Issue 49 www.businesscornwall.co.uk April 2011 But will sector in-fighting hinder LEP prospects? Also Local business news Zeitgeist Business Clinic Contents Issue No.49 Digest Newquay BID approved 5 Lang Bennetts opens in Falmouth 6 National distribution deal for Marbel 7 Creative & IT Gold Standard for Datasharp 8 Tel: 01209 718688 Marine www.businesscornwall.co.uk A&P under new ownership 9 Editorial Director Tourism Nick Eyriey Retallack in administration 10 Email: [email protected] Construction Sales Director WWA acquires Baseline 11 Toni Eyriey Food & Drink Email: [email protected] Cornish Pasty wins PGI status 12 Business Development Manager Rhys Bonney Environment Email: [email protected] Renewables firm hits buffers 13 Designer Andy Peat + Email: [email protected] Digest 15 Roundup of local comment following last month’s Business Cornwall magazine is Budget statement published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing The Old Farmhouse Nancemellin Camborne Business Clinic 16 Cornwall TR14 0DW Valuable business advice this month from Coodes, Partner Registered under the Data Protection Act to Succeed, Oxford Innovation and Business Link All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Business Cornwall magazine to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, Zeitgeist 18 it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Business Cornwall magazine can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend. Delving through all the latest research for an instant snapshot on the wider state of the nation The Big Debate 22 “If you are too reliant on the public sector, the best will in the world, they will usually drive the agenda, and that’s something we might have to accept.” Why the local LEP may not be as Business Cornwall is printed on 130gsm Hello business-led as some would hope silk paper supplied by Robert Horne and printed in Cornwall by St Ives Roche Ltd Regulars Letters 4 Business Cornwall is a proud sponsor of Commentary 5 Arts & Business On the Move 14 Events & Networking 28 Business Cornwall magazine is a patron of the Cornwall Chamber The Last Word 30 of Commerce and Industry Photographer Toby Weller Business Cornwall Magazine - April 2011 www.businesscornwall.co.uk Contents 3 Letters Email your letters to [email protected], alternatively post them to the address at the front of the magazine. We endeavour to print all correspondence to the magazine, good or bad, as long as they’re not going to get us into trouble with the lawyers! FiT to bust? Events Dear editor April 6 On February 7, the Minister of State Mid Cornwall networking breakfast Greg Barker announced a fast-track The Cornwall Hotel Spa review of the renewable energy Feed www.cornwallchamber.co.uk In Tariff (FIT) with the intention of Tel: 01209 216006 restricting the subsidy of solar energy schemes to a maximum installed capac- April 7 ity of 50 kilowatts (kW), a hundred Better Business Club times lower than the current 5 mega- Penlee House Gallery watts (MW) qualification level. www.cornwallchamber.co.uk Since the FiT came into effect in April Tel: 01209 216006 2010, a robust large scale solar industry has been established in Cornwall on the be corporate run is also very much in April 8-9 promise that each (solar scheme) is paid doubt. Green Build Cornwall for every kW hour it produces. As the Government looks towards The Eden Project With many proposed 5 MW schemes the private sector to fund sustainable www.csbt.org.uk now under way, the Cornish solar energy, news of the fast-track review Tel: 01726 64651 industry has already invested millions has already damaged City and bank- of pounds into consultation, design, ing confidence in its ability to trust April 12 environmental surveys and planning Government policy when weighing up IoD South West applications to ensure the development risk. Investment into sustainable energy Foundation Building, Eden Project of high quality projects, much of this technology has now almost dried up, Tel: 0117 905 5050 investment employing local businesses which is a worrying situation. and creating jobs. I fear that the review will not only April 19 Reducing the FiT will not only kill damage many individual businesses and Cornwall Chamber breakfast an industry over-night, cutting jobs, investors in Cornwall but also a poten- Truro Prep School contracts and personal investment but tially viable and exciting Cornish solar will also deny Cornwall the opportunity industry, not to mention the matter of www.cornwallchamber.co.uk of being at the heart of a sustainable trust in the Government when it comes Tel: 01209 216006 energy industry as well a chance to lead to energy policy. technological innovation for which it April 30 - May 1 was once famous. Rupert Warwick, The Cornwall Home Show Stories about the countryside being Skyfield Communications Kingsley Village, Fraddon paved with solar panels are simply not www.cornwallhomeshow.co.uk true; market forces, lack of suitable sites and strict planning controls would prob- May 5 ably produce less than forty large scale Where’s the Securing the Future of Farming solar sites within the county and few St Mellion International outside. Incentive? Tel: 0845 600 9966 It is true that the domestic and small scale commercial schemes are impor- Dear editor tant to the solar energy mix but the Re: ‘Energy company in administration’ larger 5 MW sites are vital in producing (businesscornwall.co.uk March 4, see also the amounts of clean energy needed Digest p13). their promises – with lots of support, by to benefit the Cornish and UK popula- Quite a lot of EarthEnergy’s prob- the way, from our MP Sarah Newton – tion as a whole. They will stimulate self lems were due to Government announc- and we hope that the RHI comes in to sufficiency and help secure against the ing the Renewable Heat Incentive support both existing and new jobs in rising costs of fossil fuels and foreign (RHI) scheme, and then not implement- renewable energy. imports as well as providing a sound ing it. The sooner they implement it, the investment for pension funds, spread- better. Richard Freeborn ing the benefits of FiT even further. We have been putting a lot of pres- The idea that small scale solar will not sure on Government to come good on 4 Letters www.businesscornwall.co.uk Business Cornwall Magazine - April 2011 Commentary LEP disharmony The makeup of the first board for And the LEP in Cornwall and the the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Isles of Scilly is unlikely to be as private Enterprise Partnership should be sector led as many would hope. MP revealed in the coming weeks. George Eustice said as much during the I am told that the level of appli- debate – “if you are too reliant on the cants has been extremely high, which public sector...they will usually drive should bode well for its future, but agenda, and that’s something we might judging by the LEP debate we held have to accept”. last month and subsequent internet It wasn’t all disagreement during the website recently, is the audio feature forums, the board will have its work debate, however. Indeed, most agree we provide courtesy of our friends at cut out in engaging the private sector on its aims and priorities, it’s mainly Kernowpods.com. as one unified body. the mechanics and structure where the In recent months the podcasts have Amid recriminations of who has or differences lie. provided an extra dimension to our has not been consulted or involved, We broadcast a live video stream of coverage, featuring exclusive inter- it is imperative that for the project to the debate over the internet on our web views with leading business figures succeed, the private sector sings with site, while also doing a live Twitter wall. from events up and down Cornwall as one voice. It is something we will increasingly look they happen. This would appear to be some way to do in the future, as we look to provide Remember, for the very latest and off, however, with the local leadership as comprehensive a coverage of the most comprehensive daily coverage of the FSB and the recently formed Cornish business scene as possible, on as of the Cornish business scene, go to Cornwall Business Forum particularly many platforms as possible. businesscornwall.co.uk disaffected with the way things are Another media that has been developing. proving particularly popular on our Nick Eyriey Digestgeneral Sponsored by www.cornwallchamber.co.uk Cornish BID hat-trick Key Network is A third Business Improvement Dis- trict (BID) is set to be formed in Corn- Law Firm of the wall following an overwhelming ‘yes’ Year vote from Newquay’s businesses. 74% of the companies that voted were in favour of the scheme, meaning that A group of property solicitors has the Newquay BID becomes the 110th BID been named Law Firm of 2011 to be approved in the UK and the third at the Cornwall Law Society’s BID in Cornwall, following Truro and annual awards dinner. Falmouth. The Key Network comprises a From April 1, funding of circa £150k Newquay: BID approved consortium of property lawyers a year for five years will be available from a number of firms across Corn- to spend on projects that the business achievement and we are delighted that wall, formed to improve links with community have already indicated are the BID has been successful.