Charity's decision over Ramsey Courthouse plans 'a blow'

The old courthouse was purchased by the commissioners in 2017

A charity's decision to abandon plans to convert a courthouse into a town's community hub is "a blow", a commissioner has said.

The Heart of Ramsey received permission to redevelop the Ramsey building in September 2019, but has now given up its exclusivity on the premises.

Commissioner chairman Andrew Cowie said the board was now looking for new expressions of interest for the use of the building.

The charity has been asked to comment.

The group was set up to spearhead a project to turn the building, which is in the centre of the town, into a multi-functional community centre.

It is thought the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on fundraising for the £500,000 project is behind the decision to abandon plans.

Mr Cowie said the charity had "produced an ambitious design and had some considerable success in developing the plans" for the space.

"It is a great disappointment that the team have not been able to secure all the funding they anticipated to progress... although in the current climate, it is less surprising," he said.

The board would continue to run the facility for the time being, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, adding that it would not become "dormant".

Government plans to sell the building in 2017 sparked anger in the town and led to a deal being struck for the commissioners to buy it.

Built in the early 19th Century, the courthouse has previously been used as a police station and a post office.