THE National Trust, along with two charity partners, is in talks with Cornwall Council about providing a “sustainable future” for the Heartlands mining attraction.

Around 40 employees were given just one month’s notice to find new jobs when the heritage centre at Pool closed in January 2024.

The Heartlands Trust and its landlord Cornwall Council announced that the majority of facilities on the £35 million site had become financially unsustainable.

The National Lottery Community Fund, which had been the attraction’s biggest benefactor, revealed it had pulled its funding, saying Heartlands had become unsustainable and “we have a responsibility to ensure public money is well spent, which is why we have had to make this difficult decision”.

Heartlands originally received £22m from the Big Lottery Fund, the biggest grant it had given to a single project in England at the time, with Cornwall Council and the European Union also providing funding.

The popular Red River Café, Wheal Play soft play centre, conference centre and meeting rooms all closed on January 31 last year but the adventure playground, gardens, independent shops and offices remained open. Traders told us at the time of their shock, anger and heartbreak.

Following its closure, Heartlands was plagued by a number of incidents where street homeless were gathering at disused parts of the site. As a result, there are now regular patrols by police and by Cornwall Council staff.

The National Trust has now revealed that it is discussing the future of the site with the council and the possibility of taking on its lease.

A spokesperson said: “The National Trust, with partners, Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) and Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF) are in discussions with Cornwall Council to look at how a sustainable future could be secured for Heartlands, an important cultural heritage and community site in Cornwall.”

The Trust did not respond to our questions about how the future of Heartlands could look under its stewardship.