Art should be central to the future of Porthleven and is key to saving its most iconic building.

This is the belief of Porthleven businessman Trevor Osborne, owner of the Harbour & Dock Company, who set out his vision on Monday night for an arts festival in the port and the creation of an arts community.

At the centre of his concept is the Bickford Smith Institute and its iconic clock tower, which he believed was the ideal location for artists and exhibitions.

He was also of the belief that using the institute for this purpose would help attract essential funding to restore the building and save it for for future generations.

Mr Osborne invited artists from Porthleven and the surrounding area, as well as representatives of the town council group looking at the future of the institute and the great grandson of its founder, Peter Bickford-Smith, to a gathering at his house on Monday to explain his idea.

He said: "Art is very important; if you get the art right people follow. There are a lot of artistic people here and I wondered how we might bring that all together.

"My intention is not to see Porthleven change its character, but build on its character. We have seen that to an extent with the restaurants we have got. We have a good reputation now for good, honest food.

"Secondly we have got these festivals - lifeboat day has been going for a long as I can remember and the food festival is a fantastic example of what can come from a community working together.

"I think perhaps the next stage of Porthleven moving forward is to build our reputation as an artists' community. "Perhaps in the future Porthleven can be the natural place for an arts festival.

"One of the purposes of doing this is to enhance and make full use of assets for charity bodies.

"Linking the institute with the arts has a financial benefit for the restoration of this building, I'm positive."

A draft proposal from the town council working party suggests turning the current council offices into a holiday cottage, with the main body of the institute - currently used as a snooker room - used as a large ‘community space,’ an office for the council clerk and a mezzanine level meeting room.

But Mr Osborne added: "I've said I don't think it should be a holiday let and there must be a better place to put the snooker table and house the town council - make this building the visionary building it deserves to be.

"I would like to see a building so adaptable that every organisation in Porthleven could find a benefit to use it."

He also hoped Porthleven could create strong links with Falmouth University's art school and develop further the existing connection with Bath Spa University School of Art and Design, which already runs the Porthleven Prize.