Heritage Quest Centre and Sainsbury’s
I am writing to update you on what has happened on the Heritage Quest Centre since my letter to you of 5th October, and to invite you to a meeting of the Museum Society on Friday, 13th November at 7.30 pm at the Museum.
Your Directors have been closely involved with Uttlesford District Council in assessing whether to pursue the land swap idea proposed by Sainsbury’s; it seemed to us that the land swap could bring important advantages. The new site appears just as fit for purpose as the existing site. It is situated overlooking the Thaxted Road, on the right hand side of the current entry road to the new recycling centre. It also does not, fortunately, have the problems of additional foundations needed to cope with the old chalk pits on the original site, or the need and subsequent cost of clearing the site of road sweepings left there over a number of years. Access to the new site would be much better.
Finally, there is the question of money. In my last letter, I said:
‘If we are able to proceed with Sainsbury’s offer and this brings additional funding to the project, it will be used to cover additional costs associated with change of site, but these are matters for the District Council to decide.’
The District Council on Tuesday this week discussed the land swap and decided to go ahead. Very importantly, they decided to ring-fence a substantial payment from Sainsbury’s that they would receive as part of the land swap, and use it as additional funding for the construction of the Heritage Quest Centre.
The Curator has been in close touch with our other funders, including most importantly the Heritage Lottery Fund, and does not expect that we will lose significant support from them. On the other hand, there will be a delay while Sainsbury’s seeks planning permission for its store, for the land swap and the additional payment will be conditional on Sainsbury’s building the new store; there is a risk that they will not get planning permission. In that case, we would go back to building the Centre on the existing site within the resources that we have.
Your Directors believe that, despite the delay and the risk, it is better to accept the land swap proposed by Sainsbury’s. Before coming to a final decision, we want to consult members fully about the change and therefore have arranged the meeting for 7.30 pm on Friday, 13th November, for you to express your views. The meeting will be at the Museum and will be restricted to Members of the Society. Alternatively, you could write to me c/o the Museum to set out your views.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Watson,
Chairman, Saffron Walden Museum Society Limited
Press Release from Saffron Walden Museum Society Limited
Museum Society Members back Heritage Quest Centre land swap
At a Meeting on Friday, 13th November at Saffron Walden Museum, Museum Society members supported proposals to move the planned Heritage Quest Centre to a new site on the Thaxted Road.
They heard that the current site, owned by Uttlesford District Council and earmarked for the Centre, would be transferred to Sainsbury’s as a small part of the layout of their planned superstore if Sainsbury’s get planning permission to go ahead. In return Sainsbury’s would provide the new site, and will make a contribution to the extra costs involved in drawing up new plans. The District Council have agreed to ring fence the proceeds that they would receive from the land swap and put them towards the building of the Centre.
The Council and the Museum Society would remain in charge of the project and the meeting heard from the Museum Curator, Carolyn Wingfield, about the detailed plans and timetable now being prepared. She hoped that planning permission for the Centre on the new site would be applied for before Christmas. The members expressed their very warm appreciation of all her efforts, and those the Board of Directors.
