Falmouth rising bollard to be moved to Market Street

At a meeting of Falmouth Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee last night (Monday), members voted to pay £5,000 towards the cost of moving the bollard from its current site at the entrance to Church Street to the entrance of Market Street.

The move comes after councillors were told that Cornwall Council had found an extra £16,000 toward the £21,000 cost of re-siting the bollard.

The bollard will be moved to the entrance of Market Street (Image: Newsquest)

Town clerk Mark Williams told committee members that Cornwall Council had committed £50,000 for local transport funding for the year 2022/23 towards the gateway in support of a permanent pedestrian zone from 11am to 4pm.

He said the community network panel added £10,000 to that and Cornwall Council had asked for £21,000 from the town council to move the bollard.

At a special meeting of the town council in February, councillors debated what they wanted to do and decided they wouldn’t pay £21,000 to move the bollard and just have phase one of the gateway project.

However Mr Williams said Cornwall Council had now decided to top up that budget and add a further £16,000 for local transport funding for this year and was asking Falmouth Town Council to meet the remaining £5,000 shortfall.

Earlier councillors had been told that an appeal on the rateable value applied to the area occupied by the art gallery had been successful and that the council is expecting a rebate of non-domestic business rates in the region of £55,000.

The bollard will be moved from the entrance to Church Street (Image: Newsquest)

Supporting paying the final instalment, Falmouth mayor Steve Eva said: “We’ve been round and round with this and we’re talking about £5,000. I believe it makes the street safer and I think we should get it done.

“We have a rebate from the art gallery of £55,000 coming and therefore there is enough money to take that £5,000 out for the safety of the people.

"If we leave it a year it is going to cost £20-£30,000 and it won’t get done.

“I personally think this is a one-off chance to get it done for £5,000. I think it’s a good use of money.”

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Councillors voted to use £5,000 from the rebate to fund the moving of the bollard. Only one councillor, Cllr Jayne Kirkham, voted against it.

The relocation is part of a series of gateway improvements such as, new signage, lining, planters, seating and a clear crossing point at the site being funded by Cornwall Council. The total project will cost £81,000.

The 'pedestrianisation' of Falmouth town centre during the hours of 11am to 4pm is part of a plan to make Falmouth Town Centre more user friendly.