A COMMUNITY centre has reacted with dismay and disbelief to a road closure in connection with the major traffic diversion now in place in the centre of St Austell.

Trustees at Sembal House Community Centre, towards the top end of West Hill, are struggling to understand why the junction of West Hill with Trinity Street has been blocked off.

Trinity Street has been made one way for up to two years while potentially dangerous cladding on the White River Place flats is replaced.

As part of the traffic scheme put in place because of the work, vehicles can no longer turn out of the top of West Hill.

Alex Rybialek, a St Austell Old People’s Welfare Society trustee at the community centre, is asking the question: “Why has it been deemed necessary to close off the top part of West Hill when the scaffolding for the cladding is about 500 yards away?”

Alex said: “We have blind, disabled and elderly people, who have mobility problems and need walking aids, dropped off outside the front door of our building. This will now be extremely difficult, even hazardous, as the top exit of West Hill, just a few yards away, has been blocked off.

“We cannot fathom why such a measure has been taken to prevent people exiting West Hill. There can be no logical reason for this.”

Cornwall Council has told the trustees the decision was taken by contractors Classic Builders as a road safety precaution.

However, Alex said: “All it has done is cause worry and stress to the blind and elderly people who come to us. Drivers now have to risk reversing all the way back down into College Green to turn when they have dropped their people off outside of Sembal House Community Centre.”

The trustees are calling for the junction to be reopened.