Two beaches branded 'unsafe' by new guide

By Stephen Ivall

TWO popular Falmouth beaches have been described as among the dirtiest in the country. Maenporth and Swanpool beaches are contaminated with sewage and very unhealthy for water sport, claims a new guide.

Gyllyngvase Beach fares little better in the Good Beach Guide, published today by Readers Digest.

The scathing appraisal comes just as Falmouth's tourist season gets underway.

The hard-hitting guide warns holidaymakers against using Falmouth beaches and directs them to "safe" beaches like Kennack Sands on the Lizard or across the Carrick Roads at Pendower and Carn on the Roseland.

The bathing waters at popular Maenporth failed all tests last year, having scraped through in 1992, and are not recommended.

At Swanpool the past two years have seen failure.

The beach is also an outlet for macerated sewage from the 36,500 population. Discharge points are at low water and 50 metres below low water. Full treatment works and re-seweraging is planned for 1995.

At Gyllyngvase the beach fulfils the requirements for a guideline pass of the EC bathing water directive but has failed the mandatory standard at some stage over the season and is not recommended at all.

The guide, which is being published nationwide, is expected to shock but points out that as tourists become more aware of the problems of sewage in the water they will boycott areas where water quality is not good enough.

It would cost money to clean up the beaches but it was work that needed to be done to preserve valuable income from tourism.

Riders lease Moor building to Argos

AFTER 18 months of negotiations the former Riders Garage in The Moor, Falmouth, has been let to Argos Distributors.

It will be the fifth branch of Argos in the county said Nick Seaton-Burridge whose company have let the property on behalf of Riders.

A new lease has been granted for 25 years subject to yearly rent reviews – the quoted rental was £50,000 a year exclusive of rates.

"The deal has taken some 18 months to negotiate culminating in an eight hour lease meeting where principals, agents and solicitors sat round a table and thrashed out every clause of the issue," said Mr Seaton-Burridge.

Riders are carrying out work on the building at present including installation of lift shafts, conveyor and warehouse facilities, ready for the handover next week. Argos hope to be trading by June 16.

The premises have a large forecourt and nearly 8,000 square feet of retail space in the central location. It also backs onto a nearby public car park in the Quarry.

The three storey building has recently been extended and refurbished.

Messages from the Mayors:

Falmouth Mayor Geoffrey Evans, who is also a county councillor, is much in favour of the new distributor road and will be among those at the opening on Monday.

But he wanted to see the new road extended soon.

"By linking it to the A30 trunk road, it would give Falmouth a good road network to the rest of the country, to encourage more tourists to the area, and create more jobs which we badly need," he said.

Mr Evans said such a road would also help develop the full potential of Falmouth as a port.

THE new Falmouth and Penryn Distributor Road should mean a great deal to Penryn, said the mayor, Mrs Penny Vinnicombe.

While she understood the reservations expressed in some quarters, the removal of heavy lorries and continuous traffic from the main street would allow long-awaited improvements to be made to the town centre.

Penryn is also likely to enjoy substantial cash help, a bonus which comes to towns which are by-passed.

The benefits the new road would bring would include traffic calming measures, hanging baskets and seats.

Jap cash theft

A LARGE amount of Japanese currency and travellers cheques were stolen from Bar Road, Falmouth, last Wednesday. Also taken was a video camera.