Project Manager to plan the development of a 545 acre site for the Science Museum in Wiltshire.
A Governmental review of the inventory of the Nation’s major museums had identified that minimally 70% of inventory was not available for viewing by the public. The “Creative Planet” programme was therefore conceived to do two things:
- Prepare a development master plan for a 545 acre site near Swindon in Wiltshire within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjoining a Site of Special Scientific Interest that would provide a best practice case study on sustainable development
- Provide a new-build low-carbon National Centre to exhibit the collections held by The Science Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Maritime Museum whereby 80% of inventory would be available for public viewing on demand.
The assignment comprised the following key pieces of work:
- Establish a programme management and site master plan
- Support NMSI Directors and staff in the establishment of the project team and the preparation of the master plan
- Support the project team in undertaking public consultations
- Support NMSI in the submission of a “Big Lottery” funding bid
- Establish and deliver a project plan to convert the former Engineering Building on site into a Collections Access Facility comprising conservations workshops and exhibition and teaching space as an educational visitor centre
- Prepare and submit a Heritage Lottery Fund bid to support the Collections Access Facility
Delivery required investment in excess of £60m. The “Big Lottery” bid was unsuccessful despite the Secretary of State’s enthusiastic support.
