Scottish Government Minister hails investment in Midsteeple Quarter
Business and Employment Minister Richard Lochhead, front left, and Midsteeple Quarter Chair Robert Richmond, front right, in The Green Room at The Standard with, left to right, Midsteeple Quarter Executive Director Tim Cowen, Karen Ward Boyd (Holywood Trust), Kate Musgrave (South of Scotland Enterprise) and Oliver Shimell (Dumfries & Galloway Council)
A Scottish Government minister has been briefed on the next steps in a community-led vision to breathe new life into Dumfries town centre.
Business and Employment Minister Richard Lochhead visited Midsteeple Quarter and saw the progress being made by the community benefit society.
He toured The Standard, the society’s flagship High Street development of homes, enterprise and community spaces for which the Scottish Government was a principal funder.
The Standard marks the completion of the first phase of Midsteeple Quarter’s ambitious regeneration plan.
Mr Lochhead also heard about work underway to plan for the redevelopment of five other buildings which Midsteeple Quarter has taken into community ownership.
That includes a feasibility study into the options for the future of three buildings at 111-119 High Street (Flourish, The Smithy and The Press).
The society also hopes to complete the transformation of 109 High Street (The Bust Stop) as well as 51 Bank Street - where it has planning permission for four residential flats.
The Minister was told of the challenges of keeping the High Street buildings wind and watertight whilst working on longer term regeneration options. The buildings had been neglected for many years before being bought by the community.
Mr Lochhead said afterwards: "The Standard is a fantastic example of what community-led regeneration can achieve. It has brought new homes, business space and community facilities to the heart of Dumfries - breathing new life into a derelict site and creating somewhere people can live, work and come together.
"Through our £4.8 million investment, we helped make this possible.
"To build on successes like this, we are investing £52 million in community-led regeneration projects in 2026-27. This will revitalise derelict sites, transform town centres and boost economic opportunities across Scotland."
The Minister was shown around Midsteeple Quarter by Chairman Robert Richmond, Executive Director Tim Cowen and Building Operations Manager Kathryn Hill.
In The Standard, he saw how The Stove Network has brought printing back to the historic home of the former Dumfries & Galloway Standard newspaper by launching studio and workshop The Print House.
He also heard about work that Midsteeple Quarter is leading to encourage new enterprise, including opportunities in The Front Shop and Green Room events space.
The support of The Standard’s other capital project funders - South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries & Galloway Council and The Holywood Trust - was also recognised in making the transformation of the formerly derelict site possible.
The group also visited one of the other community owned buildings at 111 High Street. They were shown round Flourish, an independent gift shop and refillery owned by fourth generation shopkeeper Leah Halliday.
Flourish owner Leah Halliday with Richard Lochhead in her shop at 111 High Street
Mr Richmond said: “We were delighted to welcome the Minister and bring him up-to-speed with our work. It was good to chat through the tremendous opportunities that we see for community ownership to transform our town centre, as well as the challenges we face.
“The Standard has brought the first new homes in living memory to the High Street. We are determined that this will be a catalyst for wider regeneration which demonstrates huge the economic and social importance of combining town centre living with enterprise and putting community needs first.
“We will be using the lessons learned from the creation of The Standard to shape the next stages of revitalising Midsteeple Quarter to help create a stronger, fairer and more sustainable High Street.”
Midsteeple Quarter recently secured funding from the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) and the Esme Fairburn Foundation to commission an architect to carry out the feasibility study of 111-119 High Street.
That feasibility study is due to begin in April. It will include a period of community engagement and consultation over the summer, to ensure that Midsteeple Quarter’s community members can have a key say in how the plans for the three buildings are taken forward.
The Minister’s visit also follows national recognition for The Standard, which was honoured as winner of the Housing and Regeneration category at the 2025 SURF Awards.