Town council says no to harbour bid
PENZANCE Town Council will object to The Route Partnership's plans to regenerate Penzance Harbour.
In a stormy debate on Monday night, members of the council questioned the location, design, business case and environmental impact of the scheme.
Following a lengthy debate the council unanimously decided to object to the scheme. A letter outlining the objections will be sent to the partnership.
Former mayor Cllr Simon Reed feels the location and design are unsympathetic to the town. "It's shockingly bad and put together by someone who has no experience of standing there," he said.
The council feels more time is needed to "get the plans right".
Deputy mayor Cllr Jan Ruhrmund said: "I do not want to be looking at it and thinking 'if only' so we need extra time."
Some of the councillors have gone as far as calling the district council "fascist" over the way they say the project has been pushed forward.
"Every time I mention this there's a stone wall at Penwith District Council," Cllr Ruth Lewarne said. "It seems like there's a whole agenda going on. We have to use every opportunity to say no. It has been a long time cooking. It's almost fascist."
John Moreland said: "It seems like St Mary's on Scilly has been negotiating their scheme for three years and that's why they are happy with it.
"We have been emotionally blackmailed that if we don't take it we will lose it. But our MP Andrew George has said that if we want to alter it there's no reason why we should not."
It was proposed Penzance Town Council should be given a special role in the light of Penwith District Council ceasing to exist next month. Councillor Phil Rendle said: "I find it difficult to join in the discussion and I am also concerned about the information we get.
"The main point I'd like to make is that the position of the town council is that we are concerned we have been sidelined. We should do something about putting Penzance Town Council on the map. We could have a special role because we'll be the only council continuing in the future."
Tim Wood, Cornwall County Council's project director, told The Cornishman yesterday the Route Partnership was pressing ahead with plans to lodge a planning application for its harbour redevelopment scheme later this month.
5 Comments
by Dr David Killen, Scilly
Thursday, September 03 2009, 11:55AM
“For the good of one and all? You mean for the good of Penzance.
Why do people feel that an upgraded ferry service would not benefit Penzance? It's simply not true, the Scillonian takes 600 people at present and many of those people have to stay in Penzance on the evening before the voyage, utilising guest houses, hotels and eateries. The same is true on the way back as the boat docks after 7pm. But to say that there is nothing wrong with the current system and facilities would be a bit fanciful to say the least. The boat is 32 years old and shows it's age, especially the interior. The voyage is rough about 70% of the time, and that's a memory that children and parents take with them and does put them off returning. There's nothing we can do about sea conditions but there IS something that can be done to make the voyage more comfortable, and less time-consuming. The Scillies have endured a loss of 40,000 visitors compared with 2002 numbers. Can Penzance survive without the Scilly link? Yes, it can, but it will lead to loss of jobs both those directly associated with the quay and also those involved in tourism. I would also like to bet that the main rail line will shorten considerably and will terminate in Truro, with the rest of Cornwall accessible by a regional rail service, much like Newquay and Falmouth already are. BIH will move on, they already very nearly did earlier this year but a short reprieve was granted. They will move to Lands End in the near future, that's a given.
I feel sorry for Penzance and also very worried. I've spent a lot of time in Penzance and like it a lot, but it's teetering on the brink of collapse if they lose their current partnership with the Scillies. I fear that some councillors are playing roulette with the town, and it revolves around their ego's and the devolution of power to the County Council. Again, it's sad that Cornwall has gone that way but that's a separate agenda point and should not encroach on the decision making process in this case.
I've directed public consultations before and I now how to manipulate figures to suit an agenda. 85% of 100 people is not representative of the whole of Penzance and a much better indication would be to consult with the Penzance businesses alone and see what they think. Democracy is all well and good if people understand the weight of those decisions, but I don't think this is the case for many in Penzance.”
by Roger Lowry, PZ
Saturday, February 14 2009, 8:32PM
“We have been saying no to it since 2003 when a document was left in the Dock Inn by a councillor with "any comments" scrawled on it". The first the public knew of it.
In fact at the last two exhibitions of the plans 85% of the population said NO!
At the moment we have hundreds of elected councillors in Cornwall who's hands are tied because if they take sides they can't vote on the issue.
Well thats not strictly true in Penwith.”
by Gordon Browntrouser, Penzance, Cornwall
Thursday, February 12 2009, 6:04PM
“Come on the Penzance Boys!!
just say no to the Rotten Partnership! Brought to you by Monstrous Carbuncle plc.”
by Simon, Penzance
Thursday, February 12 2009, 3:40PM
“Well said Roger.
The Harbour Users have a great plan and they actually represent the people using the harbour!
No-one seems to have even considered that plan from up county and it is about time that Penzance began standing up for itself and demanding better,”
by roger lowry, penzance
Wednesday, February 11 2009, 8:19PM
“Well done to the Penzance Town Council! The voice of the people!
As far as I am concerned Tim Woods plan to destroy the sea front of Penzance is dead in the water!
After the stream of deliberately misleading information he and his colleagues have been giving the population of west Cornwall and the resulting 85% + objection to his scheme
.I believe it is time that they admitted defeat and looked at other options that would bring lasting benefits to the economy for future generations as identified by the community.
They will not be condemned for admitting they have been wrong all this time. Now there is an opportunity for them to work with the people of Penzance for the good of one and all!”