Seven Town Deal funded schemes are to be delivered in Penzance 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 and 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 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 million 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.
“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.”
Regular updates on individual schemes will be provided via the Let’s Talk Cornwall and Penzance Town Deal website.
