AN MP’S petition calling on his Government to support the construction of a bypass around Camelford will be presented in Parliament within the next couple of months.

Conservative MP for North Cornwall Scott Mann launched the Parliamentary petition at the end of last year, and wants to see a bypass constructed to address traffic congestion and air quality concerns.

The Post has recently reported that further to the town being declared an ‘Air Quality Management Area’, Cornwall Council held a consultation event, where it offered 14 possible ‘solutions’ to the poor air quality.

However, local councillors expressed disappointment at the local authority’s solutions, which included the suggestion that people could stand by the traffic lights, with leaflets and knock on the windows of vehicles, and encourage people to turn off their engines.

Mr Mann said he felt Camelford’s air quality challenges mean they are in ‘quite a good place’ to try and get a bypass constructed.

He suggested Cornwall Council could bid for funding for the bypass via the ‘Major Road Network’. The scheme could cost tens of millions of pounds.

The Department for Transport earlier this month closed a consultation on proposals for the creation of a Major Road Network, that ‘will allow for dedicated funding from the National Roads Fund to be used to improve this middle tier of our busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads’.

Mr Mann said: “As a former Parliamentary Private Secretary for transport I’ve seen lots of different schemes — I’ve not seen a scheme that should be at the top of the pile more than the one in Camelford.

“[Camelford residents] have had this promise for years and years and years but I think we have got a way of delivering it now.”