AN alternative budget which will be submitted to Cornwall Council next Tuesday (February 25) will include a commitment to try and progress plans for work at one of North Cornwall’s most dangerous junctions..
The Liberal Democrats have confirmed that they will be proposing £250,000 is spent by Cornwall Council into creating and publishing a feasibility study for Plusha junction on the A30, which they hope will assist in progressing efforts to identify a solution to one of Cornwall’s most dangerous stretches of road.
However, it may only happen if the alternative budget is approved in next week’s full council meeting by a majority of councillors.
The Liberal Democrats have previously attempted to get a feasibility study paid for by the authority, which was included in a motion from the previous full council meeting.
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In the last 12 months, the junction, which sits between Launceston and Bodmin, has gained a reputation for being the site of regular road traffic collisions, a number of which have resulted in fatalities - taking the lives of the drivers involved.
Following this, there have been a number of calls for change at the site, with many hoping for the construction of a flyover, to safely offer a route for those looking to use the junction.
The Safer Plusha Action Group was recently established, encompassing a group of concerned locals who hope something can change at the stretch.
A spokesperson from the group explained: “The need for a ‘grade separated junction’ was recognised in 2000 and options were developed in 2015 but were not pursued. With increasing traffic the risk of accident has steadily increased over the 25 years to the extent that National Highways developed a safety improvement plan for the A30 between Kennards House and Five Lanes which involved the elimination of the right turn out of the B3257 on to A30 eastbound in the direction of Launceston. Local opinion at an engagement event held in September 2024 indicated that 98 per cent of those who viewed the proposals for Plusha felt that the planned changes did not adequately deal with the accident risk.”
Now, Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat voices are planning to present a budget to Cornwall Council, which allocates the necessary funds for a feasibility study at the junction.
Cllr Leigh Frost, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cornwall Council said: “Plusha the worst traffic accident hotspot in Cornwall, Cornwall Council should’ve committed to acting when Cllr Parsons brought the motion to Cornwall Council. We won’t shirk from this responsibility. It had to be included in our alternative budget.”
Cllr Adrian Parsons, the council member for Altarnun and Stoke Climsland, added: “To see funding for the re evaluation of the plans for a grade separated junction on the A30 at Plusha Junction in order to develop a scheme and associated business case to secure funding from DFT and eventual implementation in partnership with National Highways, within the alternative budget gives a statement of intent, that the Lib Dems will look to deliver infrastructure schemes which will drive growth and investment in to Cornwall whilst looking to improve highway safety and connectivity, which will benefit all as we head into the next administration.”