Midsteeple Quarter’s story is about transforming the frustration of our community into positive action - one that’s working to shape a stronger, more sustainable future for Dumfries. And it’s evolving all of the time.

Tired of buildings lying empty, neglected and falling further into disrepair - owned by landlords with little interest in the good of our town - residents wanted a means by which they could take back control. To be able to act in the best interests of the community.

We are doing that through community ownership - the community buying buildings and bringing them back into use as part of an unashamedly bold and long-term vision for regeneration.

Our aim is to help shape a new future for our town centre - one that responds to the needs of our community and is run for their benefit. Our core principle is that local people have the innovative solutions for our town and that a significant local stake in the future of the town through community ownership and control is the best route towards sustainable prosperity, shared fairly amongst everyone.

Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society operates along the same lines as a building society - with democratically-elected directors representing the interests of members on our board and making decisions on their behalf. For the good of our town.

But how did we get to the point where we are now, with six buildings in community ownership, including one site undergoing a multi-million pound transformation?

In so many ways, our story is similar to that of many medium-sized towns over the last two decades.

Dumfries was built on the enterprise and hard work of people making, selling and providing hospitality – a prosperous place for the community, a place people wanted to visit and a place that we were proud of.

Then something happened. We allowed big business to buy High Street buildings. Local businesses were priced out and the income generated by the town centre was syphoned out of the local economy through national chain stores. Dumfries had become a ‘clone town’.

First out-of-town retail, and then online shopping, started taking people away from the High Street, while building owners maintained rents at too high a level to allow local enterprises a chance to get started. Our High Street was no longer the attractive bustling place it once was – it was clear that something needed to change. 

Midsteeple Quarter has its origins in a period of intensive and creative conversation among the people of Dumfries – a conversation that resulted in a vision for vibrant town centre with community ownership and local prosperity at its heart.

Following conversations with organisations including Loreburn Community Council - and with their support - The Stove Network conceived and led the project to develop a community vision which ultimately led to the creation of the Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society.

The Stove Network was formed in 2012 when a group of local artists took over a former shop unit in the town centre (which is separate to those now owned by Midsteeple Quarter) and started to run it as a publicly accessible centre – a place where people could participate in creative activity directed at making a better future for Dumfries.

Between 2012 and 2018 The Stove Network led a diverse series of events, commissions, activities and workshops which started by asking the question ‘What is the future Dumfries you want?’ and gradually developed a community-led vision for the town which centred on community ownership, a diverse High Street and bringing people back to live in the town centre. 

Community engagement projects included:

• Inbetween Dumfries

• Charter 14

• Open House

• House on the High Street

• Square Go

• Chapter One

Intensive community consultation led by The Stove Network and other local groups identified a desire to bring empty property back into use for housing and enterprise. The focus fell upon a stretch of Dumfries High Street, adjacent to the Midsteeple, where almost all the properties had been empty or disused for some time. Many were significantly decayed as a result of neglect by absentee owners. 

The initial vision for Midsteeple Quarter was further developed through a National Architectural Ideas Competition  and The Stove raised funding to develop the Midsteeple Quarter concept from Dumfries & Galloway Council, Creative Scotland and Scottish Government. This funding was used to continue community engagement projects, develop a business case for the Community asset Transfer of 135-139 High St (former ‘Bakers Oven’) and set up the Community Benefit Society that could run the project for the community of Dumfries.

The project was now also receiving enthusiastic support from Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Government who saw the project as a key national example of community-led regeneration in an urban context and an example that could be followed by the many other Scottish towns that were struggling due to the downturn in High Street retail.

Dumfries and Galloway Council gave a grant to The Stove for the “Midsteeple Quarter Project” of £100,000 from its ‘Town Centre Living Fund’ to support the development of business planning and a Community Asset Transfer for 135-139 High Street (the northernmost building within Midsteeple Quarter), funds were provided to help set up a new community organisation to take the project forward.

In April 2018 The Stove Network designed and produced the launch event for Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society. From this point on, Midsteeple Quarter has functioned entirely independently of The Stove. However, they collaborate from time to time.

Later that year, Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society began with an application for a Community Asset Transfer on 135-139 High Street, formerly known as The Baker’s Oven. The property had been acquired by Dumfries and Galloway Council in 2009 and had lain empty until it became used as a pop-up venue for local charities and groups to run fundraising events and exhibitions. Midsteeple Quarter was granted the ownership of 135-139 High Street by a Community Asset Transfer and the Midsteeple Quarter Board made the decision to focus our energies on developing this first property as a ‘proof of concept’ for the Midsteeple Quarter vision.

Between November 2018 and April 2020 Midsteeple Quarter operated 135-139 High Street as a venue for creative activities with a public focus, while continuing to support community groups to use the space periodically. This period of use for The Oven was crucial in Midsteeple Quarter getting to know the spaces the site afforded, test out different uses for the space and begin to develop a market for the space once it has been redeveloped.

In September 2020, Midsteeple Quarter purchased two High Street buildings - 113-115 and 117 High Street, marking the beginning of Phase Two in the regeneration efforts for the town centre by the community benefit society. Renamed ‘The Smithy’ and ‘The Press’, the purchase of these two properties was made possible by funding from South of Scotland Enterprise.

Following a successful Crowdfunder at the start of 2021, Midsteeple Quarter announced the purchase of a further two High Street buildings, 109 and 111 High Street. 

In the Spring of 2021, Midsteeple Quarter announced a huge step forward for the regeneration of Dumfries High Street, with the redevelopment work of 135-139 High Street which commenced on Monday 8th March. 

Towards the end of 2021, another exciting development came, with Flourish and Lolliography opening in 111 High Street, giving two local enterprises - each supporting a vast network of creative and entrepreneurial talent across the region - a home in the town centre. Both are enjoying real success and making a difference in the community.

Back at 135-139 High Street, work began on the transformation of the site into new homes and enterprise spaces in spring 2021, with a £7.2m funding package celebrated by supporters including Scottish Government minister Tom Arthur MSP. Funding came via the Scottish Government, South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Holywood Trust and from Midsteeple Quarter’s other fundraising. Work is due for completion in spring 2024.

The vision for the redevelopment of the Midsteeple Quarter  has emerged over a number of years - and it continues to evolve, along with the needs of our town’s residents.

The community of Dumfries is at the heart of all that we do. We can only achieve what we have thanks to their support. There is so much more that we hope to do.

If you would like to find out more about Midsteeple Quarter’s work, please email info@midsteeplequarter.org.