Concerns over the effect on traffic have led to Helston’s councillors hitting out at plans to make a public car park private.

The town council’s planning committee was asked for its views on Sanctuary Housing’s bid for a “stopping up” order at Albion Road, on the Bulwark Estate.

This would stop the land being part of the highway and effectively make the car park there private land, allowing the housing association to only issue parking permits to tenants.

Members heard a plea from Cornwall Councillor Andrew Wallis, whose division the estate falls in.

Although unable to attend the meeting in person, he wrote to the council to say: “In the simplest of terms, I do not support this application.

“As many will know, parking in and around this area is at a premium with more cars than spaces. If a large, free to use car park is turned into what is in effect a private car park, this will only add to the congestion in the area.

“Furthermore, whilst non-Sanctuary Housing residents will not be allowed to park in this area, they will be able to park freely in other areas. This again will cause congestion.

“The final point I would like to make is whilst Sanctuary Housing is the largest social housing landlord in the area, the area is a mixed used settlement with both private tenants and home ownership. This application will cause much distress to the community and will harm the great community cohesion built up over the many years.”

The planning committee agreed with his views and voted to write to Cornwall Council to say they did not support the “stopping up”.

Members felt the loss of the public free parking would acerbate parking problems that already existed in the area, and would be detrimental to both residents and “public amenity” in the area.