Chamber Members’ Meeting 3 Oct 2013 (5.45 pm) – The Work Box

There will be a Chamber Members’ Meeting in The Workbox on Thursday 3 Oct at 5.45pm (for 6.00 pm meeting start).  The agenda will include.

*   A briefing on the Penzance Workbox and what if offers small businesses and freelancers. 

  

*   Guest speaker Guy Thomas, Cornwall Council’s Town Centre Management Specialist, speaking on Town Centre issues and related Council initiatives.  

*   A briefing on the timetable for the Penzance Business Improvement District.

*   The Sainsbury’s Section 106 agreement .  What should the priorities for spending be? Click here to read the agreement.   

Note:  Penzance Chamber of Commerce has no control over the spending of Section 106 funds but needs to know its members’ priorities iwhen consulted on the matter).

Penzance Business Improvement District (BID)

Last night the Penzance BID Steering Group met Cornwall Council’s BID Development Officer (Joseyanne Thatcher) for the first time in the Queens Hotel.  Joseyanne briefed the members on BIDs in general and the plan to guide them through the process to create a Penzance  BID.

A Penzance BID has the potential to raise ~£190,000 year for businesses to spend on measures to improve the local  trading environment. The BID has a 5 year life after which businesses can decide to renew it for a further 5 years.

The first item on the agenda was to select a Steering Group Chairman.  Eventaully, succumbing to pressure, Marcus Wilkinson (Alfred Smiths) agreed to fill the post. 
 A relatively cautious BID development timetable was agreed with the ballot of businesses expected at the end of 2014.

Click here for British BID’s concise brief on BIDs.

Click here for Josyanne Thatcher’s presentation to the Pz BID SG 5 Sep 13 (Powerpoint)

DfT annouces £8 Million for Harbour Works

The Department of Transport has issued a press release (here)  confirming that it is contributing £8 million towards harbour improvements for St Mary’s Harbour and Penzance Harbour   Work can go ahead subject to final clearances and the securing of European funding.

The press release said simply that the work involves dredging at Penzance and pier widening and improved freight handling facilities at St Mary’s.  

Penzance Business Improvement District (BID) 'Kick-Off' - 5 Sep 2013

Penzance BID preparations kick off on Thursday 5 Sep in the Queens Hotel (17.45 for 18.00 start).  The Penzance BID Steering Group will meet with Josyanne Thatcher, Cornwall Council’s BID Development Officer for the first time.  Josyanne will be briefing the Steering Group on the BID development process and the timetable for the Penzance BID.
Also on the agenda for Thursday is definition of the Penzance BID boundary – the area within which business ratepayers will be paying the BID levy. 

You can view the BID boundary used to confirm the viability of a Penzance BID here. A 2% levy on business rates in this area raises approximately £185,000/year (both St Austell and Camborne have choosen a 2% levy).
 
The Penzance BID Steering Group (membership here) met for the first time (without Cornwall Council involvement) on 9 July 2013. Meeting notes are available here. 

For a concise explanation of a BID go to ‘British BIDs’ here .

Chamber Committee Meeting - Tuesday 3 Sep 2013

The Chamber Committee Meeting scheduled for 3 September will take place Wharfside Centre Conference Room at 17.45.   The agenda can be found here.

The minutes of the last meeting (2 July 2013) can be found here.

All Chamber Committee Meetings are open to Chamber members to attend if they wish.  The Committee encourages prospective members to attend, please contact the Chairman for an invitation.

The October Committee Meeting will take place on Tuesday 1 October at 17.45.  Venue to be confirmed but likely to be the same venue.