Our city is expanding. The diggers at Langarth, along with roadworks on the A390, are unmissable. There will soon be a new petrol station and a hotel opposite Truro College. Yet all these developments have one thing in common: technically, they’re not in Truro, but Kenwyn Parish.

As Truro expands, this growth is predominantly occurring within Kenwyn Parish. As well as the imminent 3,700-home Langarth Garden Village, this includes future mining projects and plans for a large-scale battery storage facility.

And herein lies a problem. Truro City Council has a budget of over £3 million, 70 staff and 24 elected councillors with competition for seats. It’s responsible for parks, town centre events, library, toilets and strategies for Truro. It’s vibrant and forward thinking.

In contrast, Kenwyn Parish Council has an £180,000 budget, six councillor vacancies and three staff. Its chief responsibility is providing play parks and cutting grass verges and paths.

As a Truro City Councillor and a Kenwyn Parish Councillor, I have unique insight into the glaring disparities in services and resources between these two areas.

Kenwyn Parish hosts all Truro’s major infrastructure including the hospital, college and Truro’s largest industrial estate. Kenwyn has two ‘out-of-town’ shopping areas, a park and ride bus service, and the most congested road in Truro. It’s a major part of the city – and yet, it isn’t Truro.

The two councils worked together previously to produce a neighbourhood plan, but now it’s time to be more ambitious. It’s time to merge the two and create a Greater Truro Council.

Truro - especially Kenwyn - is growing rapidly. With the demands of a growing population, all residents need to be involved in deciding its future.

Where is the increased sports provision? What do we want in the city centre? How do we protect our natural green spaces? How do we stop our roads clogging up? Where are the doctors and the dentists?

A merged council could provide a clearer, more inclusive, united vision for the future of our city, because Truro does not start and end at the Treliske roundabout.

I’m not saying it’ll be easy. It won’t. But the arguments to keep a separate Kenwyn Parish are outdated and frustrating.

While Kenwyn has its own long and distinct history, much of it - including its parish church - has effectively become part of Truro. It’s time to be realistic and sweep away unnecessary boundaries.

Cllr Karen LaBorde, Green

Malabar Ward, Truro City Council; Threemilestone Ward, Kenwyn Parish Council