Lottery fever sets hearts a-flutter!

By Neil Hartnell

EAGER Falmouth punters have packed National Lottery outlets in the area over the past two days in their rush to have a flutter, although ticket sales in some areas have been blighted by by technical failings.

Most advertised retailers in Falmouth itself got the Lottery up and running on time, and have cashed into a booming market at the expense of newsagents in Mabe and Mylor.

Outlets in Falmouth town centre were especially busy, and at W H Smith in Market Street, punters were flocking to buy tickets from the crack of dawn. Trish Holmes, the customer support manager at the store, said: "We've had them knocking on the door from 7.15am. It's been very good and we've had an overwhelming response, as we didn't expect it to go on all day long."

Cheap homes plan in the spotlight

A SCHEME to build 50 affordable homes at Swanvale in Falmouth will come under scrutiny at a public meeting to be held later this month.

Magily Ltd has applied for permission to build the houses, together with access roads, car parking and a public space on the former MoD site off Hillside Road.

It is also proposed to make improvements to Hillside Road.

It was originally planned to seek permission for 75 houses, but after taking into account the views of the county surveyor, the company has now reduced that number to 50.

Carrick's planning committee met last Wednesday and were faced with Magily's proposals. It was decided to stage a site meeting made up of the full planning committee, which is to be followed by a public meeting.

Travellers to have toilets laid on

A NEW age travellers site at Ponsanooth is expected to have water and toilet facilities provided throughout the winter months.

But the county council have admitted the site near the village is an illegal one.

The cost to the county council of providing such a facility for the year will be £3,200.

A report to county social services this week by director Nigel Druce says it would be reasonable for such a service until the travellers were relocated.

He does not indicate when that will be but does say the site is illegal.

For obvious health and environmental reasons such a service should continue, said Mr Druce.

The decision is bound to anger residents in Ponsanooth who have been trying for three years to have the travellers' site closed.

It is set up in an old county council roadside depot on the outskirts of the village and has caused concern for some time.

Repeated requests to county and Kerrier councils to move the travellers on have failed.

Numbers have varied considerably but in recent weeks more have arrived.