St Ives Town Deal Low Carbon Transport

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Work to re-design Terrace Junction to begin on Monday, 11 November.

Work on re-designing the Terrace Junction in St Ives to improve pedestrian access and space, and discourage visitors from driving into the town centre is due to begin on Monday, 11 November.

The scheme is the first to be delivered as part of the St Ives Town Deal Low Carbon Transport Strategy which aims to reduce the impact of vehicles on St Ives and introduce measures that encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport.

The works, which are being carried out by Cormac, include widening the existing footway on the northwest corner of the junction, by the St Ives Harbour Hotel, and changing the current signs and road markings to direct people towards Trenwith car park rather than driving into the town. Three-way traffic lights will be in use on the junction during the construction period to enable the team to work safely.

Once the widening has been completed, the junction will be resurfaced with a decorative paved effect. This phase will require the road on the Albert Road approach to the junction and across the length of the Harbour Hotel to be closed to traffic at night between 9 and 13 December, with the works ending at 11 pm to help minimise the impact on local residents.

The scheme is currently due to be completed by 13 December.

Members of the public were consulted on the plans in October, with the feedback used to shape the final design for the scheme.

“This is a busy junction and we recognise that the works will inevitably cause some temporary disruption to motorists “ said Cormac project manager Tom James. “Our aim is to keep the traffic flowing as well as possible at all times during the construction, however we also need to ensure the safety of the teams working on site.

“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.”

“It is great to see work begin on improving this key junction in St Ives” said Town Deal Chairman Andrew Baragwanath, Chair of the St Ives Town Deal Board.” I am aware that some residents and businesses are concerned about the impact of the works and can reassure them that everyone will be working together to minimise any disruption and ensure that the scheme is completed as quickly as possible.

Cornwall Councillor Andrew Mitchell said " It is great to see parts of the Low Carbon Transport Plan go from paper to actual implication. Discouraging traffic going through town which doesn't need to be there has to be the goal and something I think all pedestrians and residents want to see"!

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “It’s good to see Town Deal investment continuing to take shape in St Ives. None of us like roadworks, but it’s a good time of year to get them out the way and they are essential to our work to reduce visitor traffic in the town centre and improve pedestrian access.”

Work is also progressing well on developing other schemes within the Low Carbon Transport Strategy.

The first of the new smart traffic cameras (also known as Vivacity cameras ) is due to be installed within the next two weeks. The cameras, which will be installed in up to 12 sites throughout the town within the next few months, will provide real time information on the quantity and types of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists entering the town centre. This information will be used to help the project team monitor the effectiveness and benefits of all the changes resulting from the implementation of the strategy. The data will also be used to identify where additional measures might be required in the future to help support or improve the traffic environment and wider traffic management.

New Variable Message Signs are also being installed on the A30 and around St Ives to help manage traffic flow into the town centre by the end of this year. These signs will advise drivers of the most efficient journey and parking before they enter the town. As well as providing real time information on car park availability, the signs will also encourage drivers to use St Erth P&R.

Work on improving the junction at Zennor (at Consols between the B3311 and B3306 ) is currently scheduled to begin in January 2025.

Engagement event 11 September 2024

More than 400 people attended the recent St Ives Low Carbon Transport Strategy update event on 11 September to find out the latest details about all the projects which are being developed and the timetable for delivering the different elements.

You can view a video about the update event here :

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One of the nine Town Deal projects being funded and delivered as part of the St Ives Town Deal programme, the aim of the Low Carbon Transport Strategy is to help reduce the impact of vehicles on St Ives and introduce measures that encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport.

The Strategy, which has been allocated £5.5 million of Town Deal funding, includes proposals aimed at reducing traffic congestion and parking demand in the town centre, enhancing public transport options and accessibility, improving air quality and health outcomes for residents and visitors, and supporting local businesses by creating a more attractive and vibrant town.

The individual projects which make up the Strategy are being delivered in phases, with local statutory consultation taking place ahead of the plans being implemented.

Work on the first phase is due to begin later this year. This includes the installation of a new Variable Message Sign on the A30 and around St Ives to help manage traffic flow into the town centre. Currently installation is due to commence by the end of this year, these signs will advise drivers of the most efficient journey and parking before they enter the town. As well as providing real time information on car park availability, the signs will encourage drivers to use St Erth P&R. Work is currently taking place to identify locations for all of the new signs.

Smart traffic cameras are also being introduced throughout the town to provide real time information on the quantity and types of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists entering the town centre. Due to be installed in 10 to 12 sites over the next three months, these cameras will be used to help the project team monitor the effectiveness and benefits of all the changes resulting from the implementation of the strategy. The data will also be used to identify where additional measures might be required in the future to help support or improve the traffic environment and wider traffic management.

Other projects which will be implemented include improvements to the junctions at Malakoff, Lower Stennack, Zennor and the Terrace aimed at improving traffic flow within the town and enhancing bus and train user experience, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and achieving greater speed compliance.

Work on improvements to the junctions at Zennor and Terrace are currently expected to begin in January 2025, with the schemes at Malakoff, which will include realigning the bus stop with provision of a bus shelter and information point, enhancing the gardens and providing additional seating, and Lower Stennack due to begin in September 2025.

This phase also includes potential changes to the layout and operation of some of the car parks in the town with the aim of reducing the number of visitors driving through the town centre.

A review of permit and visitor parking arrangements is currently being carried out which may present opportunities to operate the Island as a permit only car park. As well as reducing the impact of visitor traffic through the harbour area, this change would provide additional permits for residents and businesses.

To off-set this loss of visitor parking, the project team are also reviewing the possibility of transferring some of the existing permit allocation from Barnoon to the Island. While there is overall support for the principle of reducing visitor traffic in the town centre, following concerns from existing permit holders at Barnoon, additional work is taking place to investigate the potential for changing the current layout of the car park to provide additional spaces. No decisions have yet been made, with further engagement due to take place with permit holders over the coming months.

Further work is also taking place to identify measures to mitigate the potential impact of additional traffic on the local community in Halsetown following concerns about the potential increase of more holiday and day visitor traffic into St Ives along the old coach road .These include the introduction of ‘village gateways’ to signal the entry into a slower-paced area, the installation of Vehicle Activated Speed Signs (VAS) to alert drivers and encourage safer speeds and other speed reducing measures. Other interventions include potential virtual footways and surfacing to enhance pedestrian safety and the installation of a new proposed bus stop to better serve the community.

Once detailed topographical and utility surveys and road safety audits have been carried and potential costings identified for the proposed measures, further engagement will take place with the local community to confirm the final programme. It is currently hoped to start work on implementing the agreed measures after the Zennor junction scheme has been completed in early to mid 2025.

The second phase of the Strategy, which includes the creation of a Low Traffic Environment and related improvements at Library Corner and Royal Square, are currently due to be implemented in late 2025 / early 2026.

The aim of the LTE is to reduce unnecessary vehicles from traveling along Wharf Road and Fore Street. Following the public consultation in 2023 and the decision not to use physical restrictions / barriers to prevent access to the town centre, this will now be achieved through the use of signed restrictions only preventing unnecessary traffic from driving into the town centre during peak times through the summer season. Local residents and businesses will not be affected by the restrictions. Improvements will also be made to the streetscape and public realm to discourage visitors from driving into the town centre and improve safety for pedestrians.

Other changes being made as part of the LTE include upgrading Royal Square, a key arrival point in the town, to make it more welcoming. These plans are still being developed but are expected to include providing designated zones and spaces for buses, loading and taxis, creating a new distinctive gateway to the town, installing bike storage facilities and providing continuous footways to improve safety for pedestrians.

The final project involves improving the management of traffic at Tregenna Hill and Library Corner. The current two -way layout results in numerous daily conflicts between vehicles entering and leaving the town via this route and between vehicles and pedestrians, causing significant congestion and delays. Previous consultations have identified this as one of the main areas of concern for the local community.

Following concerns over the impact of the original proposal for a one-way traffic system on bus and emergency services (including lifeboat crews), further work is being carried out on the design. A potential solution which would maintain the proposed one-way system and provide access for bus and emergency services through traffic lights at the top and bottom of the hill and the use of additional technology, has been identified.

However, the complexity of this area means that more work is needed to ensure that the change would improve the current situation and not create additional problems elsewhere on the local road network. This will require the monitoring and evaluation of the other measures contained in the Strategy before confirming and implementing a final design. This means that this project is not likely to take place before early 2027. As the Town Deal funding currently has to be spent before the end of March 2026, Cornwall Council has committed to providing the funding needed to deliver the scheme, if approved by the Highways Authority.

Local statutory consultation will be required before work starts on each of the individual projects. Regular updates will be provided on the St Ives Transport Strategy page on the Let’s Talk Cornwall site : https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/st-ives-town-deal-low-carbon-transport.

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You can watch a short video about the strategy here

The Town Deal funding has to be spent by March 2026, with the projects due to be delivered in phases over this period. Any longer-term measures will need to be funded from other sources.

.You can stay updated on the development of this project and the Town Deal programme in St Ives by joining the online newsletter - Subscribe me to the newsletter.

About the Transport Strategy for St Ives

Funded and delivered as part of the St Ives Town Deal programme, the project aims to:

• Reduce traffic congestion and parking demand in the town centre.

• Improve air quality and health outcomes for residents and visitors.

• Enhance public transport options and accessibility for all.

• Support local businesses by creating a more attractive and vibrant town.

You can view the full exhibition and proposed plans here.

About the St Ives Town Deal

St Ives was one of four locations in Cornwall selected to bid for the Government’s £3.6b Towns Fund, which aims to drive economic regeneration and level up the region’s economy.

St Ives secured a Town Deal of up to £19.9m in June 2021, after submitting a Town Investment Plan that outlines nine projects to revitalise the town.

To implement the plan, St Ives Town Deal Board collaborates with funded partner organisations and Cornwall Council.

Six of the nine St Ives Town Deal projects have now been contracted and received their first grant payments, enabling work to begin on delivering these exciting and ambitious schemes. These include St Ives Theatre, the Rugby Club Relocation and Housing, the Guildhall, Leach Pottery, the Enterprise Grants and St Ives Community Orchard.

These projects are part funded by the Government's Town Deal programme and delivered by Cornwall Council in partnership with the St Ives Town Deal Board.

More information is available on the St Ives Town Deal website www.stivestowndeal.org.uk

You can also follow the St Ives Town Deal programme on social media.

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