Council revises budget for Plusha junction study after hours, prompted by Councillor Frost, following safety concerns.
The changes seem prompted by Councillor Leigh Frost, who leads the Liberal Democrats in the council. The council now has money for a study to upgrade Plusha junction, and they announced it on Friday.
The council said this is a step to redesign the junction, the A30’s most dangerous spot. They’ll review safety near Launceston, as Plusha junction is Cornwall’s deadliest road section. The council tweaked its budget to find money, and they can now prepare a funding application.
Two hours later, they sent another release stating three budget cuts got dropped. Still, they didn’t say which cuts. However, CornwallLive knows which cuts these are and plans to share the information next week.
The update said Councillor Frost proposed dropping the three cuts. Two other cuts stayed in place, and the council still thinks those savings are okay. The related services also have enough staff.
Councillor David Harris, the deputy leader and finance lead, is happy funds became available. Donnithorne found the funds in the transport budget. Harris thanked Councillor Frost for the proposals and is pleased the cabinet implemented them.
Plusha junction had a partial closure after National Highways issued an emergency order following another fatal crash in November. There were many serious accidents at this spot, and people have called for a redesign. Drivers risk crossing a busy road to access services and the surrounding area.
In 2015, they considered redesign options, including underpasses and overbridges, but funding issues stopped the project then. A 50mph speed limit is now in place, and the roads operator is also doing cheaper measures. These measures address the A30 section running between Kennards House and Five Lanes, but councillors want more action taken.
Councillor Adrian Parsons proposed a motion calling for a full redesign. The council considered the motion in cabinet and decided to prepare the funding application. Councillor Donnithorne talked about the safety concerns, stating the council listened to calls for improvements to improve road safety. Parsons and the Safe Plusha group helped, and the council will also support other safety measures.
The released information also spoke about savings. The changes removed three savings that came from a proposal by Councillor Frost. National Highways revealed improvement plans aimed to improve six A30 junctions at Plusha, Trevell, and other locations. Plans included junction changes and better signage.