‘IS a Kensey Valley Link Road the only answer Launceston Town Council can give to enhance Newport Industrial Estate?’ was the question asked of councillors last week.

At the town council meeting on Tuesday, June 21, Kensey Valley resident Jessica Williams put the question to the town council.

The Post has previously reported on residents’ concern there is the potential for a Kensey Valley Link Road to be built — if constructed, the link road would link the A388 between Kensey Valley Meadow and Newport Industrial Estate.

The town council is looking into the potential for regeneration of the Newport Industrial Estate, and a town council document titled ‘Regeneration of Launceston and its Riverbank Areas’ states the key to ‘releasing the potential’ of Newport is ‘the delivery of the Kensey Valley Link Road’.

Mayor of Launceston Cllr Brian Hogan previously told members of the Kensey Valley Residents’ Association the town council is ‘looking at opportunities to re-invigorate Newport and attract an innovation centre’.

Mrs Williams said to councillors during the public participation section of the meeting: “We are residents living in Launceston too, working, socialising and using the same services as anyone else. We deserve just as much consideration and representation as residents in other parts of this town.”

She said the regeneration document had been sent from the town council to Cornwall Council in April ‘without consulting residents of Launceston’.

She added: “Important decisions and proposals like this can only be achieved fairly by working with all of the community you have been elected to represent.

“I look forward to Launceston Town Council’s plans for Newport being released and made public.”

Mayor Cllr Brian Hogan said: “The discussions about Newport are still ongoing. Northing’s been decided about anything at Newport and nothing will be until all aspects of the situation are looked at.”

Town clerk Rita Skinner said: “I understand that Cornwall Council will be looking at East Cornwall to see if an innovation centre is appropriate here, and if so, where.”

She said there would soon be a meeting to consider that, and a meeting between the town council and representatives of Cornwall Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) ‘to look at the other Newport regeneration issues, excluding the link road’.

It was heard the priority would be discussing the innovation centre aspect, not the potential for a Kensey Valley Link Road. Ms Skinner added: “At the moment the link road is not under discussion.”

Cllr John Conway said: “It has been a policy of this council for the link road to be there at least since 1995, since I came on this council. It is not something that’s come out of thin air. I support we should carry on and press for a link road. Whether we see it or no is another matter.”

It was agreed that Cllr Roger Creagh-Osborne would write a short report as basis for discussion with Cornwall Council and the LEP, with the key focus on the innovation centre, in time for meetings in July.