Newquay BID Raises Concerns Over Tregunnel Hill Car Park Care Home Plan

A walk around Tregunnel Hill car park on the May Bank Holiday weekend has become the unlikely centrepiece of a growing row over how Cornwall Council makes decisions that affect Newquay’s town centre.

Newquay BID has written to Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport and Parking, Dan Rogerson, raising serious concerns about proposals to build a care home on part of the Tregunnel Hill car park site. The objections go beyond the loss of parking spaces. The BID believes local businesses, residents and community organisations are being shut out of the early stages of major decisions that affect them directly.

The site already houses temporary homeless accommodation pods. Losing more spaces in one of the town’s key car parks, the BID argues, could undermine years of work to turn Newquay into a year-round destination.

“Consultation should begin with those who will be most affected”

Mark Warren, Manager of Newquay BID, said the lack of meaningful engagement before proposals reached an advanced stage was the heart of the problem.

“While we fully recognise the importance of providing high-quality care facilities and supporting vulnerable members of our community, we are deeply concerned by the apparent lack of meaningful consultation before these proposals reached an advanced stage,” he said.

“Too often, businesses, residents and community partners find themselves hearing about major decisions after discussions have already taken place and preferred options have already emerged. Consultation should begin with those who will be most affected, not after decisions have effectively been made elsewhere.”

Mark added that this frustration was being echoed across the town. “We should be having these conversations at the beginning of the process, not being invited into them once proposals are already progressing through the system.”

The parking pressure argument

One claim Newquay BID is pushing back on hard is that parking demand only bites during the peak summer months. Mark says his own observations tell a different story.

“Over the recent May Bank Holiday weekend, I walked around Tregunnel Hill car park on several occasions and witnessed it operating at full capacity. This was not during the height of the summer season, but during what should traditionally be considered a shoulder period.”

He pointed to the work done by businesses, the BID, Newquay Town Council and other partners to transform Newquay into a thriving year-round destination, with increasing visitor numbers and growing demand throughout the calendar year.

“Every parking space removed from the town centre has the potential to impact footfall, accessibility and the ability of local businesses to trade successfully. At a time when businesses are already facing significant economic pressures, it is difficult to understand why further reductions in parking provision are being considered without first exploring all alternative options.”

The BID met with Dan Rogerson earlier on the day the concerns were raised. Mark described the meeting as polite and constructive, but said he left with reservations.

“However, I left with the feeling that these proposals may already have progressed much further than local people have been led to believe. Whether that is the case or not, it reinforces the need for greater transparency and earlier engagement with the people who will ultimately be affected by these decisions.”

The issue follows earlier concerns about out-of-season parking charge changes, where stakeholders also felt consultation came too late.

MP backs call for strategic approach

Local MP Noah Law has thrown his weight behind the concerns.

“The BID is right to raise these concerns with Cornwall Council. As I’ve made the case numerous times as part of my work to support thriving towns, taking a strategic approach to parking might seem like a dry and banal point, but it can actually make a massive difference to the livelihood of a town like Newquay,” Noah said.

“That means being smart about pricing, enforcement and the availability of parking at key locations to drive footfall, reduce traffic in other areas and ensure that all residents and visitors, but local people in particular, can go about their travels with ease.”

Resident raises fresh questions

A resident of the neighbouring Tregunnel Estate has also spoken out, questioning the logic of the proposal and the public money already spent on the site.

“This proposal feels like a colossal waste of public money. Cornwall Council has only recently resurfaced the car park, repainted the bays, installed new height barriers and provided infrastructure for Beryl bikes. If parts of the site are now going to be redeveloped, residents are entitled to ask why those investments were made in the first place,” the resident said.

“Parking is already under pressure. As I write, both sides of the car park are practically full. Removing spaces will only make the situation worse for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”

They also raised concerns about construction disruption, noise, traffic and the potential impact on light and outlook for nearby homes.

“Residents of the Duchy development are expected to follow strict design standards to preserve the character of the area. It is reasonable to ask whether Cornwall Council intends to deliver a building that complements the surrounding architecture or whether local people will be expected to accept something completely out of keeping with its surroundings.”

The resident added: “Most importantly, there are numerous vacant and underused buildings throughout Newquay that should be considered before valuable parking spaces are sacrificed. Bringing those buildings back into use could help address care provision needs while also contributing to the regeneration of the town.”

Alternative sites already on the table

Newquay BID says alternative opportunities have previously been presented to the care provider, including sites away from the town centre.

“These options deserve full consideration. There are also vacant and deteriorating buildings within the town that could potentially be brought back into productive use through redevelopment and investment,” Mark said.

“Many local people are questioning why valuable town-centre parking land appears to be the preferred option when there are alternative sites available that could potentially accommodate similar development while also supporting wider regeneration objectives.”

What happens next

Newquay BID is calling on residents, businesses and community organisations to make their views known so concerns can be formally presented to Cornwall Council before any further progress is made.

“This is not simply about parking spaces,” Mark said. “It is about ensuring local voices are heard before decisions are made. Newquay is working hard to build a thriving year-round economy. The town centre is already under pressure from rising costs and changing economic conditions, and any proposal that could impact accessibility must be subject to thorough public scrutiny and genuine consultation.”

He encouraged anyone with concerns to contact Noah Law directly. “The stronger the collective voice from Newquay, the stronger the case for Cornwall Council to pause, listen and properly consider the long-term impacts before any irreversible decisions are made.”