Armed Forces Day Falmouth: Council expects 100,000 people

About 100,000 extra people are expected in Falmouth, Cornwall, for national Armed Forces Day later this month.

Armed Forces Day is an annual event held to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces.

Cornwall Council said it was putting on a special park and ride service to take passengers to the town centre on 24 June.

It estimates the event will earn up to £7m for the local economy.

The event began as Veterans' Day in 2006 and became Armed Forces Day in 2009. This is the first time the event is being held in Cornwall.

Events on the day in Falmouth will include military displays on land, at sea and in the air, along with live music and fireworks.

There will also be a Military Village set up in Events Square, showcasing vehicles, equipment and interactive displays.

All town centre car parks will be closed or hosting events, with Gyllyngvase open for disabled parking only on Saturday.

The park and ride at Tremough will provide buses every few minutes over a period of 15 hours to take passengers into and out of the town centre.

Fares will be £2 return per person, or £5 return for a family of two adults, and up to four children.

The usual Saturday buses and trains are scheduled to run, with some additional services during the evening.

Falmouth Town railway station will be closed on the day but Penmere and Falmouth Docks stations will be open.

Businesses are being asked to help prevent hold-ups by planning ahead and where possible avoid deliveries that weekend.

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council's cabinet member for the economy, said: "Please try to plan ahead, as you would for a half-term or a bank holiday. Your usual delivery schedule and routes might well be affected by events, road closures and the rarity of parking spaces.

"So, any forward planning or pre-ordering that can be done could reduce traffic on Saturday and help everyone."

He added: "Armed Forces Day is a one-off spectacular event. It might not come our way again for many years. With a bit of planning ahead we can make this a great success for one and all to enjoy."

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