CLLR Musgrave's emotive letter in support of the proposed Weir Quay development, and considering his position as a councillor, is surely inappropriate. I believe the residents he is speaking up for are the minority. There are only two hundred and something members of the watersports clubs and most of them come from outside the Bere Parish and yet you had 450-plus votes from within the parish? What about the interests of the majority who voted him in?

He makes big play about community benefits and uses this as a reason to back up the proposal. I believe the club is open for local membership but how come there do not appear to be any local school initiatives to give our kids an opportunity in gig rowing or dinghy sailing or even some way to accommodate those who are too poor to join? This 'community service' is insufficient to back his cause.

He also criticises people for the words they use to debate — quote: 'bulldozers ripping through an area of outstanding natural beauty'. We cannot see what is wrong with that because that is exactly what they are going to do if he gets his way.

It is not a fight between opposing factions, the locals would love to see the clubs back in the barn but they simply will not tolerate their AONB being 'ripped up'.

The 'low profile development' may well be disputed by the residents on the Cornish bank or anyone using the river where every rabbit hole in the intended field can be seen. From the river the hedge hides nothing.

Cllr Musgrave also mentions 'a recent application by a local resident for sailing club facilities'. Does this mean there will now be two sailing clubs and if so where is it intended as there is only one place for any club, namely the barn in question?

Weir Quay should be preserved in its natural state as the AONB, SSSI and World Heritage designations intended and how the locals want.

There exists a club, a need and a barn and somehow these need reconnecting as it is the only acceptable solution.

Bere Action Group

I HAVE been a member of Weir Quay Sailing Club for approximately four years, firstly enjoying dinghy sailing with my young family and now on a small cruiser. The area is wonderful. From the historic industrial landscape to the wildlife it is a delight and rightfully recognised as such. With the rest of the membership of the two watersports clubs, we feel very lucky to be able to use the river for our pastimes.

Since the loss of the lease of the barn, the club has struggled to carry on its activities. In order to carry on what we already do, we need better facilities.

These will replace, not add to what the club has already used.

Without new facilities, the likelihood is that the clubs would have to cease to exist in their current form.

Mary Logan (article, September 1) referred to the scheme as 'intrusive'. The plans in place will actually remove much of the activity from the waterfront to an area not visible, bar the tops of masts, from the water. It will be behind a hedge. How can this be intrusive?

The 'traffic chaos' referred to by Margaret Patterson is, I'm afraid, a red herring. I have to travel down this road when going to Weir Quay. Due to work, I am forced to use my boat at weekends, a time that might be considered to be the busiest. If I meet one car on the lane, it's busy.

But let us assume that the club is forced to fold — what then? All those who normally store boats at the club would have to trailer them to the public slipway there. Wouldn't that be more of a problem?

Mary Logan also questions whether the club is a community movement. How do we assess this? Club membership would definitely suggest it is. The number of cadets attending training sessions would say it is. The use of the club by a local scout group would say it is.

Do not believe that sailing is a rich man's sport. This is total rubbish. It can be but for most of us it is not. My cruiser cost the same as a ten-year-old car and we had to save hard to buy it.

Finally, I would like to point out that until relatively recently, Weir Quay was part of an industrial landscape.

It has been changing for over 150 years and continues to do so. If readers take the time to read the planning applications that have been granted over the past few years, it becomes obvious that this is the case.

Change does not need to be negative. The clubs have consulted widely to try and minimise the impact of their replacement facilities and have kept local residents informed along the way. The river and its users are a vital ingredient of Weir Quay.

Don't let nimbyism stand in the way.

Martyn Woodbridge-Harris