A locked ballot box used at General Elections was opened by Devon and Cornwall Police last week and revealed overwhelming support for the ING South Quay Hayle Harbour scheme.
The box, which has been stored at Hayle Police Station since the South Quay Consultation in September was opened at Hayle Harbour Office by PCSO Youngman and PCSO Hosking and was officially witnessed by Peter George, who is a Steward at the Methodist Chapel in Hayle.
310 people took part in the ballot which was held at the White Hart Hotel as part of the ING Exhibition of Phase 1 Hayle Harbour works proposed for South Quay which could commence as early as next year.
The consultation was advertised in the Cornish Media and was featured on Television and radio.
Attendees were asked a simple question – Were they in favour or not in favour of the scheme for South Quay?
The Ballot revealed that a staggering 79% of respondents were in favour of plans for South Quay and only 8% replied that they were not in favour.
Respondents placed their forms in the locked ballot box and all unused forms were destroyed by Mrs Lesley Nowman of Phillack and subsequently recycled.
At the end of the 3-day Consultation the Ballot box was sealed and the seal was signed by Mrs Nowman and stored at Hayle Police Station until the official opening, which was filmed to ensure proper process.
The Count itself was undertaken by the Police Officers to ensure total impartiality and was confirmed by Peter George.
Respondents were also asked which food store if any they preferred – 25% had no preference with 4% actually writing "Any" on the ballot form.
Asda were the first choice for South Quay with 19% of the vote, followed by Morrisons with 18% and Sainsburys in third place with 17%.
An ING spokesman said, "We are delighted by the result which clearly demonstrates the support for the South Quay regeneration."
"We have not entered into an agreement with any of the food store operators, as we want to listen to people's comments and ensure we strive to provide a popular choice for Hayle."
"We are progressing our dialogue with The Hayle Pioneerium and we were extremely pleased by the reaction of residents to the proposal of a cinema and the increased public open space we propose on South Quay."
ING would like to thank Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and Mr Peter George from Hayle and St Erth Methodist Chapel
| (4% expressed the comment Any) | |
|---|---|
| Asda | 19% |
| Morrisons | 18% |
| Sainsburys | 17% |
| Waitrose | 14% |
| Tesco | 4% |
| Coop | 2% |
| Aldi/M&S | 1% |
| Not in Favour | 8% |
|---|---|
| Undecided | 13% |
| In Favour | 79% |
| 13 respondents ticked more than one box or failed to include their name/address - their forms were deemed spoilt |