A CONTROVERSIAL project to narrow the road entering a busy industrial estate in Truro has been ‘paused’ by Cornwall Council following an outcry from local businesses concerned about safety.

Cornwall Council had been due to start work this week on widening the footway along Newham Road to create a shared pedestrian and cycle path as part of the Truro Loops project.

However, following a meeting with council representatives and local businesses, organised by the Newham Business Improvement District (BID), Cornwall Council has now paused work in order to conduct a ‘formal road safety assessment’.

Businesses had urged Cornwall Council to think again about a controversial road project, which they fear could "endanger lives" if it goes ahead.

The plans had included widening the footway along Newham Road to create a shared pedestrian and cycle path. But, according to a number of business owners in the area, this would mean narrowing the only road into the Newham Industrial Estate, which is home to 180 businesses employing 1,200 people.

Local businesses and the Newham Business Improvement District (BID) previously said they supported the Truro Loops project in principle, but stressed that narrowing the road would give heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) just ten centimetres of clearance.

They also feared that large wing mirrors of HGVs overhanging the new path could cause serious injury or even fatality to pedestrians and cyclists.

Instead, they asked the council to reconsider and have queried why it has dropped an earlier plan to make use of Newham’s riverside path, away from the road.

Opposition to the project has been coordinated by the Newham BID, which exists to improve and promote Newham as a business location.

In a letter of opposition to Cornwall Council planners from BID chair Leigh Ibbotson, which was signed by 24 businesses at Newham including Tesco and Aldi, Mr Ibbotson said: “We want to make it very clear that Newham BID believe the proposals pose a danger to the safety of users of Newham particularly the proposal to reduce the width of the carriageway on Newham Road.

“We want it formally noted that we foresee the accident statistics rising if these proposals are implemented.”

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Businesses were also concerned that the council was rushing the proposals in order to hit a deadline to spend European funding on the scheme and has relied too much on computer modelling rather than real-world conditions.

Mr Ibbotson added in his letter: “The opportunity to spend European funding before the deadline seems to be the overriding driver for this scheme rather than carrying out detailed research and safety studies to consider the best scheme.

“We cannot see how these proposals are in any way safe and would urge you to consider the reality of daily movements on Newham rather than relying on ‘modelling’ as we understand has been the case.”

He said the BID was happy to work with the council on a more workable plan and suggested if the council needs to spend European funding quickly then it should widen and straighten Newham Road at a notorious pinchpoint between Lighterage Hill and Gas Hill something local businesses have campaigned for for more than 20 years.

In an email to the BID dated March 20, the council’s project manager had stated: “A road safety review carried out along this route has not raised an issue. Proposed narrowing has been tested by computer modelling with no indication that conflict of HGVs will occur.”