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REGENERATION OF TINTAGEL VILLAGE AND King Arthur’s legendary castle and the North Cornwall village of Tintagel are to receive a £2.4 million refurbishment in a two and a half year project which brings together a ‘round table’ of partner organisations. £1.2 million worth of Objective One funding, just approved this week, completes the financial package, giving the green light to enhancement work which will start shortly with English Heritage’s reinstatement of the beach access steps to Tintagel Haven. Further work by English Heritage will focus on the castle area over the next two and half years involving extending the Visitor Centre to provide enhanced interpretation of the castle and repairs to the main castle steps. The Regeneration Project will address a range of issues. These include:
Building facades also project a strong image on the street, and a new scheme offering up to 50% grants to improve the appearance of shop fronts will soon be up and running. The project will also include repairs and waymarking on the surrounding paths in partnership with the National Trust, involving repair of the quays and other important archaeological remains, and a programme to eradicate Japanese Knotweed which is destroying local biodiversity and choking streams. The overall aim is to revive the local economy by increasing the appeal and extending the season of this key tourism area, which already attracts an estimated 27,000 visitors a year spending around £5.5 million on local products and services. 49 temporary jobs will be created by the project itself, but the longer term rewards lie in the safeguarding of 48 existing jobs in the hotel and catering sector and 37 others in local retail businesses, and the promise of 21 further new jobs. The area is a magnet for tourists mainly because of its associations with the Arthurian legends which have inspired poets like Tennyson, novelists like Dickens, composers like Elgar and countless story-tellers and movie-makers over the years. Archaeological remains show occupation from the fifth century, and it is believed that a great Celtic warrior chieftain had a fortress in the area at this time. Tintagel Castle, now an 800 year-old ruin connected to the mainland by a footbridge, was constructed by Earl Richard of Cornwall. It is now owned by the Duke of Cornwall, and both the castle and the visitor centre are managed by English Heritage. The National Trust also owns many of the surrounding coastal trails, and the picturesque Old Post Office in Tintagel – actually a 15th Century manor house Cornwall County Council is leading a project partnership which comprises both public and private investment - Government Office for the South West, the SW Regional Development Agency, English Heritage, The National Trust, Tintagel Parish Council, North Cornwall District Council, The County Environmental Trust, Western Power Distribution and BT. A public meeting to provide an update on the project will be held at the Social Hall in Tintagel at 7.30 pm on Thursday 5th December, and all are welcome. Recently appointed Project Manager Ivor Matthew stressed that, “Community involvement is a vital element of the partnership, to ensure that the wealth of local knowledge informs the regeneration process, reflecting both local needs and aspirations, and creating a distinctive identity for the village.” Gandalf Strutt, retiring Chair of the Tintagel Forum, says, “I am glad for Tintagel that it now has the opportunity to move forward, adding another page to its long history. It has made the last eight years of work very worthwhile for the Forum.” Dr Kevin Brown, English Heritage Regional Director for the South West, says, "This funding will give English Heritage a unique opportunity to greatly improve facilities at Tintagel Castle and access to Tintagel Haven. These improvements will be of substantial benefit to visitors and make a significant contribution to the local economy.” Glenton Brown, Local County Councillor, says, “After a tremendous amount of preparatory work, we can now look forward to seeing the vision become a reality, the work going ahead with the local people being fully informed and contributing.” Andrew Davey of the National Trust says, “The National Trust is playing an important part in this project, and is confident that it will prove to be a useful factor in the village’s economy.” Mike Hawkey, Cornwall County Council’s Head of Environment and Heritage, says, “The County Council is proud to be leading such a wide-ranging partnership of organisations and local people, all of whom have a single aim – to enhance the visual appeal and facilities of one of Cornwall’s most famous heritage tourism sites, which has suffered a little with the march of time.”
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