£600,000 revamp revisits town's history
PLANS to revitalise Bathgate's town centre have been unveiled, with history playing a major part in the designs.
The town's main shopping precinct in George Street is set to undergo a major facelift using 600,000 from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund.
The council and town centre management group, Enterprising Bathgate, have also proposed to call one area of the precinct St David's Square to preserve the legacy of a church of the same name - one of the town's most historic landmarks - which sits in the centre of the pedestrian street.
The group is worried that the name St David's will be lost to future generations as the church has closed and will be replaced with a new nightclub called Chalmers, due to open in the summer.
According to the plans, a mirror image of the church's tower will be embedded into a new granite surface in the pedestrian walkway, replacing the existing mono blocks, with uplighters from the ground giving the area a modern cosmopolitan feel.
The Steelyard area will also be redeveloped to incorporate Bathgate's coat of arms etched into the new granite surface and an oval shape depicting the ruins of Bathgate Castle, which can be seen from the air close to Bathgate Golf Club.
The plans were unveiled to the public last Friday in George Street where residents could view them and ask questions.
While the feedback so far has been extremely supportive of the improvements, local residents are still worried about the quality of shops within the town centre.
One said: "I love the retention of the name St David's and anything that reflects creativity is welcome because the town centre is dead."
Another added: "I would like more shopping retailers as there's too many charity shops, cafes and pound shops. The amount of shops that have disappeared in the town is a disgrace."
Pat Kerr of Enterprising Bathgate believes the refurbishment proposals will bring great benefits to new and existing traders in the town centre.
He said: "The response we have had to the plans has been very good so far and it has given people a chance to see what their town centre could look like and give their views on that.
"We don't have much say in what traders actually fill the shops in Bathgate, but I think these new proposals will help attract quality retailers to the town."
Bathgate councillor John McGinty has also welcomed the plans. He said: "These are very exciting proposals for the town centre and I look forward to hearing local people's views on what is being suggested. It is good news for Bathgate."
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Weather for Bathgate
Friday 18 May 2012
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Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
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