Sita confident of an incinerator in St Dennis?

The waste managment firm Sita -who are contracted to deal with Cornwall's waste and recycling- are currently in the middle of a planning appeal with Cornwall Council. The French firm sought planning permission for an energy from waste incinerator in St Dennis. This was opposed by a local campaign group St Dennis Anti Incinerator Group. Cornwall Council rejected the planning application over health concerns and the size of the project, Sita appealed this decision. At the moment this appeal is winding up and as the West Briton reported on September the eighth: 

"Closing statements by all parties will be heard at the planning inquiry from October 5 to 7 in the One Stop Shop Council Offices in Penwinnick Road. The final decision is not expected to be made until Autumn 2011."

This same impression can be gleaned from the local councillor Dick Cole's blog and from the Cornwall Council website page about the appeal. However this does not seem to coincide with Sita's actions who have on the 23.9.2010 opened the project to public tender. An article in the Construction Enquirer explains about the planning appeal:

"Sita is currently appealing against a decision by councillors in March 2009 to refuse planning permission and expects a decision shortly."

Really am puzzled, will the decision be made after the appeal or are we kidding ourselves that this planning inquiry is in fact a charade?

NHS funding boost, meagre crumbs for Kernow

Today's BBC news broadcasts on the radio,television and on the internet, triumphantly announced that Cornwall was to receive an extra NHS funding boost from central government. Now, before we break out the champagne lets put this in some context and not simply rely upon a press release to tell us whats good and whats not. At the outset I must say I do think it is a good thing that the Cornwall and Scilly PCT has been  received this money in a form of a grant, however its not as great as the news first seems. We are still a long way from getting our fair share of funding from central government and despite Mebyon Kernow's effort as Dick Cole's blog explains, there has so far been no discernable action by the Conservative led council.

According to Department of Health figures, Cornwall is joint bottom in terms of underfunding. The table below is taken from the DoH website (PDF file), I have reordered the columns from alphabetical to descending in terms of Distance from Target (DFT). These DFT figures are shown as a percentage, a positive number meaning over target funding and negative numbers under target funding. I apologise for the size of the table, but nothing makes the case better than seeing how many PCTs that Cornwall sadly lags behind.

2009-10 AND 2010-11 PCT REVENUE ALLOCATIONS

PCT	2009-10 allocation £000s	2010-11 allocation £000s	Two year increase £000s	Two year increase %	2010-11 closing DFT %
Richmond and Twickenham PCT	267,442	281,193	27,031	10.6%	23.4%
Westminster PCT	447,789	470,813	45,259	10.6%	20.8%
Kensington and Chelsea PCT	337,424	354,773	34,104	10.6%	20.4%
Hammersmith and Fulham PCT	326,448	343,232	32,995	10.6%	16.2%
Lambeth PCT	580,017	609,840	58,624	10.6%	14.8%
Wandsworth PCT	488,965	514,106	49,421	10.6%	14.4%
Kingston PCT	249,459	262,286	25,213	10.6%	13.5%
Camden PCT	453,989	477,331	45,886	10.6%	12.4%
Lewisham PCT	484,939	509,873	49,014	10.6%	12.0%
Islington PCT	412,126	433,316	41,655	10.6%	11.7%
Surrey PCT	1,565,807	1,646,316	158,260	10.6%	11.6%
Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT	523,451	550,366	52,906	10.6%	10.2%
Sutton and Merton PCT	583,188	613,174	58,944	10.6%	9.7%
Bromley PCT	466,265	490,239	47,126	10.6%	8.6%
Ealing PCT	545,775	573,837	55,163	10.6%	8.0%
Brent Teaching PCT	501,538	527,325	50,692	10.6%	7.7%
Brighton and Hove City PCT	438,902	461,469	44,361	10.6%	7.7%
Trafford PCT	340,332	357,831	34,398	10.6%	7.7%
Harrow PCT	313,370	329,483	31,673	10.6%	7.4%
Barnet PCT	528,745	555,931	53,442	10.6%	6.7%
City and Hackney Teaching PCT	472,222	496,502	47,729	10.6%	6.6%
Hillingdon PCT	379,496	399,009	38,357	10.6%	6.4%
Southwark PCT	492,748	518,084	49,803	10.6%	5.7%
West Hertfordshire PCT	773,604	813,380	78,190	10.6%	5.3%
Berkshire West PCT	597,061	627,760	60,346	10.6%	5.1%
Croydon PCT	526,752	553,836	53,240	10.6%	5.1%
Hounslow PCT	362,964	381,627	36,686	10.6%	5.1%
Bath and North East Somerset PCT	255,385	268,516	25,812	10.6%	4.4%
Greenwich Teaching PCT	424,160	445,968	42,871	10.6%	4.0%
Berkshire East PCT	532,623	560,009	53,833	10.6%	3.7%
West Sussex PCT	1,172,602	1,232,894	118,518	10.6%	3.7%
Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT	509,384	535,575	51,485	10.6%	3.6%
Stockport PCT	431,751	453,950	43,638	10.6%	3.4%
Tower Hamlets PCT	447,591	470,605	45,239	10.6%	3.4%
Oxfordshire PCT	830,948	873,673	83,986	10.6%	3.2%
Newcastle PCT	466,097	490,062	47,110	10.6%	2.8%
East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT	513,310	539,702	51,881	10.6%	2.4%
Wirral PCT	565,696	594,782	57,176	10.6%	2.3%
South Gloucestershire PCT	323,108	339,722	32,657	10.6%	2.2%
Waltham Forest PCT	395,510	415,846	39,977	10.6%	2.2%
Buckinghamshire PCT	652,120	685,650	65,911	10.6%	2.1%
Enfield PCT	436,718	459,173	44,140	10.6%	2.1%
Haringey Teaching PCT	424,321	446,139	42,887	10.6%	2.1%
Hastings and Rother PCT	303,746	319,363	30,700	10.6%	2.1%
Sefton PCT	479,220	503,861	48,463	10.6%	1.9%
Liverpool PCT	906,876	953,504	91,817	10.7%	1.7%
West Essex PCT	390,481	410,562	39,470	10.6%	1.6%
Bexley Care Trust	321,350	337,896	32,552	10.7%	1.4%
Barking and Dagenham PCT	301,080	316,599	30,789	10.8%	1.3%
Gloucestershire PCT	825,908	868,490	83,597	10.7%	1.3%
Peterborough PCT	244,676	257,356	24,830	10.7%	1.0%
Darlington PCT	166,081	174,705	16,913	10.7%	0.9%
Newham PCT	510,371	536,897	51,869	10.7%	0.9%
Sheffield PCT	885,052	931,076	90,381	10.8%	0.9%
Western Cheshire PCT	375,103	394,678	38,320	10.8%	0.8%
Hampshire PCT	1,709,698	1,799,471	175,170	10.8%	0.7%
Wiltshire PCT	610,462	642,526	62,527	10.8%	0.6%
Havering PCT	376,447	396,316	39,278	11.0%	0.5%
South Tyneside PCT	279,272	294,039	29,326	11.1%	0.5%
Bristol PCT	660,306	695,459	68,412	10.9%	0.4%
Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT	645,100	679,543	67,099	11.0%	0.4%
Medway PCT	391,582	412,814	41,635	11.2%	0.2%
Sunderland Teaching PCT	510,293	537,800	54,110	11.2%	0.2%
Gateshead PCT	357,224	376,601	38,000	11.2%	0.1%
Salford PCT	425,994	449,125	45,339	11.2%	0.1%
Solihull Care Trust	294,018	310,080	31,371	11.3%	0.1%
South Birmingham PCT	587,304	619,168	62,482	11.2%	0.1%
Portsmouth City Teaching PCT	311,043	328,095	33,267	11.3%	0.0%
South West Essex PCT	602,217	635,283	64,461	11.3%	0.0%
West Kent PCT	926,518	977,459	98,922	11.3%	0.0%
Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT	358,484	378,201	38,405	11.3%	-0.0%
Knowsley PCT	303,843	320,554	32,552	11.3%	-0.1%
East Lancashire Teaching PCT	629,300	663,912	67,419	11.3%	-0.2%
Coventry Teaching PCT	529,616	558,745	56,739	11.3%	-0.3%
Dorset PCT	580,964	613,261	62,584	11.4%	-0.6%
East and North Hertfordshire PCT	759,311	803,338	83,612	11.6%	-0.6%
Middlesbrough PCT	257,714	271,888	27,610	11.3%	-0.6%
Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT	1,151,643	1,216,563	124,958	11.4%	-0.8%
Devon PCT	1,088,020	1,152,427	121,128	11.7%	-1.0%
Redbridge PCT	365,515	385,618	39,159	11.3%	-1.1%
Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT	810,920	856,745	88,101	11.5%	-1.2%
Isle of Wight NHS PCT	232,671	245,882	25,341	11.5%	-1.2%
North Tyneside PCT	345,791	364,810	37,046	11.3%	-1.2%
Swindon PCT	277,524	294,545	31,489	12.0%	-1.3%
Calderdale PCT	308,563	325,895	33,418	11.4%	-1.4%
Northamptonshire Teaching PCT	927,249	983,436	104,527	11.9%	-1.4%
Oldham PCT	379,096	399,946	40,614	11.3%	-1.4%
Warrington PCT	290,606	306,628	31,172	11.3%	-1.4%
Warwickshire PCT	739,819	781,747	80,496	11.5%	-1.4%
Tameside and Glossop PCT	383,015	404,080	41,033	11.3%	-1.5%
Redcar and Cleveland PCT	233,544	246,388	25,020	11.3%	-1.6%
Leeds PCT	1,169,992	1,235,149	126,152	11.4%	-1.7%
Kirklees PCT	598,931	631,872	64,165	11.3%	-1.8%
North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus	259,146	273,399	27,763	11.3%	-1.9%
Southampton City PCT	368,298	388,555	39,457	11.3%	-1.9%
Cumbria Teaching PCT	783,807	826,917	83,971	11.3%	-2.0%
Cambridgeshire PCT	777,313	827,498	90,708	12.3%	-2.1%
Central Lancashire PCT	688,006	725,915	73,777	11.3%	-2.2%
South East Essex PCT	500,226	527,738	53,591	11.3%	-2.2%
Walsall Teaching PCT	425,164	448,548	45,549	11.3%	-2.2%
Blackburn with Darwen PCT	258,536	272,755	27,698	11.3%	-2.4%
Luton PCT	282,841	298,802	30,707	11.5%	-2.4%
North Yorkshire and York PCT	1,076,587	1,139,019	118,557	11.6%	-2.4%
Birmingham East and North PCT	674,108	711,184	72,219	11.3%	-2.5%
Bolton PCT	439,803	463,992	47,117	11.3%	-2.6%
Somerset PCT	751,518	796,505	84,166	11.8%	-2.6%
Wolverhampton City PCT	408,545	431,015	43,769	11.3%	-2.6%
Worcestershire PCT	771,728	815,248	83,752	11.4%	-2.6%
Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT	361,014	381,535	39,341	11.5%	-2.9%
North Staffordshire PCT	316,252	333,646	33,881	11.3%	-2.9%
Bury PCT	282,130	297,647	30,225	11.3%	-3.1%
Herefordshire PCT	256,778	272,050	28,658	11.8%	-3.1%
Milton Keynes PCT	315,520	338,522	39,450	13.2%	-3.2%
Northumberland Care Trust	498,897	526,337	53,448	11.3%	-3.2%
Torbay Care Trust	236,008	249,424	25,720	11.5%	-3.4%
Bedfordshire PCT	551,987	585,386	62,176	11.9%	-3.5%
Manchester PCT	925,276	979,818	102,780	11.7%	-3.5%
Mid Essex PCT	461,830	488,887	51,133	11.7%	-3.5%
Blackpool PCT	263,731	278,236	28,254	11.3%	-3.6%
North Lancashire Teaching PCT	520,037	549,674	56,748	11.5%	-3.7%
Shropshire County PCT	412,573	436,629	45,564	11.7%	-3.8%
Dudley PCT	461,918	487,324	49,487	11.3%	-3.9%
Suffolk PCT	820,056	869,582	92,277	11.9%	-4.0%
Hartlepool PCT	163,405	172,392	17,506	11.3%	-4.3%
Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT	511,831	539,982	54,834	11.3%	-4.5%
Halton and St Helens PCT	537,116	566,657	57,543	11.3%	-4.5%
Norfolk PCT	1,069,968	1,133,968	119,781	11.8%	-5.1%
North Somerset PCT	287,957	306,265	33,320	12.2%	-5.2%
North East Essex PCT	489,796	520,205	55,943	12.0%	-5.3%
County Durham PCT	886,825	935,601	95,008	11.3%	-5.4%
Sandwell PCT	523,488	552,279	56,083	11.3%	-5.4%
Doncaster PCT	502,312	529,939	53,814	11.3%	-5.5%
Stoke on Trent PCT	451,376	476,202	53,205	12.6%	-5.5%
Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT	830,158	879,975	93,096	11.8%	-5.6%
Derby City PCT	405,847	428,169	43,479	11.3%	-5.8%
Plymouth Teaching PCT	393,303	416,482	43,682	11.7%	-5.9%
Hull Teaching PCT	455,982	481,061	48,959	11.3%	-6.0%
Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT	287,728	303,980	31,252	11.5%	-6.0%
Leicester City PCT	488,731	515,611	58,787	12.9%	-6.1%
Barnsley PCT	409,151	437,291	57,837	15.2%	-6.2%
Bassetlaw PCT	167,978	182,407	26,671	17.1%	-6.2%
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT	808,369	856,214	94,181	12.4%	-6.2%
Derbyshire County PCT	1,048,875	1,107,225	118,065	11.9%	-6.2%
East Riding of Yorkshire PCT	432,198	458,519	49,720	12.2%	-6.2%
Lincolnshire Teaching PCT	1,060,265	1,127,697	136,737	13.8%	-6.2%
North Lincolnshire PCT	238,152	252,197	28,256	12.6%	-6.2%
Nottingham City PCT	487,694	514,727	53,945	11.7%	-6.2%
Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT	943,520	997,415	105,012	11.8%	-6.2%
Rotherham PCT	409,554	432,140	45,922	11.9%	-6.2%
South Staffordshire PCT	826,224	873,709	104,752	13.6%	-6.2%
Telford and Wrekin PCT	237,482	251,590	26,636	11.8%	-6.2%
Wakefield District PCT	564,093	595,118	66,463	12.6%	-6.2%

I hope this puts the funding boost in some context. With these unfair funding formulas in mind it is easy to see why Cornwall only has one major hospital in stark contrast to English counties and London boroughs.