Half a MILLION for Falmouth waterfront walkway plan

7:00am Thursday 29th November 2012 in News Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

The proposed boardwalk would stretch from Fish Strand Quay to the Prince of Wales Pier, crossing the area of water shown in this photograph The proposed boardwalk would stretch from Fish Strand Quay to the Prince of Wales Pier, crossing the area of water shown in this photograph

Almost half a million pounds is set to be spent on a new boardwalk linking Prince of Wales Pier to the car park in Church Street, the Packet can exclusively reveal.

The £455,000 earmarked for the project is just under half the potential lump sum offered by Sainsbury’s to the towns of Falmouth and Penryn, in return for Cornwall Council’s blessing over the supermarket’s proposed move.

Work is expected to start on a new Sainsbury’s superstore at Ponsharden next year.

It will sit on waste ground south of Falmouth Road, the former site of Dale’s Garage, and was granted planning permission by Cornwall Council in December last year.

As part of the deal struck between county planners and the supermarket, it was agreed that a contribution – known as a “Section 106 agreement” or “planning obligation” – would be made to both Falmouth and Penryn in an attempt to offset the loss in trade expected by the two towns if a new superstore is built.

Surveys done at the time suggest the new store could cause a loss of business for both town centres of anywhere from six to 12 per cent and Sainsbury’s have now agreed to compensate for this loss with a lump sum payment of just over £1 million, according to documents seen by the Packet.

Penryn is set to receive £175,000 of this cash for “pavement repairs, the provision of street furniture, improved signage for the town centre, landscaping and improving shop fronts of independent traders within the town centre” as well as “improvements to the waterfront area.”

Town clerk Michelle Davey said councillors at Penryn were aware how the money was going to be spent.

“We have been involved with that all the way,” she said.

“Although it’s Cornwall Council’s decision in the end: what to spend it on and where to spend it.”

As well as money ringfenced for road improvements around the new store, secure fencing around the site and a “waste management contribution” to be paid to the council, approximately £26,500 will be used to help conserve the neighbouring Jewish and Congregationalist cemeteries, which were designated as a scheduled monument in 2002.

A further £125,000 is earmarked for a shuttle bus between Penryn, Falmouth and the superstore – a move which has been criticised as potentially driving more people away from the town centres.

The remaining cash – minus up to £5,000 for an in-store “information board” promoting both neighbouring towns – will go towards Falmouth’s “pedestrian walkway” or boardwalk.

Town manager Richard Gates welcomed the proposed project calling it a “very positive addition to the town.”

He said it would “open up more of the waterfront to the public” and bring “obvious benefits” to businesses.

“Many towns and cities across Europe that are adjacent to the sea or nearby rivers are ensuring their waterfront is accessible as possible for people to enjoy,” he added.

A study carried out by the now defunct Carrick District Council in 2003 suggested a similar but more extensive scheme that would also have seen the redevelopment of Church Street car park into a new town square.

These proposals, which in one version also suggested an access road and promenade on the harbourside, would have cost anywhere up to £55 million and were scuppered by lack of funds and the contamination of the car park (a former gasworks site).

Chair of the town planning committee, Diana Merrett, said something more akin to these former proposals would be better.

“What we wanted was a promenade, a proper one,” she said.

“But if we can get the boardwalk it would open up all the back of the shops.”

Concerns have been raised that little consultation has taken place with Falmouth Town Council, despite the “deed of planning obligation” - seen by the Packet - specifically calling for a “liaison group” to represent the town’s interests.

Town clerk Mark Williams said some “initial discussions” had taken place but the group had yet to be set up.

“We have made repeated requests to Cornwall Council to see where we are with that, but we are yet to hear anything back,” he said.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council confirmed the liaison group was “yet to be established” but refused to say who had put forward the request for a boardwalk in Falmouth and insisted that both the town's councils have been “involved throughout.”

Let us know what you think the half a million should be spent on. E-mail greg.fountain@packetseries.co.uk, get in touch via Twitter @PacketGreg, or leave a comment below.

Comments(38)

Gill Zella Martin says...
7:38am Thu 29 Nov 12

I think this is a good initiative, anything that encourages town centre shopping is to be welcomed. Waterfront attractions are usually very popular.

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rwarwicker says...
8:48am Thu 29 Nov 12

Penryn to lose 6-12% of trade. Really? Doesnt it have to have some trade before it can lose it! The only store in Penryn that will be affected is Asda!

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missleeleepops says...
8:55am Thu 29 Nov 12

Agree, a very good idea for the town. Nothing nicer than sitting down with a coffee overlooking the waterfront. I personally feel that if a town has good quality shops then it has nothing to fear from a supermarket outside the town, Truro is a good example; it has Tescos right opposite the town centre but the town is always busy because it has a good selection of shops AND it has a market which is always popular. Every large town should have a farmers market to support our farmers and encourage visitors

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cornishben says...
9:01am Thu 29 Nov 12

This will be great for the businesses on the right hand side of the street. A walkway that completely bypasses them. Good for cars too.

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ucsweb says...
9:13am Thu 29 Nov 12

First: have you seen the poor state of these buildings from the waterside?
Second: the majority of these buildings do not have waterside access, and I can't see them paying to change that.
Third: this will mean that visitors will be able to walk around the town and not through it! Thereby missing the shops.

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Pendennisracer says...
9:17am Thu 29 Nov 12

ucsweb wrote:
First: have you seen the poor state of these buildings from the waterside?
Second: the majority of these buildings do not have waterside access, and I can't see them paying to change that.
Third: this will mean that visitors will be able to walk around the town and not through it! Thereby missing the shops.
Exactly my thought entirely, the waterfront from the water is not a pretty sight.

Surely this will take people away from the shops?

Ideas like this have been suggested many times before, better to have a link road on the waterside and make the town a proper pedestrian area 9-5.

Will probably end up being a cycle path for the healthy cyclists who can't cycle up Swanpool Street (that's another news story)!!

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Gill Zella Martin says...
9:50am Thu 29 Nov 12

If I visit Falmouth I would visit any waterside attractions that were there in addition to shopping around all the shops. I am fairly local and shop in Falmouth quite often anyway but I know my visitors to the county would additionally stay longer in Falmouth if something like a boardwalk was available.

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Marcella M says...
9:52am Thu 29 Nov 12

ucsweb wrote:
First: have you seen the poor state of these buildings from the waterside? Second: the majority of these buildings do not have waterside access, and I can't see them paying to change that. Third: this will mean that visitors will be able to walk around the town and not through it! Thereby missing the shops.
In full agreement with ucsweb and Pendennisracer. The area behind the shops is not a pretty sight. I am surprised that the people of Falmouth have not been given the chance to say what they want as was done before when different plans were "voted" on.

Also , a bus to take people out of town to Sainsburys???? There are buses that go there now. Falmouth Town has`many empty shops already, why take potential shoppers away?

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ucsweb says...
10:16am Thu 29 Nov 12

Gill Zella Martin you have hit the nail on the head with "waterside attractions". I don't think anybody would find the poor condition of the rear walls of these properties attractive.

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bedoboy says...
1:04pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Something good for the place and some of you still moan!

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Pendennisracer says...
2:29pm Thu 29 Nov 12

bedoboy wrote:
Something good for the place and some of you still moan!
Is it good, a walkway to a car park which is in need of urgent repair.

A waterside promenade with shops/cafes would be great but surely the money would be better spent on what we have already & utilising the available empty premises.

The (working) harbour is a wonderful place but it can already be viewed from several locations plus the main street and the seafront are both nice places for a wander of an evening albeit with very little going on outside of the summer.

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GrahamHarris says...
4:19pm Thu 29 Nov 12

This is a superb idea in principal, but it must be done properly.

If the plan is just for a pedestrian 'walkway' of say 6 feet wide, then yes people are just going to scoot along there, without paying attention to anything.

What's needed is something maybe 5 or 6 metres wide, a few benches on there, an allowance for someone selling snacks maybe and the backs of all the existing properties painting.

There's one chance to do this, let's try and do it properly - it could be one of the loveliest places in the town!

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Ansome says...
4:59pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Two thoughts.....firstly the bus is simply helping Sainsburys recoup its £1m therefore why would we do that?
Secondly, is it not possible to do something on the gasworks car park? It all helps keep visitors in the town. Occasional use as an event site cannot be out of the question.

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seacom says...
6:45pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Does anyone know the full cost for the sceme as £668500 seems a drop in the ocean for a project like this.Will the council be funding the shortfall and can we afford it? Should it actually happen hopefully the construction would be robust enough to withstand the elements and winter storms, nice in the summer though if we get any!

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ElevenEleven says...
7:49pm Thu 29 Nov 12

It's typical of this council that they are choosing to spend the Sainsbury's bribe money on two schemes which will take people away from the town centre shops.

The boardwalk scheme can only really work well if it includes refurbishment of all the shop rears along the waterfront and creating access from them. As has been said, looking back across at them from the pier at the moment is not a pretty sight...

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seacom says...
8:00pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Refurbishment of the rear of the shops would be good but are the landlords of the properties willing or able to afford the expense or even the tenants as it probably would not increase profit more likely increased rents.

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ElevenEleven says...
8:37pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Seacom - in the current economic climate I really can't see that happening perhaps barring one or two (M&S, Costa?)

That's why I asked if the plans would include funding this because as it stands this really isn't an attractive part of town.

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molesworth says...
1:10am Fri 30 Nov 12

I don't know if it's because it's one in the morning and I've had a couple but I've got a bad feeling about this. It's going to be rubbish isn't it? I really want it to be good but it's really going to be pants. To get the waterfront right takes more than a boardwalk and takes a hell of a lot of money. Why do so many things like this end up rubbish? Rising bollards. The horrid sheds on custom house quay. The dry fountain. The awful 'cobbles'. Tacky markets on the Moor. The only thing I can think of which is very good is the lighting of Jacob's Ladder.

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ucsweb says...
8:57am Fri 30 Nov 12

Well said molesworth. It may be rubbish but, it will be Council Tax paid for rubbish.
The only thing I can think of that this would improve is access to the fast food van on Prince of Wales Pier!

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cornishblonde says...
10:13am Fri 30 Nov 12

I would like to know who decided that the money should be spent on a boardwalk. Surely this money is for Falmouth Town Centre improvements, and BIDS are doing a lot towards that, especially with the new signage project about to happen. Also, who is going to make the decisions about how it happens, what it looks like, how it can be used. A little bit more democracy in Falmouth would be priceless!

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cornishblonde says...
10:17am Fri 30 Nov 12

The 'blue-sky' thinking behind the shuttle bus is that part of the agreement also states Sainsbury's have to provide 3 hours free parking in their spacious new car park. That means you can park there and catch the shuttle bus into Falmouth to do your banking etc. and visit the individual shops, come back on the free bus to pop all of that in the boot, and then go into the superstore for general shopping. Its just looking at it the other way round, which could be really good for Falmouth - basically a free park and ride!!

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Lanty Slee says...
11:46am Fri 30 Nov 12

I'm sure the Park & Float are ecstatic about that proposal cornishblonde...

And anyway, who would think to do that?

It's not like the Sainsbury's shuttle bus is going to be advertised to tourists - it will more than likely simply remove the few remaining town centre shoppers and put the nail in the coffin, once and for all, for any shop in Falmouth or Penryn that doesn't sell coffees, pasties, mobile phones or tat.

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Lanty Slee says...
11:49am Fri 30 Nov 12

As for the boardwalk - I quite like the idea.

It does seem like there's so many better things the money could be put to though (see: what Penryn are doing with their portion)...

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ElevenEleven says...
7:15pm Fri 30 Nov 12

Lanty Slee wrote:
As for the boardwalk - I quite like the idea.

It does seem like there's so many better things the money could be put to though (see: what Penryn are doing with their portion)...
Smartening up shopfronts e.t.c. This would be a good idea for Falmouth as many are looking quite tatty, including some chains. Not sure public money should be spent on that though.. Aren't there some powers the town council can use to enforce businesses or landlords to do this?

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seacom says...
11:47am Sat 1 Dec 12

Haveing read the article again could the Packet find out who put forward the suggestion of a "boardwalk" or (access to mooring pontoons) as is probably more likely.Why is the council reluctant to release information when it is willing to accept funds without consultation on a proposed scheme?

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Gill Zella Martin says...
5:18pm Sat 1 Dec 12

They could always build a pedestrian suspension bridge between Falmouth and Penryn, that way shoppers could visit both towns and have a nice walk and bypass the supermarkets.

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Gill Zella Martin says...
5:50pm Sat 1 Dec 12

What happens if the boardwalk gets woodworm.

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molesworth says...
6:39pm Sat 1 Dec 12

I think I've had a flash of inspiration. When Sainsbury's move, the old building could be converted into an indoor archery and rifle range. We could breed some local Olympic champions. Also, all ages and physical abilities can participate in either sport and it's cheap to do so. For once we could have a national standard sport centre here in Cornwall and at little cost (compared to a stadium for instance). Sainsbury's could offer to contribute to this rather than a possibly inadequate boardwalk. Anyone with me on this? I do hope so...

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seacom says...
6:49pm Sat 1 Dec 12

Excellent suggestion moleswoth agreed ,this should be where public consultation kicks in but i would not hold your breath waiting!

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Claudius says...
11:18am Sun 2 Dec 12

Excellent idea molesworth.

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molesworth says...
12:09pm Sun 2 Dec 12

It's not enough money to do it properly so why not spend it on something that'll leave a lasting legacy, something that'll put Falmouth on a national and international sporting map and something that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy and benefit from and people from far and wide will come to use. What is it? An indoor archery and target shooting centre in the old Sainsbury's building. We could even grow our own local Olympic champions. If there's anyone out there who would be willing to take this forward please do. I can't for various reasons. I believe there's also lots of funding for this sort of thing - especially as it's cheap to take part in and disabled people can compete on an equal level. What does anyone think?

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molesworth says...
12:12pm Sun 2 Dec 12

Sorry for repeating my idea above. For a while all comments disappeared on this item hence I reposted...

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Gill Zella Martin says...
1:41pm Sun 2 Dec 12

I think it is a good idea molesworth, perhaps you should contact Sainsbury's head office in London with the idea. I have always found them quite obliging in the past. Any sporting facilities can only be a good thing.

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FalmouthFan says...
4:01pm Sun 2 Dec 12

A very simple way for the shops in the town to get more footfall is for them to stay open in the evenings, especially during the summer. Holidaymakers all walk into town in the evenings to go to the restaurants, if the shops stayed open they would be serving those people who have spent all day on the beach, or sightseeing. Also, the locals who work 9-5 could have a meander through town in the evenings too. If we want to "save the high street" we need to be more flexible.

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Gill Zella Martin says...
4:35pm Sun 2 Dec 12

FalmouthFan I agree, however I suppose if people work all day would they be prepared to work evenings as well, and if they take on extra staff then the profits would suffer and it may defeat the object. Having said that, it would be an opportunity to create more jobs. I still think the idea of a boardwalk would appeal to tourists. The only way really to encourage people to shop in any town in my opinion is to offer free parking or a very reduced rate parking.

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Claudius says...
6:58pm Sun 2 Dec 12

I'm not sure where it was ( age i suspect )but I think it was Tenby in Wales, when I visited about three years ago offered free parking during the Winter to encourage people to shop.Did it work......I don't know, and I don't know if they still do it.But.......they tried which is more than I can say for the money grabbing authority here.
I'm all for molesworths idea.
I'm pretty confident that any meaningful construction worth having would use up most of the cash available in just the piling required for the foundations let alone the walkway itself.

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cornishblonde says...
7:24pm Sun 2 Dec 12

molesworth wrote:
I think I've had a flash of inspiration. When Sainsbury's move, the old building could be converted into an indoor archery and rifle range. We could breed some local Olympic champions. Also, all ages and physical abilities can participate in either sport and it's cheap to do so. For once we could have a national standard sport centre here in Cornwall and at little cost (compared to a stadium for instance). Sainsbury's could offer to contribute to this rather than a possibly inadequate boardwalk. Anyone with me on this? I do hope so...
The old Sainsbury's store is not going to be redundant - that is going to be their 'white goods' shop, ie. electricals and probably clothing. It will be linked to the new store by a footbridge, I seem to remember.

Sadly that will not allow for it to be turned into any kind of indoor sports facility - although that would have been a good use. The Council should have done that when the Co-Op wanted to sell a few years ago.

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Lanty Slee says...
12:05am Mon 3 Dec 12

FalmouthFan wrote:
A very simple way for the shops in the town to get more footfall is for them to stay open in the evenings, especially during the summer. Holidaymakers all walk into town in the evenings to go to the restaurants, if the shops stayed open they would be serving those people who have spent all day on the beach, or sightseeing. Also, the locals who work 9-5 could have a meander through town in the evenings too. If we want to "save the high street" we need to be more flexible.
Perhaps in the summer, but I was in town during the Christmas lights switch-on last week.

And it did not look worth anybody's time staying open late that night...

(Although, admittedly it did help me complete some much needed gift purchases)

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