Ambitions plans
have been announced to save the Loggans Mill building and return it into
use as a state-of-the-art 'Business Enterprise Hub'. Working together,
Penwith, Kerrier and Cornwall councils, and other interested parties
have put forward a proposal in an attempt to secure funding from the
Local Enterprise Growth initiative.
|
The plan seems to be to
develop Loggans Mill into a centre of excellence where
local businesses can seek support, inspiration, guidance,
training and mentoring.
The 'West Cornwall
Enterprise Hub' is planned to bring together the 60 or so
business support providers in Cornwall, in order to foster an
enterprise culture amongst small businesses, though crucially
details of exactly how this would be done, exactly what
services would be on offer and the costs remain very sketchy at the
moment. The proposal
suggests the need to:
|
Ivory Tower? (Artists
Impression) |
- Create an accessible
focal point for enterprise with an independent management
team to foster a vibrant enterprise culture & help provide a
range of business services.
- Deliver an
innovative, high quality ‘Adopt a Business’ mentoring
initiative which could be replicated across the UK as a
success model.
- Deliver, in
partnership, skills development solutions for micro
businesses.
- Deliver, through
partnership, innovative business growth solutions to a
target market of businesses.
- Provide a corporate
training & conference solution which could excite & capture
the UK corporate training market & provide an income stream
for an enterprise focal point for delivery of services.
- Create an innovation
fund, governed by a panel of selected partner agencies, to
provide financial solutions for genuine business growth
propositions – both revenue & capital finance.
- Provide a programme
of innovative solutions to encourage more of the population
(inc. young people, women, older people and those who are
workless) to think innovatively
- Ensure
sustainability for future generations.
The plans foresee the complete refurbishment of the sadly neglected building
and have been
drawn up by architects Rodda, Lloyd Travers. They envisage
the addition of a large single story extension, glazed scenic
stairway and a large car park on the site of the present and
recently refurbished Pickfords warehouse.
Many of the stated
objectives seemingly do not actually require a building of the
size that the re-development that Loggans mill would provide and
those which do seem to duplicate facilities that are already
available elsewhere in Penwith or Kerrier so it is far from
certain that the proposal will attract the funds necessary for
its success.
What do you think? - have
your say in our discussion forum |
|
