CAMPAIGNERS in Torpoint have warned that plans to introduce parking charges at Thanckes Park could cut off access to one of the town’s most important community spaces and hit some of its most vulnerable residents the hardest.

The Friends of Thanckes Park group has voiced strong opposition to proposals by Cornwall Council to begin charging for parking at the Thanckes Park car park – the last remaining free car park in Torpoint.

The group says the move would disproportionately affect elderly residents, families, volunteers, dog walkers and people with limited mobility who rely on the car park to access the park.

Thanckes Park is a protected Field in Trust and covers around eight hectares of green space. It includes a children’s play park, tennis courts, a bowling club and a community walled garden, and is widely used by local schools, youth organisations, SEN groups and wellbeing projects. Campaigners say introducing charges risks isolating residents in a town already identified as having higher levels of deprivation than much of Cornwall.

Cornwall Council is currently consulting on wide-ranging changes to its off-street parking order. The proposals include charging at car parks that are currently free, introducing winter charges at coastal sites and making wider changes to parking tariffs. The authority says the plans are designed to ensure parking assets are “managed effectively” and to support traffic management.

However, the Friends group argues that the social and health costs of restricting access to Thanckes Park far outweigh any short-term financial gain.

Samm Bickle, chair of the Friends of Thanckes Park, said the car park was essential to the life of the park and the wider community. She explained the group works entirely on a voluntary basis alongside town and county councils to improve and maintain the space, installing raised beds, accessible paths, fruit trees and reflection areas for public use.

“Everything we do is for the community, none of us are paid,” she said. “There’s a huge dog-walking community here, including a lot of elderly people who drive so they can give their dogs a proper walk on green space. Charging for parking risks cutting them off completely.”

Ms Bickle, also a Torpoint town councillor, also highlighted the park’s role in supporting children and young people. Free community events are held during every school holiday, aimed at families on low incomes or without access to transport. The park is also used regularly by nearby schools, the YMCA gym and Plymouth City College students, including Duke of Edinburgh participants who carry out gardening, litter-picking and maintenance work.

The Friends group has written to South East Cornwall MP, Anna Gelderd, local and county councillors, including the town mayor Julie Martin, and is actively encouraging residents to respond to the public consultation.

Ms Bickle said the campaign had gained traction on social media and that councillors had agreed to raise the issue formally.

“Thanckes Park was placed in trust for the community and is a key part of our heritage,” she said. “It has served generations and we believe free access must be protected.”