Full News Report

11th October 2023

Police investigating road accident ‘patterns’ in Morval Parish

LOOE Police’s new Neighbourhood Beat Manager, Cons Ben Woodhead, was welcomed to Morval Parish Council’s monthly meeting.

Dave Billing, the Morval area’s police community support officer (PCSO), who introduced Cons Woodhead, said that September had seen just three crime reported in the parish, one of which was an instance of suspected fraud.

He also said that the Looe Police Station enquiry ‘front office’ on Station Road would re-open to members of the public next Wednesday (October 18) and would be accessible from Mondays to Saturdays each week.

Cons Woodhead, replying to concerns about the increasing road accident rate on the parish’s main thoroughfares, said that the police’s Road Casualty Reductions Officer was currently investigating accident reports on the B3252 Looe-Liskeard road, near Horningtops, to ascertain whether any patterns were arising that could result in action on preventative measures.

The parish council had previously said that it wanted to engage with the neighbouring Menheniot and Trewidland and St Keyne parish councils to call for further road safety measures on the route.

And, in answer to a query from the council chairman, Cllr Andy Jackson, CPSO Billing said that patrols would monitor any mis-use of the car parking area ‘above’ Trenode Church of England Primary and Junior School and he urged members of the public to note, and report, the registration numbers of any vehicles they believed to be not acting in a responsible manner.

CPSO Billing also responded to Cllr Clive Pearn’s observations that local farmers’ activities were being hampered by indiscriminate car parking on A387 road junction by Terras Bridge railway crossing, saying that the police had long wanted the triangle of grassed area removed and replaced by an orthodox ‘Give Way’ crossing.

Cllr Pearn’s concerns were first raised at the council back in March when CPSO Billing suggested that they might support the Police Authority’s request to Cornwall Council to improve the junction. The council subsequently wrote to the county in April but the clerk, Sam Pengelly, said that she had heard nothing more.

On other highways matter, Cllr Graham Tamblyn called on Cornwall Council to erect ‘Unsuitable Road’ signs on the ‘back’ lane from the old coal depot at Plashford, near Sandplace to the top of Gellies Hill, Morval. The route was passable in some cars but definitely not suitable for use by heavy goods vehicles and the like, he said.

The county will also be pressed again on getting ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ markings installed on the A387 at the entrance to the western (Trenode School) end of the road through Widegates village and for a proper ‘Morval’ road sign near Wringworthy.

Meanwhile Cornwall councillor Armand Toms said he was continuing to get potholes in the parish’s roads repaired, and he urged motorists to keep reporting areas where the road surfaces were far from satisfactory.