Taxis, parking, Helston’s hospital and making the most of the town’s assets were all debated at the first Helston Question Time event that was well supported last Wednesday.

Taking on a similar format to the BBC programme of the same name, a panel of well-known local faces, chaired by Helston businessman Bruce Taylor, debated various unseen questions submitted by members of the public prior to the event, in front of an audience of more than 50 people at the town’s Central Methodist Church.

Those making up the panel for this first event were chair of governors at Helston Community College Chris Webb, town mayor and business owner Gillian Geer, resident and town worker Chamonix Newsam representing the younger voice of Helston, Cornish bard and historian Martine Knight, Helston and Lizard Foodbank coordinator Ruth McGurk and former MP Andrew George, now director of the Cornwall Community Land Trust.

One topic raised by a number of people was that of car parking in the town – an issue that resonated with the audience, who showed their agreement through applause at the simple mention of it.

Resident Malcolm Oliver, who submitted a question about it, was there on the night and elaborated further saying: “There’s a lot of issues about general parking in town, but a particular one is taxis. They do a good job, I’m not knocking that, it’s where they’re parking.

“They’re double parking, they’re triple parking. They’re parking on yellow lines and blocking the whole area, particularly in the evening on Monument Road and Almshouse Hill. They’re having to turn out into oncoming traffic coming up the hill.”

Mrs Geer kicked off for the panel, but stressed she was giving her own opinion and was in no way representing the town council at this event. She said she “couldn’t agree more” regarding the taxis.

She pointed out that under Cornwall Council legislation, any taxi in the whole of the former Kerrier district area was allowed to operate in Helston without limit and the police actually encouraged taxis of an evening, to remove people exiting pubs and clubs from the town centre as quickly as possible.

Fellow panel member Mrs Knight said she understood this but added: “Unfortunately they’ve become a bit of a law unto themselves and they’re doing it any time of day. We don’t want to get to the stage where there’s an accident. “

She added that the police “have to take some responsibility” and look at ways of dealing with the taxis during the day, also stressing it needed “volumes of people complaining” to Cornwall Council and the police to get them to take action.

A related question came from a “Mrs DG,” who questioned why there were so many private “no parking” cones allowed on the streets.

Mrs Geer acknowledged this practice was “incredibly irritating,” but urged residents to be “a little generous” and allow the businesses who put them out to get their deliveries.

However, Mrs Knight, who had a long career working in various roles for the police, confirmed these cones were not legal and while she understood the reasons behind them she advised: “If you’re coming down the street and want to park, just gently move [the cone] out the way and park there, because they’re not allowed to do it.”

She also believed creating one loading bay for Meneage Street, where cones are particularly common, would help alleviate the problem, but only if somebody enforced it.

Mr George believed power should be devolved to Helston to make their own decisions on both these matters, rather than “go cap in hand” to other authorities to get a resolution.