Earlier today I was lucky enough to be shown around the facilities at St Eval which were purpose-built for the American forces who had been stationed there until quite recently. It was quite extraordinary and left me reflecting on the different approaches adopted by the British and US governments to providing facilities to the armed forces.

Above is a Google Earth image which shows (clockwise from bottom left) a youth centre, a sports hall, a church (now deconsecrated) and a school/centre for younger children. The Americans don’t tend to do anything by half, and these facilities are arguably as good as (if not better than) anything you’d find in the UK. The ‘no expense spared’ attitude and attention to detail (individual picture hooks fitted with their own spirit levels) is in stark contrast to the reports of inadequate equipment and conditions endured by our own service men and women serving abroad. It is a testament to the skill of our forces that, in spite of everything, they are still regarded as the best in the world.

The other side of this is that these wonderful facilities are totally empty and surrounded by a seven foot high razorwire fence. Just over the road in St Eval itself local children cram into a portakabin which serves as a pre-school and the main community centre is based around buildings owned by the MoD which are falling into disrepair and have serious issues with asbestos.

As the time draws near when the MoD pulls further back from St Eval the existing facilities will come under serious threat. I would hope that Cornwall Council will be able to play a positive role in the future of the community and I will certainly be trying my hardest to facilitate this. In an ideal world the Council would acquire the US facilities for the benefit of St Eval and the surrounding area, but I’m fully aware that such a scenario is a long way off. Nevertheless it would be nothing short of a tragedy if the village’s community facilities came under threat while, just over the road, a wonderful resource lay untapped behind the razorwire.