AFTER six years of campaigning and planning, the restoration of the iconic Grade II Listed Penarth Pier Pavilion has officially begun.

And to commemorate the landmark occasion, Wales Office Minister David Jones visited the site of the £3.9 million redevelopment, to meet with the driving force behind the project, Maggie Knight.

The project director of Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd (PACL) gave the minister a guided tour, and said his visit was an indication of just how far the scheme had come.

“I think it shows how the project has captured the imagination, not just in Penarth but across Wales,” said Australian native Maggie.

“It has the potential to revitalise the entire area and I think we will bring to Penarth something quite revolutionary for this period.

“Pier pavilions were hugely valued in this country once upon a time, and we want that to be the case again.

“We were honoured to have the Minister visit the site.”

Enabling work on the 1929 building, which has been closed to visitors for over a decade, began recently and the entire maple floor inside - once the setting for countless discos and dances - has already been taken up ahead of the full refurbishment.

Maggie is hopeful that some materials used in the original building can be retained.

“I think any part of the original building that we can keep - provided it is safe to use - would be appreciated by the locals for the element of nostalgia,” she said.

“I also think it is vital, to remain true to our mission statement.

“We want to make Penarth a better place and while there are relatively few community, not-for-profit organisations left around today, we are just that.

“When you sit back, take a minute and realise that after six years it is actually happening now, it is quite amazing," she added.

“The inspirations for the project were people like Donald Moore MBE who worked tirelessly on the maritime side of things here.

“I know this meant a lot to him and it means a lot to me.”

Once completed, it is envisaged that the building will become a cultural and educational hub for the community, offering a range of activities including educational programmes, film showings, festivals and exhibitions, as well as childcare provision, a restaurant and cafe.

There will also be a dedicated exhibition area focusing on the area's maritime heritage, and the building will be a base to volunteer organisation Coastwatch, wildlife sanctuaries and the RSPB.

Office Minister Mr Jones said the building had ‘incredible cultural significance’ and he was impressed with the plans for its future.

“It was inspiring to hear the passion in the voices of the people that are investing so much into bringing this important building back to life,” he said.

“The project has generated tremendous emotion and enthusiasm in the members of the community who clearly hold it so dear.

"Everybody involved – from the volunteers to the apprentices – is committed to making it a success.

“It could become a huge magnet for tourism and focal point for local people," he added.

“Heritage projects such as this can really restore the heart of a town, and the restoration of the Pavilion will be a great boost to Penarth and the surrounding areas."

The project has been funded from a variety of sources including a £1.68million cash injection from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

With the support of a host of volunteers, the new-look Pavilion is expected to open in summer 2013, creating five jobs including positions for an education and learning officer, and a pavilion manager.

Apprentice carpenters from Cardiff and Vale College have been receiving on-the-job training at the site from R & M Williams, the Penarth Road building firm contracted to carry out the renovation.

The trainees have also been making memorial crosses out of the maple floor for charity SAMA 82 (South Atlantic Medal Association 1982), ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, one of which was presented to Mr Jones.

R & M managing director Darryn Parry said the company was delighted to be involved in a project ‘so rooted in the community’.

“I would be very suprised if none of the apprentices we have on site weren’t related to somebody who worked on the original building," he said.

"Many of their grandfathers could have been carpenters putting down the maple floor they have been tearing up.

"There is something very wholesome about it. It is a local project being carried out by local people for local people.”