Public invited to have their say on transport plans for Market Jew Street and Market Place

Plans setting out a series of improvements designed to make the centre of Penzance a safer and more attractive and welcoming place for pedestrians and cyclists are being published for formal consultation on Thursday, 14 November.

The proposals for Market Jew Street and Market Place are part of the Penzance Sustainable Travel Network project which aims to transform travel in and around the town, creating a fully sustainable network of safe and accessible walking, cycling and functional green and open urban spaces. The changes will help to support traffic calming, improve walking and cycling connectivity and introduce additional outdoor space on the high street.

In 2021 Penzance Town Deal Board, in partnership with Cornwall Council, successfully bid for a Town Deal worth £21.9 million to support a range of projects that will contribute to the town’s regeneration and boost the local economy. Cornwall Council is the lead authority for Cornwall Town Deals and supports the governance role of the Penzance Board and administrates the fund.

The Sustainable Travel Network project has been awarded £6.1 million from the Penzance Town Deal programme.

You can watch a short video about the Sustainable Travel Network project here : https://youtu.be/tC-fuNvbmRI

The separate schemes for Market Jew Street and Market Place have been developed following extensive engagement with the local community, which has included two previous rounds of consultation. The feedback from residents and businesses have been used to shape the current designs.

Market Jew Street scheme

Whilst the introduction of the pedestrian zone as part of the Healthy Streets PZ scheme has reduced the amount of traffic driving through the town centre at peak times, Market Jew Street is still used by a number of vehicles. Although this is a key area of the town, with some of the most important heritage buildings, the visual appearance and streetscaping also needs significant improvement.

The proposed Town Deal scheme will reinforce the pedestrian zone by creating a more effective gateway and improve accessibility for pedestrians, people with reduced mobility, cyclists and public transport. The overall streetscape and planting will also be enhanced to attract more people into the centre of the town.

Below are some artists impressions of the new scheme:

Market Place scheme

The lack of pedestrian crossings and inadequate footways in this area of the town create significant challenges for pedestrians and people with reduced mobility.

The proposed Town Deal scheme will provide courtesy crossings for pedestrians which will link with the north and south footways. The bus stop layby will be filled in with granite paving to create more pedestrian space and improve the appeal of the area. A new bus shelter will be provided and the bus stop moved out onto the road which will improve user experience.

Below is an artist’s impressions of the proposed scheme:

The statutory consultation, which will run for three weeks from 14 November, is being led by Cormac in partnership with the Penzance Sustainable Travel Network project team. Feedback from the consultation will be used to inform the final designs for the two schemes.

To view details of the proposals for both schemes, 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.

A report setting out the results of the consultation, with recommendations on the way forward for both schemes, will be considered by members of the Town Deal Board.

If public consultation feedback is positive, detailed designs can proceed with a view to progressing construction of the Market Jew Street scheme in Autumn 2025 after the busy summer tourist period (and following completion of the nearby Causewayhead Town Deal scheme).

Improvements to Market Place are likely to follow Market Jew Street but will be sensitively co-ordinated to manage the impacts of construction on the town centre.

As the Sustainable Travel Network project is being funded by the Town Deal programme, all the individual schemes must be delivered by March 2026.

Information about the consultation, and the wider Penzance Sustainable Transport Network project, is also available on the Let’s Talk Cornwall site and the Penzance Town Deal website. Please note that responses to the consultation must be submitted via Cornwall Council’s consultation site: www.cornwall.gov.uk/TrafficConsult

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