Concerns proposed bridge will not be safe at night

The lifting bridge is part of the £23.6m Town Deal project to revitalise Truro

The safety of walkers and cyclists on a new bridge planned for Truro in Cornwall is a "grave concern" for city council planners.

A planning application has been submitted to Cornwall Council for the construction of a lifting bridge for cycle and pedestrian access from Lighterage Quay in Newham to Boscawen Park at Malpas.

It is part of the £23.6m Town Deal project to revitalise Truro.

Truro City Council's planning committee recommended the application be refused until satisfactory plans were in place for safe access for bridge users.

Police concerns

Martin Mumford, Devon & Cornwall Police's architectural liaison, also raised concerns about people feeling safe when using the route in the dark.

"The routes back towards Truro, either along the road itself or the Higher Newham trail, are certainly not the best in terms of passive surveillance and lighting," he said.

The city council's planning committee asked the town clerk to write to Cornwall Council expressing "grave concerns" about the access and safety of the area serving the lifting bridge.

An agent for the bridge plan said it had been designed to "current standards of legislation with regard to biodiversity, safety and travel routes".

It said the proposed lifting bridge would allow the use of ferries, pleasure boats and commercial operations up the river including the possibility of a pop-up restaurant and cafe.