Goods Shed lottery grant bid rejected

FRODSHAM Foundation’s bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to help develop the disused Goods Shed at Frodsham Station has been rejected.
A disappointed Kate Dodgson (pictured), the Foundation’s executive director, made the announcement at last night’s meeting of Frodsham Town Council.
But she stressed that although the Foundation was disappointed, it was continuing to work with other funding bodies in relation to the development.
The Foundation has been offered a 25-year lease on the disused Goods Shed by its owners – Cheshire West and Chester Council – on condition they secure funding for a £1.3 million project to convert it for community and business use by April next year.
Although the building is in a state of disrepair, the main threat to it is a desire by some councillors and local businesses to see it demolished to make way for a multi-storey car park, according to Mrs Dodgson.
She said newly-elected town councillor Tom Reynolds wrote to the Heritage Lottery Fund just days after the May elections, asking them to suspend the Foundation’s application for a grant because of his concerns over parking and making reference to a rumour that the development would result in the loss of up to 50 parking spaces.
Mrs Dodgson added: “We cannot know what damage Cllr Reynolds’ letter did to the bid however we do know that the bid was unsuccessful and in the opinion of HLF the building is sound.
“This is a clear challenge to the town that the building should not be knocked down and should be given a purpose.”
In addition, a recent Town Council survey showed that 80 per cent of respondents wanted to see the building renovated for public use.
Cllr Reynolds said he had asked HLF if his letter had influenced their decision. In response he had been sent a list of eight criteria on which HLF based their decisions.
The list did not include emails from Tom Reynolds.
He said he would like to see a meeting convened, involving all stakeholders, on the future of the Goods Shed.