Budock parishioners have expressed their anger about a proposal to make their parish a ward of Falmouth.

Cornwall Council is currently undertaking a Community Governance Review to re-evaluate town and parish council boundaries.

As part of this, Falmouth Town Council is proposing to either extend its western boundary into Budock, or to take over the parish entirely so that it becomes a ward of the town.

Budock residents met in the village hall last week to discuss the proposals.

Councillor Malcolm Bennett later told the Packet: "There's a lot of anger in Budock Parish about the fact that Falmouth want to expand into our parish."

He went on to say: "It's very much a rural parish, people choose to live in that rural nature. If they want to live in Falmouth there's plenty of property available."

The focus of Falmouth's proposals is to extend its boundaries so that the two new housing estates on Bickland Water Road fall within the town.

At the moment, the border between Falmouth and Budock runs through Taylor Wimpey's Chy An Dowr and Persimmon Homes' Eve Parc developments.

Falmouth Town Council also hopes to extend the northern boundary of the town's Trescobeas ward so that it meets the A39 and encompasses land earmarked for development.

Describing the proposals as a "land grab," councillor Bennett said that residents expressed "shock and anger" in the meeting last Monday.

The parish council also sent out a questionnaire to residents which he says confirms "that local people do not wish to become part of Falmouth, and most importantly want to maintain Budock's separate identity and rural nature."

Falmouth's town clerk Mark Williams, however, says that the term "'land grab' is unnecessarily emotive and inaccurate."

He went on to say: "The Falmouth Council submission is a logical extension (a) to make the A39 the boundary between Falmouth and Penryn.

"Then (b) the extension west is to encompass the industrial units and houses built there, and planned to be built there and bring the new Falmouth Cemetery site into the town boundary.

"The Falmouth proposal is a sensitive and doesn’t merely look to make Budock a Ward of Falmouth as has been stated, but ensures a green buffer is retained between the urban area and Budock Village and preserves the identity of Budock Church. That is specifically to ensure that Budock does retain its rural character and is not swamped by future development."

He added: "Falmouth has grown in the 45 years since boundaries were last comprehensively reviewed."

Cornwall Council is currently considering the submissions received from town and parish councils across the county.

It will publish draft recommendations and seek public consultation between December 11 and March 10 2020.

Re-organisation of town and parish councils will take place in September 2020.

Click here for more information on the Community Governance Review.