The long-running saga of a public seat erected in Coverack without planning permission continued last week at a heated St Keverne parish council meeting.

Around 50 villagers attended Thursday's meeting in Coverack to express support for the seat, which was installed near the North Corner bus stop by the village's Golden Jubilee committee.

Problems have since arisen because the 10ft-long seat, erected before the parish council had discussed its installation, requires planning permission, and a retrospective application needs to be submitted to Kerrier council.

In a letter apologising to the parish council for the lack of consultation, jubilee committee chairman Roy Coles said it was not a snub on the part of the committee but an ignorance of the correct procedures.

Council chairman Russell Hocking explained that the council could erect a seat on common land without planning permission, but any other body had to apply for permission through the correct channels.

Members of the jubilee committee present at the meeting said the seat had been erected in good faith, for the benefit of villagers, who were keen to see it remain in place.

The committee had no funds to submit a planning application.

Several residents expressed frustration at the counci's insistence that planning permission had to be secured.

Former councillor Derek Atherton claimed the council had neglected to ask local people their opinion of the seat.

"At the end of the day, councillors are elected to represent the wishes of their electors. It appears to me there are occasions when some of you councillors act without thinking about that," he said.

One member, Helen Macfarlane, said the council was getting "too tied up with the letter of the law" and a letter should be sent to Kerrier saying members were happy with the seat.

Former council chairman Bill Frisken agreed the matter was getting out of hand.

"Here we are on the brink of what might be a major war and we are squabbling about a seat," he commented.

But colleagues insisted there were set procedures which had to be followed, despite the clear feeling in favour of the seat, and a planning application was necessary.

Several courses of action were considered, including the council submitting an application on behalf of the committee or paying for the application from funds gathered at the Dolor car park honesty box.

A decision is likely to be taken at the next parish council meeting.