Somerset news

[biffvernon]

New era as locals inherit Somerset Moorlands tannery
Thursday, March 31, 2011, Western Daily Press


After nearly three decades, a threat of demolition, a sit-in protest and hundreds of hours of talking, a piece of Somerset's industrial heritage now belongs to the people.
The former Morlands tannery, between Street and Glastonbury, is Somerset's biggest derelict industrial site and has been decaying for 29 years since it closed in 1982.
But today, the Red Brick Building Centre will take over the freehold of some buildings on the site of the former Morlands factory after raising £440,000 to buy the buildings and carry out the first phase of the development.
The Red Brick buildings were owned by the South West Regional Development Agency, which bought the entire site in 2001.
In December 2008, the agency announced it had no choice but to demolish the buildings after security guards raised concerns over groups of young people breaking into the site.
A week later, a group of 20 people braved sub-zero conditions, squatting in the building to protest and decry the lack of consultation and lack of progress on the site.
Many of them went on to form the Red Brick Building Centre Ltd (RBBC), which hopes to turn the buildings into a community and commercial centre offering starter offices, workshops, exhibition and community spaces to local residents.
In October last year, the RDA agreed to sell the buildings to the community, providing it could raise the money before the end of February.
At the time, it said it had "reservations about the proposals and particular concerns about how the project will be financed".
Sarah Sander-Jackson, secretary for the RBBC, said: "It is a double celebration for us, because nearly all the money needed to develop the first half of the building has come from the local community."
The group successfully raised the £440,000 needed to buy the building, and begin work on the first stage. This amount includes £105,000 from 180 local shareholders.
When banks refused to lend money to the project, RBBC set up an investors club, who managed to raise a further £215,000 for the project.
"Some people were so incensed at the banks' refusal to support us in any way that we formed the club," said Ms Sander-Jackson yesterday. "This club is made up of local trusts and individual ethical investors.
"We also received grants from two of the Clarks trusts and a small loan from Co-operative and Community Finance, a specialist lender to social enterprises." The rest of the money has come from local investors and grants, as well as a scheme to collect scrap metal, run by volunteer Robin Howell.
"Work will now begin on renovating half the building, so that it is ready to let out as offices and studios and meeting rooms this autumn," said Ms Sander-Jackson.
The group has also been working with pupils St Dunstan's School in Glastonbury, who have been studying a campaign module as part of their schoolwork.
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/New-era-locals-inherit-tannery-heritage/article-3395512-detail/article.html

 

[biffvernon]

 

[philpjuk100]

Apart from the chimney it does not look too special to me,it is always sad when a demolition takes place especially one that is important to you (I know how I felt when I saw on "google earth" that the large factory in trafford park that employed most members of my family and myself had been flatened) I think this is down to a resistance to change.I saw on our local TV news last night the closing ceremony for RAF cottesmore with a march through Oakham and all the villagers saying how the RAF will be missed but I am sure that if the RAF wished to open a base near a village there would be protests.

 

[Carol]

This whole site is such an eyesore it will be good to see something happen in a positive sense. I agree that the buildings are generally not great! In the 25 years we have lived in Somerset nothing changed there, rumours flew of bad soil poisoning preventing development. Now there is a Screwfix and a small plastics factory opened and local action involved.

But the much more interesting part of the same development is the medieval stone mill at the Street end which has recently been re-roofed and shows signs of rescue after a long mouldering.

 

[AMc]

In October last year, the RDA agreed to sell the buildings to the community, providing it could raise the money before the end of February.
At the time, it said it had "reservations about the proposals and particular concerns about how the project will be financed".

I love that line, after sitting derelict for 30 years and the South West Regional Development Agency OWNING IT for a decade and doing nothing the RDA had reservations about how a group of committed enthusiasts were going to proceed? Well presumably they WANTED to proceed at all which is a start.
Good luck to them!

 

[biffvernon]

Apart from the chimney it does not look too special to me...

Our heritage is not always pretty.
:wink: