November 2 2022

Dundee City Council has set out its vision for the coming 30 years with a detailed road map for the city centre and seven priority development areas.

Prepared by Stallan-Brand the draft plan sets out a long-term investment strategy through to 2050 to manage the decline of retail and promote green transport. The ambitious report calls for the 3,400 population of the inner city to double within three decades by 'softening' the dividing line with the city centre through priorities such as redeveloping the Wellgate Centre to better connect with Hilltown.

Underutilised upper floors will be prioritised for residential conversion to halp achieve this goal, in tandem with a redoubling of efforts to tackle vacant properties through compulsory purchase orders with particular emphasis on attracting a share of the growing build to rent market.

Conceding that this work is beyond the scope of the city to deliver in isolation, council leader John Alexander said: "The city council and its public partners cannot deliver this vision alone, and we will need to attract significant levels of private investment to create new homes, leisure and business properties. We will use the City Centre Strategic Investment Plan as a prospectus to secure external investment by providing a clear vision of the future."

The local authority is inviting feedback on its draft City Centre Strategic Investment Plan for the next six weeks to inform its early stage ideas for seven key areas; East Port, The Wellgate Centre, Westport, Overgate North, Keiller Court and a sustainable transport hub at the Bell Street multi-storey car park.

Feedback on the report should be made prior to 13 December. 

2 Comments

#1 Posted by Broon Scoosh on 5 Nov 2022 at 16:47 PM

Positively pluto renders for a half-baked scheme. Have more ambition, you found the problems now actually solve them - there are so many real issues which could've realistically been tackled which your Bartlett-esc style does nothing to tackle.

#2 Posted by Hilloch on 15 Nov 2022 at 10:20 AM

I welcome this scheme. Dundee needs regeneration and this is a good way to start. Unpicking the Wellgate mistake, increasing the population residing in the city and providing improved pedestrian connections and public realm are all vital to the long term success of the city and can build on the progress made at the shore while riding on the coat tails of the forthcoming Eden Project.

By way of criticism, the ring road is still remaining in place - need to work hard to prioritise the pedestrian over a dual carriageway with diesel fumes breathing down your neck. The city traffic engineers had a field day with the new shorefront scheme (admittedly, an improvement on the old reality there) - political as well as architectural vision is needed! The increased population ambition is fine but Dundee needs green spaces - are there enough proposed and existing in this scheme to bring people in? Not sure... And finally the Wellgate. Yes it's a mistake that the original city was steamrollered for this big, ugly laddie, but is demolishing it the best way to go? Can it not be repurposed? Is re-use and recycle not an option here?

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