White's Warehouse Regeneration
White's Warehouse Regeneration |
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White's Warehouse adjacent to the viaduct in Foundry Square, Hayle, is the first building to benefit from the Hayle Townscape Scheme which is offering grants of up to 75% f renovating 'Priority Buildings' In total around £3.5m, much of it European Objective One funding is available.
White's
Warehouse has been purchase by The HBL Partnership, the development arm
of Nixon Design Ltd who aim to renovate the building and bring it back
into commercial use. Current plans include retail space and perhaps a
restaurant at ground level with offices above. Nixons themselves are
planning to occupy the upper floor and tenants are being sought for the
remaining space. Hayle Townscape is contributing to the £340,500 scheme. Whites Warehouse, Foundry Square, Hayle The current Whites building, recently used as a carpet warehouse was built in the late 1800s and was incorporated the former Trevithick Stores which date back to 1828. Hayle Townscape is offering financial and technical help with repairs to targeted historic buildings, including the reinstatement of lost or badly damaged architectural features such as traditional shop fronts, railings and small pane sash windows. It also plans to help with the enhancement of key spaces in the Hayle Conservation Area such as Foundry Square, the War Memorial and Market Square at Copperhouse. The aim is to boost the economy of Hayle by investing in the repair and enhancement of the town's historic character, making it a more attractive place to live, work and visit, and by rekindling interest in Hayle's vital role in the technological revolution that made 19th century industrial Britain a world leader in trade and influence. While this is a laudable aim and the renovating of the historic buildings and returning them to economic use is to be welcomed many people still argue that a focal point for the History and Heritage is missing. The long promised and often delayed showpiece Museum and Heritage Centre to celebrate Hayle's historic past has yet to materialise. Many regard it a nothing less than a scandal that such a facility does not already exist. The development of a significant heritage component was supposed to be a key element in the Harvey's Foundry redevelopment but this has been continually sidelined and the emphasis placed instead on providing commercial office space most of which still lies empty. There does not even seem to be any real commitment by the council or Hayle Heritage Trust to secure artefacts of Hayle's heritage. Efforts (if effort is the right word) to bring back the Hayle-built Carpalla steam engine, the Virginia Waterwheel and the Harvey's Archive to Hayle have not brought any results. While lovingly restored Hayle-Built Engines can be seen in may parts of the country and indeed overseas, there are no such displays to be seen in Hayle. |
