Friday 21 February 2014

St Piran's Day - Shop Window Competition 4 March



St Piran's Day

 Best Dressed Shop Window Competition

To support the celebration of the Feast of St Piran, Penzance Chamber of Commerce is encouraging retailers and other Town Centre businesses to decorate their windows to celebrate St Piran and all thing Cornish.

Windows should be dressed by 4 pm on Monday 3rd March. Judging will be completed by noon on 4th March.

The silver salver will be presented to the winner at the St Piran's Eve Concert, St John's Hall, 7pm, Tuesday 4th March.

There is no rigid design guide but the judges will expect to see one or more classic references to things Cornish and an eye-catching display (after gloom and storms).


Thursday 20 February 2014

Help for businesses and Individuals affected by recent floods & storms.

Help for individuals and businesses affected by flooding and storm damage is being offered by the Government, Cornwall Council and major banks. Cornwall Council has sent out an email (copied below) detailing the schemes. 

In some cases the Government has announced its intentions to provide relief before the details of how to apply and who exactly is eligible have been made available.

Content of Cornwall Council email dated 19 Feb 2014 follows: 

Tuesday 18 February 2014

St Clare Development Consultation Event 26 Feb 2014



Cornwall Council Planning Dept are holding a public consultation over the content of the Development Brief for the St Clare site which will become available for development in 2015 after remaining Council staff move to St John's Hall.

The consultation will:
Take place on Wed. 26 Feb 2014
Between 3.00 and 8.00 pm
At St Clare Council Offices (Committee Room 1).

The flyer for the event is here
Developers Brief - Consultation Draft here
Questionnaire (seeking your comments) 'Word' document  here


Saturday 15 February 2014

Penzance businesses give BID scheme the 'thumbs up'



The public launch of the Penzance BID to the wider business community took place at Penwith College on Wed 12th Feb in a packed lecture hall.  It ended with an overwhelming show of support for "something must be done" (to improve Penzance Town Centre) and agreement that a Penzance BID should be pursued further to define the "something" and provide the resources.

Monday 10 February 2014

The Government's other Flood Disaster



It has been a dispiriting time for businesses and householders affected by flooding.  The Government's response has been sadly lacking and a political disaster. There is news of a sequal!

There is a draft Water Bill winding its way through the House of Lords, Part 4 of which includes provisions known as "Flood Re" (where "Re" stands for reinsurance)  intended to spread the extra cost of flood insurance in high risk areas across all residential insurance policies.  The aim is to avoid insurance being with-held, or becoming exorbitantly expensive, in high flood risk areas.  However the extensive exclusions (millions of properties) have enraged many and rightly so.  The exclusions as at 22 Jan 2014 are: 
  • Leasehold properties;
  • The entire private rented sector;
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
  • Housing association homes;
  • New-build homes constructed after January 2009;
  • Council homes; and
  • Properties in council tax band H.
We already have town centres blighted by wrenching change, spiraling business rate and high parking charges.  This measure, if approved by Parliament unchanged,  could create a new blight on our seafronts in Cornwall.  The new legislation will replace a voluntary scheme run by insurers at the Government's request.

Speak to your MP if you do not like what you read.

Water Bill & progress through Parliament:  click here 

"British Property Federation and Council of Mortgage Lenders warn unexpected exclusions in Water Bill could leave millions without affordable flood insurance".  Click here.

Monday 3 February 2014

Agenda for Meeting on Tue 4 Feb 2014

The agenda for the Committee Meeting to be held on 4 Feb 2014 can be found here.

Penzance BID Launch to Business Community - 12 Feb (5.30 pm)



The launch of the proposed Penzance BID to the wider business community takes place on Wednesday 12 Feb at 5.30 pm on the Penwith College Campas (Zennor Building).

All businesses with premises within the proposed BID boundary (see map ) are encouraged to attend.




  Read on for details of the evening's programme, how to attend and directions to the event........

Penzance to feature on BBC 'Inside Out' 7.30 tonight

Millionaire retailer Bill Grimsey gives his blueprint for success for the South West's ailing high streets on BBC 1's Inside Out mini-documentary tonight (Monday) at 7.30 (one of 3 x 10 minute features).   Bill Grimsey looks at Penzance, Totnes and Liskeard (a Portas Pilot BID winner).

Four representatives of the Penzance business community were put through a Dragon's Den style grilling in the Ritz  (it was freezing) about what the Town was doing about its Town Centre.  The event was nicknamed Grimsey's Grotto as it occurred in the run up to Christmas.

Do not expect the filming in Penzance to be balanced - the short documentary is about the problems of high streets and Penzance is being used as an example of the problem.  Chapel St was conspicuously avoided.  We decided to participate because positive things are happening in Penzance and we have a story to tell.  Not to have participated would have sent the wrong message.

If you cannot watch the broadcast (3 Feb BBC1 7.30) then it will be available online here for about a week.