Enforcement cameras switched on to stop drivers

Enforcement cameras to ensure motorists stop driving on a town centre's main street are being switched on.

Drivers of private cars face receiving a £70 fine if they drove up Market Jew Street in Penzance, Cornwall, between the hours of 11:00 and 16:00, Cornwall Council said.

The order to stop cars driving had been in place since 2022, but recent analysis showed an average of 600 cars a day were breaching the rules, it added.

Some businesses disagree with the move, with one shop owner saying it is "not needed" to prevent motorists from using the street. Cornwall Council said "a large number of people" were continuing "to flout the restrictions, which creates some real safety concerns".

Sarah Shaw, manager of the business improvement district (BID) that represents shops, said: "Over the summer, we used a counter to measure the number of cars driving up the street and it was an average of 600 cars. That's two per minute.

"We're trying to create at atmosphere where people stay longer in the town and that number of cars is just not tenable.

"It's been a turbulent couple of years with road closures and roadworks, but we're at the end of it now and I hope people rediscover Penzance."

Salvador Daninos, who runs a pizza restaurant just a few metres away from the newly-installed cameras, said: "I don't think that the cameras are needed to block this area off for drivers during the daytime.

"Penzance is not like St Ives, we're not rammed with pedestrians.

"I think it's just another inconvenience. People with mobility issues are going to suffer.

"Having a car and being able to stop at a shop and pick a few things up is good for the town.

"It seems to me to be a council scheme to get more money from people rather than something beneficial for them."

Kirsty Clarke runs a dog grooming business close to the enforcement cameras.

She said: "After 4 o'clock, delivery drivers who want to serve the businesses in the town have nowhere to park because all the cars drive up the street too.

"Every day I see buses having to reverse because of cars, taxis, and they'll still be allowed on Market Jew Street under the rules.

"At some point there's going to be an accident, someone is going to get hurt.

"I think the planters need to be removed because there's no place for vehicles to pass each other."

Blue Badge holders are not exempt from the restrictions.

However, a Blue Badge holder parked on the street before the restrictions began at 11:00 would be able to leave without facing a penalty, officials said.

Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for transport, said: "The restrictions were put in place as party of the Penzance Healthy Streets project, and have helped create a much more pleasant environment for shoppers and visitors.

"However, there are a large number of people who continue to flout the restrictions, which creates some real safety concerns.

"We have consulted widely on this scheme, and people have strongly supported our aim of making the town centre more accessible and a more pleasant place to visit, and these cameras will help deliver those changes."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.