Open parkland in front of Livingston’s Civic Centre will be transformed into a memorial space to remember victims of the Covid pandemic.
West Lothian Council’s Executive gave the green light to the work of a team which has been preparing plans as part of the national Remembering Together project.
It paves the way for the development of plans and secures £100,000 of Holyrood funding to kick-start a partnership between the council and Greenspace Scotland to create a memorial space which can be used by the public for quiet contemplation as well as a focal point for wider public memorial events.
Alan Colqhoun, the council’s Culture and Sport Manager, presented a lengthy report to the Executive detailing the work carried out so far involving ideas put into the scheme by community groups and schools.
The report on the initial work by an artist, Marion Parola, of Glasgow based design agency Bespoke Atelier, will form the public display at Linlithgow Burgh Halls next month.
The initial work with groups and school children asked questions of experience during the pandemic and identified common feelings and themes through the creation of collages and other communal artwork put together. Views were were collected from diverse age ranges from primary school children to a community walking group for older people
In his report Mr Colqhoun said the parkland in front of the Civic Centre qualified as the best site for the memorial space because of its central location, its ease of access and its existing footfall and public use. There are already granite benches installed in the parkland along the main footpath leading from the stadium car park and footpaths also run around the park leading from the town centre and up to schools and St John’s Hospital.
On a more practical basis, the council already owns the ground, it is close to 24 hour facilities including the Civic Centre and the police station with its attendant security cameras, and the ground is largely level and would require no major earthwork to prepare it.
Mr Colquhoun said: “Materials currently on site, such as the granite benches in situ, have been identified for possible reuse within the new phase 2 proposals, making the best use of the built environment. The site is owned by the council and any planning application requirements will be advised at an early stage and will be dependent on meeting all site requirements e.g. if aspects of the design are higher than four metres tall.”
He added: “The work of the Phase 1 lead artist will culminate in an exhibition at the gallery at Linlithgow Burgh Halls from January to May 2023 of the community engagement responses to date.”
Councillors passed the plan without debate. Welcoming the work done so far Council leader Lawrence Fitzpartick said: “I’m sure I speak for us all when we think back to friends who have died through Covid.”
He added that the memorial space was also worthy in recognising the efforts of council staff across the various departments who worked through Covid, putting themselves at risk.
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