CALSTOCK boat-owners are pioneering a plan to improve an area of the foreshore described as nothing more than a 'bombsite and dog toilet'. Boatowner Andrew Reid said the foreshore to the east of the pontoon towards Calstock Village Hall was the 'most disgusting area of the village' and was spoiling the landscape from both land and river. He told members of Calstock Parish Council at their meeting last week that the plan was to shift the mud and sediment which had accumulated on the foreshore and use it to landscape the jetty and create a picnic area on a high grassed bank. Cleaning up the foreshore would also allow more boats to be moored on the river — at the current time mooring opportunities were very limited and there was a big demand, added Mr Reid. 'An awful lot of people move to Calstock simply to be able to use the amenity of the river, but they can't,' he said. He said the plans would enhance the whole village hall area where there was an outside space with a picnic table. 'At the moment it is disgusting and can have no merit whatsoever,' he said. 'It looks like a bombsite and is full of rubbish and debris. No-one goes there accept ducks and dogs. 'A lot of money has been spent in the centre of Calstock with the children's play boat, benches and hard landscaping but this area is appalling and it looks like the end of the world when people travel along the river and see it.' The land is owned by Calstock Parish Council but members have deferred the item to the pleasure boats and moorings committee for consideration. Planning permission from Caradon District Council may also be needed. Mr Reid responded to fears from town councillors that environmentalists would want to see the area left as it was by confirming that the Environmental Agency had raised no objection to the scheme. The boatowners are asking for support and a financial contribution towards the work which is expected to cost between £3,000 and £4,000. They are hoping to apply for grants but are also willing to do their own fundraising. Calstock councillor Dick Hoile said: 'This would be a wonderful facility for small craft to be able to moor and improve the look of the foreshore. It's a good idea but there would be a public consultation process before anything went ahead.'