Saltash Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Chamber News

PRESS RELEASE

Reference: Sainsbury’s Planning Application in Saltash

The Chamber is against the above application for the following reasons: -

The huge increase in traffic in the area around the site, (especially by the school which gets heavily congested currently). Even with massive infrastructure investment, we don’t feel that adequate road safety and management can be achieved. With all the recent planning applications granted, Saltash is heading for a serious traffic gridlock situation.

The adverse effect that Sainsbury’s will have on small independent shops in the town and the convenience stores around the town. There are already too many vacant shops in the town centre and this application won’t be a positive change for the local businesses in the town. It is also clearly wrong to build retail shops on playing fields when shops are empty in the town.

The town has recently had a couple of large retail applications approved and this
will be another nail in the coffin for many local retailers. These objections are consistent with the Chambers views on recent applications.

CHAMBER HISTORY

The Chamber has been in existence since 1950 and currently has 40 members. We represent our members on the Saltash Partnership, Mayfair Committee, Market & Coastal Town Initiative, Gateway to Cornwall Theme Group and the Industry, Commerce and Transportation Committee. We also have links to Plymouth Chamber, and liaise with the other local Chambers. We liaise also with Saltash Town Council on behalf of our members.

Businesses Working For Saltash

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mSaltash Fore Street

The Way Forward

Saltash Chamber of Commerce are seeking your views on their ideas

At our monthly meetings, the members of Saltash & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry have been discussing various ways of improving the experience of shopping in Fore Street and thereby encouraging more people to use Fore Street as their first stop in shopping.

The suggestions below do not represent what they want to do, they are just ideas that we hope will foster more discussion on ‘THE WAY FORWARD’ to improving the Town Centre.

Please take a few moments to read them and then PLEASE forward your comments, suggestions or ideas to the addresses below.

Suggestions:

1.	To pedestrianise part of Fore Street allowing delivery vehicles to enter out of trading hours only and buses only to access during the day.
2.	To promote redevelopment of parts of the town centre to allow for larger shops for national retailers.
3.	To provide alternative routes around the town centre for non-town centre traffic.
4.	To link the two car parks at the lower end of Fore Street and in general provide more parking with variable charging rates, to encourage usage by retail customers.
5.	To promote the location of non-retail activities into the town centre which generate footfall.
6.	To encourage the use of the pavements/pedestrianised area for retail activities, occasional specialist markets, outdoor coffee.
7.	To promote the core retail area from the sorting office to the Co-op.
8.	To create a town square with possibly a covered area/bandstand.
9.	To provide better pedestrian access between Fore Street and the car parks and improve car park signage including availability of space notification.
10.	To ensure adequate parking for disabled and taxi ranks and promote a shoppers bus service from outlying communities

Any progress will have to have the support of the local and regional authorities, retailers, and landowners. We should not be looking to create a town centre that is like many other town centres but should attract a selection of national retailers and other occupiers into the town who enhance the retail vitality of the town centre, creating the right environment for the benefit of all who use it and trade there.

Chairman William Cotton - Secretary Martin Lovegrove - Treasurer Peter Dickerson

17 Callington Rd
Saltash
Cornwall
PL12 6DU

You can email comments to: reply@saltashchamberofcommerce.com

BUS BAYS, LOADING BAYS AND DISABLED PARKING IN FORE STREET

The Chairman had recently been invited to visit Fore Street with local councillors, a Caradon officer and Steve Ewing, Cornwall County divisional surveyor, looking for hazards and discussing possible parking restrictions. Belle Vue Road, Culver Road, Combe Road, Grenfell Avenue, Gilston Road and the Moorlands industrial estate had been suggested for yellow line parking restrictions to which the Chairman had added Essa Road. It had been suggested that the planters in Fore Street by Barclays Bank and the Co-Op be removed and that cycle racks be placed in the street, possibly on their sites. It was also noted that 5% of total parking space should be allocated for the disabled.

Following on from this the Chairman and Mr. Beamont had carried out their own survey of traffic problems around the bus stops at the foot of Fore Street. They noted that the bus bays had been designed with the short ‘Hoppa’ buses in mind. The larger buses normally used protruded out into the street causing a blockage, especially when two were pulled in opposite each other. Mr. Beamont distributed to members maps of Fore Street showing suggested changes. These would move the taxi rank lower down Fore Street with a bus bay and disabled parking space outside the post office. On the Co-Op side the bus bay would be lower down, so that buses could come off the Tamar Bridge and pull straight into the bay. Outside the Co-Op there would be parking spaces. This would result in larger bus bays not opposite each other helping to reduce congestion. A taxi place and a disabled parking place would be gained, two parking places would be lost but if this helped traffic flow it was thought worth it.

Members appeared to approve the scheme in principal. Mr. Beamont offered to prepare improved plans after which there would be consultation with local traders and the bus companies before matters were progressed. It was also suggested that loading bays should be considered, there being none in the area at present, and that in the long term there might be a similar plan to improve the bus stops at the top of Fore Street.

The Chamber records with regret the deaths of Ken Biscombe, (founder member of the Chamber), and former Chairman Les Davey.

PRESS RELEASE

Reference: Lidl Planning Application in Gilston Road

The Chamber has maintained a clear and consistent stance throughout the above application. We recognise that there is a need for a Lidl, (or similar), type operation in Saltash, and if it was in the town centre, we would support it.

When, however, there are empty shops in Fore Street, it is clearly wrong to change the use of industrial land which is in itself, a very sparse commodity. The town has lost some large industrial companies in recent history, due to the lack of industrial land for them to expand.

It would also have gone against Government, and District guidelines.

This wasn’t a view that was solely held by the Chamber. We were supported by Saltash Town Council, Caradon’s Planning Officers, and Cornwall Enterprise.

At the recent Caradon District Council meeting, this was also the view of the overwhelming majority of councillors.

We were pleased that the views and concerns of the industrial community were listened to, but would like to work with all interested parties to see if there is a way Lidl, (or similar) could be accommodated in the town centre.

This will be our only comment on the matter.

CHAMBER HISTORY

Businesses Working For Saltash

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