Prom and Alexandra Road

Initial proposals for public feedback on the next stage of Healthy Streets were released for consultation in Feb 2021. The proposals were based on requests/feedback from the community during:

Neighbourhood Plan Survey
Penzance Expo
The Cornwall We Want Survey

The initial proposals for The Prom and Alexander Road were drawn up in response to the following requests/feedback from the above exercises:

Reduced traffic in the town centre
Reduced traffic speeds
Tackling overnight parking on the prom and in surrounding areas
Safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists including
- Pedestrian and cycle zones
- More cycle routes
- Safer pedestrian routes
- Welcoming and improved streetscaping/gateway/entrance to the town
- Improved health & wellbeing and town centre vitality

The consultation was carried out through:

Healthy Street Penzance opinion survey hosted on the ‘Lets Talk’ website.
Pre-consultation engagement with directly affected properties on Western Promenade Road and Alexandra Road by means of a targeted letter drop
Statutory consultation for the 20mph speed limits and the schemes on Western Promenade Road and Alexandra Road.
Site visits with local stakeholders
Engagement with disability groups and charities

During the consultation the public indicated

They didn’t want parking restrictions to limit overnight parking on Western Prom
- They wanted less crossing points on the Prom and on Alexander Road to minimise the loss of parking
- The westbound cycle lane on the Prom was seen as unnecessary

Other factors that have come into play in the final plans:

Level of civil engineering works needed at some crossings due to drainage infrastructure, etc.
Simplification of Western Promenade Road / Alexandra Road junction due to budget constraints in current phase. Further work will be defined as part of Penzance Town Deal transport package

Here are the final plans released in September 2021:

A new 20mph speed limit in Penzance town centre and the residential areas up to Alexandra Road;
Modified road signage directing more traffic to the town centre car parks, and through traffic to use the A30 and the existing primary route network as intended
Three new uncontrolled crossings on Alexandra Road to improve access and movement for pedestrians
Three new uncontrolled pedestrian crossing on Western Promenade Road
New speed monitoring and signage on New Road, Newlyn to reduce traffic speeds travelling towards Newlyn

The work will be part funded through some of the money awarded to Cornwall Council from the Government’s Active Travel Fund, with the remainder of the funding being sought from the Town Deal Sustainable Transport package.