The scheme was developed last year by a partnership which includes Penzance Council, Penzance BID, Sustainable Penzance and Cornwall Council. The aim of the Healthy Streets PZ scheme is to reduce traffic and pollution levels in the town centre and create a better environment for all, allowing space for people to move around safely and comfortably. The scheme is also part of the wider ambition to promote sustainable transport and tackle climate change, and make Penzance a thriving place for the future. With specific measures to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists in the town centre and cut carbon emissions by reducing traffic levels and promoting other, more sustainable, forms of transport, the scheme reflects the views expressed by local residents during the Penzance Expo and Neighbourhood Plan consultation. It also supports the aims set out in the Climate Emergency declarations made by the Town Council and Cornwall Council

The first phase, introduced at the beginning of September 2020, focused on creating a cycle and pedestrian friendly area in the town centre.

The proposals introduced a trial traffic management scheme managed through the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) process to restrict traffic through traffic in Market Jew Street between 11am and 4pm, seven day per week, together with modified waiting and loading bays for use outside of these time periods, and modifications to the Branwells Mill gyratory system.

How will the scheme being funded?

This phase is being part funded through some of the money awarded to Cornwall Council from the Government’s Active Travel Fund, with the remainder of the funding being sought from the Town Deal.

Last year Penzance became one of the first councils in the country to declare a Climate Emergency, with members supporting plans to create a car free town centre, improved cycle and pedestrian access and reduce emissions. 

  Since then there have been growing calls from local residents to reduce traffic dominance to support the health, well-being and vitality of the town, with widespread public support for proposals to pedestrianise areas such as Market Jew Street and the Promenade received during last year’s Penzance Expo and Neighbourhood Plan consultation. 

 With research showing that 41% of local residents currently travel less than 5km to the town centre, many of these journeys could be made on foot or by bicycle, e-bike or public transport.  

 Post Covid consultation carried out by Cornwall Council has also found strong support for the pedestrianisation of high streets to support social distancing and a sustainable recovery, with 70% of people reporting they have enjoyed cleaner air outdoors. 

 Seven in 10 residents said they would be willing to continue home working and / or reduced travel after the pandemic is over to benefit the environment, with less pollution, a reduction in traffic and greater use of walking, cycling and public transport among the top three priorities for future changes. 

 Pedestrianisation schemes have also been introduced in Falmouth and Truro, with both councils recently announcing that they will be extending their trials.  

The scheme will be closely monitored throughout the trial to assess how it is working. 

 As this is an experimental order any parts of the scheme which are not working as expected can be modified at any time without having to wait for the end of the trial. 

 Significant alterations to traffic layout always need a time for people to adapt and it is not possible to do everything at once. As this is a brand new scheme, it is important to allow it to settle down before we begin to enforce the restrictions. 

 Should the trial be successful and supported by the wider community we would look to introduce more permanent measures to ensure compliance with the restrictions.  These could include rising bollards or barriers to restrict entry to the pedestrian zone during the restricted times

No.

 The aim of the scheme is to reduce the level of through traffic in the town centre during the main part of the day to improve the environment and safety of pedestrians and cyclists living, working and visiting Penzance.  

 Signage is being used to encourage people who don’t need to drive through the town centre to use the A30 rather than drive through the narrow streets.  Access has been maintained for emergency vehicles, buses and taxis, as well as for people who live and work in the town centre. 

We recognise the importance of ensuring the town centre is accessible to everyone and have been working with representatives of a wide range of disability rights groups to develop a disabled access strategy to ensure that the scheme meets their needs. 

 While the proposals mean blue badge holders are no longer be able to park in the 8 limited waiting spaces on Market Jew Street, additional blue badge spaces will be provided in the Harbour and the Greenmarket car parks with appropriate linkages to the main shopping streets.

 The current 5 disabled parking spaces on Princes Street and 4 spaces on Chapel Street are also remaining in place, together with the 45 blue badge spaces in Cornwall Council car parks in the town, including 33 in the Harbour / Wharfside car park.

 Following concerns over the impact of A boards and other street furniture on people with sight impairment, a review is being carried out of the existing street furniture and any potential trip hazards on Market Jew Street to identify any “quick fixes” which could be carried out as part of the trial scheme. 

  We are also aware that existing disabled parking spaces are being used by non blue badge holders and, following an audit of disabled bay and parking space usage in the town centre, are working with partners to ensure that restrictions on their use are being properly enforced.  

 Work is also taking place to re-introduce a Shop Mobility scheme in the town to support people with significant mobility issues. Penzance BID, the Town Deal Board and other partners are working extremely hard to ensure it is available as quickly as possible, with discussions currently taking place to identify a location for the scheme. 

Already recognised as the first place in the country to receive plastic free status, implementing this scheme will enable Penzance to build on its green credentials by developing measures to increase opportunities for walking and cycling, reduce traffic in the town centre and improve public transport.

 Reducing through traffic will help ensure the safety of the people who live, work, and visit Penzance at the same time as supporting the development of an attractive “café style culture” which will help attract more shoppers to the town centre. 

 With the pedestrianisation of town centres seen as a key factor in regenerating local economies at the same time as tackling climate change and ensuring a sustainable future, Penzance can lead the way in becoming a thriving town for the future.

The bus stop was  relocated to provide greater space for people to wait for the bus and to pass along Market Jew Street given the current safe distancing guidelines.

 The footway is very narrow outside Boots and the existing bus stop results in people bunching up in close proximity which is not ideal in the current situation. In addition, the relocated bus stop has benches nearby,  assisting those people who need to sit whilst waiting for a bus.

 While moving the existing bus shelter as part of the trial has removed some weather protection, should the overall trial prove to be positive, a shelter will be provided adjacent to the new bus stop.  

No, blue badge holders are not able to enter the zone or park between the hours of 11am-4pm. As well as the prohibition of motor vehicles restriction (signed at the start of the Pedestrian and cycle zone) prohibiting access between 11am-4pm, loading restrictions are in place for the entire length of Market Jew Street between the hours or 11am-4pm. Outside of the zone operational times, limited waiting bays are available for use by anyone for up to 30 minutes, or for an unlimited time by blue badge holders (between the hours of 4pm -11am).

The second phase of the scheme includes providing additional pedestrian crossings on Western Promenade Road and extending the 20 mph speed limit.
 The specific proposals are to

• Extend the 20mph speed limit in Penzance town centre and the residential areas up to and including Alexandra Road;
• Modify road signage to direct more traffic to the town centre car parks, and through traffic to use the A30;
• Modify Western Promenade to provide enhanced crossing facilities and to change the environment to encourage traffic to avoid the town centre when travelling across Penzance;
• Formalise the parking on Alexandra Road to maximise parking availability while maintaining a good flow of traffic associated with the directional signage changes to Penzance which will see an increased use of Alexandra Road.

This is not true! The main reason for the larger than usual traffic queues in Penzance this year is the big increase in the number of visitors to the county.  Cornwall is bursting at the seams, with hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and camp sites fully booked, and thousands of additional vehicles on the roads.  Bad weather also brings people into the towns, causing the roads to become more congested.   

 There have been many, many more cars on the road – all trying to get into the town centre at the same time.  Visit any other town ( or city) in Cornwall and you will find exactly the same situation. 

The truth is that, far from causing congestion, the orcas are providing a safer and more welcoming entrance to Penzance for people arriving by bus and train and are certainly not stopping the traffic from moving. 

 There has been a big reduction in the amount of traffic driving through Market Jew Street since the introduction of the Healthy Streets scheme. The restrictions are being enforced, with tickets issued to people found to be breaching the restrictions.  The scheme has already led to an increase in the numbers of people walking and cycling in the town centre which is great to see.  We know there is more work to do on enforcement and are looking at using number plate recognition cameras to identify any drivers ignoring the restrictions as soon as the law allows.  We will also look at using barriers or rising bollards if it is decided to make the scheme permanent. 

No decision has been made to make Newlyn one way.   Proposals for the promenade and Newlyn are part of the third phase of the Healthy Streets scheme and we are currently working on implementing Phase 2. Retaining access for Newlyn and Mousehole will be vital to the success of the overall scheme and we want to talk to local residents and businesses to understand their concerns before work begins on developing any draft proposals.  Phase 3 is not due to be implemented until 2022 at the earliest and we will work with the local community to develop a scheme which works for everyone.

We are not trying to force all drivers through Newlyn.  However we DO want drivers to use the most appropriate routes to Penzance and Newyln and are looking at changing some of the road signs as part of Phase 2. This does not mean that all drivers will be sent this way. 

We recognise that some local residents are concerned about potential changes to the road layout at the Promenade, the Coombe and Trefiefe junction, and are monitoring the main roads to understand the impact of any changes on traffic volume and speed.  If there are any major issues we will modify the scheme.  

Future proposals for Newlyn are part of Phase 3 (not due to be implemented before 2022 at the earliest), with Town Deal money also potentially available to fund improvements to the centre of the village.   

We want to work WITH the community to improve transport links – not impose schemes they don’t want – and so will be seeking the views of local residents and businesses before any decisions are made.  

This is not the case – there are two entrances and exits for the Harbour car park; one on Wharf Road and the other via the access to the bus station and the slipway that directly connects to the Branwells Mill gyratory.  However we recognise that this may not be immediately obvious to all visitors to the town.. We will be monitoring the use of both entrances and exits in the coming weeks as part of the development of the future plans for the gyratory system and will look at what else we can do to promote the bus station entrance. 

Part of the wider Healthy Streets PZ scheme aimed at reducing traffic and pollution levels in the town and creating a better environment for all, the Phase 2 proposals have been designed to reduce traffic speeds in the town centre and surrounding residential areas, and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists with additional crossings on key routes.

The final scheme has been finalised following extensive consultation with local residents, businesses and partners. 

Formal consultation on the proposals took place between Thursday, 25 February and Thursday, 25 March, with letters to all residents living adjacent to the proposed physical improvements and consultation notices on the streets. 

A Healthy Streets PZ section was set up on the Let’s Talk Cornwall platform in February 2021 - https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/healthy-streets-penzance - to enable people can share their thoughts and ideas about the proposals. 

Regular updates have also been provided via social media, including Penzance News, and via articles in the local media. 

More than 400 people responded to the survey on the Let’s Talk site, with 152 people submitting their comments to Cormac via email as part of the statutory four week consultation.

96% of those responding to the Let’s Talk survey felt it was important to have safe roads in the town, with 77% saying it was important to have access to good pavements and footpaths, and 71% supporting the availability of pedestrian crossings on busy roads. 80% wanted to see lower levels of local traffic pollution, with 72% supporting better access to good cycle routes and facilities.  Only 32% of respondents said they currently felt safe walking in the town.

Of those who responded to the survey more than half felt that that the proposals for Phase 2 of the scheme would allow more space for people to move around safely and would lead to a reduction in traffic pollution levels in the town. 

While the majority of people were keen to see more walking and cycling routes in and around Penzance, others, although in support of the general principles, were concerned about the potential loss of parking spaces and the impact of more pedestrian crossings along Alexandra Road. 

A specific meeting was held with representatives of disability groups to discuss the phase two proposals. Representatives from both DisAbility Cornwall and iSight Cornwall welcomed the measures to slow the speed of traffic on the promenade, and the additional crossings. They also suggested using simple signage to educate drivers to reduce speed and be more aware of the needs of other road users. 

In addition to detailed analysis of the responses to the public consultation, highways officers carried out a series of site visits to key locations within the town.  Information from these visits has also been used to shape the final proposals.

The final measures are:

• A new 20mph speed limit in Penzance town centre and the residential areas up to Alexandra Road
• Modifioed road signage directing more traffic to the town centre car parks, and through traffic to use the A30 and the existing primary route network as intended
• Three new uncontrolled crossings on Alexandra Road to improve access and movement for pedestrians 
• Five new uncontrolled pedestrian crossings on Western Promenade Road, together with planters to help narrow the road and reduce speed to improve access and movement for pedestrians 
• New speed monitoring and signage on New Road, Newlyn to reduce traffic speeds travelling towards Newlyn

This element of the scheme will improve accessibility by providing new crossings points with tactile paving to support visually impaired people and 5 new disabled parking spaces at the western end of Promenade Road in front of the arcade.

Following overwhelming public support for the 20mph speed limit, this element has been introduced ahead of the rest of the scheme. Around 100 new 20 mph signs were erected across the town, enabling the new speed limit to come into operation at the end of July.  Work on providing the new crossings and signage is expected to start later in the Autumn.

The Phase 2 measures are being part funded through some of the money awarded to Cornwall Council from the Government’s Active Travel Fund, with the remainder of the funding coming from the Town Deal.

In addition to the Healthy Streets proposals to increase opportunities for walking and cycling on the promenade, there are also a range of other projects across Penzance which are being developed with support from Penzance Town Deal, the Future High Street Fund and Accelerator funding. 

These include creating a fully sustainable network of safe and accessible walking, and cycling routes, with 15 km of local cycling routes connecting residents and visitors to the town, schools and the waterfront and cycle parking, with seven bike shelters installed across car parks in the town. 

There is also a new bus shelter on Market Jew Street which is fully enclosed and provides a greater amount of space for people to wait for their bus, a new shop mobility scheme, together with 4000 sqm of improved public realm and urban green space.  

Investment in also taking place in key sites such as the Market House, Coinagehall Street, Backlands and the harbour, as well as in cultural building such as the Acorn Theatre, Newlyn Art Gallery, Morrab Gardens and Penlee.