'Repair of Perranporth beach steps is a farce'
ATTEMPTS to repair public steps leading to Perranporth beach and closed for two years have been branded a "farce".
The future of Tamblyn Way, a popular route onto Droskyn beach, hangs in the balance as parish councillors decide whether to reopen them or conduct a third assessment on their condition.
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The steps to the beach at Tamblyn Way in Perranporth which remain closed.
In the spring of last year Perranzabuloe Parish Council paid Wheal Leisure Builders £3,748 to replace rotting steps, corroded steel bolts and install fencing.
But 18 months on the wooden structure remains closed after concerns were raised by Cornwall Council engineer Scott Perry, who inspected Tamblyn Way in March and April, 2011.
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He found corroded steel bolts had not been replaced but new ones drilled into the structure instead.
He advised the steps remain closed to the public until further maintenance had been completed, including the replacement of original bolts.
Assessment
Unhappy with the report, the parish council called in engineering firm Derek Gray & Associates to conduct its own assessment of the job.
It made four recommendations which included further work to the bolts and repairs to a handrail and concrete supports that are badly eroded.
Despite this report, the council is now considering a full survey to finally decide the future of the 30-year-old steps.
Councillor David Nancarrow, a former pilot and aircraft engineer, said: "It is a total farce. We've had work held up because of Easter and then the summer holidays and with winter looming nothing will get done. We either knock down the whole thing or get Cormac in to deal with it and make a feature people can be proud of."
Councillor Ken Yeo said he backed a new full survey, adding: "We would want recommendations on what needs to be done to make it safe, with an indication of the costs and the best way forward."
Comments
by Phil_lip
Monday, October 15 2012, 8:33AM
“Surely the cost of this should fall to Wheal Leisure Builders, including the costs of the surveys that have been carried out since the incompetent work they seem to have failed in completing.
I know that it is more important to make them safe and to a standard that the public can use them first but that should not mean this council should leave it at that, chase this company down and get them to pay.”