The owner of a north-east department store has unveiled plans to revamp a disused community centre in a bid to stop Banff becoming a “ghost town”.
Spotty Bag Shop owner Des Cheyne has recently completed a £2million refurbishment of his famous budget story in Banff, taking on 18 new staff members.
Now the entrepreneur has announced proposals to re-launch the town’s community centre on Bridge Street in a move which could create up to another 10 posts.
The mothballed site was put up for lease by Aberdeenshire Council earlier this year, and Mr Cheyne snapped it up as part of his regeneration vision.
The move comes despite a 15% rise in the firm’s rates earlier this year. Mr Cheyne has said the decision to invest, despite on-going uncertainty over rates, is in the best interest of the town.
A planning application has now been lodged with the council to transform Bridge Street Community Centre into a retail and leisure venue.
Mr Cheyne, who described the scheme as a “significant investment”, said: “This will attract more people into the centre of town and also give Banff what it doesn’t currently have – a seasonal retail, dining and leisure venue which is ideal for families with young children.”
The aim is for the centre to sell seasonal goods like gardening equipment in the summer, and Christmas decorations in the winter.
Mr Cheyne said: “Banff town centre is crying out for new ventures which will put the life back into the town. We all want it to be a thriving centre once more where people want to go, not a soulless ghost town which could easily happen with a lack of investment and imagination.”
He added that without continued local investment in towns like Banff and neighbouring Macduff, there will be like firms like his can do to stop customers being “seduced by large shopping centres” in big cities.
Under the proposals no changes would be made to the outside of the community centre, just yards from Mr Cheyne’s department store.
Inside the existing main hall will be converted into a retail space and the cafeteria will be replaced by a cafe, a soft play space and another kids’ area.
The centre’s existing snooker hall will be retained. A decision from Aberdeenshire Council is due in late September.
