RESIDENTS campaigning against Cornwall Council's preferred route for a 'by-pass' at Camelford say that a suggested new roundabout, opposite the senior school, will put children's lives at risk of illness and pollution from traffic fumes.

Jon Langdon, who has farmed Trevia for more than 60 years and stands to lose about six acres of his ground, says that if the county reverts back to having the roundabout and loop road in fields owned by a neighbour and himself, fumes could blow directly into the school.

'Politicians are always bellyaching on about traffic pollution but a roundabout in that position is sure to increase that type of problem,' he said.

Mr Langdon said that the alternative was to put the roundabout on the higher side of the school, opposite the bus park, but he feared that a delay in finalising matters, mentioned by Truro-based project engineer Alistair Uglow in a pre-Christmas letter, suggested that the officers were having second thoughts.

'Unfortunately, I don't think they are looking at any other route, which is what most of us want them to do,' said Mr Langdon, reflecting the amount of local controversy which the preferred route has sparked.

'But I do think they may be considcering moving the roundabout back to its original suggested position and that won't be good for the Sir James Smith comprehensive school.'

If the 'by-pass' or distributor road route is finally approved, Mr Langdon's 54-acre beef and sheep will be disected and he will face a journey of some threequarters of a mile to service the farm. 'They were talking about a footbridge over the road but that won't be any good for me if I need to take food to my stock with a tractor,' he said.

Another resident, Rose Powell, moved to her four-and-a-half acre smallholding at Romaive about ten years ago because she wanted to look after animals and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside. 'But this new road will go straight throught the middle of the smallholding and come very close to my house with all the noise and pollution implications that will have,' she said.

'The two plots of land I shall be left with will be virtually too small to do anything with,' she said. 'I would also have about a two-mile journey each wayto get from one field to the other.'

Objectors to the preferred route claim that their views are nothing to do with a 'Not-in-my-backyard' mentality but are based on common sense.

'All we want is for the choice to be made democratically and we don't believe that has happened to date,' said Mike Webb, Camelford's well-respected former police officer who is a leading light in the pressure group calling for a new A39 road to be created on the east of the town.

The residents, who have formed a special 'Democratic Choice for Camelford' party are not campaigning for anything new.

Indeed, for almost 50 years the talk has been for a road to the east and for some 30 years, a corridor of land there has actually been earmarked for a by-pass or distributor road and accepted by the town and its organisations as the answer to the town's traffic problems. It was also accepted by the public at a vote ten years ago.

However, since traffic management has returned from Whitehall to the county council, another more expensive route to the west of the town has become the vogue of officials and councillors who are now pressing on with their plan.

'An eastern route would be far better for vehicles visiting Camelford,' said Mr Allen. 'In fact, there is an argument that vehicles using a western route would by-pass the town completely, taking trade away from local businesses.

'I have also been heavily involved in road safety matters in this area over the years and I believe that a western route, with the necessity of junctions and sliproads, would be far more dangerous than an eastern route which was the one always favoured for Camelford.'

Local Tory councillor Bob Ellison has publicly expressed his support for the western route, and says that the majority of the residents are behind him.

Mr Ellison argues that a western route would attract grant aid for the vital regeneration of the town. But opponents say that an eastern route could also regenerate the area - and would be much cheaper to build than the £10million which some say would be required for the longer by-pass.

They also refer to an environmental study in Nottinghamshire which attributed a higher level than normal incidence of asthma at schools to the pollutant emissions from nearby by-passes.

Said Mr Webb: 'The primary school is also downwind of the western route so, like Sir James Smith, it, too, would be affected by such emissions.'

Mr Uglow said that the county hoping to submit the latest scheme for planning permission in the near future, and if successful, then publish the Statutory Orders.

'However, before the Council's Executive Committee gives its approval to proceed with these stages, there are a number of engineering issues which need to be satisfactorily resolved,' he said.

'One key issue concerns the proposed structure across the river Camel, where economic and environmental factors are finely balanced.

'In the area near the school (a.k.a. Sportsmans), the scheme has been modified to reduce its impact on nearby properties, while avoiding the need to move any pylons. Amendments such as this will be considered by the Executive, by which time they will be in the public domain.'

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