Funding success for Buttermarket

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Redruth Revival CIC has been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund development grant to progress plans for the historic Buttermarket.

The community interest company will received £54,952 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £59,850 from the Architectural Heritage Fund to redevelop the Buttermarket complex of historic buildings in Redruth.

The project will conserve the Grade II Listed buildings, improve physical accessibility throughout and create a food hall around which will be clustered units for local food providers, as well as bookable meeting and hot-desking facilities, improved lettable workspaces for local businesses and enhancing the courtyard to support a year-round festival, markets and events programme.

Redruth Revival CIC was formed in 2014 by a group of local businesspeople who recognised the national failure of high streets and wanted to create a better town centre offer in Redruth.

The dilapidated Buttermarket complex was identified as a key site with great potential to help achieve this vision. By 2017, Redruth Revival had raised the funds to purchase the site; the units quickly attracted tenants and regular market days were re-established.

In 2019 Redruth received the news that its bid to become a High Street Heritage Action Zone had been successful, with the Buttermarket identified as a priority project for the scheme. Grant funding from Historic England through this scheme of £735k towards the anticipated total project cost of £3.4 million was agreed in June 2020 and Redruth Revival rapidly brought together a highly experienced team, including Thread Architects, to progress plans for the site’s conservation and redevelopment and early in 2021 the adjoining Wheal Peevor Purser’s Office was acquired as the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

The redevelopment plans for Redruth Buttermarket have now been submitted to the Local Planning Authority and Redruth Revival is planning to display them and to be available to discuss the proposals at the Buttermarket this Saturday (Oct) 16 from 10am to 2pm; the plans are also available on the Cornwall Council planning portal.

Judy Davidson, chair of Redruth Revival CIC said: “This is a crucial step towards realising our vision of turning our historic buildings into a vibrant hub in the centre of Redruth where new entrepreneurs can develop their businesses, local traders can sell their products and everyone can shop, eat, socialise and enjoy events in the Buttermarket.”