A PARISH council is welcoming a “victory for common sense” as a new community bus route begins. 

The 451 will launch on Friday (April 14) and will run each Friday morning, leaving Menheniot at 9.46am for a direct connection to Liskeard, calling at Pengover and Merrymeet. 

The return route will leave Liskeard town centre just after noon. 

Menheniot and its surrounding hamlets lost their regular bus service last autumn. 

After feedback from the parish, Cornwall Council worked together with the Saltash Red Bus and Go Cornwall Bus to provide a once-weekly community service, but this meant a long and complicated journey for passengers involving a change of bus and crossing a busy main road at Trereulefoot. 

In Menheniot, residents attended a “stormy” public meeting last month to hear from Cornwall Council’s transport team about the situation and had the chance to make their views known. 

Chair of Menheniot Parish Council Jerry Tucker has welcomed the changes that Cornwall Council officers have made. 

“The original route into Liskeard needed a very early start to the journey, a change of bus and a dangerous crossing of the A38, never a good combination if you’re with young children or have mobility issues,” said the local council. 

“The new direct route takes in most parts of the parish and leaves Menheniot Church at 9.46am every Friday, arriving in Liskeard  half an hour later. There’s a two-hour break before the return bus leaves just after midday.” 

Cllr Tucker said: “The public meeting we called in March gave our residents the chance to put their concerns about road safety directly to Cornwall Council. 

“It’s a victory for our people and the sound common sense they argued with. 

“I’m urging all our former bus users to get behind the new service and to give it a go.”

The Parish Council is promoting the bus with large-print timetables at every stop the new route serves, and has set up a Menheniot Bus Users Group to update Cornwall Council on the quality and performance of the new service. 

There’ll also be another public meeting at The Old School in Menheniot tomorrow (Thursday) where residents can come along to have their final say with representatives from Cornwall Council, Saltash Red Bus and Go Cornwall Bus.