Petition efforts to save Falmouth's Princess Pavilion and its gardens have stepped up this week at the same time as staff say they have been made redundant.

Three weeks ago the Packet reported how an urgent rescue package had been sought to save the pavilion by the company that runs it, with staff put at risk of redundancy.

This week a staff member contacted the Packet to say that as of Monday this week all seven permanent staff members were now out of a job.

At the time GLL, which was awarded a 25-year contract for the venue by Cornwall Council back in 2016, starting the following year, said it was waiting to her the outcome of a funding bid to the government.

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A joint statement from Cornwall Council and GLL giving an update on the current situation is expected imminently but had not arrived by the time the Packet went to press on Tuesday.

The Packet also contacted both organisations for a statement on the redundancies, but was told neither could comment on this matter at this time.

The pavilion, including its events venue, cafe and associated Gyllyngdune Gardens, has been closed since the beginning of lockdown in March.

It prompted Falmouth resident Sean Stratton to create the "Set the Pavilion Gardens Free for the People of Falmouth" petition online at www.thepetitionsite.com/528/564/644/set-the-pavilion-gardens-free-for-the-people-of-falmouth

This has now been signed 754 times and as of this week will be going out in paper form for people without access to a computer.

Sean will be visiting Carnes Court, Devington Court and Bay Court in Falmouth between 11.30am and 12pm this Saturday with copies, which will be left in the receptions of the buildings for a few days before being collected.

He also plans to leave a clipboard outside the main entrance leading to the eating and bar area of the Princess Pavilion, and hopefully one in the town centre also, to be confirmed, with each one mounted on a pink clipboard with black pen attached to a small St Piran’s flag to identify it.

In their statement earlier in September, GLL and Cornwall Council said: "Sadly, Covid safety restrictions mean there is no hope of returning to a full theatre programme until spring 2021 and GLL is having to make some very tough operational decisions.

"As a charitable social enterprise and not-for-profit organisation, GLL hasn’t qualified for any government financial support schemes and millions of pounds of income have been lost in Cornwall since March."

They said they were "working hard to find a solution" and, together with local authorities across the south west, have been jointly lobbying the government for an urgent rescue package.