Monday, August 6, 2007

Poots Watch No.3

Great stuff and just at the right time for our embattled Culture Supremo and (just as it happens, no coincidence, no honestly,really) Member for Lagan Valley:

McCleave’s Lock and the Lock Keeper’s Cottage on the Lagan Canal are to be restored as a result of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The announcement was made by Edwin Poots, MLA, Minister responsible for inland waterways at the launch of Lagan Valley Regional Park’s Landscape Partnership Scheme.
He said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund is to contribute £1.6million towards a £2.23million programme of work which will see the restoration of McCleave’s Lock and the Lock Keeper’s Cottage featured in the BBC Restoration Programme.


“These objectives dovetail perfectly with my Department’s commitment to encouraging as many people as possible to experience the excellence of our cultural assets.”

It will also dig me out of a bit of a hole with the local electorate, who've been bending my ear about Irish-Speaking White Elephants residing in local Terror Shrines...

I may not have fully caught or transcribed literally that last sentence, but anyway.....

The Minister congratulated all concerned in securing the funding and pointed out that the contribution from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the commitment from 15 partner organisations will help deliver a diverse range of landscape and heritage related projects over the next five years.

I'm going to do a wee bit of digging into these "partner organisations", it will be interesting to see who's behind them and what exactly this "commitment" entitles them to....

No comments: