Local schoolchildren designed the flags

Residents and some councillors in Pool are condemning English Partnerships (EP) for spending more than �20,000 on seven flagpoles in the centre of Pool.

EP said the flags, designed by local children, were a "great opportunity to engage with the community".

But Kerrier councillor Graeme Hicks said it was a waste of money.

He said: "English Partnerships have talked about 'engagement' with the local community, but this is just a catchword in local government circles.

"Engagement should be about addressing the real issues of low pay and affordable housing."

We have had a tremendous response from the children Judith Hewitt

The former mining area has been highlighted by the government as needing investment to ease unemployment and the lack of affordable housing.

The Camborne Pool and Redruth Regeneration Company (CPR), of which the national regeneration agency EP is a member, was set up two years ago with an eight-year plan to bring �150m of investment into the area.

The seven flagpoles with flags designed by schoolchildren, are on English Partnerships' land in Pool and were commissioned by CPR as a temporary art installation at a cost of �21,500.

'Key site'

Judith Hewitt from EP said the project, which involved local schoolchildren, was funded nationally from a community projects budget.

She said: "We decided after we acquired the site that it needed work to tidy it up and get involved with local schoolchildren to design flags and a hoarding.

"It was a great opportunity to engage the local community and get them involved in the regeneration."

The long term is to develop the site for mixed use, including affordable housing.

Ms Hewitt said: "We have had a tremendous response from the children. They were really excited about it.

"We are now looking forward to transforming this key site for the benefit of future generations in Pool."