Truro on-street parking: what the city council told Cornwall Council

The clock runs out today on Cornwall Council’s proposals for on-street parking charges in Truro. And the city’s own council has now set out exactly where it stands.

In a statement, Truro City Council says it has read the concerns raised by residents and businesses, and has submitted a response to the consultation for each affected area.

The consultation closes today (Friday 2 October).

What Truro City Council has told Cornwall Council

The city council says the consultation was raised by a resident in the open session of its Full Council meeting on Monday (28 September), and was discussed in more detail later in the meeting.

Town Clerk David Rodda MBE has since completed the consultation form for each area on the council’s behalf. According to the city council, the responses cite concerns about:

• the potential negative impact on businesses and the high street
• the impact on residents who live in the affected areas
• the potential impact of traffic flow through River Street
• the heritage impact of installing any new infrastructure in the conservation area

The responses also recommend removing the proposed Sunday charges.

It was agreed at the meeting that city councillors should submit their own responses too, or write to Cornwall Council with their objections.

Who makes the decision

Truro City Council is clear that the decision is not its to make. Cornwall Council is responsible for on-street parking and decides on the proposals.

“Truro City Council has a role in representing local concerns, and we are using that role to make Truro’s voice heard,” the statement says.

What residents said about parking

Parking in Truro was already high on the list before these proposals appeared. In the city council’s 2025 Resident Survey, easier and cheaper parking was cited by 41% of respondents as the top priority for city centre improvements.

A further 23% of respondents who were residents cited easier and safer parking as a priority for residential areas.

The city council says those results informed the “connectivity” objective in its 2026 to 2030 Strategy, and will be used in forthcoming work to identify Truro’s transport priorities.

Talks over the past 18 months

The city council says it and Truro BID have been in discussions with Cornwall Council about parking and connectivity for the past 12 to 18 months.

That has included meetings with Cornwall Council officers and with Councillor Dan Rogerson, the portfolio holder responsible for transport. The talks have covered the future of Moorfield car park, car park provision more generally, and parking charges.

The city council describes one outcome as significant: the introduction of free parking after 4pm in Edward Street and Moresk car parks.

Truro BID has also organised a meeting with Truro traders, and invited Dan to hear their concerns directly.

How to have your say

Anyone with a view is being asked to submit it directly to the consultation so it can be considered. The city council points out that comments on its Facebook page do not replace a consultation response.

You can read the proposals and respond on Cornwall Council’s Let’s Talk website.