IT would be an understatement to say that the role of councillor can be quite stressful and challenging. Linked to this, I was pleased to represent local views at a planning hearing into the proposed solar farm at Trerice, near St Dennis, which had been refused by the unitary authority’s strategic planning committee.

I had prepared a 4,000-word representation on behalf of the parish council and, at the meeting which took place on May 12, I raised concerns set out in this document about landscape harm and the cumulative impact on a community that has already accommodated very substantial industrialisation, as well as heritage matters.

The applicant brought along a team of eight, which included two barristers. The Cornwall Council side was much smaller and it was much less well-resourced. That said, we did our very best to ensure local perspectives were properly aired and now we await the outcome, which is in the hands of a government inspector.

But being a councillor can be so rewarding, when you are able to support and celebrate what is so special about the communities that you represent. In recent days, I was so pleased to be able to help organise an event at Indian Queens Pit to mark the 170th anniversary of the founding of Indian Queens Band. As I don’t play a brass instrument, I helped deal with things such as the road closure, which allowed the musicians to parade through the village.

This meant a lot to me – not least because the founder of the band was my great-great-great uncle Martin Strongman Kessell. And thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event.

If I can be of assistance to anyone, please feel free to get in contact with me via [email protected] or 07791 876607.