Falmouth BID Save the High St 5 Point Plan

SAVE THE HIGH STREET 5 POINT PLAN

1. Easy, free or low cost, flexible parking
We need:

• Local control/ ownership of our car parks so that easy, low cost, accessible parking can be provided
• A supportive and imaginative Planning and Transport function to help make access to car parks easy and integrated into a progressive town plan.

Currently, our car parking is in the wrong place with poor access, badly signposted with punitive and inflexible charges. The car parks are generally owned by the unitary authority (Cornwall Council) who primarily regard them as an income stream. They are managed with no imagination and little consideration of supply and demand. The charges/parking arrangements do not seem to take account of the wider economic impact that car parking plays in town regeneration.

Compare the easy, available, free parking with convenient access provided by supermarkets and out of town retailers VERSUS the challenge of visitors finding their way through prohibitive and unfriendly signage, congested and constrained roads through to very expensive car parks where the fright of Clamp Notices for going over time send shoppers scurrying back to their vehicles whether they have finished their shopping or not!

2. Co-ordinated, imaginative and well-integrated local public transport which meet customer needs
Public transport provision needs to be convenient, reliable and integrated to tempt customers away from their cars. I can’t remember ever being asked to participate in or comment on any local public transport service provision. We need to encourage the provision of alternative, customer oriented, green transport developed by the private sector and supported by imaginative councils. Private sector ferries have grown very successfully in Falmouth using the waterways but there is plenty of room for other imaginative schemes such as pedal power, electric shuttle buses and the like.

The problem is that much of the innovation will not stem from tired, moribund councils battling with cuts and reductions. Instead of subsidies for large empty buses running the same routes at inconvenient times through rural areas to tick "inclusion" boxes, why not pave the way for smaller private sector operators running more micro level and customer focused schemes?

3. Well-funded and professional town management which can form proper retail strategies and plans

Big retail centres, malls or retail parks are developed and managed by professional, private sector retail managers and developers who focus firmly upon gaining the right retail mix of tenants to meet the needs of the customers they are targeting. They also focus on the total retail experience from arrival, parking, lighting, ambience, cleanliness, toilets, entertainment and information etc.

How can the High Street compete? It starts off with a great theoretical advantage – location, location and location – but then potentially throws it all away with a complete laissez faire, ad hoc approach with no tenancy strategy and the management of the shopper experience delegated to an assortment of non-integrated public sector departments and agencies.
High Streets need managing like the total business of a shopping centre with real business plans focused upon building footfall, improving the public realm and enhancing shopper experience.

4. More business rates need to be kept local with businesses involved in how the business rates are spent.

Our business rates (or taxes) grow incessantly and disappear off to central government where the customers (the businesses paying those rates) have no involvement or say. If we work hard and grow our businesses, we are dramatically penalised by huge increases in rates. There needs to be a proper connection to business rates and the services we receive with proper local accountability.

5. Cut VAT in half to 10% on retail/restaurants/hotels/tourism businesses

Tourism and its economic multiplier effect is Falmouth’s biggest industry. If the Government is serious about driving economic growth through tourism – which is critical in the West Country, the UK’s leading visitor destination – then action to cut VAT on tourism is vital. The tourism industry acts as a major economic driver and this is crucial in Falmouth, providing income for shopkeepers and farmers alike.

Britain needs to be competitive. Consider that the French have cut VAT down to 5%, the Germans have recently cut it down from 19% to 7%, Spain was already at 8%. The beauty of cutting VAT here is that you will see a return on your investment through more jobs and more economic activity being created which will reduce work related benefits and deliver more tax income to the treasury from the expanding businesses – from farmers to shop fitters – as a result.

How to get involved!

1. Back the campaign!
2. Contact your local newspaper who will continue to tell the story
3. Write to your local MP, let them know your thoughts and ideas for revitalising the High St
4. Write to your local or Cornwall Councillor, again with your ideas and opinions as to what policy changes are needed
5. Get onto the Facebook page Falmouth – Spirit of the Sea and leave a comment on the Discussions page 

Maritime Museum hosts musical sea celebration

Last Saturday evening saw the Main Hall at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth filled with the sound of strings being plucked and cords be played with a concert by Music Cornwall’s Guitar Team.

The evening of guitar music was entitled Tales of Seafarers, Stowaways and Smugglers and included pieces composed especially for the evening.

The audience enjoyed performances by both the senior and junior ensembles plus a special rendition of ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum’ by Goonhavern Primary School. The Woodfield Ensemble gave the first performance of Chris Fitkin’s My Harbour this was followed by two French songs beautifully sung by Katie Maundrell. The evening was finished off in rousing fashion with a surprise appearance by Falmouth Shout Shanty Singers.

Music Cornwall provides instrumental tuition at all levels, in all styles and in all disciplines to schools, colleges and music centres throughout Cornwall.  The Service also provides classroom support at primary and secondary level and directs a variety of orchestras and ensembles for all abilities.

Peter Bone, County Music Advisor says: It was a fantastic evening and reflects the high quality of teaching that Music Cornwall provides.

Maritime Museum Education Manager Stuart Slade said: “We are delighted to support such a wonderful event.  The Maritime Museum seemed to be the perfect venue for this musical celebration of seafarers and the sea and the junior players certainly got into the spirit of things with their fantastic pirate costumes.”

HIgh Street campaign kicks off

Falmouth BID is spearheading a campaign to develop, improve and revitalise the Great British High St. This follows of course the appointment of Mary Portas as ‘celebrity consultant’ to the Government in this regard.

Very importantly, we are looking to do all we can for our 400+ BID stakeholders and raise their concerns as best we can. We aim through our campaign, to provoke debate, discussion, focus attention and to galvanise support for some of the action points that we are making, that will enable growth and prosperity for the high street. These points have been made in a detailed letter to Mr David Cameron and are being backed up by a coordinated effort of engagement, local and regional PR and lobbying.

The PR element of the campaign has begun in earnest  as the campaign hit the front page of the Western Morning News as well as the lead opinion piece

A discussions board set up on Falmouth’s facebook page is available here.

Moment to Shine!

Fancy a stint with the torch? Then read on....

The build up to the London 2012 Olympic Games has truly begun! This week the design of the Olympic Torch was unveiled and, with the confirmation that the Olympic Torch Relay will begin its journey from Land’s End on 19th May 2012, the hunt is now on for people to carry the Olympic Flame across Cornwall and the rest of the UK. 

The route has been planned so that the Flame will come within an hour of 95 percent of people in the UK and enable communities to focus on the very best in their area.  The Olympic Torch Relay will start at Land’s End on Saturday 19^th May 2012 and the Flame will then visit locations across the UK before reaching London on Saturday 21 July.

The London 2012 Olympic Torch, which stands 800mm high, features 8,000 small cut-out circles, representing the 8,000 inspirational people who will carry it on its journey around the UK.  With 8,000 Torchbearers required for the 70 day relay, nominations are now being sought for inspirational people in Cornwall to carry the torch through the County. 

Do you know someone truly inspirational?  This is your chance to give them their moment to shine.  Nominate someone you know to be a Torchbearer and they could have the honour of carrying the Flame through Cornwall on day one of the Olympic Torch Relay.

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) are looking for ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  This will be a Relay for everyone, from any walk of life, anywhere in the UK with the aim that 50% of the Torchbearers will be young people aged between 12 and 24. 

Do you know someone who has inspired you to do something you never thought possible, or someone who always tries to be the best they can be?  Perhaps someone who makes a real difference in their school or community or someone who has shown what it means to be a real friend?  If you do - then this is your chance to give someone you know their moment to shine in this once in a lifetime opportunity.  It might be a friend who gave up a lot to help you through a really hard time, a local football coach who is out on the touchline every week, a youth worker who runs a music project to give confidence to children or someone who gives time to help elderly or disabled people get around.  LOCOG do not have a particular person or type of story in mind, they are excited to see who’s out there, so get nominating!

You have until 29 June 2011 to nominate them to be a London 2012 Olympic Torchbearer.

Nominations can be made through the London 2012 website http://www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay or visit the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay official Facebook page www.facebook.com/london2012torchrelay

After nominations close at 11.59pm on 29 June, a shortlist will be created of potential Torchbearers through a ballot process.  The stories of the shortlisted nominees will be put forward to the South West judging panel.  Announcements of who will carry the Olympic Torch through Cornwall will be made in December 2011.  The three Presenting Partners, Coca Cola, Samsung and Lloyds TSB, will launch their own Torchbearer campaigns later in June 2011, with the principle of nominating someone with an inspiring story of personal achievement and/or contribution to their local community at their heart.                                 

American Beer Festival in Falmouth – July 2011

American Beer Festival in Falmouth – July 2011Find out why American craft beers are the envy of the world
HAND will host its first annual American Beer Festival from 1 July to 10 July, where it will showcase some of America’s finest craft beers.  

“This is a huge coup for us, not just to have these beers in Falmouth but in the UK” says bar owner, Peter Walker. “American beer has never had the best reputation amongst British beer drinkers.  All that was available to us in the past was the insipid alcofizz pushed on us by the world’s beer megabrands.  What we hope to show is just how good modern US craft beers really are and why they have made UK brewers re-evaluate many of their own beers.”

Prior to the 1980s, American beer had become homogenised and commercial, with bland flavours and large advertising budgets.  This was due to many factors including prohibition killing off small breweries, conflicting state laws regarding alcohol sales and government regulation favouring large brewers.  American beer was brought back to life when President Jimmy Carter deregulated the business in 1979.

Since then, small, independent craft brewers have come of age producing some of the world’s most exciting and distinctive beers.

A major highlight of the event at HAND is the Real Ale that will be available.  Festival goers will be able to sample Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch and Snake Dog on gravity even before they appear at the American Bar at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival. 

Alongside Flying Dog Brewery there will be beers from Left Hand, Anchor, Great Divide, Brooklyn and Goose Island breweries, plus 20 different bottled beers from the same breweries as well as Anderson Valley and Sierra Nevada.

The bar will also be exhibiting illustrations by the legendary Ralph Steadman, showcasing his label artwork for Flying Dog Brewery.  

American Beer Festival at HAND beer bar, noon 1 July to 10 July 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAND is a specialist beer bar situated in the courtyard off the High Street in Falmouth. It currently holds more than 60 beers from around the world.  HAND also serves wines, spirits, teas, coffees and bar snacks.  It is open from noon until 1am Friday to Sunday, and 5pm to 1am Monday to Thursday. 

www.facebook.com/handbeerbarUK

www.twitter.com/handbeerbarUK

                                                                                            

Minnows’ Tales Goes Swimmingly at the Maritime Museum!

A fantastic time was had by all at the launch of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s new Minnows’ Tales sessions today.

Parents, carers and pre-school children took the chance to enjoy half-an-hour of stories, songs and rhymes in the Museum’s Main Hall, with storytellers from the Museum and the Cornwall Library Service.

The launch coincided with the start of National Bookstart Week, which is an annual celebration of the joy of sharing stories, songs and rhymes.  The Museum teamed up with Cornwall Bookstart to offer lots of free goodies for anyone attending.  They also brought along the Bookstart Bear to meet the children.

Debbie Rogers, Education Officer at the Maritime Museum said: “Everyone had a great time joining in with the songs and rhymes and, of course, the children were very excited to meet the Bookstart Bear!  Next week we’ll be in a different part of the Museum for more fun and stories.”

The Minnows’ Tales storytelling sessions at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth take place at 10.30am and 11.30am every Monday during term-time.  All sessions are free with a Museum entrance ticket.  To find out more please call 01326 214535 or visit www.nmmc.co.uk. To find out more about Bookstart visit www.bookstart.org.uk.

Mutiny imminent!

If rumours are to be believed, Capt Bligh and his merry mob are on their way to Falmouth for a two day visit! The HMS Bounty, the actual ship built for the film Mutiny on the Bounty that starred Marlon Brando is visiting Falmouth on the 11th & 12th June.

The ship, an 18th Century replica square rigged sailing vessel, will be alongside the Docks and open to the public over the two days...

www.tallshipbounty.org