The South Crofty tin mining project is set to benefit from a major injection of funding, with £4,190,500 awarded through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is the programme’s largest single private sector investment to date.
Delivered by Cornwall Council, the funding comes from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and is part of a £6.8 million project on the site at Pool by owner Cornish Metals.
This will see the construction of new workshops, stores, and offices on the Bartles Foundry site at South Crofty which received conditional planning approval in January.
The infrastructure is critical to supporting the underground development phase of South Crofty, helping to bring the historic tin mine back into production and generating skilled jobs in the local area.
The investment also covers the previously announced acquisition of 4.5 acres of land from Cornwall Council and follows a 2024 feasibility study - also supported by Good Growth funding - that confirmed the site’s suitability for development.
It means the Good Growth programme will have committed more than £10m developing Cornwall’s critical minerals infrastructure when the four-year, £186m investment programme draws to a close in March next year.
Tin is defined as a Critical Mineral by the UK government as it is used in almost all electrical devices and electrical infrastructure. Approximately two-thirds of the tin mined today comes from China, Myanmar and Indonesia. The UK Critical Minerals Strategy includes other minerals found in abundance in Cornwall including lithium and tungsten. The government aims to secure a sustainable and resilient supply of these minerals to support the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and to enhance national security.
Cllr Tim Dwelly, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Investment, said: “South Crofty is a big priority for us. Not only are they supporting high-quality well-paid jobs in the area, they are also helping the security of the whole UK by strengthening the domestic supply of essential minerals. I am proud to support this next step towards bringing tin mining back to Cornwall.”
Don Turvey, CEO and Director of Cornish Metals, added: “We are delighted to be awarded this grant funding by Cornwall Council, demonstrating ongoing local support for South Crofty and following on from the investment by the UK’s National Wealth Fund earlier this year. This funding will enable the construction of the project that will support South Crofty as we move into the underground development phase, which will provide local employment opportunities during the construction and operational phase of the project.”
South Crofty was Cornwall’s last working tin mine before it closed in 1998 after four centuries of operation. Cornish Metals’ ambition is to reopen the mine and develop a secure, long-term domestic source of tin. The company has successfully raised £57.4m in funding in Q1 2025, including a £28.6m strategic investment by the government’s National Wealth Fund. It says the reopened mine could create up to 320 permanent, high-skilled and well-paid jobs and an estimated 1,000 indirect jobs.
Earlier this year the Good Growth Programme confirmed a £764,000 investment in accelerating Strategic Minerals’ Redmoor Tungsten-Tin-Copper project near Callington in South East Cornwall. The money is part of a project valued up to £1.52m to carry out further exploration activities, including borehole drilling.
Last year the programme invested £4.7m in the sector across a range of projects to accelerate Cornwall’s goal to be a major environmentally sustainable producer of critical minerals.
For more information and updates on the Good Growth Programme and its investments, visit the website.
Find out more about the Good Growth Fund
ENDS
Posted 12 June 2025