ALMOST £2-million worth of cash has been scooped to secure an exciting new regeneration package for East Cornwall. The East Cornwall Regeneration Project, due to run for the next two years, will see a wide-ranging development of the Tamar Valley area, thanks to £1.8-million from partners, including the European Community?s Objective 1 programme, the South West Regional Development Agency and the Countryside Agency. The work will see improved access to a number of historic mining sites between Drakewalls and Kelly Bray, including Hingston Down Consols, the Prince of Wales mine at Harrowbarrow, Drakewalls East Mine and Holmbush Mine near Kelly Bray. A new gateway visitor centre will be built at Drakewalls, incorporating rentable workshops, office space for the Tamar Valley Service and Calstock Parish Council and a new home for the Calstock Parish Archive. Walkers and cyclists will benefit from the project, as a series of linking trails will be developed between mine sites in and around Cotehele Estate. There will also be improvements to the working water mill at Cotehele, the maritime exhibition at Cotehele Quay will be enhanced and an apple orchard will be established to conserve Tamar Valley fruit stock. Chris Hariades, principal project officer, said: ?This is an exciting project which will provide significant access improvements to a number of historic mine sites. ?The proposed Tamar Valley Centre, dramatically sited above the Tamar Valley, will serve as a gateway for visitors to the area, informing them of the mining and horticultural importance of the Tamar Valley and highlighting key local sites and attractions to visit.? Jane Moore, chairman of Calstock Parish Council, said: ?We are thrilled that this money has been secured. It?s really looking to promote the area and get more people visiting here, both local people from Plymouth or Tavistock who may not come here that frequently, and people from further afield.? Mrs Moore said the council was very grateful for the ?huge effort? by all the partners in obtaining the funding ? and pleased it would have its own permanent office in future. ?Council duties seem to increase every year and it?s excellent that we will be able to provide better facilities for our very hard working clerk and premises where the public can gain better access to the council,? said Mrs Moore. She hoped work on the new centre, which already has outline planning permission, would start by the end of the year. Tim Selman of Tamar Valley Service said: ?We are very excited about this funding ? it?s really going to make quite an impact when you put this investment, and the others, together. ?There?s already been a project to spend £3-million in East Cornwall. With this new project, and the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project, that?s another £8-million into the area over the next three years. ?It?s a really big investment in our landscape and in our heritage which will be of great benefit, not only to residents and visitors but local businesses and organisations too.? The East Cornwall Regeneration Project has been developed in partnership with Caradon District Council, the Tamar Valley Service, the National Trust and Calstock Parish Council. It should complement the West Devon Mining Heritage Project being developed by the Tamar Valley Service and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site bid.