MUSICAL competitors at a "friendly" local festival turned in some outstanding performances, say organisers.

Classes at Wall Music Festival, known as the Friendly Festival, attracted participants from far and wide and included choirs, solo vocalists and performers on woodwind, brass, strings and piano.

Several very high marks were awarded by adjudicator David Bruce-Payne.

Among the top performers were Stithians Ladies Choir (92, 91), David Rashleigh (90), Florence Harrison (90), Jacob Perry (90), Sophie Weeks and Jacob Perry (90), Savannah Hall (90), Hayle String Ensemble (90), the Meagers Ensemble (182), Kerenza Hurr (90), Amanda Lyne (91), Harry Flint (91), Kate Doran (90), Andy Wingham (90), Lucy Wetherill and Martin True (90).

The festival week ended on Saturday evening with a concert by winning performers, at which the special trophies were presented.

Festival chairman Alan Butterfield said: "In everybody's view it was an extremely successful festival. Everything went according to plan.

"The success was due in no small part to our very fine adjudicator, who was not only helpful in all his remarks to competitors, young and old, but was also the most affable of all our adjudicators over the years.

"He really enjoyed himself and said so, and helped all our competitors to enjoy themselves, too."

A ST AUSTELL company with the first electric taxi in Cornwall fears the brakes could be applied to their plans to put the eco-vehicle on the town's ranks.

C&C Cars has invested £23,000 in the green vehicle, which has been topped up with a £5,000 government grant.

Proprietor Michelle Williams and her partner Mark have ambitious plans to purchase two more electric cars.

But they fear after contacting Cornwall Council that the firm will be refused a Hackney carriage licence, a requirement to put the cars on the town's taxi ranks.

Mr Williams said the merger of the taxi zones throughout the former Restormel Borough has seen licensed Hackney carriages snapped up by neighbouring Newquay drivers.

This has resulted in a large proportion of Hackney carriage taxis operating in the coastal resort, leaving St Austell's taxi ranks vacant and no Hackney service in rural areas, said Mr Williams.

Previously Fowey would have had its own zone, as would Lostwithiel, Newquay, St Austell town centre and a St Austell rural taxi zone.

These five zones have since been amalgamated into one.

But the owners of C&C Cars believe there is unmet demand and don't understand why – following an informal approach to the council – they have been left feeling that it is not keen on their green scheme.

Mr Williams, 42, said that this goes against the council's ambition to make St Austell the green capital of the county and a joint approach to harness £37 million of government grants to install electric vehicle charging points.

London mayor Boris Johnson has said he wants the capital to have a zero-emission taxi fleet by 2020 and C&C Cars hopes Cornwall Council will follow.

Miss Williams, also 42, explained they could continue using the car for private hire but can't wait on the ranks or be hailed in the street.

"There used to be 40 Hackney carriage taxis, now there are 24 but the population has risen, surely simple maths says there aren't enough," she said, and added that it is an issue of public safety.

"The taxi ranks should have taxis sat on them. People need to get home and should not be left without a way of getting home.

"To say people will always be able to ring for a private hire car is just not realistic."

Miss Williams admits they were sold on the idea of electric taxis because of their environmental views and to keep ahead of the game.

"We hope the council will support a local business that wants to support and encourage green technology while investing in public safety."

Their application to Cornwall Council for a Hackney carriage vehicle licence was submitted last week.

A Cornwall Council spokesman said the decision would be made by its miscellaneous licensing committee within the next two months.

The committee will take into account the findings of an independent survey carried out in 2011, which include responses from the taxi industry, police, town and parish council and the public.

She added: "The study concluded that there was no evidence of significant unmet demand for Hackney carriages in Cornwall Council's Restormel Taxi Zone and so the level of provision has not been changed."

CASH-STRAPPED Bodmin Town Council has suffered years of massive losses on the buildings it owns.

The council has closed the Public Rooms and has made six staff redundant in a bid to save money, but its accounts show hundreds of thousands of pounds have been wiped from annual budgets by spending money on its buildings with little return.

During the previous financial year, it lost £44,000 on the Shire Hall and £51,750 on the Shire House complex.

The council closed the Public Rooms a month ago after suffering a £12,000 loss on the building last year.

The council blames high insurance and maintenance costs for the losses, and insists it is impossible to look at the accounts on a purely profit and loss basis, as councils are not in the business of making money.

One of the largest losses recorded last year was from the tourism. The multi-award winning Visitor Information Centre, cost the council £102,000 to run, largely made up of staff wages. But its income was only £28,000, resulting in a loss of £74,000.

For the current financial year, the town council has estimated it will lose more than £95,000 on promoting the town through tourism, and £83,000 on the Shire House complex.

Councillor Ralph Solomons, chairman of the council's finance committee, said it was unfair to look at the figures on a profit and loss basis.

"Town councils do not make profits, and maintaining historic buildings costs an awful lot of money. Our insurance bill alone comes to £50,000 per year.'' said Mr Solomons.

"The income from these buildings isn't great because it's mainly local organisations that hire them, and we always try to keep the fee as low as possible, and give a discount of 40 per cent when we can.''

Mr Solomons said tourism was important to the area.

"You look at other tourist information centres in Cornwall and they now have financial problems because a lot of their funding has been cut. This has not happened in Bodmin because the town council pays to keep the visitor centre running, and it is vital that we continue to do so.

"If the town council were to shut it, imagine the detrimental effect it would have not only to Bodmin, but to tourism in the surrounding area.''

Mr Solomons said cuts had to be made this year, with 6 of the 20 town council staff losing their jobs, along with the closure of the Public Rooms.

He said he was confident the building would reopen in the future, with a newly formed charitable trust taking it over.

Mr Solomons added the town council had no intention of selling the building to a property developer if there was local interest to reopening the Public Rooms.

A past mayor of Bodmin Charles Horton said if the council had spent money on the Public Rooms over the years, it would still be open today.

Mr Horton, who was mayor between 1979 and 1980, said: "The last time any significant money was spent on the Public Rooms was in 1983 when £60,000 was spent on improvements to the building, and hardly anything has been spent since. The council has let it run down over the years, and I very much hope local people can get together and reopen it soon.''

A GLIMPSE into the talent of local student artists and a few names to watch for the future were in evidence at the White Out summer exhibition.

White Out, the eighth annual exhibition of work by Truro College art and design students, filled a marquee on Lemon Quay.

Awards were presented at the exhibition's private view for outstanding work.

Elliot Benjamin won the Kiwi Studios Open Prize with work that at first appears to be minimal and black, but then reveals more when heat is applied to it.

He explained: "It's a two-layered screen-print with thermochromic ink which when heated reveals my design. It can be activated by body temperature. I like it because it's interactive. The viewer has a personal experience with the work, so it's different for everyone. Winning an award gives me a good boost."

Benjamin Ayling was chosen by owner-directors David Durham and Dee Bray of Porthminster Gallery, St Ives to have one of his pieces displayed at the gallery.

Mr Durham said of Benjamin's piece: "I thought it was very gutsy and bold, not too tentative. I think that his character was revealed: that he is not frightened to have a go, and that gives the impression that there are great things to come. I'm really interested to see what he goes on to do from here and watch his career develop."

Awards were also presented to: Liberty Smith – Headland Printers Award; Barnaby Dobson and Bethany Chadd – Illustrated Living Awards; Dani Smith, Gemma Stephens, Reuben Harris and Charlie Stopford – Truro Decorative and Fine Art Society Awards; Danielle Elks – St Justin Ltd Award for a silversmithing/jewellery student; Adam Jackson and Olivia Aggett – John Howard Print Studios Awards; Sam Golley – Newlyn School of Art prize for an outstanding foundation student; India Crawford Scott, Alice Strotten and Josh Pickthorne -– Uneeka prizes; George Northcott – Truro College Art and Design Team Award; Dani Smith and Amelia Maguire – Kiwi Print Studios prizes; Mica Anderson – Newlyn Exchange Prize.

The exhibition featured work from Truro College's art and design courses including A levels, diplomas, the foundation diploma, foundation degrees, part-time courses, the International Baccalaureate and the Saturday Club.

The title White Out refers to the new White building, the purpose-built art and design facility at the Truro College campus, and the bringing of art out into the community.

Martin Page, programme leader for art and design at Truro College said: "The event is a wonderful celebration of the diversity and excellence of work produced by students.

"This creative energy will support Cornwall and the whole country on into the future, as new professional artists and designers for the UK's creative economy.

"Truro College has shown confidence by opening a brand new art and design building. We knew that such confidence in the visual arts would be reflected in the abundant creative talent on display at our shows.

"Thank you to all the staff who have helped make this event happen, the companies who have supported us and provided some unique prizes for the winners.

"Most of all well done to the students whose dedication and creativity has done us proud."

A HAYLE youngster who wanted hair as long as Rapunzel has had it cut off to help a child with cancer.

Seven-year-old Chloe Dowrick has raised more than £550 and donated her blond locks to the Little Princess Trust so that another child can have them made into a wig.

Her mother Kerie said: "She decided to have her hair cut because she heard about children having cancer and thought that way one of them could use her hair."

Chloe, who attends Bodriggy Academy, has never had her hair cut before and on a recent trip to Disneyland she decided she wanted to be like the fairytale character Rapunzel.

But her desire to help others was stronger and Chloe's aunt Jade Gilbert, who runs Studio 59 in Hayle, cut the hair.

It was then sent to the charity to be made into a wig for a child who has lost their own hair through cancer.

Kerie added: "I am just really proud of her because it was such a big thing for her to do."

To find out more or to donate to the cause, go to http://www.justgiving.com/CHLOE-DOWRICK/new/2

The music of a neglected Cornish composer will "come home" later this month when two brass bands stage a concert to mark the centenary of his birth.

George Lloyd is to be the subject of an evening of music at St Ives Guildhall on June 28 – a hundred years to the day since he was born in the seaside town.

Led by Camborne Town Band and Cornwall Youth Brass Ensemble, it will feature many of the composer's best-known works. Among them will be HMS Trinidad, which was premiered at sea in 1941, with the composer playing cornet.

St Ives mayor Colin Nicholls said: "George Lloyd is one of St Ives' and Cornwall's forgotten sons, who made a significant contribution to 20th century music in this country.

"It is fantastic that his birthplace, St Ives, will be the location for this showcase of his work."

Born in what is now St Eia Hotel on the main road into the town, he and his family later moved to Zennor, where his parents ran the Wayside Museum. His father was an accomplished flautist and secretary of St Ives Arts Club, while his mother was a violinist and pianist.

Lloyd began playing the violin at the age of five and writing music at ten. He had considerable early success with opera before the age of 21 and his productions at The Lyceum and Covent Garden in London were attended by the musical establishment.

After serving in the Royal Navy during the Second World – when he suffered considerable physical and psychological injuries in a torpedo attack – he made his home first in Switzerland, then moved to Dorset and later London.

His repertoire consists of symphonies, concertos and operas, as well as music for piano and violin.

In total, he wrote three operas, three major cantatas, twelve symphonies, seven concertos and numerous chamber and brass works.

Inspired by the sound of St Ives Salvation Army Band as a child, he went on to compose a substantial body of scores for brass band. It is these which will form the centrepiece of the St Ives tribute concert.

His nephew, William Lloyd, said: "St Ives and Cornwall were both very important to George Lloyd. He was proud to be a Cornishman and he retained a fascination with Cornish archaeology and mythology throughout his life. So it is immensely pleasing that his home town of St Ives has organised this centenary celebration in his honour.

"Although his centenary year is being celebrated all over the country by our most prestigious musical institutions, I have no doubt that this recognition from the town of his birth would have touched him as deeply as anything."

Brass band broadcaster Phillip Hunt added: "Mention the name of George Lloyd in any discussion regarding our most prominent Cornishmen and it is probable that you will be met with a blank look.

"Yet his name should be better known, particularly here in his native land, as the great composer he was, with his large body of accessible works clearly reflecting his Celtic origins."

The St Ives concert is the first of a series taking place around Cornwall this year. Surrey Opera will give two performances of George Lloyd's first opera Iernin on November 1 and 2 at St John's Hall in Penzance, while the Three Spires Singers and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales will be performing his Symphonic Mass in Truro Cathedral on November 23.

An orchestral version of HMS Trinidad will also be played at The Last Night of the Proms on September 7 in London's Royal Albert Hall.

Tickets for the St Ives Guildhall concert, priced £8 and £5, are available from crbo.co.uk or 01726-879500.

The man who gave Cornwall its first family theme park will this week launch a book charting his eventful career as a Royal Navy pilot.

By the time Douglas Kingsford-Hale set up Flambards at Helston in 1976 he had already spent several years at the controls of military planes.

Now 82, Mr Kingsford-Hale decided that with Flambards up for sale it was time he sat down and recalled his memories of life in the air.

From being part of a practical joke involving President George Bush to diving in flying formation on to a tiny American hamlet at 350mph, the resulting book is packed with anecdotes.

Entitled Unbelievable, it records his adventures in the Fleet Air Arm after joining up as a National Service conscript in 1952. He said the move was completely against the wishes of his family who, as members of the exclusive Plymouth Brethren, were registered conscientious objectors. So, to get around this hurdle and fulfil his ambition of becoming a Royal Navy fighter pilot, Mr Kingsford-Hale resorted to subterfuge.

"I paid a call to an office in Tavistock Square, claiming to be a journalist researching conscientious objectors," he said. "My request was granted and the young lady passed me the cards of registration for 1952. With a deft sleight of hand I found, and kept, my registration card – which was never to see the light of day again."

Graduating close to the top of his class in his initial Royal Navy course, he was one of six cadets chosen for flying training in the US. His first flying instructor was one George Bush Senior who, along with five other instructors, replaced their students one day as part of a prank involving a colleague.

"On take-off the instructors broke every rule in the book," he said "They were conducting aerobatics on take-off, badly positioned and appeared to be totally out of control, which caused the flight instructor to have kittens. Poor fellow, he didn't have a chance against these rebellious veterans of flight, who seemed to everything wrong."

Like George Bush, several of the characters he met during his life as a pilot went on to become high profile figures in their own fields. He would go drinking with a fellow student called Ed Martin – who became a much-decorated vice admiral in the US Navy – and his friend Bob Hope.

Unbelievable by Douglas Kingsford-Hale is published by Flambards at £4.99 and is available from the attraction or online, from www.flambards.co.uk

Dozens of communities from across the Westcountry gathered together to celebrate the fifth annual Big Lunch yesterday joining millions of others for the event inspired by the co-founder of the Eden Project.

The Big Lunch was started in 2009 and since then has gone on to be participated in by millions of people each year, with a huge variety of lunch-based events being carried out across Devon and Cornwall.

Lunches in the Westcountry ranged from small gatherings to larger affairs and included a lunch in Wadebridge, which was attended by the event's co-founder Sir Tim Smit.

The Duchess of Cornwall got involved too as the special guest at an event held at a local primary school in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Sir Tim said: "Come rain or shine, the Big Lunch is always a great success and a wonderful occasion for people to get together in the name of community spirit, for a day of laughter, friendship and fun.

"After five years, it's amazing to see so many people taking our simple idea and really making it work wonders for their communities.

"We've heard so many inspiring stories already and know they'll be plenty more to come. Roll on 2014."

Other events in Devon and Cornwall included one at Par and St Blazey, organised by Sonia Clyne.

"The day has been brilliant so far," she said.

"There are lots of new faces and people from all over are pulling together and helping out, the local band are playing and the local chapel have kindly set up some games for the children. The local pub has put on a barbeque and the weather is brilliant sunshine – the best day we've had in months."

Fernando Ramirez organised a Big Lunch at Roselyon School in Par.

The school is part of the DaCapo Music Foundation which commissioned a special Big Lunch celebration song, written by Hollywood composer John Ashton Thomas. Roselyon School's DaCapo choir sang the celebration song to Barbara Windsor at the Eden Project in April, and performed the song again at their Big Lunch.

He said: "We have just finished the performance of 'celebration' sung by around 40 school children. Their parents and professional musicians joined in with them too.

"I invited some musicians to enjoy the performance and it was great to see them come along and a fantastic way to meet new people."

Claire Griffiths of Mencap organised a Big Lunch in Truro for adults with learning difficulties who live in a supported living setting. She said: "The best part is just getting the chance to be sociable and get together."

Elaine Turner, organiser of the Big Lunch that took place at Bearnes Voluntary Primary School in Newton Abbot said: "It's actually been really fun to organise and we are definitely hoping to do a Big Lunch again next year."

Since the Big Lunch was started by Eden Project co-founder Sir Tim Smit and Paul Twivy in 2009 it has been participated in by more than ten million people.

The lunch was enjoyed by 8.5 million people in the UK last year when the organisers worked with Buckingham Palace to support the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Funded by the Big Lottery, the combined community event has been participated in by a variety of celebrities including London mayor Boris Johnson, soap actress Barbara Windsor and celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

After its first year in 2009, when the event was taken part in by less than a million people after the largest edible invitation was created to celebrate its launch, the Big Lunch has constantly grown in popularity.

More outlandish and bigger parties are planned each year, including a lunch at Buckingham Palace and outside the Prim Minister's house at No. 10 Downing Street.

But participation has not just been restricted to the UK, for instance in 2009, the people of Garstang, Britain's first fair trade town, held lunches simultaneously with a cocoa-farming community in Ghana and a group in the US.

Its global appeal has since expanded and last year it was participated in by people from 70 countries across the world.

In its five-year history the Big Lunch has recorded some outstanding success and with more than half the UK population now aware of the event and 82% of participants reporting back that they feel closer to their neighbours as a result, organisers are hoping that the next five years bring more growth along the same trend.

Some of the region's finest food and drink was enjoyed at the water's edge during a popular annual event in Cornwall.

Hundreds of people descended upon the Festival by the Sea during a fine sunny weekend in Looe.

And they watched on beneath almost cloudless skies as dozens of amateur boats took to the sea for the town's raft race, now in its 15th year.

Organised by the Looe Boat Owners' Association to raise money for the RNLI, the event saw some 34 unusual rafts splashing about on the sea.

Organiser Dave Peat said: "It was a perfect day with heaven-sent weather and loads of people.

"The town was full of tourists after being bereft of people lately due to the road closure.

"The atmosphere was fantastic as a staggering number of people supported beside the water and from their balconies."

It was hoped the event would raise £2,000 for the RNLI.

People were also able to enjoy locally-sourced seafood as they watched the race.

Westcountry foodies were spoilt for choice as another large event took place in a Devon town.

The inaugural Ottery St Mary Food and Families Festival took place on Friday and Saturday with an abundance of local produce available for people to sample.

A 'fish-dancing' competition was one of the highlights during the community-run event as the town was transformed for the two days. Local chefs showcased some of the best of their food during cookery demonstrations in a pop-up food tent.

Hamish Spence, who attended the event, posted on Facebook: "The festival was a very successful and entertaining afternoon enjoyed by many on a very warm, sunny day."

A food and drink street market ran through the town, while there was a cookery theatre, live music, beer tent, children's competitions and plenty of other stalls.

Thousands of trees, including some of the Westcountry's most ancient forests, could be on the brink of destruction from pests and disease wreaking a "devastating" impact on the region's fragile ecosystems.

Conservationists have warned that diseases such as ash dieback and acute oak decline have put at risk trees that have stood as "stalwarts" of their communities for centuries.

Described as the natural equivalent of listed buildings, trees such as the Darley oak, which has stood on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall for as many as 1,000 years, play a valuable role in boosting biodiversity, as well as featuring in ancient folklore and culture.

There are estimated to be 147 ancient trees in Devon and Cornwall, with a further 1,549 that are classed as notable or veteran.

Tim Kellett, from the Cornwall Ancient Tree Forum, said that ancient trees were under threat for lots of reasons, including land management

"We are learning a lot more about ancient trees and their value to the ecosystem and biodiversity," he said.

"It is a great concern because what we are talking about is trees that are several hundred years old, it's is going to take a very long time to build up that ecology. It's not just going to happen in a couple of decades.

"It's also the social value when you get trees like the Darley oak with lots of history. There could about 100 in Cornwall and it is important that they are well looked after. It would be nice to make sure people look after them."

In total, there are 18 ancient common ash trees in Devon and Cornwall that are threatened by Chalara ash dieback, a fungus which kills ash trees and has arrived in the UK from the continent.

But it is not just ash trees which are under threat from disease, the region's 94 ancient oaks are at risk of acute oak decline and oak processionary moths, and its ten notable or veteran Scots pines are threatened by needle blight.

Juniper, oak, beech and sweet chestnut are all affected by Phytopthora fungi while invasive non-native pests are also a threat, including the Asian longhorn beetle, which attacks most broadleaved tree species. The Government is consulting on bringing in a ban on importing sweet chestnut trees to stop the spread of sweet chestnut blight, which wiped out trees throughout the eastern US and is now infecting trees as close to the UK as France.

Austin Brady, head of conservation at the Woodland Trust, said: "Losing some trees to diseases and pests is all part of life and death in the forest, but to lose our precious ancient trees would be terrible.

"These huge stalwarts have taken centuries to grow and their loss would just be devastating, not only for the landscape, but for the environment."

The Darley oak, which is said to be the oldest living tree in Cornwall, has played a valuable role in its community for centuries, having been used as a venue for tea parties as far back as 1727, until a great canopy section collapsed in the eighties.

It became the subject of local folklore and was said to have special healing properties for various ailments and diseases.

Reputedly, wishes were granted to anyone who passes through its hollow and circles the girth.

Catherine Horrell, who is tree warden for the parish of Likinhorne, near Callington, in which the legendary oak is situated, said she has a tree grown from acorn belonging to the Darley oak in her back garden. She added the tree is really important for invertebrates.

The Woodland Trust is holding a conference in June with some of the top minds in conservation, forestry and tree health, to find a way forward for the country's trees and woods.

In the meantime, it is urging the public to get into the countryside and look at trees for signs of disease, so that experts can get as accurate a picture of the situation as possible. With ash trees coming into leaf, people can begin to spot if ash dieback is present. One of the easiest ways to check for disease at this time of year is to scratch a little of the bark off and if it is green underneath it is healthy, but if it is brown it is not. Diamond-shaped lesions on the trunk, wilting on the leaves, which may become blackened through summer but stay on the branch, and a balding crown of the tree, are all signs of ash dieback.

Celebrations took place across the Westcountry yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.

In Truro a full scale reenactment of the ceremony in 1953 was carried out by children to minute detail, with replica crown jewels, including crowns, orb and sceptre, as well as an 8ft 6in royal carriage.

In Silverton, in mid-Devon, a host of events took place on the village's recreation ground – including a bring-your-own picnic and a PImms and beer bar – for the occasion which also marked the opening of a new playground and skate park.

The ceremonial event in Truro took place in the city's catherdral and was organised by Yvonne Fuller, who had co-ordinated two previous reenactments at St Mawes which got the Royal seal of approval when the Queen congratulated organisers and children for all their 'dedication, hard work, and attention to detail'. Ms Fuller said: "It is a magnificent building and a stunning setting for the re-enactment. We tried to capture the look and feel of the original Coronation in minute detail."

The ceremony which replaced the cathedral's normal Evensong, included, Parry's I Was Glad and Handel's Zadok the Priest sung by Truro Cathedral Choir.

A week of good weather has provided a much needed shot in the arm for the Westcountry tourist industry with thousands of visitors and locals heading out in the region.

High weekend temperatures that brought the South West on to an even keel with some of its European counterparts and a week of good weather has led to strong visitor numbers for some of the region's top destinations.

Beach attractions, cafes and restaurants and campsites were among those to benefit the most from the good weather, with the owner of one North Devon attraction saying he hoped it would act as a "springboard" for the summer.

It is anticipated that over 400,000 people visited Devon and Cornwall over the Whitsun week, and tourism chiefs are hoping the good weather will encourage more to book for the summer.

The soaring temperatures provided a stark difference to the last 12 months, which brought with it record breaking spells of poor weather, including the coldest spring in 50 years.

Malcolm Bell, head of tourism at VisitCornwall, said the good weather has had an impact on both the tourist and local spend.

"It's almost brought the belief back again," he said. "After the wettest 12 months for 100 years, all we needed was a reasonable bit of luck on a half-term period.

"If you are a beach cafe or a shop it's been very important, it's a really good sign for them. I was up in London on Friday and it was the sort of sticky weather that makes you want to go to the coast."

Rick Turner, director of the Big Sheep, in North Devon, said that visitor numbers were up year 18% year-on-year.

He said: "I think this week will act as a springboard for the whole industry. Apart from the wet weather on Monday afternoon it was sunny from Sunday to Saturday. So many people are doom and gloom. We have had four of five years of not very good weather, we could have four of five of great weather."

Ron Lyne, who runs Henry's campsite on the Lizard, Cornwall, said: "It's been a big boost with the weather. We have been taking bookings not just for the week but for the summer. It's been an important week."

The chronic housing crisis – characterised by high property prices and a dearth of affordable homes – is stifling economic recovery across the South West, businesses have warned.

The "sky-high" cost of renting and buying is making it difficult for firms to recruit staff, according to a survey of more than 1,000 employers commissioned by the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Four out of five (80%) of those polled in the region said the lack of affordable housing is stunting economic growth in local communities with 70% warning it is affecting their ability to attract and keep workers.

NHF lead manager in the region Sarah Carr said recovery is being held back by a lack of homes which has pushed up prices and rents "beyond reach". She said less than half of the 240,000 homes needed were being built nationally.

"Building more homes can kick-start local economies faster than any other industry, create jobs and can keep local shops or pubs open," she added. "It could be the crucial difference between a thriving community and a dead ghost town. If things don't change, employers will simply move taking away desperately needed jobs."

The ComRes report also found that 55% of managers think the availability of affordable housing would be important if they were moving to another area or expanding business. Around three quarters of the sample said house prices are a problem in their area, and that building more homes would stimulate the local economy and bring in more business and custom.

Employers also had an urgent message for local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to focus efforts in housing.

Out of the 61 quizzed, 42 said local investment in affordable housing should be part of LEP strategies when distributing the Government's Local Growth Fund.

Tim Jones, chairman of the Heart of the South West LEP, said that "critically important" issue was "right on the front burner" for the organisation. He added: "It has so been a missed opportunity by the Government but they have got the message now and in the next 12 months we will see a lot of money thrown at the housing industry. We have been saying for a long time the lessons of the Great Depression must be learned – we built our way out in the 1930s with 300,00 houses a year creating a third of all employment. The construction industry can turn the tap on fairly quickly and if we can activate the market it is a win-win situation."

A recent NHF report by the National Housing Federation put the average house price in the South West for a first-time buyer in 2012 at £161,046, rising to £234,582 by 2020.

Nationally, rents are set to rise by around 6% a year as interest rates and house prices rise, climbing 32% by 2018, Richard Copus, spokesman for the South West branch of the National Association of Estate Agents, said the housing market was "creaking" with market activity still 40% down on where it should be, though he added that there were signs of improvement. He claimed local anti-development campaigns in towns and villages, so-called "nimbyism" was holding back many affordable developments.

"In Holne, where I live, it took at least six years to get a scheme for six affordable homes through – the nimby brigade is small in number but highly articulate," he added. "Planning needs to be eased for the rented sector – we need a whole rainbow mix of different types of housing."