NEWS FROM FIREWORLD

UPDATE
In early December 2002 we received the paperwork giving us Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for the works to convert Building 15, at the Former Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon, Northamptonshire, to museum use.

This represents the detailed approvals necessary following outline approval given by Central Government Ministers as a result of the Public Inquiry in June 1999.

ALL GOOD NEWS - until we saw that a new condition (not required by the Public Inquiry result) had been added – namely – “Prior to the commencement of works Listed Building Consent shall be obtained for the restoration of the fire damaged fabric of the building 15. This consent shall be fully implemented within 3 years of the opening of the museum to the public.”

This new condition creates an enormous problem, not the work itself as we intend to bring that part of the building into use as phase 3 of the museum development, but the time factor is not practical either in terms of the museum development or financially.

CONCERNS
The Fire Service National Museum Trust, in trying to open a nationally important museum and visitor centre dealing with Fire Brigades and Fire Safety, have backed the restoration and use of the 200 year old Weedon site and have had to face and address delays and problems over planning for over 5 years and just as it appears that at least the delays over our building is resolved yet another new obstacle is put in the way by Daventry District Council.

We have always had excellent support from Weedon Parish Council and the elected members at Daventry District Council have always said they support the saving of this unique site but the problems keep coming.

It makes you wonder – do they really want us there?

SITE BACKGROUND
The site with its many warehouse type buildings if not rescued by this project will continue to fall further into disrepair and suffer damage from the lorries servicing the site (as well as distressing the neighbouring residential streets).

In order to restore and maintain the buildings and site there must be a sufficiently sound commercial base to fund the work but other than our buildings the building approvals for the remainder of the site have not been finalised.

NEXT STEPS
At our meeting on 15^th January 2003 the trustees reconsidered whether we should think again about alternative sites but feel that the saving of the site at Weedon (while not our first responsibility) is worth a further commitment, particularly, as our partners in the site development (Cavalry Centre Ltd) are as keen as us and have remained equally committed through all the delays and problems and have financially supported both us and the project unstintingly.

We feel we owe it to them and the supporters from Weedon to try and get through the latest “treacle” put on the path forward. Hopefully the next few months will see us being able to finalise a timetable to opening.