Following Gregor Poynton’s direct intervention with Miatta Fahnbulleh, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities) in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government earlier this week, the Department confirmed it will now proceed, allowing the money to be released and ensuring work can continue without disruption.
Livingston’s MP has welcomed the timely release of a key funding tranche for the West Calder Co-operative Discovery Centre, after delays in finalising agreements between funders had put pressure on the project’s timeline.
Following Gregor Poynton’s direct intervention with Miatta Fahnbulleh, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities) in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government earlier this week, the Department confirmed it will now proceed, allowing the money to be released and ensuring work can continue without disruption.
Gregor met with project lead Matt Pearce in West Calder this morning after receiving confirmation from UK Government Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh that the Department will proceed with the required agreement to release funds.
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Speaking after the visit, Gregor said: “I’m delighted this funding is now being released in time. When delays emerged, I raised the issue directly with the Minister so the project could move forward without risking disruption.
“This is a fantastic community-led development for West Calder, and I’ll keep backing it every step of the way.”
The £6m Co-op Discovery Centre will transform the historic 1909 bakery building into a major heritage and learning attraction, creating jobs, training opportunities, community spaces, a café and bistro, and new resources for young people and those with additional support needs.
The project continues to gather strong support from heritage and regeneration partners. With this week’s funding issues resolved, the project moves positively ahead.
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Although there remains more funding to be secured for the final phase, the project team are confident of opening in Spring 2027.
Matt Pearce said: “A bit thank you to Gregor for helping to resolve this frustrating issue that could really have caused us problems. We appreciate the support he has shown for the project.
“It will deliver so much for the local community, West Lothian and Scotland more widely. We hope that we can build on this to gather more concrete support from the UK Government towards this important Scottish initiative that helps promote and support the co-operative sector while helping create local jobs and enterprise.”
Gregor added: “The team has done incredible work bringing this vision to life, and this week’s progress gives them the certainty they need to keep building. This is a big win for West Calder and the wider community.”
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