Isles of Scilly Cultural Centre and Museum reaches major milestones this autumn
The Isles of Scilly Cultural Centre and Museum project reached three milestones this November - the project team has now received planning permission for amendments to its original building plans, completed the work necessary to support a round 2 application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and begun the recruitment process for the establishment of the body which will be responsible for running the new facility.
Revised plans for the refurbishment and renovation of the Town Hall building on St Mary’s were granted planning permission at the meeting of Full Council on 16 November 2023. Councillors also granted Listed Building Consent, subject to approval from the Secretary of State.
An application for £4.61m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the delivery of the project has now been submitted following the completion of an updated business case which was approved by Isles of Scilly councillors at the meeting of Full Council on 9 November 2023.
A recruitment process is now underway to recruit trustees to establish the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which is needed to run the Museum and Cultural Centre under a long-term lease from the Council.
Councillor Tim Dean, Lead Member for Housing and Corporate Estate for the Isles of Scilly Council - the lead partner on the project - said: “I’m pleased to be able to update the community on recent progress with this important project. Whilst we are eager to provide the Isles of Scilly Museum Association with a replacement venue to display their collection as soon as possible, I’m also keen that the community can once again access a large indoor venue in the heart of town. The Town Hall has been closed for community events since 2019, but the need for such a flexible space on St Mary’s has not diminished in this time.
“The upgraded hall will provide improved facilities for the wide range of community activities which previously took place in the venue, including live music performances, exhibitions, craft fairs, cinema and theatre. This exciting new space will support both resident artists and performers, and visiting companies.”
He added: “I’m also pleased that the Council is now in a position to form the organisation which will ultimately take responsibility for the facility. Trustees are now being recruited to ensure it meets the needs of the community and appeals to our valued visitors. I strongly encourage anyone who wants to see the Town Hall brought back to life and thinks they can bring their experience and skills to the project in this way to apply to become a trustee.”
Subject to funding being granted and procurement of contractors, we expect building work to start in April 2024. The aim is to open the community space and café by the end of March 2025, with the completion of the museum element (and the project as a whole) by the end of February 2026.
