CALLS have been made for the urgent resurfacing of a ‘nightmare’ road in Bodmin. 

Old Callywith Road, on the outskirts of Bodmin has seen a much larger use in recent years due to the opening of the Callywith College site. 

However, the road has been plagued with potholes in recent years, with multiple attempts at repair of the potholes failing quickly after being undertaken. 

It has led to calls from residents and the Cornwall Councillor for the area for Cormac to resurface the road. 

At a recent full town council meeting of Bodmin Town Council, councillor Leigh Frost, the council member for Bodmin St Petroc’s and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the local authority told councillors that it is slated for work at an as-yet confirmed date between April 2024 and March 2025.

Cllr Frost told town councillors: “The Old Callywith Road is an ongoing nightmare and we’ve had more potholes filled in than we’ve had rain, but they keep washing out just as quickly. Cormac are coming out to make it safe, again, but they’re coming out constantly and every time they do, each repair washes out within weeks. 

“I can tell you that it is now a priority one project from April 2024, which means it is in the highest category for priority and unfortunately, it’s the best I can do, as it cannot be done any sooner because of funding constraints. But, in the meantime, I am told they are going to continue to come out and fill in the potholes.”

Cllr Frost said that he wished the local authority would take note that the road wasn’t a ‘sleepy backroad no longer’, adding that with vehicle movements from the Callywith College site in addition to 150 houses due to be built nearby, the road was in dire need of upgrading. 

In a statement, Councillor Frost said that he had been repeatedly asking for the road to be repaired, he had been pushed back. He said: “This has been an ongoing issue for some time now. Despite repeatedly calling for a proper resurface of the road, I’ve always been knocked back because of budget restrictions, yet the Conservative Council have been able to find hundreds of thousands of taxpayers money for vanity projects like the disastrous mayor for Cornwall!

“This road is dangerous, and I have been informed of damage to vehicles using this road, it is not fair on residents that have to use this road. I have constantly been reporting potholes to Cormac, which get filled quite quickly but due to road being in such poor condition, it’s just not sticking and with weeks they reappear. I have now managed to get Old Callywith Road designated as a priority one resurface in the new financial year, which is great news but still leaves us with another winter of having to deal with the poor condition of this road.”