Dear Editor;

It is hard not to be a little cynical about the future of Hayle if you are resident.

We have been promised much over past decades and seen most promises fail to bear fruit. We must have cornered the market in artists' impressions and feasibility studies but we still confront a wretched wasteland where any self- respecting town would have a captivating waterside development in harmony with the stunning seascape.

Now we must believe that, at last, we are near the promised land. Have we not had a new bridge giving us access to the concrete delights of a North Quay readied for development? Surely this is the “lift off”. Or is it?

ING must be judged by what they have provided so far. Not the development mentioned above because that was funded by Cornwall Council and Brussels. The most obvious signs of ING's contribution is the conversion of pot-holed derelict ground into Pay and Display car parks scorned by alI.

I have taken a close interest over the last five or so years in the failure of ING to restore the bridge over the old railway cutting; the closure of which by the Health and Safety Police denied many pedestrians and cyclists in Hayle a Bridleway alternative to the busy main road between Foundry and the War Memorial. Initially ING denied that the bridge was theirs-presumably to avoid having to pay for its restoration- but when they were eventually compelled to accept responsibility for the bridge they simply ignored directives from Cornwall Council to repair it. Only threatened court action seems to have "galvanised" them into undertaking to repair the bridge. When last I checked with ING I was assured the matter was "in hand." I do notice some signs of scaffolding at the Bridge now but no evidence that it will soon re-open. In connection with this issue I have been in communication with Countryside and Enforcement Officers at Cornwall Council, our MP, Town and Cornwall Councillors so you can be sure I am not making this up- hence my cynicism. If it takes so long NOT to repair a bridge, what hope is there for the transformation of Hayle Harbour in the life-time of your readers? We may get an ugly and unwanted Supermarket stuck on what looks like a bomb site and I suppose we must be thankful for that.

Sincerely (Details Supplied)

Note. A check with a source at Cornwall Council states that work on the bridge is due to start on 25th March, so it MAY be underway by the time you read this.
There is at the time of writing no start date for the work on South Quay, but planning permission has been sought for the Renewable Energy Industrial Park on the old Electricworks site, for which it is understood funding has been found.
ED