A PLANNING application for a bridge costing millions has been withdrawn due to rising costs.

There is now a proposal to build a cheaper option as part of Truro’s £23.6 million Town Deal scheme.

The Truro Town Deal Board has scrapped plans for a lifting bridge, connecting Truro’s Boscawen Park with Newham, in favour of a swing bridge at a reduced cost.

The original proposal of a ‘bascule’-type bridge, which had been dubbed ‘iconic’ by the board, was seen as a vital part of a project to create a connecting loop throughout the city for pedestrians and cyclists.

However, the dream is not dead and the new project has now been awarded up to £812,000 in Cornwall Council match funding.

Earlier this year, Truro Town Deal Board agreed to explore alternative bridge designs in light of rising construction costs for the original lifting bridge. The proposed new design will be for a swing bridge, rotating from a pivot point on the western quay.

The project will still enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Truro River between the Newham Trail and Boscawen Park, while ensuring Truro harbour remains accessible by boat and watercraft.

Latest estimates for the original lifting bridge have risen to between £6.25m and £6.86m. The swing design is estimated at between £5.36m and £5.86m.

The budget allocation within the Town Deal sits at £4.59m with the remaining shortfall expected to made up from Cornwall Council through Active Travel England funding, subject to approval.

Alan Stanhope, chair of the Truro Town Deal Board, said: “A bridge at Lighterage Quay is a very important project within our programme and underpins the vision and ambition we set out in our town investment plan to become a Connected River City.

“The board has faced a huge challenge in the delivery of our plan against rising costs of construction and materials. We therefore welcomed the opportunity earlier this year to revisit the design and mechanism of the bridge with the view of reducing costs.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have the backing of Cornwall Council with additional match funding, which has supported us to continue our commitment to deliver the bridge.”

The previous application has now been withdrawn and a revised planning application for the swing bridge design is expected to be submitted in the autumn. Should planning permission be granted, construction could start in spring 2027, for completion by the end of 2027 or early 2028.

Earlier this year, Town Deals in Cornwall were granted permission from the Government for an extended deadline for Town Deal funding in specific project cases. Expenditure could go beyond March 2027, at the discretion of Cornwall Council as the accountable body.

Businesses in Newham have slammed a plan for a diagonal 12-metre crossing leading to the bridge, stating it was “fundamentally flawed”. Newham BID, which represents businesses in the industrial part of Truro, said last week that it fears the crossing could put pedestrians and cyclists at risk from heavy goods vehicles using the estate.