Our ancestors were conspicuously unbothered by
sewage and pollution as the records of life in,
for example, 18th Century London confirm. Bearing
this in mind should help us not to be astonished
that the first mention of any concern over sewage
is in February 1943 and a month later at a public
meeting. Even then councillors and public seem
wary of incurring any expense, for after lengthy
discussion about the possibility of a drainage
scheme it was resolved to wait and see if such
schemes would be chargeable to a general or
special rate. Only if it was a general rate would
they hold a further public meeting to decide
whether to proceed or not.
The minute of March 1946 throws light on
conditions at the time; if we omit the refuse
cart, things were much as they had been since the
dawn of history. The minute reported that the
KRDC refuse cart driver had refused to collect
lavatory buckets at Coverack. As they were
forbidden to empty the contents over the cliffs
and had no gardens to bury them in, what were
they to do? It sounds desperate as it was meant
to but it probably wasn't (Coverack residents
would have seen to that) and the clerk was merely
deputed to ask Kerrier Rural District Council to
deal with the matter.
In December 1965 it was reported that at
Rosenithon there was a most obnoxious smell from
an open drain to which, it was thought, household
sewage was connected. Kerrier's response,
supported by the Parish Council, was to send a
letter to every householder telling them to put
their own household systems in order. Any
alternative would, it was felt, be far too
expensive.
Although the minutes state that there had been
many requests and enquiries about sewage, it was
not until February 1949 that there is any sign of
interest from higher authority. Then a letter
from the Rural District Council gave a
comprehensive outline of a sewage disposal scheme
for St. Keverne and Porthoustock.
In September 1958 the RDC submitted a plan and
engineer's report for the Council to examine;
they expressed their gratification that at last
something looked as if it might be done.
Unfortunately at this crucial point one book of
minutes ends and that for the following two years
is missing. The next mention is in September 1961
when it is obvious that the scheme was complete
since, while expressing concern about the fencing
around the sewage works (children might fall in)
general satisfaction was great - so great that
the Council took the unusual step of writing to
Kerrier RDC to express appreciation for the way
the Resident Engineer had acted over the previous
fifteen months.
Flooding at Porthallow.
This has been a problem for many years. For
example in January 1962 Cllr. Combellack
described what "... the high tides did when
backed by a strong N.E. wind and a heavy running
stream. The whole cove flooded and (there was)
water in several houses." It was felt that
Kerrier RDC were responsible and had not done
their duty. From then on the matter has appeared
in the minutes at least twice a year and has been
the subject of countless letters from the Parish
Council to the District and County Councils. As
residents will know, it has not yet been
solved.
A parallel problem in Porthallow has been that of
sewage which was graphically described by Cllr.
Peters in September 1972 in terms which it is
unnecessary to repeat here. Again the solution
has not yet been found although there is a fair
prospect that it soon will be as it is now
subject to European Union regulations on clean
bathing water. However, the Council have made
strenuous efforts over the years and have always
been disappointed; they have learned not to trust
promises, even those which appear to offer
certain fulfilment.
Flooding at Porthoustock
This again has been around for a long time. In
December 1953 the Council was writing to Kerrier
RDC and asking for immediate action to remedy the
unsanitary state of the beach. The RDC replied
that they were asking the Quarry Company to
remedy the matter. An epidemic was foreseen in
March 1962, but the RDC were not unduly perturbed
as they wrote in May 1963 that they could not see
any sewage scheme being constructed in
Porthoustock for some time, certainly not within
the next five years. The fact that the St.
Keverne scheme had only recently been completed
was put forward as an additional reason for
delay.
Concern seemed to shift to the constant problem
of flooding and the responsiblity of the Company,
now the Amalgamated Roadstone Corporation, for
allowing the stream to silt up. At a whist drive
in the Village Hall in November 1968 a trestle
table and a plank had to be laid to allow people
to enter the Hall, at the western end of which a
large crack was noticed. That was, of course, not
the start of it. In 1972 County Cllr. Hendy,
visiting the Council, said that discussion had
been going on for the last 43 years; the matter
had appeared in the minutes at least annually
and, like Porthallow, had been the subject of
endless correspondence. However, the clearing and
widening of the area at the road bridge had
somewhat improved matters.
Coverack Sewage
The first mention of a sewage problem is in
October 1965 when Cllr. Jones made an inspection
accompanied by the Kerrier RDC Engineer. They
found the condition of the sewage outfalls as
"shocking and disgusting" and described
what sounds like a plague of rats. The customary
demand for immediate action was made, the
response in this case being more than usually
satisfactory for by October 1968 KRDC had reached
the first stage of a comprehensive scheme; by
November 1970 the plans were complete and costed
at £146,000. By 1973 the job was finished,
making it one of the speediest operations
recorded in this short history. Could the fact
that Local Government was to be re-organised in
1974 have had a fortunate effect on Coverack?
Public Conveniences
The first mention of any public convenience in
the Parish occurs in March 1924 when it was
suggested that a"convenience" should be
erected in St. Keverne. In June of the following
year the suggestion was renewed with Coverack
added. The matter was referred to the Rural
District Council.
In November 1951 the RDC agreed to provide a
ladies and gents at Porthallow by adding a new
structure for ladies to that already in existence
for gents.
In September 1946 it was reported that the RDC
were well on the way in their negotiations for a
suitable site for a urinal in Coverack. Nothing
further appears until July 1950 when the Council
decided to ask the RDC's permission to erect
a sign on the car park saying, "Public
Conveniences ... yards". Evidently by then
the toilets above the harbour had been built.
In February 1955 the Council thought that, in
view of the sewerage scheme to be put into effect
in St. Keverne in the next five years or so, they
should tell the RDC of suitable sites for a
public convenience. In April a letter from the
RDC promised to make provision for a convenience
in the year 1956/57. In April 1956 the RDC wrote
that they intended to erect the convenience in
the next financial year, but hinted at possible
delay because of a six month embargo on capital
expenditure.
The Council agitated for public toilets at
Porthoustock for 15 years. In June 1983 they
pointed out that on the Bank Holiday Sunday there
had been 154 cars on the beach and that the
fishermen had had to put notices on the back of
their huts requesting people not to use them for
toilet purposes. They were finally opened in
August 1985.
These fragmentary and disconnected jottings are
all that appears in the minutes on the subject.
Since the provision of public toilets was a RDC
responsibility, the Parish Council's job was
to agitate; when agitation was successful, the
matter was at an end.
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