Following the deferment original meeting of the planning committee which was supposed to decide on the future of the Hawkin's site in Hayle, a new date of 28th February has been set. The meeting will take place and in St Johns Hall, Penzance at 7:00pm, but it is not known if the press and public will be allowed into the meeting.

The previous meeting fell into disarray and was finally abandoned with midnight approaching as councillors disputed the need for a closed meeting, challenged the appropriateness and impartiality of Owen Philp as chairman, and complained that they had not been given access to all the relevant documents needed to make an informed decision.

In a statement the Mayor of Hayle Terry Lello said that she would once again be pressing for the meeting to be open to the press and public and that she had the full support of three fellow Hayle councillors John Bennett, Rob Lello, and Duncan Cook. Mr Philps view on the matter is not known!

Mrs Lello said that the public had a right to know what was being discussed and that the decision making process should be honest, open and transparent. The strong feelings of the people of Hayle on the matter should not be ignored. The district council had a clear duty to listen to what was being said and to consider the demands of the public seriously, especially in light of the recent referendum on the issue in which more than 90% of voters called for the site to be bought and used as a public amenity area. "We have a clear mandate to insist that the idea of a public amenity area is at least included on the list of options for the site" she said.

Here, Here! Its about time someone stood up for the town.

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