Plans unveiled for Bathgate town centre

Mar 4 2010 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

PLANS have been unveiled on how Bathgate’s town centre regeneration cash will be spent.

Enterprising Bathgate BID and West Lothian Council secured £860,000 to be spent in the town.

The Scottish Government awarded the town £600,000 from their Town Centre Regeneration Fund, with West Lothian Council and Enterprising Bathgate providing an additional £260,000.

Under the new scheme, cash would be spent to create a new civic and event space outside the former St David’s Church in the heart of the town.

A new town centre cycle network would also be developed under the plans linking the park and ride, transport interchange, the town centre, Regal Theatre and Lindsay House including cycling provisions at each site along with signage along the route.

Funds will also be used to create a town centre Wi-Fi zone in Bathgate.

This will be for customers and businesses and help keep clean the town centre area, including chewing gum removal.

And the grant will also provide a transport interchange to connect Bathgate and Airdrie,

This scheme will also include new signage, lighting and will see public information displays being erected.

The plans have been welcomed by members of the Enterprising Bathgate group who are keen to see work begin as soon as possible on the major project for Bathgate town centre.

David Stein, chair of Enterprising Bathgate, said the funding has been a great boost for everyone at the project.

He continued: “We were all delighted when we received the news about the funding award being agreed.

“Everybody in Bathgate is very excited about what this means for the town.

“We are now hard at work with West Lothian Council to ensure that the budget is spent wisely and benefits the whole town centre.”

The projects are due to begin in June and November.

However, a tendering process must now get underway to choose contractors to carry out the work.

Council leader Peter Johnston said he was pleased the scheme is set to go ahead and says that he is hopeful it will provide a boost the town.

He said: “The old Bathgate town motto was ‘For the good of those within our walls’ and it sums up perfectly what this investment will mean for the town of Bathgate.

“The money will benefit everyone who lives, works and does business in Bathgate.

“Part of the funding will be spent on creating a high-quality civic space that promotes a distinct sense of place and identity for Bathgate Town Centre.

“The project will also lead to improving linkages to and from the town centre and increasing accessibility and mobility.

“This area will be known as St David’s Square as it lies outside St David’s Church.

“We believe this will also provide a link to history of the town by laying the tower into the paving.

“I think it will look spectacular when it is complete and be of positive benefit to the town centre.

“Public consultation took place in George Street last week and feedback was extremely positive from everyone who attended the meeting.

“I know that local businesses are delighted and I’m positive that residents and visitors to Bathgate will notice a big difference.”