Full News Report

8th April 2025

Council objects to loss of bus service

MORVAL Parish councillors have joined retiring Cornwall councillor Armand Toms and local residents in calling for the No.73 bus service serving Widegates village to be re-instated.

The council, at their monthly meeting in the Village Hall, Widegates, received two e-mails from concerned bus users about the decision to ditch the service covering Morval, Widegates and Nomansland from Sunday, April 20.

Mr Toms said he had already lodged his objection to the decision and knew Morval Parish’s neighbours, St Martin-by-Looe Parish Council, were also concerned.

It was understood that the service had been operating as a commercial venture, and not with any local government subsidy.

Mr Toms said that, as well as local residents being inconvenienced, the decision would particularly affect those staying at the many holiday camps and caravan parks in the area, including Tregoad.

In their letter to the council Michael and Kim Spencer, of Wringworthy,said that the loss of the No.73 bus to Morval’s rural parish was huge. 

“For many, it’s a lifeline,” said Mrs Spencer. “The alternative – to walk to Sandplace (which would be the site of the only remaining No.73 bus stop in the parish) – is just not viable considering that the road is 60-mph with blind bends and absolutely no footpath. 

“The verge is also not particularly stable or suitable when it’s been raining.”

The Spencers wondered how much Government money had been forthcoming for public transport in Cornwall and how much of it had actually been spent in South East Cornwall?

“When the bus was hourly we used it to get into Liskeard,” said Mrs Spencer. 

“When it went to two-hourly it became harder to use and it’s almost like the decision to cut it was made at this point, and the reason for reducing it to two-hourly was precisely so people weren’t able or going to use it!”

Another complainant, Jan Howe, said that the service, although, she claimed, previously often unreliable, was nevertheless worthy of retention and to see it withdrawn would be “a disastrous decision” for people living in the area.

“I personally know five people with serious health problems, who will be severely disadvantaged without access to public transport,” she said.

Morval Parish Council agreed to lobby the bus company and Cllr Toni Paterson suggested that they should also contact Duloe Parish Council to make them aware that the service was being withdrawn.