Construction starts for breathing new life and purpose into Penzance sites

Multi-million pound investments will break ground across Penzance this winter. The first to start will be major regeneration works at Coinagehall Street, the revitalisation of St Anthony’s Gardens and carpark, and sustainable travel enhancements.

It’s all part of a £37 million combined funding pot from the government’s Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund and Cornwall Council, which is helping deliver Penzance’s ambition to be a town that works for everyone and to make the town centre a more attractive place for people to shop, work, visit and live.

At the heart of this investment will be high quality, affordable apartments and mews houses for rent and sale to local people and commercial properties to create a thriving seafront. The Art Deco inspired development and stunning backdrop to St Anthony’s Gardens will take its place on the former Taylors Garage site.

Demolition of buildings on the site has already started with internal stripping out, and now work to disconnect utilities and clear the site begins.

Revitalising St Anthony’s Gardens will see the creation of an open and welcoming garden setting and reconnection with Coinagehall Street via step-free access. A planting palette to withstand the harsh coastal conditions will provide a colourful, year-round back drop to this public space. With so many building works taking place, the Gardens will be the first element of this scheme to be completed so the area looks better, faster.

St Anthony’s car park will be remodeled. This will include increasing the size of parking spaces to modern requirements, installing several disabled spaces and re-purposing stone from the Gardens to enhance the car park boundaries, and planting.

Work is progressing on the development and delivery of the Sustainable Travel Network which aims to transform travel in and around the town, creating a fully sustainable network of safe and accessible walking, cycling and functional green and open urban spaces. Consultation on the proposals for Market Jew Street and Market Place will take place towards the end of October, with work on improving pedestrian access to Newlyn Green across New Road due to begin mid-November.

Everyone who travels around the area is asked to plan if you can, try to leave the car at home, and be patient, safe and kind as works get under way.

• Works to plan your journeys around are:
• From 28 October Coinagehall Street will close between Battery Road and Coinagehall Mews
• 4 November St Anthony’s car park will close, reopening March 2025
• 18 November to 13 December one section of Quay Street will close
• 22 November Coinagehall Street will reopen between Green Street and Coinagehall Mews
• 2028 Coinagehall Street between Battery Road and Green Street will reopen for pedestrians and access only, as part of the new development

Businesses and Jubilee Pool will remain open as usual, and our construction partners are coordinating works wherever possible to minimise the impact on road users.

Martin Tucker, Chair of Penzance Town Deal said: “It is going to be a very busy time across the whole of Penzance for the next 19 months, and I appreciate we are asking everyone to dig deep for this final and significant phase of delivering new homes, enhanced public spaces, and safer and greener travel connecting the town to the coast. With so much to be delivered over the unavoidable same period, our patience, planning and persistence will pay off.”

Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “I am pleased to see so many plans for Penzance that have been carefully shaped around local ambitions, reach this stage. There is always a degree of discomfort when it comes to achieving transformational plans, so I urge people to allow time for their journeys and to look forward to a revitalised Penzance.”

Further down the line, works at Penzance Harbour will include the demolition of the Boston Shed by early 2025. Again, partners will work together to minimise the need for road closures.

In 2021 Penzance Town Deal Board, in partnership with Cornwall Council, successfully bid for a Town Deal worth £21.5 million to support a range of projects that will contribute to the town’s regeneration and boost the local economy. The town was also awarded £10.4 million from the Future High Streets Fund as part of the government’s Towns Fund

initiative. Cornwall Council has contributed £4.97 million. Cornwall Council is the lead authority for the Cornwall Towns Fund and Cornwall Town Deals supporting the governance role of the Penzance Board and administrates the funds.