All News

Tayside House, the Hilton hotel and the old Olympia leisure centre have now been gone for a decade and more, so that they already seem like a distant memory.

Much as many people wish to have seen these and other former features of the Tay Road Bridge landfall replaced by a new expanse of urban parkland and water, perhaps imaginatively reviving the old western docks infilled in the 1960s, the reality is that renewal of the Central Waterfront was always first and foremost a real estate project. The revenue generated by commercial development of the various sites is needed to offset the capital cost of the considerable infrastructure alterations; while, of course, boosting the city’s economy.

However, the reconfigured road layout has now been in place for some ten years, while nearly three decades have passed since the renewal of the waterfront was conceived; yet anyone arriving in Dundee off the road bridge is still being greeted by an extensive series of unsightly waste land plots enclosed by hoardings.

Most of the key figures in local government who were connected with the original Waterfront Masterplan have retired or moved on. Meanwhile, the slow pace of development is now in danger of becoming (to use that tired cliché) Dundee’s ‘elephant in the room’.

It is the view of Dundee Civic Trust that, if we are to avoid another decade and more of this scenario, an honest reappraisal and change of focus is required in respect of the Central Waterfront. We have produced a comprehensive discussion document, which has been shared with councillors and officials on Dundee City Council and which you may access here. We do not expect people to agree with everything we are suggesting, but it is to be hoped our words will stimulate debate and discussion.

It is perhaps easy to get a bit depressed when considering the number of vacant buildings and empty plots around Dundee. The Civic Trust, however, recognises that a significant amount of development is underway involving brownfield sites and redundant buildings. This is bringing more housing and more choice to residents and students in the city.

Here is a snapshot of the developments already completed and still underway at the end of 2024:

• Old employment exchange and adjacent ground, Gellatly Street – 49 flats
• Candle Lane – new development of 24 flats
• Seagate/Trades Lane corner – 28 flats
• City Quay – blocks housing 119 flats and a mini Tesco
• Crichton Street/Whitehall Crescent corner – conversion of former office block to 14 flats
• Murraygate – retro-styled block housing 31 flats above Tesco Express
• Greenmarket/Nethergate – 16 student flats in new BT building
• Stanley Studios, Douglas Street/Brown Street – 147 student beds with 93 beds alongside
• Brown street – 361 student beds
• Waterfront Apartments, Riverside Drive (4th phase) – 30 flats
• Former Armitstead children’s hospital, Monifieth Road – 3 houses and 23 flats
• Old BOC site, Ballindean Road – 43 houses and 24 flats
• 8 houses on site of old tennis courts, Dalkeith Road
• Former Stewart’s Cream of the Barley site, Kingsway East – 71 houses
• Keiller’s factory site, Mains Loan – 167 houses and 56 flats
• Park Hotel site, Coupar Angus Road – 18 flats
• Tay Rope Works site, Magdalen Yard Road – 5 houses and 4 flats.

That is a total of 717 flats and houses and 617 student beds. Now, this is not to say that the Trust would rush to give its seal of approval to the design standards displayed by all of these developments, which range from the exciting and visually appealing to the indifferent and (to put it mildly!) disappointing.

There are many other sites under development; and more empty buildings and brownfield sites with planning approval. On the other hand, there is still a significant lack of affordable housing throughout the city. Imaginative thinking will be needed to bring these issues together successfully.

The Dundee Civic Trust Board will be considering the proposal to develop the ailing Wellgate Centre into a hub for Dundee and Angus College, as outlined recently by the College Principal, Simon Hewitt.

“Our preliminary view,” says Trust chairman Donald Gordon, “is that this has the potential to help significantly in the regeneration of a neglected building in a struggling area of Dundee.

“The Kingsway campus was always in the wrong place, the Constitution Road tower even worse; so a city centre campus, in a shopping centre that will be redeveloped and restored, has exciting promise. It will fill the town with students and staff, and this will support local businesses. Many are likely to want to live nearby, and this should also provide a ‘buzz’ and vitality that should be apparent in every large city centre.”

A matter to challenge the Trust is that it is not clear from the initial proposal as to how much of the existing Wellgate Centre would be retained, and how much demolished. The removal of some of the unneeded parts may be appropriate and essential, but modern planning and architectural policies tend to dictate that when being redeveloped all, or at least large sections, of existing buildings should be retained. Embedded carbon is present in huge quantities in existing buildings, which is released into the environment when a building is demolished. Also, the materials and construction techniques needed for a new building generate very significant carbon emissions. Both of these issues can be mitigated by the effective reuse, recycling, and repurposing of much of the existing building.

We hope to have more to report soon.

The Civic Trust has been looking at some recent planning proposals which stand to change parts of the Riverside area if approved and developed.

At Riverside Avenue, just off the roundabout below the Botanic Garden, McDonalds has proposed a drive-in restaurant (24/00509/FULL). The Trust has not opposed this, as planning approval was previously given for a similar development by another operator. In the previous application we asked for improved landscaping along Riverside Avenue in order to enhance the visual approach and biodiversity.

[Update, 15 October: the above application has now been withdrawn.]

Dundee Football Club has proposed a five-pitch training complex on ground to the east of the Dundee University playing fields (24/00487/FULL). We have received guarantees that the grass pitches will remain available to local amateur and community clubs at the council’s existing tariffs. On that basis we have supported this proposal whilst suggesting some improvements. If implemented it removes the need for a training complex inside Camperdown Park ground, which is part of their current stadium development proposal on the old NCR recreation ground site.

The City Council is pressing ahead with plans to replace the footbridge over the railway line near the west end of Magdalen Green, making use of Sustrans Scotland funding. While recognising the barriers presented by the existing footbridge for a variety of users including those with cycles, prams and wheelchairs, we feel the proposed 66-metre span and its ramped approaches take up far too much ground and we have objected. There are existing, alternative accesses to Riverside Drive from Magdalen Green which can be upgraded at modest cost and this funding could be better used on other more important sustainable transport works in the city. In any event the forthcoming Aberdeen to Central Belt railway electrification will require replacement of the existing bridge under the scope of that project.

Finally, the City Council is also keen to find a new use for the adjacent underused sports pavilion and has been exploring a community asset  transfer with at least one charitable group.

The Trust considers all planning applications in Dundee; and we find ourselves expressing a direct interest in this one.

Listed Building Consent is sought (24/00505/LBC) for a modest series of environmental and access improvements at 17 Roseangle, premises of Dundee Art Society, which functions as our meeting venue. We support the proposals, considering that the efforts to reduce carbon emissions by replacing a gas boiler with a solar panel array and air source heat pump are a role model for other listed building upgrades. We also understand the need to improve access to parking and do not object to a short length of existing wall being removed for this purpose. Internally, the rearrangement of toilet facilities will enhance the amenity of this building.

Heat pump technology continues to generate a considerable amount of scepticism, so its performance for a building of this age and type will be highly informative. Our members stand to have first-hand experience as to whether our Net Zero future is shaping up to be a comfortable one!