The town has a long history as a prosperous market town and fishing port; the town was granted the status of a Borough in 1614 by King James I. By becoming a Borough, Penzance was independent of the County Courts so that the town could run its own legal affairs. The town continued to prosper throughout the centuries through its trade in fish with Europe and tin from the nearby mines.
Today Penzance has a thriving business sector with a wide range of independent shops, cafes and galleries. Every year the town hosts the ever-popular and internationally famous Golowan Festival which is a celebration of midsummer and the Feast of St John – the patron saint of Penzance. The festival was revived in 1991 and has gone from strength to strength each year. The town welcomes tens of thousands of people to the week-long festival for colourful parades, dancing, music, street food, market stalls and firework display.
Penzance is split into 2 wards: Penzance East and Penzance Promenade.
There are 6 elected Councillors for each ward:
Cllr Jonathan How
Cllr Andy Law
Cllr Jan Power
Cllr Jane Pugh
Cllr Simon Reed
Cllr Mark Wilson
Cllr Nicole Broadhurst
(Deputy Mayor of Penzance)
Cllr Jim McKenna
Cllr Karen Baker
Cllr Peter Lapin
Cllr Penny Young
You can find their contact details on the Your Councillors page.
