Chesil Beach Centre £15k refurbishment approved (From Dorset Echo)

Chesil Beach Centre £15k refurbishment approved

10:03am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

COUNCILLORS have agreed to provide funds of £15,000 to help complete the refurbishment of Portland’s Chesil Beach Centre.

Building and external works at the centre were carried out ahead of last summer’s Olympics and the final internal fit-out is due for completion in the coming weeks.

The £1.1million project has received funding from a number of organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Fine Family Donation, however Dorset County Council’s cabinet was told the withdrawal of key funders left a shortfall.

Members were told the South West Regional Development Agency had promised £250,000 towards the project but the organisation had been scrapped and a further £50,000 from the Portland Gas Trust ‘had not been forthcoming’ due to economic conditions.

Director for environment Miles Butler told members efforts had been made to recoup the funding from elsewhere, the scheme was still £30,000 short.

He said half of that had now been secured from other partners and the county council was being asked to cover the final £15,000.

The completed building will be run as a partnership between the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Cabinet member for environment Robert Gould said: “I think it is right that we should contribute it fits in with all our wider works with regards to the Jurassic Coast and promoting it to visitors.”