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Scottish gallery project receives £2m
iN brieF
National Portrait Gallery secures funding towards major £17.6m redevelopment
Devon attraction wins
planning battle
By Pete Hayman Crealy Great Adventure Park,
near Exeter, Devon, has won its
A major two-year scheme, bid to prevent the local
designed to transform the authority taking enforcement
Scottish National Portrait action against it in a planning
Gallery in Edinburgh, has been row over the construction of two
awarded a £2m funding boost rides. The park successfully
by the Monument Trust. appealed against an East Devon
National Galleries Scotland District Council decision to
(NGS) is leading the £17.6m refuse Lawful Development
Portrait of the Nation project, Certificates for a rollercoaster
which will provide new and a swinging pirate ship ride,
education facilities – including constructed in 2000 and 2002
a multi-purpose teaching suite The refurbished attraction is expected to reopen in autumn 2011 respectively. RPS Planning and
and a resource and learning Development, which appealed
centre. The scheme, which is visitor numbers by 50 per cent, now raised 80 per cent of the the refusals on the park's behalf,
being undertaken by BAM as well as doubling the total cost of the scheme. argued the council could not
Construction, will also feature attraction's gallery space. NGS director general John take enforcement action against
new media interpretation The Scottish Government has Leighton said: "Following this the rides as they are operational
facilities throughout the contributed £5.1m towards the refurbishment we will at last be developments and have been in
gallery and a visitor hub, revamp of the gallery, which is able to make effective use of place for four years.
incorporating a shop, café set to reopen in autumn 2011, one of the most outstanding
and an information point. while £4.8m has been awarded buildings in Edinburgh
Fort Nelson to undergo
It is hoped that the Portrait by the Heritage Lottery Fund. "The project will enable the
£3.5m redevelopment
of the Nation project will In addition to the £2m cash wonderful collections to be Fort Nelson, the military
enable the Scottish National injection from the Monument presented in a coherent and museum in Fareham, Hampshire,
Portrait Gallery to increase Trust, it means that NGS has understandable way." is set to undergo a £3.5m
refurbishment. The fort – which
was built in the 1860s to form
New SAW Alive
Discovery Centre for Clumber Park
part of a chain of fortifications
for Thorpe Park
protecting the naval harbour of
By Helen Patenall Portsmouth from the French – is
Merlin Entertainments will add home to the Royal Armouries
a second SAW-themed A Grade-II listed brewery at collection of artillery, boasting
attraction to its Thorpe Park Clumber Park in Worksop, more than 350 big guns and
theme park next year. Notts, is to be converted into a cannons. The plans include a
Saw Alive, a year round live new Discovery Centre. new visitor centre, Orienteur
action horror maze, will follow The National Trust (NT)- gallery and a classroom. The
SAW - The Ride, which operated education facility will Fort's displays include the Great
launched at the park to much inform visitors about the Turkish Bombard of 1464.
fanfare in March 2009. history of the park and its 18th Work on the centre is due to
Based on Lionsgate and century buildings via bat cams, be completed by March 2011
Cuts set to claim two
Twisted Pictures' popular touch screens, film and audio
Canterbury museums
horror film franchise, SAW clips, as well as an investigation into use and also offer a much Canterbury City Council's draft
Alive will be marketed as the area and exhibitions. improved learning and budget plans for the 2010-11
"world's most extreme horror Beth Dawson, general exhibition facility for local financial year could result in the
attraction". The maze will manager at Clumber Park, said: communities and schools." closure of two of the city's
feature six separate scenes "The new Discovery Centre will Construction is scheduled to museums as part of attempts to
from the six SAW films released allow visitors to really make the begin in 2010, with completion reduce expenditure. A public
to date. The attraction will also most of the fantastic natural expected by March 2011. consultation has been launched
incorporate a photo opportu- environment that we have here. NT has provided £700,000 by the council into the plans,
nity to capture terrified guests "By renovating the Brewhouse towards the scheme, which is which include shutting the
as they're subjected to the we can bring one of the park's also set to receive £800,000 Roman Museum and the West
horror of the maze. original historic buildings back from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Gate Towers Museum.
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