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.
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Businesses Working For Saltash
Printable Copy
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 mSaltash
Fore Street
The
Way Forward
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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.
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Chairman William Cotton - Secretary Martin Lovegrove
- Treasurer Peter Dickerson
17 Callington Rd
Saltash
Cornwall
PL12 6DU
You can email comments to: reply@saltashchamberofcommerce.com
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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. |
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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
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.
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ActNow!
Broadband
At
the September 2005 meeting of the Chamber, an introduction by Patrick
Child of ActNow! was given, outlining the benefits of Broadband and
the role of ActNow!. To view the accompanying presentation CLICK
HERE.
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