Exclusive:Top Scots waterpark and museum could get UK Government funding as Douglas Alexander vows to 'revitalise' town
Douglas Alexander visited Coatbridge on Thursday alongside MP Frank McNally to talk about projects which could receive funding.
A top Scots waterpark and museum could be in line for UK government funding as Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander pledged to “revitalise” a Central Belt town.
Coatbridge’s Time Capsule - named the top pool in Scotland by Time Out magazine - and Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life could be recipients of the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme.
The North Lanarkshire town has been awarded £20 million, with the first £6.6m being allocated.
Scottish Secretary Mr Alexander said the money would “make a huge difference” as he visited Summerlee and New College Lanarkshire’s Coatbridge Campus.
He said on Thursday: "I'm delighted to be in Coatbridge today meeting with the town board and council representatives to hear their plans for how they'll use almost £20m Pride in Place funding.
“This funding will make a huge difference to Coatbridge, creating opportunities for young people and revitalising the local community.
"The UK government is working with local partners who know their communities best to make places like Coatbridge even greater places to live, work and play."
The funding - if it receives confirmation from the Scotland Office - would support improvements to greenspace in the town and improve the town centre, as well as enhancing Summerlee Museum and supporting improvements to the Time Capsule.
Frank McNally, Labour MP for Coatbridge and Bellshill, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome the Scottish Secretary, Douglas Alexander, to Coatbridge to see the brilliant work at our local college and hear directly about plans to invest some of the £20m of money secured from the Labour government for after the election.
“The funding is aimed at improving critical assets in Coatbridge, delivering new resource, and investing in the places people in our community use and value. The first £6.6m is now committed to projects that will improve our parks, canal, museum and town centre.
“I’m grateful to the Scottish Secretary for taking the time to hear more about the plans.”
The Time Capsule leisure centre - popular among families across the west of Scotland - was named as one of the top waterparks across the UK by Time Out magazine earlier this year. It has unique rides like the huge Tornado Tantrum flume and the 10m-high Storm Chaser, which has two flumes where pairs can race against each other to see who comes out first.
The attraction also has a 25m swimming pool, a Tsunami wave pool and a Riptide River. The rest of the leisure complex has a gym, an ice rink and soft play area.
Summerlee Museum is situated on the site of a former iron works and crane factory. It shows Lanarkshire’s contribution to engineering, mining, steel working and farming.
Last year it welcomed its four-millionth visitor since becoming a museum in 1988. The museum includes a recreated mine with guided tours, miners’ cottages and an exhibition hall with working machinery.
Summerlee also boasts Scotland’s only heritage tram line. But The Scotsman reported in August this has been out of action for two years because the museum is unable to find someone to run the operation.
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