I WRITE in response to the article (East Cornwall Times, February 2), 'Calls for bypass (for Callington but little hope') — a council of despair if ever I heard one!

There are two very separate issues here. One is the monies made available from the Tesco 106 agreement to improve the town centre for pedestrians, shopkeepers and visitors.

The other, the long standing aim of removing heavy through traffic from the town centre, which has been ongoing since I have lived in the town (1977), and two should not be conflated.

It is, however, true to say that a north-south bypass would significantly enhance the town and make it a far more pleasant and safe place to live and in the process obviate the need for a one-way system and facilitate pedestrian crossings at the traffic lights and elsewhere. It is only by good fortune that there has not been a very serious incident at Newport.

There really is no comparison with the Dobwalls bypass which was a very major undertaking that was necessitated by the volume of the holiday traffic causing tailbacks in the summer months not per se a safety issue as in the case of Callington.

Dobwalls has pavements both sides of the road, good visibility and a pedestrian crossing, a very different situation that that pertaining at Newport, Callington. Upgrading an existing road, which after all was the intention following on from the Viverdon Down new road, is minor by comparison.

It is encouraging to see the council's aim of rekindling the bypass issue, the question why did it fall off the plot in the first place particularly when it was part of the Callington Town Plan? In any event there needs to be a plan in place when the funding does become available and the political will to follow it through.

M?C?Green

Saltash Road

Callington