I live next to an abandoned tourist attraction… It used to be booming with the crowds, but now it's demoralizing to be here

A man who lives next to an abandoned tourist attraction that was once thronged with visitors says it is now 'demoralising' to be there.

Heartlands used to be Cornwall's largest adventure park, always full and bustling with crowds, as children begged their parents to take them there for a day out.

However, due to a lack of funding, the park and equipment began to rot and break down after years of wear and tear.

The famous free attraction was forced to close last week on January 31, causing 26 staff to lose their jobs and everything run by the Heartlands Trust, such as the cafe, museum and soft play centre, to close permanently.

Now that the space itself has been abandoned, those who still live and trade on and around the site in Pool are concerned that it will become a wasteland, doomed to attract anti-social behavior and vandalism. Cornwall Live reports.

David Collins lives in a flat that overlooks the open courtyard where visitors could find the impressive engine room.

He has lived there for 18 months but says it is now 'completely dead', joking that 'if you want to live somewhere peaceful and quiet, there is nowhere better'.

David told the outlet: “I asked staff what the council had told them about the future of the site and properties. Nothing. We haven't heard anything from the municipality. Your guess is as good as mine. It's disgusting.

'We pay service costs and everything to Heartlands. Who do we pay now? This is our community and their property. The least they can do is keep us informed.'

He admitted: 'I had a nice little bungalow in Tolgus but wanted to move to a smaller place after my wife died.

'I thought this place would be ideal; there was a thriving cafe and it was very popular. Facing this now is demoralizing.”

The park covered 19 hectares and was located in Pool. It had everything from botanical gardens to mining attractions, a cafe and even an annual fireworks display.

Heartlands' slow death began when the National Lottery withdrew its funding after claiming the site was unsustainable, despite attracting an estimated 360,000 visitors a year.

After failed attempts to raise money, workers last week admitted the 19-hectare site would close because it would be unable to meet rising operating costs.

Jacky Blakeway, a store owner in the real Heartlands neighborhood, says the closure led to a “meltdown” as she said goodbye to laid-off staff.

She had run the Magnetic Earth Studios crystal shop within the attraction since the park first opened.

Jacky told Cornwall Live: 'Anti-social behavior will become a problem if the site is left abandoned.

'Actually, it has already started. There are many stones scattered across the site that are thrown into the water tanks and this morning a window was smashed.

“Some things have also disappeared, including a picnic bench.”

However, she wants to reassure the public that businesses left on the ground are still trading as normal, despite an “invisible barrier” being created for retail.

The shop owner added: 'My own future is at stake… I don't see how we can mothball a site that has cost over £30 million. I hope that something good will rise from the ashes.”

Stuart Soffe, owner of Canary Chiropratic, the store next to Jacky's, added: “There is a chance of positive things to come, but there are concerns.”

However, like almost all entrepreneurs, he is concerned about the maintenance of the building and the future.

On Tuesday, following a meeting between the Heartlands Trust and Cornwall Council, the trust's chairman, David Sillifant, said: 'Unfortunately the meeting changed little.

'Tomorrow the trust will cease operations and this will mean the end of employment for our staff. It's terribly sad: the Lottery will not allow further access to our endowment to retain anyone, even in a managed phase-out. You can imagine how devastated the staff is.

'We have pressed the council for information about their plans for the future of the site and arrangements for the commercial and residential tenants.

“We have not received any answers or details about who tenants should contact if necessary. The tenants we spoke to are not happy. It is unfortunate that an orderly transfer does not seem within our capabilities.”

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: 'The council is committed to maintaining public access to Heartlands' parks and gardens once the trust's legal obligations under the lease and management agreement come to an end.

“The council will carry out an assessment and carry out work if necessary to ensure they can remain open safely. The registration service and commercially rented shops and offices remain open.'