End of the road for Maritime Heritage
PETERHEAD'S Maritime Heritage Centre is set to close its doors to the public after a request was lodged from Banff and Buchan College to take over the lease of the building.
Members of the Buchan area committee will be asked to give their approval of the move when they meet in Peterhead later today (Tuesday).
Part of the council-owned centre is currently leased to the college as an outreach centre on a ten-year lease which began in September 2002.
Members will hear that a condition of the current lease arrangements states that the council would resume occupancy of the building for a period of three months in the summer for the first four years of the lease to enable the installation and opening of the Peterhead Maritime Heritage display for tourists.
The lease also indicated that after four years, if the council decided not to use the building, then the terms of the lease could be adjusted to reflect exclusive use by the college with it being responsible for all expenditure and receiving any income from sub leases.
In a report to councillors, director of education, learning and leisure, Bruce Robertson OBE, said: "Since 2002 the Museum Service has been responsible for recruiting and managing temporary invigilation staff to cover the summer months.
"The displays now require urgent updating with some of the AV system obsolete. Attempts to attract more visitors over the years have included free admission and the introduction of events provided by other agencies but these have failed to halt the decline in visitor numbers.
"The college would like to offer extended courses at the centre and has intimated that it would be prepared to offer exhibition space for community groups and for the Aberdeen University's Elphinstone Institute's Boaties workshop in the summer.
"It is proposed that Banff and Buchan College relinquishes the residue of its lease and be granted a five-year lease of the whole building, on terms and conditions to be negotiated by the council's estates manager."
Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre was designed to attract 30,000 visitors per year and was seen as a link in a chain of coastal trail centres including the Lighthouse Museum and Discovery Point in Dundee when it opened its doors.
Initially, it was estimated that the centre would need six full-time staff with additional seasonal staff during busy months with two full-time posts in catering and cleaning. The facility originally had a Tourist Information Centre included in the building and there was to be a strong educational emphasis on the work of the staff with school groups being attracted to study both the maritime heritage of the area as well as the marine/natural history and conservation.
However, the centre failed to deliver the anticipated visitor numbers and in 2002 the lease was signed with Banff and Buchan College by which 75% of year they had entire use of the complex for adult learning. In the remaining 25% of the year the PMH displays were re-erected and the centre was opened to visitors. After entrance charges were dropped there was a slight increase in visitor numbers but from 2003 onwards the numbers bottomed out to an average of just under 3,000 visitors.
Mr Robertson adds: "The Museum Service would like to concentrate visitor, local community and educational work with schools at Arbuthnot Museum and dispense with the summer attraction at PMH.
"Arbuthnot Museum Gallery is already taking bookings from local community groups, such as the Girl Guides for exhibitions in 2010 and we need the museum staff time previously committed to erecting and installing the old displays in the PMH to be allocated to work due to be completed at the Arbuthnot.
"At present approximately five working days of museum technical and exhibition staff time from Mintlaw has to be allocated to the erecting and dismantling of the exhibition display and museum curatorial staff are also involved in advertising, recruiting and managing temporary staff over the three month period.
"By closing the PMH this time could be allocated to improve the interpretation resources and activities at our core site in the town centre."
Members will be asked to agree to lease the centre to the college for a period of five years subject to a number of conditions.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Peterhead
Friday 18 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North east
