Residents urged to support Cliff Road businesses during months of roadworks

People in Newquay are being urged to continue supporting businesses on Cliff Road as major roadworks get under way next week.

Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) says traders face a challenging winter as work on the next phase of the Mid Cornwall Metro project begins on Monday 7 September.

A one-way system will operate on Cliff Road, with traffic able to travel away from Newquay town centre. Vehicles heading towards the town centre will be directed along a signed diversion route.

The work, between Oakleigh Terrace and Edgecumbe Avenue, is expected to continue through the winter, with a target completion date of late spring 2027.

Cornwall Council says the scheme is designed to make the area safer and more accessible for people walking, wheeling, cycling and using public transport, as well as creating a more welcoming gateway to the town centre and Station Quarter.

It will include a new cycle route, improvements to footways and public spaces, a new pedestrian crossing, changes to kerbs and the road layout, drainage and utility works and resurfacing.

'They need you for the whole of this winter'

Newquay BID manager Mark Warren said he understood the reasons behind the active travel scheme and welcomed improvements being made around the railway station, but said businesses now faced a difficult period while the work was carried out.

PRESS PLAY to hear our chat with Mark Warren, Manager of Newquay BID...

"It's that pain barrier that we've got to get through now for the next few months, potentially six to nine months," he said.

"It's wonderful having a nice, great refurbished Cliff Road, but if those businesses have gone out of business by the time they bring that road back again, then that's going to be a problem.

"Those businesses work really hard to try and get through Christmas and the winter. It's already tough. Throw in a diversion that's going to be happening, it's going to be tougher."

Mr Warren urged people not to be put off from visiting the area during the work.

"Those businesses that you always visit on Cliff Road, they're still there," he said.

"We've got great coffee shops. We've got the gym. We've got so many different businesses there that need you, and they need you for the whole of this winter. Please don't avoid it."

He added that Newquay BID had a direct link with the Mid Cornwall Metro project team and businesses had been asked to report problems so they could be raised quickly.

A CGI impression of what Cliff Road would look like following completion of the works.

Access to be maintained

Cornwall Council said pedestrian access would be maintained throughout the construction period, although temporary changes could be required for some stages of the work.

Additional traffic management, including lane closures and temporary traffic lights, may also be needed.

The council said affected properties would be contacted in advance if temporary changes to access were necessary.

Several businesses previously objected to elements of the scheme, including the removal of parking spaces along Cliff Road, and suggested an alternative route.

Existing on-street parking along sections of Cliff Road is being removed to allow footways and shared-space routes to be widened and additional crossing points created.

The council said additional parking had been provided nearby to help offset the loss.

This includes parking at Tolcarne car park, which is free after 16:00 until 31 October and free all day between 1 November and 31 March.

Eight new spaces have also been created on Oakleigh Terrace with up to an hour's free parking, while the free period at Newquay Railway Station car park has increased from 20 to 30 minutes.

Three new disabled spaces have also been provided outside Wetherspoons, where the existing 30-minute free parking period has been extended to an hour.

Work is due to begin on 7 September, with completion targeted for late spring 2027.