Newlyn road safety scheme 'needs compromise'

Concerns over plans to remove car parking space in Newlyn will be listened to, Cornwall Council has said.

Bays could be removed to create more room for cyclists and pedestrians as part of proposals to improve road safety in the fishing port town.

Local businesses and residents have told the BBC they feared losing such spaces, which would harm trade and make it harder to park near where they lived.

The council said it was looking at ways of mitigating the impact - but the area needed to be made safer and less "car-centric" in future.

The authority is also considering putting in extra road crossings and closing off access for vehicles to the town's old stone bridge.

A public consultation on the £210,000 project has been taking place over the past few weeks.

Stevie McCrindle, who runs an art gallery in the town, said: "If we are going to remove the parking bays, can we allocate space elsewhere for new parking? I rely on visitors coming in."

Daniel Tasker, from the town, argued: "This is really going to make it difficult for people who live here.

"I've not heard a single business say they are in favour of the proposals."

Another resident, Vaughan Williams, supported the effort to improve road safety.

He said: "I think it's a good idea to do what we can to improve things for pedestrians, and certainly there are dangers involved with multiple places where cars come in and out all the time."

The speed limit through the town centre is currently 20mph - but concerns have been expressed over a lack of dedicated crossing points across the road.

Thalia Marrington, Cornwall Council member for Newlyn, said: "Cars are very dominant here and, in the summer, when you have all the tourists, safety gets even worse.

"We've got to make sure this is a town centre that people can get across. There are going to have to be some compromises."

She also insisted concerns over the loss of parking space had been acknowledged and the council would consider prioritising bays for shoppers and residents at different times of the day.

She said: "It's almost re-imagining this space at the moment and deciding are there changes we can make to work in everyone's favour, but make it less dominated by the car."

Council project officer Adam O'Neill said people's feedback would be taken seriously.

He said: "There is absolutely no point in us putting in something nobody likes. It's trying to get that balance right."

If approved, the council said it hoped the work could start next spring and be completed in three to four weeks.

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