Penzance M & S Urban Myth

A few weeks ago in the Cornishman Dick Cliffe, the chairman of Penzance Camber of Commerce repeated what is probably the most common Urban Myth in Penzance,

‘Marks & Spencer tried to open a store in Penzance and it was turned down’.

Repeated in the letters page last week 21 March by Mr Winterbourne.

How can I say it’s an Urban Myth when we all know it’s true? Well as far as I can find out, it simply isn't,

I've been a councillor for over 14 years and lived in the town for nearly 40 years and I have heard this story so many times even I was beginning to believe it.

Its most recent incarnation was when the retail park on the A30 outside of Hayle was being built, ” M & S wanted to build in Penzance, but the town didn't want it. “

Rubbish, at no time did M & S approach the town with any plans to build in the town, the plans for the retail park were put forward by the then Penwith District Council and M & S was a key part of that plan from the start, at no time was it even considered to be built at Penzance.

The time before that was as the Wharfside Shopping development took place and the usual rumour mill swung into action “M & S” are going into the development, in truth it was talked about as a hope but no approach was ever made by M & S, the developer I'm sure approached them, but nothing ever came of it, I believe as the site was to small for what they would have required.

Now moving back before my time on the council I spoke with a fellow councillor of well over twenty five years, active on both  the town and District councils, and he confirmed that during his time M & S had never approached the council and no plans had ever been discussed or application made.

Going further back in time, I have spoken with a former councillor who was a member of the then Borough Council back in the 70’s & 80’s and once again at no time did M & S make any approach to the town.

So that’s the last 40 years covered I'm now looking into the 50’s  & 60’s but have so far found no evidence of any approach or application being made. 

There is also one other consideration that people should bear in mind,  Town Councils have no powers 'what so ever to' determine which shops open or close, if there is a retail shop premises in the town and you wish to move into it and open as a retail shop, there is no requirement for planning permission, no need to inform anyone, you just open (may be a requirement for planning permission to change signage). 

If every shop in Market Jew Street decided to become a Mobile Phone shop, that would be a commercial decision for the shop keepers. The town of Hay on Why, population 1500 has 35 bookshops. 

I should also mention that the same Urban Myth regarding M & S circulates in St Austell. 

St Erth Park & Ride Update

In other news from Cornwall Council on the day they removed the leader, I note that something I wrote about back in February has come back to the Council.

In February I blogged (read it here) about the most disorganised council planning application I had ever seen. The planning applicant was Cornwall Council, so you would have expected them to get it right wouldn't you?  

Today it was announced that the planning Ombudsman has recommended that the St Erth Park & Ride decision goes back to Strategic Planning, because Members were 'misled'.

The new leader has a difficult task getting the councillors on side but I believe he faces a bigger challenge getting the Chief Exec to control the officers.

A view from across the channel

I've just returned from a two week holiday in Brittany with the current Mrs Pz01 and some friends, and lovely it was too. I know Brittany quite well and visit at least once most years but you don’t want to know about that, this blog is mostly about how an area that is very similar to Cornwall and is facing many of the same problems is dealing with them.

Brittany Ferries and the Power of Twitter.
As I'm sure most of you will know Brittany Ferries had been having a few problems over the past few weeks. We were due to sail on the overnight ferry from Plymouth on Friday 21st Sept , that’s the day the staff walked out and the ferries were cancelled. No point in phoning them as I'm sure the lines would be blocked so I turn to the internet a quick glance at their website confirming that the ferry is cancelled, the recommendation is that passengers travel to Dover and cross to Calais, agreement having been made with the operators at Dover to carry Brittany customers on their existing tickets.
Now a visit to Brittany Ferries twitter page, lots of questions being asked and answered very quickly, I post that as I'm in West Cornwall and travelling to Brittany a trip to Dover/Calais is not very practical, are there any other alternatives, likelihood of a return to services in near future, its about this time that Brittany Ferries announces that it was suspending all services for the foreseeable future. Within a few minutes my tweet is replied too, agreeing that Dover/Calais was not a practical alternative and full refunds of the ferry cost were available. I then received a tweet from Condor Ferries, space available Poole to St Malo Saturday morning give us a ring, I did, two cars 4 passengers booked, ferry 08:00 Saturday morning from Poole, phone travelling companions in Devon and tell them, drive to Devon and spend night there before driving on to Poole. In the mean time Brittany Ferries phone us and arrange refund. Arrive at our holiday destination just a few hours later than planned. So holiday saved by the power of twitter, Brittany Ferries staff in Plymouth and some clever staff at Condor Ferries. Travel via Guernsey, so full duty frees on the ferry, bonus.
I also received a tweet from Radio Plymouth asking me to phone them for an interview, re ferries, this I did, I don’t know if it was broadcast, I was in France, but I suspect not, as I failed to condemn the striking staff and warned that I thought it was something that we would all have to get used to in the next two years or so, with many workers forced to take action in an attempt to maintain some form of quality of life.

Housing.
There is a fair bit of building work going on in Brittany, but not the large estate developments planned in Cornwall, most small villages and towns have small developments of up to 5/6 houses being built either in the town or on the edge.

Shopping.
On this trip I definitely saw more closed shops than I had on previous visits mostly in the larger towns, with the odd one closed in the smaller villages. But nowhere on the levels being seen in the UK, France is home to the independent trader with few large chains so no mass closures.

Out of Town.
Many of the smallest villages and all the towns have an out of town supermarket, to give you some idea the small town of Baud, Morbihan with a population of 5800, just a bit larger than St Just has two. The village of Bubry population 2300 has an edge of town Supermarket & filling station. These were a short drive from where I was staying so I use them to illustrate.

Parking
FREE, that’s it really, except in the centre of the largest towns, it’s free, but even in the larger towns it would seldom be necessary to pay to park, the yellow line is rarely seen. On the one occasion I did pay to park it threw up an interesting concept, I choose to park in a car park, Mrs Pz01 asked how long to pay for? I reply 2 hours should do it, it’s 11o/c we pay the 1 euro (80p) on looking at the ticket we have parking until 3o/c, strange, I mention this to a French friend who explains, 12 to 2 is lunch time, you don’t pay for lunch time, how else would people working on the industrial estates be able to drive into town for lunch if they had to pay, what can you say.

Lunch time/Sunday
Unless you work in a café or restaurant you close down from 12 to 2 that’s it. Having worked for people who believed that leaving your desk to take your ½ hour unpaid lunch was a criminal offence, it’s a joy to see. Sunday once again unless you are a café or restaurant you are closed.

Just a quick ad, on my last two visits I have stayed in the most fantastic accommodation, you can view it yourself here.  Brittany Thatched Cottages

Members Register of Interests

I have been quiet for the past few weeks due in part to internet problems, a major garden project, nearing completion I'm pleased to say and a bit of ill health.

But something has been troubling my mind over the past few weeks also, “Members Register of Interests”, doesn't sound to interesting does it, but I do know that it has been troubling a lot of councillors and locally at least two I know of have decided to resign over it, with a further one refusing to complete the form, so what’s going on?  

The background, as a councillor you have to complete a form detailing how you earn any money, who you work for, any land you own or have an interest in, companies you hold shares in, companies you control, all good stuff. This form is then filed away in the clerks’ office and is available to anyone who wishes to see it. I have never heard of a councillor having a problem with this and indeed you can’t serve as a councillor after an election until the form is complete.

But, and it’s a big but, the rules have changed, under the Localism Act, the form has to be completed as before but must also include the same details for your partner, this seems to be the area that has raised most concerns with other councillors and I can understand their position. 

This really does raise a few concerns for councillors, myself included, firstly the current Mrs Pz01 is not very happy about this, is not a elected member of a council and derives no benefit from my being a councillor, I should also point out neither do I, in 12 years for my work as a councillor I have received £0 in expenses and £0 in any other way, I did receive a small allowance for my two years as Mayor.

This information then has to be published on the Town or Parish website (if the Town or Parish have one) along with being published on the appropriate unitary authorities’ site (in my case Cornwall Councils).

This is the area that raises the most concerns for me, firstly the current Mrs Pz01’s employer is not very keen at all on employees detailing who they work for on the internet and due to the very nature of the job neither is Mrs Pz01, I have been told that her name can be removed if the monitoring officer agrees, all very well if your name is Richards or Smith perhaps but it doesn't work too well with ours.

No, it’s the very act of publishing this information on the internet that I have a problem with, I'm very careful as to what information I publish on the internet, having spent many years working in IT I'm very aware of the risks, once its on the internet it is available for any casual observer anywhere in the world to access this information, whereas in the past if you genuinely felt that I or any other councillor had broken the rules you had to make the effort to go to the office and ask for the information, thus dissuading the casual observer.

In the spirit of we are all in this together I thought that I would look up my MP’s register of interests, I suggest you give it a try and remember many Town & Parish councils are dealing with sums of money that are less than a single MP’s allowances and expenses.  

In conclusion will I be complying with this? The honest truth is I don’t know, I’m not very happy with the way council work in Cornwall is going at this moment, dealing with Cornwall Council is like mud wrestling a tank full of eels and I'm not sure I want to continue, this may well be the stone.

Town Centre Crisis & Car Parking

Living in Penzance as I do I consider myself very lucky, despite all the stories to the contrary, I believe that we still have a vibrant town centre, (for many years I was a town centre shop manager) yes, I know that there are empty shops, currently running at about 10%, but you have to be aware that in more normal times 5%-8% of shops would be empty, this in the trade is known as churn, and without it there would be no turn over, with no new shops opening. No opportunities for changes in use. 

So why has the number of shops closing in Penance stirred up so many headlines, new shops that have opened mostly being ignored, with the doom mongers claiming the town centre is in “crisis”, lists of closed shops proudly displayed in shop windows, cries for the council to do something. It should be borne in mind that the largest number of stores that have closed, so far, have been those that are part of national chains; these chains are being hit very hard by the many thousands that are being put out of work across the country as a whole, the true effects of this have not yet truly reached us, but I fancy soon will.

We do not have the large employers, where the laying off of hundreds from one factory has huge knock on effects, our future vitality is being undermined in a much less obvious way, jobs slowly being moved or lost, Penwith staff to Camborne, NHS staff to Treliske, Inland Revenue to Redruth, Remploy factory closing, death by a thousand cuts.

This summer, which seems to have started at last as I write this, will be the break point for many in our high streets; if the number of visitors coming to our towns fall significantly then we could very well have a true crisis. It is my belief that the one single factor that will influence the number visiting and the time they stay is car parking charges.

Car parking charges are in the control of the Tory led Cornwall Council, and what a cash cow they have found. In the year 2010 - 11 parking charges in Cornwall have raised Cornwall Council a surplus of £8,221,000. That’s a bit over £8 million and 2011 – 12 is set to be higher. To give some perspective to this, the Tory led Cornwall Council came seventh (7) on the list of 349 Authorities in England and Wales, only beaten by 6 London authorities and the city of Brighton & Hove, in the amount of surplus raised. West Devon is 210^th & Plymouth 215^th both raising a surplus of less than £500,000. Devon 283^rd raising £283,000. Figures are from an analysis of local authority accounts by the RAC Foundation.

So in one of the most rural areas of the country where a car is essential for most, where we have to attract visitors to our towns to survive, Cornwall Council with a policy of high parking charges is undermining every town centre and business in Cornwall.

So where is all this money being raised by Cornwall Council going?

Local authorities were warned by Mike Penning, the road safety minister, last year to stop treating motorists as an easy target to raise funds.

Town halls are supposed to use their powers to control parking to improve traffic flow and prevent gridlock on their streets.

They are prohibited from using these powers to bolster their income. 

Until Cornwall Council bring some sense to car parking charges, every town centre in Cornwall is under threat and then we will have a true crisis on our High Streets.

Later this year I will holiday in Brittany, two weeks, total cost of car parking £0.

Just some Railings

I’m not a member of the planning committee of Penzance Town Council so would normally leave the members of that committee to make decisions without the dubious benefit of my opinion. So what enticed me to walk the 5 miles into Penzance and back on a wet evening to attend a planning meeting?

Railings, that’s it a set of railings.

The town council received an email informing them that some railings  where to be  replaced in Newlyn (South Ward and my area) and that the plan was to install railings that matched some that had been replaced a little while ago, also that some narrowing of the carriageway was proposed .

Now you would think that this email would have been from Cornwall Council but you would be wrong, it was from the contractor, an international construction management organization, and it was the first we had heard about it. Very kind of the contractor to contact us, but what about Cornwall Council?

Well, you may be thinking its only some railings, what can be important about railings, as with most things its context, this part of Newlyn is a Conservation Area and the railings will run the entire length of the road alongside the harbour, this new set will run for approximately 200m joining up with the previous 200m of replaced railings, so in total nearly a quarter of a mile of railings, overlooking the harbour.

The earlier railings where installed with no consultation what so ever, leading to an outcry in the village, totally ignored by Cornwall Council, so what’s getting people upset.

Let’s start with the design of the railings, I have seen similar railings in Birmingham alongside the inner ring road, now I have no problem with Birmingham (well I do, but that’s another story) but this very urban environment alongside a dual carriageway is where these railing belong, not in Newlyn.

As stated before this part of Newlyn is within a conservation area, the road as it rises up overlooks the harbour affording views not only over Newlyn harbour but across the bay to Penzance and across to St Michael’s Mount, it’s also the main route for people making their way to Mousehole.

The railings already installed by Cornwall Council are very intrusive, right in your face and dominate the view, they are just not in keeping with the local landscape, the wrong materials for a maritime environment, urban in design in fact just wrong.

But perhaps even more importantly, Penzance is home to the world famous collection of Newlyn School paintings (Penlee House), people travel from far and wide to view these paintings and visit the sites where they where painted, and the harbour railings feature in many of these paintings, (Newlyn Fishwives, Old Newlyn Harbour etc). This is an area of great importance, its one of the things that brings visitors to the area, it’s our heritage so don’t go spoiling it, think about it.

So do the current railings need replacement?  Yes they do. Does it require some thought? Yes it does. So come on Cornwall Council, do your duty CONSULT.

The outcome of the meeting was that the planning committee objected to the railings and would write in the strongest terms to Cornwall Council over their failure to consult. 

Causewayhead Penzance- Probably the best Independent Trading Street in Cornwall

On Saturday as a Jubilee treat for the current Mrs Pz01, we popped into Penzance for a bit of retail and Causewayhead it was.

Iv’ heard it all over the past few years as a councillor, Penzance is dead, there are no shops and it’s a mess, why don’t you do something.

Well something has been going on and a lot of it in Causewayhead, it’s new automatic bollard is now in place (more about this later), as part of the “Cornishman” Go to Town campaign, traders, councillors, members of the public and members of the Penzance Community Flora Group all turned up on a Sunday morning and gave it a bit of a spring clean, read more about this here…..Go To Town

So the street has had a weed, street furniture painted and flower beds filled, but what about the shops, well how many shops do you think are in Causewayhead?

Take a guess …. 40, 50

You’re wrong in fact there are over 90, yes 90 and the vast majority are Independent   

90 Independent shops, most towns would be pleased to see this number in their town let alone one street. Soon the revived Charter Market will be back at the top of the street so even more reason to visit.

So back to our shopping trip, the sun was shining and Causewayhead was busy, but for a change busy with people, no cars, no vans just people and it was great. Talking to the traders the much maligned bollard was the reason, cars no longer use the street as a short cut,  no delivery vehicles on a Saturday, just room to walk and enjoy and enjoy it we did, the whole street looked a picture, fruit and flowers outside shops, shop doorways with plants either side, after a haircut, new earrings for Mrs Pz01 and a few other bits and pieces we sat down in the excellent Waves and had a coffee.

So next time you want to take a pop at Penzance, take a walk up Causewayhead and

look around.

So congratulations to The Causewayhead Traders Association, Penzance Community Flora Group and all those who helped make Causewayhead - Probably the best Independent Trading Street in Cornwall

Ps. I notice that the old Threshers is being refurbished new tenants moving in soon.

Torch Relay

Bunting

The story of the Penzance Bunting, it was decided not to put the Bunting up in Market Jew Street, Penzance too early as we had some fears that it could well get damaged before the day.

So late yesterday afternoon the team were out getting the bunting strung,  but few people would have had the chance to see this effort as at 4 am this morning some young men decided to rip the whole lot down again.

Unfortunately for them the CCTV was working and their antics were caught. As were they a few hours later by local Police Officers.

By 8 am the team were back out again re-erecting the bunting. Fingers crossed for tonight.

Newlyn Coombe

Yesterday morning I waked down the Coombe and into Penzance and all was right with the world, in the afternoon I walked back and in my absence “Health & Safety” for the Olympic Torch Relay had passed that way. For those not familiar with Newlyn Coombe it’s a fairly narrow road in Newlyn (the site of “The Newlyn Meadery”), bounded on one side without a pavement are a range of fish merchants and other business, on the other a narrow pavement with a guard rail stopping you falling into the raging torrent that’s the Coombe.

In the time I had spent in Penzance a row of crash barriers had appeared stretching for about 200 yards connected to the existing guardrails by cable ties, the feet of the crash barriers now took up over half the pavement, I cautiously made my way up the Coombe but having tripped over the protruding legs a few times decided the road was safer. But do not fear the works had not finished as returning down the Coombe in the evening this new trip hazard had been recognised and cured by giving every crash barrier its very own cone. No wonder  “Health & Safety” gets a bad name. 

Found a hazard that was not really there, made a trip hazard, cone for the trip hazard, people now in the road.

Penzance Mayor Choosing

Penzance Mayor Choosing

The recent Mayor choosing in Penzance this year has raised a few questions after I and one other councillor voted against the election of the Mayor. This is the first time this has happened for a good many years and was not a decision which I took lightly. Prior to this formal meeting of the council, a meeting is held where all nominations for the post of Mayor are debated and a vote taken. This year, two nominations were received, so the nomination’s are put to a vote, the outcome of the vote was tied at 10 – 10, the vote was taken a further two times with the same outcome, there is no casting vote. This impasse was only overcome when one of the nominees stood down. The mayor elect is then formally voted into office at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council.

The role of Mayor is a complex one, on one hand you are the public face of the town attending public functions on behalf of the town, representing the town at civic ceremonies, meeting and supporting other groups within the town and further a field, this very public role is an important element of the job.  On the other hand, the mayor is the chairman of the council, chairing full town council meetings, as mayor you are also a member of all the councils committees.

The supporters of the mayor elect have stated in the press that it was his turn, this is a phrase I have not heard before in my twelve years as a councillor, certainly regarding mayor choosing, the mayor is not chosen on the basis of turn and never has been, I have also read that the role had become too political, again from an unnamed source, strange then that the elected mayor is a member of a political party and the other nomination very much an independent.

So how do I judge who should be mayor, firstly I look at their ability to carryout the required roles of the mayor, basing this on what I have seen of that person acting as a councillor over their time as an elected member.  I do not care if I agree or disagree with them politically. Normally they would have been the chair of one of the committee’s, how have they conducted themselves in this role? Have they done well.  What working groups have they volunteered to be members of, what has been their contribution? Is this a person who I feel will represent the town well and finally I look for that indefinable extra that would make them a mayor.

In the past I have not always been in total agreement with those elected to be mayor, but on balance have felt that it could just be me and have been happy to vote for them at the Annual Meeting, sadly on this occasion I could not, I looked at all the factors detailed above, considered my own prejudices and after much thought decided that I could not support their election. I will continue to work as a councillor and continue to offer support to those holding office and hope and trust I'm proved wrong.

Fence Sitting or Pre Determination

As a local councillor, the other day I was accused (among many other things) as sitting on the fence. A very common complaint made against Councillors, so why is it that Councillors are very careful about getting behind a local campaign group, wishing to build or not to build, this or that, here or there.

Well the simple answer is that they are banned from doing so, by law.

Many from outside Councils I’m sure are now asking what!

Councillors currently are governed by a set of rules set out in the Local Government Act 2000 and Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007, which members and councillors must abide by.

Within these documents is a section about what is called Pre Determination.

This in part, is what it says:-

“Predetermination is where a councillor’s mind is closed to the merits of any arguments which differ from their own about a particular issue on which they are making a decision, such as an application for planning permission. The councillor makes a decision on the issue without taking them all into account.

If councillors are involved in making a decision they should avoid giving the appearance that they have conclusively decided how they will vote at the meeting, such that nothing will change their mind. This impression can be created in a number of different ways such as quotes given in the press, and what they have said at meetings or written in correspondence.

Rarely will membership of an organisation on its own, such as a national charity, amount to apparent bias. This is unless the organisation has a particular vested interest in the outcome of a specific decision that a councillor is involved in making, or the decision is quasi-judicial in nature.”

Some extreme but true examples:

·        Members of South Cambridgeshire District Council were warned that they may be disqualified from discussing a proposed new site for a mobile phone mast if they themselves used a mobile phone, and could not comment on a proposed new park and ride scheme if they owned a car.

·        Candidates standing for election to Reigate and Banstead Council were warned against discussing a controversial decision to close a local swimming pool and sell the land for housing, because to express a view would exclude them from voting on the issue if elected.

·        An independent councillor on Rushmoor Borough Council was prevented from voting at full council on a proposal to turn the Farnborough Aerodrome into an executive jet centre, because he had expressed his opposition to the plans during his election campaign.

·        Councillors on North Shropshire District Council were discouraged from expressing their views on plans to introduce parking charges in three local market towns until a final decision was taken, for fear that to comment before the vote could leave the council open to legal challenge. This was despite the plans to introduce parking charges provoking lively debate among local residents.

So before having a go at your local councillor, for what sounds like a luke warm endorsement for your campaign, remember he or she has to play the game by the rules or be banned from playing.

The good news.

Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has stated that :-

“The Localism Bill will change the law to allow councillors to campaign on local issues and champion the needs of their residents - ending widespread and long-standing uncertainty among councillors, leaving them free to better represent their communities.”

Street Trading

Last week Penzance Town Council’s General Purposes Committee had a hard decision to make regarding a Street Trading Licence. Although the issuing of Street Trading Licences is a Cornwall Council decision (more on this later) the town council is consulted.

The application was for a stall in Market Jew Street, by Lloyds Bank, operating for up to seven days a week selling Olives and other related items.

When considering a Street Trading Licence the most important area that is taken into account by the committee are the goods being offered for sale, if there is a business already operating from a shop/retail premises selling the same or similar items in close proximity to where the applicant wishes to trade, we have to consider the effect the issuing of the licence would have on that business.  

The reasoning behind this is, we, as I’m sure most others do, want as many retail shops to remain on our High Street as possible.  As a street trader will have a commercial advantage, in that they do not have the fixed overheads associated with maintaining a retail outlet i.e. rent, business rates, insurance, electricity etc. The shopkeeper’s viability could well be severely affected by the granting of a street trading licence, which pays a one off fee per annum.

Whereas the opening of a shop selling the same or similar goods, over which Councils have little or no control, is a commercial decision for the shopkeeper.

In this case there are two retail shop’s selling a similar range of goods in immediate proximity to where the applicant wished to trade.  Not withstanding this, the vote was tied and came down to the casting vote of the acting chairman; a post that I had stood down from at the last meeting, the recommendation was for refusal.

I can think of few areas that Town & Parish Councils could manage better than Cornwall Council than Street Trading Licensing.

The local clerk’s office could discuss with applicants before they submit their application, the criteria on which it will be judged, offer alternatives, explain developments that are in the planning stage, the applicant could still submit the application, that’s their right, but an application could be managed better. It would enable Town & Parish Councils to encourage street trading in areas of the Town that could do more to assist Town Centres to remain viable.

Do I think that Cornwall Council will hand over the managing of Street Trading to the Town & Parishes, no, they see it purely as a revenue stream and as such something to hang on to.

For the record I voted in favour of the granting of the licence, Cllr P Rendle was Chairman. 

Update: My thanks to Cllr A Wallis for pointing out that Street Trading is a Statuary Duty, so Cornwall Council can not pass to Town & Parish Councils. One, for the Localism agenda maybe.  

Core Strategy

Don’t know what’s it all about, I read something in the paper, it won’t effect me, I can’t be bothered, it’s only something Cornwall Council are doing, it won’t  mean anything, it will be forgotten in a few months, it’s just another consultation.

Comments above ring a bell?

So why is the Core Strategy important?

Well, within this document is the future of Cornwall, the future of your town or village, even for many your street.

Identified within this document are the sites scattered throughout the Duchy as to where housing is going to be built, developments take place and there are a lot of them.

Doing nothing now is not an option. In favour or against if YOU do not make your views known NOW it will be too late.

Let’s jump forward a year or two.

Developer wants to build 400 houses on a site, which is just across the road from where you live, currently the site is used by you and all your neighbours to walk the dog, children play there, it’s the only bit of green space open to all on the edge of the estate where you live.

Planning application submitted by developer, you form an action group, write to newspapers, set up website. Lobby local councillor, councillor asks what colour do you want the doors, what?

Cornwall Council officers at the planning meeting, point out that the site was identified within the Core Strategy as suitable for housing, at the consultation on the Core Strategy 100% of the comments for this site were in favour, (there may have only been two comments, both from developers). Local councillor has nowhere to go, can object, but it’s in the plan, no one objected.

Cornwall Council wants to build 48,000 houses and their media department is working overtime to convince you and me that these are needed. Read here about that need. 

When you look at the Core Strategy, imagine that every area marked as an area for development is actually an outline planning application, if you want your view to be heard NOW is the time. 

Penzance Harbour Options Review

Yesterday afternoon I went along to the Penzance Harbour Options Review, and good fun it was, got to meet lots of old friends, had a good chat with a lot of people. The turn out for the Review had been very good, with over 350 having turned up by 2 pm so with 7 hours still to go,  I’m sure it went very well.

So what did I learn, I should point out that I spent over 20 years of my working life at sea, but I’m no expert, but it would seem that hidden within Penzance is the greatest gathering of marine engineering, sea transport, harbour design experts in the world, if, as I’m sure there is, an International Conference on Harbour Design, Penzance would be very empty. I spent some time speaking with an old friend, he did not claim to be an expert, but as he gets to drive the Scillonian, his views were good to hear.

All the usual suspects were there, spouting as to why their scheme was the only one that would work, accusing everyone else, ( Town Council, Andrew George, Friends of Penzance Harbour, True Friends of Penzance Harbour, Chamber of Commerce, et al ) of doing this or not doing that, so all in all proper consultation.

As an exercise in consultation and engagement the Harbour Review Board could not have worked harder, having been as open with what they have been doing, as anybody could be, they came to this process with a blank sheet of paper, (much decried by some, who went out of their way to misinterpret their intentions), a limited amount of money and a very tight timetable. They brought in Hydra as consultants ((true experts) to cries of what do you need a bunch of consultants for? Well if you don’t know the answer to that, you really don’t have any idea), who had not been involved with the previous scheme, but already had a lot of information from work carried out for Penwith DC in the past, cutting both costs and time.

The presentation boards were good, in that options were put next to each other so a comparison between the options could be made.

I’m told that after yesterday all the comments will be taken into account and final options prepared.

Now if only we could get those, from all sides, to just stop for a minute, engage their brains, look at what’s on offer, see this as the start and not the end of redeveloping the Penzance Harbour area, use their energy in a more positive way, we just may get somewhere. Hope springs eternal. 

St Erth Park and Ride

Today I watched the Strategic Planning Meeting from Cornwall Council on its plans for a Park and Ride at St Erth. (Planning officer favourite for the year)

Whatever the merits of this plan, my overriding impression was that not enough, well planning, had gone into it.

Remembering that the applicant is Cornwall Council, you would have though the officers would have some idea of what was going on outside of their offices, public meetings etc. But no.

The officers did not seem clear as to what the park and ride was for, one saying it’s to relive traffic in St Ives, then it’s Penzance and later still Penwith, it’s for tourists, no commuters, to take traffic off the A30.

How many cars will use it, we don’t know. 

How will it be funded once in place, don’t know. 

Can you buy a parking ticket and train/bus ticket, we haven’t looked at that.

How much will it cost to park, we don’t know. 

Which busses will serve the park & ride, the bus companies have indicated that they have no plans to divert busses to the site. Park and no Ride?  The 300 will go to the site, (the 300 is the open top circular route, summer only service).  

How will you address access to the site, lights on the A30, will this not cause congestion, we don’t know. 

What about the narrow bridge? 

How will a pedestrian get to the site?
And so on, you get the idea I'm sure.

Cornwall Councils bacon saved by late intervention of legal suggesting a site inspection, stops what looks like  a refusal. Decision deferred. 

Now a bit of a rush to do some planning and issue Hymn sheets before the next meeting. 

Sainsbury’s Sec 106 Update

Sainsbury’s Sec 106 Update

I have blogged before about the Sec 106 agreement for Penzance here, and what a bad deal it was for the town, in brief, out of the £1,935,315 that was on offer, only £15,000 went to the town directly.

Since this offer was put to the town by a joint team from Sainsbury’s and Cornwall Council, the Town Council has held meetings to discuss the proposals, with a different set of officers from Cornwall Council assisting with the legal aspects and other issues, following these meeting a different set of proposals were agreed to be put forward. At a further meeting between Sainsbury’s and first set of officers, these revised options were put forward.

Park & Ride

Original offer:

 Dedication of Land for 250 space Park & Ride site with access through store site and £1.2m to construct the Park and Ride.

Revised Offer:

Safeguard land for a 250 space Park & Ride site for a period of 5 years and the contribution of £1.2m (BCI Indexed) to construct the facilities either on site or within the area.

Explanation:

This revised offer provides for the facility to be delivered but enables time to establish, as part of a wider transport strategy for Penzance, if the site is the right location and best park and ride solution for Penzance.

Justification/Background: 

The need for a Park and Ride was originally identified in the Penwith Parking Solutions Report 2005; and subsequently in the Aecom Study (2010) and the draft Penzance and Newlyn Framework (2011).

The above is very important, as I don’t think many people realise that when you go along to one of Cornwall Councils “Consultations” and look at the pretty maps, and fill in the loaded questionnaire, what happens next. Your views are added into a report, report accepted by Cornwall Council, that’s it, you have agreed that Penzance needs a Park & Ride, all the sites identified as being possible for development are now development sites, developer comes forward with application, outcry from everyone, but because you did not object at the “Consultation” you have already agreed to it, it’s in the plan. So when you go to a “Consultations” ( very few do) look at what it is you are agreeing to.

Park and Ride facilities encourage more people to make trips by bus.

 In addition to this proposed facility, there is a proposal to consider the feasibility of providing a Park and Ride facility at Eastern Green which forms part of the draft Penzance and Newlyn Framework (2011).

The Park and Ride site would be targeted at longer term parkers such as employees, day-trippers and ferry passengers thus freeing up parking capacity for short term parkers such as shoppers and other users of the town centre.

The siteing of a P&R at Eastern Green could also provide the option of walking or cycling along the beachfront into the town centre. However its final location and introduction should be part of a wider strategy that has considered complementary actions such as: rationalising parking in central Penzance, establishing a residents parking scheme and a public parking pricing strategy designed to increase the sustainability of the park and ride and discourage inappropriate long-stay parking in and around the town centre particularly the impact of employee car parking within the existing residential areas which will be achieved through the draft Penzance and Newlyn Framework (2011).

Pros: 

• The revised offer provides for the delivery of the facility but offers flexibility in its execution.
• It fits well with the proposed Transport strategy within the draft Penzance and Newlyn Framework (2011).
• Opportunities to support other town centre initiatives/developments
• Potential to alleviate existing parking pressure in Penzance
• Replaces ad-hoc and unmanaged parking solutions within the town to enable economic and regeneration benefits.
• Existing scheduled bus services provided by First and Western Greyhound pass the site
• Site offered is accessible and available on the main approach to town
• Development provides new destination which should be attractive to commercial bus operators
• The Section 106 offer allows flexibility over delivery.

Cons: 

• Early implementation would rely on current bus service level which might not meet target users needs
• Will require strong marketing and support to ensure people use it.

Bus Stops & link Jelbert way

Original Offer: 

Contribution of £213,000 to cover cost of constructing bus stops and pedestrian link between store and

Jelbert Way

Revised offer:

Contribution to cover cost of new bus shelters, pedestrian link and real time information. Savings achieved (to be confirmed by Sainsbury’s £150K) from not constructing lay-bys.

Opportunity for funding to be transferred to other town centre mitigation measures.

Bus Fares

Offer: 

Contribution of £75,315 to subsidise reduced fare stage on buses between site and town centre for a 15 year period

Revised Offer:

£75,315 to subsidise a reduced fair stage from Lugvan to Penzance via Eastern Green and return.

This bus route is under threat, part of the proposed Sainsbury development falls within Lugvan Parish. Will enable people from Lugvan/Longrock to access Penzance Town Centre on a subsidised bus route.

Linkage Improvements Offer: 

Contribution of £225,000 to cover costs of linkage improvements on A30

Current Position: Financial offer remains same but Sainsbury’s to revise proposals to focus on changing environment on A30. e.g reduction of  carriageway widths and provision of better pedestrian links along carriageway to enable reduction in speed limit.

Justification/Background: 

Approach to Penzance is widely accepted to be very poor.

The carriageway looks like an urban motorway with little thought or space given to pedestrians and other users. 

The Framework seeks to create a prominent “boulevard” with enhanced pedestrian, cycling and landscaping features to improve the environment and provide a high quality gateway into Penzance enticing visitors into the town rather than past it.

Pros:

• Proposed reduction in speed from 50 to 30mph between Branwell Roundabout and new store roundabout.
• Improved safety and environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Initiates the transformation of the entrance to Penzance.
• First phase towards significant environmental and visual improvements.
• Better pedestrian and cycle routes improve sustainability and health.

Cons:

• Funding proposed would not deliver the complete transformational change envisioned for all of the A30.
• Will require further contributions from other development and sources to improve whole length between Bramwells and Chy-an-Mor.

Replacement Signage

Offer: 

Contribution of £20,000 for replacement signage as required by Highways Agency

Current position:

Highways Agency to advise if costs can be reduced and if so any savings to be savings to be transferred to other mitigation measures.

Justification/Background: 

Signage on the A30 Trunk Road currently directs users to the Heliport site. The loss of the service from the site means these signs will need to be modified. This is a must do requirement.

Pros:

• Required to properly inform traffic users

Cons:

• This is a development cost  rather than of wider public benefit

Contribution to Business Improvement District (BID) Set Up

Offer: 

Contribution of £35,000

Revised Offer:

Contribution of £35,000 to be used to enhance the vitality and viability of the town centre through alternative means.

Justification/Background:

 BID identified by Stakeholders as appropriate. 

It may however be beneficial to review all options available to boost the town centre; alternate opportunities need to be allowed for in the audit of how the contribution is utilised.

Pros:

• A degree of flexibility exists over how the £35,000 is used to enhance the vitality and viability of the town centre.
• A BID could be an option
• Intended to be self financing after start up
• Intended to provide a wider impact than a town centre manager function
• Shown to be successful in other Cornish towns
• Led by local businesses
• Other options need to fully explored first to maximise the effectiveness of the whole town centre contributions package.

Cons:

• Funding will have to be identified to a specific activity that is CIL  compliant
• Need to gain support from local businesses.

Subsidised Town Centre Car Parking

Offer: 

Contribution of £152,000

Current offer:

Contribution of £152,000

Flexibility over the timing and use of the contribution to allow the Town to develop a strategy to secure the maximum benefit from the contribution.

Justification/Background:

Most popular element from Stakeholder meeting.

Based on previous events this would allow up to 19 full day free parking events across all car parks in the town centre. Alternate mixes could include a focus on specific car parks such as Causeway Head which would enable the funding the be used on more days.

Pros:

• Popular
• Can significantly boost town centre trade especially if used strategically and in conjunction with other town centre events, activities and marketing
• Within Councils control – has backing from Cornwall Councils Community Transport Manager.

Cons:

• Expensive and will only support  a number of events
• Requires advertising to be effective

Specialist Advice and Support to Penzance Town Council

Offer:

Contribution of £15,000 for Penzance Town Council to promote the vitality and viability of town centre.

Revised Offer:

Contribution of £15,000 remains but scope widened over funding use providing it remains CIL compliant.

Justification/Background: 

Opportunity for Town Council to have access to technical expertise to help develop strategies and initiatives.

Pros:

• Expertise can be invaluable and prevent pitfalls
• Raises and focuses awareness of potential current opportunities

Cons:

• Lack of support from Town Council
• Needs a clearer focus on delivery of practical benefits that will help enhance the town centre rather than focusing on strategies or reports for reports sake.

From the above you can see that this is a major change in the proposals, Sainsbury’s are currently talking to their legal team to ensure that these revised proposals meet all the requirements of a Sec 106 (Cil) agreement, and are robust enough to withstand a legal challenge from other developers.   

Housing

Cornwall Council in its core strategy claims that over the next 20 years we need to build a minimum of 45,000 houses to meet our housing needs. This is the minimum, it would actually like to build 85,000. Why, what is this housing need.

In 2001 the total population of Cornwall was 501,300, and in 2010, 530,900 so in that period the population increased by a total of 29,600 during a time of economic growth, remember during this time, we had the strangest celebration I’ve ever heard of, Cornwall qualified for ‘Objective One’. Lets celebrate we are one of the poorest areas in Europe, millions were to be spent in the area, well we all know what happened, at the end of that time, Celebrate again, we qualify, for Convergence Funding, why, because we are one of the poorest areas in Europe. But I digress.

An increase in population of 29,600. (As a guide Shropshire, a rural county of the same size as Cornwall had an increase in population of 10,200, its 2010 population 293,400)

But as with all figures, it’s not the whole story.

Where did this increase come from? Were a lot of children born?

Well no, in the 0 = 18 age range the figures were 110,200 back in 2001 and had risen to 110,522 by 2010, a total increase of 322, so not a lot was going on during long cold nights. If this housing is for our children, they will get a lot each.

With so much economic activity going on, the numbers in working age groups must have shot up, well no, again, for the 16 – 65 age range, the population increased by a whopping 13,757.

Just a 2% increase in working age population and in here is one of the most damming set of figures of all.  In the 50 -60 age range, people at the top of their profession, the senior managers, the big earners, the number living in Cornwall dropped, yes dropped by 5,300 in this same period.

So, where did all the growth come from, as we can see from the 50 – 60 age range, we did not get older and retire, we got older and left.

   

Yes, as expected all the big growth came in the over 60’s the number rising by 22,406, but as so many in the 50 – 60 age range left, this was not internal growth, a high percentage had to move in, and that’s the problem.

If, the economy of Cornwall remains as it is, or gets worse, the more likely, the housing need we are fulfilling is not there, the economy will not support it.

Yes, I know that many people living here can not afford to buy a house, that houses are not affordable, but they are affordable just not to us, so the problem is not a housing crisis, it’s an economic crisis and the building of thousands of homes will not and has never solved that. 

Golowan

Well it’s happened; something I have been expecting for some time today hit the press.

Cornwall Council withdraws all funding for Golowan.

For those who don’t know Golowan is the mid summer festival that takes place in Penzance each June. And it’s big and I mean BIG, 8 days of events, music, story telling, dance, workshops, church service, Mazey Day & Quay Fair day.

I know a fair bit about Golowan, as 6 years ago, when the original Golowan Organisation went bust, with the announcement made over the Christmas – New Year period, I was Mayor, during this period I received a phone call from one of the many Golowan volunteers asking what I thought could be done, this lead to a meeting between the two of us in the Mayors Parlour, on a wet and miserable afternoon, we discussed what we thought could be saved and what would have to go, would we be able to keep all the many 100’s  of volunteers on side?

The outcome was meetings with the volunteers and others to see where we could go. With just 6 months to the festival a lead body was needed and the Town Council stepped in, the council had always given a grant to the Organisation, but this was to be a different undertaking. To the many 1’000s who enjoyed that years Golowan  and others since, not a lot would have seemed to change, but it had and in fact had to. Since that time the Town Council has put more money and staff time into Golowan and remains today the lead body.

Today it’s announced that the Tory lead Cornwall Council has withdrawn its £27,000 funding for the festival. As with many headlines it is and isn’t true, in fact Visit Cornwall (a Cornwall Council body) withdrew half it’s funding last year, taking the grant down to £12,750, this year Cornwall Council have taken over this funding and has cut this remaining amount. Last year this funding gap was made up again by Penzance Town Council.

 This raises a couple of questions, firstly, why did Cornwall Council take over the funding from Visit Cornwall, well call me a cynic, but I think it’s because Visit Cornwall has blown it’s entire budget on “The Olympic Torch  Relay” cost at this time £150,000 and rising. So for a twenty minute run by someone through Penzance, giving very little or no benefit, an entire 8 days Festival is put in jeopardy.

The second question is who made this decision, I have searched & searched through Cornwall Councils minutes and can find no mention, was it made in Cabinet? By officers? Who?

Do, Cornwall Council have any idea at all of what the Golowan Festival is? Let me tell you a story, a few years back I stood on the steps of St Johns Hall, on Mazey Day, with an invited guest of the town, the deputy leader of the then Cornwall County Council, who I asked if he had been before, the answer was “No, I didn’t know it took place and just how big it is, but I will be coming to Quay Fair tomorrow with the family”.

Some would argue that in these times of belt tightening why should Cornwall Council pay a grant to a festival, this is something I have blogged about before, so will not repeat myself. Read here Lights

But if it just comes down to money, which everything does, read this report, prepared last year for Visit Cornwall on the impact Golowan has on the local economy. Golowan

The Tory’s know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.