A TOWN and county councillor for Callington has urged Cornwall Council’s highways department to take urgent action to protect the back garden of a resident who has experienced years of erosion from a council-owned patch of land.

Cllr Andrew Long made the call on the long-standing issue following a series of meetings with the resident of Coronation Road in Callington and officers of the council.

Cllr Long said: ‘For a number of years the resident has voiced concerns over erosion of the bank to his back garden from the old section of Mud Lane at the eastern end of Coronation Road. The drain, which empties from the northern part of the lane, finishes just next to his property and continued lack of maintenance has led to a dangerous situation where his property is now under threat from future erosion.

‘I have had a number of meetings with officers and while I appreciate the issue of ownership and responsibility has taken time, we now need to see urgent action to protect the property.’

‘I have written to the highways officer responsible for the area to ask for a plan and timetable to clean this are, repair and maintain any damage to the drainage and to repair and protect the border to the resident’s property.’

The resident has experienced increasing erosion to his land since the northern part of the path, known as Mud Lane, was upgraded by Sustrans in 2009. Cllr Long said recently the damage caused to the path has led the council to agree to repair and renew the path next year and he is urging the council to ensure that the resident’s issue of not forgotten when the work is done.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: ‘Cornwall Council is working with Andrew Long, the local Cornwall councillor, to find a resolution to the issues of Coronation Road and Mud Lane.’