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.