BUSINESS AS USUAL

Managers at Baseresult Holdings Ltd will continue their preparations for extracting tin at South Crofty Mine regardless of the latest threat of compulsory purchase issued by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA).

It is not the first time that the company which purchased the mine in 2001 has been threatened with a compulsory purchase order (CPO).  In 2003, Kerrier District Council issued a far more formal notice enquiring into the land ownership of about 30 sites, including South Crofty, as a forerunner to a CPO, but no further action was taken.

‘On Friday it was widely reported that a CPO had been made which was not the case,’ said Alan Shoesmith, Finance Director of Baseresult Holdings Ltd.  ‘The CPO process is a lengthy one and, when the order is opposed, the issuing authority does not necessarily win.  A recent case was Elizabeth Pascoe who took on an English Partnerships CPO.  She demonstrated that the order was not in the public interest and saved 500 homes, including her own.

‘Should a CPO actually be issued, Baseresult will vigorously contest it because it will lead to the sterilisation of mineral reserves and that is clearly not in the public interest.’

Mr Shoesmith went on to question many of the statements made by SWRDA and Camborne Pool Regeneration (CPR) representatives on Friday.

‘The press release referred to the former South Crofty Mine but there is nothing ‘former’ about it. South Crofty is an operational mine and, following last month’s Review of Mineral Planning Permissions (ROMPs) decision by Cornwall County Council, Baseresult has finally been able to accelerate its progress towards full tin extraction. 

‘The company is continually criticised for not appearing to be doing anything but £5m of private money has been invested in the mine in the last five years and a great deal of activity is going on.  The current price of tin is more than $9,000/tonne – its highest price since 1985 and a level at which Baseresult could operate very profitably.

‘Nick Buckland is quoted as saying that regeneration plans for the site have been clearly defined over the last five years but there doesn’t appear to be anything ‘clear’ about them.  In 2003, CPR was talking about ‘a quality mixed development…comprising principally housing’, in their 2004 action plan they referred to a huge ‘Spirit’ leisure complex building, in 2005 they were suggesting that the site be used mainly for public parkland with a smaller ‘Spirit’ that had been re-named ‘Spyrys’ and in 2006 there was talk of a hotel complex and sports stadia.

‘Our plans, on the contrary, have been consistent.  We intend moving the main mine workings to the Tuckingmill Decline and, in keeping with what CPR said they wanted in the first place, we are working with our sister company Crofty Developments Ltd, to regenerate the remaining 27 acres of surface area.  Our outline planning application for a mixed use development which will create employment – in addition to the mine – and provide leisure opportunities in the form of a high quality heritage centre is due to be decided by a public inquiry commencing on 21 November.

‘Unlike SWRDA and CPR, we are not seeking any public money to bring our plans to fruition.  We have always said that our plans will be privately funded as has been the case since we purchased the mine.  Surely it is better to be relying on private investment than squandering millions and millions of pounds of taxpayers money in order to achieve exactly the same aim?  Or do our public bodies have another agenda that they are not prepared to discuss?’

Charles Stericker, Director of Crofty Developments, was equally scathing.

‘The compulsory purchase proposals are being promoted by an unelected government body that is playing politics – and politics of the worst kind because they do not appear to be accountable to anyone, let alone the people of Camborne, Pool and Redruth. 

‘SWRDA boasts of the creation of thousands of new jobs but I am unaware of any party that they have attracted to the area to create significant employment. 

‘This is in stark contrast to Baseresult Holdings Limited who have so far invested millions of pounds to bring about the re-opening of the tin mine and the creation of hundreds of jobs over the next five years as the mine builds up to full tin production.’

Kevin Williams, Managing Director of Baseresult and the man who firmly believes he can transform Cornwall’s traditional industry into a hi-tech, profitable, modern business, was also in defiant mood.

‘We will continue to advance our plans and, regardless of all the recent furore, it will be business as usual for us,’ he said.  ‘We have come along way since 2001 and the advanced technology that we are planning to use at South Crofty will revolutionise tin production in Cornwall.

‘Our critics tell us that we can’t make a profit and that tin mining is dead.  In a sense they are right.  Tin mining as everyone remembers it is dead.  What is very much alive and kicking is a brand new approach that can and will achieve all that we want it to achieve in terms of producing a much needed boost for the local economy.

‘Our public bodies want to start a CPO process that could drag on and stagnate developments at South Crofty for many years to come.  Baseresult wants to get on and do what it has always promised to do – go mining.

‘Tin is regeneration.’

                                                                        24 October 2006