West Briton

"Waste of money" pavement-hogging Hayle pelican crossing pole disappears after just a few days West Briton Cornwall Council's highways department has again come under fire after new pelican crossing poles were installed in the middle of a pavement - only to be taken away again a few days later because they breached the law. Residents in Hayle were ...

"Waste of money" pavement-hogging Hayle pelican crossing pole disappears after just a few days

Cornwall Council's highways department has again come under fire after new pelican crossing poles were installed in the middle of a pavement - only to be taken away again a few days later because they breached the law.

Residents in Hayle were dumbfounded after the crossing apparatus was plonked in the middle of the pavement at the crossing on the road leading from Lidl into the town centre, obstructing the route for mobility scooters, pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Local resident Maria Ellis, who first noticed the obstruction last Friday, said: "It beggars belief. I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked past with the dog and noticed it.

"Has anybody actually thought about it? Public services are being cut left, right and centre but they still find money for this?

Now you see it...

"It's in the middle of the pavement so if you have a mobility scooters or a wheelchair you have to go onto the road to get past."

Ms Ellis immediately raised the issue with council leader John Pollard and to her astonishment, found it had been removed when she walked past on Monday.

Now you don't

"It's such a waste of money," she added.

"I've been told that the man responsible for our roads within the council doesn't drive and hasn't got a car which says it all after what's happened in Lelant. But he must have eyes and be able to walk so how did this even happen?"

A Cornwall Council statement said: "The stub post on the site was renewed as part of our ongoing replacement programme. The stub post was replaced in the same position where it had been since 1999 however it was recognised that the site no longer meets the current Disability Discrimination Act and the regulations that followed and so the stub post was removed on Monday.

"The main post cannot be removed without the entire crossing being removed. This will not be done without serious consideration given how much the crossing is used. We will be reviewing the situation to see what can be done."