BOATHOUSES like the one at Cotehele have been the conventional solution for boat storage for hundreds of years, so why is it suddenly beyond the capability of modern man to provide one for the storage of gig boats, a safety boat and engines etc, on the slipway at Weir Quay?

The challenge of the saltwater estuary, which sits in beautiful natural surroundings, has long been a special attraction to all boating enthusiasts, but this appeal depends on its preservation for what it is.

If more extensive facilities are required, they are already to be found in the borough all year round at Roadford Lake.

Two impromptu sample surveys in October last year and this July suggest there are literally thousands of visits a year by members of the public to the foreshore amenity area immediately adjoining the hillside it is proposed to bulldoze.

These people are not tourists or ramblers as such but local West Devon residents who appreciate access to the traditional landscape and the expansive views of the saltwater estuary. They include the elderly and the infirm.

There are no buildings between Clamoak and Cleave. Walk this stretch and for most of its length you do not see any. It is a breath of fresh air in a crowded countryside and it is the view of the undersigned and over 1,000 people who signed two petitions that it should be preserved for the public good.

The Tamar Valley Preservation Association

The Bere Action Group