Major project to create network of multi-use trails in Cornwall to be scaled back
Cornwall Council says parts of the Saints Trails' scheme will be simplified because of 'budget and time constraints'
Last updated 12th Oct 2021
A major project to create miles of multi-user trails across Cornwall looks set to be scaled back after Cornwall Council scrapped some sections due to budget pressures.
The Saints Trails is a £19 million scheme by Cornwall Council which aimed to put in place 30km of safe routes for cyclists and walkers in key locations across the Duchy.
Highways England, now known as National Highways, had provided £17.1m of funding for the project with the other £2m coming from the council.
There were set to be four trails – one linking Truro to St Agnes; one from Trispen to Idless; a route from St Newlyn East to Carland Cross and the final section connects Perranporth to Newquay.
It was a key project for the council which said that it wanted to create trails which could replicate the success of the Camel Trail in North Cornwall and also encourage people to get out of their cars and onto their bikes to get around Cornwall.
The council had also promoted the scheme heavily during the recent Tour of Britain which set off from Penzance last month – with councillors saying it showed how the council wanted to boost cycling in Cornwall.
However it now appears that the scheme is in tatters and one councillor has said that "if it is half as good it will be twice as dangerous and twice as bad".
What changes are being made to the Saints Trails' scheme?
Two sections of the trails – Trispen to Truro and St Newlyn East to Carland Cross – will be scrapped entirely.
The section from St Agnes to Chiverton Cross has been scaled back and instead of a dedicated route the council is looking to have cycle paths which run on the existing road. A planned bridge over Chiverton Cross will still go ahead as it is part of a separate project funded with EU money.
Just the Perranporth to Newquay scheme remains intact – with work having started on it already – but planned bridges, which would have taken cyclists over roads, have been removed and so users will have to cross roads to access some parts of the trail.
National Highways has confirmed that it has taken back £1m of the money it gave to the council and there will be question marks around the rest of the cash now that the plans have changed.
Council leader Linda Taylor had to take a decision on whether to proceed with compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for some of the land needed for the project and it was decided on Friday that they would not proceed which means that some of the sections are unlikely to happen.
Cllr Taylor said: “The officers are looking at what can be delivered in the budget that we have. I think it looks realistic that we can’t deliver everything mooted at the start because of the cost.
“Now that we have stopped some of the compulsory purchase we are not proceeding with some of them (the trails). That is to make sure that some of the routes will be delivered. The final routes have not been agreed yet".
Cllr Taylor commented that concerns about the delivery of the project had been raised by her councillors whilst in opposition last year due to forecasts showing that it would not be delivered on time or within budget.
There had previously been concerns raised about the Saints Trails which had at one time been estimated to be going £6m over budget.
Cornwall Council’s audit committee asked for a review and was later assured by council director Phil Mason that the project was now back on track.
Cllr Taylor said: “A year and a half to two years ago we had concerns and we brought it to the audit committee because we had those concerns about the cost and timetable.
"It is disappointing because we could see it was an ambitious programme but it wasn’t going to be delivered on time or within budget. If you can’t deliver what was promised, that is disappointing.
"To be honest we raised those concerns, we would have taken a different approach to how this project was being managed. I am not saying we would have been more successful but we would have been more financially astute.
"I am confident that hopefully a major part (of the trails) will be delivered so that people can get around our beautiful county on their bicycles".
Cllr Dulcie Tudor, who had part of the trail running through her division, said she was "very unhappy" that it would not now be going ahead as planned.
She said: "The scheme was always over ambitious and it has not surprised anybody as some of us had been raising concerns for some time.
"Some of the land needed for the project was not available to the council and some landowners were holding out for more money, so they have to take some of the blame as well".
Cllr Tudor said that she was concerned that the remaining parts of the scheme would not be as good as planned.
"We are left with something that isn’t family friendly and isn’t safe. That is down to mismanagement. I am incredibly disappointed that the part of the trail running through my patch is not happening.
"I am really upset about it, it didn’t need to be this way and someone should be held responsible for this".
Truro Cornwall councillor and leader of the independent group Loic Rich said that the decision was "disappointing".
"If it is half as good, it will be twice as bad. The stretch that might not happen now (in Truro) is Teagle Straight and that is the most dangerous.
"It is a horrible spot and if you have a bridge coming over the A30 and then people have to go along Teagle Straight (towards St Agnes) that increases the risk of an accident.
"I was brought up in St Agnes and we would cycle in that area all the time, my mum was almost knocked off her bike a few years ago, it is not a safe road to cycle along.
"Very sadly there have been accidents along that road in the past, although I am not aware if they have involved cyclists. But if you are guiding cyclists to that route they might decide to risk going down there.
"Having it half as good could make it twice as dangerous and twice as bad".
Cllr Rich said he hoped that the council might reconsider using the road and look at alternative less costly ways of providing a dedicated cycle route between St Agnes and Chiverton Cross.
One of the biggest issues for the council has been acquiring the land needed for the trails and it had recently decided to use Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the land after failing to negotiate a sale with landowners.
John and Jill Hewlett had been fighting the council to keep control of their property as the trails would go right over their land.
Mr Hewlett said that it was "an absolute farce" that the council was now looking to scrap some sections of the scheme and alter others.
"They are still planning to come through our grounds and knock down four buildings. This decision was taken behind closed doors, the whole thing stinks".
Nick Aldworth, South West regional delivery director for National Highways, said: "National Highways has a duty to protect public funding and deliver safe and lasting benefits for road users, the environment and communities across England.
"We have been in discussions with Cornwall Council for some months following ongoing delays to the Saints Trail schemes and have now agreed changes to the route that will provide benefits to cyclists, sooner.
"This approach will also save around £1m against the original £19m investment, meaning it remains one of the largest cycling infrastructure investments ever in the region".
You can find more information about the Saints Trails' scheme on Cornwall Council's website through the link below.