Final step to be taken before Heartlands agreement

A "final step" is needed before the future is assured for a Cornish attraction that once looked set to never reopen.

Cornwall Council signed off an agreement on Wednesday for the heritage charity National Trust, to sign a 30-year lease agreement to run the Heartlands site at Pool, between Redruth and Camborne.

As the new operator it would take the lead in re-establishing the public-facing facilities.

Councillor Sarah Preece, Cornwall Council cabinet member for tourism, localism and planning, said the signing would follow completion of lease negotiations with the National Trust.

In a statement, the National Trust said: "Following a meeting at Cornwall Council, the National Trust is delighted to announce that it can proceed with lease negotiations to become the future long-term operator of Heartlands, an eight hectare heritage mining site in Cornwall, as representatives of the Council Cabinet gave their approval.

"This is a key part of the trust's plans to end unequal access to heritage and nature.

"Over the coming months, the trust will continue to work with local groups and in partnership with Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) to plan next steps and work towards securing a vibrant and sustainable future for this important Cornish World Heritage Site."

Preece said: "The trust has provided clear evidence of both the fundamental breadth of skills and aptitude to manage the refurbishment of the buildings on the site, but also the desire to engage fully to re-establish the community and commercial activity that the site warrants."

She added that it was the council's commitment "in principle" to enter into a 30-year lease with the National Trust.

About 40 employees were given just one month's notice to find new jobs when the mining heritage centre closed in January 2024.

The news came after the Heartlands Trust, which ran the site under a lease from the site's landlord Cornwall Council, announced that the majority of facilities on the £35m site had become financially unsustainable.

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