Bringing a master-plan for generation to fruition is St Austell’s top priority for 2023, says the town council.

St Austell Town Centre Revitalisation Partnership has signed off the £140,000 town centre master-plan which will be the blueprint for long-awaited revitalisation.

In October 2021, St Austell Town Council signed an ambitious contract with Cornwall Council to produce the plan which had to be completed within 12 months to ensure the town has a portfolio of improvement projects that are viable, costed and eligible for Government grant funding.

In partnership with Cornwall Council and the private sector, St Austell Town Council engaged local consultants, Mei Loci, to work with the public and stakeholders to produce the plan.

The blueprint has identified the restoration and re-purposing of derelict buildings, a roof-top garden in Old Vicarage Place and a re-configuration of traffic flows around Holy Trinity Church to make the area safer for pedestrians.

The aesthetics of the Poundland building has been identified as a high priority and a bid has been submitted to Cornwall Council for funding to remove the faded banner and create a blank canvas for projection/lighting and sound systems to animate Aylmer Square.

Sandra Heyward, chair of the partnership, said: “This plan is definitely not an off-the-peg one-size-fits-all plan which has happened so many times in the past.

“It has been well thought out and is the result of hours of consultation with the public, stakeholders, town council and Cornwall Council and is ready for activation.

“I am so grateful to the St Austell Town Centre Partnership for their assistance and Cornwall Council for their planning and highways expertise to ensure that the projects are viable.”

The Partnership has submitted a number of bids to Cornwall Council for funding to start the project off and is awaiting the announcement of larger Government funding which is widely speculated to be in the spring/early summer.

Cornwall Councillors, Anne Double, Jordan Rowse and Richard Pears have fully endorsed the work of the partnership and are working closely with Cornwall Council Economic Development Officers to ensure expertise and assistance is provided to give St Austell the best possible start to 2023.

Anne Double, Cornwall councillor for the town centre, said: “I am delighted that the master-plan has been delivered on time and I thank Cornwall Council for providing the funding to enable this to happen.

“I am determined to see improvements in the town centre during 2023 and will remain an active member of the partnership and fully engaged with senior economic development officers at Cornwall Council to ensure that the residents and visitors to the town centre start seeing positive, sustainable changes during 2023.”

Town clerk David Pooley said: “Bringing the key projects identified to reality is the town council’s top priority for 2023 and with the assistance of the partnership and input from Cornwall Council I am confident the town council can provide the resource and leadership to start delivering visible improvements.”

The St Austell Town Centre Revitalisation Partnership is made up of representatives from the democratic, voluntary/community and business sectors, with officers from Cornwall Council and the town council acting as advisers.

Cornwall Council made available £140,000 for the project on the condition that it had to be delivered within 12 months.

The master-plan is on the town council’s website: www.staustell-tc.gov.uk