A COUPLE of months into the role, I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who’s been in touch. It’s a real privilege to serve as your Cornwall councillor, and I’ve been working hard to get stuck in - both on the ground and behind the scenes.

I’ve continued taking part in training sessions to strengthen my understanding of council processes and recently attended my first audit committee meeting, an important step in ensuring transparency and accountability.

Much of my time has been spent supporting St Austell residents with planning appeals, road safety concerns and day-to-day casework. I’m also pushing for changes to how we use our shared spaces - particularly around parking and underused areas in town - to make them more accessible and better suited to local needs.

One exciting opportunity is the potential to enhance the area around the West Hill River, behind Moorland Road. Some residents have suggested turning it into a community garden. If you have ideas or would like to be involved, I’d love to hear from you.

We also have access to Community Area Partnership (CAP) funding, which can support local projects that improve neighbourhood infrastructure, public spaces or community wellbeing. If you’re part of a group with a project in mind, now’s a great time to get in touch.

Finally, many people have asked about the General Wolfe building. Cornwall Council is now inviting expressions of interest to bring the site back into use. The deadline is Monday, August 11 - visit letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/general-wolfe to learn more. I certainly welcome the fact progress is now being made on this front.

Thank you again for your continued support - I’m looking forward to engaging with even more of you over the coming months.