THE leader of Cornwall Council traded insults with Cornish MP Andrew George as a war of words over the controversial Penzance harbour plan escalated.

Conservative council leader Alec Robertson struck the first blow, accusing Mr George of being "irresponsible and divisive" over the disputed proposals for a new ferry terminal linking the town with the Isles of Scilly.

The Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives countered by accusing Coun Robertson of "misleading" the public, driving a "wedge" through the community and "diminishing" the council. The row erupted in a crucial week for the £44 million scheme to build a modern passenger and freight ferry terminal – dubbed the "Battle of Battery Rocks" after the small beach affected by the development.

Tonight, Mr George is staging a public meeting in Penzance to unveil an alternative to the contentious Option A, the single terminal which is preferred by Cornwall Council-led consortium, the Route Partnership. On March 8, the council's strategic planning committee – which has already rejected the scheme once – will debate the project again. Government funding for the scheme hangs by a thread.

"I take no pleasure in having to write to you on this subject," Coun Robertson said in an open letter to Mr George. "You seem single-minded in trying to undermine the hard work the council has done to retain the sea link in Penzance."

The stinging three-page letter also accused Mr George of "misleading the public and unrealistically raising expectations" over securing funding for alternatives.

"You know that this council has decided to pursue Option A for Penzance, in parallel, the viability of Falmouth as the mainland port for the Isles of Scilly link is also being initially assessed," Coun Robertson went on.

"Option A or Falmouth, as the fall-back option, are the only options the council feels are deliverable within the funding timescales.

"By promoting undeveloped ideas to 'scupper Option A', you are dividing the Penzance community and running the risk that Penzance will lose funding for any harbour project.

"The sea link with the economic and community benefits it brings to Penzance will be lost and you will put the future of your remote constituents on the Isles of Scilly in jeopardy."

Four hours later, Mr George responded in kind, opening with the line: "You say you 'take no pleasure' from writing your letter. I suspect you will take less from this reply."

Mr George said he accepted that "by taking a principled stand, I am probably damaging my electoral prospects. However, the principle is more important than pandering to irresponsible populism (risking the future of the project and risking the funding with it)."

He also accused Coun Robertson and his cabinet of putting "the whole project at risk" and offending "great swathes of the local community".

The council had also "driven a wedge between people where there needn't have been one and fanned the flames of dispute" and "misled the public about the options".

Mr George added: "I urge you to rethink, to change direction from the disastrous course on which you are currently heading.

"Come down and work constructively with local businesses in the local community who are desperately worried about the future of this vital link and find a way forward which does not run the risk of the project failing."

The council said it would not be attending tonight's meeting.

Yesterday's spat is the latest twist in the harbour saga which has divided the West Cornwall town.

The Route Partnership, chamber of commerce, tourism organisation and Isles of Scilly Council are backing Option A. Opponents, led by the Friends of Penzance Harbour, fear this will damage a listed pier and a small beach known as Battery Rocks.

In January, members of Cornwall Council's cabinet took the unprecedented step of returning the ferry terminal application back to the committee which rejected it, with minor amendments.

ARTICLE COPYRIGHT WESTERN MORNING NEWS