Three community organisations will now be able to use Helston’s council building for free, although charities will continue to be charged.

The town council is also set to review how much it charges commercial organisations to use the council chamber and Corn Exchange in the Guildhall.

It follows a meeting of the council’s amenities committee on Thursday, at which members agreed the Flora Day Association, Helston and District Town Twinning Association and the Downsland Trust should be able to meet in the building free of charge.

This used to be the case up to 2011, when the full council decided that no organisation should receive free use.

So far in the current financial year (up to the end of November) the council has earned £3,037 from hiring out the Corn Exchange and council chamber. The vast majority of this - £2,212 worth – was paid by commercial companies, with £620 given by charities (including coffee mornings) and just £205 received from the three named community organisations combined.

Councillor Dave Potter believed that only commercial use of the rooms should be charged and that everyone else – community organisations and charities – should not have to pay.

“You’re talking about civic contribution,” he said. “These people are doing good for all of this town, without any commercial gain.”

However, councillor Ronnie Williams said that money was “getting tighter and tighter” and he believed “charities accept this.”

He said: “Just a little contribution to us here at the town hall is accepted. It’s a gesture.”

Councillor Mike Thomas pointed out that the Flora Day and town twinning associations both received grants from the town council and so the money in effect “just comes back” in room hire, with committee chair Nicola Boase agreeing: “We’re taking that grant money from other people that ask for it.”

Following the decision from the amenities committee, the council’s finance committee will now look at the existing hire costs.

Currently, for everyone except trade exhibits or commercial companies, this is priced at £12 for up to three hours for the council chamber (£3 per hour after that) and £6.50 for three hours of the Corn Exchange before 5pm and £7.50 after 5pm (with an additional £2 for every further hour). The use of the kitchen is an extra £6 for three hours (plus £1 every further hour).

However, trade exhibits and commercial use of both buildings costs £30, or £7 per stall if this is greater.

Councillor Rev Danny Reed described these charges as “extremely cheap” and he suggested: “Should we consider for commercial people these are in desperate need of increasing?”

A review of the charges will be made in March.