LIBERAL Democrat campaigners John Spargo and Jeff Muir have been chosen to contest the Falmouth Smithick vacancies for Cornwall Council and Falmouth Town Council following the death of Candy Atherton.

John Spargo is a local business owner and Falmouth Town Councillor for the Smithick ward.

He has 30 years’ experience working in the building industry as a designer. He owns Tallships Trading on Church Street (now in its 23rd year) and is well known as a community campaigner.

As vice-chair of planning on Falmouth Town Council he has attended each of the recent student housing planning enquiries and has spoken out against, what he says, is inappropriate development in the town.

John is now seeking support for election to Cornwall Council and says his priorities are to upgrade Falmouth Hospital, that planning decisions are made locally following the recent decisions by government inspectors on student accommodation and holding the university to account.

"I was really shocked to see local planning decisions regarding student housing blocks overturned by outside government inspectors at recent appeals," he said. "The inspectors seemed to have scant regard for the opinion of local people. If elected to Cornwall Council I will continue to fight to protect the town’s heritage, to campaign for better housing for local people, and will oppose any more applications for student blocks or HMOs in the town."

Jeff Muir is a local business owner and is a Falmouth Smithick resident who lives on Belmont Road.

He has worked as a project manager for some of the leading British archaeology companies on historic digging sites from Cornwall to Turkey.

His current business, Boscawen CEP, specialises in helping local parish and town councils in Cornwall with community engagement as part of their neighbourhood plan strategies.

Jeff’s aim is to ensure local residents are properly consulted so that neighbourhoods develop along the lines that local people want - not as developers would like as well as making Falmouth greener, supporting independent shops and better targeted local services.

"Falmouth is blessed as a town with a vibrant and diverse community. However, I do feel that sometimes the needs of certain sections of our community can be forgotten or overlooked. It would be my intention as a town councillor to work with local groups to identify vulnerable sections of our community and try to better target resources so that those with the greatest need are helped the most," he said