The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Chance for rare insight into plans for museum
THE LONG journey towards creating a new £ 10 million Dunfermline museum and art gallery has reached another milestone with the submission of a planning application.
And the project team has organised information meetings so the public can find out more about the ambitious scheme which has been several years in the planning.
Dorothy Browse, service manager with Fife’s libraries, museums and archives service, said two special events have also been organised for those interested in seeing how the building is envisaged.
“It’s sometimes difficult to imagine what a new building will look like by looking at 2D plans on a screen or in print,” she said.
“So the project team has organised two information sessions for local people to hear Richard Murphy Architects explain what inspired them in their design, how the new building will work and where it will merge and integrate with the world’s first Carnegie Library.
“As well as talking through the plans themselves, these events will give an opportunity to view a computer 3D fly-through of the proposals, something that really helps to bring the plans for the new building alive.
“Members of the council’s project team will also be on hand to take questions about this exciting new building and its historic contents, and speak to people about the proposed activities, displays and exhibitions the new combined library, museum and gallery will offer.”
The project secured stage one funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in November 2010. That brought a development grant of £24,000 to continue to develop the project.
Since then the project team has been working on preparing for stage two of the funding application, aiming to secure around £2.8m of lottery finance.
The fund carried out a review in March and declared it was very satisfied with the project’s progress.
Fife Council has already allocated £6.8m from its capital budget for the project on the site, a B-listed former bank which at one time was also home to some local authority services.
It lies next to Dunfermline Carnegie Library and neighbours Abbot House heritage centre and Dunfermline Abbey.
The round two application for lottery funding will be lodged in October and the outcome is expected next January.
Dunfermline has been without a town museum for many years and many items of important historical significance have not been on display to the public.
With the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum attracting bumper crowds of visitors, it is hoped the new museum will also be a major visitor attraction for the area.
The site itself is rich in history. A trial archaeological dig yielded a range of wall footings thought to be from the 13th and 14th centuries, medieval pottery and a rare fragment of a bone comb. If funding is successful there is a commitment to carrying out a full archaeological dig on the site.
The presentations will be held from 10.30am to noon onwednesday May 30 and from 7pm to 8.30pm onthursday May 31 in the Dunfermline Carnegie Library.
Places are limited to 40 people per session so booking is essential. Call 01592 583204 or email libraries.museums@fife.gov.uk as soon as possible to book a place.