2 Cultural Projects Continue To Make Progress in Peterhead and Macduff
Update on progress with the two cultural projects being developed in Peterhead and Macduff with support from UK Government funding and additional external funding streams.
Progress continues to be made on a series of cultural projects being supported by the UK Government in the north of Aberdeenshire, councillors heard last week.
The projects being developed under the banner “Cultural Tides: North Sea Connections in Aberdeenshire” are receiving £20 million of ring-fenced money – formerly known as Levelling Up – for the construction of a Museum of Aberdeenshire and new Peterhead Library, together with the renovation and extension of Macduff Marine Aquarium.
The wider development of the facilities are also being supported financially through a range of external funding streams including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Crown Estate Scotland Net Revenues and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
During a meeting of Full Council on Thursday (Jan 16), councillors were given a briefing on the progress to-date, before approving updated business cases for the individual projects.
They also gave approval to appoint the contractor for the improvements at the aquarium, with work expected to start on-site next month.
Aberdeenshire Council Leader Cllr Gillian Owen said afterwards: “We are very conscious that some people take the view that this UK Government funding can be used to support other services or activities across Aberdeenshire – but that is simply not the case. This money – together with all external funding sources – can only be used to deliver these specific capital projects. I am heartened to hear that progress on that delivery – while admittedly somewhat slower than we had anticipated – continues to be made on all aspects of this suite of works.
“As with all complex capital projects, there are risks around matters such as supply chain challenges and price inflation, which makes it so important that officers continue to revise the business cases and ensure we remain within the agreed cost estimate and timescale.”
Depute Leader Cllr Anne Stirling added: “While these projects will, of course, bring tremendous benefits to both the towns of Macduff and Peterhead, as a council we remain clear that they must also deliver for the whole of Aberdeenshire. It is imperative that we continue to pursue external funding streams to ensure the entire cost of these complex and challenging projects is covered and I would like to thank those officers for their diligence around that aspect of this work.”
Following positive feedback from the online public engagement back in the Spring of 2022, Aberdeenshire Council developed the business cases for the two projects and was successful in its application to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund which operated on a competitive basis.
The projects within this bid responded strongly to the ambitions of the fund by proposing significant investment in the cultural infrastructure in both Peterhead and Macduff.
The Macduff Marine Aquarium project is set to see a significant modernisation of the existing aquarium at Macduff to improve the visitor experience and includes expanded exhibits and enhanced facilities. A two-storey extension will aim to take advantage of coastal views and include a new café-restaurant, education suite and community space. The project will also involve an external revamp of the building, a new children’s play area and path links along the coastline.
Meanwhile in Peterhead, councillors heard that the plans for the museum and library were proceeding through the consultation process and will be presented to the Buchan Area Committee for discussion in due course. The project will see the listed Arbuthnot House at the lower end of Broad Street sensitively restored and extended to house both the town’s library and a new museum showcasing Aberdeenshire’s extensive heritage collections and artwork.
The new museum will provide many opportunities for local communities to learn about the heritage of their area as well as providing visitors with the full breadth and richness of the region’s stories and past.
The new Peterhead Library will be situated on the ground floor of the new extension alongside Arbuthnot House with access to a sunken seating area in the garden for readings and events. As part of the cultural quarter, there will also be a new ground floor café offering somewhere for a quick coffee or a leisurely lunch with family and friends, with seating spilling out onto a garden terrace.
Members also received an update on the existing Carnegie Building on the town’s St Peter Street. Having housed the existing Arbuthnot Museum and Library for decades, it is now being cleared to allow improvements works to be undertaken ahead of a new cultural operator taking on the lease of the building.
