RESIDENTS and councils in coastal towns across the Westcountry would be given greater power to overturn alcohol and entertainment licences under plans outlined by the Conservatives.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne visited Newquay yesterday to unveil his party's coastal towns manifesto, which he said "would give greater power to the people who know their towns best – the residents and the councils".

Mr Osborne told local business owners at the resort's Great Western Hotel that the manifesto's aims included introducing new tax breaks for local firms and giving local authorities new powers to tackle alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

The manifesto – entitled No Longer The End Of The Line – was intended to represent the way the nation's coastal towns "don't seem to feature on the radar of the Prime Minister", as well as highlight the sometimes difficult transport links between inland England and seaside destinations.

Other items include abolishing stamp duty for first-time buyers on properties worth up to £250,000, and exempting new businesses from National Insurance on the first 10 employees they hire during their first year.

Mr Osborne's visit to Cornwall – which had been due to take in a trip to Penzance, but was cancelled because of disruptions to his flight from Gatwick – was one of a number of appearances by senior Conservatives launching the manifesto across the country.

The Shadow Chancellor told reporters he had picked Cornwall especially, after having spent recent holidays in the county.

The manifesto, he added, was not a blueprint for every town, but that most coastal towns shared similar features, such as difficult transport links.

The audience at yesterday's launch in Newquay largely comprised of those invited by local prospective Parliamentary candidate Caroline Righton, who chaired the question and answer session that followed the official launch.

One businessman, Mark Simpson, told Mr Osborne: "It is a long-treaded path [by politicians] that you have come down today. The people who are going to make the difference are the people of this town."

Mr Osborne replied that his party would aim to put more power in the hands of the local authorities, police and communities. This, he said, could include making changes to alcohol licences and entertainment licences.

He said: "The Licensing Act has been a complete failure. This 24-hour drinking culture is something we have to get a grip on. Newquay is a resort that attracts outside visitors to have a good time and enjoy themselves but I don't want to reach a point where it is damaging to the community.

"The people most likely to get that balance right are those living here."

When asked how the plans outlined in the manifesto would be funded, the Shadow Chancellor said: "We have been very upfront with the debt problem and have to get Government to live within its means.

"What we have to do is make sure the money that is available is best spent and not absorbed in bureaucracy."