“Maniac” drivers who act like they are in a “Fast and Furious movie” were up for debate at a public meeting called by Helston’s MP on Friday.

Other topics covered at Derek Thomas’s evening event at the Central Methodist Church included making Helston plastic-free, setting up a walking festival, free parking – and allowing under 18s dinghy sailing on Loe Pool.

The meeting was made up of an audience of around 30 people, with a panel of town representatives: deputy mayor John Martin, police inspector Ian Thompson, marketing expert and resident Mike Hales, business owner Wendy Radford, Chamonix Newsam representing the youth voice and Rob Andrew from Cornwall Council.

Resident Jude Carroll believed Helston’s sense of community was still strong, although “dwindling,” but its two main problems were a “shabbiness about the town” and its traffic.

Part of the issue was people owning properties they did not live in, with their only link to Helston being financial – with Insp Thompson agreeing that something like a broken window could lead to further problems with graffiti and houses left derelict, and that both the police and Cornwall Council had powers to make sure properties were maintained.

Mrs Carroll also said traffic “dominates Helston,” saying it “sprawls all over Coinagehall Street” and “hammers up Wendron Street too fast.”

She added: “When I moved here 18 years ago the positives outweighed the negatives. It’s tipping the other way.”

Another woman described the new parking bays in Meneage Street, outside the Peugeot garage, as “a disaster,” claiming motorists still saw it as a two-way road and wing mirrors were being ripped off in the process.

Tim Grattan-Kane agreed that Helston did have “antisocial drivers here who speed” and that no speed-enforcement was carried out. Insp Thompson replied that community speed watch schemes were supported by the police but run by the community and could be investigated if the will was there.

A resident questioned whether average-speed cameras, like at Trewennack, could be introduced to parts of Helston.

One man, living on the Redruth Road, said: “They drive like maniacs around this town. They believe it’s some kind of Fast and Furious movie.”

Panellist Mr Martin, who is also a Cornwall councillor for Helston, said his fellow councillor Mike Thomas had been working with officers at County Hall on that particular area of the town.

Mr Martin said he also hoped Helston’s community network would buy three radar speed signs – where the speed limit flashes up if a vehicle is breaking it – that could be moved around the town. It was also looking at the potential reduction of speed limits from Spar to the Grylls Monument and up to Turnpike to 20mph.

One man wanted to see free parking in the Trengrouse Way car park, or at least remove the charge after 3pm rather than the current 4pm.

Panellist Ms Radford said when the former Helston Business Improvement Partnership ran free parking days it was successful, but she believed the problem was the in-town parking was for 30 minutes – which meant only 30 minutes spent in shops. She wanted to see herringbone parking introduced to double the amount of spaces.

While traffic dominated much of the discussion, there were other issues raised.

One woman said: “I think Helston should follow Penzance and become plastic-free. Plastic straws are a start – and unnecessary packaging. Pretty much every vegetable and fruit comes with its own protective packaging.”

Mr Thomas said there could be an opportunity for community schemes looking at food waste and composting.

On the business side, he also revealed he had met with Falmouth-based Pendennis Shipyard, which was looking to move some of its engineering work to other areas, and he had been asked whether there might be opportunities in Helston.

The meeting touched briefly on opportunities for people who live and work in Helston, with panellist Ms Newsam saying there needed to be more for young people to do – and more publicity about what was already taking place.

One woman questioned why large areas of land couldn’t be developed, for example with a roller disco, while Dave Potter said he would love to see Loe Pool opened up for dinghy sailing, for under 18s only.

Another man suggested setting up a Helston and Lizard walking festival, pointing to the success of the Fal River Festival in Falmouth and Penryn.

Mr Thomas said a survey would be sent in April to every home in Helston and the surrounding area, where 42,000 people live.

This would summarise all of the ideas put forward in the many meetings he has been holding in recent weeks with residents, business owners and charities, giving people the chance to choose which should be taken forward and also suggested their own.

“We shouldn’t give in and say Falmouth, Penzance or Camborne should have the trade. My job is to go to London and say, ‘We have got to sort the business rates out and we have got to give money that gets down to communities and doesn’t stop in Truro’,” said Mr Thomas.