A NEW plan to enhance Callington after a one-way system was thrown out last year has been supported by town councillors.

A number of ideas to encourage people to shop in the town and improve it for pedestrians were put forward by a working party of representatives from different organisations.

The group was set up following a public consultation — almost 80% of the 633 residents who responded rejected plans for a one-way system.

Businesses had called the plans 'ludicrous' and said they would fail to offset the detriment of a supermarket opening on the edge of town. The money for the scheme was being provided by the recently built Tesco to enhance the town.

The latest ideas for more on-street parking, footpath widening and a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Saltash Road and Tavistock Road were considered a better option for the town centre which like many others is struggling to thrive .

The ideas include removing the pedestrian crossing in Fore Street and providing traffic calming humps and an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of Biscombe's Lane, limited waiting parking bays in Fore Street and in other roads in the town, pavement widening in Church Street and replacing taxi bays with two no limit waiting bays. The cost of this is estimated at £24,000, leaving some £84,000 from the remaining Tesco funds.

A longer term aspiration to move the bus stops to the Co-op car park was rejected. Councillors wanted to see the bus stops remain as close to the shops as possible and did not want to take up one third of the car park. But the installation of an 'intelligent traffic light system' which would allow the insertion of a pedestrian crossing phase without causing significant disruption to the traffic flow was unanimously supported.

Councillors also supported setting up a town team to investigate sourcing additional funding using the remaining money from Tesco.

Portreeve Karen Gold said the proposals were 'really, really good' but she was concerned that not all the money was being spent and could be lost to the town.

'The aim of the money is to get people into the town centre and improving the traffic situation will not do that alone. Could we not use some of the money to create flower beds and make it look a bit prettier in town?'

She said she hoped the plans, which were subject to Cornwall Council highways approval, would be taken on board this time.

'Unfortunately, in the past our recommendations have been overturned. We have to have a voice and Cornwall Council has got to listen to what we want.'

Cllr Jeremy Gist said the proposals had been worked up in consultation with highways officer Rebecca Dickson who had provided 'more sense' than any other officer so far.