Truro’s Morlaix Avenue faces 40mph limit and double yellow lines

A new housing estate is taking shape above Newham, and the roads around it are about to change. Cornwall Council wants to hear from Truro residents before those changes are set, and the window to respond is closing at the start of August.

What is being proposed

Cornwall Council Highways is planning to bring in No Waiting at Any Time restrictions, the double yellow lines drivers know well, inside the housing development itself. It also wants a new 40mph speed limit on Morlaix Avenue. Both are tied to The Gwel, the estate also known as Park Deg Erow at Higher Newham Farm.

The council says the restrictions are intended to stop inappropriate parking and improve road safety for everyone using the road, and that the lower limit is meant to make sure vehicles approach the new junction at a safer speed. The wider highway works include a new shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, along with a signal-controlled junction. They form part of an agreed set of highway works between the developer behind the estate and Cornwall Council.

Newham BID’s concerns

Not everyone is satisfied the plans go far enough. The board of Newham Business Improvement District has raised concerns about the shared-use path where it meets the slip road that takes traffic out of Newham and onto Morlaix Avenue.

The board feels the ‘S’ shaped bend built into the design will not do enough to slow cyclists down, and that some riders may cut across the front of the slip. It has also pointed to the height of the path where it runs alongside the road, and suggested a barrier along the full length would be a sensible addition. Those are the board’s views, put forward as part of its response to the consultation.

Have your say before 7 August

The consultation opened on 16 July and runs on the council’s Let’s Talk Cornwall survey for the Morlaix Avenue proposals. Responses need to be in by midnight on 7 August. Anyone who uses that stretch of road, on foot, by bike or behind the wheel, can take part.

A decision is expected in September, and if the orders are approved the work itself is estimated for spring 2027. The proposals carry the council’s formal references Infra26-128, covering both the 40mph order and the amendment to waiting restrictions at Park Deg Erow.

A word on Newham Road

The arrival of homes above Newham Industrial Estate is already changing the feel of the area. Newham BID has flagged that children have been seen playing on BMX bikes outside the car wash on Newham Road, riding up and down in front of moving vehicles. The limit there is 20mph, and drivers are being asked to take extra care. Incidents can be reported to the police through the road traffic incident reporting page.

Roadworks coming to Lighterage Hill

There is separate work on the way at the Newham Trail crossing point on Lighterage Hill. Newham BID representatives met Cornwall Council Highways last week for an update. Phase one is set for August, with an exact date still to be confirmed, and will clear vegetation to open up sight lines for pedestrians and motorists. Temporary traffic lights will run on Lighterage Hill and at the junction to manage traffic while that happens.

Phase two is still being finalised and is due in January 2027. It will change the alignment of the trail footpath where it meets Lighterage Hill.