Milestone marked at project to help revive fortunes of historic Scottish town centre

A project to transform a “derelict blight” in Dumfries town centre into homes and enterprise space has achieved a milestone as part of the town’s ambitious regeneration plans.

Work continuing on Midsteeple Quarter's construction project at 135-139 High Street to create new homes and enterprise spaces. Picture by Kirstin McEwan Photography

Scaffolding has been removed from the front of Midsteeple Quarter’s landmark development, with work on its interior now fully underway. Developers said initial talks were taking place with organisations interested in leasing the enterprise spaces being created at 135-139 High Street as part of the community-led scheme. It is the first phase of a long-term vision to breathe new life into the town centre by taking neglected and under-used buildings into community ownership to repurpose.

The project’s main contractor, RH Irving Construction, highlighted the multi-million-pound economic impact of the development, with extensive use of local subcontractors including joiners, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and roofers. The firm, headquartered at Longtown in Cumbria, works extensively throughout Dumfries and Galloway. About a third of its 100-plus staff are based in southern Scotland. Work at the site, which officially began last summer, is due for completion next spring.

Dion Corbett, one of the Midsteeple Quarter directors visiting the site this week, said: “This is all about realising our community’s ambition to take back control of our High Street and be a catalyst for positive change. We’re incredibly excited to see it taking shape and about the opportunities it is creating for people to live and work in the town centre. The comments we’ve heard as the scaffolding has come off have been incredibly positive.”

The work to transform and extend the former Baker’s Oven will see enterprise space at ground level and part of the first floor, as well as seven flats on its upper floors, which will be available for rent.

RH Irving Construction’s managing director, Mark Moodycliffe, said: “As a true Borderlands company with deep connections across the region, this is an exciting project for us - hopefully symbolising the beginning of a new future for Dumfries High Street. We’re pleased with how it’s progressing. The opportunities it has created for our locally-based staff and contractors have been fantastic. They’ve brought with them real benefits to the economy of Dumfries and wider Dumfriesshire, which we think stands testament to the ethos of what the whole Midsteeple Quarter project is striving to achieve for the community.”