Plans for Old Duchy Palace
An historic building in Cornwall could reopen next year as a mixed-use scheme if hoped-for funding is received.
The Old Duchy Palace in Lostwithiel (pictured) is a Grade 1 Listed palace and is one of the most historically important buildings in Cornwall. Plans have been submitted to convert the building into a mixed-use scheme of speculative, commercial office space and local community meeting space.
The building was last used as a masonic lodge and has previously been used for a wide range of purposes including administrative offices and the County Court. Constructed in around 1290-1300 the building was purchased by the Prince’s Regeneration Trust in 2009. Prince Charles visited the building last November to see for himself the after effects of flash flooding that occurred in the area (via Lostwithiel blog).
An application for a £400,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant was rejected last September but the Trust is now hoping that funding of approximately £200,000 can be secured from the European Regional Development Fund to add to funds already secured.
The revised scheme contains a mix of commercial and community use within the building. The basement will include a heritage interpretation, telling the story of the Old Duchy Palace. The main hall and first floor will provide commercial office space and meeting room / studio office space for community use. The main first floor offices will offer an approximate floor space of 700 sq ft.
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, The Prince’s Regeneration Trust said: “We have worked hard over the last few months to come up with a new scheme, one that although it has less community use than we had originally intended will still ensure an exciting and viable future for the Old Duchy Palace.”
Architects for the scheme are conservation specialists Purcell Miller Tritton.
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