25/02/2013 Inside Out South West

Hello and welcome to Inside Out South West. Coming up in tonight's

programme: on the eve of a Royal visit, new questions over the Duke

of Cornwall's influence in public life. He has been given privileged

access to our lawmaking for which he is not accountable and which is

opaque. That can't be right. stately home makeover in Somerset -

David Stafford gets stuck in. all coming down in bits. And can

miners really find rich pickings in Cornwall? You can do the maths and

it comes out at billions of dollars of value. I am Sam Smith and this

Prince Charles is due in the South West tomorrow. He's visiting the

Navy here in Plymouth in his role as Admiral of the Fleet. But it is

his position at the head of the Duchy of Cornwall that has been

making recent headlines. We've been investigating a right royal

controversy that is rooted here in The Duchy was created seven

Tens of thousands of acres were set aside to provide the heir to the

throne with an income. The current beneficiary and head of the Duchy

Today, the Duchy is still a major landowner. It also owns 160 miles

of coastline and much of the It owns 3500 properties that it

rents out, including one very And it raises income from

The Duchy of Cornwall owns the river bed of the Tamar and rents

the airspace above it to the Tamar Bridge company. All this activity

helps boost the personal fortune of the Duke of Cornwall. Last year to

the tune of just over �18 million on which he voluntarily paid tax of

�5m. Some would argue the Duchy benefits our region's fortunes too.

Since being proclaimed Duke in 1973, Prince Charles special relationship

with the region has been reflected And last year, the Duchy donated

just over half a million pounds to charity, some of it to south west

But despite the undoubted good works done by the Duchy, there are

concerns here in the south west that it may be exploiting its

special status in a way that's not in the public interest. In fact

some people are asking, is the The answer is a regrettable, yes,

for Mike Bruton. Mike grew up in the village of Port Navas on the

Helford river in Cornwall. The beauty of the area draws tourist

and second home owners but the only outsiders Mike objects to are these.

Pacific oysters, a foreign species first brought into the Helford for

cultivation in the 70s. Mike's been campaigning about their presence

here for years. We are here to protect the environment, all of us,

because we want to pass on the beautiful river and Fell to the

next generation and we don't really want an invasive species like the

The Duchy owns the river bed here and leases oyster farming rights to

a private company. The oysters are fattened up in bags on trestles and

then exported to France. There is no suggestion the company which

farms them or its Duchy landlord is doing any damage to the river. The

fishery continues a long tradition of oyster farming here and provides

jobs. But along the shore are pacific's living wild, and the fear

is that if their spread is unchecked, they could colonise the

river at the expense of other valued species. And then there is

the equipment. At this spot, old trestles and oyster bags lie

seemingly abandoned, an eyesore as I think it is appalling conduct on

behalf of the Duchy. It doesn't particularly help the Duke of

Cornwall who is a renowned environmentalist because we have

the Duke of Cornwall, quite rightly saying, we need to protect our

environment for future generations and the Duchy of Cornwall doing

The Helford is covered by one of the highest form of environmental

designation. It's a special area of conservation. But who legally is

responsible for protecting that special area? Elsewhere it would be

something like a harbour authority but the Duchy says it's not any

kind of authority, it's just a landowner, so not legally

responsible for protecting the Unchecked, the Pacific oyster can

be a problem? Once they reach a It's a complex legal point but one

which concerns the government's environmental watchdog.

position as we see it is if you go to another estuary, for example,

there is maybe a harbour authority and they have statutory powers to

put in place laws to protect the site. What we have in the Helford

is no clear strategy responsibility because of the uncertainty around

the Duchy's role and their legal position. That is because, in

respect of the Helford, the Duchy says, "We are not any kind of

authority here, we are just a private landowner." They have no

statutory responsibility in putting bylaws or taking management of the

site. How satisfactory is that? is good when it is working well but

it leaves a slight uncertainty if Mike believes that when it comes to

protecting the Helford, the Duchy is effectively a public authority

and should share its environmental information. So he took his case to

a tribunal, and the judge ruled in his favour. But the Duchy has now

challenged that decision, leaving those who want to protect the

Helford worried about the future. It is tragedy. There are worst

tragedies like chopping down the Brazilian rainforest but it is our

own personal tragedy, environmental What is the Helford really going to

be like for the next generation? The Duchy says it takes its

environmental responsibilities seriously and that it works with

its tenants, in this case the oyster farm, to ensure that they

comply with regulations, but this isn't the only place it's found

Nowhere in the south west are ordinary citizens more beholden to

the Duchy than here, the Isles of Scilly. The Duchy owns the freehold

of most of the land and a third of all homes. Alan Davis leases his

Duchy home in the historic Garrison area on St Mary's. He's done so for

30 years but the freehold, the land underneath, is the Duchy's. Alan

wants to buy the freehold. But the Duchy, says no. I feel I'm

discriminated against. It is a discrimination that is created by

the Duchy. So how has this happened? Most leaseholders are

entitled by law to buy their freeholds. But the Duchy, like a

handful of other bodies, is not bound by that law. Alan thinks

that's unfair and as head of the Duchy he holds Prince Charles

personally responsible for the consequences. It makes you feel

angry that somebody who is in a very privileged position is able to

manipulate, if I could use that word, manipulate the system to his

own personal long-term financial The Duchy told us that in the case

of the Garrison, keeping the freehold meant it could preserve

for future generations the collective benefit of the

integrated management of the built Alan just wants to preserve the

value of his home, but he says, that's falling because his lease is

running out. It is a throwback from the past. He does a lot of good

work with charities but at the same time, he's got this other side that

affects all the lives of ordinary people. As time goes on, the leases

depreciate, thousands become It comes to the point where he

actually takes possession of what is your home. The land belongs to

him but when my lease runs out, my bricks and mortar goes to him.

Lawyer John Kirkhope from Somerset has been researching the Duchy of

Cornwall for the past five years. His work has revealed details of

Prince Charles's little-known right of veto over legislation that might

affect the Duchy. The law is very clear. Prince Charles is a subject

of the Crown, like what you and I are. Even the Duke of Cornwall is a

private individual. He is in charge of an assertive and commercial

organisation and he has given privileged access to our lawmaking

for which he is not accountable and which is completely opaque. That

can't be right. The Duchy plays down Prince Charles's power of veto,

But John Kirkhope believes he should give up his right to

influence legislation. I'm sure Prince Charles is a benign man and

I'm sure he's sincere. I don't think he abuses his power but I

think he puts himself in a position to continue to exercise the power

which is opaque and not accountable. I think that cannot be right.

not just John who is unhappy. MP's are now questioning if the The

Duchy of Cornwall's tax arrangements can be justified. It

pays no corporation tax or capital gains tax. Prince Charles may

voluntarily paid income tax. But that it appears may not be enough

This 700 year old institution tied so closely to our region's identity

We're really lucky in the south- west to have some of Britain's

loveliest country estates that are open to the public. But keeping

such places financially secure is a tough business that sometimes calls

for bold decisions as David Stafford has been finding out in

Hestercombe is a place designed to impress. Its landscape and formal

gardens are loved by those who But as the leaves begin to fade and

winter sets in, life here becomes As lovely as the gardens are, they

struggle to bring in enough You could say what this place needs

is a year-round attraction, somewhere you can go to escape the

cold, something big and impressive, Parts of Hestercombe House date

back to Medieval Times but it's the Georgian facade that's most

Surprisingly, although the gardens have been welcoming visitors for

over 15 years, the house has never been open to the public. Why? Well

Philip White is head of the charitable trust that's run the

Gardens since 2003 - but this year he's overseeing the biggest change

in Hestercombe's history for more than half a century. For the past

60 years, Somerset County Council has had offices here. Eventually,

we'd like to make this into a gallery space... But plans are now

in place to restore the house to how it was when Lord Portman lived

here, more than 100 years ago. Wow! This is extraordinary. Look at all

those taps! I know. This was Mr Portman's personal bathroom so he

had this fantastic... People think things like Jacuzzis are new but of

course they've got all these... "Sitz" and "plunge" and "wave" and

"spray". "Shower", "douche" and "cold". This is a very, very modern

sort of shower, then. It is, yeah. The opportunities are huge but it's

going to take a lot of money and, of course, there's no guarantee of

success. The house needs a lot of work doing to it. It's been

institutionalised for 60 years. It needs a new roof. But then, it sits

in the middle of this fantastic landscape and we just couldn't

possibly ignore it so we have to make the house work and we have to

make it work financially. One of the most exciting things is that

we've got the Guildhall School of Music coming here to open a centre

for young musicians for the whole of the South West of England.

you are outlining there is something of a challenge, isn't it?

We've got to start somewhere. You can't possibly have a house sitting

in such an important landscape and not open it to the public and not

Philip and his team aren't hanging around. There's just over a month

before the Guildhall School of Music will hold their first concert

so there's lots for Hestercombe's very own band of volunteers to do.

Hello. Hello. You're doing some very fine work here, I can see.

What's the plan? Woodchip and two coats of magnolia? Yes! There's a

lot of rising damp, obviously. there anything I can do to help?

And by "help", I mean pulling that bit of wallpaper. We've saved that

for you! Be our guest! Thank you very much indeed. Itching, itching,

itching. Oh, God, it's going to... The house won't be the only

attraction for winter visitors. This is Rook Wood, a forgotten

corner of the grounds. Under the guidance of head gardener Clare

Reid, a winter garden is being For nearly 500 years, Hestercombe

was home to the Waugh family. Then in 1873, it was bought by Lord

Portman. But as with many country estates, the 20th century saw a

steady decline, although that is It's early February, less than two

weeks before the Guildhall arrive at Hestercombe. But with getting

enough tourists through the doors a constant worry, Philip's in London

collecting an exhibition of photographs by Gertrude Jekyll, the

designer of Hestercombe's formal garden. He hopes it will attract

garden lovers all year round. these are the pictures? Yes, 96.

pictures? And these were all taken by Gertrude Jekyll? Yes, all of her

own gardens, flower arrangements. They are modern reprints from her

original negatives. Gosh! Carefully loaded onto the van and on their

way back to Somerset, the pictures will get their first outing in a

It's opening day. In Rook Wood, there are signs that all the hard

work has paid off. Spring is coming. At the house, final preparations

for the big concert are under way. Another of Jekyll's photographs

taken from her porch. It's beautiful, isn't it? The pictures

are up but there's a bit of a snag. Basically, I've just come back from

the front door and it's locked, shut. I've got the normal key for

the house but I can't get it to open. With less than half an hour

to go before the concert starts, and people on their way, events

manager Steph has a struggle on her hands. So it should just open

really easily, inwards, but it's just not opening. Everybody's

raring to go but the punters are out there waiting in the cold.

Julie, you've done it! It's open! The crisis has done nothing for

Philip's nerves. I'm really feeling quite anxious at the moment because,

of course, this is a big day for Hestercombe. This could be the

beginning of the future, as far as So, how's it all gone? You could

just hear the excitement behind me. The young people were just the most

amazing musicians. To think that we're going to be able to bring

that to Somerset is fantastic. It feels like this is the culmination

of 20 years' work but it's also just the beginning of a whole new

chapter in Hestercombe's history. Philip and his team now face the

huge task of transforming the house into an attraction on a par with

the gardens. But judging from their early efforts, they are on the

When the last tin mine in the South West closed in 1998, many thought

an industry which had been here for thousands of years had gone for

good. Well, miners are underground once more and could be producing

tin again within three years. But some question whether mining really

is the best way forward for one of A sight many thought they would

never see again. Miners drilling underground at South Crofty. The

owners say the long-term prospects are good. You can do the maths. It

comes out at a very, very big number indeed - billions of dollars

of value. But some are sceptical about these predictions and think

Cornwall should face up to a future without mining. Cornish mining as a

living thing is actually dead and we need to give it a decent burial

before the family can stop grieving and move on. Are Crofty's owners

chasing an impossible dream - or could we be looking at a brave new

It was in March 1998 that miners headed down for the last shift at

South Crofty. The tin price was at rock bottom and hopes for a

government bail out had been dashed. This mine shouldn't be shut today

because it should be kept going. The government subsidises everybody

else - subsidises the farmers - why not subsidise the tin mine? The

last tin mine we've got. The last tin mine in Europe. They don't

BLEEP seem to realise up there. pumps that kept the workings dry

were about to be switched off. it's flooded, it's gone for good

and, er, there'll be no coming back, whatever happens to the tin price.

I mean, if it goes up next year, or next month, next week, it'll be too

late. When the pumps were shut down, billions of gallons of water

The prospect of tin mining returning to Cornwall looked remote.

Never more so than in 2000, when the regional development agency, or

RDA, announced it wanted to compulsorily purchase the Crofty

site. I think we have to not only praise and glorify Cornwall's past,

we have to look to the present and the future. The future, we believe,

is a total redevelopment of that entire area for the benefit of the

future of Cornwall. But a small group of miners and businessmen had

other ideas. They formed a company and bought South Crofty in 2001,

with the express purpose of reopening the mine. They told

Spotlight they would create 200 jobs. It'll take us nearly a year

to get down to where we believe the tin is, the first stages of the tin.

From there, we will be preparing for tin production, which will take

a further six to nine months. years later, fewer than 40 people

work here and Crofty is still not producing any tin. This has

provided plenty of ammunition for those who doubted the mine would

ever be viable. You have to say, if there was going to be tin produced

here in some scale, it would have been done by now. Tim Williams ran

a government-funded regeneration company. Like the RDA, it wanted to

redevelop the Crofty site and, in 2003, threatened a compulsory

purchase order of its own. We began to think that there was absolutely

no way in which a mining venture of that scale in the area could be

consistent with the kind of high- quality environment that we wish to

create. And certainly, we began to be very sceptical of the capacity

of the company concerned to actually deliver a mining future in

itself, let alone something more sophisticated, because they didn't

seem to be going anywhere rather slowly. But Crofty's owners say the

delay in re-starting mining has been directly due to their having

to fight off these regeneration plans - and satisfy demands from

Cornwall Council for a review of its mineral planning permissions.

An awful lot of money was being spent but what we were spending the

money on was actually the defence of the mine itself, without, if you

like, picking up a pick. But in 2007, Crofty turned a corner. After

six years, it had completed the mineral planning review and seen

off the threat of compulsory purchase. This then left the coast

clear for City investors eager to take advantage of a trebling in tin

price since the mine's closure. depends on the quality of the drill

results and ongoing work at the site. We're talking about a �50-�80

million investment over the course of the next two or three years.

Crofty's owners joined forces with the men in suits to form Western

United Mines. Obviously, bringing a new investor on, so that we could

really start to get on with the mining aspects of the project, was

a tremendous feeling. We were very, very buoyant. Hopes were high when

this drilling rig was installed in 2008. But the euphoria was short

lived. Major investment dried up after Kerrier Council published

plans for a new road. It was to go straight through where the mine

wanted to build a processing plant, next to its new entrance. Three

more years of wrangling followed before the road was re-routed. Only

in the last year, say the owners, have they been free to get on with

the proper business of developing the mine. Effectively, the green

flag has only just gone up. We've just started the race. Fresh

investment from a Canadian mining company endorsed this breakthrough,

bringing total investment to date up to �19 million. Throughout this

period, exploratory drilling for core samples has continued. The

samples are brought to the surface for inspection by the mine's

geologists. All together, there are nearly 30 kilometres of them in

this store. We have this section here, Chris, that has fine grain in

there. You can see at all in there. It is in that blob of chlorite.

Results have been encouraging, according to the man brought in to

take Crofty to the next stage, beyond exploration to full-scale

mining. And Chris Davie says two key developments now make that more

worthwhile than when men were last producing tin from here. When they

shut down in 1998, the price of tin was below $5,000 a ton. It is

currently $25,000 a ton. The other development is that before its

closure, Crofty used tracks and shafts to move men and materials.

Chris says new trackless methods mean even low-grade ore can now be

mined profitably. We'll develop from surface and mechanised decline.

We can run diesel equipment up and down this decline. It means we can

enter at any level, at any point, have complete flexibility, and we

can do this with much lower operating costs than was possible

when the mine was shut. Back in 1998, it was thought that flooding

would prove the ultimate obstacle to re-starting mining. But trial

pumping equipment was installed earlier this year and, if

successful, the main pumps could be switched back on in six months.

Despite all this apparent progress, Tim Williams remains unconvinced.

They're still going through the motions of getting people to invest

in it. Shares on the international market, fees from them and all that

kind of stuff. But one has to be sceptical as to whether any team is

going to be produced. --any tin. And I kind of worried then and I

worry now that the mining romance, if you like, stops people thinking

about the future. It actively kills the future. The mine won't reach

full production until at least 2016 and it'll cost well in excess of

another �50 million to get there. But Alan Shoesmith remains bullish.

In this county, beneath our feet we're stood on billions and

billions of dollars' value of mineralisation. Why on earth would

you have a vision against that? well as Crofty, there are three

other projects now under way to find tin in Cornwall. They're

backed by investors willing to dig deep and bet once more on a return