National Franchise Rebukes St Austell Town's Offer of Peppercorn Lease

Another blow to the festering commercial anus of St Austell Town was delivered today by major national retail franchise, Poundland. In March Restormel Council offered Poundland a "significantly small" peppercorn lease on a "substantial" retail premises in the town center. The details of the offer were very shielded, and still are. However I have found out that it was the smallest lease price on any property in the Town for three decades, and that it was also offered to a well known local insurance company.

So I kept on snooping and investigating and yet again, I have come up trumps. Last week I wrote a letter to Poundland's CEO, Quidsley Montogmery, asking about the potential to get a Poundland in St Austell, and specifically the council's peppercorn offer. Today I received a short but informative email reply from Mr Montogomery:

"Dear Mr Chesterton,

Thank you for your correspondence.

It was hard decision for the board to make, but we feel that on the whole the credibility and image of Poundland has to be our prime directive. We feel that St Austell is not on a vector that is compatible with ours, both in terms of aesthetics and ethos. Also we are worried about shoplifting".

Best wishes

....

"

Quidsley Montgomery

CEO Poundland

CEO Quidsley Montgomery, known by the moniker "Monty" since he started Poundland in 1975

As soon as I had this confirmation I moved my journalistic sniper sights onto the councilor responsible for the initial offer. I can't reveal her identity but I can publish here, without prejudice, the response she emailed me back not three hours ago:

"Dear Charles,

Thank you for your correspondence regarding the redevelopment of St Austell Town Centre, specifically the issue of Poundland not being established in St Austell; a fact I can today confirm.

Although the PWAB* method of redevelopment has had a good national track record around the country over the years, we feel that seeing as St Austell already has the WAB, losing Poundland isn't as critical as it could have been.

I agree that it is not ideal, but it's not as much of a setback as you are implying in your email - it is certainly not the "disaster of old testament proportions" you describe.

Also, and for the record, there are two points I am obliged to make:

1) The terms of lease agreed were in keeping with the projected lease value of the premises and we do not consider them to be "peppercorn" or "nigh on free".

2) If you send me a photograph like that again, even it was to "illustrate your point", I will sue you for harassment.

Sincerely,

....

"

---

*Poundland>Woolworths>Argos>Boots.

The Thatcher government paid billions to the Rand corporation to come up with the ideal way to regenerate town centres after the collapse of industry. The PWAB method was developed using highly advanced concepts from population maths and economic psychology. If you're interested, "Game Theory and The Primart Dilemma" is a great introduction to modern conurbation architectonics.

Review: Chantek Thai Fusion Resturant, Truro

When you eat out, do you um and ahh as you read the menu, change your mind about five times and only make up your mind what to eat when the waiter arrives? Or do you scan it efficiently and stick to your decision, the menu closed on the table when all around you dither? If you fall into the latter camp, you are either a ruthlessly efficient restaurant robot or, like me, a vegetarian.

Vegetarians seldom have the opportunity to vacillate, there being only one or two options available to them. Often, it’s veggie lasagne or starve, and don’t get me started about places that think vegetarians eat fish. So when I spotted the innumerate little ‘V’s all over the extensive menu at Chantek on Truro’s trendy New Bridge Street, I came over all a flutter. To my joy and amazement, they can cook nearly all of their main courses with tofu as an alternative to meat or fish, and boy! Can they cook them well!

Price-wise, Chantek offers good value all round, with beautifully presented starters from £5 , including soups, salads and other sundries. My dining companions opted for the mixed starter to share at £10.50, which included funky little steamed chicken parcels wrapped in banana leaves, king prawns and a range of deep fried delights they declared delicious. I had the vegetable tempura, crisp and succulent with a sweet and tangy chilli dip, all for £6.50.

In the mood for heat, we all opted for curries, mine a spicy jungle one. It wasn’t nearly as hot as I’d have liked, but contained a good range of well cooked vegetables and the sauce was sticky and delicious, as was the jasmine rice I had to accompany it. One of the people eating with us asked for "the hottest curry the chef had ever made" and it came in at a disapointing mildness.... but a great taste.

We enjoyed a bottle of chilly dry white with our meal, but opted out of dessert, having already eaten way too much. We were delighted to find the bill totalling just over £60 for the three of us

Chantek offers good value dining in a cool and atmospheric venue, with good service and an authentic range of dishes from the pacific rim which is close to representing the holy grail of vegetarian eating. It's cheaper, better more stylish and less snooty than Truro's other fusion restaurant, Snooty Lu Lus.

For chilli and choice in the heart of Truro, try Chantek.

Bettyxx

Chantek Asian Fusion Restaurant.
15 New Bridge Street
Truro
TR1 2AA
Tel: 01872 225071

Chantek is featured in The Truro Map

Find out who would win in a fight between Cornwall and Plymouth on the Midcornwall.com Forum.

Midcornwall.com has just had a forum added. Its free and totally anonymous (Use a gmail or hotmail etc if you are bothered) and has been made because of the comments to this post: the big battle between racists and lefties.

Use it, Abuse it, Don't use it.

The forum is here:

http://www.midcornwall.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5

18% of St Austell Voters Voted for the BNP:(

Nearly one in five in St Austell Voted for The British Nazi Party.

Democracy is a wonderful thing.
Every silver lining has its tarnished ring.
And freedom of speech is sacred,
And haters mustn't be hated.
But it makes me sad, that him or his dad,
Or your neighbor or lover or friend or mother,
Voted this way, to have their say:
That they are haters too.
I just hope it wasn’t you.

(Link to BNP News Story)

[ED- The BNP story is mistaken BNP propaganda. Thanks to Jame's in comments who has pointed out that they didn't get anywhere near 18%. Its a good thing this is a blog and not the World Service:P]