24.08.06
Red Store celebration

The community in the Lerryn area in Cornwall is delighted to be arranging an opening ceremony for the recently refurbished and converted, listed riverside building known as The Red Store.

The ceremony is planned for September 2nd at 11 am when Local MP Colin Breed will formally open the building. After the ceremony, the building will be open for public inspection for the remainder of that day and also the next day, Sunday 3rd September.

One of the roles planned for the building is as a venue for exhibitions so, an inaugural exhibition celebrating the once famous Lerryn Regatta is planned to commence on the opening day. Many residents are contributing memorabilia and photographs and it is hoped that the resulting exhibition will be a fascinating insight into what was once an important annual event which ceased, a victim of its own success, in 1968.

The project commenced in 2002, after the building's owners offered it to the Parish Council at a very affordable price. After a public consultation event to gauge support and, after receiving invaluable advice and guidance from the Economic Development Unit at Caradon District Council, the decision was made to start to gather the wealth of information required for funding applications.

The operation to raise funds and gain permissions for the restoration was hard fought with difficulties being encountered after the discovery of rare bats on site, causing delay whilst a professional wildlife survey and monitoring exercise took place.

The restoration work has been completed to a very high standard - planned and overseen by well known conservation Architects MRDA Partnership, and work being undertaken by the historic building renovation specialists, Darrock and Brown Ltd of Bodmin.

Despite this very high standard of renovation work and of equipment within the building, the project costs are expected to be well below budget however, because of the complexity of the restoration, it fell behind schedule by three months.

The lower storey of the building has been made suitable for use as a multi function space, which will be available as a venue for exhibitions, meetings and, as an educational facility. The upper storey has been converted into craft workshops which will be available for rent primarily to new, small businesses. The workshops and exhibition area have the added attraction of being in a superb tranquil riverside and historic location. Substantial areas of the old store have been set aside for the rare Lesser Horseshoe bats which were found to be present. The architects and contractors worked closely with specialist wildlife consultants to plan the restoration so as to satisfy the exacting requirements of English Nature and Defra and cause the minimum disturbance to the uninvited, but charming, furry guests.

The funding package in place for the project comprises of: grant funding from The Heritage Lottery Fund, Caradon District Council and the parish councils of St Winnow and St Veep, together with investment from Objective One and the Rural Renaissance Initiative through the Rural Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Partnership. The project team found that gaining the funding was not easy. All the funding organisations who contributed to the project were very exacting and required a great deal of information, even before agreeing in principal. The Red Store project team is though, extremely grateful for the helpful advice and guidance which they received from all the funding organisations and for the support and encouragement which they received from the local District Council, Caradon.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership, said: "This investment has meant that an historic building that was once integral to working life in Lerryn has been given new life for modern day businesses. The Red Store project is a great example of a project driven by the local community that integrates the economic regeneration and environmental gain – as it provides vital rural workspace whilst conserving both the historic building and its wildlife occupants."

For further information please contact Clare Morgan, Objective One Media Relations Manager on 01872 223439 / 07973 813647 or email: cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Red Store, Lerryn through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Editor's notes:

Members of the media are invited to attend the opening. Please contact Barry Campbell-Taylor (number above) in advance if you wish to attend.

£86,362 of Objective One European Regional Development Fund investment was approved for the Red Store project. £159,000 was approved from the Heritage Lottery fund, £20,000 from the South West Regional Development Agency's Rural Renaissance Initiative, £15,000 from Caradon District Council and £14,758 from St Veep and St Winnow Parish Councils. However, the project has come in UNDER budget.

Built in the nineteenth century, the Red Store was a warehouse for goods such as corn and fertiliser, which were shipped up and down the river until the early twentieth century. During World War II it was used to store salvage to help the war effort, and in the 1950s the top floor was used as a youth club. The Red Store occupies a commanding position on the river and is still a striking feature of the picturesque village today.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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