Bert Gamble JP

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Polkemmet pit employed 2,000 at one time with most of the male population from Whitburn employed there. Sinking commenced in 1913 at number 1 shaft  and number 2 shaft in 1916 but both stopped during the 1914-1918 war. The shafts reached the coal in 1921 and in 1922 coal production started. In 1924 Whitburn miners got funds to buy an ambulance wagon and three years later another when the first one was no longer of use. Next time, Whitburn asked for a grant towards cost of a 6,250 new miners hall and received 5,050. It was the 119th hall to be opened under the scheme and the 22nd in Linlithgowshire.

The Miners Welfare Hall in West Main Street was opened on 28th May 1932 as a Picture House. The Main hall was gutted by fire in 1985 and re opened in 1986 at a cost of 220,000  The Miners Welfare Hall came about after a Act of Parliament in 1920 was passed which constituted the Miners Welfare Fund.

In February 1937 new pithead baths where opened at a cost of 25,000 with money from the Miners Welfare fund which meant miners did not have to wait until they got home before having a bath in front of the fire. William Dixon & Co. leased the mineral rights from the Baillies of Polkemmet until 1947 when all the coal mines in Britain were nationalised by the Labour Government. It was the 3rd largest pit in Scotland in 1952 and produced 2,000 tons of coal a day and this increased to 4,000 after complete electrification of the pit in 1958. It was closed in 1986, the last in West Lothian, after the year long miners strike when Mrs Thatchers Tory Government pursued a policy of closing all pits in Britain and buying cheap coal from abroad. 

For years there was always a complaint among townspeople of smoke and a sulpher smell coming from the pit. A complaint was submitted to the Town Council in April 1938 about the burning bing and smell and it was agreed to send a letter to William Dixon & Co asking for action. Nothing happened and another letter was sent to the next meeting of the Council and this time the Town Clerk was instructed to write to Mr George Mathers, M.P. and the Medical Officer of Health. Letters from the Secretary of State for Scotland and Mr G.Mathers, M.P. promised measures to minimise the nuisance but indicating no real effective method was known. Nothing was done and the last time the Town Council received a complaint was in January 1947 but again nothing was done.

From 1990 British Coal talked about plans for an opencast mining and rehabilitation scheme for the site, but no plans where approved for the area until Kelvin Homes bought the site and had a planning application approved by West Lothian Council on 20th August 2003 for open cast and rehabilitation proposals. On 12 November they forward another successful application for Housing, Industry and 2 Golf Courses. Bert Gamble, who has been the local councillor for 33 years and has been fighting since 1986 to get the site redeveloped for housing, industry and leisure facilities said after the planning meeting  ' It is a dream come true and a great day for Whitburn and West Lothian'.

Tom Duncan was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1947 for working 64 years in the pits. Born in Armadale he started in Bathville Pit as a 11 year old and later had short spells in Fife and East Lothian. When awarded his B.E.M. he had been working over 20 years in Polkemmet Pit and stayed in Whitburn for over 50 years. He was President of the Whitburn Gala Committee from 1928 till 1935 and had been secretary of the Burgh Band for many years. Mr.Duncans grandson, also named Tom, was architect for Whitburn Town council and designed Brucefield Church.

New proposals for Polkemmet Moor.

Polkemmet

Work goes ahead on Scotland's biggest development

WORK on Scotland's biggest development, the transformation of the former Polkemmet Colliery site at Whitburn to a 500 million business, retail, residential and sporting complex - is already four months ahead of schedule.

Speaking on a visit to the site on Thursday, March 17, Councillor Bert Gamble, chair of the Polkemmet Liaison Group, said: "I am delighted at the progress being made on site. It's a massive project and the work done so far is phenomenal.

"People in West Lothian and the surrounding areas will have a dream environment when the project is completed."

Councillor Gamble is pictured along with Terry Walker, managing director of Ecosse Regeneration Ltd., on the site of the former burning bing at Polkemmet, which has now been capped.

"There are no fumes or fire coming from it now," added Councillor Gamble.

When completed, the Heartlands development - which includes two golf courses, a 1.5 million sq. ft. business park and around 2,000 houses - will create 4,000 new jobs.
 

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