Community Building Project
This project is to enable accessible service delivery of integrated and co-ordinated training, education, employment and health advice through provision of a managed new-build, multi-purpose community outreach facility in the centre of Pendeen. The facility will have disabled access and toilets, a meeting / interview room, office, kitchen/servery with informal seating and lobby space, plus an upstairs recreation space. Letters of intended usership for outreach purposes have already been received from the following agencies;
- Jobcentre plus, through Cornwall Action Team for Jobs
- Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change, through Penwith Pathways to Employment
- Network Training & Link into Learning
- Penwith Community Development Trust (as employers of staff)
- Citizens Advice Bureau, Penwith Housing Association, Devon & Cornwall Police
This ‘grass-roots, bottom-up’ approach to community regeneration will directly compliment larger strategic initiatives in the Lands End Peninsula (e.g. St Just Heritage Area Project and World Heritage bid) through enabling the necessary training and advice to help local people access the employment prospects brought about by these projects. This can include offering distance vocational learning opportunities through existing colleges e.g. CUC. A revenue element is proposed to co-ordinate outreach delivery (starting in December 2003). Applicant group are site freeholders. The project will benefit the village of Pendeen specifically but also those residing in the deprived St Just Ward catchment area. A key aspect of the project is to remove the isolation felt in this remote rural community through enabling local delivery of services thereby preventing unnecessary journeys to Penzance thus assisting the sustainability agenda.
The part one / part two storey building design intended has already received planning permission. It consists of multi-purpose office and amenity space downstairs and recreation-only space upstairs. The project will have toilets on both levels (including disabled toilets downstairs). The building is designed to be fully accessible and will meet Part M building regulations. The building will be managed in a way that maximises environmental efficiency (see PPMI’s environmental policy and action plan). The planning permission (October 2002) post-dates the area’s designation as a conservation area (June 2002). The design of the building was partly informed from the consultation of the community in terms of their stated / most-needed activities and services.
Building is now complete. It has now been re-named the centre of Pendeen.
