Number 30, The Square

Gallery of Images

Number 30 The Square, Exterior

Coworking centre – Hotdesking

Number 30 Cinema

Gallery

Cafe

Learning & Training suite

Project Description

Huntly is a small Aberdeenshire market town approximately 40 miles west of Aberdeen.
In many respects, Huntly has been showing signs of socio-economic decline for several years and SIMD data reveals that under many measures the town is comparatively more deprived (relative to the rest of Scotland) now than it was a decade or so ago.

The town centre is a particular concern. Vacancy rates in 2023 were c. 31% - the second highest in Aberdeenshire and double the national average at the time. Footfall data was showing gradually less movement around the town centre. This can partially be linked to the development of two supermarkets on the edge of Huntly in the mid 2000’s but is also reflective of a general trend of changing demands from consumers of our town centre spaces.

In 2018, the Huntly Town Team (a partnership of public, private and third sector leaders) led on a comprehensive visioning exercise with the community to develop a strategy for the town. “Huntly 2030, Room to Thrive” was developed as the blueprint for change.

One of the main priorities in Huntly 2030 was to work towards a more vibrant, diverse and sustainable town centre. One of the anchor projects to flow from this was Number 30 The Square.
In 2018, a large department store (built 1875) in a prominent location in the Square closed having traded for more than 140 years. This left a huge void in the town centre – a series of category B and C listed buildings that had been ‘patched up’ over the years to get by. There was no prospect of new retail use. It seemed to be destined to remain empty and deteriorate further.

Huntly Development Trust (est. 2009) started the long process of trying to refine and repurpose this key town centre site as a series of flexible multi-functional community and enterprise spaces.
In 2019, with funding from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund, HDT purchased the building and with some other funding started to create design options. This led to a successful fundraising campaign (c. £4m) and a c.3-year build. The build was not without incident. Decades of shortcuts and temporary fixes to find and undo; unexpected spaces and features revealed; wonky walls and uneven floors; planning and listed building requirements; issues with the main contractor schedules; cost overruns; eco-efficiency measures and the unexpected need to invest in an upgrade to a local electricity substation due to power inadequacies in the town.

Number 30 started to open sequentially in summer 2024. The result – a truly exceptional, accessible and sustainable building that provides a focal point in The Square, a reason for visiting the town centre, employment and spaces including a 60-seat community cinema, café, gallery, meeting rooms, learning and areas for business/enterprise and co-working use, travel hub and a changing places facility. The response from the community has been spectacular and exceeded all expectations. The development of Number 30 is already acting as a catalyst for other private investment in town centre buildings.

Supporting Statement

The Huntly 2030 Room To Thrive Plan was first developed in 2018 and refreshed in 2022 following the pandemic. The underlying principles in the Plan are to invest in place; empower people and link people and place with several strategic themes, including the town centre; learning and play; connecting the rural hinterland and opportunities for enterprise. No. 30 delivers on all these priorities.
As part of Huntly 2030, a geography project being undertaken by some pupils from The Gordon Schools sought to model their aspirations for The Square. They identified the building as a key community asset, and referred to it as Number 30. The name stuck! Volunteers have truly led the project through the build and beyond.

Number 30 is the epitome of a multi-function community space. It delivers against multiple needs and aspirations. It has bred new life into the town centre. The cinema for example is attracting audience numbers of 35-40% on average (nationally footfall for independent cinemas is c. 27.5%). It offers a variety of films for all ages and interests including dedicated screenings for families and dementia-friendly shows. The café has proved popular too.

Number 30 is a complex series of buildings. It quickly became apparent that it had suffered neglect for many years. Its full and sensitive refurbishment (maintaining the same footprint) has returned it to a town centre centrepiece that respects its heritage but offers a modern interpretation of modern societal needs. Across various energy efficiency measures (insulation, ASHP, heat recovery, solar PV, natural ventilation etc) it is estimated that c.89 tonnes of CO2 will be saved annually. Hearing loops are provided, there is a Changing Places facility (open to non-users of the building), lift access throughout, and a new disabled parking space created by the Council.

In the time that it has been operational, Number 30 has exceeded expectations. It has been warmly embraced by the community. It has not been an easy development for the Trust. It has taken longer and cost more than envisaged. The original structure was – in places – worse than thought, relationships with the main contractor suffered towards the end, deliveries to the site have been difficult, the building site – and the final design - needed to be modified to accommodate migratory Swifts. Our schedule and budget were impacted significantly when SSE informed us, quite unexpectedly, that there was insufficient electricity capacity to supply the building and that we would need to help fund wider local substation infrastructure. Project elements have been reviewed on an ongoing basis with new funding sought to fill gaps as necessary. We have had to manage community expectations and messaging throughout to retain confidence and anticipation. Despite all of this, we have delivered a community facility that is true to the original vision, meets multiple socio-economic needs and provides the Trust with an asset that will, in time, help underpin our future work.