Stadium for Cornwall - More sustainable than tourism?
Posted on Mar 18, 2010 under Stadium for Cornwall |
‘The tourist industry is vital to Cornwall’ or ‘Cornwall relies on tourism’. How often have we heard these phrases uttered so often by our councillors? Phrases that have become the ‘mantra’ we refuse to question.
Certainly, tourism brings financial benefits to Cornwall and has done for many years. But if tourism is this great ‘industry’ why is it that Cornwall is always the ‘poor man’ of Europe that constantly receives Objective One or Convergence Funding handouts?
There is no denying that people visit Cornwall in their droves. So a multi-functional Stadium for Cornwall could take advantage of this potential audience and income by providing quality entertainment such as concerts, bands and entertainers during the summer months. While during the winter, our regular sports such as rugby and football would be the main attraction - making the stadium an ‘all year round’ work and income provider. We don’t often hear the words ‘all year round’ in Cornwall do we? But how often to we hear the word ‘seasonal’- more often than we would like.
Top bands could play at the Stadium for Cornwall
The real multi-functionality of a modern stadium is only limited by lack of imagination. Again, we hear our councillors and planners waxing lyrical about Cornwall becoming an important energy efficient area. A multi-purpose stadium could go some way in achieving that aim by becoming an ‘energy hub’ for Cornwall.
Solar panels fitted into stadium’s ‘awning’ would help make it energy sufficient when in use. When not in use, it would store energy with the excess being returned to the local grid. Geothermal heating could be used to supplement that energy by taking advantage of the continuous high temperatures that exists below the earth’s surface. Maybe an ‘energy from waste’ system could be incorporated - and not just for the stadium - but also the surrounding area.
Rainwater run-off from the stadium awnings would be collected and used for pitch irrigation, showers, baths, cleaning, flushing urinals and toilets. The stadium itself could be built from sustainable materials where practicable. These initiatives will go some way in enabling Cornwall to become a leader – a beacon of excellence in Eco-friendly technology – and will help to provide Cornwall with a ‘proper’ industrial base of the like we haven’t seen since the demise of tin mining.
This is too big an issue to play party politics and requires cross-party support - not arguments that get us nowhere. We have a new Cornwall Council with a new CEO, Kevin Lavery and Alec Robertson is the new leader of the Council. Notice how often the word ‘NEW’ is used? Well these are the guys that must have a ‘NEW’ vision for Cornwall. A vision that should include a modern, Eco-friendly, multi-purpose stadium for the people of Cornwall and her future generations.
A stadium that the people of Cornwall can be rightly proud and used by ‘ Onen hag Oll’ –
One and All!
From S4C supporter
