Discovery of 'potential weaknesses' blamed for Cornwall Council car park's sudden closure

Lee Trewhela
·2-min read
Moorfield Car Park in Truro
-Credit: (Image: CornwallLive)


Cornwall Council has said "concerns about adding additional load to the multi-storey sections" is the reason why the busy Moorfield car park in Truro has been suddenly closed. The local authority is currently unable to say when the car park, which contains over 680 spaces, will reopen.

There is added pressure on parking in the city since the demolition of the Carrick House and Viaduct car parks last year to make way for the Pydar development, so the sudden loss of the majority of parking at Moorfield from Tuesday night has shocked Truro's residents and visitors.

The ground floor and outside sections, as well as the parking area for reserved permit holders, remain open, but the multi-storey sections (decks four to nine) have been closed following an inspection.

Read next: Cornwall fights to stop 'obscene' tax loopholes for holiday homes

Read next: Fears that 'sick note' changes will hit people hard in Cornwall

A spokesperson for the council said: "We have closed the multi-storey sections of Moorfield car park after a structural survey revealed potential weaknesses in several areas. Safety, as always, is paramount and this closure will enable our engineers to carry out further assessments. We will provide further updates in due course."

Questions have been asked about how it's safe to park on the ground floor if there are concerns with the decks above. The council spokesperson explained: "This is because the issues highlighted relate to concerns about adding additional load to the multi-storey sections of the car park, rather than the structure being able to bear its own weight."

The ramps and stairwells leading to the multi-storey sections have been secured to prevent access. The public toilets will remain open.

The council has highlighted that Truro Park and Ride has a total of 2,588 spaces split between its Langarth and Tregurra sites with day tickets costing £2.40. Regular users can benefit from discounts through multi-day tickets.

Truro Business Improvement District (BID) manager Alun Jones, who oversees the retail area of the city, told CornwallLive: "Truro BID is obviously concerned with the temporary closure of some sections at Moorfield car park, resulting in a temporary reduction in public car parking spaces. We are keen to receive timely updates from Cornwall Council in order for the businesses and public to understand the duration involved, etc.

"There are plenty of other parking options, including private car parks which also offer competitive commuter rates for people who work in town. Also, the park and ride service is an extremely easy alternative option for our customers if preferred to driving into town."

A list of alternative Cornwall Council car parks in the area can be found here.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Train warning issued for those travelling from Oxford to London this weekend

    Chiltern Railways has issued a warning to those travelling by train from Oxford to London this weekend.

  • Council introduces new rules in which potholes are dealt with

    The Administration has been determined to improve the way we repair our roads and achieve significantly better outcomes as a result. Accordingly, the Council commissioned a review of the way the Council manages pothole repairs across the network to ensure that we are delivering a best-in-class service for our residents and visitors.

  • Ticket holders’ Olympics plans ruined as Eurostar cancels trains

    Ticket holders hoping to travel from the UK to the Olympic Games in Paris have had their plans ruined after Eurostar was forced to cancel services following arson attacks on the French railway network.

  • 'Better rail links essential' York and North Yorkshire mayor tells train bosses

    The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has told rail chiefs it is essential residents are connected by rail to opportunities in the region and beyond.

  • New railway bridge to open over busy line in Cardiff

    It will replace an existing crossing which people felt was unsafe

  • 'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know

    Arson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened.Friday's attacks were launched as the French capital was under heavy security ahead of the Games opening ceremony, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event.- What was targeted?Fires that affected France's Atlantic, northern and eastern lines led to cancellations and delays at a time of particularly heavy traffic for summer holiday travel."Early this morning, coordinated and prepared acts of sabotage were perpetrated against installations of SNCF," the national rail operator, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said.SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said the attackers had started fires in "conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables" that relay "safety information for drivers" or control the motors for points that change rails.- Who is affected?Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair.France's rail network was expected to be busy this weekend, not only due to the Olympics but also as people return from or leave for their summer holidays."There are huge and serious consequences for the rail network," added Attal.Passenger services chief Christophe Fanichet said there were delays of 90 minutes to two hours on services between Paris and France's north and east."We ask people please not to come to the station, because if you haven't heard from us, your train won't be running," Fanichet told reporters.One major branch of the network, the line to France's southeast, was spared.High-speed rail operator Eurostar said around one in four services across its network linking France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany would be cancelled, including trains from Paris to London.Others would be slower as they will run on regular lines not designed for high-speed trains.- What happens now?Farandou of SNCF said: "There's a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one by one, it's a manual operation" requiring "hundreds of workers".But by early afternoon Friday, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said that some departures were going ahead, with "one in three" trains operating from Paris's Montparnasse station, terminus of the line towards Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast.He too urged people not to come to the station without confirmation of their trip.At Montparnasse, passengers were waiting for information, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours."Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the signs in the departure hall.Paris's RATP transport network was also operating under "increased vigilance" following the railway attacks, its chief executive Jean Castex said as he visited a control station. - Who are the culprits?SNCF CEO Farandou said railway workers doing night maintenance in central France had spotted unauthorised people, who fled when the workers called in police.France's intelligence services were scrambling to determine the perpetrators of the sabotage, a security source told AFP. The arson method used resembled past attacks by extreme-left actors, the source added.In September, arson attacks on conduits holding railway cables caused travel chaos in northern Germany, with a claim of responsibility posted to an extreme-left website.- What legal action is being taken?Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement her office had opened a probe into a suspected bid to undermine "fundamental national interests".The investigation will also look at suspected damage inflicted by an organised gang and attacks on an automated data processing system.Her statement described the acts of sabotage as "deliberate damage caused to sites of SNCF on the night of July 25-26, 2024."burs-tgb-sjw/jj

  • 'Significant milestone' reached on major works on Glasgow railway line

    A 'significant milestone' on the project to enhance a Glasgow railway line has been reached.

  • Drivers warned that most car owners will be hammered with new £410 tax from next April

    New rules will see many drivers forced to pay additional tax on their vehicle from next year. The so-called 'luxury' car tax would see motorists forking out £410 each year

  • Kamala Harris' Press Release About Donald Trump's Fox News Appearance Is Going Viral

    "Something about the question mark after 'old and quite weird' is taking me out."

  • Netflix viewers refusing to sleep as they binge series they can't switch off

    Fans have flocked to social media to praise the 18-episode mystery drama

  • Major Shifts Beneath the Surface in a New Trump-Harris Poll

    After all the political tumult of the last month, Thursday’s latest New York Times/Siena College poll is full of findings unlike any we’ve seen this cycle, with one exception: who leads the presidential race. The poll found Donald Trump ahead of Kamala Harris by 1 percentage point, 48% to 47%, among likely voters. Other than the name of the Democratic candidate, “Trump +1” is a result that could have been from any other Times/Siena poll before President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate. Sign up for

  • Trump Tells Christians They Won’t Have to Vote in Future: ‘We’ll Have It Fixed’

    During an event in Florida, the former president urged attendees to vote and said that if reelected, they "won’t have to do it anymore"

  • Meghan Markle wants 'old life back' - 'Prince Harry knows how much she's sacrificed'

    EXCLUSIVE: The Duchess of Sussex has taken on a lot involving herself in the British royal family and sometimes she wishes for her 'old life back' a source says

  • Prince William’s feelings towards Harry revealed in unseen letters from Princess Diana

    Collection includes insights into Diana’s royal life

  • Antiques Roadshow guest 'needs bodyguard' after surprise valuation

    Antiques Roadshow expert Alastair Dickenson was left impressed after being shown a decorative silver box

  • Amanda Holden sizzles in tiny string bikini - and Elizabeth Hurley approves

    BGT's Amanda Holden is no stranger to a daring bikini and Elizabeth Hurley was very impressed after her latest summer sartorial display. See photos.

  • DWP says it owes thousands of people almost £8,000 each

    There are some key dates to check as the service says three main groups of people have been identified

  • Harris Taunts Trump After He Backs Out of Debates

    “What happened to ‘any time, any place’?”

  • I compared Heinz tomato sauce with supermarket versions (this is the one to avoid)

    Is branded or supermarket own ketchup better? I taste tasted a handful to make up my own mind - here's what I thought.

  • Lee Anderson: I’d give medal to police officer filmed stamping on man’s head

    Lee Anderson has said an armed officer who was filmed appearing to kick and stamp on a man’s head at Manchester Airport should be given a medal.