Work to transform one of Cornwall's most distinctive high streets and make it more pedestrian friendly will continue with the installation of cameras to enforce a daytime traffic ban.
Cornwall Council has announced that cameras are being installed at both ends of Market Jew Street in Penzance and will be active from September 28. Controversial restrictions, which prevent cars and delivery vehicles from entering the street between 11am and 4pm, have been in place since 2020 to provide space for pedestrians and cyclists to move around safely.
However, the ban has been widely flouted. Latest figures show that up to 600 vehicles a day continue to use the route during the restricted period.
The new cameras are being installed at each end of the street. They will also enforce the 'no right turn' restriction at the junction of Adelaide Street and Market Jew Street, and the 'no entry' restriction to all traffic except buses at the Market Place end of the street.
Taxis will be able to continue to travel on the street from the Albert Street end during the restricted period. Blue badge holders will not be exempt from the restrictions. However, a blue badge holder parked in the disabled parking spaces on the street before the restrictions begin at 11am will be able to leave without facing a penalty.
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Cllr 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."
The work to transform Market Jew Street started in July 2025 but the multi-million pound project has been controversial. Steel planters added to the area faced criticism, with one trader calling them a "ridiculous waste of time and money". Stephen Reynolds, Penzance's mayor at the time, asked local people to "come back in a year" and judge the planters then.
The changes are part of Penzance's Town Deal improvements with £21 million being spent to transform the town centre with new crossings, green areas and traffic-calming measures to make the area safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists.
Nigel Bell, owner of Artist's House Gallery on Market Jew Street, said: "It's got to be the way forward of cutting down the amount of traffic coming up through town. We've had lots of congestion, lots of irate people, so going forward it's got to be a very positive step."
Sarah Shaw, of Penzance Business Improvement District (BID), added: "There's a counter at the bottom of the street that actually tells us how many vehicles are coming up between 11 and 4. Quite staggeringly, it's about 600 vehicles, which is two cars every minute. So having it enforced and having no cars between 11 and 4 will make a big difference to the town.
"It will be a nicer place for people to spend more time. The whole sustainable transport project, putting the planters in the town, putting more seating in the town is about trying to encourage people to stay longer. They stay longer, they shop more, the retailers will
Cameras to Enforce Daytime Traffic Ban on Penzance High Street