POTENTIAL projects for Holsworthy Town Council to tackle in the next financial year (2020/12) were discussed during the full council meeting on Wednesday, December 4.

Town clerk Vanessa Saunders supplied councillors with a list bearing two columns; one with a list of ongoing projects carried over from 2019/20, and another with the newly proposed projects discussed at previous meetings.

Mrs Saunders said: “I will just mention — we have put £4,000 in reserve for our defibrillators. They are due to expire in the 2021 financial year and we thought it best to build up a reserve for that.”

Mrs Saunders welcomed the councillors to speak about each of the projects they were to take on, adding: “We aren’t saying other councillors can’t get involved with the projects, we just thought it would be good to divide them to start with.”

Cllr Nigel Kenneally is keen to create a skateboard park event to encourage more people to make use of the town’s asset. He said: “If we’ve got the money for it I’ll do it. I’d like to aim for August.

“The skatepark doesn’t seem to get used much so I thought we could put on an event and let people take pride in what we’ve got.”

Cllr Jill Tallon is hoping to organise a Hallowe’en spectacle with as many witches as possible dancing together in the town. She said: “I’ve had a lot of interest with more people getting involved.”

In response Cllr Jon Hutchings said: “With this witches event, the only issue I have is that several people have said ‘why are we getting involved with witches’, the town council would be spending public money on something that is considered to be a bit of a ‘cult’ — can it be a Hallowe’en event instead?”

Cllr Tallon said they had already considered this, having discussed the matter with local members of the clergy who weren’t opposed to the event, and the name had already been changed in accordance to ‘Holsworthy’s Hallowe’en Happening’.

Cllr Toby Johns’ rubbish action group idea was next on the list, with all councillors keen to know if there had been any progress with his plastic collecting cow idea, based on the fish design seen on a number of beaches in recent months.

Cllr Toby Johns said: “I still love the cow idea! But, I’ve been talking to Paul Crum from Bude about his litter picking group, they have a really large following now and it does cost a bit of money but it has been useful to find out more. I, with George, have also been talking to the Surfers Against Sewage group — think it’s a good idea to get involved.”

Cllr Keneally said there were issues with the plastic collecting fish Cllr Johns’ cow was based on with mixed recycling being the biggest problem to overcome. Cllr Johns said the project was in the early stages and these were issues to be looked into.

Mrs Saunders said all projects would be looked at again and approved once the town council had its budget.