Local building guide compiled

The guide has been compiled by Cornwall County Council

A new guide is being produced to help people in Cornwall to find local building materials and people with traditional building skills.

It comes at a time when there is a national shortage of manual workers.

Cornwall has a varied geology and local stone has provided the building materials for many older properties in the county.

The new guide will list craftsmen, trade organisations, training courses and architectural reclamation yards.

It is hoped Cornwall County's Council's guide will help people to repair older buildings sympathetically, and also encourage developers to look at constructing new buildings with Cornish character.

Councillor Joan Vincent said: "Cornwall has a superb legacy of historic buildings and many of these buildings are of architectural or historic importance.

"If these buildings are to be repaired sympathetically, and if we want to see new buildings of true Cornish character, it must be recognised that suitable materials and traditional skills need to be available."