Sustainable Travel Network Project

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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Work to provide safer pedestrian access across New Road into Newlyn Green, together with the installation of new signage to help reduce vehicle speeds, is due to begin on Monday, 18 November.

The improvements to New Road are being funded by the Penzance Town Deal Sustainable Travel Network project, which is being delivered by Cornwall Council in partnership with the Penzance Town Deal Board.

You can view a short video about the project here :

This is the first scheme to be constructed as part of the 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.

There are currently no pedestrian crossings on New Road that directly link to Newlyn Green, severing the area northwest of the road from Newlyn Green and the coast path. The works include the construction of two signalised puffin crossings and new steps and ramps at the entrance to the park. These are designed to provide safe, improved access to Newlyn Green and the Penlee Bowling Club for all pedestrians, including those in wheelchairs, or with prams.

A new "Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) displaying 20mph will also be installed to help to control vehicle speeds to ensure compliance with a revised 20 mph speed limit.

“I am delighted to see that work is due to begin on New Road “ said Penzance Town Deal Chairman Martin Tucker. “One of the key aims of our Sustainable Transport project is to make our roads and streets more attractive, safe and useable for pedestrians and cyclists.

“This scheme will make it easier and safer for people to cross this busy road and access the facilities at Newlyn Green and I can’t wait to see it completed.”

Welcoming the start of the works, local Cornwall Councillor Jim McKenna said “I am delighted that access to Newlyn Green is being opened up and made safe. Particular thanks must go to John Garrison, who, sadly, is no longer with us, but who campaigned for many years to get a crossing adjacent to the Bowling Club.

“I am pleased that Cornwall Highways listened to the feedback from the public consultation and removed the unnecessary raised crossings which were part of their original design” .

The scheme is being constructed by Cormac, with traffic lights in use for the majority of the work to enable the team to work safely. The works are currently due to be completed by March 2025, with a two week break over the Christmas period.

“We recognise that the use of traffic lights on this road will inevitably cause some temporary disruption to motorists “ said Cormac project manager Tom James. “We will be monitoring the traffic closely and will have operatives manually controlling lights throughout the day, to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible and delays are kept to a minimum.”

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy, added “I'm pleased to see the first phase of Sustainable Travel Network being delivered and to start with a scheme that creates safe and accessible routes for local residents to Newlyn Green, the bowling green and the coast path.”

Anyone with queries or concerns about the works at New Road is asked to call 0300 1234 222 or email Cormac at contracting@cormacltd.co.uk

The New Road scheme is one of a number of projects which are taking place in Penzance over the coming months. These include the development at Coinagehall Street, which involves the closure of the street between Battery Road and Coinagehall Mews to traffic (pedestrian access is being maintained along the pavement), the closure of St Anthony’s car park for remodelling and the closure of one section of Quay Street between 18 November and 13 December.

Partners are working closely together to manage the impact of the schemes and ensure that the works are properly co-ordinated.

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Notes to editors

The Sustainable Travel Network project has received £6.6 m from the government’s Town Deal programme which aims to boost the local economy and opportunities for residents.

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 St Ives own Deal Board and administrates the fund.

Members of Penzance Town Deal Board have confirmed that seven Town Deal funded schemes are to be delivered in the town over the next two years as part of the Sustainable Travel Network project.

These are the schemes at Market Jew Street, Green Market, Causewayhead, Coinagehall Street and Harbour, Ponsandane, New Road, Newlyn. Work is also taking place to develop a revised scheme at Branwells Mill.

Penzance currently experiences high levels of traffic in the centre of the town, restricting access for people with disabilities and those without access to their own car. There are a limited number of crossings and poor footways which reduce opportunities for walking and cycling. Some of the gateways into Penzance are also poor and do not convey a welcoming entrance to the town. The centre of Newlyn is dominated by vehicles which impacts on the attractiveness of the town and retail and leisure opportunities.

The key aims of the Penzance Sustainable Travel Network project, which is being delivered by Cornwall Council in partnership with the Penzance Town Deal Board, are 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.

This includes implementing high quality public realm at key spatial locations and complementary to major investments, for example Causewayhead Creative Cluster, Coinagehall, the waterfront and town centre. The changes will help to support traffic calming, improve walking and cycling connectivity and introduce additional outdoor space on the high street.

The project has received £6.6 m from the government’s Town Deal programme which aims to boost the local economy and opportunities for residents. 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 St Ives own Deal Board and administrates the fund.

“The overall aim of the Town Deal programme is to help regenerate Penzance “ said Martin Tucker, Chair of Penzance Town Deal Board. “The Sustainable Travel project is one that has been a long time in the making, with a huge amount of thought and feedback from the local community shaping the final schemes. We want to make our streets more attractive, safe and useable for pedestrians and cyclists, through managing traffic and major investment in environmental improvements and landscaping.”

"It's great to see the new Sustainable Travel Network for Penzance get the green light from its Town Deal Board” added Cornwall Council portfolio holder for the economy Louis Gardner. “The board and council officers have overcome economic, construction industry and technical challenges to turn local aspirations for greener and more welcoming streets into solid plans with Town Deal funding from Cornwall Council."

The original plan involved redesigning key areas of Penzance town centre. While members of Penzance Town Deal Board remain committed to the overall aims of creating a Sustainable Travel Network for Penzance, the impact of increases in interest rates and construction costs has affected the affordability of the project.

Some of the individual schemes, including the scheme for Branwells Mill, Newlyn, Ponsandane, Wharf Road and the South West Coast Path through the car park, also face particular challenges because of complex technical and buildability issues. As a result it is no longer possible to deliver all the original proposals within the funding which is currently available.

After discussing all the options, the Town Deal Board has agreed that the schemes for Market Jew Street, Green Market, Causewayhead, and Coinagehall Street and Harbour schemes, together with a reduced scheme for Ponsandane, will move into the delivery phase of the Sustainable Travel Network project.

There will also be special schemes to improve challenging areas for pedestrians and traffic in New Road and at Newlyn, with Cornwall Council confirming that the £125,000 costs of the Newlyn scheme will be funded from alternative sources if it cannot be met from within the Town Deal budget.

The Board have also confirmed the importance of addressing the issues around Branwells Mill. £250,000 of Town Deal funding has been allocated towards the costs of developing a revised scheme which will be delivered with the use of other funding, including the Bus Service Improvement Plan. Work is now taking place with partners to investigate potential options for the revised scheme.

Facilities for bike parking, bike hire and storage will be provided beside the bus and train stations to encourage linked, bus and bike use.

The Wharf Road, and the South West Coast Path schemes have been placed in reserve alongside the Western Promenade scheme. This ensures that they can be progressed in the future if additional funding is secured.

The project will support a series of attractive improvements up through the town centre, from the Branwell's Mill gyratory, up Market Jew Street to Greenmarket and the top of Causewayhead, making the town centre a more attractive and pedestrian and cycle-friendly place, and linking it to the Harbour and waterfront.

“The final project will open up the town and provide space for people to walk around freely, to be relaxed, to enjoy all that there's to offer and really bring some vibrancy to the centre of Penzance” said Martin Tucker.

As the Sustainable Travel Network project is being funded by the Town Deal programme, all the individual schemes must be delivered by March 2026. Detailed design work is now taking place for the confirmed schemes.

As is usual with transport schemes, statutory public consultation will be carried out by Cornwall Council’s highways department before any final decisions are made to implement the proposals.

Regular updates on individual schemes will be provided via the Let’s Talk Cornwall and Penzance Town Deal website and social media channels, the Town Deal newsletter and articles in the local media.

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