I NOTE in the Times of June 21 that a revised plan for the 'Water Sports' centre at Weir Quay has been submitted.

The originally proposed industrial building has now been increased to accommodate toilets and changing facilities.

There is also provision for a linear spoil heap to accommodate the large amount of excavated contaminated material, which will stretch from top to bottom of the site, over 12 feet wide and over 5 feet in height. Such a feature will be out of keeping with field patterns in the area.

There is provision for car parking by the electricity pylon which will be visible from the river.

I consider the most worrying aspect of the whole project is that children, boats, walkers, riders and above all, traffic will all be competing for space on a narrow road. A further worry is how will such a costly project be funded; this could be a building site for years?

There is high unemployment on the Bere Peninsula; the area is not suitable for any form of industrialisation and in the past relied upon agriculture and market gardening to create jobs.

This is no longer the case so the parish should look to what assets it can exploit, and probably its greatest asset is its scenic beauty. The only way to exploit that is via tourism. Tamar Valley AONB has recently created a viewing area above the silver mine at Weir Quay to allow tourists the benefit of uninterrupted views across the river. Sadly the only views, should this project go ahead, will be a large building, eventually a club house and a car park. This project will not generate much needed employment; it will be the case of a minority stamping its will upon the majority.

It is unlikely that the club could ever raise sufficient funds to purchase the barn that was used as a club house, but it could afford to purchase the area currently used as a boat park.

As the boat park and the area associated with the hard is of such importance to the area, I would like to call upon the whole parish to support a parish poll requesting that Devon County Council takes the area associated with the hard and the boat park into public ownership for the good of future generations.

Tom Young

Clamoak Farm

Bere Alston