Part of a seemingly ecologically minded, left-dominated Town Council, Zoe was pleased to vote for a “Motion for the Ocean“, and with the support of Acorn the union to declare a local ‘Housing Emergency” in light of the fact so many local people are homeless, in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing or overwintering in living vans on the side of the road outside empty second homes.
The Council stepped up to protect the Princess Pavilion and save Pendennis Headland for the community (excepting for the more vulnerable members of the community sleeping there at times in vans 🙁 )
When it came to translating those motions to protect the ocean, homeless people etc into the week by week Council choices and investments, Zoe began to struggle. She couldn’t always work out how the Council was turning motions into policies for action that would make a difference on the ground.
For example, when taking over Pendennis Headland from Cornwall Council, the Town Council had a unique opportunity to consider simple, affordable solutions for young and vulnerable people staying up there sometimes in vans. Zoe also saw an opportunity for paid access to toilets and showers and that the van dwellers could be available as volunteers to help keep the Leisure Centre open. But no…
From Zoe’s perspective, there was simply no political will within the Council to pursue these ideas or ease the effects of the declared housing emergency for disadvantaged locals. She became increasingly frustrated that the Labour Group’s leadership did not appear open to evidence-led conversations about making van life less disruptive and unsafe whilst attracting motorhome tourism in the off season through creating low cost aires.
Experiencing growing cognitive dissonance, and what she describes as strong justice sensitivity associated with her ADHD, Zoe quietly left Falmouth Town Council’s Labour group. To her amazement, this promptly became front page news: the first of a series of misleading reports about her given by former Labour colleagues to the local press.
