Despite workmen moving in yesterday, Saltash residents are furious that it has taken over a week for repairs to begin on the landslip just outside the Saltash tunnel.

A public meeting is to be called in the town to discuss the delay between the landslip happening and stabilisation work beginning - and to stress that the traffic jams which ensued after the slip took place should never be allowed to re-occur.

Representatives of the highways agency, the county council and the police are to be invited to attend.

Saltash mayor, Mona Tomaszewska, said she was delighted to see a digger move in to clear the debris from the landslip on Thursday morning, but added that work had begun a week too late.

She was joined in this by the chairman of the town's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bruce Reid.

He said he felt that if the landslip had taken place anywhere else in the country work on stabilising the nearby rock would have begun almost straight away.

He said: 'Anywhere else the work would have been started overnight.'

Chaos

He said the landslip, combined with strengthening works on the bridge and the bridge closures, have been causing chaos in Saltash. Mrs Tomaszewska described the town as gridlocked following the landslip.

A Highways Agency spokesman yesterday explained the aim is to have all lanes through it will be open at peak times by the end of next week.

Mrs Tomaszewska said it had been hoped a public meeting might have been arranged for next Tuesday, but it has proved impossible to book representatives of all involved organisations for this date. She said a meeting will be held, but on a day to be arranged.

She added that only shillet had fallen, and she felt it should have taken highways a much shorter period to consider the repair work required.

Mrs Tomaszewska said: 'An elderly resident went past me in the street and said: 'We could have cleared that up with a dustpan and brush,' and that sums up how the locals are feeling.'

Safety

She said she accepted the need for the experts to take every account of safety, but still couldn't understand why the delay between slip and positive action has taken so long.

Mr Reid said that at the next Chamber meeting the issue of bridge closures would also be raised.

He added it was felt these should occur over Sunday nights, rather than beginning around l0.30pm on a Saturday night when many were travelling between South East Cornwall and Plymouth.

He said: 'They close the bridge at l0.30pm, but it has been re-opened around 2.30pm each time. We feel it would be more sensible for the closures to occur on Sunday nights when there is less traffic around.'

The landslip took place below gardens of houses in North Road. One resident, living near the slip, said she was not overly concerned about the incident itself, but was worried that it might affect the sale of her property if she decided to move.

Weeks

The Agency spokesman said once the site of the rockfall is secure work will continue for several weeks on a planned scheme, which has been brought forward, to ensure the remaining rock on the tunnel approach is secure.

This will involve off-peak lane closures. Highways Agency route manager, David Whitton, said: 'Since the rock fall occurred, and the site made safe, we have fast-tracked contract details to get specialists on site quickly.

Drilling

'They will be drilling into the rock in order to secure rock anchors that will be covered with wire mesh.

'Whilst this takes place we would like to take the opportunity to remind drivers to allow extra time for their journeys and apologise for any inconvenience caused.'

l The scheme to secure the rock is to cost £80,000 with the extra emergency work estimated at £20,000.