Following debate and through consultation with all our members, St Austell Bay Chamber issued the following ‘summary of comments’ regarding the Town Framework Plan (TFP).
We asked that the officers who are evolving the TFP consider that St Austell is open for business.
For an area that owes its historical growth to the China Clay industry but with that subsequent decline, St. Austell is now over-populated in relation to the employment opportunities in our area.
Facilitating and enabling new industrial growth, especially in emerging ‘green’ technologies and those that will capitalise on the Superfast broadband connections now available in the area, should be given precedence in the plan. A flexibility of approach should also be given to encourage other major investments that offer significantly higher levels of new local employment and a greater level of local spend.
It is the view of the Chamber that by increasing employment opportunities, particular for people who live in the St Austell Bay area, it will also enable local SME businesses – the majority of which make up our members - to flourish.
Conclusions:
- The vision and objectives of the TFP say that in 2030, St Austell will have “a diverse thriving economy based upon a wide range of industries and lives up to its label of ‘Green Heart of Cornwall’.”
- We see nothing in the TFP that indicates how this will be achieved, especially in planning for a diverse set of ‘green’ industries that will need to be large-scale employers.
- Economic Strategy – The China Clays industry once was the major employer in the area and no other industries in the area have expanded to the extent of replacing its decline. Creating, and continuing to generate, as many new employment opportunities as possible has to be given precedence in the plan.
The Chamber identified the following:
- Maximising the potential for the Cornwall College campus to grow and enable improved links with town centre – the college not only provides jobs it also supports adults and school leavers through training opportunities and in gaining academic and professional qualifications.
- There is currently surplus office space within St. Austell and in future flexible working patterns, such as working from home, may reduce the need further.
- Holmbush is identified as an area for further industrialisation and yet elsewhere in the document it is said that Holmbush is at capacity and has no room for further expansion.
- There is a need to identify other or additional potential areas in the plan, close to main transport routes, that can provide centres of higher levels of employment either in industrial units, manufacturing plants and / or in retail.
- A clear vision about attracting new ‘green’ industries, with a flexible approach as how they may be clustered into existing industrial ‘hubs’ with similar principles and /or related industries to create centres of excellence and expertise.
- Although St. Austell does not have direct access to the A30, it is well networked to the A390, the mainline rail link to London and enjoys Superfast Broadband connections. We feel, in particular, that online technology companies should be encouraged to set-up here, and manufacturing / processing industries making use of a plentiful supply of the local labour force.
- Leisure - There is a serious lack of mention of leisure facilities and sites in the TFP and more provision should be allocated towards it. Enhanced leisure facilities are not only good for the health and well being of local people, they can also create additional local employment opportunities, through both private enterprise and public sector employment.
The Chamber identified the following:
- St Austell is fortunate that a wide variety of water sports and outdoor activities can be enjoyed within the area. The bay area includes a significant coastal stretch of some outstanding natural beauty and miles of Clay Trails that offer great views over the whole area. The clay trails, is perhaps the most under utilised local asset, which could be marketed to tourists, as well as local people as an adventure area. Currently it only offers scope for walking, running, cycling and horse riding activities.
- Polkyth Leisure Centre is outdated and the whole of the Carlyon Road site (SAE3) could be earmarked for an improved leisure centre and sports facility for the urban area.
- Additional housing creates employment particular during building, furnishing and DIY industries and we recognise this is very important.
The Chamber identified the following:
- The downside is more housing requires the infrastructure to support an ever-increasing population. St. Austell is an area where there is already a shortage of job opportunities for young people. Additionally school places, doctor’s surgeries and the community hospital will fall under greater pressure and plans for the infrastructure growth has to be considered before the town can accommodate more housing.
- Employment, and identifying industrial employment sites, should be given clear priority before house building or St. Austell may become a dormitory town with people commuting to Truro and other centres for work leaving local businesses struggling.
- Sites, such as Sedgemoor, identified, as a possible site for employment or retail, could be a better used for residential, especially a retirement home. The ‘grey pound’ is very important for supporting small independent businesses in the town centre.
- Retail - Shops in St Austell town centre struggle to perform well as often shoppers choose to spend their money out of the area. On top of this more and more are choosing to shop online.
The Chamber identified the following:
- For the retail sector to improve we feel that St Austell should develop unique strategies for the town centre that encompass the ‘green vision’ for St. Austell. The town centre needs to find its own identity or specialism, (for example as an ‘outlet shopping centre’) to encourage local residents to use the town centre and as a draw for shoppers from other areas of Cornwall.
- The boundary to indicate the town centre is inconsistently drawn in the document. It is not clear what it is meant to inform when it has been drawn to include Sedgemoor offices, Lidl supermarket (but not the Co-op), the train station and areas that are clearly residential. More significantly, the primary retail area of the town centre has not been identified at all.
- Sedgemoor (SAR2) is not thought to be a very suitable site for retail. It is not directly connected to the main retail areas of the town being separated by a service road and car parking. Increased traffic and delivery lorries would have difficulty accessing it especially in the steep turn at the top of Truro Road joining Bodmin Road.
- The area south of Penwinnick Road (SAR3) is not thought to be large enough, on its own, to serve the retail needs of town until 2030 and no large-scale retailer (apart from Morrison’s) as yet has expressed an interest in it. It is also felt that the narrow pavement along South Street and the busy road junctions en route, are potentially hazardous and may discourage shoppers to walk between retail here and in the town centre. Therefore Penwinnick Road is more likely to become ‘out of town’ in terms of how it is used, rather than ‘edge of town’ as it is desired.
- White River Place was built without securing retailers in the planning stage and has proven difficult to occupy. This needs to be a lesson learnt. We believe the TFP needs to be flexible to the needs of new retailers in conjunction with the needs of the town, or the TFP may exclude them altogether. Large-scale retail provides employment for greater numbers.
- Coyte Farm should be included in the town framework plan because at this stage it is still an application that may appeal and named retailers were committed to the scheme. It cannot be ignored on sound economic principles: it is a significant employment opportunity for St. Austell offering apprenticeship training schemes that will also support employment at St. Austell college; and it represents potential claw back of lost retail spend to the St. Austell area.
- However, the risks regarding the potential negative economic impact on businesses and employment in the Town Centre will have to be weighed during any future out of town / edge of town retail or business park planning applications. Decisions to oppose or support any new planning applications (Coyte Farm, for example) will be made through a ballot of Chamber members.
- Green Infrastructure – This section is primarily concerned with Parks & Play areas; Green Links, walking and cycling; Flood Attenuation, sustainable drainage, and Biodiversity areas of habitat and corridors.
- A good addition to this section may be the desire to see all future new developments, especially large-scale developments of industrial, retail, employment and housing sites to include to ‘green-credentials’ in terms of walking and cycling routes; flood attenuation and sustainable drainage initiatives; creating corridors and areas of biodiversity; the use of sustainable energies; employing BREEAM building construction principles and so forth.
