CONTINUING anger of the closure of a visitor centre in Tintagel has led to the resignation of the majority of its parish council.

Around 100 villagers have signed a letter sent to Cornwall Council chief executive Kate Kennally calling for “transparency, lawful process and respect for our community’s right to know what is happening in our own parish”.

Continuing clashes, particularly on social media between residents and councillors has led to the multiple resignations, which included the town council’s locum clerk, Julie Fairman, who when announcing her resignation said: “There are a few people who simply want to see these volunteers’ commitment, their time and their belief in their community fail. In all the years I have been involved in local government I have never seen such nastiness towards Councillors and towards staff.”

Mrs Fairman added that there had been a ‘desire for derision in the lovely community’ and this was the reason she chose to step down.

David Hemmings, a member of Save Tintagel Visitor Centre group and resident of Tintagel, said: “Since the parish council took the decision – without warning or consultation – to close Tintagel’s visitor centre, the villagers have been seeking answers from the local councillors on why this decision has been made. No satisfactory answer has been given to date.

“Further investigation has led to concerns surrounding actions of the parish council, including questions over parish finances. Our questions, including via Freedom of Information Act requests, have largely been ignored.

“This has resulted in the people of Tintagel losing trust in the existing parish council. We simply do not believe that they are acting in the best interests of the village. We ask that they formally resign to allow a proper investigation into these past actions – either by a newly elected parish council, or preferably, by Cornwall Council.”

Mr Hemmings added: “Our actions and interest are focused on what is in Tintagel’s best interests. Tintagel is a thriving hub of tourism in a magnificent setting on the North Cornwall coast. Visitors from all over the world come here in the summer months and through much of the year to take in the coastal scenery – over 300,000 visitors come to the village each year, to enjoy its sights, including Tintagel Castle.

“To support these visitors – and the many businesses and people in the village who rely on tourism – we need a visitor centre and we are committed to ensuring the Tintagel Visitor Centre reopens.”

At the time of announcing the closure of the visitor centre, Cllr Zoe Coshall said: “The Council has evaluated the costs of running the Visitor Centre many times in the past and with prices increasing on every level now, we really need to channel the Parish’s monies into providing as much support as we can for our community’s benefit.

“We’ve already introduced a regular dental service, drop-in sessions to help locals with their energy bill queries and times to meet our local police personnel, but now we want to explore new ways we can provide greater assistance for our community.”