The beneficiaries of a £3 million Government grant for heritage projects across Cornwall have welcomed the vital new funding.

The cash is part of a £10 million package aimed at housing and heritage projects, which was officially accepted when Cornwall Council’s Cabinet committee met yesterday.

The money was made available to Cornwall as a direct result of the recent negotiations on a new devolution deal, but is not reliant on the deal being ratified by the council.

One of the projects to receive funding is the Geevor Tin Mine in West Penwith, which has been handed £530,000.

The site is now an award-winning heritage attraction and museum, having been a working mine for around 200 years before its closure in 1990.

It opened as a heritage centre in 1993, offering visitors a chance to step into the shoes of the miners who had worked at the site for so long.

John Swarbrooke, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Pendeen Community Heritage, said: “As a locally based charity, Pendeen Community Heritage is delighted to receive this funding for Geevor Tin Mine.

“It will be used for crucial maintenance and conservation work on this iconic site which tells the story of mining in this part of Cornwall to tens of thousands of locals, school groups and tourists.

“The site provides jobs for twenty-eight people and is responsible for injecting hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local economy every year, so this is good news for the whole area.”

Lawrence House is a Georgian house situated in Castle Street , Launceston, which John Betjeman described  as “a jewel, a most perfect collection of 18th Century townhouses”.

Owned by the National Trust and managed by Launceston Town Council, the building had to close in March 2020 due to structural defects and water damage.  It has been given a grant of £480,000, with the town council committing a sum of £180,000 alongside due to the urgency of the works required and to protect a building of historical importance. The money will also prove vital in delivering an improved visitor experience upon re-opening.

Cllr Leighton Penhale, Mayor of Launceston, said: “I am delighted with the outcome of our Town Council’s successful grant application which will allow us to further promote the heritage sector within the town.”

The largest single grant, for £1,050,000, has been awarded to the Redruth Revival Community Interest Company for the purchase of the Fair Meadow car park, including the derelict former market building and the toilet block on the site.

The company aims to restore the area as an events area, relandscaping the site and creating a dedicated space for children, families and young people in the town centre.

Judy Davidson MBE, chairman of the Redruth Revival Community Interest Company, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the funds to acquire and adapt this space to serve our town once more – as the original livestock market it was for many years under the same ownership as the Buttermarket and it’s great to be able to reunite them again.

“Initially, the car park revenue will contribute to the ongoing regeneration of our historic buildings while we make longer-term plans to transform the Fair Meadow into a multi-use area, with green space, support for events, and parking to revitalise the local economy.”

The other projects to receive funding were:

Castle an Dinas hillfort, St Columb Major: £35,000

Bodmin Old Library: £60,000

Redruth Old Library: £430,000

Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro: £415,000

All seven projects have had their business cases approved by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Cllr Carol Mould, portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods, said: “I am so pleased we have managed to secure this money for heritage projects across Cornwall, it is vital we protect our unique cultural history, and this will make a real difference.

“I must thank officers who worked so hard to identify projects so quickly, which enabled us to make the most of this funding, and we will see a real difference made for our residents thanks to their efforts.”