£4m boost for museum makeover
Investment will help generate £72m
Plans to transform Paisley Museum into a world- class destination have been given a £ 4million funding boost.
The Scottish Government confirmed the funding yesterday on a visit to the museum to announce a £26million investment in projects across the country.
Bosses at Renfrewshire Council want to use Paisley’s unique collections to showcase the town’s globally-significant textile heritage.
The £ 4million announced yesterday is the government’s contribution to the estimated £42 million total cost of the revamp.
Paisley Museum – operated by Renfrewshire Leisure – is due to close this year and reopen in 2022.
It is hoped the revamped museum will attract 125,000 visitors a year.
Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: “We are delighted the Scottish Government has confirmed this contribution towards the £42million project to transform Paisley Museum
“Between now and 2022, we will work with the local community to create a world- class destination showcasing Paisley’s outstanding art, science and natural history collections, and globally-significant textile heritage.”
The revamp will see an extension to the current Victorian- era building to include a cafe and shop; improvements to all four museum buildings, including Coats Observatory; and changes to physical access. There will also be an internal redesign which will double the number of objects on display.
As well as quadrupling visitor numbers, it is hoped the investment in the museum will create a £72million economic boost and support 138 jobs during the construction and the equivalent of 42 permanent jobs after that because of increased visitor spend.
The £42million project is central to a planned £100million-plus investment in Paisley town centre venues and infrastructure and part of a wider plan to transform the area’s future.
The boost for the town comes just days after the launch of a new destination brand and website – paisley.is – which is designed to sell Paisley and Renfrewshire as a great place to visit, live and invest.
It is hoped this will build on the legacy of the town’s unsuccessful bid to be UK City of Culture 2021.
Councillor Nicolson added: “The news has come at a great time – coming as we launch Paisley Is…a new destination brand and website dedicated to selling the area as a great place to visit, live and invest.
“Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 raised awareness of our unique story to a worldwide audience, and the museum project is central to a wider set of plans to build on that momentum and make the town one of Scotland’s key visitor destinations.”
Paisley Museum is one of 24 projects to benefit from funding announced through the Scottish Government ’ s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, which supports projects that engage and involve local communities in disadvantaged areas, tackle inequality and support inclusive growth.
The joint Scottish Government and COSLA investment will help to support or create more than 1,400 jobs, refurbish or bring back into use 23 local buildings, support over 300 businesses and community enterprises as well as more than 84 community facilities and services.
Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart said: “I’m really pleased that 24 fantastic, locally-driven projects will benefit from this major injection of funding.
“Spanning the length and breadth of the country, they will help regenerate local areas, stimulate inclusive growth and create new jobs.”