After missing out on funding over the last few years Helston is now aiming high with a number of projects to transform the town.

The town has put in a bid for more than £180,000 to bring about seven initial projects for Helston – although it has been told these may have to be scaled back by Cornwall Council and kept under the £100,000 mark.

The bid to Cornwall Council's Town Vitality fund in early January was made up of:

• Helston Cultural Quarter

Improvements within and around Market Place, The Museum of Cornish Life, the Drill Hall Yard and access through to the CAST building and Wendron Street, creating a town square and links between "key cultural assets of Helston".

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• Reimagining Helston Town Centre

Creating an attractive town centre which will encourage more people to visit Helston and spend more time in the town, including addressing the issues of traffic dominance and difficult pedestrian access as well as restoring heritage features such as pavements and kennels.

• Town Centre Homes and Workspace

Finding ways to use empty properties to provide more residential and live/work accommodation within the town centre.

• Reconnecting Helston

Addressing the issues of Helston’s isolation and reliance on motor vehicles for commuting and accessing the town centre. Evolving the potential for reconnecting a rail link to Helston as well as developing green links and better public transport within the town.

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• The Penrose Trail

Completing a ‘green’ link between Helston and Porthleven with a National Trust entrance to Penrose at the foot of the town.

• Town Centre Community Hub

Creating a community building within the town to address the lack of facilities for young people and families.

• Promotion of Helston

Already funded by Helston Town Council, a marketing strategy for Helston has already been fully implemented.

In the bid Helston – which currently has 12,184 residents, around 2.1 per cent of Cornwall’s population – is described as having "pockets of significant deprivation", while also having many benefits including good schools, "excellent events" such as Flora Day, the Christmas lights switch on and Helstonbury, and a good sense of community.

Improvements in recent years include the Cornubian Arts and Sciences Trust (CAST) creating an internationally recognised arts centre, the town taking over Coronation Park and strong community organisations being set up such as Helston Climate Action Group and South Kerrier Alliance, with the report pointing out: "It is notable that much of this work has been achieved by residents, working for their community and finding funding wherever they can, whilst Helston has missed out on the major regeneration programmes offered to other Cornish towns."

Helston Town Council submitted the bid on behalf of the Helston Place Shaping Board, which has spent months developing it.

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The board is made up of Cornwall councillors for Helston Mike Thomas and John Martin, town councillor Miles Kenchington, residents Dave Potter and John Warwick, volunteer sector members Jenny Morris of Helston CIC, Katharine Lewis of Helston Climate Action Group and Natasha Long of Your Voice, and business/third sector members David Turnbull of South Kerrier Alliance and Anthony Gilbert of Anthony Gilbert Associates, with Cornwall Council community link officer Maxine Hardy and Helston's projects officer Martin Searle in non-voting roles.

They asked for a total of £180,685 over two priorities, with £109,925 of that sum included within priority one.

However, Cornwall Council has since come back to say the funding request needs to be reduced to £100,000 – and this includes the £10,000 already received early to pay for a study to see how feasible developing Helston's transports links would be as a long-term project.

Board members are now considering a revised bid and expect to hear if they have been successful by the end of February.