A bridge for walkers and cyclists uniting two parts of Truro separated by the city’s river is a step closer to being built.

Cornwall Council has applied for pre-application advice from its own planning department before submitting official plans.

The lifting bridge linking Lighterage Quay at Newham and Boscawen Park, on opposite banks of the river, was originally mooted as part of seven “transformational projects” to enhance Truro as a “connected river city”.

Cornwall’s capital city was allocated £23.6 million for the schemes by the Government in 2021 as part of the Truro Towns Deal.

READ MORE: Five projects to transform Truro revealed (including covering Lemon Quay)

The project includes a key cycle link between Threemilestone and Truro and the “iconic” lifting bridge between Newham and Boscawen Park, which seeks to encourage people to walk and cycle for short trips and lead to a less polluted, less congested city with reduced traffic noise and more people-friendly streets.

The bridge would feed into the Truro Loops scheme, a series of six accessible routes in and around the city, which aims for car-free travel. Work is almost complete on the Newham Trail aspect of the scheme, which has seen improvements to the disused railway line that runs across the Calenick valley on the edge of Truro.

 

An aerial photograph showing where the bridge would be located between Newham and Boscawen Park (Pic: Cornwall Council)

An aerial photograph showing where the bridge would be located between Newham and Boscawen Park (Pic: Cornwall Council)

 

The popular trail is well used by runners, dog walkers, pedestrians and cycling commuters who work at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske and Cornwall Council’s headquarters at New County Hall / Lys Kernow. Road narrowing work to create a pedestrian / cycle path through the busy industrial Newham area to link to the trail has been dogged by problems and controversy over safety fears.

The proposed bridge would link the Newham Trail to the Boscawen Park Loop around the city’s biggest recreation ground, which has seen its own developments including a new café.

The pre-application advice also includes details of public realm works including the demolition of an existing harbours shed and the construction of two pop-up businesses, bike storage and parking for up to 15 cars.

The site is located within the Malpas estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It also within flood zones.