BID concerns over care home on Newquay car park proposal

Newquay BID – which represents businesses in the town – has written to Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for transport Cllr Dan Rogerson, expressing serious concerns about the possible relocation of Penberthy Care Home on Mount Wise to Tregunnel Hill car park and the potential loss of further town centre parking spaces.

The council says the care home needs a new site as the current building is no longer fit for purpose. The car park is one of several sites the local authority is looking at for its new base.

Cornwall Council built 18 self-contained SoloHaus homeless pods in the car park in 2024, which resulted in 95 car park spaces being lost.

The concerns centre not only on the proposed reduction in parking provision, but also on what Newquay BID believes is an ongoing failure to engage local businesses, residents and community organisations at the earliest stages of major decisions affecting the town.

Mark Warren, Newquay BID manager, said: “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.

“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.

“That is one of the key frustrations being expressed by businesses across Newquay. 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.”

Newquay BID is challenging suggestions that parking demand in the town is only an issue during the peak summer season.

Mr Warren said: “One of the arguments being put forward is that these parking spaces are only under pressure for a few months of the year. From my own experience, that simply does not reflect the reality on the ground.

“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.

“Newquay is no longer a town that operates for a few months each year. Businesses, Newquay BID, Newquay Town Council and our wider partners have worked incredibly hard to transform Newquay into a thriving year-round destination. We are seeing increasing visitor numbers, greater off-season activity 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.”

Newquay BID met Cllr Rogerson this week to discuss the proposals. “The meeting was polite and constructive,” said Mr Warren. “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.”

Newquay’s Labour MP Noah Law has also backed calls for parking considerations to remain central to the town’s future development.

He said: “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.

“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.”

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

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council, said: “We are working with partners across Cornwall to support the development of what is, very much-needed, care home provision.

“As part of this we are working with Sanctuary to identify a new site for Penberthy Care Home in Newquay, as although the current standard of care there is of a high quality, the building is no longer fit for purpose.

“One site up for consideration for this new development is part of Tregunnel car park. We are looking closely at this site and considering others as part of this work.

“Transport and accessibility are key to the vitality of Newquay town centre and we recognise the role parking plays for residents, visitors, workers and local businesses.

“Newquay faces additional pressure during the peak season, which is why our approach has been to support access to the town in a range of ways. This includes providing additional parking at Tolcarne, funding the summer park and ride, and improving rail, walking and cycling links through the Mid Cornwall Metro project.

“We will continue to work with stakeholders and the local community to build on the significant investment already made and support access to Newquay town centre.”