Key moment for Truro’s Lemon Quay project as first application is submitted for planning approval

Exciting plans to make Lemon Quay a more attractive place to shop, work, visit, and enjoy have taken a major step forward with the formal submission of the first planning application for the Truro Town Deal funded scheme.

Led by Cornwall Council and developed in consultation with key partners, including Truro Town Deal Board, Truro City Council and Truro BID, the Lemon Quay scheme has been designed to create a high quality vibrant, attractive and green public space that will encourage more people to visit and spend more time in the city centre.

One of seven projects being funded through Truro Town Deal programme, the plans for Lemon Quay includes measures to improve the pedestrian, shopping and event experience in Truro, create greater opportunities for local businesses and enhance public interaction with Truro River towards Boscawen Park.

These include improved street furniture and lighting designed to encourage greater use of the unique riverside setting, together with landscaping and biodiverse planting, with new trees, large shrubs and hardwood planters and benches to provide opportunities for the public to sit and relax.

A number of planning applications are being developed to support the delivery of different elements of the Lemon Quay scheme during the coming months.

This first application includes measures to open up the entrance to the subway on Lemon Quay, improve the lighting and provide a more welcoming entrance to the centre of the city. There are also plans to install two column mounted projectors to light the surface of Lemon Quay, and provide new planting, seating and landscaping.

“One of the key areas identified for improvements during the public consultation was the subway which connects Lemon Quay to Garras Wharf” said Lemon Quay Project Manager Jon Mitchell. “People told us that the design of the subway and the poor lighting meant it was an uncomfortable place to walk though, especially at night”.

“The proposed scheme has been designed to make the entrance to the subway lighter and more welcoming, with other measures aimed at making Lemon Quay a more attractive space for all user.”.

Under the proposed plans, the existing concrete retaining walls on each side of the subway will be demolished and replaced with lower cut back walls. These new walls will have granite sections with attractive designs, developed in partnership with a local artist, imprinted on the front. Steel parapets with designs complimenting those on the walls will provide secure “bookends“to the existing balustrade surrounding the subway.

New steps will provide access to the riverside edge of Lemon Quay, offering an alternative route for subway users. Granite and hardwood materials will be used where possible to reflect and celebrate the wider history of the city.

The scheme has been designed to maintain access for all vehicles, pedestrians, cycles and emergency vehicles. Space will also be provided for traditional events, such as the Farmers and Christmas Markets, with complimentary plans being developed in partnership with the City Council to encourage new events and activities.

Alan Stanhope, chair of Truro Town Deal Board, said: "This is a major step in our Lemon Quay project to make it a more welcoming, vibrant, and enjoyable space for everyone. By improving accessibility, enhancing the subway and creating stronger connections with the river, this scheme will strengthen Truro’s appeal as a place to live, work, and visit. We’re pleased to see these plans move forward and bring lasting benefits to the city."

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “The subway from Garras Wharf is a busy gateway to Lemon Quay and the wider shopping area so it’s important people feel safe and welcomed. It’s good to see these Town Deal plans for investment progressing.”

The planning application can be viewed at Cornwall Council’s online planning register: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/

The reference number for the planning application is PA24/09614.

Further applications for the remaining elements of the scheme, including plans for planting and landscaping in other areas of the Quay, are currently being finalised. If approved, some of these works will be carried out in Spring 2025 ahead of the improvements to the subway which are currently scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2026.

Truro Town Deal Board, in partnership with Cornwall Council, successfully bid for a Town Deal worth £23.6 million to support a range of projects that will contribute to the city’s regeneration and boost the local economy. Cornwall Council is the lead authority for Cornwall Town Deals and supports the governance role of the Truro Town Deal Board and administrates the fund.