Architect The Miller Partnership | Capacity 10,000 | |
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Construction cost Between £14m and £24m (estimated) Similar Mennaye Field, Truro City FC, Five Towns Stadium, York Community Stadium, New Queens Park | ||
The Stadium for Cornwall is a proposed multi-purpose stadium in Threemilestone, Cornwall, England. There are no major sports stadia in Cornwall: the largest capacity ground is the Recreation Ground in Camborne. Football club Truro City and rugby union team Cornish Pirates have both advanced plans for a new stadium, with both outfits requiring new facilities if they are to progress in their respective sports. Cornwall Council is developing a business plan for the stadium, although it has stated any project would have to be privately funded.
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History
Truro City submitted a planning application for a 16,000-seat stadium, costing £12 million, on the site of their existing ground on Treyew Road in June 2005. The plans conceived a stadium that would host the Cornish Pirates rugby union team and music concerts as well as the Truro City football club. At the time these plans were submitted, Truro City played in the South Western Football League, several rungs below the professional football leagues in England. These plans were opposed by local residents, who were concerned that local roads would not cope with increased levels of traffic.
After those plans failed, Truro City published plans to build a cheaper new stadium at Kenwyn, while building a hotel and offices on their Treyew Road ground, in May 2006. A planning application was filed by March 2007. Carrick District Council approved this plan, but a referral committee of the Council overturned that decision in September 2007.
In response to this rejection, Truro City and Cornish Pirates began developing joint plans for a 16,000 seater stadium on a 50-acre site in Threemilestone. While developing those plans, the two clubs had agreed to share the Treyew Road ground, but Truro City withdrew after they were advised the pitch could not sustain both sports. Truro City continued to progress plans for a new stadium.
Cornwall Council commissioned a feasibility study in May 2010, but then announced in December that any new stadium would not be publicly funded. In January 2011, Cornish Pirates owner Dicky Evans offered to underwrite the operating costs of a new stadium for the first 10 years of its operation. Evans also outlined concerns about the use of a pitch for both rugby union and football. The feasibility study commissioned by Cornwall Council was published in March 2011. The study recommended a 10,000 seat stadium at Threemilestone, with construction costs estimated at between £14 million and £24 million. In response to this study, the council approved funding for a business plan.
In April 2011, Truro City earned promotion to the Conference South division, just one level below the Conference National. Although their Treyew Road ground is compliant with Conference South requirements, development work - either at Treyew Road or a new stadium - would need to be completed for the club to play in the Conference National. The Cornish Pirates play in the RFU Championship, and would also need a new stadium to play in if they were promoted to the Premiership.
On 16 March 2011 the Stadium for Cornwall Group arranged a rally where a petition containing over 11,000 signatures was handed over to Mr Alec Robertson, Leader of Cornwall Council by Chris Davison and Margaret Lyon. Following this the Cabinet of the Cornwall Council met and approved further funding for a new stadium at Langarth, Threemilestone. Outline Planning Permission was granted on 17 November 2011. The project had been on hold until 2015, when following the general election and the Conservative Party's winning every Cornish seat, Chancellor George Osborne said the government intends to comply with the Prime Minister's pre-election promise to deliver a Stadium for Cornwall. Further planning permission was passed in August 2015 which approved the proposals, subject to final legal contracts including a Section 106 agreement, and in August 2016 permission for a retail outlet at West Langarth was given which will fund the stadium.
Funding
On 1 March 2012, Cornwall Council made a statement that it would not spend public money on a proposed Stadium for Cornwall and that any funding would come from private sources only. Cornwall Council made another statement on 11 May 2012, saying:
Outline planning permission was passed in August 2016 for a retail park which will fund the stadium.
Cornwall Community Stadium Limited
The directors of Cornwall Community Stadium Limited (UK company number 07862967) are: