I AM writing in response to the article in the Times last week, Footpath Plan hits a stumbling block, in which Cllr Anita Prosser gave her reasons for not supporting the proposed footpath in Mary Tavy. I too am a Mary Tavy parish councillor, but my personal views differ considerably from those of Cllr Prosser.

I believe we as a council have let the parishioners down by not moving forward with plans for the footpath. The need for a footpath from opposite the Post Office to Bullers Hill was highlighted in the Parish Plan several years ago, yet it was deemed by the council to be necessary for there to be a public meeting to gauge the strength of feeling. As reported in an earlier edition of the Times the meeting was a resounding success, it was well attended and the vote for the footpath was unequivocal with a majority of 5-1. It saddens me that at the next parish council meeting some elected representatives of the community totally disregarded parishioners' wishes.

I cannot stress strongly enough how important this lack of progress is — people's lives are at risk, walking along the A386 between these two locations.

There should no longer be an 'if', we should now be discussing the 'how and when'. Parishioners have made the effort to show us the depth of their feelings on this issue; it is therefore ludicrous and offensive to ignore them.

Equally it has been made perfectly clear both at the public meeting and in parish council meetings that the only financial implication is an undertaking to underwrite £900 so that the council can apply for grants and it is hoped that the full cost of the footpath can be found through grants and fundraising so that it will cost the parish nothing.

If the grants are not available it may not be possible to proceed, so again the costs will be nothing.

The need to raise the precept has never been discussed and there is no likelihood that any organisations within the parish would be penalised for the sake of the footpath.

I strongly suggest that parishioners come along to parish council meetings — generally on the first Tuesday each month, 7pm, Coronation Hall — to make their feelings known and persuade the councillors they elected to work for the people of the parish.

Michael Cook

Mary Tavy parish councillor