FUNDING has been secured for the business case for the Camelford bypass.

Cllr Rob Rotchell, Cornwall Councillor for Camelford, was delighted to be able to secure the funding — the first step in the process.

This means that when the government requests bids for the capital funds for projects, the case will be ready to submit.

Cllr Rotchell said: “The pot that we’re after is available in the next financial year, for major road development, but it’s for medium sized schemes between £20 and £100 million. The fund is from the road fund licence, which has been diverted into a pot to fund major schemes.”

The money for the Camelford bypass business case has been secured from Cornwall Council, and Cllr Rotchell is optimistic that they will have a good case to put forward.

Work has already started on the business case, and it is hoped it will be ready by April.

“It’s the only bid from Cornwall against that pot of money. In terms of what that pot of money is for, it’s for major road schemes between £20 and £100 million — we’re mid £30-million at the moment, that’s the guess. I honestly believe this is our best chance of securing the money. I’ve been working on this for a long time now.”

Cllr Rotchell estimates that the cost of the bypass increases each year by around £1.5-million, but each year — with the increase in electric cars and low emission vehicles that don’t pay any or as much road fund licence — the money available for such schemes will decrease.

It is hoped that there are also other factors in Camelford’s favour in obtaining a bypass — the air pollution being one of them.

Cllr Rotchell said: “Camelford is an air quality management area which means that something has to be done about the air quality. We looked at diverting HGVs, but that’s not really doable. The only solution would be a bypass.”

The emphasis on the business case has also changed from the previous application. There is now an argument for the economic growth of North Cornwall.

“We’ve looked at the road from Barnstaple to past Padstow,” said Cllr Rotchell. “The worst bit of that road is through Camelford. It’s about saying if we’ve got the bypass it’s improving the flow of traffic from North Devon all the way down the Atlantic Highway.”

Cllr Rotchell said Camelford is now in a good position to go forward.

“We are now as ready as we will ever be. In my heart I think this is so important for the town. I just worry if we don’t secure the money this time, I don’t know when we will have another chance.

“Camelford is a resilient town. If we can secure the bypass that would help to make it a pleasant place, rather than somwehere with lots of traffic.”