A NEW £47.5m road has officially opened, connecting the A390 near Threemilestone to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske on the outskirts of Truro.

While it has been welcomed as a “major milestone” in the delivery of the new Langarth Garden Village – effectively a new town the size of Wadebridge – some neighbouring residents have concerns.

The Northern Access Road (NAR) – officially named Fordh Langarth – was opened yesterday afternoon (Monday, May 11). It runs for 3.5km and is designed with a 20mph limit and a 3.5m-wide segregated cycle track and pavements.

It runs parallel to the A390, connecting the new West Langarth roundabout to the hospital’s existing estate roads and Penventinnie Lane to the rear of Treliske.

The road has been funded by the Government through the Housing Infrastructure Fund, which is administered by Homes England.

Cllr Dulcie Tudor, who represents Threemilestone at Cornwall Council, has welcomed Fordh Langarth as a “major milestone” and a “major piece of infrastructure” and believes it will ease traffic on the busy A390 into Truro. However, she has addressed issues raised by people living in the area.

“I have had concerns come in from people living in the back lanes around the edge of Langarth and down Penventinnie Lane that the knock-on effects will be people using this road being tempted to turn off into the back lanes and it will affect traffic flow there.

“I’ve received an assurance from the portfolio member for transport [at Cornwall Council] Dan Rogerson that as people start using this road the traffic will be monitored, including on those back lanes.”

Cllr Tudor added she will continue holding officers and planners to account on the delivery of the Langarth Garden Village development and it “reaches its original promise otherwise none of this will have been worth it”.

Langarth is a major development project led by Cornwall Council designed to create a new community of 8,000 to 10,000 residents near Threemilestone. It intends to deliver around 3,550 high-quality, energy-efficient homes, with 35 per cent designated as affordable, alongside schools, health facilities and extensive green spaces over 20 to 25 years.

The initial stages have been delayed due to the cost of living crisis and inflationary pressures on construction.

We put a number of concerns raised by members of the public about the new road to the Langarth project team at Treveth, the council’s building company which is leading on the garden village scheme.

One resident commented: “The quiet lane next to the Langarth park and ride has been closed off to allow for this new road. It means residents down the lane now have to drive an extra couple of miles of ‘new road’. Cormac have decided in their wisdom to make the lane (where it now begins) a no speed limit road.”

A Langarth spokesperson said: “The quiet lane by the park and road has been severed for vehicles. Access is available from the Northern Access Road (Fordh Langarth) at its junctions – either A390 West Langarth junction, A390 Richard Lander junction or from the hospital.

“Residents have had a recent diversion but will be able to travel east along NAR from May 11.”

Some residents have asked if the temporary 30mph speed limit from Penstraze to Threemilestone will now be lifted.

The spokesperson told us: “The A390 30mph speed limit has been retained, whilst the slip road at West Langarth junction has been closed for site access. From May 11, Fordh Langarth will be open to public traffic and the 30mph limit will be removed.”

A resident asked: “What is the point in opening up the road at this point? And long term, surely this is going to cause mayhem on the road past the entrance to the hospital – a road that already gets backed up to the roundabout, without the additional traffic this will bring.”

The Langarth spokesperson said: “Fordh Langarth will provide a further travel option for users allowing access from the hospital or Treliske Industrial Estate, travelling westwards without having to exit via the A390 Treliske roundabout.

“The major junction with the A390 will be at the Richard Lander location, so all traffic does not have to exit NAR via Treliske. Traffic will soon become familiar with the new layout and travel choices.

“In addition, the road has a 3.5km-long segregated cycleway and footways, which link through to the Saints Trails to St Agnes which will provide further leisure travel choices.”