Latest news with #KateEwert
BBC News
30-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Upset over fears popular Cornwall camping spot could be shut
People from the Rame Peninsula are "gutted" a popular camping spot might be closed over safety comes after Plymouth and Cornwall councils have decided not to renew a licence allowing people to use the historic Sandway Campsite, close to the villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A petition has been launched by Katy Mabin calling for Cornwall Council to "work actively" to preserve the campsite and avoid issuing eviction councils said they asked campers last year to "vacate the land immediately due to the risks of immediate danger/death" from flooding and landslips, and they were concerned about people camping there. Ms Mabin said: "Losing this beloved site would erase nearly a century of community history and tradition - a detrimental blow not just to camping enthusiasts, but to the very fabric of Kingsand's identity."Kate Ewert, who represents the Rame Peninsula on Cornwall Council, challenged the authorities to do a new report into safety said no-one was staying at the site after notices went up this year telling them to set up bell tents on the beach in the 1930s, which have since been replaced by Beach is owned and managed by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council and they granted a 15-year lease from 2009 to the Sandway Campsite Association for holiday use only. 'Insufficient escape route' A 2013 Cornwall Council report identified risks about the stability of the cliff and there were several landslides leading up to March a joint statement, the councils said there were concerns that there is "no sufficient" escape route for campers and the Environment Agency had also highlighted safety risks."If the tide rises high enough and sweeps over the tents, then the beach could well become flooded and the occupants would be trapped. "That risk would be even greater if flooding happened overnight whilst the occupants were asleep," the councils councils said they asked campers last year to "vacate the land immediately due to the risks of immediate danger/death" because of the risks of flooding and landslips" and were concerned about people camping there. Ewert said notices had been put up asking people to leave, but no-one was camping said: "I am gutted about the state of affairs at Sandway. "Cornwall Council's planning committee granted permission last year after campers argued they did not use the site during the spring tide or when there was a risk from storm called for a new report to update the findings of the 2013 said five more planning consents were issued and campers were able to use the land in the intervening 11 said: "I asked for a new full study to be completed."It seems a geological expert reviewed the report and referred back to the 2013 report and said the land is unstable and that's that."The Rame Peninsula has come to the fore recently after being featured in the book The Salt Path and its accompanying movie.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Cornwall private car parks are a bad look
Plans for a private operator to manage about 20 car parks in picturesque parts of Cornwall will give a bad impression to visitors, a councillor has saidCornwall Council said the sites would be handed over in July and it argued a private firm could use cameras to improve enforcement and increase councillor Kate Ewert said having private car parks was a mistake and would give Cornwall a bad council said it wanted to ensure the car parks were managed fairly and would monitor them to ensure fines were being correctly issued. Corserv, which was chosen to operate the car parks on a five-year lease, said it would manage them fairly. 'Essentially mercenary' The previous administration decided to bring in a private operator because, unlike local authorities, they are able to use automatic number plate recognition cameras for enforcement. Nearly 20 car parks, including ones in Newquay, Tintagel, Porthleven, St Ives and Fowey, will come under new management. However, the council's car park in Cawsand, in Ewert's division, will not be transferred following a campaign by councillor, who represents the Rame Peninsula, said: "We all hear these stories of private operators that are essentially mercenary and the way they reach after people for non-payment of fees even if they've gone over by 30 seconds or they've put in a digit wrong on their number plate."It doesn't make Cornwall a very welcoming place if people are coming to some of our tourist towns and villages and then getting fined extraordinary amounts." Ewert said the car parks should remain under the council's control. "It's a mistake for us to give over any of our assets to private operators - we should not be doing that," she said. Robert Niblett, who lives in Nottingham and has visited Cornwall for the past 55 years, was cautious about the change."It's a bit disheartening," he said."You've got the cameras and intimidation of that going on. It's a bit threatening and a bit worrying at times." 'Managed fairly' A Cornwall Council spokesperson said: "The car parks have been leased to Corserv for a five-year term with a break clause after two years. "Working with Corserv, we will monitor the car parks during the contract. Any decision around bringing the car parks back under Cornwall Council management would be for Cornwall councillors to consider."A spokesperson for Corserv said: "We want to ensure our car parks are managed fairly and enforcement only carried out when it is clear drivers have not paid the appropriate fee for parking or adhered to the terms and conditions in place. "Any service provider operating on our behalf will work within this criteria and we will monitor the contract to ensure parking charge notices are correctly issued."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Support for residents after fire at estate
A councillor has promised a building on a country estate in Cornwall will be restored to its "former glory" following a "devastating" fire. Councillor Kate Ewert said some of the homes and holiday-lets in the Barrow Centre on the Mount Edgcumbe estate could not be saved - but pledged they would be rebuilt. She said: "It doesn't look as though those accommodations can be saved. We will rebuild, it will be back to its former glory." Her comments came after a blaze on the estate, at Cremyll, which saw more than 40 firefighters deployed just after 16:00 GMT on Tuesday. Ewert, Cornwall councillor for the Rame Peninsula, said: "I want to express mine and the community's thanks to the fire crews for all they did in protecting the property there. "It is devastating, it is absolutely devastating for our community," she said. Dan Cox, who runs the Edgcumbe Arms at Cremyll, has offered a bed to those forced to evacuate their homes during the fire. He said: "We have some spare rooms at the pub if anybody needs them, I think a lot of people have been moved to other cottages on the estate. "Everybody is just in shock, I think, and pulling together this morning to see what we can do to try and make sure everybody's safe - we're devastated for those guys." The blaze affected a converted former stables block, which created a plume of smoke which could be seen in Plymouth across the River Tamar. In total, 40 fire service personnel from Torpoint, Liskeard, Saltash, St Austell and Launceston were in attendance, along with support from Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue's Crownhill Fire Station. The fire service confirmed that good progress was made by crews overnight and into Wednesday morning and that the incident had been handed over to the local park manager. Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Fire crews remain at country estate blaze
