Newlyn community invited to have their say on proposals for walking and cycling improvements

Plans to make Newlyn safer for pedestrians and cyclists and improve public spaces within the town are progressing, with the latest designs due to be shared with residents and businesses at a public exhibition on Friday 1 November.

The drop-in exhibition will take place at The Centre, Chywoone Hill in Newlyn between 1pm and 7pm.

Originally developed as part of the Penzance Sustainable Travel Network project, the £200,000 proposed scheme for Newlyn Town Centre is now being funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The proposed scheme, which has been developed following consultation with the local community, focuses on safety and will include new footways and crossing points to help Newlyn become more pedestrian and cycle friendly. Other measures include closing the Old Bridge, part of the National Cycle Network, to vehicles, and amending existing parking arrangements.

You can view a short film about the scheme here:

The public exhibition forms part of a three-week statutory consultation into the proposals. This will run from Thursday October 17 and is being led by Cormac in partnership with the Newlyn Town Centre project team. Feedback from the consultation will be used to inform the final designs for the scheme.

To view details of the proposals, including maps and drawings, and to take part in the consultation please visit the transport consultation section on Cornwall Council’s website : www.cornwall.gov.uk/TrafficConsult. Responses can also be provided via email at traffic@cormacltd.co.uk.

Martin Worth, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for customers, said: “This is an important scheme for Newlyn and we want to hear the views from the local community on all the measures which are being proposed.

“The results of the consultation will help shape the final designs for the scheme – we won’t be introducing measures which are not supported locally.

“I’m pleased we have been able to secure Shared Prosperity Fund for this project. The fund is about supporting projects to help improve life for our residents – and the positive links between walking and cycling and health and wellbeing are clear.”

Thalia Marrington, Cornwall Council local member for Mousehole, Newlyn and St Buryan, said: “We know that Newlyn is often very busy and congested, particularly in the summer months, making it difficult for local people and visitors to walk about safely. As well as cars, we also have lorries travelling to and from the harbour and fish market.

“We want to make the centre of Newlyn work for everyone, whether we’re shopping, cycling or driving through the town. We want people to be able to walk about more easily between shops and businesses, and to be able to access the GP surgery and the local school safely. If we can help improve traffic flow by addressing some of the haphazard parking that currently happens that will be a bonus.

“The measures which are being proposed are designed to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get about. Providing designated crossing points and footways will improve the flow of traffic through the town, reduce congestion and the potential conflict with pedestrians. By making the village centre more attractive to stay in, the scheme will also help to regenerate the local economy by improving shop front visibility and increasing footfall.

“We recognise that there have been some concerns over the loss of parking spaces. Addressing these concerns will require us to balance different priorities and work out what we want to achieve. We really do want to hear the views of the local community on during the consultation and I would encourage everyone if they can to come along to the public exhibition.”

Once the final scheme has been agreed construction is due to take place during 2025.

The Newlyn Town Centre project is part of a series of active travel projects to gain funding from the Good Growth Programme to support improvements to walking and cycling routes throughout Cornwall. In total, the Good Growth Programme has awarded £2.8m to deliver these projects – find out more at https://ciosgoodgrowth.com/project/active-travel/

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Notes to editors

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperityfund-prospectus. 

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth programme 

 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly have been allocated £137m for local investment through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. With a focus on green and inclusive growth, we’ll use our portion to achieve Good Growth for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, providing opportunities for communities and businesses and giving residents access to new jobs and training. For more information, visit https://ciosgoodgrowth.com