Helston Town Band looks at new base at Budgens development in Cornwall

The band is interested in joining the proposed redevelopment of the empty Budgens building in the Trengrouse Way car park.

Earlier this month Helston Place Shaping Team revealed more details about how it hopes to use the old supermarket building, which used to be operated by Gateway, then Somerfied, Co-op and finally Budgens, before becoming empty in March 2017.

These include a proposed multi-use games area for activities such as bouldering, roller disco and ice skating, which could also be used for exhibitions and events, as well as a cafe, soft play area and information point, all on the upper ground floor level that used to be the shop floor.

Find out more about the proposals here: Roller skating and soft play among plans for Helston's Budgens - full details

However, there is also a lower ground floor level – previously used for storage and deliveries – that Helston Town Band is interested in using part of, for a rehearsal space.

The empty Budgens building in the Trengrouse Way car park

The band is currently based in Church Street, chairman Ben Curnow described the current bandroom as "not fit for purpose" anymore, adding that it needs a lot of work to be done on it to bring it up to standard.

He told the Packet: "It is cold, damp and has limited parking. The new building would offer us somewhere easily maintainable, fresh and clean to use as a practice and storage space, as well as maybe a concert venue.

"There would be easy parking, which would work well for practice nights, for parents dropping off for our youth groups, and for coffee mornings.

"We are very excited about being part of such a fantastic facility and still being in the town."

Helston CIC has an exclusivity agreement with Cornwall Council, signed in March, which agrees a price and gives the group six months to complete.

It's Place Shaping Team is now looking at the project in more detail, having already received £100,000 Town Vitality funding to draw up this and a number of other projects for Helston, and this month confirmed as being in the running to potentially benefit from the first tranche of government Levelling Up Funding in Cornwall.