THE Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs says she would love to offer Camelford a new bypass but it isn’t within her power to do so.

Parliamentary candidate Scott Mann brought the bid being put forward by Camelford for a bypass to the attention of the current Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs, Andrea Leadsom during the ‘Air Quality Strategy’ discussion in the House of Commons held on April 24, and asked for her support.

Mr Mann said the town ‘was recently subjected to an air quality assessment’ and is now ‘in the very early stages of being granted a bypass’.

The Post previously reported that in 2014 Camelford measured 62.1 ug/m3 in NO2 levels. When an area reaches 60 ug/m3, it is considered a ‘serious risk’.

Many hope the implementation of alternative traffic routes could help to reduce the NO2 levels — whether that is a bypass or an alternative route for heavy goods vehicles.

During the discussion Mr Mann said ‘the Secretary of State and other DEFRA ministers will be well aware of the challenges facing Camelford’. He added: “I hope that the Secretary of State will support me, and the local community, in our bid for a new bypass in Camelford.”

Mrs Leadsom stated in response that she ‘would love to be able to offer…a new bypass, but unfortunately that is outside my powers’. She added: “I wish him luck with it.”

Following the meeting, Mr Mann told the Post: “I will keep knocking on the Government and Cornwall Council’s doors about the need for a bypass in Camelford.

“It is clear that the amount of traffic passing along the A39 is causing air quality issues and I have highlighted this to environment and transport ministers, as well as council officials.

“In the meantime, Cornwall has been awarded millions of pounds for road improvements by the Government, and I have asked the council to spend this in Camelford to alleviate the congestion and air quality problems.

“The people of Camelford have my assurance that addressing the traffic and air quality problems in the town is one of my top priorities.”