Reaction: Councillors get their say
Reaction: Councillors get their say
Thursday, 09 June 2011 12:43
Reaction: Councillors get their say
From the Cornishman Thursday, June 09, 2011
FIVE days after last Wednesday's public meeting, members of the emerging interim steering group made a presentation to Penzance town council outlining their ideas.
Regeneration consultant Tony Woodhams and Hadrian Piggott, from the Penzance Business Network, were the main speakers, once again explaining how a trust could work, how the town council would necessarily play a key role and the opportunities offered by the forthcoming Localism Bill.
The idea was welcomed by some councillors, including Fiona Thomas-Lambourn.
She said: "Anything that pushes this town forward and improves Penzance for residents and visitors is a good thing," she said.
And John Moreland said he supported the initiative "wholeheartedly", adding: "It is long overdue and will bring the community back together."
But Mike Lovegrove did not believe that the Penzance Business Network (PBN) was the organisation to carry the trust forward. "The PBN is seen as a political pressure group," he said. "We need to start afresh – there is still so much ill will left over from the harbour situation."
Mr Woodhams assured Mr Lovegrove that the trust was a completely new entity.
"There is no Plan A, no Plan Z and nothing in between," he said. "We already have consensus from nearly 30 different groups. There is a clean sheet of paper and it just needs some goodwill."
Mr Piggott said the next step for the steering group was to consult with seafront and harbourside businesses and then to hold further public meetings.
Also attending were Dick Cliffe and Steven Richford, from the town's Chamber of Commerce, Arnaud Ruetsch, from the Penzance & District Tourist Association, Simon Chapman (Penzance Harbour Users Association and Penzance Sailing Club, Wo King (Morna Ltd Online Community Management) and Paul Newport and Jane Howells from the Penzance Business Network.
Mr Cliffe, the Chamber's vice-chairman, said the Chamber had written to the Cornwall Community Foundation in support of the PBN's application for a £1,000 grant to help toward the cost of setting up a trust.
He said the idea of a trust to try to heal the rift of the Scillies ferry link project.
FIVE days after last Wednesday's public meeting, members of the emerging interim steering group made a presentation to Penzance town council outlining their ideas.
Regeneration consultant Tony Woodhams and Hadrian Piggott, from the Penzance Business Network, were the main speakers, once again explaining how a trust could work, how the town council would necessarily play a key role and the opportunities offered by the forthcoming Localism Bill.
The idea was welcomed by some councillors, including Fiona Thomas-Lambourn.
She said: "Anything that pushes this town forward and improves Penzance for residents and visitors is a good thing," she said.
And John Moreland said he supported the initiative "wholeheartedly", adding: "It is long overdue and will bring the community back together."
But Mike Lovegrove did not believe that the Penzance Business Network (PBN) was the organisation to carry the trust forward. "The PBN is seen as a political pressure group," he said. "We need to start afresh – there is still so much ill will left over from the harbour situation."
Mr Woodhams assured Mr Lovegrove that the trust was a completely new entity.
"There is no Plan A, no Plan Z and nothing in between," he said. "We already have consensus from nearly 30 different groups. There is a clean sheet of paper and it just needs some goodwill."
Mr Piggott said the next step for the steering group was to consult with seafront and harbourside businesses and then to hold further public meetings.
Also attending were Dick Cliffe and Steven Richford, from the town's Chamber of Commerce, Arnaud Ruetsch, from the Penzance & District Tourist Association, Simon Chapman (Penzance Harbour Users Association and Penzance Sailing Club, Wo King (Morna Ltd Online Community Management) and Paul Newport and Jane Howells from the Penzance Business Network.
Mr Cliffe, the Chamber's vice-chairman, said the Chamber had written to the Cornwall Community Foundation in support of the PBN's application for a £1,000 grant to help toward the cost of setting up a trust.
He said the idea of a trust to try to heal the rift of the Scillies ferry link project.
