£4 million bid rejected for new Stafford history centre
Plans to create a new history centre in Stafford are hanging in the balance after a bid for nearly £4 million in crucial finding was rejected.
The Staffordshire History Centre was due to launch at the William Salt Library in Eastgate Street and has already secured planning permission.
It has been in the pipeline for years but the scheme has received a huge blow after the Heritage Lottery Fund said it would not put up £3.9m needed to launch it.
The cash-strapped county council now faces a battle to keep the dream alive.
Gill Heath, communities chief at Staffordshire County Council said: “We’re obviously all very disappointed that we were unable to secure the funding from HLF.
“We had a strong bid but it was an incredibly competitive process with tough competition from other major projects across the country.
“While the feedback from HLF recognised the quality of our consultation and the range of activities to be delivered, we will now be working with partners to revise the plans to ensure we can deliver the best service possible.”
The bid was submitted by Staffordshire County Council’s Archives and Heritage Service and William Salt Library Trust and the history centre would have held the county’s historical records and collections.
The Staffordshire History project was one of 30 projects asking for funding and was one of nine ranked as a high priority.
Mithra Tonking, chairman of the William Salt Trust, said: “It is disappointing news but the work done so far has given the trust a great deal of useful information about its collection and its building which should help us protect and develop both for the future.”
Work by the service to get more records online will continue and some funding has been secured for this.
