PAUL FOLCA, of Castle Road, Kingswear, writes:

Comment from another quarter on Mr D Southwick's letter printed in your issue of March 9th may be required.

Firstly the issue of continuing public use of the beach is not a personal issue, as Mr Southwick seeks to represent it.

I doubt that all the members of the working party set up by the parish council to pursue this matter several years ago have even met Mr Southwick.

He has not been much referred to at our meetings, not to my recollection in any personal way.

The private donation of funding for legal costs, which it is anticipated will begin again soon, reflects not personal feeling but a profound sense of injustice to the public.

Mr Southwick's father, a previous owner of the beach did not seek to prevent its use by the public.

Secondly a tidal beach can be registered as a village green. Such a registration has recently been made at Newhaven.

Thirdly the sum envisaged for total legal costs by the council's legal advisers is above on quarter of that which Mr Southwick presumes to quote on their behalf.

Finally, the issue. Kingswear residents and the public in general, for well over a 100 years, have used this beach, as is extensively recorded.

It is now blocked by steel and wire fencing barricades.

The county council has recently inspected the path to the beach and declared it safe.

Significant work appears to have ceased.

Mr Southwick's attempt to subvert the issue to a personal one speaks for itself.