ST.IVES TOWN DEAL GETS UNDERWAY WITH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY

 

 St. Ives Town Deal has launched all of its new communications out to the community to commence consultation on how to best spend £25million within the local area. The immediate response has been significant with high engagement and interest. 17,000 local residents were reached through social media within the first ten days and almost 3,000 are already engaged in the conversation. 

 

St. Ives are one of 100 towns nationally selected to win government funding to enhance and improve their areas. St Ives Town Deal Board has a very short period to develop a vision and Town Investment Plan to potentially access the £25million for what are called ‘interventions’. The object being to deliver economic productivity through urban regeneration, planning and land use, skills and enterprise infrastructure and connectivity.

 

Chair of the Board Sarah Stevens explains; “We are delighted with the immediate reaction just within a few days. There is clearly an interest in seeing St. Ives prosper and grow for the future and we are seeing ideas big and small being submitted. We are also engaging key partners and groups from across the town in discussions and we are confident of a strong submission for the funding in October.”

 

A new website has been launched full of information for local residents www.stivestowndeal.org.uk and a postal survey will be sent out in September to all 8,000 households. 

 

“We are giving every resident the opportunity to have their say, we are listening and also helping people develop ideas that they may already have underway into full expressions of interest for funding”.

 

St Ives is thinking big

 

Expressions of interest are open to investors, businesses and groups that have ideas that require major investment, and that could pick up the funding by providing some match funding to the money. There are some ideas that have been going on in St. Ives for a few years but may have stalled or that need further development and the board is keen to hear from projects such as this. Anyone interested can fill in the form on the website or speak to Lucy Davis at the town deal team. 

 

A diverse board

 

In order to deliver enhancements for everyone in St. Ives it is important that the town deal board is representative of all areas of the community and to that end St.Ives is keen to add more directors to the board, particularly with business backgrounds or with experience of delivering projects in the public realm. Applicants do not have to have board experience, just a passion for St. Ives to thrive and a willingness to be a proactive director. Residents are also welcome to join a variety of subgroups to inject ideas across housing, food and fisheries, culture, green energy, digital, wellbeing and young people.

 

“We are under no illusion that we are facing a challenge in terms of timescales but we are encouraged by the immediate response from the community to our call” continues Sarah Stevens; “This opportunity may not come around again and if we can keep this momentum going we hope to deliver something transformative for our town.”

 

If you are interested in applying to be a board member or getting involved in sub-groups please contact stivestowndeal@cornwall.gov.uk and visit www.stivestowndeal.org.uk