A bridge which would connect riverside parts of Truro and is already being described as “iconic” has been saved following the financial impact of inflation and soaring construction costs threatened its future, writes Lee Trewhela, Local Democracy Reporter.

However, another element of the multi-million pound Truro Town Deal scheme has now been sacrificed to save money.

The Truro Town Deal Board stated last week that the £23.6m funding it received from the Government to revitalise the city had been cut by a third in real terms due to the cost of living crisis. Other town deals in Camborne, Penzance and St Ives are also facing financial challenges.

It was feared that a lifting bridge at Lighterage Quay connecting the Newham and Boscawen Park parts of Truro would now be lost.

A planning application has already been submitted to Cornwall Council for the new ‘bascule’-type bridge, which has been called “iconic” by the board and is seen as a vital part of a project to create a connecting loop throughout the city for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sensing there may be problems ahead, Truro City Council voted to “inform the Town Deal Board and Cornwall Council, both the project ‘lead’ and accountable body, that the Lighterage Bridge should be regarded as a key priority project which, if necessary, should take precedence in the event that reductions to the programme have to be made due to changing financial circumstances”.

At a Town Deal Board meeting, members voted 12 to three to forge ahead with the Lighterage Quay lifting bridge. However, in order to save costs another pedestrian bridge – planned to link Town Quay on Morlaix Avenue with the Garras Wharf car park – has been scrapped.

The board agreed to relocate funds from that project to the Lighterage bridge scheme with a contribution towards the removal of the derelict Compton Castle boat on Lemon Quay.

Alan Stanhope, chair of Truro Town Deal, said: “This important decision means we can forge ahead with the bridge’s development, which is due for completion by March 2026. We are also looking forward to the removal of the Compton Castle, but more importantly how our investment will enhance that area. Improvements to the southern end of Lemon Quay will further connect the city centre with the river and bring an economic boost to businesses based there.”

The three other town deal plans in Cornwall have responded to the impact on their plans by the economic downturn.

Camborne – £23.7m funding Councillor John Cosgrove, vice-chair of Camborne Town Deal board, said: “Whilst there have certainly been some financial challenges, our 11 Town Deal projects in Camborne are all progressing well. Significant increases in costs have meant value engineering each project so that it can be delivered within budget. Administrative leads have been working very hard to modify the original specifications to achieve this and, to date, these have been well received locally.

“In terms of scaling back, Park Gerry – the exciting, state of the art skatepark which is eagerly awaited by so many – is going ahead but its all-weather multi-use games area will have to wait for future funding rounds. Similarly, the multi-million pound Bassett Community Hub will have all the elements we originally wanted but its performance space will now be a more flexible, versatile venue than the 200-seat single use theatre we first envisaged.

“Camborne Town Deal board members support all modifications proposed and I’m very confident that the end results will, in every case, make a positive, exciting, and lasting difference to Camborne.”

Penzance – £21.5m funding A spokesperson for the Penzance Town Deal Board said: “In the current economic climate it would be fair to say that any project that involves construction would have had an increase in cost, and several of the Penzance Town Deal projects fall within this category.

“We have looked very closely at the outputs that the Town Deal Projects are keen to deliver, to ensure that we were still on track with these. It is these outputs that were previously identified that are crucial to the success of any project going forward.

“Rising costs, like those we’ve seen over the past few years, will of course make it a challenging time, but we remain focused on the ultimate goal – and that is to drive regeneration and promote a town that thrives both for its people and as a destination. We are committed to maintaining this vision and are confident we can deliver on the Town Deal projects. We will continue to monitor all projects closely.”

St Ives – £19.9m funding A spokesperson for the St Ives Town Deal programme told us it is now firmly in delivery mode, with construction of the majority of the projects well under way. Eight of the nine Town Deal projects have signed their contracts and received their first tranche of funding, with the final project signing due to take place within the next few weeks.

Work is also under way on LiveWest’s retrofit housing programme, with a planning application for the St Ives Rugby Club project due to be submitted to Cornwall Council by the summer.

“Members of St Ives Town Deal Board and Cornwall Council’s Town Deal project team are very aware of the impact of increases in costs and are working closely with all the project leads to monitor the progress of their schemes and ensure that they are all delivered by the Government’s deadline of March 2026,” added the spokesperson.