READERS may have read an article titled 'Bude residents voice concern over access road proposals' that was printed on page 2 of the 'Post' dated March 12. Unfortunately some of the information was omitted and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify residents' concerns ahead of the public meeting planned for March 25.

Much of the article was about Cornwall County Council's (CCC) proposal to divert the access road to Bude Junior and Infants Schools. It mentioned that residents living in Broadclose Hill had been sent a letter from CCC regarding the proposal. However, only residents

living behind the schools received a letter from CCC. The article did not include Seasons Holidays plc's

proposal for a new road from Burn Park to link up with Broadclose Hill.

To clarify residents'

concerns, readers may wish to read the original press release shown below.

Residents of Bude may be interested to learn that Seasons Holidays plc, the owners of Burn Park holiday complex, are in advanced discussions with Cornwall County Council and Bude Football Club over their plans for a new access road to Burn Park from Broadclose Hill.

Before Seasons can submit a planning application they need to reach agreement with CCC over the diversion of the road in front of Bude Junior and Infant Schools. In

addition, Seasons will need to secure agreement with Bude Football Club over the sale or access rights across a strip of the football ground that joins the Bude Golf Club

boundary.

What is worrying a great number of residents is the reason why Seasons are

considering another access road to Burn Park when they already have a good access road from Stratton. Seasons recognise that before they could submit planning for the Burn Park access road CCC would require the access road in front of the schools to be diverted. For this reason Seasons are willing to pay around two thirds of the CCC costs associated with these diversion works. Indeed, it seems that Seasons are

willing to spend an

uneconomical sum of money just for another access road.

The chief concerns over the proposal to divert the schools access road are that CCC have not allowed

sufficient car parking for the schools, nor has it provided a properly designed traffic circuit to allow parents to drop off and collect children by car. CCC has advised that the schools access road would only be required to be

diverted if Seasons were given planning consent for the Burn Park access road.

It should be noted that if any planning application

submitted by Seasons was approved it would allow them to build a road across land designated as an Open Area of Local Significance (OALS). Furthermore, the fear is that the access road would become a 'rat run' between Bude and Stratton. Whilst we have no definite information regarding Seasons' long term plans, the majority of local residents believe there is a real risk that Seasons could eventually apply for development along the route of the new road.

Clearly any development within the OALS would adversely affect the predominately open and underdeveloped character of land around Burn Park. Therefore the

proposed access road to Burn Park is likely to affect not only the local area of Broadclose Hill, but extend generally to residents living in Bude, Stratton and Poughill.

The majority of Broadclose Hill and Honicote Road residents, together with other local residents, have expressed a wish to attend a public meeting for CCC and Seasons to explain their plans and for residents to ask questions. Unfortuna­tely CCC and Seasons are unwilling to attend a public meeting until legal agreements have been signed. However, there is a strong desire for local residents to express their views now and give the three parties involved in the proposal (CCC, Seasons and Bude FC) an opportunity to appreciate the level of concern ahead of any final decision.

Anyone who has an

interest in these proposals is invited to attend a public meeting at Langfield Manor (by kind permission of Mike and Suzanne Walker) on March 25 starting at 7pm. District councillors Nigel Pearce and Nathan Bale are equally concerned over this matter and have accepted an invitation to attend the

meeting. They would urge the parties involve to attend and state their case.

Bude.