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Council admits making mistake

From the archive, first published Monday 22nd Jul 2002.

Porthleven town councillors have admitted they made a mistake in deciding to open a residential cul-de-sac in the village to through traffic by knocking down a hedge and installing a gate.

Work on the gateway into Methleigh Parc was halted after residents protested against the decision, which they described as "highly impractical and downright dangerous."

At last week's council meeting, members agreed the project should be abandoned and the hedge reinstated as soon as possible - a decision welcomed by residents attending the meeting.

Council chairman Jill Green said the work had been started "in good faith" in a bid to provide easier access for fairground vehicles and associated traffic onto the recreation ground.

"This all came up as a suggestion from the fairground people," she said. "With hindsight, we would not have done it. It was a mistake."

Methleigh Parc resident Peter Boyd pointed out to councillors that large fairground vehicles attending the recent St Peterstide celebrations had used the existing access with no problems.

Mr Boyd said: "It makes the decision to route them through Methleigh Parc even more incredible. The road is narrower and the lorry would not go round the corner anyway."

Coun Charles Budd said having been to the cul-de-sac on foot and in a car, he agreed traffic should not be re-routed along such a "tortuous" road.

"I feel we did not give enough thought and consideration to what we were talking about," he said. "We should rescind our previous proposal and stop the work completely and for ever."

Local resident Trish Williams, who was also at the meeting, told councillors that her husband, Vivian, was a stonemason and had offered to rebuild the hedge to save the council money.

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