A SUMMER of chaos is being predicted on the roads of the Bere peninsula as pothole repairs are set to close the main route to Tavistock for ten days.

Road resurfacing work will shut the B3257 between Tavistock Cross, beside Bere Alston, and Orestocks, between August 14 and 24.

This means that the only route in and out of the peninsula will be via Denham Bridge, meaning anyone wanting to leave or get to Bere Alston from the Tavistock area facing a long detour.

One resident, who lives in Bere Alston, is moving to a caravan site nearer Tavistock to avoid the disruption, saying: ‘I am going to a caravan site for the duration now as I cannot be left in this situation having to care for my mother in Tavistock, while someone I have just spoken to works in Launceston has taken holiday to not be involved in it.

‘Someone else is considering not working as they have to work in Callington.

‘My biggest worry, apart from my own problems getting to my aged parents in Tavistock, is that many many people in this area are not on Facebook, and may live quietly and not know that this dreadful problem is coming up – ten days without proper access to and from Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers is beyond madness – no one thinks this is going to go well.

‘We are all feeling very ignored and cut off at the moment, and it seems to be in the hands of DCC and now the utility company who is not local and does not seem to acknowledge the problems ahead for such a large number of people.‘

Fellow Bere Alston residents Kathy and Michael Street are also concerned that all traffic in and out of the village will be funnelled down the very steep, twisty and narrow Denham Bridge road.

Michael said: ‘As local drivers will know, if any more than three or four vehicles meet from opposite directions at any of the many narrow sections along that road, it is virtually impossible for them to pass without considerable reversing being necessary.

‘With the anticipated very significant increase in traffic diverted onto that road I would expect such stoppages to occur frequently, then more vehicles will build up behind each blockage until the whole route becomes impassable with no vehicle able to go forwards and back.’

He added:’It will also be high season for holiday visitors who will not know the road, many of whom are unable to reverse any distance and almost certainly someone will try and take a caravan or very large motorhome through.

‘It is a recipe for predictable chaos. The proposed diversion could effectively cut the peninsula off at times and is highly misguided and preposterous to say the least!’

Kathy added that they were not the only residents of Bere Alston who were concerned about the situation. ‘There is quite an upset in the village because the Denham Bridge road is not an easy road and people are nervous of it but they are going to have to use it if they want to get out of the peninsula on those days.

She added: ‘There has been no general announcement about it. I wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t seen it on Facebook and not everyone is on social media.’

Michael added: ‘We don’t get very helpful responses from Devon Highways. Their attitude is we very sorry but we have got to do it.’

Letters, page 6