THE future of one of Bude’s historic buildings has been thrust into uncertainty amid annual costs of over half-a-million pounds as the local council considers its options.

Bude-Stratton Town Council is exploring options pertaining to the future of The Castle Heritage Centre.

The Grade II listed building, dating back nearly 200 years, is home to a local heritage centre, art gallery, café and shop, though this could soon be changing as a result of extensive upkeep costs.

In a statement regarding the facility, Bude-Stratton Town Council said: “Bude-Stratton Town Council is reviewing the future operation of The Castle Heritage Centre to ensure its long-term financial sustainability.

“As part of this process, an independent operational business review was commissioned and a working group established to consider the options available.

“Recommendations were considered at the recent Full Council meeting, and the matter will now return to committee for further consideration.”

The expense of the site is something that Cllr Peter La Broy has described as ‘sobering’.

In an open letter to the council, Cllr La Broy, who also works as Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for housing, said that he has seen the ups and downs of the site over the last 20 years.

“As one of the councillors who attended the formal opening of the Castle in 2007, I’ve seen the operation struggle to get going, then eventually find its feet and transform into a centre of activity for locals and visitors,” he said. “As you’ll guess, a whole number of operating models have been tried in the last 20 years or so. Some successful, some not.”

Councillor La Broy isn’t the only one to be singing the site’s praises, Cllr Viki Herbert-Coulson has described it as the ‘jewel in Bude’s crown’

She told us: “The Castle isn't just a building; it is an asset for the whole community and a vital part of what makes Bude special.

“It should be the jewel in Bude's crown, bringing people together through art, history, culture, education and entertainment. It deserves to be loved, supported and cherished not left languishing in uncertainty.

“We must recognise its value and secure its future for the benefit of the people of Bude and generations to come.”

Despite the praise for the site, Councillor La Broy has admitted that change is necessary.

“It was sobering to find out the cost of running the Castle was somewhere in excess of £600,000 per year,” he continued. “That is clearly too much and not reasonably sustainable to continue at that level. I fully agree that change is needed to reduce the cost to an acceptable level.”

This hefty sum includes upkeep of the Library and the Castle, though Bude-Stratton Town Council has estimated a running costs of the Castle alone amount to around £510,000.

However, Cllr La Broy has also expressed his concern at the speed at which decisions are being made, suggesting that the space should undergo a ‘two to three year transformation process’ rather than immediate adjustments.

“Considering charging for entry is an absolute no for me – it was tried at the outset and the Castle spent its first couple of years almost empty,” he explained. “I remember the emergency meetings where we had to throw away the business model based on income from entry fee simply to get people to go into the building.”

The councillor has even gone as far to say that the prospect of generating significant income from entrance fees is in ‘Unicorn Land’.

He continued: “The Castle is a great place for residents and visitors to spend a few hours at no cost. Imagine a family visiting Bude, three children and two parents – would they be in a position to pay an entry fee? What about returning locals? I wouldn’t pay more than once. The idea that we can generate significant income from an entrance fee is in Unicorn Land; pure fantasy.”

Cllr La Broy argues that rapid changes to the site risk impacting The Castle further, making the space inaccessible to residents and visitors and thus disregarding the ‘goodwill’ of locals.

“We [the council] have already damaged that with locals who regularly visited put off by finding the café closed when they have popped in for their weekly coffee and teacake,” he said. “I’ve run several businesses in and around Bude over the years and I can honestly say that we shouldn’t underestimate the value of the goodwill from locals – it is incredibly difficult to rebuild and takes years.

“I’d like to think we could find a way to keep the traction and direction of the operation whilst reducing the costs.

“Did we seriously look at opportunities to do that? There are any number ways to move a business into a more acceptable direction, and I’d be seriously looking at getting a tenant in to run café and potentially weddings. We should look at increasing the excellence of our displays – some are unchanged in the last 20 years!

“There is a strong existing customer base that visits and I don’t for a moment believe we have looked at sweating the best value from that.”

Following the Full Council meeting, Bude-Stratton Town Council has emphasised that the closure or sale of the space is not on the cards as it seeks to implement projects which ‘support its financial sustainability.”

A council spokesperson explained: “Bude-Stratton Town Council wishes to make it absolutely clear that the closure or sale of The Castle Heritage Centre has never been proposed or considered as part of this review.

“The Council's vision is for The Castle to continue as a museum, cultural, heritage and arts centre, offering opportunities for education, community engagement and commercial activities that support its financial sustainability.

“Further updates will be provided as the review progresses.”