Safe38 met with National Highways on Wednesday, June 8 to be briefed on the much anticipated Carkeel to Trerulefoot Safety Package that is bidding for funding for delivery post 2025.

The Chairman of the Safe38 group, James Millidge, said: “We had hoped that a road that is fit for purpose, a modern dual carriageway would be one of the options for the public to give their views on with all the benefits it would bring. Sadly that is not the case and instead National Highways have drawn up a list of small scale online safety improvements such as average speed cameras, junction realignments, speed reductions and one small realignment of Hay Lake bends near Landrake. 

“Whilst Safe38 welcome these small-scale safety measures which we have been calling for since 2018, they fall far short of what is needed and it is extremely disappointing that it will have taken nearly 10 years by the time they are delivered for what are relatively cheap and moderately small scale improvements.

 “They will do nothing to address the community severance issues at Landrake and Tideford, the low bridge at Trerulefoot, the steep inclines, the air quality at Tideford, the frequent flooding at Notter, won’t enable the current A38 to be used as a local access road, and the road will continue to hold back economic growth in SE Cornwall and beyond. 

“Cornwall now more than ever needs investment to ensure that it continues to be a place that is attractive for businesses to come to. We need infrastructure that is of a standard that ensures we keep pace with the rest of the UK. We are thankful that some lives will be saved by these measures but extremely disappointed that livelihoods will not be secured for generations to come.”

Safe38 are calling people to engage with the public consultation, and feedback that what we need is a modern dual carriageway bypass built to the highest environmental standards. The residents of SE Cornwall and beyond need to make their voices heard that we need this investment as lives and livelihoods depend on it.