CAMELFORD'S Mayor has pleaded with Cornwall Council to 'not turn a deaf ear' and let the town down over plans to construct a bypass. This comes in light of news that the planning application is to lapse later this year and funding will not be available until 2019 at the earliest.

Camelford businesses and residents have long campaigned for a bypass on the A39 to help alleviate the traffic problems encountered on a daily basis.

At the October 20 meeting of Camelford Town Council, councillors discovered that planning application for a bypass would lapse in December 2009.

Cllr Andy Shaw said he thought it was valid until 2012.

In a statement, Mayor of Camelford, Cllr Brian Lush said: "I feel we have sat quiet for too long and appeal to Cornwall Council not to ignore us and to come to a decision soon regarding the desperate need as to the future needs of the town in building the bypass sooner rather than later.

"We continue to put up with the intolerable situation regarding the daily misery caused by the increased traffic congestion and all its social and health ills perpetuated on the A39 road through the town."

Cllr Lush added: "Heaven knows what will happen with the predicted 30 per cent increase expected in traffic as soon as the economy upturns and two more large supermarkets could be built in Wadebridge resulting in yet more HGVs trailing through and obstructing our narrow streets.

"My plea to Cornwall Council is don't turn a deaf ear as your predecessors did; we deserve better. Please don't let us down yet again Cornwall Council, after all we have waited 73 years, so no-one can accuse us of or say we haven't been patient enough.

"Please at least renew the planning permission or yet more money will be totally wasted and we will be back to square one again."

He recommended that the council send a letter to Cornwall Council Strategic Planners outlining the council's argument.

Cllr Shaw agreed that a letter must be sent, asking for the application to be renewed in December and progress is sought.

This was seconded by Cllr Philip Lassels and all councillors voted in favour.

But Cornwall Council said it was dependant on government money to start any scheme, and as the route had been left out of a list of recommended priorities drawn up by the South West Regional Assembly, there was no chance of it being done in the next 10 years.

"Major transport schemes of this kind are normally funded by the government following regional prioritisation," a spokesman said.

"Preparation work on the Camelford bypass proposals have been suspended as there is no prospect of securing funding from the government to support the scheme before 2019 at the earliest.

"While the regional assembly recognised the importance of the scheme locally, it did not feel that the scheme was strategically important enough to the region for it to recommend support through the Regional Funding Allocation process."