THE Camelford Clean Air Group recently held a meeting to discuss ‘what to do next’ in terms of taking forward their pledge to make Camelford’s air and roads cleaner and safer, writes Rosie Cripps.

Held at the Old Bank in Camelford on the evening of Wednesday, October 5, there was a considerably larger turnout of residents, showing they were keen to get involved in the campaign.

Long term monitoring of air quality conditions has shown that Camelford suffers from an unhealthy level of traffic pollution, and, along with six other towns in Cornwall, has recently been declared an Air Quality Management Area. Cornwall Council is now running a consultation process, ending on Monday, November 28, to create a plan of action to improve air quality conditions.

Town councillor Claire Hewlett, who runs the group, gave an update on what stage they were at since their last meeting on September 14. The group heard that Eloise Travis, of Cornwall Council’s air quality management team, had recently met with Cllr Hewlett to deliver the consultation materials as part of Cornwall Council’s eight-week consultation process. A disappointing 100 questionnaire leaflets were delivered, as apposed to what the group were hoping for to be able to speak to the few thousand residents in the town.

Twenty of these leaflets have been put in local shops, leaving the group with 80 to work with.

Cllr Hewlett also told the group that Truro, a town that is currently going through the same consultation process, has taken on questionnaire leaflets to be handed around to residents, but has only received three responses. She emphasised the need to ensure that Camelford’s residents know about the campaign, the background information of Camelford’s air quality and traffic, and what it will mean for locals if they get involved.

The group then discussed that they should receive responses from residents by November 9, to be able to take them along to Cornwall Council’s upcoming drop-in event at Camelford Hall on this date as extra support, enabling the group to possibly get their point across to more residents and county councillors.

One member of the group told the meeting that she had contacted Conservative MP for North Cornwall, Scott Mann, and had received a response, stating that he was feeling ‘very positive’ about the group taking action.

Cllr Hewlett added that she had received a phone call from Mr Mann, who had told her that he was due to have a meeting with the head of highways and that the town would ‘stand a good chance if enough members of the public are in favour and show their support’.

One member of the group said: “As someone in power, he needs to push for that funding! With our support, he’ll be able to do it.”

This resident added that he had started up an online petition on change.org, encouraging people in the area to sign and help reduce the pollution in Camelford. He said: “The petition really does show the strength of numbers. One hundred and sixty seven people have signed it, and it has had 460 views.

“We do need to try and push it, because it could possibly be sent to Scott Mann. We need to be more forceful and to push the group.”

Cllr Hewlett suggested that more questionnaire leaflets could be printed out, using money from the Neighbourhood Plan fund, saying: “This is vital to the Neighbourhood Plan.”

She continued: “The most important part of this questionnaire is the box asking residents to write any measures to improve air quality to be included in the action plan. This could include bypasses, Give Way signs and traffic lights.”

The group agreed that a bypass; the improvement of traffic flow, including the repositioning of traffic lights, creating better signage, moving the bus stop and having strict parking enforcement; as well as a heavy good relief road, which they said could possibly come out above the Davidstow turning, could be the solution to their problems.

Speaking of the town’s air quality, one gentleman said: “We only need doctors to tell us how many asthmatics there are by the books to tell us how bad the air quality is around here.”

To bring the meeting to a close, Cllr Hewlett told the group to choose an area of the town to focus on, to deliver questionnaires to residents in pairs.

Areas chosen included Victoria Gardens, Victoria Road, Tregoodwell, Highfield and the primary school playground, if permission is granted by the school.

The meeting came to its conclusion, with residents ready to trek the town in an attempt to get more residents on board.

The Camelford Clean Air Group will be in the Old Bank on the night of the Camelford Carnival on November 29, with displays of the air quality situation in the town, and are happy to speak to passers by and locals about the group, the town as an Air Quality Management Area and the possible solutions.

Cornwall Council’s drop-in event will take place on Wednesday, November 9 from 3pm until 7pm at Camelford Hall, Clease Road.