Chamber Meeting - 24th September 2014

MINUTES of an OPEN GENERAL MEETING of ST AUSTELL BAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE held on WEDNESDAY 24^th SEPTEMBER 2014 at The Gurkha Restaurant St. Austell, at 5.45pm.

 

[Meeting started at: 17.50]

 1. Welcome & Apologies from the Chair – David Halton (DH)

Members Present: Tony Cousins, Mike Stanford, David Avery, Catherine Brealey, Tamsin Mann, Mark Torr, Jessica Milln, Jacky Swain, Mark Lewis, David Halton, Jonanthan Eade, Tony Goodman, Kevin Park, Colin Hunter, Gerald Banks, Susan Ashby, Abid Hussain, Stephen Nott, Peter Crawford, Mark Hollis, Nicola Hollis Wendy Frankcom, Dave Frankcom.

Also Present: Paula Hutchens, Daisy Cousins, Cllrs Anne Double, Nicky Oxenham, Brian Palmer, Malcolm Brown, Tom French.

Apologies for Absence: Ian Chalmers, Peter Moody, Richard Austin, Adrian Mutton, Andy Ward, Nicola Hoar, Ross Sundercombe, Sally Heard, Sue Ford, Chris Rickard, Steve Apted, Kevin Fusher, Sean Mitchell, Dave Watson.

Apologies sent from invitees: Cllrs Sandra Heyward, Val Bradford, John Keast.

Introduction and Welcome of new members to the Chamber – David Halton (DH)

Mark Hollis – Finesse Chauffeurs

Chris Rickard – Arumtech Solutions

Wendy Frankcom – Into the Realm

 

 2.  Minutes of meeting held on 24^th July 2014 

It was agreed that these should be APPROVED and signed as a correct record.

 

3. Notices from the Secretary – Jessica Milln (JM) 

 1. Council stages first live online Q & A session as public invited to quiz Cabinet Member on budget. ‘Cover it Live’, Tomorrow 12-2pm Live Chat with Alex Folkes, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, will be available for people to ask questions on the budget and the future of Cornwall. (Details available on Chamber website as an event and news) http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/events/339/cover_it_live

2. Ian Chalmers’ Treasurer’s update:

Current account                               £3,639.43

Project account                                £2,556.52

 3. Notice that the entry to the HUB Awards extended deadline to 6pm Tuesday 30^th Sept. The Chamber wishes to encourage local businesses to enter awards as it helps to raise their profile and profile of St. Austell as a place for business. http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/319/the_hub_awards_2014

Tony Goodman (TG) said he had entered the Hub Awards with ‘Sams on the Bay’ on Crinnis Beach.

4. The South and East Cornwall LEADER Local Action Group (looking for members). 

http://www.localactioncornwall.info/uploads/ricks/clld-and-leader/south-and-east-cornwall-leader-local-development-strategyfinal-for-defra.pdf Please contact JM for more details if a member from the Chamber is interested in joining that group.

 5. ‘Meet the Manager’ – business profile piece in the St. Austell Voice has lapsed. Please let me know if you or your business has news to share, something to celebrate, as you will be an ideal candidate to help us raise your profile.

 

4. Associated Memberships & Committee Member Appointment 

Mike Stanford (MS) advised the members that he had retired and was no longer running a business. There were no objections to approve his position within the Chamber as an associated member.

Cllr Nicky Oxenham (NOx) presented to the members her extensive business knowledge from a career working in corporate Blue Chip businesses and on the UK board of multi-national manufacturing companies and waste management industries. It was deemed by the committee that her considerable knowledge would be of great benefit to the Chamber, and that her position as a Town Councillor would be an asset in easing the communication between the business community and councillors. Members were asked if they would approve NOx as an associated member without payment and therefore no voting rights. A show of hands approved this.

Tony Goodmanpresented to the members an extensive experience in pub management, as a lecturer at Cornwall College in business hospitality, an A1 assessor, and Mary Portas trained in retail. Set up a training / consultancy company and now look after all the Sams restaurants (Sams on the Bay was Tony’s project), Britannia Inn and Bistro in Fowey.

DH said that the committee wished to bring Tony on board as a committee member as his considerable experience and the fact that he has shown he is not afraid to speak his mind. A show of hands from members approved this.

 

5. Junior Chamber Update – Dave Watson (DW) 

DW had given his apologies, so JM read out his Update for Junior Chamber

DW is currently looking at working with all local feeder schools and St Austell College on Business and Enterprise activities throughout the year. This will be through the completion of Enterprise activities run by the local schools in conjunction with the group Young Enterprise. Lucie Robinson has taken on the running of the YE projects with the schools and that has freed DW’s involvement and time.

DW’s proposal is that the Chamber increases this working relationship with Young Enterprise, and begins to network on how business can be involved in the projects currently being undertaken, and those planed in the future. Also DW wants to be able to help develop links between businesses and all feeder schools.

 In addition to this, DW will be looking to set up a serious of Network meeting for local business and feeder schools. This event will be open to any local business within the Chamber, who would be interested in building links and supporting our young people. The first event will most likely be held at Penrice Academy and poses a press opportunity for the school and businesses that would like to be involved.

DW would welcome feedback from businesses on this opportunity, as an open discussion, and interest registered to my email – dwatson@penrice.org.uk to be able to continue to plan further known better numbers etc. More information will follow as this proposal progresses.

JM suggested that the Chamber should form a Junior Chamber Group who would like to be involved and meet DW in the school. Please email secretary@staustellchamber.co.uk if you would be interested in being part of that group.

 

6. Carlyon Bay Progress – Richard Austin (RA) 

RA had given his apologies, so JM read out his update 

“After a successful public display of Phase 2, incorporating the retail and leisure areas on Crinnis beach within the main accommodation areas, I was delighted to be invited to the Shorthorn display (Phase 1) on behalf of the Chamber.  

There was a good turn out on the Friday 12^th and Saturday 13^th September 2014 from the general public which seem to be really keen, quote: “On getting this built”.  

There’s some superb design and landscaping features which will complement both phases and link beautifully together, along with a nature area towards the far end with steps leading back up onto the golf course and footpath. I feel this will start getting St Austell Bay / town back on the map and can only enhance and help maintain stronger property values in and around the area, which could also improve further with the other retail and leisure development possibilities, and can’t think of anywhere else in this Country you could have such a development.

They have assured us that, though it seems like this has been going on for ages, they have been working hard behind the scenes and more formal detailed planning is being sent to the planning department, so we should know more in the next couple of months. However, they are still aiming to start clearing the site Spring 2015.

People have been worried about the perception of value, due to it having such lovely designs, and that they could be priced outside locals reach.  I was informed many of these properties will be attainable to the local market conditions of St Austell /Cornwall.

Another positive note, I was so pleased to see many people walking the beach and kids playing, not only at weekends, but evenings through the week, I believe this has been helped with the arrival of Sam’s pop up restaurant. This has been invaluable addition and has seen footfall increase. A fantastic idea. 

There was due to be a water sports centre appear but sadly it was a bit late in the season.  HOWEVER due to the success of Sam’s, the developers hope to offer other pop up style of restaurant/I to other local businesses next year along with the arrival of some water sports.  With people being attracted down due to these new ventures on the beach, it also gives them the opportunity to pop in and see the development plans. From people I know that have done this, they have been really surprised on how nice the designs are and even more that it is for us all to use!!

Let’s hope we can prove sceptics wrong and get this started ASAP. 

 

7. Update on Parking Proposals – Mike Stanford (MS) 

• Mike informed the Chamber that he had presented the Chamber’s Parking Proposals to the Town Council on Monday 22^nd September 2014
• MS was really delighted by how it was received by the Town Council.
• DH thanked for MS time and effort he had put into the parking survey and the proposals.
• The aim of the proposal is to 1. Get more footfalls into the town for shops and businesses, 2. To get more rationalised charges on longer stays to encourage people to stay longer in the town, 3) By encouraging more people to use the car parks the County Council will receive more revenue.
• In 2012, Priory Car Park showed that 40% stayed for 1 hour, 55% stayed for up to 2 hours, only 4% stayed for up to 3 hrs, 1% for longer than 3hrs.
• There are 9 points on the plan and it is hoped that at least the major points will go through. Hopefully will more news of a result at the next Chamber meeting.
• The follow up is a meeting arranged for Monday 6^th October with the 5 County Councillors to discuss the plan and then again with Bert Biscoe, the Portfolio holder for Transport at County Council, on Thursday 10^th October. MS has also been invited to present the proposals to the BID board on Tuesday 7^th October.
• Cllr Anne Double thanked MS for the work and encouraged people to go to the website and see the proposals. http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/337/parking_survey_for_st_austell_town_centre

 

8. Business Survey Update and Initial Results – Jessica Milln (JM) 

• Overall aim was to achieve 100 surveys in order for the numbers to be great enough so as to be taken seriously. Only achieved 45. To get better returns, the surveys need to be distributed and collected by hand and this has proved to be time consuming with only limited available to do this. More voluntary help will be need required to achieve the 100.So far, surveys have been collected from a wide variety of businesses, mostly within the BID area, not just Chamber members in order to show a broad cross-section.
• JM asked the members if they believed there would be value in carrying on with the survey, or to use the results already collected and leave it there. If they wanted a report with the results at this stage or to wait until more results could be obtained and then write a full report.
• Mark Torr (MT) suggested putting the findings so far on the website as a useful insight. Mark Lewis (ML) said that the survey will always have critics who won’t value it however much effort goes into it. TG suggested showing it to the members and finding if they think more work is necessary. Nox commented that barriers between other groups needed to be broken down and people needed to collectively work together.
• DH asked JM to publicise the findings on the website for members comments, ask for volunteers to help to distribute it, and find out if more needs to be done and add this to the agenda next time.
• (Malcolm Brown) MB suggested, regarding the TFP plans and the discussions on retail, to ask Tom French (TF) for the dates by which the information might be useful. MB said he also expected that more results and more work would be needed. TF said the survey would have value to members, what value it has to outsiders will depend on how many, what’s in the survey and what the results are until you get to that point it is difficult to know how people outside will respond to it. TF encouraged all members to go out and help promote it across the whole area.
• DH asked how it could be further distributed. TG suggested St. Blazey Town Team are trying to gather information for themselves, and that the survey should not be too focused on the Town Centre. JM to follow with an email as how the survey can be distributed easily.

 9. Breakfast Meetings Update – Tony Cousins (TC) 

• 2^nd Breakfast Meeting, 15 organisations represented, 20 people attended.
• Three new guests: Finesse Chauffeurs, Chris Rickard- Arumtech Solutions and Chris Cason of SBR Electricals to the meeting, Finesse and Arumtech having since become members.
• A visit from Ross Jerome newly elected President of the Rotary Club in St. Austell, who is interested in how the Chamber and Rotary can work together in the future.
• Rule that Breakfast meetings are for the networking and those who attend are expected to pay even if they don’t have breakfast.
• Next meeting: Friday, 14^th November at Cliff Head Hotel, Carlyon Bay

 

10. Cliff Head Hotel –Christmas party

• Members asked if they wanted a Business Community Christmas Party.
• TG suggested it should be black tie event and aim to get it into Cornwall Today.
• Date by members agreed as 11^th December 2014
• Aim to sell as many tickets as possible. Encourage members to bring along their members of staff or for small businesses it can be the ‘staff Christmas party’.

 11. AOB / Q&A

1. Sara Gibson (SG): Expressed concern that anti-Social behaviour effecting businesses on High Cross Street and East Hill in town. Regular drinkers in the Cemetery have become a serious problem. This has been reported in the Voice. What can be done collectively about it? Where are they coming from and why?

MB said there is a ‘Safer St. Austell’ partnership but is a matter to mention to Sandra Heyward as affecting her ward. The Police support officers have been reduced in numbers buy that shouldn’t be an excuse. MS suggested that we should as a Chamber write to the Police expression our concerns.

 

2. ML: Asked DH, as the Chamber representative on BID, if there has been any monitoring to show if the money spent on Britain in Bloom had been money well spent by achieving any improvement in business, and if so, what? As a considerable amount above the original budget had been spent. Another grant was given by the Town Council to cover the cost of watering until the end of September. Anne Double said she would challenge if this had been paid as the flowers had been taken down before the end of September. DH said ML should email Chris Witt to find out about monitoring. MT asked how many levy payers were in the room. MT said he’d like for a show of hands as who is happy with BID’s performance. No hands were raised. TF commented that he believed that both the Chamber and BID were both doing things that were very good, both groups agreed that they wanted to work together, however what he had learned from talking to members of all the groups that the issue came down to certain personalities within the groups. MS said that he felt the discussion was not right for the Chamber; it was a matter for the BID levy payers to get together and discuss. DH proposed that TF would continue what he was doing in finding a common agenda for discussion between the groups to work together, and if levy payers wanted to get together and talk separately it was up to them.

 

3. TC: Asked if DH could update the Chamber on Apprentices as something at the next meeting.

 12. Date of next Chamber meeting plus any other diary dates – David Halton next date: 23^rd October 2014 – venue to be decided.

 

[Meeting ended at: 19.16]