Falmouth BID launches FREE car parking



Richard Wilcox Falmouth BID Manager



In what will be a first for Falmouth, the Falmouth BID is launching the FEBRUARY IS FREE! car parking scheme, enabling shoppers to enjoy all the town has to offer – its high quality independent shops and national retail businesses, food and drink outlets and visitor attractions – by ensuring that two of Falmouth’s largest car parks The Dell and The Quarry, will be FREE to all who visit on Wednesdays during the month of February 2012. 



The FEBRUARY IS FREE! car parking scheme, one of over 20 projects and schemes kick-started by the Falmouth BID since it was voted in by Falmouth businesses only two years ago, responds directly to feedback from businesses and local people who identify the cost of car parking as a key component in the shoppers’ decision making process. The Falmouth BID has responded to this by liaising with Cornwall Council to spearhead an innovative scheme that will make it even more attractive for people from across Cornwall to‘re-discover’ Falmouth.  

Thanks to the Falmouth BID –

• ALL shoppers who visit Falmouth on ANY of the Wednesdays of the 1^st, 8^th 15^th, 22^nd & 29^th  February and choose to park their car at either The Dell or The Quarry car park can do so for FREE for that 24hr period
• YOU WILL NOT NEED to press any buttons on the ticket machine to get a ticket NOR will you need to display any tickets within your vehicle
• Simply park your car in the highlighted car parks, any time night or day on the dates shown in February and enjoy all that Falmouth has to offer!   

Richard Wilcox, the Falmouth BID Manager said:

“We have to be as competitive and innovative as we possibly can be in order to make our town centre as attractive a proposition as possible for would be shoppers, whether they are coming from Camborne or Cardiff. The cost of car parking is one of the more emotive issues and one that the Falmouth BID highlighted in our High Street Five Point Plan – a campaign that has attracted national attention and indeed recognition in the recently unveiled Mary Portas review of the high street. We as BID have been liaising with Cornwall Council, lobbying on behalf of our BID levy paying businesses to encourage a private sector viewpoint on pricing and policy for 2012 and alongside these meetings, I have been looking at various practical solutions to help support town businesses. By making FREE, car parking in the Dell and Quarry car parks on Wednesdays throughout February, we are doing just that. In such challenging economic times the more the BID works with the businesses in the town to make Falmouth even more appealing for a day visit or longer the better. ”

Guy Thomas, Cornwall Council Town Centre Management Specialist said:

”It is a very positive and encouraging step forward to see a partnership like this between Cornwall Council and Falmouth Business Improvement District.  As a Town Centre Manager, I am acutely aware of the intrinsic link between car park provision and the impact it has upon a town centre. At a time when the collective high street needs as much support as it can get, this scheme is a real example of how Cornwall Council is keen to work with its partners to deliver solutions on the ground, and I hope this is a project which can be developed further in the future.”

Portas High St Review is out

Mary Portas's report on how to tackle to huge issue of declining UK high streets is out and has been welcomed across the industry. Falmouth BID has been raising the issue for quite a while, part of its High St Campaign that led to Richard Wilcox, Falmouth BID Manager being invited to Parliament to take part in a Town Centres discussion with MPs and Ms Portas herself.

"It is a comprehensive report, and it addresses the majority of concerns we have raised here in Falmouth." Mr Wilcox said.

“I am particularly delighted to see that three of the first five recommendations are for greater empowerment for BIDs and town management, and for extra funding to be fixed for these as well. It is gratifying to see she has recognised how we have such a strong role to play in getting ourselves out of the situation we find ourselves in.”

He continued: “She has addressed the need to review car parking charges and called for a thorough review of business rates, which are points we raised in our 5 Point High Street Plan.We need to ensure that town centres and high streets can compete more effectively with out-of-town complexes and become a destination for shoppers once more. I hope now that this is not just a document that sits on the shelf, but that we see the government take notice. The vast majority of traders across the UK will be hoping to see real action, which we hope will then feed down to Cornwall and Falmouth itself, so we can continue to drive forward the town centre, but with more backing."

To read the Mary Portas report CLICK HERE 

To read the British BIDs view CLICK HERE.

Falmouth Spring Festival 17-25 March

We have a terrific schedule taking shape for the second BID funded and organised Spring Festival next year. We had over 4,000 visitors to the various events for this year’s Festival and are now looking to build on that to further help the town’s businesses. There are a couple of new events that I would in particular wish to highlight:

Run Falmouth – a half-marathon Falmouth’s first, in partnership and raising funds for Cornwall Hospice Care. A scenic route taking in beaches and coastline with proceeds going to Hospice Care. We will be starting and finishing this on The Moor on Sun 18^th March. To register for this great event click on this link

Run Falmouth Fun Run – you can still be part of the day by running the shorter 1.5 mile route. To register for this great event click on this link

Zumba Zestifal – also taking place on The Moor this event in partnership with Helen from The Core we hope will be Cornwall’s largest open air Zumba event! £10 to take part which includes a yellow Spring Festival T-shirt, this should be great fun! Time 1pm Sat 24^th March.

Falmouth Art Gallery Let’s get Arty – a series of FREE creative workshops also taking place on The Moor on the 17^th and 24^th March.

I will be in touch in the New Year to get retailer support for the very successful Paint the Town Yellow Day we did this year, whereby schoolchildren will window dress shop fronts.

Click on the link given here to visit the Falmouth Spring Festival page on Falmouth.co.uk and see the full range of activities planned