Heritage work delayed

The delay has been caused because the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is putting more than £1 million into the project, demanded new information.

Torfaen council wants to restore two listed buildings at St Peter's School into the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre.

Design, business and marketing plans were deposited with the Heritage Lottery Fund in December last year. But in July the Heritage Lottery Fund requested additional information on how IT would be used in the finished project.

That documentation was completed by the council and given to the Heritage Lottery Fund in November and is expected to be looked at in January.

However, councillors have been told in a report prepared by Catherine Thomas, Blaenavon project and marketing manager, that even if the application is given approval then the earliest building work could commence on site will be June, with a completion date of April 2005.

The delay will add an extra £34,170 to the budget of the scheme which is now expected to cost £1,923,445.

Blaenavon councillor Neil Lewis, chairman of the council's development and economic development overview and scrutiny committee which is expected to discuss the matter at a meeting on Wednesday, said he was surprised and disappointed by the delay but added 12 months was probably the maximum delay time and he hoped it would not be that long.

He said: "If it is more than that (12 months) then I would be concerned but I don't think that will alter the scheme. The council is committed to the project.

"I was surprised there would be a delay but I can understand what's happening. Other schemes in Great Britain are having the same problem because the Heritage Lottery Fund want to make sure everything will work as in the plan.

"Obviously I am disappointed there's a delay but I'm optimistic the project will come to fruition. We need this centre. It's vital for attracting people into the town.

"We need to get people into Blaenavon from Big Pit."