Penzance Prom is getting a ‘Make Over’!

Penzance Prom is getting a ‘Make Over’!

Comments from over 400 residents and businesses in Penzance who came along to public exhibitions held in July:

• Creative, sensitive appreciation of environment and space     
• Pleased it will be accessible for prams/pushchairs and the disabled               
• Good that children involved as they are the generation to inherit it   
• Simplicity of surface with inset features. Tastefully done                                 
• Love the textures and references to former uses, and really love the stone seats. Very exciting!

Local Cornwall Council members, Penzance Town Council, Penzance BID, local environment and heritage groups as well as schools in the area, have also had their ideas fed into plans for this major Cornwall Council funded resurfacing scheme to revitalise Penzance promenade.

Work is now beginning on the main surfacing scheme with other elements of the designs added as the project progresses.  It will be phased as the new surface is laid in three sections between October and June 2020.  The majority of the work is due to be completed in time for the Golowan Festival in June 2020 and ahead of the Tour of Britain event in September 2020 when the eyes of the sporting world will be on Penzance as the field of world class cyclists assemble on the promenade for the start of the race.

Cornwall Councillor for Penzance Promenade Jim McKenna says: “More than 400 residents came along and over 130 feedback forms were submitted at the engagement events in July. I want to thank everyone who took the time to get involved and give their views. The project team found this feedback really useful and where possible it has been incorporated in the project. The design ideas, which were developed with input from a number of local school children, were, on the whole, strongly supported. The surface colour, the lunar cycle textural design and the pebble seating were the favourite elements of the scheme. It is great to see that this is finally happening!“

Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport Geoff Brown said: “The views of residents are so important and it’s great that so many have contributed to the design.  The resurfacing scheme will help to revitalise Penzance promenade so that residents and visitors can enjoy Cornwall’s only Victorian promenade for years to come.”

Ideas put forward at the public exhibition events for future uses of the promenade including more events, music and space for food and drink businesses have been passed to Penzance Council and the Business Improvement District.

Once the works begin, updates will be posted on our website – www.cornwall.gov.uk/baytobay – and on communication boards on the Prom itself.  There will be access to parts of the Prom as the works are phased.

Meiloci Landscape Architects has undertaken the design for the re-surfacing of the Promenade. They organised a series of hands on creative workshops with schools and colleges, as well as the community consultation events in May and July, to enable the local community to help co-design this iconic public space for Penzance.

The Penzance promenade re-surfacing scheme is a key part of Cornwall Council’s ambition to provide a Mount’s Bay trail and wider Bay to Bay cycling and walking trail.  A designated cycle route adjacent to the Promenade will be developed and in time, the plan is to see the Mount’s Bay route continue to the north coast via St Erth, Hayle and St Ives, connecting communities, attracting visitors and creating economic and cultural opportunities for West Cornwall.

The Penzance promenade scheme is the first phase of investment in the Promenade ahead of a longer term regeneration and coastal protection scheme proposed by the Environment Agency.

Find out more about the project online www.cornwall.gov.uk/baytobay