Watch a video summary of the latest plans HERE.
More than 400 people attended the recent St Ives Low Carbon Transport Strategy update event to find out the latest details about all the projects which are being developed and the timetable for delivering the different elements.
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 during the period up to March 2026 which marks the end of the Town Deal programme.
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 Park and Ride. 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 (LTE) 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.
