RH Irving Construction was selected to carry out the phase one works following a competitive tendering process. The project is being managed by construction project management specialists Nixon.

Planning and Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur and other supporters visited the town centre regeneration project yesterday as he announced £3.4 million of support from Holyrood towards the £7.2 million transformation of the former Baker’s Oven.

The disused site at 135-139 High Street is being turned into new homes and business units, a significant milestone in the work by the community-owned enterprise Midsteeple Quarter to buy vacant buildings and bring them back into use.

Years of campaigning and fundraising by townsfolk to bring the former Baker’s Oven and four other buildings into community ownership to breathe new life into the area has enabled the project to reach this point.

The funding package supporting the first major phase of work is made up of:

• Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) - £3,460,000.
• South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) - £2,199,852.
• Dumfries and Galloway Council (via the Place Based Investment Programme) - £916,889.
• Holywood Trust - £350,000.
• Dumfries High Street Limited (trading as Midsteeple Quarter) - £300,000.

Representatives of the funders met with the minister, members of Midsteeple Quarter, as well as project and construction contractors as the financial package was confirmed.

Mr Arthur said: “I welcome this project to bring vacant buildings at Midsteeple Quarter back into use as housing and other sustainable solutions to meet the town’s needs and interests. It is already helping people to live well locally.

“Innovative projects like this demonstrate the powerful role communities can have in helping transform their town centres and neighbourhoods by investing in their future, and I’m delighted that investment from the Scottish Government and COSLA’s £25 million Regeneration Capital Grant Fund will help make it a reality.

“As part of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation, the Scottish Government will do all it can to support projects that help create the fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland we all want to see.”

The other project funders have also spoken of their delight at work getting underway, with the scheme expected to take about 18 months to complete.

South of Scotland Enterprise Chair Professor Russel Griggs said: “This is another huge milestone for Midsteeple Quarter and the transformation of Dumfries town centre.

“The project has reached this stage thanks to the hard work of the Midsteeple Quarter team, the input of the Dumfries public and support of public, private and third sector organisations.

“SOSE is committed to helping revitalise town centres across the South to become greener, vibrant and more inclusive places.”

Chair of the Economy and Resources Committee for Dumfries and Galloway Council, Katie Hagmann, said: “This is excellent news and I’m delighted to see the first phase of this valuable regeneration project progressing. It is important to not only preserve our historic environment, but to improve the area, which will encourage new businesses and boost footfall in our town centres.”

Vice-chair of the Economy and Resources Committee, Sean Marshall, added: “We need to attract people back into our town centres in order to boost our local economy. Derelict and poorly maintained buildings can blight the local environment and have a negative effect on communities. This project will make a very positive and productive contribution to Dumfries.”

Karen Ward Boyd, Director of The Holywood Trust, said: “The Trust is delighted to be able to financially support the phase one capital works of the Midsteeple Quarter development in Dumfries.

“The initiative is ground-breaking and will start to change the way we as a community use the town centre, importantly developing what it has to offer to a wider range of people, particularly young people. I hope this is the rebirth of Dumfries as a modern, relevant, and thriving place for us all to live, work and socialise. The best bit of all is that this project has grown from the roots of the community and is driven by the local people.”

Midsteeple Quarter Chair, Peter Kormylo, thanked the funders for their support.

He said: “We are incredibly proud of the progress that the people of Dumfries have made to get us to this stage and extremely grateful to everyone supporting us financially for the faith they are showing in helping turn the ambitions of townsfolk into a reality.

“It is an important moment for the town to see work get underway. But there is a great deal more that we hope to achieve as we pursue the vision that residents have for Midsteeple Quarter.

“A lot of eyes are upon us as we demonstrate how community ownership can deliver a stronger, fairer, more sustainable future.”