February 28 2024

New life is to be breathed into a complex site in Elgin town centre with the submission of proposals for a business enterprise hub, 38 affordable homes and retail.

Robertson with Oberlanders and LUC will tackle the restricted site, currently home to five separate buildings, reworking the South Street frontage and backlands to deliver high-density accommodation. Retaining a C-listed arch the masterplan is anchored by a new business hub fronting lane access to an interior residential courtyard.

Notably the submitted designs show that a historic facade at 51 South Street will now be demolished, not retained as first envisaged.

In a design statement, Oberlanders wrote: "The new layout on the site seeks to emulate the existing historic urban pattern of Elgin; a series of closes and passageways that feed off the central spine of the High Street. The proposed layout seeks to improve the permeability of the site, which is currently filled with various buildings.

"The primary close through the site will connect to the existing close entrance from High Street; a new close entrance is punctuated in the new facade facing South Street. This move creates a 3-fingered masterplan."

Custom gates, to be developed with a local artist, will regulate pedestrian access.  

7 Comments

#1 Posted by MegaVox on 28 Feb 2024 at 10:13 AM

Grim

#2 Posted by Bemused_Citizen on 28 Feb 2024 at 19:50 PM

Elgin deserves better than this.

#3 Posted by Edward Theaker on 28 Feb 2024 at 21:20 PM

I think the facade at no 51 South Street originally proposed to be incorporated but now suggested for demolition MUST be kept. It is attractive and contributes to the character of the street, reflecting some other 1930s buildings nearby. What is proposed in the amended plans is just an unimaginative soulless dark block! If the stone facade of no 51 is unsound, then it could easily be rebuilt as a kind of cladding at not huge cost. The stones are all to hand anyway! I think the scheme looks much better with the first design. Please save the no. 51 frontage.

#4 Posted by Chris Adams on 29 Feb 2024 at 03:19 AM

Another attempt to demolish and remove Elgin's history. By building ugly featureless structures, that will certainly not last as long as the ones they expect to replace.

#5 Posted by Stan on 29 Feb 2024 at 17:27 PM

Elgin has been dying for over 40yrs by bad management from local council members elgin had the chance to develop into a great town back in the day because there wosent the proper investment and letting the retail shops into the city centre it has slowly delapated the city the town of elgin actually lost a generation from the 80s no prospects no future for the youth and people that were born here and brought up so it don't matter what you do to elgin now you can't polish a turd as the saying goes .

#6 Posted by Mansartarchi on 1 Mar 2024 at 11:09 AM

Mmm, copy/paste...

#7 Posted by J.R. All on 1 Mar 2024 at 22:32 PM

When will locals waken up to what they have and stop stupidity like this
Designed, Built and NOT let by outsiders, from far far away.
We can do things
If the Council stops their petty party politics, that do not have any connection to Moray or Scotland.
The Council should represent the Community, nothing else !

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