Launceston local news
Athena Trust quits Cornwall over school discipline row
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The Athena Academy Trust, which runs six schools in Cornwall, has announced it is seeking to hand responsibility to alternative providers in the wake of a...
EXCLUSIVE: Computer Says No – it took AI 20 seconds to explain why a new railway line across Bodmin Moor will never happen
By Peter Tremayne Next week Launceston town councillors will consider what to do with the £50,000 of taxpayers’ money given to them by Cornwall Council to investigate the prospects...
Phew! It’s official (we think): Launceston sets new temperature record for Cornwall in June
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Some readers have called to say that their thermometers say it is now 35C in Launceston. If accurate, this beats the previous highest June temperature recorded...
Huffing Puffing Billies: a Bodmin Express railway might be nothing more than hot air, but we can still spend millions just talking about it
By Peter Tremayne Excitement is growing at Cornwall Council over how much officials might spend on writing a business case for the new all-electric “Bodmin Express” railway, which local...
Strict discipline rules at Cornwall schools must change, parents tell council
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Pupil discipline at three large schools has forced its way on the agenda for a full Cornwall Council meeting next week. Parents’ concerns at Launceston College,...
“Something is fundamentally wrong” with overly-strict school disciplinary regime, says councillor
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Another Cornwall councillor has raised concern about school discipline. Parents of pupils at Launceston College met in the Town Hall last night (Friday) to discuss what...
Large part of North Cornwall still without water
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Some residents and businesses in Launceston and Callington are continuing to suffer disruption to water supplies, after damage to the mains pipe in the Trebartha area...
Slippy slidey icy road puts paid to today’s bus timetable
Bus passengers hoping to catch the 97 service between Camelford and Launceston should dress up warm - they might have a long wait. The road near Davidstow, on Bodmin...
Will there be unicorns? Planners to consider request for North Cornwall wildlife park
By Lee Trewhela Cornwall Council has received an application to turn an equestrian centre into a new wildlife park which would be home to rhinos as well as other...
Cornwall councillor quits Reform UK as party tensions surface
By Julia Penhaligon Cornwall councillor Rowland O’Connor has resigned from Reform UK and become an "independent" Independent. Reform activists in Cornwall report power-struggles across Cornwall as potential Parliamentary candidates...
Another bus blaze in Cornwall
By Peter Tremayne Another bus has caught fire on the A30 in North Cornwall. There were no passengers on board the bus at the time, at around 6.15am, when...
Bluetongue in Launceston
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The Animal and Plant Health Agency has confirmed a case of bluetongue BTV-8 in a sheep in Cornwall. The disease has triggered restrictions on livestock movement...
Launceston’s Minor Injury Unit on the road to recovery, says MP
By Anne North Launceston hospital is to reopen next week, according to North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire. The hospital’s minor injuries unit closed suddenly, without warning, in July. NHS...
Hire private nurses from Devon to reopen Launceston hospital, says North Cornwall MP
By Anne North North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire has accused Cornwall’s health bosses of “stalling” on their promise to fully reopen Launceston hospital, which closed part of its service...
Launceston’s minor injury unit closes again
By Anne North Launceston’s minor injuries unit has closed again because of staff shortages. It is unlikely to reopen before the end of the summer, as tourists impose a...
Local government in crisis: an everyday story of country folk
By Julia Penhaligon Whitstone is a small village in the rolling agricultural countryside between Bude and Launceston. Many of the 600 residents are retired. Not a lot happens. But...
Cold Northcott wind farm to get huge new turbines
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Cornwall’s planners have voted 9-2 to approve a significant expansion of the 30-year-old wind farm at Cold Northcott on Bodmin Moor. The outcome is significant as...
Plan for huge windfarm on Bodmin Moor to be determined next week
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Plans for 22 380-feet tall wind turbines at Cold Northcott on Bodmin Moor are due to be determined next week. The application is one of the...
Fire destroys homes near Launceston
By Peter Tremayne Families living at Dutson, near Launceston, had a remarkable escape when flames tore through their homes in the early hours of yesterday morning (Sunday.) Three of...
On the border: Farage back in Cornwall
By Julia Penhaligon Reform UK leader Nigel Farage plans to visit North Cornwall today (Monday) campaigning in the local council elections. Precise details of the visit have been kept...
Going round in circles? Bodmin Moor’s huge stone labyrinth is open to the public, but work continues
By Rashleigh MacFarlane More than five years after it was first announced, a stone labyrinth on Bodmin Moor is finally open to the public. It is still not finished...
Adult Education: Launceston reprieved?
By Rashleigh MacFarlane There appears to be some movement on the controversy over plans to close seven adult education centres in Cornwall. North Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire...
Farmers vs Teachers: bid to bring inheritance tax politics into the classroom leaves girls suspended for a day
By Lee Trewhela A farmer has said she will take further action after a school suspended her two daughters for taking part in a welly boot protest against inheritance...
Threat to Cornwall’s adult education service – just 12 months after devolution
By Lee Trewhela Adult education staff in Cornwall face losing their jobs before Christmas after it was revealed that seven learning centres are threatened with closure. A large number...
A30 needs a fly-over to cut accidents, North Cornwall MP tells government
By Julia Penhaligon The need for a fly-over at a notorious road traffic accident blackspot in Cornwall has been raised in Parliament. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the idea...
National Highways offers ideas to improve safety on A30 near Launceston
By Peter Tremayne Motorists who use the A30 over Bodmin Moor are being invited to consider a range of road safety improvements following a major study by National Highways....
Plans for 200-acre solar farm in North Cornwall rejected
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Planners have rejected proposals for a 200-acre solar farm at Canworthy Water, between Launceston and Bude. Cornwall councillors voted 7-3 to refuse permission. County Hall officials...
Accident closed A30 over Bodmin Moor
By Peter Tremayne Motorists heading west on the A30 over Bodmin Moor faced long delays yesterday (Sunday) after two vehicles were involved in a serious collision. A woman in...
Another large solar farm set to divide the planners
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Another large solar farm is posed to excite opinion among Cornwall’s planners. County Hall officials are recommending approval of a 42MW installation, covering nearly 200 acres...
And another one bites the dust: Cornwall’s Conservatives are on the verge of losing control at County Hall as Launceston’s John Conway quits Tory group
By Graham Smith Another Conservative councillor has resigned from the official Tory group at County Hall. Launceston councillor John Conway quit at a meeting this evening (Monday.) He is...
The curious case of the now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t scrutiny committee whose disappearance has puzzled County Hall’s Tories
By Graham Smith Cornwall Council has been plunged into a fresh constitutional crisis over the way it appointed a new chairman to a key scrutiny committee. A political blunder...
Cornwall’s first Islamic cemetery could be on Bodmin Moor
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Town and parish councillors in the South Hill area of North Cornwall, near Callington, are pondering their response to proposals for a purpose-built Islamic cemetery. The...
Why I was sacked from the economy committee just 10 minutes before it started, by Conservative councillor John Conway
By Julia Penhaligon Launceston Conservative councillor John Conway has spoken of his dramatic sacking from a key County Hall committee just moments before it was due to start this...
Serious accident closes A30 in North Cornwall
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Motorists have been urged to avoid the A30 in North Cornwall this morning (Friday) because of a serious accident on Bodmin Moor. The road is closed...
Labour Party has a Parliamentary candidate for North Cornwall
By Julia Penhaligon Labour has selected Robyn Harris as its Parliamentary candidate for North Cornwall. Ms Harris, from Wadebridge, works for Cormac. She hopes to build on the progress...
Pydar: the extra £10 million still has a hurdle to clear
By Graham Smith Last week’s controversial decision by County Hall’s Conservative cabinet to spend an extra £10 million on the redevelopment of Truro’s Pydar area will have to clear...
North Cornwall’s Lib Dems get their man
By Julia Penhaligon North Cornwall’s Liberal Democrats have selected solicitor Ben Maguire as their Parliamentary candidate for the forthcoming general election. Mr Maguire now seeks to fill the shoes...
Watch out for floods, Environment Agency warns North Cornwall
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Several areas in North Cornwall are at risk of flooding as the River Tamar and its tributaries continue to rise during heavy rain. The Environment Agency...
Farmer gets suspended prison sentence and livestock ban
By Harold Callahan A North Cornwall farmer has been handed a suspended prison sentence, ordered to pay more than £6,000 in fines and costs and banned from keeping pigs,...
Police say North Cornwall rave is “unacceptable”
By Harold Callahan Police claim to be “dealing with an illegal rave in the Camelford area.” They appear to have closed the main A39 road to prevent access onto...
Boxing Day: a good day for Fantastic Mr Fox to stay at home
By Julia Penhaligon At least four fox hunts – and hunt saboteurs – will be out across Cornwall for their traditional Boxing Day confrontations. According to the Countryside Alliance,...
Sits Vac: Liberal Democrats seek new Parliamentary candidate for North Cornwall
By Graham Smith Phil Hutty has resigned as the Liberal Democrats’ Parliamentary candidate in North Cornwall, triggering a fresh selection contest. Cornwall Reports understands that local activists were divided...
Pavement politics and Palestine: Newquay joins the chorus of protest
By Graham Smith The number of demonstrations in Cornwall against the war in Palestine continues to grow, with another due to be held in Newquay this afternoon (Sunday.) A...
Give peace a chance: Cornwall’s protestors turn to weekend pavement politics as horrors of the war in Palestine continue every day
By Graham Smith The number of protests in Cornwall against the escalating horrors of the war in Palestine is continuing to grow. Launceston, Falmouth and Penzance have all seen...
More losers than winners as government sprinkles £450,000 on only six leisure centres
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Only six of Cornwall’s leisure centres have been awarded a share of nearly £450,000 from the government’s £20.3 million Swimming Pool Support Fund. All of them...
Launceston leisure centre to benefit from County Hall U-turn
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor yesterday (Friday) completed a spectacular policy U-turn by agreeing to a £792,000 funding package for the Launceston leisure centre over the...
Cornwall to share £1.7 million of government’s £60 million swimming pools fund
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The government is giving Cornwall £1.7 million to help swimming pools. Ten pools will benefit from a £1.1 million capital works cash injection. This is from...
With no public debate, Cornwall is about to hear a story of winners and losers as government awards cash from its swimming pool fund
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The mystery over the dramatic County Hall U-Turn which looks set to deliver a welcome cash boost to Launceston leisure centre has deepened, with news that...
County Hall U-Turn looks like good news for Launceston leisure centre
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Launceston leisure centre could be in line for a major cash boost for repairs and improvements. Cornwall Council officials have told leader councillor Linda Taylor she...
A30 on Bodmin Moor to close tonight while police investigate fatal accident
By Peter Tremayne The A30 over Bodmin Moor will close tonight (Sunday) so that police can resume their investigation into a fatal accident. The closure will require long diversions....
The curious case of the brand new Cornish primary schools which might have collapsed in strong winds
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The government has launched a new investigation into how it awarded contracts to a building company responsible for two primary schools in Cornwall which had to...
Planners say “no” to East Cornwall Hunt’s bid for new kennels, raising questions about the future of the hounds
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Cornwall’s planners have refused permission for the East Cornwall Hunt to keep up to 48 hounds in kennels on Bodmin Moor. The decision raises the possibility...
Still going after 167 years: Cornish and Devon Post keeps it grip in Launceston
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The Cornish and Devon Post newspaper has completed its move to new offices – from Launceston’s Westgate Street to Southgate Street – making it one of...
Another fine mess: part-built Truro flats to be demolished before anyone moves in
By Lee Trewhela and Julia Penhaligon The economic crisis in the construction sector has claimed another victim in Cornwall. A partially-built development of up to 40 flats will be...
Fatal accident on A30 brings death toll to seven in less than two weeks
By Peter Tremayne Cornwall’s roads have claimed another life – the seventh in less than two weeks. Police are investigating an accident between Two Bridges and Plusha on the...
Launceston leisure centre is back and under new management
By Anne North Launceston’s leisure centre reopened this morning (Thursday) after a three-week break caused by the failure of Cornwall Council’s main operator, GLL, to fulfil its 25-year contract....
Hot Fuzz: police add to their arsenal of crime-busting kit with new four-wheel-drive buggy
By Peter Tremayne Devon and Cornwall police will soon be able to chase villains all over Bodmin Moor, thanks to a new “all-terrain” vehicle. Not much larger than a...
Launceston leisure centre to reopen on Thursday
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Launceston’s leisure centre is set to reopen on Thursday, after a brief interruption in service following Cornwall Council’s decision to close it last month. The swimming...
Who needs a mayor? Government gives Cornwall £10 million of “devolution deal” cash because of use-it-or-lose-it deadline – and it won’t be paid back even if mayor is rejected
By Julia Penhaligon The government is giving Cornwall £10 million, originally conditional on the proposed Devolution Deal, without any need for a mayor. Whitehall has relented because of a...
Launceston leisure centre to close after all – but for how long?
By Peter Tremayne The owners of Launceston’s leisure centre have said the facility will, after all, close next week – but that they hope to reopen it next month. ...
Launceston’s swimming pool and sports centre saved as local community rallies with rescue plan
By Graham Smith Launceston’s swimming pool and sports centre has been saved, despite Cornwall Council announcing its closure last month. The town’s leisure centre is owned by a local...
I intend to vote against a mayor for Cornwall, says Tory councillor
By Julia Penhaligon The first Conservative Cornwall councillor to reject the government’s devolution and mayoral ideas has declared publicly that he will vote against the proposals. Launceston councillor John...
Bunnies beware: wildcats are coming back
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Wildcats, once a feature of the South West countryside, are about to become the focal point of a “re-wilding” project close to the Devon-Cornwall border. The...
Ten of Cornwall’s leisure centres at risk of shorter opening hours
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The company which manages most of Cornwall’s leisure centres has said it plans to cut their opening hours in a bid to save money. GLL, trading...
Cornwall Council angers Launceston with leisure centre “closure” announcement
By Graham Smith There is anger in Launceston over a Cornwall Council press release announcing the closure of the town’s leisure centre and swimming pool. The centre is currently...
Barn fire lights up the night sky across North Cornwall
By Peter Tremayne Fire crews have spent the night dealing with a barn fire near Launceston. A large quantity of baled straw burned for several hours near Lewannick. Flames...
Jamaica Inn sold to national hotel group for £8 million
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Jamaica Inn, on Bodmin Moor, has been sold for approximately £8 million to a national hotel chain. The pub, made famous by Daphne du Maurier’s novel...
The Queen is not amused: Davidstow cheese factory could lose its Royal seal of approval over Bodmin Moor pollution
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The Davidstow cheese factory is at risk of losing its Royal patronage unless it stops polluting Bodmin Moor with black sludge. The Queen is said to...
Environment Agency probes river pollution
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The Environment Agency is investigating the cause of pollution which has killed fish and other aquatic life in two North Cornwall rivers. There have been incidents...
Four day centres for adults with learning disabilities set to close
By Anne North Cornwall Council looks set to close, permanently, four day centres offering services to people with learning disabilities. The centres are at Bude, Launceston, Bodmin and Newquay....
Another construction firm in administration, posing questions over unfinished buildings in Cornwall
By Peter Tremayne Another large construction company has gone into administration, leaving question marks over a number of public sector projects in Cornwall. Caledonian Modular had been working on...
Now you see them, now you don’t don’t: the curious case of Launceston’s vanishing roadworks
By Peter Tremayne Launceston looks set for weeks of traffic chaos after Cornwall Council warned of roadworks – and then withdrew its warning – before likely reintroducing the warning...
Email-gate: the final chapter
By Julia Penhaligon Councillor Adam Paynter, who at one stage seemed set for a glittering career as a Liberal Democrat politician in North Cornwall, appears to have finally broken...
New walking path would encircle Cornwall
By Rashleigh MacFarlane A lottery-funded project is recommending a new walking path to link Bude in North Cornwall to Rame in South East Cornwall. The 90-mile route, through the...
Cornwall Council’s ruling cabinet votes to close Falmouth’s Ships & Castles leisure centre
By Graham Smith Cornwall Council’s ruling cabinet has voted to close the Ships and Castles leisure centre at Falmouth. The Pendennis headland site will now be declared “surplus” and...
Saints Trail – it wasn’t the first two-wheeled “omnishambles” and it won’t be the last: Any inquiry needs to ask the right questions if the same mistakes are not to be repeated
By Graham Smith Any inquiry into the multi-million pound Saints Trail fiasco, which on Friday saw the scrapping of a key part of a 19 mile off-road cycle path,...
Woman raped in Launceston
By Peter Tremayne Launceston police are investigating after a woman was raped in Madford Lane at the weekend. The attack was reported to have taken place between 00:25am and...
The future of leisure centres: price or value?
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The “beauty contest” to decide who will run leisure centres in Falmouth and Wadebridge is approaching its final stages, with councillors today (Tuesday) due to consider...
EXCLUSIVE: Your leisure centre meeting is cancelled and you can’t talk about it, County Hall officials tell elected local councillors
By Graham Smith Cornwall Council officials have intervened to prevent people in the Wadebridge area from meeting to discuss the future of their local leisure centre. An extraordinary meeting...
It’s business as usual, as Cornwall Council resumes the strategy most likely to result in leisure centre closures, leaving potential new local management out in the cold
By Graham Smith Anyone hoping to rescue leisure centres at Falmouth or Wadebridge has only a few days to submit a formal bid to Cornwall Council. The development of...
Two of Cornwall’s under-threat leisure centres will definitely stay open, while two others have a lifeline if alternative management proposals can be realised
By Graham Smith Cornwall Council’s ruling cabinet has agreed to a package of proposals which should definitely save two under-threat leisure centres and may save two others. County Hall...
Leisure centres show-down: whose finger on the trigger?
By Graham Smith A trial of strength between Cornwall Council’s ruling Conservatives and County Hall officials will be displayed publicly tomorrow (Wednesday) when the council’s cabinet has to choose...
Who runs Cornwall Council? Why Wednesday’s cabinet meeting is about much more than four leisure centres
By Graham Smith Wednesday’s Cornwall Council cabinet meeting (15th December) will be a defining moment in the recent history of the authority, determining not only the future of four...
Cornwall’s outdoor education service rescued by deferring closure decision – but leisure centres still face the axe in only three months
By Julia Penhaligon The threat to close Cornwall’s outdoor education centres has been lifted. Cornwall Council’s £55 million budget cuts included giving notice of redundancy to staff and earmarking...
Providing leisure centres should be a statutory function of local councils, House of Lords tells Cornwall
By Julia Penhaligon Cornwall Council should be forced to maintain and run its leisure centres and not allow them to close simply because a private operator cannot make a...
Cornwall’s leisure centres under renewed threat as County Hall officials sideline councillors and push ahead with closure plans
By Graham Smith The stage is set for a potentially explosive Cornwall Council cabinet meeting next week, as County Hall officials push ahead with plans to close four leisure...
Reprieved: Cornwall’s under-threat leisure centres now odds-on to survive
By Graham Smith It now looks unlikely that any of Cornwall’s leisure centres will close at the end of March next year, even if the private management company GLL...
Leisure centres: how Cornwall Council wants to judge the potential “alternative providers”
By Rashleigh MacFarlane The “alternative” bidders seeking to take over the management of four under-threat leisure centres have been told more details of how their proposals might be taken...
Scrutiny councillors face public questions before studying proposals to close four leisure centres
By Julia Penhaligon Cornwall councillors face eight public questions tomorrow (Tuesday) before they start scrutinising proposals to close four leisure centres and the St Austell hydrotherapy pool. The questions...
Hands up those who want an inquiry into the future of Cornwall’s leisure centres! Six Tory councillors, under pressure from officials on one side and voters on the other, hold the key
By Graham Smith Any one of six Conservative councillors could hold the key to the future of Cornwall’s leisure centres when they take part in a scrutiny committee meeting...
“Don’t talk about enforcing the leisure contract, we haven’t had time to tell you about the nine alternative management companies, you can’t have an Inquiry Panel and we want a new gym for Truro” – County Hall officials set themselves up for a rough ride next week
By Graham Smith The 11 Cornwall councillors due to scrutinise the proposed closure of four leisure centres have so far not been given any information about the nine potential...
EXCLUSIVE: Don’t talk about hit lists, but the politics of closing four leisure centres could prove tricky for Conservatives with small majorities
By Graham Smith The failure of a 5,500+ petition to result in a meaningful vote at County Hall yesterday (Tuesday) has turned the attention of Cornwall’s leisure centre protestors...
Nine “expressions of interest” submitted to take over the running of Cornwall’s under-threat leisure centres
By Graham Smith Nine “expressions of interest” have been submitted as potential bids to take over the running of four under-threat leisure centres in Cornwall. Cornwall councillor Richard Pears,...
Council officers seek to rely on constitutional precedent to avoid “people power” making leisure centres’ decision
By Richard Whitehouse and Julia Penhaligon A petition calling for Cornwall Council to let all councillors decide the fate of threatened leisure centres in Cornwall looks set to fail...
Cornwall’s leisure centres: County Hall braces for what looks like being a very long day in the council chamber
By Julia Penhaligon The stage is set for a day of political theatre at County Hall tomorrow (Tuesday) as Cornwall Council’s ruling Conservative administration comes face-to-face, for the first...
Falmouth prepares to show support for its local leisure centre
By Richard Whitehouse A community event in Falmouth this weekend will aim to show support for the town’s leisure centre and the campaign to keep it open. Ships &...
North Cornwall celebrates resumption of Okehampton rail link
By Peter Tremayne The restored rail connection between Okehampton and Exeter resumed service at the weekend, providing a regular train service from Cornwall which can avoid the often tortuous...
A brief window in time: 36 hours next week to question Cornwall Council about leisure centre closures
By Julia Penhaligon and Richard Whitehouse The agenda is due to be published on Tuesday (23rd November) for the next full meeting of Cornwall Council – which appears set...
Leisure centres petition passes 5,000 names, forcing a full council debate
By Rashleigh MacFarlane Cornwall Council will be forced to debate the proposed closure of four leisure centres. A petition has easily garnered the required 5,000 signatures - it currently...
Your leisure centre is not a community asset, Cornwall Council tells Wadebridge
By Graham Smith Leisure centre campaigners in Wadebridge are furious that Cornwall Council has declared their local swimming pool, gym and sports hall is not a “community asset.” Wadebridge...