BUS USERS in a popular tourist town will face a steep walk up a hill to catch a bus after the town council decided to remove a bus stop on safety grounds.

Padstow Town Council has confirmed it will be withdrawing permission for buses to use the stop adjacent to the railway car park on the week commencing November 18, 2024.

Chairman Councillor O’Keefe commented: “For more than two years, we have been raising concerns with Cornwall Council and bus operators to address a number of health and safety concerns. Anyone who knows the area will have witnessed firsthand the increasingly unsafe and unmanageable situation that the bus stop presents.”

He added: “Padstow Town Council has been put into an impossible position. Despite being the landowner, the Town Council is not considered a stakeholder and is not consulted on any bus operations from or to the Railway Car Park Registered Bus Stop. There is no conduit through which it can raise concerns and ensure they are factored into bus route decisions. Indeed, we learnt recently that, if submitted within a specific timeframe, most routes are agreed by the Transport Commissioner without any consultation at all.

“Over the last two years, the town council has raised concerns directly with bus operators and with Cornwall Council. In that time, we have been unsuccessful in encouraging a collaborative review of the bus stop. Attempts to highlight the safety concerns related to the unique location of the bus stop and the need for changes to its use and management that could improve safety have also failed. When a further bus route was registered at the start of the summer, despite the known health and safety issues and adverse impact of existing services, the Town Council was left with no option but to give notice.

“At the end of July, the Town Council gave Cornwall Council three months’ notice of its intention to remove the bus stop. In September, the timescale was extended at Cornwall Council’s request. The extended notice expires on Sunday, November 17, 2024.”

The town clerk added: “Padstow Town Council is committed to engaging in any conversations that seek such improvement and reaffirmed this in its latest correspondence with Cornwall Council.”

A spokesperson for bus operator Go Cornwall said: "We are deeply concerned by Padstow Town Council's decision to evict buses from the Railway Car Park. This move, which is disproportionate in its severity, will have a significant impact on thousands of passengers who rely on our services daily.

"By removing access to the car park, passengers will now face the challenge of walking up and down a steep hill, which will undoubtedly cause unnecessary hardship, particularly for those with mobility issues, the elderly, and families."