RESTORATION of a historic Bodmin building could cost nearly £1-million, it has been revealed.  

The Grade II listed Shire House Suite, in Bodmin, which was formerly a judge’s lodging before entering the ownership of Bodmin Town Council, is in dire need of refurbishment and upgrading.  

At a recent meeting of Bodmin Town Council’s estates committee, councillors present received a presentation from Ward Williams Associates on the work required to bring both the main Shire House building, constructed in around 1840, and the annexed Shire House Suite, built in 1985, up to standard.  

In addition to the committee members present, they were joined by two former mayors who were not part of the estates committee thus were non-voting, namely Councillor Andy Coppin and Councillor Jeremy Cooper.  

Cllr Coppin raised concerns at the potential of spending up to a seven-figure sum on the building. He said: “The upper estimate for the work is nearly £1 million, which is a hell of a lot of public money for an old building. My heart says to go for it, but my head questions whether it is too much of a cost to bear.” 

He then asked Peter Martin, the town clerk, whether funding could be applied for to alleviate the cost of the work required, owing to the historic listing of Shire House, to which the clerk replied that it is possible, but there are never guarantees that funding could be obtained through grants despite the work still being required.  

Cllr Cooper gave an impassioned plea to his fellow councillors to be bold in their decision making, saying that the £1-million work would be an investment in the town’s future.  

He said: “Have we considered doing for the Shire House what a previous town council did when it saved the Shire Hall from potentially being ruined? We could get a long-term loan from the Public Works Loan Board (a government body which provides loans to local authorities for capital projects), which is what the council did for the Shire Hall. We’ve almost finishing repaying that and look at the success the building has been for the town.  

“We could do the same with the Shire House, alternatively, it could be another situation like when the Public Hall was sold off to become a cinema and a loss to the community.” 

The committee members present voted to resolve upon recommendations from Ward Williams for the first phase of the Shire House refurbishment, with one voting against.