Councillors in Helston have |been left frustrated by what they describe as “box tickery trickery” delaying improvements to the town’s roundabouts.

Mayor Mike Thomas said revamping the roundabouts was a project he had been keen on since becoming a councillor, to “bring them in line” with other nearby towns, but he felt the town was being thwarted by paperwork and regulations.

He added: “It just mystifies me that Falmouth and Truro do so well, and we can’t seem to do anything. Everywhere you go there is box tickery trickery.”

It was after councillor Jonathan Radford-Gaby remembered how it had been suggested volunteers could revamp the roundabouts, but the “levels of red tape and box tickery involved in that were mind boggling.”

As a result the project went no further, which he described as a “great shame” and “health and safety gone mad.”

Their comments came after members were presented with a list of ongoing and future projects planned by Helston Business Improvement Partnership (HBIP).

However, HBIP development officer Shirley Moralee admitted this was a “very expensive” project and despite the group having £7,500 set aside for it, to sponsor a roundabout with Cornwall Council cost £9,250 in the first year.

“We just haven’t had the manpower to put to it,” she said.

Mrs Moralee added that the group was also waiting to see the outcome of a current consultation over which way visitors should be directed into Helston – either by the original route past Gwealdues, or the new link road to Clodgey Way.

“We don’t want to spend money and then find we’re diverting them on a different route into the town,” she said.