WALKERS across Falmouth are facing overgrown hedges, giant nettles and broken fences, blamed on cutbacks to Cornwall Council’s public rights of way maintenance budgets.

The problems are particularly bad on Pendennis Point and on the coast path from Gyllyngvase Beach to Swanpool Beach.

The issue was raised by local resident Dave Addinall, who, despite reporting the problems to the authority, said he has yet to see much improvement to the situation.

He said: “I read in the Packet about plans to spend £10,000 on creating a leisure area in the Church Street car park in town, and thought there are far more important things you could be spending that money on.

“Instead of creating new attractions, we should be looking after the ones we have here already.

“We get visitors from all over the world coming here, we really should be looking after it far better.

“Falmouth is not another Newquay, we do not attract younger tourists, we tend to attract older visitors, and they like to go walking.

“There are issues like a small landslide on Pendennis Point which has been left untouched since last year. It would not take much to improve it all, it just needs strimming back and tidying up.”

Problems include broken fences and overgrown plants obscuring the view on Castle Drive, and overgrown pathways on Pendennis Rise.

A council spokesman said: “The weather conditions during the months of May and June have accelerated growth along public rights of way and Cornwall Council is working with its service provider in making every effort to maintain these sites to a suitable standard within the constraints of the budgets available.

“Unfortunately, the financial position we have been placed in by central Government means we have been forced to make further savings from our budgets for the maintenance of our public rights of way.

“However, we recognise the importance of these and are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of this reduced budget.”