A £500,000 project to build a multi-use centre for the Tamar Valley has been given the go-ahead by Caradon planners. The building, proposed for land at the former Drakewalls Mine, will incorporate tourist information, office space and the Calstock Archive and serve as a gateway centre to East Cornwall. A number of letters objecting to the centre were submitted to the planning authority with concerns about visual impact, loss of trees, impact upon wildlife and the increased traffic. Planning officers considered the scheme by the Tamar Valley Service was well merited and well conceived, would bring a number of benefits to the area and have a limited impact upon residents. The site at Drakewalls was chosen because it lies adjacent to the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and proposed World Heritage Site for Cornish Mining. It is also a key entry point into East Cornwall and Caradon, close to Gunnislake Station and the A390 and at the core of two large regeneration bids for the area. It will be home to Calstock Parish Council and the AONB service, be available for exhibitions and include a café and space for craft workshops. Once an area of substantial mining activity, investigations carried out on behalf of Cornwall County Council, which owns the land, concluded that the proposed site for the building and car park were stable. Any trees that would be lost were of a young age and not worthy of preservation, Caradon?s planning committee was told. With regard to a badger sett on the land, discussions would take place between planners, English Nature and the developer to secure protection of the species. Manager of the AONB Tim Selman said the viability of the centre was vitally important because they did not want to end up with a big white elephant. Funding has been committed from a number of sources, including the South West Regional Development Agency, Calstock Parish Council and Caradon District Council. A bid has also been made for Objective 1 funding. ?We have been working on this project for four years and we want to make sure that the money is invested wisely and that it will really help the community,? added Mr Selman. ?For this reason the building will have many uses. ?The centre is part of a strategic vision for the Tamar Valley ? a lot of money is coming into the valley at the moment and it is a wonderful opportunity which we will never get again.? Mr Selman said exhibitions would be held in Gunnislake, Gulworthy and Tavistock over the next few months so the public could find out what the project was all about.
