Merton Abbey Mills Update November 2004

The new KFC between BurgerkIng and MAM [35kb]

Every week visible progress towards the completion of the development at Merton Abbey Mills is apparent. The images here show that the new KFC, adjoining the now open burger restaurant, is almost ready to open, and, in the background, the new residential block reaching the heights of the completed hotel and Leisure Complex buildings.

On a more positive note, late in October, Visionworks, who are advising the Priory Trust on possible implantations of the proposed Priory Heritage Centre at Merton Abbey Mills, arranged for a group of trust representatives (John Hawks, Steve Llewellyn, Lone Levay and Dave Saxby) to visit the Coventry Phoenix initiative. They were met there by George Demidowicz, the Coventry City council conservation officer, whose energy has enabled the great success of that scheme - parts of an article by him appear below. The whole of the Coventry scheme cost some £40,000,000, of which the Visitor Centre took about £1,000,000. That sum is within our reach here, with the £300,000 of funding from Countryside properties secured by LBM, and the proposed Heritage Lottery fund applications.

The new KFC between BurgerkIng and MAM[32.3kb]

There are essential differences we have yet to overcome, most particularly in the running costs. Coventry is well funded, so the Cathedral project there is able to provide free entry and, as part of a much larger complex of attractions, as well as its city centre site, is guaranteed a good turnover of visitors.

The proposed site for our heritage Centre remains the area under the electricity pylon - and it is difficult to see how such a site could be anything but temporary, but we shall see.

Ed.