WORK on the first stages of the Hillhead roundabout in Bude has actually started now, says the town mayor, who has witnessed hedge cutting there, writes Ryan Cox.

The Post reported on December 31 that work had already started, according to Cornwall Council, but local councillors and residents were concerned there was no evidence of it taking place.

The roundabout, which will replace the existing T-junction between the A3072 Stratton Road and the A39 Hillhead/Binhamy Road, has been an on-going issue for about two years, with dates being set for work to start and then there passing with no progress made.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said the scheme involves three phases, the first of which is setting back the hedgerow.

Phases two will involve the diversion of services — such as electricity and phone cables, and phase three will see the construction of the roundabout. The start dates for these will be confirmed once a programme has been developed with input from utility companies.

The spokesperson said that work on phase one started on the week commencing December 14 and would continue after a Christmas break to be completed in early January.

When it appeared that there were no workmen in sight of the junction, nor any evidence that work had started, alarm bells started ringing for local residents and councillors.

When the Post queried Cornwall Council on the apparent lack of clear work on the site, a spokesperson said it had to be prepared before the hedgerow is set back — a stock fence has to be erected behind the existing hedgerow — and the physical cutting back of vegetation will not start immediately, also indicating that it is possible that not all preparation work would have been visible from the road.

Still concerned about the lack of progress being made, Bude-Stratton mayor Cllr Lea Deely has been trying to find out from Cornwall Council exactly what is going on.

Speaking at a meeting of the town council she said she had been informed by the project manager that work had started on the hedgerow.

He told her the actual work on the roundabout could not take place until the second phase was complete. He hoped to have a full programme soon.

Cllr Deely has been keeping an eye out at the junction and twas pleased to see workmen cutting down the hedges, showing the work had actually started.