Concerns have been raised that an increase in the number of street traders at a Falmouth beauty spot car park could lead to there being nowhere left to park.

Cllr Debra Clegg raised the concern about the Pendennis Point car park at a meeting of Falmouth Town Council’s planning and licensing committee last week.

Mr Wayne Gilbert attended the meeting on the advice of Cornwall Council to talk to members about his hope to put a food van on car park.

He said he’d applied for a street trader’s licence with Cornwall Council and wanted a pitch at Pendennis Point as he had been visiting it for many years with his wife and loved the place.

He said they wanted to set up some kind of food business either selling fish and chips, burgers or coffee and cakes, he wasn’t sure yet, but Cornwall Council had advised him to consult with the town council.

Councillors were told by town clerk Mark Williams that, despite the town council taking over Pendennis Point including the car park, the tarmacked area, where the pitches were, was still the responsibility of Cornwall Council as it was considered highways.

“It is still legally constituted as highway so it is still Cornwall Council’s responsibility albeit on the site that the town council now manage,” he said.

He said therefore the applicant has to get consent for a street trading licence out of Cornwall Council, despite Falmouth Town Council being the owners of the headland.

He said currently there are three street trading consents up there which already which occupy two spaces. However some councillors thought there were more businesses than that using them.

Cllr Clegg said the whole process was really confusing. “We really need clarification on how many pitches are allowed on the site before we say yes or no,” she said. “We don’t want to give the applicant the wrong information. It’s really confusing as to how many pitches are up there.”

“To that end we’ll have so many people up there trading there won’t be anywhere left to park. We’ve got a bit of an issue, Cornwall Council seem to have all these street traders springing up everywhere and we don’t get a say in it.”

Cllr Alan Jewell asked if there was any option for the bottom car park as they were responsible for that area.

Mr Williams said it was possible but it would mean losing more car parking spaces.

Mr Gilbert said he’d looked at the bottom car park and there was an area of concrete near a bunker he could lower his van in there and put out some tables and chairs.

Mr Williams said they would have to look pretty carefully at something like that as to what can go in that area.

Cllr Eva said he’d be pretty sceptical about putting something down there.

“We’ve got to be very careful because it looks like Cornwall Council are passing the buck and the next thing you know it will be up to us to repair any damage because we’ve said that they can trade there,” he said.

“Personally I think there’s enough trading up there and I don’t think there’s room for any more. If there is any more then Cornwall Council need to make that decision so it is still under the control of the council.”

Cllr Jude Robinson said while she had nothing against the van, she thought at Pendennis Point it had gone far enough.

“It’s a wild recreation place and we’ve got enough vans up there and a food van takes it one step further,” she said. “At the moment we’ve got coffee and ice cream up there but with food we enter a whole other realm and I wouldn’t want to see that.”

Cllr Jewell said putting a food van up there could be a step too far.

Cllr Clegg said they should verify with Cornwall Council how many pitches there are up there before they take it any further.