New supermarket will pay £250,000 for Penzance's improvements
Groundworks for a new supermarket in West Cornwall are due to begin in a few months.
Sainsbury's will start development of its store at the former Penzance heliport and home of British International Helicopters at Eastern Green.
As work begins, thousands of pounds is expected to flood into Penzance. Ben Littman, regional development executive for the supermarket in the South West said: "Sainsbury's is anticipating work will start in spring with a store opening before the end of the year, if all goes to plan."
A total of £249,500 is set to be handed to Penzance by Sainsbury's under a Section 106 planning agreement. Under the terms, £130,000 will be used for town centre improvements, £25,000 for events, £25,000 for marketing and promotion, £49,500 for introducing a town centre co-ordinator and £20,000 for the introduction of a Business Improvement District (BID).
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Local businesses must vote to become a BID which, if approved, would see traders paying the equivalent of 1 or 2 per cent of their business rates into a ring-fenced fund to be used for the benefit of the town.
"I am convinced that a BID would give an enormous benefit to Penzance," said Dick Cliffe, chairman of the town's chamber of commerce. But he added that a concerted effort would be needed to show traders they should part with their hard-earned cash.
"If people do not have confidence in it then they will vote against it. But if it does go ahead, it would provide guaranteed income to be spent promoting the town."
Comments
by modrep
Friday, January 11 2013, 5:25PM
“It's a paltry amount compared to the amount of damage that Sainsburys will cause to Penzance in the long term. I am sure that the vast majority of people don't want Sainsburys, we have plenty of supermarkets already. What we don't have is a heliport or a thriving town centre. Penzance is struggling and this will make things even worse.”
by mygodlesslife
Friday, January 11 2013, 1:34PM
“Am I reading this correctly? Penzance businesses are being asked to part with an extra 1- 2% on top of their business rates? Or is it taken from that they already pay?
Apropo the £249,500 from Sainsbury's;
1. On what will the £130,000 be spent on town improvements?
2. What 'events' will benefit from the £25,000?
3. Who or what will be marketed and promoted with another £25,000?
4. What will a £49,500 town centre co-ordinator do, and how will this person be selected?
5. Notwithstanding its name, what will be the objects and methodology of a Business Improvement District (BID)?
It's great seeing these sort of numbers coming towards Penzance town centre, but what do they all mean exactly. At present they seem like nothing more than sound-bites.”