What’s Happening?
The vision for the Bathgate Meadows Nature Park project is to work with local people to create a large, high-quality, accessible and wildlife-rich nature park on former industrial land, regenerating the rivers that run through the town, creating new direct connections between Blackburn, Wester Inch, and the historic town centre and its transport hubs helping inject new life into the town centre, galvanise the town’s newfound role as a thriving suburb and provide a natural space where wildlife can thrive and people can linger a while.
The project aims to deliver the following outcomes:
- The extended urban area will have a green heart supported by a network of habitats with the Bog Burn and Boghead Burns that flow freely and renewing life:
- The town will be well connected and serviced by a network of active links.
- Local people and communities will be supported to make decisions and be at the heart of the delivery.
- Water quality and biodiversity will be enhanced, and the project will implement the best solution taking into account constraints and value for money, in conjunction with long term sustainability of infrastructure/solutions.
Where?
What’s Next?
A Masterplan for the project has been completed, and we are now moving ahead with the Stage 1 funding application to National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are also meeting with representatives from local community groups with the aim to create a community steering group for the project, to ensure that the community’s needs are met throughout the project.
Who’s Involved?
West Lothian Council is an award-winning Scottish unitary authority with its headquarters in Livingston. It has a successful track record of delivering high-quality public services and a successful track record delivering new infrastructure for its growing population.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s role is to make sure that the environment/human health are protected, and that natural resources are used sustainably. It administers the Water Environment Fund [WEF] on behalf of the Scottish Government to deliver projects that improve our rivers.
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Bathgate Meadows Nature Park is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to progress the development phase of Bathgate Meadows Nature Park, working with local community to build a plan for delivery.
Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle. We connect people and places, create liveable neighbourhoods, transform the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. Sustrans works in partnership, bringing people together to find the right solutions. They make the case for walking and cycling by using robust evidence and showing what can be done. We are grounded in communities and believe that grassroots support combined with political leadership drives real change, fast.
Forth Rivers Trust works in collaboration with others to conserve, maintain and improve the quality of river environments, in doing so it brings benefits to both people and wildlife. At the core of the charity is a basis of scientifically robust knowledge and data, which guides all it does.
Green Action Trust works with a range of private, public and third sector partners across Scotland to turn ideas into tangible change, to build more sustainable communities and a greener country. They plan, collaborate and deliver positive action across the country to achieve Scotland’s climate change ambitions, as well as identifying and delivering opportunities for improving greenspaces in both urban and rural settings.
The project will also form a series of new or renewed relationships with other organisations and groups in the coming months, they will form a vibrant and representative group of ‘Delivery Partners’. These relationships will be new for ensuring that the project is accessible to those who will benefit most from restoration works, new resources and opportunities that the project aims to deliver.