Campaigners 'absolutely disgusted' over plans to move bus stop in Padstow

More than 500 people have come together to demand that plans to remove a bus stop in a Cornish town should be stopped.

Padstow Town Council wants to move the bus stop at the Railway Car Park on Station Road, as it is "no longer fit for purpose" and has become a health and safety hazard for pedestrians.

But the decision has been met with opposition from residents, who said the new stop would be at the top of a steep hill, which would create problems for people with mobility issues.

More than 500 people have now signed a petition opposing the change. Campaigners have said they will be gathering outside Padstow Town Hall to voice their concerns ahead of a full town council meeting at 7:30pm on Tuesday 29 October.

Sue Owen, who set up the petition, said she was "absolutely disgusted" when she found out about the move, which is set to take place on 18 November.

She said she relies on the bus stop to travel back home, and believes the move will make the town less accessible.

"I just thought about all the elderly people, the pregnant mums, the people with mobility issues, and I just thought this is a really bad move," Sue said.

"If they need to come into Padstow, to go to the chemist for example, how are they meant to get back up the hill if they are less able? And vice versa, if people live in the town, they can't necessarily go up the hill to the supermarket".

"I just think they cannot take the bus stop away from people that goes up that very steep hill," she added.

Barry West, RMT union's regional organiser, added the move will create problems for the thousands of tourists who visit the seaside town each year and use buses to travel into the town.

"We have many elderly and disabled tourists that come here - people from Australia, from America, from all over the world. It will have a detrimental effect on tourists, but also it will have an effect on the businesses in Padstow itself".

Cornwall Council said more than 500 people per week use the Railway Car Park bus stop between October and March, which rises to more than 1,500 people during the summer.

The authority said the decision to move the bus stop is "incredibly disappointing".

A spokesperson said: "Given the geography of the town and steep hills surrounding the centre, as well as limited public parking, this decision will have a particular impact on those with limited mobility and people with young children.

"We have been working to address the town council’s concerns for the last 18 months. As a result, we removed school and college services from the area to reduce the number of vehicle movements.

"We have also asked for space previously delegated to bus parking to be reinstated and have offered to fund the installation of the necessary signs and lineage".

Cornwall Council added it is happy to discuss the situation further should the town council wish to reconsider its decision to move the bus stop.

Padstow Town Council has said it met with Cornwall Council's covering cabinet member for Transport, Martin Worth, to discuss the issue and that it will be debated at a full council meeting, which has been opened to the public "due to the level of interest".

The meeting will be held at Padstow Community Hub where a larger number of residents can be accommodated.

The town council said it first raised health and safety concerns with Cornwall Council and the bus operator in April 2022.

It said it has been working "to seek a better solution" for the Railway Car Park bus stop for more than two years, and "sought to engage with all parties to improve the situation through written communications and meetings with Go Cornwall, First, and with Cornwall Council".

Councillor James O’Keefe, chairman of Padstow Town Council, said: "Anyone who knows the area will have witnessed firsthand the increasingly unsafe and unmanageable situation that the bus stop presents.

"Padstow Town Council is committed to seeing change and improvement to bus infrastructure in our Parish. The status quo cannot continue – it is unsafe and unmanageable."

Vice-Chair to Padstow Town Council, Councillor Janet Dawe added: "It is unreasonable for Cornwall Council, as the authority responsible for bus services to expect Padstow Town Council to accept liability for an operation which it has no way of managing.

"We have no input into matters which affect the operation in the town such as the number of services, the frequency of buses and bus operator practices, and we have no power to mitigate any issues that may arise. Councillors feel they have been backed into a corner by Cornwall Council and the bus companies.

"I and my fellow Councillors consider a comprehensive review of Padstow and its bus service infrastructure, involving input from, and consultation with all relevant stakeholders, to better service its users and residents is needed."