Work begins on new £11.4m library, council and family resource centre at former Ellon Academy site

The multi-purpose building will include a family resource centre, library and council office.

By Ellie Milne

September 15 2023, 1:08 pm

Pictured, from left: Louise McAllister, Aberdeenshire Council Leader, Gillian Owen, John Crawley, Provost of Aberdeenshire Judy Whyte, Formartine Area Committee chair man Iain Taylor and Isobel Davidson. Image: Aberdeenshire Council.

Work has begun on a planned £11.4million “civic hub” in Ellon town centre.

Ground has now been broken on Bridge Street for a new multi-purpose building on the grounds of the old academy.

The project due to be completed by February 2025.

The two-storey building will include a family resource centre, library and council office and is part of a wider masterplan for the area.

Members of the Formartine area committee approved the plans in March last year.

At the time, it was described as a “fantastic addition” to the town.

What will the ‘hub’ offer?

An artist’s impression of the Ellon office complex. Image: Aberdeenshire Council.

The building will bring together all the facilities under one roof with a main public entrance leading to a customer service point and library.

The family resource centre will have its own separate entrance with an enclosed play area.

In the council office, there will be a ceremony room, registrar’s office, a meeting room for the Formartine area committee and an open plan space for up to 80 staff members.

A car park with electric vehicle charging points, cycle lockers and stands will be accessible from Union Street, while the landscaping will include planting to support pollinating insects.

A walnut tree on the edge of the site, believed to be about 130-years-old, will be protected and act as a link between the site’s “former and future uses”.

New Ellon development

Pictured, from left: Morrison construction manager Michael Black, Councillor Louise McAllister, Morrison north-east managing director Mike Bruce, Aberdeenshire Council leader Gillian Owen, Councillor John Crawley, Provost of Aberdeenshire Judy Whyte, Formartine Area Committee chairman Iain Taylor, architect Ana Garcia, architectural technologist Astrid McLeod, Councillor Isobel Davidson and area committee officer Claire Young. Image: Aberdeenshire Council.

Representatives from the council and Morrison Construction attended the site to mark the start of the project.

Provost Judy Whyte said: “The project will bring together a number of services in one location, with a real focus on community use.

“By encouraging greater footfall in the area, I hope the new facility will also bring benefits to the wider town centre.”

Iain Taylor, chairman of the Formartine area committee, added: “It’s very pleasing to see work starting on what is a very well-known town centre site and that represents a substantial investment in our town.

“As well as creating a civic hub, the new building will bring a number of council teams together on one site, freeing up other sites in the town for other uses, including retail.”