AS summer draws to a close, I am proud to share three recent successes where hard-fought campaigning has influenced decisions and brought about real benefits for people living within St Austell and Newquay.

I was pleased to see a ‘victory for common sense’ after permission was granted for a new pharmacy for St Austell, following the petition campaign I ran together with Labour town councillor Jeremy Preece — as officials made a U-turn on a previous refusal.

I had been pleased to support Banns Pharmacy Ltd in its appeal against the Pharmaceutical Regulations Committee, which had previously ruled that there was insufficient need for a new pharmacy in the town. Judging by the letters I receive from constituents, I can say that decision was totally out of step with the views of local people. We saw a similar turnaround on plans to relocate the macular clinic from Wheal Northey to Treliske, which would have caused serious disruption to patients living with vision problems.

Secondly, I was thrilled to hear that this government is investing £70-million in a major expansion of the Cadet Forces – which are alive and kicking for hundreds of young people across the St Austell and Newquay constituency.

This government’s ‘30 by 30’ campaign will see cadet numbers boosted by 30 per cent by 2030, as well as new joint Army and Air Cadet centres built, more opportunities for veterans to become volunteers, and exciting new qualifications in areas such as drone piloting. The aim is to make sure even more young people can take part and benefit from the skills, confidence, and opportunities that cadet life provides.

In St Austell, St Blazey and Newquay, we have huge talent and potential, but too often young people don’t get the same chances as elsewhere. This expansion means more of them will be able to gain real qualifications, build confidence, and develop skills that will serve them well in work and in life.

I look forward to working with adult leaders and cadets to map out how we can improve delivery within this constituency.

Finally, some great news from Network Rail, that, following my relentless ‘badgering’, an accessible footbridge will be installed at Par Station. This is an issue residents really care about – with many disabled people telling me how hard it can be to plan and travel anywhere, without basic amenities in place. I will never accept any form of ‘ableism’ which prevents people from being able to optimise their quality of life.

This was a hard-fought campaign. Funding for accessibility improvements like footbridges is normally achieved through Access for All – but, with the scheme oversubscribed, had been putting pressure on national government, Cornwall Council and Network Rail over several months to deliver the project – getting written support from Rail Minister Lord Hendy, and submitting a Written Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State.

Getting the go-ahead on the bridge may also now strengthen to case for accessible toilets at Par, and I hope that this approach sets the tone for the remainder of the scheme and future upgrades.