Museum given support in wake of lockdown

West Lothian’s unique military museum has been given some breathing space after covid restrictions forced it to close its doors several times over the last year.

The museum will benefit from a change of rules to qualify the popular attraction for rates relief.

West Lothian Council’s Executive agreed changes to the Discretionary Non-Domestic rates scheme because it excluded the military museum on the grounds that it occupies a hall and workshop on Sight Scotland’s Linburn campus and asks a cover charge to meet costs.

The eligibility criteria of the current Discretionary NonDomestic Rates Scheme was amended retrospectively from April 1, 2020 to provide a 20 per cent discretionary relief top-up to the current 80 per cent mandatory relief entitlement as a Scottish registered charity for organisations that operate premises wholly or mainly used as a museum.

The report said “The proposed amendment to widen eligibility under the current Discretionary Non-Domestic Rates Relief Scheme will allow the council to continue to assist those organisations that operate a museum by reducing the amount they are liable to pay in NonDomestic Rates.”

The collection run by Ian Inglis at the Military Museum

Scotland needs a new home. With more than 100,000 items- including one of the largest military libraries in the country- the museum is bursting at the seams. Ian has run the museum in buildings at Sight Scotland’s Linburn facility since 2017.

It has become a support base for forces’ veterans. PreCovid it ran a successful veterans breakfast club and since the start of lockdown it has become a veterans hub. It’s now a point of contact for all sorts of support services available to those who have served the country, in peace and in conflict.