THE mayor of Launceston called CORMAC officers ‘cheeky monkeys’ — after they suggested the town council may have funds to install double yellow lines in an area of the town.

Cllr Margaret Young made the remark at last week’s meeting of the town council, after receiving a letter from Launceston Steam Railway about what it describes as ‘obstructive parking’ at Newport.

The steam railway had written to Cornwall Council to raise concerns about on-street parking opposite the railway car park’s entrance. Steam railway director Jonathan Mann said the ‘obstructive parking denies large vehicles or coaches access’.

He said: “We are expecting an increase in coach traffic next year, as Shearings Coaches wish to include Launceston in its holiday itinerary, with weekly visits to both the town and the railway. We are very pleased to have secured this opportunity.”

Oliver Jones, highways and environment manager for CORMAC, wrote in his letter to the steam railway: “Currently there are no parking restrictions at the location in question and double yellow lines must be supported by an appropriate Traffic Regulation Order before Cornwall Council (as highway authority) will install them. This order makes the lines legal and enforceable, the cost of which is in the region of £6,500.

“Due to cuts in funding, Cornwall Council does not have funding to support your request and is unlikely to do so in the near future. However, Launceston Town Council may be considering funding some changes in which case you could ask that it considers your request.”

Councillors said coaches had too wide a turning circle to be able to navigate the road on the industrial estate next to the steam railway when vehicles are parked there.

Cllr Rob Tremain said: “How on earth can you stop people parking on the road adjacent to Truscotts? Lorries get in and out. But it’s great to see Shearings are coming down to the steam railway and hopefully they will be using the coach park [in Westgate Street] as well.”

Deputy mayor Cllr Dave Gordon said: “I find it quite insulting, they [CORMAC] plead poverty but think town and parish councils have the money to take on such things as this.”

Cllr Val Bugden-Cawsey said: “There are no parking restrictions through Newport Industrial Estate full stop. If we had them there they wouldn’t make any difference.”

Mr Mann pointed out there are double yellow lines on Newport Industrial Estate, just down the road from where people are currently parking. He said: “The problem is people parking opposite. There then isn’t room for a coach to swing in.

“The ridiculous thing is in the CORMAC letter they said there are no parking restrictions on Newport. If they bothered to come and look at it, they have come and put yellow lines a little bit down the road. Were this a problem with the car park at County Hall something would be done.”

Mr Mann said if yellow lines were installed, ‘people might still park there, but the reasonably law abiding people will park somewhere else’.

“There are going to be three coaches a week, which rather puts the town on the map,” he said.A spokesperson from Cornwall Council said: "By law, a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is required whenever new double yellow lines are added to a road. This applies even if there already double yellow lines elsewhere on the road. Most of the costs of associated with a TRO go to cover the legal order itself. While there is currently no funding available for a TRO in this location, we will consider the request in any future review of the area."