St Austell boosted by records office decision
There was cheer in St Austell this week after Cornwall councillors went against expert opinion and voted overwhelmingly in favour of placing a new archive and records centre in the town.
There had been fears that the town could miss out after officers at County Hall recommended that the new £11.5 million centre should be built in Redruth, but councillors disagreed and voted 11-1 in favour of St Austell.
Under the plans the archive centre would be built on the current short stay car park next to Carlyon House in the town. Council officers said that if the new centre was placed in Redruth it could provide an additional £8 million boost for the town. But councillors were concerned that the site was in a flood plain and would require additional funding which was not guaranteed.
Instead they argued that St Austell was the best location stating that a working group set up to look at the project had identified the town as the preferred site and that the site was a short walk from the town's train and bus station giving easy access to people from across Cornwall – a key requirement for the new centre.
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The location choice will have to be decided by the council's cabinet next week before a bid is submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the main part of funding for the project at the end of November. If successful the new centre could be built and open by 2015.
Comments
by buzz14
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 8:48AM
“Is this the car-park to the right or the larger one to the left which is currently used by people attending the leisure centre and access to the GP surgery situated at the top?????”
by cheekyman_jr
Monday, September 17 2012, 3:20PM
“That famous flood plain in Redruth...”
by Olly_Gark
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:48AM
“So once again the decision is to be made in secret and announced by fat Alec and his cronies in the 'cabinet'.
Why do I pay tax for a ward councillor who is paid some tens of thousands for 'representing' me when (even if the lazy little swine wanted to) he is not consulted on the decisions that increasingly seem to be made in fat Alec's Masonic Lodge before being rubber stamped by his cronies in the 'cabinet'.
Too many brown envelopes and not enough accountability or democracy. Cornwall Council is unfit for purpose.”
by Big_Ger
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:17AM
“Poor old Redruth, always the bidesmaid, never the bride.”