Major Step Forward for St Austell Regeneration
The £75 million regeneration of St Austell town centre has taken a major step forward with news that legal contracts have been signed.
The South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) and developer David McLean Developments have signed a landmark deal that gives the green light for the scheme to proceed.
The deal gives the thumbs up for the town centre cinema to be demolished in September and a brand new state-of-the-art four-screen cinema to be built by autumn 2008. It also means major excavation work will start in early October to make way for new shops, bars, cafés and restaurants, as well as an underground car park and 70 apartments.
The RDA is investing a total of £31.5 million in the project, with the rest coming from David McLean Developments. The deal legally commits the RDA to part-funding the scheme and the developer to building it and providing the rest of the funding.
Robert McGuffie, the South West RDA’s Cornwall regeneration manager, said: “This deal is what St Austell has been waiting for and we’re delighted that contracts have been signed. It legally commits all parties to the delivery of this major regeneration scheme and means it’s full steam ahead.”
Richard Dean, managing director of David McLean Developments, said: “This agreement is a milestone in the regeneration of St Austell and formalises the commitment that we and the RDA have had to this project since day one.
“With contracts now signed we will soon be in a position to announce some of the exciting new retailers that we already have lined up to take space in the new development.”
Cllr Annette Egerton, regeneration portfolio holder at Restormel Borough Council, said: “This is fanstastc news for St Austell. With the contracts now signed the RDA and David McLean can press on with the regeneration scheme in earnest and it means we have a timetable that everyone can work to.”
The deal clears the way for the RDA to demolish the town centre cinema, which it has already negotiated to buy. The RDA and the cinema owner have agreed that the cinema will close after 20 working days from now, which means demolition works will start at the beginning of September.
The deal also guarantees that a brand new state-of-the-art four-screen cinema will be built by autumn 2008 on the north side of Aylmer Square. It will then be handed over to the current cinema owner to be fitted out.
From next week demolition contractors Gilpin will move back on site to remove the remaining foundations and retaining walls in and around Aylmer Square and the ramp to the former car park on Old Vicarage Place. This will be removed over four successive Sundays when local shops are closed.
The demolition work means the temporary disabled car park off Trinity Street will close from Sunday, August 5. The park and ride facility from Polkyth has disabled access and there is other disabled parking in the town.
Pedestrian access from Trinity Street through Aylmer Square will also cease from this date for public health and safety reasons.
The cinema demolition is expected to take around 12 weeks. The first six weeks will involve an internal strip-out. The roof will come off in weeks seven and eight, and the building will be demolished from weeks nine to 12.
Sir Robert McAlpine, the scheme’s main contractor, will start major excavation work in early October.
Before then other work will continue, including the diversion of telephone and power lines that cross the regeneration site, the erection of new hoardings, and the construction of a new electricity sub-station. The bus stop on the Aylmer Square side of Trinity Street will also be moved further up the hill.
The scheme will take two years to build. It will include new shops, bars, cafés and restaurants on three levels, a 550-space underground car park, four-screen cinema and 70 apartments.
Up to 200 people will be employed during the construction phase and the RDA will ensure that local materials and labour are used wherever possible. This means tens of millions of pounds of the scheme’s costs will be recycled into the Cornish economy.
Once complete the scheme is expected to employ between 500 and 700 people.
Monday 13th August 2007