St Austell, the town slowly shaking off its bad reputation

For years St Austell did not quite enjoy the best of reputations. Empty shops and anti-social behaviour seemed to be the words used – especially by local residents – to describe Cornwall’s largest town and its historic heart. While missing out on the Government’s Towns Fund which went to Truro, Camborne, Penzance and St Ives instead, in the last five years there has been plenty of cash and many volunteers’ hours spent into changing St Austell’s image. From the £50m announced as part of the Levelling Up Fund to better link up the four largest urban areas of Cornwall, namely,…