THOSE fighting to abolish the tolls on the Tamar Crossings must speak with “one voice” if they want to change government legislation, Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost has said.

Speaking at a recent full council meeting, Cllr Frost and cabinet colleague and portfolio holder for transport Dan Rogerson responded to a question from Reform UK county councillor for Saltash Tamar, Keith Johnson, about the financial strain tolls place on South East Cornwall residents.

Cllr Johnson highlighted the economic impact on local families, saying: “Our residents in South East Cornwall face a chronic lack of infrastructure and essential services. This is forcing them, not by choice, but by necessity, to cross the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferries to access hospitals, schools, work and other vital services.

“Many families are – on average – paying £500 a year in tolls, even with a tag reduction. Every pound spent on the crossings is a pound not spent in our local economy, weakening our shops, our jobs and our community.”

In response, Cllr Frost acknowledged the tolls are “unfair” but stressed that Cornwall Council cannot act alone.

“The council doesn’t justify it at all – it’s written in legislation, and we have to have a change of legislation to abolish the tolls,” he said. “Abolishing the tolls is something I want to see and I’ve campaigned for very strongly, but until the legislation is changed, we cannot abolish them. The reality is this is not a Cornwall Council function. The crossings are jointly owned with Plymouth City Council, which is why there is a joint committee that oversees them.”

Cllr Rogerson added that discussions at a recent extraordinary meeting of the joint committee reflected a cross-party determination to reduce costs and pressure government for a longer-term solution.

“The chief officers will come back with proposals to see what they will do,” he said. “Also in that meeting, it was recommended to work with MPs on both sides of the Tamar to put pressure on government to come up with a more permanent solution. We need to come together to work for a solution that will deliver for residents, businesses and many others, including the emergency services.”

However, Cllr Johnson pressed on, saying the council had not fully addressed the unfairness of the situation.

“If Cornwall is truly the fifth nation, and your vision of devolution is to empower us, how can it be right and fair that our residents are forced to cross the Tamar into Devon for hospitals, colleges, work and other essential services? Paying hundreds in tolls that drain our local economy. Isn’t this exactly the opposite of independence and empowerment?”

Cllr Frost reiterated his original position, responding: “I am against the tolls and working to abolish the tolls because I do believe they are unfair. My taxes fund the crossing of the Severn Bridge, the Woolwich Ferry, the Fife Bridge, so it is unfair my taxes are paying for those bridges but not the bridge I use every single week. We must lobby our MPs with one voice to get legislation changed.”