A POT of at least £220,000 is sitting in Cornwall Council's bank vaults, ready to be invested in Newquay town centre – but no process exists to prioritise spending.
This is the situation outlined to members of Newquay Town Residents' Association (NTRA) by Councillor Geoff Brown at a meeting last week.
The cash, called Section 106 money, is from companies that have carried out building projects in Mr Brown's Newquay Central ward and is meant to offset any impact they may have on the town's infrastructure.
News of the cash pot – believed to be just a fraction of the total sum owed – was met with disbelief by residents last Thursday.
It has led the NTRA and Mr Brown to issue further calls for transparency by Cornwall Council over the allocation of the money.
To achieve this, they are pushing council chiefs to set up quarterly meetings with officers that can also be attended by representatives for local traders and residents.
Mr Brown told the Cornish Guardian: "Section 106 has been around for five or six years and we should have a process together by now, but we don't.
"I want a quarterly meeting between local members [councillors] and council officers that includes traders and residents' groups so we can prioritise what needs to be done, sign it off and get it done."
At a full council meeting earlier this month, Mr Brown's formal request for the "ideas bank" meetings was denied. However, he said there had been suggestions over recent weeks that the idea was now being considered.
John Coltman, a hotel owner and vice-chairman of the NTRA, said: "We believe there should be community participation in the processes of managing the 106 money and it should include local traders, the community in general and the developers themselves."
Both Mr Brown and the NTRA listed numerous projects in Newquay that could benefit from an investment of £220,000.
Mr Coltman said the cash should be used to give the town a facelift, painting benches and tidying up to make it attractive.
Mr Brown said he would like to fix the stretch of floor lights on Headland Road, which were damaged years ago and have been filled in with tarmac. He said he had received a quote of £18,500 for the work 23 months ago but the council had failed to sign off the work.
The two-tier viewing gallery above the harbour on South Quay Hill would also benefit from a makeover, he said.
What would you like to see £220,000 spent on in Newquay? Call 01637 873461 or e-mail screswell@c-dm.co.uk
