Cllr Steven Webb (LibDem), Moresk and Trehaverne, Truro

There are moments in this job when you feel proud of what you achieved, then suddenly the ground shifts and you wonder why you bother. This feels like one of those moments.

We spent a long time working on the Truro and Kenwyn Neighbourhood Plan. It was a big piece of work, and I was proud to be part of the team that shaped it. Residents backed it by a huge majority. It carried real weight. Most importantly, it gave us a clear way to protect the open green edges. We drew the red line and said: this is enough.

Then the UK government changed the planning rules. Under the new planning reforms, local authorities are now required to evaluate proposals “holistically”, weighing the benefits against potential harms.

What does that mean? Those red lines drawn around the boundaries of areas we didn’t want developed feel meaningless now. Any application outside of those red lines has to be looked at through these new lenses, and the red line is not enough to say no.

This leaves some of our countryside exposed to development, especially given we need to build 4,221 new houses per year. Yes, we need houses, but the right houses in the right places, for locals.

It now feels as if developers can pick almost any field and give it a try, and unless it is wildly inappropriate, we have very few tools left to resist it.

I know this is not the positive end to the year people might hope for. Yet even in all this frustration, I still believe we can look up, stay involved, and keep fighting for the character of the place we call home.

Merry Christmas! Oh, and regarding the car parks: I am working on it. There will be some news soon.