There has been some consternation about the future of Pomery’s Garage in St Mawes, which is now up for sale. Chair of the St Just and St Mawes Heritage Group, Christine Williams explains why they have decided to sell.

St Just and St Mawes Heritage Group

If you have been in St Mawes recently you may have noticed the “For Sale” notice on Pomery’s Garage. Yes, we are selling it. Let me explain the reason why.

As you probably know the Heritage Group was left the lease on the top two floors of the garage by Brenda Pye following her death in 2015. She left her collection of modern Cornish paintings to the Falmouth Art Gallery for safe keeping on condition that they could be returned and displayed in St Mawes when the building was repaired.  Her wish was that the area of her flat in the Pomery’s Building could be made into a Heritage Centre and an Art Gallery, open to the public in which her possessions and art collection could be displayed.

However, on more detailed inspection by three surveyors, the building was seen to be in very poor condition, and it was concluded that the building should be demolished and replaced by a new one. A company, “Pomery’s Ltd” was set up to organise the plans for the building. The company had two equal shareholders – the Heritage Group and the Gig Club

Pomery’s Ltd appointed a professional team of Architect, Engineers, Quantity Surveyor and specialist advisors to produce a design which would provide a floor for each group and flats above which when sold would pay for the whole development.

A considerable amount of time and money was needed. The cost of the application and appeal was paid for by loans granted by the Heritage Group to Pomery’s Ltd using money left to it by Brenda Pye. Unfortunately, the proposed plan failed. The Heritage group decided it was necessary for the Gig Club to remain in the buildings so the Heritage Group decided to fore-go its proposed floor in the new building.

Both charities agreed that the only way forward was that the building should be sold with the intention that the Gig Club would remain on the ground floor of the new building. Money from the sale of the building would be used firstly to repay the money borrowed from the Heritage Group, including interest, with the residue of funding gifted to the Heritage Group as compensation for not retaining any part of the building. We hope that the value realised from the sale of the building will be sufficient to fairly compensate the Heritage Group for its loss of a floor.

So that is how the building now comes to be up for sale.

Christine Williams

Chairman St Just and St Mawes Heritage Group.