WE were very pleased to read in the Times (September 13) that West Devon Borough Council planning committee agreed to hold a site meeting at the location of the proposed boat park, boat store, car park and associated works adjacent to the South Tamar Consuls Mine at Weir Quay.

The planning application has caused widespread controversy in the local community particularly as Weir Quay is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), part of the World Heritage Mining Area in Cornwall and West Devon and a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) with saltings and glow worm colony. Any development in such a sensitive area has to be considered very carefully.

It would be very sad to see the Weir Quay Sailing Club, established for over 40 years and the more recent thriving Tamar and Tavy Gig Club without a home. However the Tamar Valley AONB team has stated that any replacement facility should not be 'at any cost'. There appears to be a misconception that those objecting to the development are merely nimbys who do not wish to see any replacement facility. This is simply not true. What we object to are the specific details of the particular proposal.

We hope the planning committee will now fully appreciate these concerns, having visited the site for themselves, and understand that our objections relate to the specific details of this particular scheme and its totally unsympathetic nature, rather than the general desire to find suitable replacement facilities.

Friends of Weir Quay Committee