West Briton column 9 July 2020 - Arts and ASB

The past weekend saw further easing of lockdown across Truro and Falmouth, which has allowed a multitude of cafes, restaurants, pubs and other services such as hairdressers to re-open providing they are able to safely do so.

It was good to see so many places re-opening and also that the vast majority of people out in city’s streets were able to successfully socially distance and enjoy themselves while supporting local businesses.

Another concern from the weekend is that we were all going to be swamped with visitors with the lifting of the overnight stay restrictions and reopening of holiday accommodation. Again, while it certainly was busier than it has been, the forecast 80,000 visitors simply did not come to Cornwall.

One area where we have had issues in recently, perhaps due to lockdown issues, is with anti-social behaviour. This has been reported to me by many local residents and businesses and is something I have discussed solutions to with the local police during my regular meetings with them.

I was pleased to see last week then, an announcement from our Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez, that Truro will be receiving an additional £20,000 to help tackle these specific issues on Lemon Quay, as well as another £20,000 to address similar issues at Perranporth.

This funding can be spent on street marshals, CCTV, assisting volunteer schemes like Street Pastors and the provision of temporary toilets, and £3,000 of it should already have been made available ahead of last weekend.

Anti-social behaviour can often become more of an issue in the summer months and particularly now, when our businesses and town centres need all the help they can get in reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding could not have come at a better time.

I congratulate our police for the recent arrests they have already made in Truro in the last week, and hope this additional funding will provide a solution with the communities to allow additional ways to be considered to crackdown further on anti social behaviour in these areas.

Away from policing matters, as Sunday drew to a close I was really pleased to see the announcement from the Chancellor of a £1.5billion support for our arts, culture and heritage sectors.

This is an amazing and unprecedented move from the Government that is sadly needed given the extraordinary times we are living through. While I await to see details of how this funding will be allocated and drawn down, I am very aware of how much these sectors are a part of Truro and Falmouth.

I will certainly do all I can to ensure Truro and Falmouth benefits from this and any other funding that becomes available.

Please continue to stay safe. If you need my assistance with anything, please get in touch at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or on 01872 229698 or you can write to me by letter at Lemon Chapel, William Street, Truro, TR1 2ED.