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| Forward-Thinking Falmouth |
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Page 4 of 4 One of the main issues that the town faces, as it seeks to encourage more sustainable tourism and a better living environment for the community, is a reduction in the amount of traffic flowing through the centre of the town. This is an issue that is at the forefront of discussions to improve the town and is linked to plans to develop the waterfront by building a walkway between Prince of Wales Pier and Church Street Car Park. Town clerk Mark Williams adds: “It is commonly agreed that the best way of reducing town centre traffic is to remove Church Street car park, and therefore the need for cars to be in the main streets…this could be actioned in the short term with sites like Well Lane and the Quarry being improved to pick up the additional capacity.” In the meantime various initiatives within the town are indicative of a new mood of ‘forward-thinking’, and an awareness that it is necessary to work with the community to ensure that the environment is maintained and protected. In 2005, Falmouth became the first Fairtrade Town in Cornwall. This meant that Falmouth Town Council joined the Fairtrade Association in order to provide support to businesses, organisations and people in the town who wanted to take part. It also has launched the Take Pride in Falmouth initiative, which aims to make Falmouth a more clean, safe and prosperous town. The campaign was responsible for encouraging a collective spring-clean and promoting seagull-proof litterbins. Fears that initiatives such as this could conflict with the students, who make up over a tenth of the town’s total population and whose number is growing, are somewhat assuaged by activities such as the collection by the Town Council of students ‘stuff’ at the end of the academic year. Unwanted items are collected rather than merely dumped. Growth in numbers of students in the town is, in large part, due to the Combined Universities in Cornwall partnership initiative. This has led to the creation of the award winning and environmentally friendly ‘Hub’ campus just outside Falmouth at Penryn, which is shared by University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter. The initiative aims to stem the number of young people who leave Cornwall to seek further education. An overview of Falmouth as it stands today, therefore, in my view must take into consideration these different aspects of a multi-faceted Falmouth that still remains linked to its traditions yet is embracing the future in many interesting and innovative ways. Undoubtedly, there are many different groups and voices that must play a part in this, yet a quote from the town’s mayor perhaps sums up the current mood. “We need to have an open mind, and look to secure the future of the town for the youngsters we’re leaving it to. We are capable of this, and I believe we can deliver.” |
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