Falmouth Town Council is requesting a meeting with the Marine Management Organisation in the hope of speeding up a decision on plans to dredge a deep water channel into the port.

Councillor Candy Atherton raised the issue after attending a meeting of Falmouth Town Forum where the question was asked as to what the current situation was with regards to Falmouth Harbour Commissioners’ application for consent to dredge.

The council unanimously agreed to support the request for a meeting with the MMO.

Speaking afterwards, Ms Atherton said: “We (at the forum) all agreed it would be a good plan for the town council, independent of the harbour commissioners, to seek a meeting with the MMO.

“It has gone on for too long. I was told the MMO would be reporting last September and we are still waiting. We are talking about two per cent of the harbour. We have seen the cruise ships decline in number and size yet other ports around the world are burgeoning because they have taken action.

“Everyone feels strongly that we want a diverse town and we want it to thrive. If we lose the docks we lose the jobs and the very heart of the town. It’s not just about the cruise ships, but also the ordinary ships that come in for ship repair.

“We only need to do it (dredge) once as the tides mean it will stay dredged. It’s absolutely critical.”