Truro city centre planters removed after two years

Wooden seats and planters have been removed from a main street in Truro.

The street furniture in Boscawen Street was installed two years ago as part of the Truro Health Streets scheme.

Removing it will create space for events in the summer, those behind the scheme said, and Cornwall Council said it was looking for a long-term solution to pedestrainise the area.

Traffic restrictions that were introduced will remain in place.

The aim of the scheme, according to Truro City Council, Truro BID and Cornwall Council, "was to make the city centre more pedestrian-friendly" and access was restricted other than for emergency vehicles, buses, taxis, cycles, blue badge holders, and loading and unloading.

They added that "following discussions... on how the scheme should evolve, it was agreed to remove the planters, temporarily installed at key places throughout Boscawen Street".

The removal of the planters has been greeted by some.

Business owner Joanne Reed said on BBC Radio Cornwall's Facebook page that she and her husband were "absolutely delighted" the planters had been removed.

She said: "They were across our only entrance, making deliveries (many of which are very heavy and on palettes) extremely difficult."

Former city mayor Steve Webb, who was in office when the planters were installed, told BBC Radio Cornwall the planters had always been part of a trial.

"The whole idea of using wooden planters was a temporary measure; we could use them elsewhere, so it wasn't so much of a waste.

"If we had designed a really expensive scheme and people didn't like it, and it didn't increase footfall, then we would have been in a lot more trouble."

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