RECENTLY visiting a New Life for City Buildings (NLCB) project in Truro gave me a chance to understand how best to support the city’s long‑term regeneration and sustainable growth. I also came away reminiscing on my own childhood adventures.

As I entered 15-16 King Street, I was confronted by a shell of a building, all exposed beams and floorboards. I wondered: how might it be used in future?

A purely residential-only approach risks missing an opportunity to create a civic asset with wider social impact. A mixed‑use scheme, on the other hand, will bring activity, footfall and purpose to a key location, which is perfectly placed to support a blend of residential and community functions. Its scale and layout can be developed using modern architectural principles, allowing the council to think creatively about how to meet multiple needs in one project.

I was reminded of how my adventures in the 1980s were stitched together from half-finished building plots that rose like accidental playgrounds, scrambling up skeletal staircases that led nowhere. But while I once clambered over half-built future homes for my own entertainment, provision for today’s youth has to be carefully administered.

Including it in NLCB plans would secure grant funding - a strong incentive, as it would reduce the financial burden on our regeneration company Regenco and avoid the need to commit all its capital reserves and incur future long-term debt, interest costs, and financial exposure for renovation works to a purely residential project.

It also aligns with Truro’s strategic priorities around youth engagement, signalling that regeneration is not just about buildings but about people. Investing in Truro’s young residents should be a priority; that’s why I feel a mixed‑use approach, anchored by youth provision, offers the most sustainable and community‑focused path forward.

Cllr James Tucker, Tregolls Ward, Truro City Council