OPENING up a ‘shamefully under-used’ town park is on the agenda of a crucial meeting this week.

Long-running attempts by Liskeard Town Council to generate more use for Westbourne Gardens will be debated on Tuesday.

The meeting comes after hundreds of people enjoyed last weekend’s Ploughman’s Festival on the site.

Chair of the festival organisers Pauline Hubner said: ‘So many people we spoke to on the day had never been into the park, or didn’t even know it was there – and these are people who live in Liskeard.

‘How amazing it would be if this shamefully under-used green space could become a positive and enriching part of people’s experience and enjoyment of our town centre.’

Liskeard Town Council has proposed taking over the day-to-day running of the park, with responsibility for such areas as litter-picking and grass-cutting, from Cornwall Council, who own the site.

The town council has suggested the county retain responsibility for the trees and walls.

The town council first submitted a draft agreement to Cornwall Council as long ago as 2015, and town clerk Steve Vinson says dozens of emails have been exchanged on the subject since.

There has been frustration at town council level at the lack of action to make repairs and clean graffiti.

The town council will discuss the latest stage of the draft agreement at its meeting on Tuesday to which Pauline Hubner has been invited.