MINUTES of an OPEN GENERAL MEETING of ST AUSTELL BAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE held on THURSDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2014 at The Gurkha Restaurant St. Austell, at 5.45pm.
[Meeting started at: 17.52]
1. Welcome & Apologies from the Chair – David Halton (DH)
Members Present:Mike Stanford, David Avery,Jessica Milln,David Halton,Susan Ashby, Abid Hussain, Peter Crawford,Richard Austin, Peter Moody, Ian Chalmers, Ian Mckend, Kevin Fusher, Gerald Banks, Karen Egan, Sara Gibson.
Also Present: Cllrs Nicky Oxenham, Brian Palmer, Malcolm Brown.
John Marshall, David Simpson, Abe Simpson, Tracey Widdows (GHQ), Louise Oldham (UP), Chris Cason.
Apologies for Absence: Adrian Mutton, Andy Ward, Andrew Robertson, Chris Rickard, Dave Watson, Jane Hicks, Lizzie Williams, Mark Hollis, Mark Torr, Ross Sundercombe, Sally Heard, Sandra Cundy, Sean Mitchell, Simon Prior, Sonia Bass, Sue Ford, Stephen Nott, Steve Apted, Tim Atkins,Tony Cousins, Tony Goodman.
Apologies sent from invitees: Cllr Anne Double
Introduction and Welcome of new members to the Chamber – David Halton (DH)
Karen Egan – Floral Creations http://floralcreationsstaustell.co.uk/
Ian McKend – Macs BBQ http://www.macsbbq.com/
2. Minutes of meeting held on 23rd September 2014
It was agreed that these should be APPROVED and signed as a correct record.
3. GHQ Training – Tracey Widows http://www.ghqtraining.co.uk/index.numo
Presentation on employing apprenticeships
To find out more, about employing an apprentice click the Chamber article here: http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/392/apprenticeships
4. Unlocking Potential – Louise Oldham
Current round of EU funding for Unlocking Potential Graduate Placement Schemes are due to run out at the end of November 2014.
Louise urged businesses, even it only remotely interested, to take advantage of the scheme while its still on offer and to get in contact with her. Graduate placements are subsidized, and supported by business mentors to both encourage more graduate jobs in Cornwall and to ensure the placement is successful and profitable for the business. louise.oldham@unlocking-potential.co.uk
To find out more, about the scheme and benefits to business click the Chamber article here: http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/362/unlocking_potential_graduate_placement_programme
5. Parking Update – Mike Stanford
MS attended a meeting with Town Council, St Austell County Councillors and BID. It was decided what would put forward from the proposal to the County Council Portfolio Holder, Bert Biscoe.
MS said: “Unfortunately we lost the North Street Car Park proposal. The feeling was strongly for a revised reduced parking structure in the other car parks, provision for on street parking and somewhere for coaches.
3 days later had another meeting with the same group and Bert Biscoe. We put the presentation to him and he said he was impressed and pleased.
“It is being left that Craig Taylor who works for County Council is coming back with the updated usage figures for the last year so we can update the income figures that we’ve been working on for predictions and proposals. To show what new parking charges will do for a) usage and b) impact on income. We are all convinced that usage and income will go up by charging less.
“Our proposal to bring 3hr charges down to £3, Bert Biscoe was thinking along the lines of even less than that.
“Once I yet the new figures, I’m working on a new proposal that will go back to the council by the end of November, for the meeting in March so it gets into this year’s financial figures.”
West Hill Car Park proposed to be for coach parking, however the Coop who own the car park are taking it back so left with David Pooley to talk to them.
Cllr Brian Palmer (BP) mentioned that the Bert Biscoe took notice of the presentation and the fact that TC, BID and Chamber were working together and in agreement on this.
http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/337/parking_survey_for_st_austell_town_centre
BID have agreed to underwrite the cost of parking in Priory Car Park during the 5 Tuesday late night shopping dates in the run up to Christmas. BID will be paying approximately £1,500 to provide FREE parking after 4pm.
6.Trewhiddle Farm
Kingsley Developments (KD) directors, John Marshall, David Simpson and Abe Simpson presented their proposals for a mixed retail and residential scheme at Trewhiddle Farm.
A pre-application has been made for a food store, hotel, retail units and 460 new homes with the expectation of being able to submit a full planning application by the end of November 2014.
The council have identified the area for development as sitting within the ‘natural bowl’ of St. Austell. The site is on approximately 60 acres of green fields, with the proposal to build the main park of a new relief road to ease traffic congestion on the A390 Mevagissey roundabout. New playing fields for Pondhu School and improved safer access for the school.
To read more and questions from members click link to the Chamber article here.http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/391/higher_trewhiddle_farm_23rd_october_2014
7. AOB / Q&A
1. ECO BOS Town
Peter Moody on people’s panel for 18mths.
The proposed road is just a normal single-track road, where the houses and gardens are right up to the road, at the end of the duelled northern by pass. This means that we won’t have a bypass and no way of connecting with the A30.
For the last 10-20yrs through we would have a continued bypass that goes to the A30, and the route was part of the 2004 plan.
The houses are 1,500 houses in order to qualify for a new Primary School and to connect with Penwithick that has 800 houses. However, people were asking consistently for more roads but not being listened to.
We have been asking if the verges can be wider on either side of the road, however the survey from the Council to be sent to local households does not mention the road and allow for comments on this.
If we can get the Council to create verges, so that in time the road can be made into a wider by pass when it is needed. If houses are built up to the road then that will never happen.
Therefore everyone needs to complain as much as possible to ensure that verges can be put in at the very least.
Dave Halton asked if anyone had an objection to the Chamber putting in a formal comment. It was noted that this should be done.
2. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Sara Gibson (SG) Street drinkers and anti-social behaviour is a problem in St Austell and are putting people off from coming into the town. They are purchasing alcohol from Lidl, Iceland and Coop which trade from 8am – 7pm plus the 24hr garage and Asda.
Concerned that the Polish Deli on East Hill have applied for a licensing application to sell alcohol in old Cornwall Staffing Agency office on East Hill from 8am to 10pm. Concerned that there is a reason to object to this on the basis of public safety, public nuisance and crime and disorder and protection of children. Asking the Chamber if there is something that we can do to combat anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Malcolm Brown (MB), (Chairman of the licensing committee in CC) said the objection will go before the licensing committee, and if you want to encourage wider object and to raise it with the police. BP can confirm that this application is going before the TC planning committee on Monday (27.10.14). BP confirmed that member of the public can go to the meeting at the Methodist Church at 6pm).
3. Cornwall Council FURTHER CONSULTATION ON RETAIL
MB update was that the Cornwall Councillors for the town had been split on this issue: 3 for and 3 against.
Council is doing 3 more things:
1) Further work is being done on retail impact with all the towns in Cornwall to give more up-to-date statistics and evidence before finalising the policy on retail.
2) & 3) Two more consultations which are going to take place. CC is paying independent researchers to do a household survey of 700-800 homes to find out what they want to see happen about retail in the town, edge of town, out of town. Also an online survey through the Internet and the Chamber may want to give its views.
Not sure of exact timetable and suspect they will be a lot more internal argument with Councillors and Officers before finalising documents. http://www.staustellchamber.co.uk/news/372/st_austell_retail_strategy_options_consultation_document
12. Date of next Chamber meeting - David Halton next date: 10th December 2014 – The Gurkha followed by a Christmas celebration for the Chamber. ALL ARE WELCOME.
[Meeting ended at: 19.31]
