Council postpones decision on bus stop move

Campaigners are celebrating after a council agreed to postpone its decision to move a bus stop in a Cornish town.

Padstow Town Council had been due to remove the bus stop at the Railway car park in Station Road on 18 November and replace it with a new one about half-a-mile (0.8km) away because of safety concerns.

More than 1,250 people signed a petition in support of keeping the bus stop in its current location rather than having a new stop at the top of a steep hill, which would pose challenges for older residents and people with mobility issues.

At a meeting on Tuesday the town council said it had agreed to requests by Cornwall Council and operator Go Cornwall Bus, to extend the deadline for a decision to 5 April.

The town council said during the extension it would work with the county council and bus firm to find a "mutually acceptable solution" and carry out a "comprehensive review" of the bus stop.

Barry West, the South West region organiser for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, helped organise the petition.

He said: "This will be a positive outcome for the people of Padstow and those that visit.

"I think it'd be lovely in the next 12 months to say Padstow is one of the most accessible places in Cornwall, not one of the least accessible."

Richard Stevens, managing director of Go Cornwall Bus said: “This decision, supported by our recent letter of intent with Cornwall Council, marks an important step forward in maintaining essential public transport links for local residents and visitors.”

The chairperson of Padstow Town Council said: "It is disappointing that it has taken this long to get to this point but consider the letter of intent a 'reset' and one that myself and my council welcome.

"We look forward to working together.”

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