The cladding is similar to Grenfell Tower and is covering White River Place shopping centre
Trinity Street near White River Place will be turned into a one way road during the essential works
Hazardous cladding resembling that fitted to Grenfell Tower has been discovered covering a prominent shopping centre in Cornwall, it has emerged. The bustling location is poised to face “significant disruption” as contractors take the next two years to strip away the material.
Trinity Street in St Austell is expected to operate as a one-way thoroughfare from June 22 until April 17, 2028, enabling crucial safety work to proceed at White River Place.
Correspondence obtained by CornwallLive indicates a diversion route will remain in operation for southbound traffic throughout the entire work period, directing vehicles along Truro Road onto the A3058, the A390 and through to South Street.
It’s believed there will be numerous no left/right turn restrictions at junctions and entry points along Trinity Street to maintain single-direction traffic flow, and parking bays on the Trinity Street junction with Truro Road will be suspended to guarantee adequate turning space for HGVs and buses exiting the thoroughfare, reports Cornwall Live.
There are concerns, however, that while the work on White River Place cladding – which has been deemed unsafe – is vital for safety purposes, it will generate substantial disruption to both the immediate vicinity and broader area.
Cllr Jack Yelland, for St Austell Central and Gover, said: “These works do need to go ahead. The safety concerns around the cladding at White River Place are real, and resolving them is firmly in the interests of residents and users of the town alike.
“I am also pleased that the one way system has been chosen instead of the original proposal for 24 hour traffic lights, which would have caused far greater disruption.
“That said, I do have several concerns that I am raising with Cornwall Council and the contractors. The two-year duration feels excessive, so I am arranging meetings with the project team and others to understand the reasoning and to see whether the timeline can be shortened.”
He added: “The safety work has to happen, but two years of disruption is a long time for residents, and I want to make sure every possible step is taken to reduce traffic problems and keep people moving safely.
“I am particularly concerned about the impact on Moorland Road, which already has very limited width due to on street parking and poor visibility around corners. More traffic being pushed through could increase the likelihood of accidents.
“There will also be extra pressure at the Edgcumbe Road and Penwinnick Road junction, and then on the double roundabouts leading to South Street, where queues are already common at peak times.”
Cllr Yelland says he is pushing for “clearer and earlier diversion signage” so that drivers are directed onto more appropriate routes and “are not forced into unsafe turning points”.
Cllr James Mustoe, for Mevagissey and St Austell Bay, voiced similar concerns. He said: “The diversion takes people out of the town centre and then down Truro Road.
“However, I’d imagine a lot of people will try to go up Moorland Road, which is just off South Street, and that will just cause all sorts of issues. It’s going to back right down where the double roundabout is and it’ll just choke up traffic all around.
“I appreciate that the work needs to take place but it is going to be a significant disruption, not just for the commuters, but for the people who live there as well.”
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which followed the devastating 2017 disaster, concluded that the aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding fitted to the tower was “the principal reason why the flames spread so rapidly up, down and around the building”. A total of 72 people, including 18 children, died.
The government directed building owners to inspect their properties for unsafe cladding and carry out the necessary remediation work.
Should building owners fail to address defects or unsafe cladding, local fire and rescue services or local authorities hold the power to pursue enforcement action.
Cornwall Council has confirmed it has no involvement in the works being carried out. White River Place has been contacted for comment.
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