Stadium For Cornwall plans 'may be scaled down'

The stadium near Truro is planned to be the base for the county's main football and rugby teams, with community facilities

Plans to build a Stadium for Cornwall could be scaled down.

The stadium at Langarth, near Truro, is planned to be the base for the county's main football and rugby teams, with community and conference facilities.

A new planning application may be submitted this week which could mean the first phase is scaled back, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

Stadium partners said they had no updates, but work was "moving forward".

Active work 'encouraging'

Planning permission was granted nine years ago to eventually provide a 10,000-capacity home for the Cornish Pirates rugby team and Truro City FC.

The current first phase plans would create a stadium which would have a 6,000 capacity, but it has been suggested that could be reduced to between 3,000 and 4,000 in the new plans being submitted, the LDRS understands.

Partners recently submitted a request to Cornwall Council around plans to alter the position of the stadium.

Cornwall Councillor for Threemilestone Dulcie Tudor said if work did not start by April 2023 "then planning permission lapses and they'd have to put in a whole new application".

In 2018, the project was estimated to cost £14.3m but costs are believed to have increased since.

Ms Tudor also said she was concerned there had not been confirmation from the current government to match-fund £3m put up by Cornwall Council, pointing out "the world has changed in the last 12 months".

Council cabinet member Tim Dwelly said its £3m commitment remained in place.

He said: "There is nothing more that we can do, as Cornwall Council we remain as backers and want it to go ahead."

The LDRS approached the stadium partners and asked whether there were plans to downscale, and for an update on the funding position.

They only said "things are moving forward".

Stadium for Cornwall timeline

• June 2005: Truro City submits an application for a 16,000-seat stadium at Treyew Road

• September 2007: Cornwall Council overturns approval for a cheaper stadium at Kenwyn

• February 2008: Cornish Pirates and Truro City groundshare plans collapse

• May 2010: Cornwall Council launches feasibility study into ground

• May 2012: Councillors vote against public funding

• January 2014: Developers say supermarket would fund stadium

• April 2015: Truro City submit plans for rival ground

• July 2015: PM David Cameron lends support as planning permission given

• December 2016: Pirates director estimates work will start "in middle of 2017"

• March 2017: Truro chairman told their ground is not viable

• April 2017: Truro and Pirates set to share Stadium for Cornwall

• January 2018: Cornish Pirates & Truro City groundshare "needs public funding"

• February 2020: Pirates boss says the stadium will not be affected by a Rugby Football Union's decision to cut second-tier club funding

• July 2020: Lord Myners writes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for £14m for the project