Work has begun on a new road that would give access to the first 300 homes of a new village planned for the outskirts of Truro.

The interim link road is the latest big milestone in the plans to create Langarth Garden Village, which would ultimately provide up to 3,500 homes, a new primary school and an extension to the Truro Park and Ride service.

The interim road means that around 300 families could still reach their houses while the rest of the major construction work took place, including on a new northern access road that would connect all the developments on the Langarth site and provide a route from the garden village to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, avoiding the A390. 

An application for planning permission to build the northern access road is due to be submitted to Cornwall Council in the autumn, as part of a hybrid planning application that also includes outline planning permission for the wider Langarth scheme.

All the money for the access road is being provided by the government and the start of work on the link road follows the official signing of a £47.45 million funding contract for the design and construction of the road by Homes England and Cornwall Council in August.

At the same time it was announced that the council had acquired two more parcels of land - the Willows and West Langarth Farm at Penstraze - on which to build the village.

Read next: More land acquired in Truro to build new village with 3,500 homes

Attending the turf cutting event for the interim road, councillor Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for homes, said: “This is a really exciting moment in the Langarth project.

"While work on developing the masterplan has been taking place since the beginning of last year, when the council took on a proactive role in planning and delivering the new integrated community at Langarth, this is the first time people will actually see construction on the site.

“We know that many people in Truro - and throughout Cornwall- are struggling to get on the housing ladder. Langarth Garden Village is part of the government’s garden communities programme which aims to address national housing needs."

The plans would see approximately 3,550 new low carbon homes provided over a 20 to 25 year period, with 35 per cent of them classed as affordable, and will include homes for older people and those with special requirements.

Read next: Affordable housing in Cornwall: what it really means and why shake-up is needed

One of the priorities of the Langarth masterplan is to provide accessible transport links, with people prioritised over cars.

The northern access road is being designed to be pedestrian friendly, with a 20mph speed limit and new footways and segregated cycleways along its entire 4km length.

Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: "We are planning to provide improved bus services linking to Treliske hospital and Truro, with bus stops in each local centre.

"Cycle parking, e-bike charging and seating areas at bus stops will help to encourage their use as community meeting areas.

"There are also plans for an extra 600 spaces at the Langarth park and ride site and additional pedestrian crossings to link Threemilestone and Langarth."

Planning permission for the interim link road was granted in March 2020. Built by Cormac, it is due to be completed by spring 2021.

The road will be closed to normal traffic and turned into a bus gate, subject to planning permission, following the opening of the major A390 West Langarth junction.

Queries about the construction work can be forwarded to contracting@cormacltd.co.uk