English rugby union side the Cornish Pirates have been given hope of moving into a new home stadium in the near future after Cornwall local council approved £3m (US$4.2m) in public funding and gave the green light to begin development plans for the Stadium for Cornwall.
The 4,500-seat venue, whose capacity could rise to 10,000, is to be built at a site at Threemilestone, near Truro in the south west of the UK.
The project has long been in the process of planning (proposals were first put forward in 2008) and fund raising, and has been analysed by local councillors who have considered the project’s benefit to the local area or whether the money should be spent elsewhere.
Following a three-and-a-half hour debate at County Hall, the decision to move ahead with the stadium’s development was agreed by a vote of 69 to 41.
The new home of the Cornish Pirates?
The £3m (US$4.2m) of funding will contribute to a total of £14m (US$19m) to begin construction work, with the Pirates, government, local college and Truro City FC soccer club (who will also use the stadium) combining to raise the remaining funds.
With Cornwall being the only county in the UK without a professional stadium, it will help provide the Cornish Pirates the opportunity to stage a push toward promotion to the Aviva Premiership, where they would host top-tier opponents.
With plans approved, it is believed construction on the Stadium for Cornwall could be completed before the start of the 2019-20 rugby and soccer seasons.
April 18, 2018
Credit: YouTube / Archilime Visualisations
