Macduff Marine Aquarium's renovation and extension plans submitted to Aberdeenshire Council
The full plans for an extensive renovation of Macduff Marine Aquarium have been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.
The project will see significant work carried out on the popular visitor attraction at High Shore which will include the creation of a first floor where a hospitality offering will be based.
It has been made possible after Aberdeenshire Council was successful in the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund and received £20 million for the work at the aquarium and the conversion of Peterhead’s disused Arbuthnot House into a new museum, library and cultural hub.
Under the plans, a significant modernisation of the existing aquarium at Macduff is proposed to improve the visitor experience and will include expanded exhibits and enhanced facilities.
A two-storey extension would take advantage of coastal views and include a new café-restaurant, education suite and community space.
The £5.7 million project would also involve an external revamp of the building, a new children’s play area and path links along the coastline.
The plans were unveiled in September and were put out to public consultation before they were submitted by operator Live Life Aberdeenshire to the local authority just before Christmas.
The design and access statement submitted with the planning proposal said: "This ambitious project will work within a range of strategic interventions to address Macduff’s socio-economic challenges and provide new educational, recreational, cultural and social experiences and opportunities.
"The project will be a driver for economic growth; re-energise Macduff, offer new opportunities for small businesses, and provide connections, resources and facilities for STEM learners and learning providers across the region.
"In order to achieve these ambitions, the proposal in development will build on the current offer at Macduff Marine Aquarium to grow the service provision, develop the attraction to increase footfall and provide scope to build on the potential for development of connections and partnerships across education and business, establishing the site as a hub for science and learning.
"Consideration will also be given to how the facility sits within and relates to Macduff and the surrounding area, in terms of access, connectivity and provision for community engagement."
The design statement outlined that the key aims of the project are:
- Increasing footfall via targeted action plans, working with Visit Scotland/Visit Aberdeenshire, to attract proportionally more out-of-area leisure visitors to the marine, retail and hospitality offerings within the facility and whose spend is capable of making a notable impact within the aquarium facility itself but also in associated retail and hospitality businesses in the town and associated rural areas.
- Extend its offering to the tertiary education market, which will have the potential to enjoy additional income derived via the on-site hospitality offering.
- Attract business users to the hospitality space throughout the year, either for training meetings or for celebratory and promotional catering-based events which will create new income in the town as well as showcasing local produce.
With regards to the plans the design statement outlines: "For the proposed ground floor the main entrance has been enlarged to provide a welcoming arrival for visitors and to allow the new functions to easily be accessed independently, in particular access to the restaurant at first floor.
"The entrance space also allows direct access to a new educational learning room which allows the flexibility of the space to be utilised by groups without necessarily requiring the aquarium to be open.
"The existing flow of the interpretive aquarium displays has been largely retained which loops around the central feature kelp tank.
"There is a single storey to the east which provides an activity area directly outside the auditorium entry and will also house a new lobster hatchery.
"The retail area, at the end of the aquarium journey, has been extended to allow a better end of museum experience and to ensure there is sufficient space to allow visitors to dwell at the end of their tour.
"The toilets have been relocated adjacent to the entrance, for ease of access, and includes a Changing Places facility to ensure all users have adequate facilities.
"The areas on the north largely provide accommodation for staff and building related plant. This provides critical additional space for required quarantine tanks, laboratory, workshop and storage which the aquarium currently lacks."
The extension will see a first floor added to the current building where a new hospitality offering will be located.
The design statement added: "The first floor accommodation is predominantly on the west side of the facility to ensure the building has a public presence for those arriving from the town.
"This also offers the opportunity for the restaurant to take advantage of the unique, outstanding, views across the sea.
"This will link directly from the ground floor entrance area which allows the restaurant to operate independently of the aquarium with dedicated toilets and servicing requirements met.
"Central to the restaurant is a double height void focused around the feature kelp tank, separated by a full height glazed partition, providing views between the aquarium and restaurant.
"There is also an outdoor deck on the northern tip of the building to provide users the opportunity to dine outdoors, when the weather permits, and enjoy the full panoramic view."
Visit Aberdeenshire Council's planning website to view all the planning documents.