By Rashleigh MacFarlane

A proposed lifting bridge across the river at Truro will have to be substantially redesigned to fit within budget, members of the Town Deal board have been told.

The Lighterage Quay bridge is supposed to be complete within the next 12 months or risk the return of funds to central government.  Work has not yet started and the project is currently stalled in the planning system, following serious objections from Natural England.

According to board minutes, the scheme is so expensive that it will now have to be subject to “value engineering” if it is to survive.  The minutes say a contract to build the bridge has already been awarded to Cormac, apparently without any competitive tendering exercise.  

Cornwall Council is the “responsible body” for the project but a Freedom of Information question-and-answer failed to produce even an estimate of the costs.

Because of a government requirement that all Town Deal projects must be complete by March 2026, the Truro Town Deal board looks like it is facing some tough decisions when it meets on Thursday (13th March.)

“Value engineering” however is a recognised term in the construction sector which means promoting the cheapest materials and methods “without sacrificing functionality.”

The most likely outcome looks like a fixed bridge, which would meet the aspirations of walkers and cyclists but which would irritate Truro’s maritime community as larger vessels would not be able to pass underneath.

Not only are lifting bridges fabulously expensive to build, they are also very expensive to maintain.  There is currently no revenue budget to operate and repair the bridge, and ensure it is safe, assuming it is ever constructed.

Supporters of the project within County Hall’s planning department have however been heartened by government signs that Whitehall might be proposing to downgrade environmental considerations in its pursuit of economic growth.

One potential victim of the government’s pro-business agenda is the £100 million “bat tunnel” associated with the HS2 rail project.  

A similar approach in Truro would blunt the objections Natural England, currently worried about damage to Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the river’s mudflats.

rashleighmacfarlane@cornwallreports.co.uk