had seen an increase in sales of nearly 20 per cent.

Now the company's accounts show that there are around 100 unsecured creditors owed money to the tune of almost £2 million.

However, some of the outstanding money will be repaid to creditors as "it is likely that there will be sufficient net asset realisations to allow a distribution to unsecured creditors".

Miss Bates said: "It's very regrettable that some have been put in a difficult situation, but the situation could have been far worse.

"We're trying to make sure everyone's mitigated from too much loss, as we're passionate about continuing to work with local suppliers.

"As 100 per cent owners again, Nick and Kath remain passionate about the Celtic & Co brand, supporting jobs in Newquay and supplier businesses around the UK, and are pleased to have been able to save such a strong brand."

AS the new playing surface goes down at their Astropark home, Penzance Hockey Club are still raising funds for the new pitch.

The club, which puts out two men's and two women's teams each week and has the biggest youth section in Cornwall, has already secured most of the cash required from sporting grants.

But extra funding is still required and the club are inviting the local community to join them in an auction at 7.30pm on March 8 at the clubhouse.

Attendees will bid for major prizes already donated including a signed shirt from Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover – who played for Penzance HC before moving away to follow her Olympic dream – a signed ladies' England hockey shirt and flights for two to the Isles of Scilly.

THE winners of last year's Cornwall's Got Talent, Penzance bluegrass band Flats And Sharps, have taken the next step in their career by signing a management deal.

The four band members met while studying at Penwith College and, after a successful first gig in 2011 and busking in Causewayhead, have become well known locally at events such as the Newlyn Fish Festival, at Lafrowda in St Just, and as post-match entertainment at several Cornish Pirates rugby matches.

Guitarist Josh Warner said the management deal had come at "the perfect time" as the band looked to raise their profile.

Flats And Sharps were spotted by Guy Morris, from Move Your Hands Management, playing at a party in Mousehole last October.

"They say that you should put your heart and soul into every gig that you play and that seemed to work in this case," said Josh.

"Guy e-mailed me a week or so after the party and we travelled up to see him and his partner Oroh Angiama in Bristol, and went from there."

Currently three of the band – Josh, Liam Fitzharris (double bass) and Kirk Bowman (banjo) – are based in Penzance and spend much of their time practising and writing new songs in an upstairs room provided by the Union Hotel.

Mandolin player Mikey Ponsford is now living and working in Bristol but travels back down to Penzance every other weekend to practise with the rest of the band, and Josh said signing the management deal had given them all a real boost.

"It's given us massive motivation," he said.

"The company has been incredibly busy in the short time we've signed with them. They're trying to access a Performing Right Society start-up grant which will hopefully enable us to record a six-track EP which would be available in time for the summer festival season, but overall I think the big thing about 2014 for us is publicity and getting people used to us."

Mr Morris, who has been in the music business for 33 years and also runs Blue Mountain Music, which looks after the global rights to Bob Marley's output, says the combination of the four lads' musicianship and their engagement with the audience immediately sparked his attention. "As well as playing fantastic music, they're all four individual characters and they make a real connection with their audience," he said.

"There's also huge potential in their songwriting and our ambition is to get some recordings done that capture the magic of their live performances."

MORE than £1,500 was raised at a charity rugby match between St Just and Padstow.

The match – after which the two sides agreed to split the money raised between their chosen charities – was suggested by Padstow RFC's Ross Ford at St Just Feast recently.

And on Sunday the two clubs met at Tregeseal with guest players from around Cornwall.

In a keenly-contested match Padstow came out on top.

The clubhouse was packed afterwards with the crowd enjoying the songs of the Cape Singers accompanied by an accordion player from Padstow.

A pitchside collection, raffle and auction led organisers Mark Prowse, chairman of St Just, and Ross Ford to announce a total of £1,700 raised.

Padstow's £850 will go to Help For Heroes and St Just's share will go to Children's Hospice South West Little Harbour.

A HEAVILY pregnant woman had to be released from the car she was driving after it crashed into the pedestrian island at the bottom of Penzance's Market Jew Street in the early hours of Sunday.

The woman, believed to be seven months' pregnant, was slipping in and out of consciousness when her seatbelt was cut by firefighters and police officers at the scene of the crash, at 3.45am.

A male passenger was initially trapped but managed to free himself from the car, having suffered minor injuries.

The woman was taken by the police to West Cornwall Hospital and later transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Inspector Jean Phillips, from Penzance police, said: "Inquiries are ongoing into the cause of the accident and we are appealing for witnesses."

Anyone with information is being asked to call the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, quoting log reference AP/14/432.

FREE parking for 30 minutes and a £1 charge for the evening in Penzance are just a couple of the changes being trialled in Cornwall's car parks.

A number of changes in council-owned car parks are being made as part of a series of parking offers.

The offers, which begin on Saturday and run until April 20, have been developed in response to calls from local businesses.

In order to take advantage of the free 30 minutes' parking offer, which will be available in every Cornwall Council-run car park, motorists will need to use the RingGo mobile phone payment service.

A spokesman for Cornwall Council said: "Although this system is very easy to use, first-time users will be required to provide some initial information and so they may find it easier to register online at www.ringgo.co.uk"

Reduction

Other offers being made by the council during the trial period include reduced season ticket charges in council-run car parks in 45 towns and villages, changes to the winter parking charges in St Ives, a reduction in day charges in less heavily used car parks, a £1 evening charge after 6pm in Penzance and changes to the tariff structure in force in car parks in Hayle.

Bert Biscoe, the council's Cabinet member for transport, said: "These trials are an effort to understand what measures, when and in which places, we can use in future to enhance trading, improve accessibility for people needing to come into town centres for services, and to sustain car parks income to contribute to the maintenance of the road network."

BRIAN NASH, 62, of Taroveor Terrace, Penzance, appeared before Truro magistrates charged with 16 sexual offences dating back to the 1970s. They include an alleged rape and an offence against a boy under seven years. An application for bail was refused and he was remanded in custody until his trial on March 18.

STEPHEN GEORGE JORDAN, 46, formerly of Boscaswell Village, Pendeen, now living in Penzance, pleaded not guilty at Truro Magistrates' Court to assaulting Sonia Brits and a seven-year-old child at Penzance on February 5. The case was adjourned for trial on April 14 and conditional bail was allowed.

CAPE Cornwall School at St Just was forced to turn its pupils away yesterday morning after the heating broke down.

Head teacher Julie Nash said the heating had failed in 70 per cent of the school.

She said: "Due to our boilers breaking down we had no option but to close the school for Year 7 to 10 students."

The Year 9 Options Evening, due to be held last night, was postponed to March 5.

POLICE, firefighters and an ambulance crew attended an accident near St Ives on Tuesday evening. Two vehicles were involved in the accident at 5.37pm on Mill Hill, Lelant.