Sue DawsonAmbitious plans to develop a poet’s former home into a visitor attraction have had to be scaled back due to funding issues.
Norman Nicholson lived in St George’s Terrace in Millom, Cumbria, and a society celebrating his life and work is transforming it into museum and outreach centre.
Repairs have been carried out, but a series of funding rejections mean plans to add a three-storey rear extension have now been abandoned.
Instead, the project will focus on refurbishing the terraced Victorian property as it currently stands to transform it into a museum and hub for community activities.
Nicholson wrote poetry, plays and prose books from his home, which earned him an international reputation, an OBE and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.
He died in 1987 and the Norman Nicholson House Society was launched in 2016.
It succeeded in buying the Victorian terraced property, and repairs to the exterior, including a new roof, were completed earlier this year.
Raymond TrollCharlie Lambert, chair of the society, said: “We always knew that our aims were ambitious and make no apology for that.
“But we also recognise the reality of the funding landscape and it’s clear that our project as originally envisaged is asking too much.
“So we’re now looking to concentrate on the house within its current footprint.”
He added: “We will reduce the amount we’re requesting from funding organisations but retain the same objectives – to create a lively museum to celebrate Nicholson’s work, provide a focus for creativity, and a hub for community activities in Millom.”