Kresen Kernow, the new archive centre and records office for Cornwall, is set to open next month, albeit late and over budget.

The new centre in Redruth sits on the site of the former Redruth Brewery and has been a complicated project.

It secured £11.7 million and £4.9m from Cornwall Council to convert the former brewery into a modern archive centre and records office.

However there had been issues with the former brewery site which led to the project going over time and over budget.

Ahead of the opening Bob Egerton, Cornwall Council Cabinet member for culture and economy, said the decision to provide an extra £4.5m to the £20m centre had been justified.

Asked how he felt about the opening in a month’s time he said: “It is relief that we are getting to this point. For a while with the building and the budget was going over and nobody could see the end point.

“But now we have great relief and pride in the project. It has had widespread political support.

“I claim no credit for the project, it started way before my time. All I had to do was when we went over budget to get the approval for the over run that was about £4.5m.

“It is rarely easy to get people to accept things that go over budget, but there was widespread support and an acceptance of the difficulties we had with the site.

“There was no real controversy over the decision that the council had to put more money in. It was necessary and the right thing to do. We have something that will be here in 100 years’ time and look just as good as it does now.

“I am sure that people will come to it and people who never would have dreamed going to the records office before.

“Some of that will be just to see the building which is very impressive. It is like the Tate Modern – you gasp when you first see it. It is the same in bringing back an old industrial building and creating a new use for it.

“The architects have done a fantastic job.”

Kresen Kernow is set to have an open day on September 7 before it officially opens on September 11.