Stadium for Cornwall plans may have to be scaled down
It is due to financial pressures
It has been suggested that plans to build a Stadium for Cornwall could have to be scaled down due to financial pressures.
It is nine years to the day that planning permission was granted for the Stadium which will eventually provide a 10,000-capacity home for the Cornish Pirates and Truro City FC.
The stadium at Langarth, outside Truro, is also set to provide a host of community facilities as well as conference facilities which would be operated by Truro and Penwith College to run its hospitality courses and training.
It is believed that a new planning application could be submitted for the stadium this week which could mean that the first phase of the project is scaled back.
The current first phase plans would create a stadium which would have 6,000 capacity but it has been suggested that could now be reduced to 3-4,000 instead.
Funding for the stadium is set to come from the stadium partners which include the Pirates, Truro City and the college.
In addition Cornwall Council has committed £3million of funding and provided the land needed at Langarth next to the site earmarked for Langarth Garden Village which is being led by the council and see up to 3,500 new homes built.
However the council funding is provided on condition that it is matched by the Government, honouring a commitment which was made by former Prime Minister David Cameron.
In 2018 the stadium project was estimated to cost £14.3m but costs are believed to have increased since then.
The Stadium partners recently submitted a request to the council around plans to alter the position of the stadium and are also seeking permission for signage at the site.
Dulcie Tudor, Cornwall councillor for Threemilestone, said: “The fact that the Stadium Partners are still actively working on the plans is encouraging. It’s movement however small and some movement is better than no movement.
“But the world has changed in the last 12 months. If the Government wasn’t prepared to provide £3m funding for the Stadium two years ago I would assume they’re even less likely to now. And if they did, would Cornwall Council still be prepared to match that funding pound for pound up to £3m as they agreed in April 2018?
“Back then the Stadium Partners estimated the whole project would cost £14.3m, but those costs too may have increased.
“Whatever the costs, if the Stadium Partners don’t commence work on the site by April 2023 then planning permission lapses and they’d have to put in a whole new application for a Stadium. No-one would be looking forward to that!.”
“If we’re going to get anything like a Stadium delivered at Langarth then I think the Stadium Partners should downscale their plans to something more realistic. Maybe not quite a Stadium, but pitches and facilities for a crowd of 3 to 4,000. TCFC could be the Lead Partner bringing their £2m pot of money from the planning agreement with Helical Retail Ltd at Treyew Rd. Under present planning conditions the site at Langarth is for open space or sports recreation only. I would firmly resist any plans for more housing there.”
Tim Dwelly, Cabinet member for economic development, said that the council’s commitment of funding to the stadium remained in place.
He said: “The money is on the table and we have provided the land for the Stadium and that remains. We want clarity on whether the Government will play its part in making it happen.
“There is nothing more that we can do, as Cornwall Council we remain as backers and want it to go ahead. It is now for the Government to decide whether it will support the project.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service approached the stadium partners and asked whether there were any plans to downscale the stadium and for an update on the funding position.
In response the stadium partners said that they had no updates but said that “things are moving forward”.