Better Bodmin working with Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (C&IoS LEP) appointed CAG Consultants and their team to undertake an Options Appraisal study for the development of a deliverable Agri-Food Centre in Bodmin.

An earlier Demand/Concept Study had identified as a key proposal the development of an Agri-Food Centre that capitalises on the strengths of the sector and acts as a hub/focus for Cornwall. The CAG study focused on moving the delivery of the Agri-Food centre forward and addressing three key recommendations of the earlier study:

• Prioritising projects or components of the centre to ensure the Agri-Food Centre is deliverable. The proposal needs to align with the C&IoS LEP’s priorities, and be regionally important to improve education, efficiency and productivity within the Agri-Food sector across Cornwall.

• Identification of a suitable site working with Cornwall Council. The site should accommodate: accelerator units; a central building with office/meeting rooms, kitchen and breakout space/café; storage/distribution hub. The site should allow for additional expansion of businesses, and inclusion of a wider area for a Food Enterprise Zone, which may be considered in the future.

• Undertake further feasibility work to develop a full bid for the capital funding of the centre, encompassing a detailed feasibility study of the physical elements and to determine the best way of seeking funding.

The Stage 1 report produced an options appraisal to identify the most suitable sites to take forward the project. This was followed in Stage two with more detailed viability appraisal and recommendations to help address the funding and delivery aspects of the project.