The road leading to Helston’s fairground on Flora Day will remain closed as usual this year, following a U-turn from the town council.

In response to a public outcry over its decision not to close the Porthleven Road leading to the fairground, as there will be no street stalls in that location, Helston Town Council’s amenities committee has now reconsidered and has now approved the closure as in previous years.

Speaking at the amenities committee meeting on Thursday, mayor Gillian Geer said a lot of people in the town did not want the road to remain open to traffic.

She added that while the road closure order itself was not expensive, the professional security guards that marshalled the barriers cost around £800 last year.

Cornwall councillor Andrew Wallis was among those opposed to keeping the road open, stating that the public was used to walking along the road to the fair in safety.

In a letter sent to the committee just before its meeting, he wrote: “My view on this issue is exactly the same as it was beforehand. This road must be closed on the grounds of public safety due to the sheer number of people attending Flora Day and the fair. Without a road closure it will put the public in danger from vehicle movements “Furthermore, not closing the Porthleven Road will lead to serious congestion due the amount of traffic trying to navigate the area both near the Fairground Car Park and at the junction to Furry Way. This will in turn increase the risk for the public.”

He added that he had contacted the fair operators asking for a contribution to the costs of the closure – and on Friday it was confirmed that the fair would give £500 towards it.

The news of the closure continuing this year has been welcomed by Mr Wallis, who said: “Whilst I disagreed with their original decision, credit to the town council for now applying for this road closure.”

For full details of the meeting and how the road closure will be paid for see this Wednesday’s Helston Packet.