Work is to commence next month on new council headquarters in Peterhead.

The site, upon completion, will provide a new council HQ – named as Buchan House – for the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire.

Following a competitive tender process, the £5m contract was awarded to Robertson Construction Ltd and will see the derelict and brownfield site at St Peter Street in the city transformed.

The new headquarters is part of the Council's workSPACE programme, which rationalises office space and creates new purpose-built modern facilities fit for the 21st century, by locating all council services into a single site. The offices will create a single point of contact for all customer activity in Peterhead, ensuring customer inquiries are dealt with at first point of contact.

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Up to 200 staff will be accommodated by the new officers, while a committee room will also be used as a large marriage room. There will also be the area manager's office, registrar, small meeting rooms and interview rooms, toilets, staff showers and toilets and public and staff parking including bicycle storage lockers.

In addition, the new offices will use the latest technology for heating and power, to ensure the building meets the highest standards in energy efficiency. The office will incorporate a biomass heating plant and photovoltaic roof panels, significantly reducing the running costs of the building in comparison to the existing buildings.

Once completed, the council will release nine buildings currently occupied by council services in and around Peterhead. These will be marketed over the next few months.

Leader of the Council, Jim Gifford, said: "This development is an important milestone in the council's wider regeneration strategy for Peterhead.

"Building a modern and fit-for-purpose council HQ in the centre of the town will provide better service for customers, release buildings which can be used for affordable housing or businesses, and deliver savings to the council which can then be invested in frontline services.

"Peterhead is leading the way in demonstrating how the council can achieve real savings, by investing in modern, purpose-built facilities that meet the needs of our communities now and in the future."

(JP/IT)