SALTASH NEWS
A chance is being given to local people with mental health issues, and their carers, to put their views to managers, planners and professionals in the care services, including GPs and specialists. This follows the creation of the Saltash Health Strategy in 2008 which is already leading to improvements in community nursing and a wider range of services at St Barnabas hospital. Now it is the turn of mental health to be the focus of attention. This can cover any aspect – from help to young people through to care in old age.
Members of the Health Strategy Group have asked Saltash Gateway Community Interest Company to support the public generally in making their voice heard in health and social care. Les Williams, Managing Director, says that service users and carers, and anyone with an interest in mental health, are invited to drop in at Ashtorre Rock Community Centre on March 3 between 10am and 4pm (it is near the waterside). Light refreshments will be provided. “We want people to come and share their experiences and ideas for improvements in a very informal setting. We will help them to present a untied view at the wider formal meeting which takes place on March 23. The government is pushing for better dementia care and for better practical support for people of all ages so it is well worth the effort”
Saltash Gateway CIC will have the help in this project of Kate Atkinson whose own experiences as a service user give her a knowledgeable and sympathetic ear. People are free to contact her on 01752 426217 about this. Kate says: “This is a great chance to influence the future of local services, and I hope as many people as possible will come to Ashtorre Rock on March 3, or just phone me if they prefer”.
Best Destination.
CORNWALL has been recognised by Britain as its number one holiday destination.
Last night the British Travel Awards, voted for by travelling consumers, and acknowledged as the largest indicator of public opinion on travel industry performance in the UK, bestowed the title on the county.
More than 20% of the best holiday destination category votes were cast in Cornwall’s favour, putting it ahead of last year’s winner, the Lake District, and reclaiming the title the county held in 2006.
PAINT samples from the Royal Albert Bridge, which crosses the River Tamar, are being analysed in order to establish its original colour. The samples have been collected from the famous Grade I listed bridge, which links Devon and Cornwall, by architectural paint researcher Patrick Baty using a hammer and chisel. The bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, opened in 1859, 150 years ago. Network Rail said the original colour of the bridge was never recorded and it was repainted grey in 1911. There are around 30 coats of paint on it, and the samples have been taken before it is stripped and repainted by Network Rail. The 2,200ft bridge will be blast-cleaned, strengthened and completely re-painted as part of its restoration – work is expected to begin by summer 2010 and will take around two years. Earlier this year, South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed lambasted the 'shabby' condition of the bridge ahead of its 150th anniversary celebrations in May, saying it was covered in algae and rust. A spokeswoman for Network Rail, which had just announced the major revamp, said there had been a misunderstanding about the time-scales of the work.
TAMAR BRIDGE TOLL INCREASE.
Article: Skye Bridge protesters to celebrate a toll-free 2005
SKYE Bridge protesters are to celebrate the scrapping of tolls tonight with a New Year celebration.
Mulled wine and mince pies will be handed out to party-goers at Kyle while pipers will play out the old year and welcome in 2005.
John Farquhar Munro, the MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, said: "I'm expecting a big crowd for what will be a double celebration. The ending of the tolls has got everyone in the party mood."
The folks of Skye did it why not Saltash?
See this article regarding tolls.
http://www.notolls.org.uk/skat/skat.htm#legal
TOLLS on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry are to rise by 50 per cent from the end of the year.
Cash fares for cars are set to jump from £1 to £1.50 in December, and concessionary users will pay 75p rather than 50p at the bridge and ferry.
Cars towing caravans will pay £3.
The toll for the heaviest goods vehicle, towing a trailer, will go up from £11 to £16.50, in the first increase in bridge and ferry tolls for 15 years.
The rises, intended to plug a growing hole in the bridge and ferry finances, must be approved by the Department for Transport after a six-week public consultation starting next week.
The operation is already eating into its reserves as spending on staff and maintenance outstrips income, say bridge and ferry management.
By 2011-12 they expect the gap to be £2.5million a year, with the reserves plunging about £7million into the red.
"I know it won't be popular during the recession, but we have no choice," said Cllr Richard Ball, co-chairman of the joint Plymouth and Cornwall Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry committee.
"It's not palatable but it's inevitable. We have to pay our way.
"If it doesn't happen we're in trouble. The current toll isn't meeting rising costs," he said.
"If the operation runs into deficit, taxpayers would have to pick up the bill, and that would be even less popular."
He said this was the first increase since 1994. "The 50 per cent increase evens out the rise in inflation over the years since the last price hike.
"There's been no increase in 15 years and over that time inflation has been more than 50 per cent.
"It wouldn't be workable to have annual rises because you'd be dealing in small change, which could cause hold-ups on the bridge.
"The Tamar Bridge is still the lowest-priced river crossing in the country – and most bridges don't offer discounts.
"I would hope this would give us a period of stability for four to five years, assuming inflation remains below 2.5 per cent."
Asked about reports of a promise allegedly made when the bridge was built that tolls would be scrapped after it had been paid for, he said: "Nobody seems to know who made any such promise.
"Nowadays, nobody would say anything so foolish." During the six weeks of consultation, bridge users can make their views known to the Department for Transport.
"If there is sufficient weight of objection there could be a public inquiry, but you'd need a huge body of opinion against for that to happen," Mr Ball said.
After a period of stability between 2002 and 2007, rising maintenance costs had been making the operation increasingly unprofitable, he said.
"A 50 per cent rise will keep us in the black until about 2013 or 2014, and then we'll probably have to consider another increase."
The bridge subsidises the Torpoint Ferry by about £3million a year. Mr Ball defended the subsidy, saying: "You'd have to charge the people of Torpoint about £5 a trip to pay their way, which would be unfair."
Small businesses locally would have a Tamar Tag, he said, which meant the increase would be '12.5p each way, which is likely to be a small proportion of the business.'
However, Richard Thomas, chairman of the Plymouth Federation of Small Businesses, said some of his members made numerous crossings by bridge or ferry every day and would feel the impact.
"We will oppose the increase robustly," he said. "It's totally disingenuous to say this is a small rise.
"Everything is going up; it's a constant drip of non-headline inflation that's badly affecting business operating costs."
Mr Ball said he would like to see a better Tamar crossing to serve Torpoint. "People have talked about a more effective crossing to replace the ferries," Mr Ball said. "During my tenure as co-chairman I'm going to reopen the debate.
"Saltash is doing well and was voted as the top town in the UK. The Tamar Bridge is a gateway for Saltash, while Torpoint hasn't grown by as much as people might have hoped."
A NEW cemetery is to be built in Saltash to replace the old cemetery, which has space enough for only two more years of burials.
The new site will be laid out next to the old Churchtown Farm buildings and west of the current cemetery. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Cornwall Council approved the application and will manage the project.
Cllr Bob Austin said: "It has been a long exercise to get this thing off the ground but now we're up and starting to run."
Work is expected to begin this autumn.
The town is also to get 27 new allotments on part of the land earmarked for future use as a cemetery.
