Museum idea needs new head of steam

The Northern Mill Engine Society has applied for heritage Lottery cash to create a museum which members estimate would attract 35,000 visitors a year.

The project is expected to cost around £1,468,000 - but the Lottery cash would only cover £1.1 million.

Bolton Council was asked to help with the £368,000 shortfall, but leisure services committee councillors decided they did not have enough money available.

The society currently has a collection of stationary steam engines which provided power for the textile industry based at Atlas Mills, on the Morrisons supermarket site off Chorley Old Road.

But the idea is to turn it into an interactive "science centre" called Steam into Science.

Leisure services councillors decided that while the council will give all the help it can "in kind" with the project, there is no spare cash available for a contribution. Vice-chairman Cllr Steve Hynes said: "It is a very exciting scheme, but it does need major capital investment which we cannot do.

"This needs to be done on a much larger scale than just going cap in hand to the council and perhaps the answer would be some private sector investment."

Secretary of the Northern Mill Engines Society, Mr John Phillp said: "It is a disappointment, although I'm not altogether surprised. It would have been very, very helpful if the council could have found some money.

"The museum is expected to be a living history of Bolton's heritage and we aim for it to be both a tourist and educational facility focusing on primary schoolchildren.

"The scheme has not been put in jeopardy - we will just have to wait and see the level of funding the Lottery grant will provide."

The 250-strong society, which has received minor start up grants from Bolton Council in the past, is expected to hear whether its Lottery bid is successful in the next few weeks.

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