VOLUNTEERS who have spent years preparing their local neighbourhood plan have spoken of their “frustration and despair” at having a crucial vote take place outside of the parish.

The referendum for the Morval Neighbourhood Development Plan is set to take place on November 24.  This vote will determine whether the Neighbourhood Plan document is formally adopted: if so, its policies on things like housing, open space, employment, leisure and infrastructure priorities will have to be taken into account by decision makers when planning applications are considered.

Any voting for the parish of Morval would normally take place in Widegates Village Hall, but on this occasion, Cornwall Council has arranged for the polling station to be at No Man’s Land Memorial Hall – which is not actually in the parish of Morval.

It is not totally clear how the decision was made: Cornwall Council says that the Widegates venue was closed at the time of the last vote – the Cornwall Council elections of 2021 – and that no-one had told them since that the hall had reopened. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group says that Widegates Hall was not approached about the booking.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Maggie Willmott said: “It is hard to quantify the anger, frustration, disappointment and, frankly, despair felt at having the referendum taken out of the parish after the years we have spent emphasising the parish’s ownership of the plan.

“Our Steering Group chair, Parish Council and Cornwall Councillor Armand Toms have done their best to have the decision by Cornwall Council’s election team changed, but to no avail.”

Mrs Willmott says that by the time the group became aware of the issue, polling cards had been printed and posted – but that with the short window until the referendum day, it would have been too late for people to apply for a postal vote.

“Given the length of time these processes take, we are concerned that to postpone the referendum now would put it at least into the New Year. We see no satisfactory way to resolve the situation.”

Local resident Kim Spencer is also angered by the situation. “It is completely unacceptable. It will mean many of our parishioners, particularly those who are older or do not have access to a car, will decide not to vote. We are in effect disenfranchising the most elderly (and coincidentally the most likely to vote) in our community.”

In a statement to The Cornish Times, Cornwall Council said: “Ahead of the May 2021 elections, Widegates Reading Room and Village Hall was closed and Cornwall Council’s Elections Team were advised that the venue may not reopen at all. As a result, the polling station for Morval Parish was moved to No Man’s Land Memorial Hall. 

“Cornwall Council’s Elections Team were not informed that Widegates Reading Room and Village Hall had reopened. While we will endeavour to use this as the polling station in future elections, it is too late to change venue for the Neighbourhood Referendum. 

“The polling station venue is clearly printed on polling cards and relevant official notices regarding the referendum.”

Cornwall Councillor Armand Toms said that the election paperwork had been sent out “before anyone realised that the Widegates Hall was available” and that he had been told by the Chief Executive of the Council that it was not possible to change the venue.

He added that efforts were being made to arrange transport between Widegates and No Man’s Land for those that would need it on the day of the vote.

Parish Council chairman John Collings said the local council had been “astounded” by Cornwall Council’s choice of venue and disappointed that no-one there had taken the time to check the parish hall’s status post-Covid.

“The most important thing is that the public vote on this plan for how we want the parish to look in the next decade,” he said.

“If you don’t like what’s in the plan, then it is your democratic right to vote against it.

“But please do not cast a “No” vote on any other grounds, because that will only affect Morval and its people, not anyone else.”