£100,000 windfall for Porthleven

7:00am Thursday 14th February 2013 in Helston

£100,000 windfall for Porthleven £100,000 windfall for Porthleven

Porthleven has been given a windfall of almost £100,000 to help revitalise its future.

The money will be spent on parking, creating jobs for local people and boosting tourism, as part of a two-year project.

Porthleven’s Cornwall Councillor Andy Wallis described it as “a real game changer” for Porthleven.

He told the Packet: “It’s just a massive amount of money. It’s to make people want to come to Porthleven all year.”

Likely to be one of the most welcome initiatives is the creation of extra parking – a continual source of concern in the port, which is a mecca for tourists during the summer months in particular.

Trevor Osborne of Porthleven Harbour and Dock Company is giving land at Methleigh Bottoms to be turned into a car park for 50 to 100 cars during the second year of the project, subject to planning permission.

Revenue from the parking will be split between Mr Osborne and the Porthleven Regeneration Community Interest Company, which submitted the bid, for future projects.

Before then, however, there are a number of other projects that are aimed at bringing instant benefits to the port.

What is hoped will be a key source of future income is the buying of a community marquee that can be used for events at a minimal cost but also be hired out commercially for the market rate. The hire money will then be reinvested by the CIC.

It is hoped events such as winter markets will be able to take place within the marquee, to encourage people to visit all year round.

To further boost tourism, some of the money will be spent on a website promoting the port, with a town trail also planned so that people spend longer in Porthleven, visit more of its businesses and learn about its history.

Some money will go to the Porthleven Lights committee, which hopes to illuminate the clock tower of the Bickford-Smith Institute.

Another longer term plan is to fund start-up grants for 16 to 24-year-olds who need financial help to set up their own business.

It is hoped the improvement scheme will create at least one job itself, with a small amount of the grant allocated to employing a co-ordinator to oversee the projects.

The aim is for the first lot of projects to get underway as early as next week.

Mr Wallis is part of a five-strong team of volunteers that put together the successful bid to the government’s Coastal Community Fund.

The Porthleven Regeneration Community Interest Company is also made up of town mayor Mark Berryman, community network manager Charlotte Chadwick, Damelza Storbeck of the Porthleven Harbour and Dock Company and David Turnbull, chairman of Porthleven Food Festival.

They have been working on the bid for the last 12 months, submitting the final version in August last year.

Porthleven was one of only 20 bids nationally to get funding, from an initial 1,000 submissions.

Mayor Mr Berryman said: “This is excellent news for Porthleven, a programme that will benefit our residents and visitors alike. The town council is looking forward to working alongside the CIC.”

Mr Turnbull, who is also a director of the successful South Kerrier Alliance that managed the building of the Old Cattle Market in Helston, agreed: “Considering the countrywide competition for this funding, it is fantastic news for Porthleven.”

Comments(27)

telstar1962 says...
7:21am Thu 14 Feb 13

Great news,and perhaps the few wealthy property owners in Helston could take note of what is happening 2 miles away

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
7:31am Thu 14 Feb 13

Excellent things to spend the money on. I am glad they are going to illuminate the clock tower as well.
Good idea to have markets in a marquee that way they are not reliant on the weather, extra parking will be of benefit too.
If they are planning on doing a town trail which is a good idea, I just hope they make it different destinations from that of the Porthleven trail already available from 'Treasure Trails' at www.treasuretrails.c
o.uk
I am really pleased Porthleven has been awarded this money they really deserve it.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
7:39am Thu 14 Feb 13

Incidentally it is in my view an excellent selection of people that make up the team.

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telstar1962 says...
9:14am Thu 14 Feb 13

Looking at this from a less parochial point of view,do you think there is any way in which Porthleven and Helston could collaborate in respect of say,joint marketing, since the two Towns are competing for the same customers in the same tourist market,especially in the busy summer period.

Let's face it,reading my map,it is 2 miles from Porthleven Harbour to the Coronation Lake in Helston

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
9:26am Thu 14 Feb 13

It may make sense in my view, however, I suspect Helston Town Centre Manager/Management Team would have other ideas, in my opinion and I am sorry to sound negative, but I think Mr Birkett is out of touch with reality. What happened to his idea that he was going to reinstate pancake races? As for making roundabouts destinations in their own rights!!!
When you say joint marketing are you referring to markets or marketing as in advertising. I certainly would not recommend Porthleven be associated with Helstons strapline, logo or website.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
10:10am Thu 14 Feb 13

I did wonder why Helston did not attempt to advertise jointly with Porthleven originally, regarding the website, because they utilised pictures of Porthleven which I personally thought was incongruous, in the Portas bid. I know it was lamentable for Helston not to win the Portas bid but I believe they should have initially been more explicit as to what they needed/wanted the money for as opposed to displaying extraneous aspects.
I believe Helston can still be successful and I sincerely hope it is, at the present time it has had the perfect opportunity to attract more visitors by its successful promotion of the Penrose Road centre, I think this really should be encouraged by financial input from the town council now.

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ronedgcumbe says...
12:32pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Great that Portleven has this money and great that they have such well thout out and focused idea's about spending it.
The marque is a great idea with recent climatic condition and the willingness to solve parking problems is inspiring as it seems totally lacking in Helston.
How refreshing to see a set of idea as good as this, Helston should certainly take more.
It will be interesting to see if Portleven needs an apprentice to run its website at 5 grand a year. I suspect they will show they have more sence.

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telstar1962 says...
2:21pm Thu 14 Feb 13

My point is that if visitors are attracted from London,The Midlands and the North,then they are travelling 300 miles and more,to two small Cornish destinations which are no more than 2 miles apart.

Two places so close to each other could get together on advertising at least would make some sort of sense.Just thinking out loud,and thinking would anyone with a brain know what I mean ??

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
2:53pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Helston has the museum the Penrose Rd Centre, Coronation Lake, and The Old Cattle Market in its favour, alongside a cinema, shops, cafes,pubs churches, buildings of architectural interest and community use buildings. I believe they should be focusing on some of those more, particularly in a financial capacity (invest money into the museum, Coronation Lake and Penrose Rd) as opposed to spending money going into a retrograde move to try to emulate what Helston did or had in the past such as market stalls out in the open. Look at the enthusiasm of the volunteers for the museum, look at Penrose Rd and the trustees and look how successful the Centenary event was at Coronation lake, build on those, and forget making Helston look like to some people that it is the town with the largest and most financially draining management team.

Porthleven has the coast, and the harbour in its favour alongside a whole host of other gems, Porthlevens plans appear to be building on what it currently has like adding additional parking facilities which will all help promote events like the food festival and buying a marquee that could be used to have undercover markets with, Porthleven already has successful market stalls so that would be enhancing what they already do and know to be successful. They obviously have some completely new initiatives planned as well although not absurd waste of money schemes but more so practical schemes.
Anyway that's my opinion for what is worth which is absolutely nothing lol

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
3:00pm Thu 14 Feb 13

telstar1962 wrote:
My point is that if visitors are attracted from London,The Midlands and the North,then they are travelling 300 miles and more,to two small Cornish destinations which are no more than 2 miles apart.

Two places so close to each other could get together on advertising at least would make some sort of sense.Just thinking out loud,and thinking would anyone with a brain know what I mean ??
Just read your post, I have it on good authority that I am deluded with a brain processing ailment, however, I do understand your point, but bearing in mind Helston has already spent mega bucks on a website promotion/strapline/
logo and whatever, just to promote Helston alone then how would that stand now if they go in with Porthleven to promote/advertise to the wider public.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
3:29pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Helston would probably insist on hiring another assistant to be a 'combined advertising and promotion with Porthleven coordinator' and expect Porthleven to contribute to their website running fees.

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telstar1962 says...
5:30pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I'll try again explaining what I mean

Torbay,Devon,spans Torquay,Paignton and Brixham.The area is known as The English Riviera,and covers no more than about 7 miles of coast

Thanet,Kent,spans Margate,Broadstairs and Ramsgate,covers 4 to 5 miles of East Kent.

Both of these areas market themselves to the wider world as areas to visit,not just 'come to our wonderful Town or village because our Town or village is better than our neighbour'.

Collaboration and co-operation between these small Towns has worked well,they have excellent web-sites promoting the wider area and this is what I am suggesting Helston and Porthleven do in advertising the benefits of both places to visit.Why have vast separate expenses to publicize places which are 5 minutes or 2 miles apart ?

What I am suggesting is that Helston and Porthleven,even though they are 2 miles apart,and are both trying to attract more visitors,especially in the summer time,need to carry on with their individuality,but also,just as importantly they should consider some aspects of working together,if no other reason than their proximity.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
5:48pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Well why didn't you say that in the first place lol

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telstar1962 says...
7:01pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Sorry,I'm not very good at expaining myself,but I think there is a lot of duplication of unnecessary costs in trying to attract customers to a very small general area.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
7:42pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Lol, well thats nice and concise, my disfunctional brain can comprehend that.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
8:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Incidentally that is a lovely picture of Porthleven at the top of the article, I took a picture at that angle once but I fell off the harbour wall (I think someone pushed me) so I never got to see the picture, I was glad the tide was in.

I prefer Porthleven in the winter so I would welcome the winter market idea.

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telstar1962 says...
9:58am Fri 15 Feb 13

Perchance the professionals with brains at Porthleven could include Helston Town in their 'Trail' ? lol

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
10:03am Fri 15 Feb 13

That is a good idea but then I think the parking tickets for Porthleven should be valid in Helston as well and vice versa.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
10:07am Fri 15 Feb 13

On the reverse of the parking tickets in Porthleven, it says one can claim some money back when spending x amount of money at the co op in Trengrouse way, therefore it leads one to believe that the tickets are transferable between the car-parks, however I was informed that they are not.

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telstar1962 says...
11:14am Fri 15 Feb 13

No man is an island,and to continue to act insularly as these two Towns,will not have the best outcome for either.

By the way, I think the whole of any car parking monies received should be recycled back to the C.I.C. In that way at least the public purse will be receiving monies owing from years gone by lol

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
11:27am Fri 15 Feb 13

I must admit, I thought any car-park revenue gained from the proposed new parking area should be entirely used for the benefit of the CIC, if I was giving something away for the benefit of the community or in fact to anyone (in this instance land) I would never want to gain from it,I believe if you give something away to help someone/people then there should be no ulterior motive and no strings attached.

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
11:29am Fri 15 Feb 13

Will they be going halves with the cost of transforming the land into a car-park I wonder.

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telstar1962 says...
11:44am Fri 15 Feb 13

I am only making this point in view of previous history in relation to individuals (or companies) benefitting from the Inland Revenues generous treatment

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telstar1962 says...
11:35am Sat 16 Feb 13

Ulterior motives ?

Strings attached ?

No, not in Porthleven

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
4:41pm Sat 16 Feb 13

One place I lived in Mullion had two sides of the property that faced onto an unlit public footpath, I paid to have two outside lights put on the front and the side of my property to cover the footpath, this was purely for the purpose of assisting all those that used the footpath at night, after they had frequently commented on how dark it was on the uneven ground, I personally hardly ever used the path at night and I like the dark. The lights were left on every night even if I was away, for the benefit of others, several neighbours told me they appreciated it.
However, I did not suggest they all went halves with me for the electricity cost. I cannot understand anyone that supposedly gives something to the community and yet stands to gain financially from it. Would it not have been better to have sold the field to the CIC for a nominal fee.

As for strings attached, I have spent all day in Porthleven today and sitting on the harbour head I am sure I saw strings attached to the flag poles !!!!!

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telstar1962 says...
9:05pm Sat 16 Feb 13

I note that the car park will be subject to planning permission.

So will that mean when permission is granted,the applicant will proceed to build the car park to their own specification,no matter what the building regulations may state. ( It seems to be the done thing when you are the big fish in a small pool )

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Gill Zella Martin 09 says...
9:35pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Surely the applicant would be the CIC though, if the land is being given to them and I doubt any of the directors/members of the CIC would flout the rules.

Incidentally I was wrong about the current car-park tickets, I forgot that since they changed the machine in the car-park and made it a pound all day to park, the tickets are different and no longer mention the co-op and money refund on the reverse of them.

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