October 1st 2007

New business champion for Camborne, Pool and Redruth

Businesses in Camborne Pool and Redruth now have access to a dedicated business manager to help them make the most of the new opportunities presented by the regeneration of the
area.

CPR Regeneration, the urban regeneration company for Camborne, Pool and Redruth, has appointed Matt Powell as Business Growth Manager to support micro businesses in the area
CPR area.

Matt, who started work on October 1, is based at CPR Regeneration's offices in Pool and has significant experience working with retailers and other businesses having spent three
and a half years with Bristol East Side Traders (BEST).

BEST is a not-for-profit enterprise set up in 1999 to support inner city businesses in economically disadvantaged areas of Bristol. Matt worked for 18 months as a business advisor and for the last two years has been head of BEST's property and environment team.

Nigel Tipple, chief executive of CPR Regeneration, said: "Matt's appointment provides a dedicated resource for local businesses to identify issues that need addressing, help generate new ideas and ultimately boost the performance across the town centres and the
area generally.

"With more than £8 million being invested to improve Redruth and Camborne town centres and exciting plans emerging for Pool it's important that we support local businesses as part of our role in developing the economy of the CPR area, and Matt has great experience in this field."

Matt's appointment is part of a two-year Business Growth Initiative being led by CPR Regeneration, which was drawn up in consultation with a range of partners and local businesses.

The project is being funded by CPR Regeneration, Kerrier District Council, the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Cornwall County Council, English Partnerships,
Camborne Town Council, Redruth Town Council, Camborne Chamber of Commerce and Redruth Chamber of Commerce.

Commenting on his appointment, Matt said: "I'm very much looking forward to working closely with the local business community to help them maximise the opportunities presented by the regeneration of Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

"Both town centres are seeing significant investment and my job will be to help grow the retail and business opportunities locally."

Matt's role will include developing a business growth strategy for the town centres and an action plan for the next five years, together with dedicated support for individual businesses. The aim is to support around 200 local businesses and prepare detailed development plans for at least 50 of them.

The Business Growth Initiative will ensure that local businesses are well-placed to take advantage of anticipated growth in Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

The area has been earmarked for up to 6,000 new homes from now until 2026 and a recent study suggests that this could result in up to £110 million of additional spending power in the local economy, creating up to 1,500 additional jobs through extra demand for goods and services.