Corfe Castle Parish Council

TOURISM COMMITTEE

NOTICE OF OPEN MEETING

TUESDAY 15th March 2016 at 7.30 PM

in the TOWN HALL, WEST STREET, CORFE CASTLE

This meeting is open to all, though principally aimed at those businesses and organisations concerned with catering for visitors to the area. It is intended to be very informal, to allow discussion of any aspect of visitor management and tourism in the parish that anyone wishes to raise.

Jeff Dunn, Parish Clerk (01929 555266)

Notes of the meeting of the Parish Council Tourism Committee

(convened as an open meeting)

Held at the Town Hall, Corfe Castle on Tuesday 20th October 2015

Present:Enid Wellman (Chamber of Trade & Commerce secretary), Eileen Van Lelyveld (Farriers Lodge), Andrew Eustace (National Trust), Jacci Pestana (The Greyhound Inn), Rachel Fooks (The Boilerhouse Gallery), Carole Birnie (Corfe Castle Village Stores), Jeff Dunn (Parish Council, Clerk)

Apologies: Susie Mitchell (Alford House B&B), Suzie Baverstock (Perenco), Steve Clarke (Chamber of Trade & Commerce & The Gallery, 41 East Street), Emily Parish (Model Village).

1.Review of the Previous Meeting Record

The 17th March 2015 meeting notes were accepted as a reasonable record of that meeting.

2.Issues arising from the Record

Project Wareham was discussed in the light of the likely delays in completing the various works required for successful running.

3. Swanage Railway

No representative present.

4.National Trust

Andrew Eustace reported another good year with an estimated 235,000 visitors despite the August weather. The feedback from the Elizabethan encampment was good and tied in with the coast campaign ‘Neptune’ also current. The Trust is carrying out a ‘Spirit of Place’ (what is special) exercise for Corfe Castle. There will be a cinema week end in conjunction with the Purbeck Film Festival. They are still awaiting the result of their bid for the ‘Weeping Windows’ Poppy Cascade event for the period of six weeks between September to November. This is currently being run at the Woodhorn Museum.

He anticipates the design brief for Norden shortly from Dorset County Council. The National Trust are part of the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership which will bring tourism advertising for Poole, Bournemouth and the rest of Dorset under one brand led by an organisation called ‘Ignite’ for 2016.

5.Chamber of Trade

Report from Steve Clarke (Chairman) read by the Clerk in his absence:-

‘The Chamber of Trade is planning a modest publicity event this pre Christmas now we have the NT lights as well and free parking at West Street on the four Saturdays before Christmas. We will publicise the events which are going on, there will be some later opening of shops and the Chamber is organising a free prize draw for those who visit our businesses. So far every business approached is taking part.

My sense is that 2015 was an OK year for most businesses: the weather and the strong pound has meant that English resorts didn't do as well as 2014.

We are pleased that More buses haven't yet cancelled evening and Sunday services. On some summer days visitors reported that the 40 bus was full at Wareham so people couldn't reach Corfe Castle. In 2016 there will be summer holiday trains from Wareham to Corfe and Swanage which may help although Wareham station is some distance from the town.

Purbeck DC is proposing no increase in parking fees which is good. We were not given statistics on usage in 2015 but we suspected numbers were down.

Hardy perennials for the meeting :-

1-the slow progress on the Norden park and ride forum ideas

2-the usual chaos around the village square: in some towns the road surface is made to look more like a pavement, the idea is to "programme uncertainty" so everyone goes very slowly!

3-the 20mph limit idea for the village centre section of East Street

4-the lack of coach parking’

6.Other Trading

Jacci Pestana of the Greyhound Inn raised the issue of the parking restrictions hours in the Square being altered from 6pm to 8pm finish around two years ago. She wanted the Parish Council to discuss the issue as it made evening custom difficult.

7.Advertising

The B&B/Camping maps were not updated at the meeting.

8.Cycling and Transport

Andrew Eustace said the National Trust is still working with cyclist clubs like the “Rough Riders” and Norden Cycle Hire. They hope to improve cycle links and advice to all those cycling in the area.

The meeting finished at 8.30pm.