3.2.11 From: Jeremy Schanche, SAVE THE HOLY HEADLAND (St.Anthony's Chapel, Penzance, Cornwall - An ancient site under threat)
Open Letter to: Complaints Officer, Cornwall Council, Truro. jhoward@cornwall.gov.uk
c.c: Mrs Judy Howard, Assistant Feedback Officer, Planning & Regeneration;
Dorothy Trudgeon, comments@cornwall.gov.uk llawrence@cornwall.gov.uk
Andrew George MP, georgea@parliament.uk
Rev.Andy Phillips, Cowethas Peran Sans,
Councillor Dick Cole, Mebyon Kernow, dickcole@btinternet.com
Councillor Tamsin Williams, Penzance Town Council, healingcornwall@aol.com For Information
Dear Complaints Officer, complaint No: 467,048
SAINT ANTHONY'S CELTIC CHAPEL SITE, PENZANCE, CORNWALL, BRITAIN.
I am contacting you to try to elicit information about the above named site, on Barbican Lane, currently being
used as a car-park. Since we are dealing with a 'Dark Ages' site, there is some dispute between historians as
to its exact degree of antiquity - Cannon Doble argued that St.Anthony's Chapel may date back to the Celtic era
- i.e. before the Saxon invasion of Cornwall under King Athelstan. It is known that it was this very chapel
that sanctified the little headland, or 'Pen', thus making it 'Zance', or sacred. From this arose the name of
our town - Penzance. This chapel was in use until the early 19th century, being supplanted by St.Mary's Church
in 1839. There are several references reproduced in Mr Peter Pool's book, 'The History of Penzance', which
describe the subsequent vandalization and neglect of this most ancient and sacred heart of our town; these date
from the 19th century.
My personal view is that an historic site of this kind of magnitude has an inherent value and that it is these ancient sites that are one of the main attractions of Cornwall, and thus they bring not only prestige and a sense of historical continuity to our modern age, but also much needed revenue in the form of tourism. I also believe that we have a moral and indeed a legal obligation to preserve these ancient treasures intact and hand them on to future generations.
At this point some would argue that there is nothing on this particular site that remains to be preserved. I
would heartily refute this claim by pointing out that certain peices of masonry from the chapel's medieval
period have been incorporated into the adjacent St.Anthony's Gardens, including a beautiful arch, some pillars
and many dressed blocks.
This brings me to the cause of my complaint. In August 2009, three large pieces of masonry weighing several
tons were removed from the site and I have being trying to ascertain the history of this action by corresponding with Cornwall Council. It is my proposal that ALL the masonry should be returned to its original position, following a properly conducted archeological dig, and that a partial reconstruction of St.Anthony's Chapel
should be built, within a small park, dedicated to interfaith tolerance. It is my view that no other course of
action is appropriate for this site. In order to initiate the faciltation of this activity, I have entered into a long and frustrating correspondence with the Council - first with Alec Robertson, then Tom Marks, and finally, having obtained no satisfactory result from them, I have filed two 'freedom of information' requests. The first one being fruitless, I followed it with a second which, I have to say, was equally evasive, failing to even inform me whether the council has any jurisdiction over the site - let alone the history of the council's involvement.
In summary therefore, I would very much like to have my FOI request answered in full, as, I believe, is my
legal right, and the council's legal obligation. It is my opinion that the council are being unhelpful with me
over this issue as I am engaged in a dispute with the council over the fate of Battery Rocks Beach and South
Pier, Penzance; immediately adjacent to St.Anthony's Chapel site - and that my attempts to save this beach have
brought me into verbal conflict with said council. There is plenty of information available in the public
domain to prove beyond reasonable doubt that I have the support and agreement of the majority of residents of
Penzance and district over this action and I feel morally bound to try to defend the ancient, natural and cultural heritage of Pen Sans.
I would ask you and your colleagues to do what ever is necessary to get a complete answer to both my FOI
requests, not just for my benefit, or that of the current residents of Penzance, but also for the ongoing
generations of people who are to dwell here in future ages, for if we rightfully preserve that which history has bequeathed to us, we will win the praise and thanks of the future generations of Cornwall and beyond.
Yours sincerely, Jeremy Schanche - SAVE THE HOLY HEADLAND
Correspondence follows:
received 1.2.11
IAR-003878
From:
Freedom Of Information Mail
View Contact
To: Jeremy Schanche
Dear Mr Schanche,
Further to my colleague’s email below we have received feedback from the Council’s Property service regarding
your questions. I can confirm that the Property service and the Environment, Planning and Economy directorate do not hold any further information in response to your questions, other than that already supplied.
I am sorry we cannot provide any further information at this time.
If you wish to complain about the outcome of your request, please write to:
Chief Executive’s Department
Complaints Officer
Cornwall Council County Hall
Truro
TR1 3AY
Email: comments@cornwall.gov.uk
Kind regards,
Helen Thomas
Support Advisor – FOI/DP
Public & Partner Relations
Chief Executive’s Department
Cornwall Council
Tel: 01872 323650
Email: foi@cornwall.gov.uk
Central Scanning Unit, County Hall, Truro. TR1 3AY
Please let us know if you need any particular assistance from us, such as facilities to help with mobility,
vision or hearing, or information in a different format.
Please consider the environment. Do you really need to print this email?
-----Original Message-----
From: Lawrence Lisa On Behalf Of Freedom Of Information Mail
Sent: 17 December 2010 16:02
To: Jeremy Schanche
Subject: IAR-003878
Dear Mr Schanche
Thank for you email as set out below. I apologise that you are not satisfied with the response that has been
provided.
In response to question 1, the reply was answered by Tom Marks, Deputy Operations Manager, West Division
Environment. The response was issued by Helen Thomas in the Freedom of Information Team. It is not normal
procedure to sign these letters, but to have a delegated person’s name on the bottom, which is currently Gemma
Stephenson.
I have now gone back to the Environment Service, including Historic Environment who have informed me that they
have no information about the area, other than the response already given. Tom has spoken to historic heritage
and they also know nothing of these stones. Tom has suggested that perhaps the Property Service would be better
placed to answer the current questions, and therefore I have sent on your letter to them.
I am aware that you have been in correspondence with the Leader of the Council, CC Alec Robertson and have
exchanged some letters in respect of the stones (which I now have copies of) and I will also follow up with the
Leader to find out where he obtained such information.
If you wish to make a complaint in respect of the response, I attach the link on how to do this here:
I’m sorry I cannot provide any further information at this time, but I will contact you again as any information
becomes available.
Yours sincerely,
Lisa.
Miss Lisa Lawrence
Support Advisor (Information Management)
Public and Partner Relations
Chief Executive's Department
Cornwall Council
Tel: 01872 323451
Fax: 01872 261049
llawrence@cornwall.gov.uk
Room 239, Treyew Road, New County Hall, Truro. TR1 3AY.
Please let us know if you need any particular assistance from us, such as facilities to help with mobility,
vision or hearing, or information in a different format.
Please consider the environment. Do you really need to print this email?
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeremy Schanche [mailto:savetheholyheadland@yahoo.com]
Sent: 14 December 2010 22:48
To: Freedom Of Information Mail
Subject:
To: Gemma Stephenson,
'Freedom of Information' Dept., Cornwall Council, 14.12.2010
Dear Gemma,
Your Ref: IAR-003878,
My Ref: St.Anthony's Celtic Chapel Site:
Since the reply I recieved on 13th December 2010 was totally evasive and unsatisfactory, I am now forced to ask
the following:
1) who composed the reply from the Environment Service? Who issued the reply to me? In future I request that
all letters be signed - is this not normal procedure?
2) Has the council any juristiction or authority over the piece of ground, currently being used as a car-park,
between the old Vospers building and Barbican Lane, including the site of St.Anthony's Chapel?
3) Has the council ever taken any action whatsoever, on or concerning the above territory? If so, please
specify ALL actions taken by the council regarding this territory.
4) Is the author of the previous reply to me, representing the Council, prepared to state categorically that he
(Mr Marks?) or she, having asked all or any persons who are now, or have been in the past, concerned with this
matter, and having consulted all relevant files; that the council has definitely not removed any stones from
this site? (Bearing in mind that I have a letter from Mr Alec Robertson refering to stones being removed from
the site which has been published on the internet)
5) Re: your answer No.2) "No details exist": Are you - or any of your colleagues - claiming that the details
have been (a) destroyed? (b) supressed?
6) Also RE; Your answer No.2: Are you claiming that no such order was ever issued?
7) Re: Your answer No.3) (a) Are you claiming that the order was never recieved? (b) Or that the details of
that order have been destroyed? (c) Or is it a simple refusal to provide the information?
8) (a) Regarding the current whereabouts of the stones: Is the council denying that the three very large
stones were removed by official action?
(b) Is the council asserting that it cannot possibly discover the whereabouts - past and present- of these
three stones, weighing many tons??
(c) has the council destroyed these stones? (d) has the council sold these stones?
(e) have these vast stones been stolen by somebody?
Since you point out the considerable expense of FOI requests, and since it is the legal right of the public to
have them fullfilled, I suggest that rather than evading the matter, the council actually ANSWERS the questions
asked.
Sincerely, Jeremy Schanche
Reference Number: IAR-003878
Response provided under: Freedom of Information Act 2000
Request and Response:
I would like to know the following:
1) Who gave the order to remove three extremely large pieces of stone from the dark-ages site of St.Anthony's
Chapel, Barbican Lane, Penzance, August '09?
2) On what date was the order given?
3) To whom was the order given?
4) Where are these three extremely large pieces of masonry now?
5) What plans exist for the future of St.Anthony's Chapel site?
6) To date, are there any plans to consult the public about their wishes concerning the most ancient religious
site in Penzance?
1 No idea – not sure that the alleged stones ever existed
2 No details exist
3 No details
4 No idea - See answer 1
5 No change to existing site is planned to date
6 See 5 no plans to change anything as far as I am aware
Information provided by: Environment Service"
