Planning Committee Approval of Car Showroom Development at Former Valentine Works

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At the meeting of the Development Management Committee last night, the committee approved a planning application for a new car showroom and workshop development adjacent to the Kingsway West. 

This approval will bring a Peter Vardy "Car Store", a large large scale car reselling showroom, to Dundee. 

At the same time, it will also make use of the former Valentines' factory site on the Dunsinane Industrial Park, which has lain empty for the best part of twenty years. 

Council Apply for Planning Permission for Replacement Primary School and Nursery in Menzieshill

Towards the end of June 2015, the Capital Programmes Unit of the City Council submitted a planning application for the construction of a new 3 stream Primary School and a new 100 place Nursery School with associated access, car parking, landscaping and infrastructure in Menzieshill.

The precise location is to the west of Earn Crescent and south of, Dickson Avenue in Menzieshill, Dundee.

This proposed new school and nursery building will accommodate the combined Gowriehill and Hillside Primary Schools.

Comments may be lodged with the Council by 18 July.

Link to further details about the plans

Planning Application for Glass Pavilion Flats Refused

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At the Development Management Committee last night, the committee considered a number of Planning Applications. 

Amongst these was an application for planning permission and listed building consent for the Glass Pavilion on The Esplanade. 

Consent was sought "for works to substantially extend the single storey Glass Pavilion Restaurant by constructing two storeys of residential accommodation above, to the rear and partly to the sides of the existing extended Listed Building."

Following objections from the Community Council and residents, the Committee refused the planning application. 

I hope this decision to refuse permission for this development means that we can continue to enjoy using and admiring the existing elegant and iconic Glass Pavilion building on The Esplanade.

Fracking in Dundee and The Ferry

Several constituents have written to me voicing concerns about the potential negative effects of Hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking' in Dundee. 

The publicity surrounding the public protest to the test drilling by Cuadrilla at Balcombe in Sussex and the application by Dart Energy for exploratory drilling in Airth near Stirling seems to aroused many conversations about fracking and the environmental costs and benefits of this.

My constituents' concerns focus on the environmental effects triggered by the fracking process. Firstly, they commented on the earth tremors and the effects of these on private and public property. Secondly the potential for pollution of water supplies from the chemicals introduced to help release the gas trapped in the shale beds underground. Finally they wanted know whether the City Council would have a say in granting licenses for exploratory drilling and subsequent extraction of shale gas on land in the City.

On the last matter, I wrote to the Planning Department of the City Council. 

In their response my attention was drawn to a useful Frequently Asked Question on the website of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) http://www.sepa.org.uk/customer_information/energy_industry/unconventional_gas/frequently_asked_questions.aspx

FAQ Who else regulates this industry?

The other regulators (other than SEPA) involved in the control of these operations include:

• The Department of Energy and Climate Change - responsible for issuing a Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence.
• The Local Planning Authority - Responsible for granting planning permission under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for surface works associated with borehole construction, fracturing operations and wellhead development.
• The Health and Safety Executive - The Borehole Sites and Operations Regulations 1995.
• The Coal Authority - Any activity which intersects, disturbs or enters coal seams.

The City Planner also confirmed that:
"we have had no applications or indeed enquiries about surface works associated with borehole construction, fracturing operations and wellhead development. I am not aware of any licences having been granted for Dundee (by the Department of Energy and Climate Change)."

Demolition of Broughty Ferry Boating Club Building at Grassy Beach

When I walked along Grassy Beach earlier today, I noticed that contractors had fenced off the Broughty Ferry Boating Club boat shed. They had begun the task of demolishing the building prior to reconstruction of a new building on the same site. While the wooden building was clearly looking unloved and in need of maintenance and repair, it's clearly been on Grassy Beach for some time.

I am sure many folk will regret the loss of the distinctive shape and traditional decoration of the Broughty Ferry Boating Club building. To my mind it was a bit superior to some of the more utilitarian sheds and garage like structures further along the beach.

I hope that the replacement building will better support the boating and sailing interests of the BFBC without detracting from the beauty of Grassy Beach. I am reminded of the chorus from Joni, Mithchell's song, Big Yellow Taxi:
'Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?'

The applicant for planning permission for the replacement building was the Tay Sailing Training Association. As there were no reported objections, this planning application was approved by Council Planners under delegated powers.

Link to the planning application and decision.

Commenting On the Approval of the V and A at Dundee Planning Application

At the Development Management meeting on Monday night, the Committee approved the planning application for the V and A at Dundee.

The Committee papers described the application as follows:


1.1 The proposal under consideration seeks full planning permission for the construction of the V and A at Dundee museum building and extension to Riverside Walk. As part of the enabling works for the proposed V and A at Dundee site the existing Craig Harbour is to be infilled.


1.2 V and A at Dundee is a proposal for an international centre of design for Scotland. It will celebrate Scotland’s historic importance in design and host major exhibitions of international design that will appeal to the widest public and help develop understanding of our own and others’ cultural heritage. V and A at Dundee project will provide dedicated exhibition space, interpretation and a range of activities that will allow diverse audiences to see, explore, understand and be inspired by creative evolution and their design heritage, in a way that makes it physically and intellectually accessible.
1.3 The proposal is part of the Dundee Waterfront Development Masterplan which has been developed and is being implemented by the Dundee Waterfront Project (a public sector partnership between Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise). The master plan includes the redevelopment of the Railway Station, demolition of the Olympia Leisure Centre and Tayside House along with the reshaping of the current traffic road layout to enhance the relationship between Dundee City Centre and the River Tay.


1.4 The application site measures approximately 1.2774 hectares and will involve the provision of a 3 storey structure with a total foot area of 8,445m2 and overall approximate height of 18.3m (see figures 1 and 2). The Kengo Kuma proposal incorporates a building of international design significance. The internal and external walling is to be constructed in reconstituted stone and concrete to compliment the traditional construction materials used in Dundee.

This approval is clearly an important milestone in the redevelopment of the waterfront in Dundee with immense significance for the city and wider region. 

In the period running up to the opening of the V and A at Dundee, there is an enormous amount of enabling work to be undertaken so that Dundee and Broughty Ferry can provide a positive experience for the many tens of thousands of additional visitors that will be attracted to the V and A in our city.

A Warning from History - Tayside House is Being Torn Down

Tayside House is being torn down and its final few floors will soon disappear soon into a heap of rubble.

During a period when the demolition was proceeding at a very slow pace, Dundee's most unloved city centre office block appeared to be hanging on.

It's period of somewhat undignified and lingering demise is however now rapidly coming to a close and we can really believe that this blot on the landscape will be gone forever.

For City Councillors, it should however remain a warning from history. We must take great care when we are asked to grant planning permission for large scale and prominent structures like Tayside House at a gateway into the city because a mistake can lead to decades of negative impressions.

Deepdale Place Care Home Gets Planning Permission Despite Objections from Residents & Ferry Councillors

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On Monday evening 18 February, the Development Management Committee of the City Council considered the planning application for:
11 DEEPDALE PLACE, BROUGHTY FERRY - CHANGE OF USE FROM PRIVATE
DWELLINGHOUSE TO RESIDENCE FOR DEPENDENT YOUNG PEOPLE

Link to Committee Report 

After hearing two deputations from objectors and the developer, I proposed that planning permission be refused.

This is a copy of the statement I read out to the Committee:

'Convener, I shall be moving that permission for this development is refused. This proposal is the wrong development for this site.

Firstly, I think the applicants and the planners have seriously underestimated the amount of traffic that would be generated by the managers, visitors including the relatives of residents, the two shifts of staff, suppliers and the transport toing and froing to take residents to other services. This would clearly be more than the equivalent traffic movements from a multi car owning ordinary household. They have also underestimated the parking pressure in the street from the Coop convenience store in Claypotts Road less than 100 metres away.

Secondly, this development is bound to generate more noise than the ambient noise generated by the neighbours because this is a quiet street where many of the residents moved in when the estate was new. One of the objectors comments that 80% of the residents living close to the development are over 65 years old.  I think the residents deserve a continuing quiet life.

Thirdly, The garden ground fails to provide adequate amounts of amenity space for the client group selected. The site is sloping with a significant drop in levels from the front entrance to the end of the back garden ground. This would be challenging for the client group some of whom are likely to have mobility challenges.

Additionally residents are also mindful that the 'use category' would give permission for successor operators at these premises to change the client group of  the residents to other types of client groups. While the applicants claim they would create a family atmosphere, the staffing suggests otherwise. This amounts to a mini care home business.

This then is the wrong development for this site which is NOT in accord with planning policies.

Accordingly, I move refusal.'

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the Committee voted 13 for and 8 against and this development was granted planning permission.

Public Consultation on Revised Design and Location for V and A at Dundee Thursday 17 - Saturday 20 January 2013

Now is your opportunity to see and comment on the latest revised design and location for the VandA at Dundee.

The new plans are available at the public consultation at the University of Abertay Dundee from today Thursday 17 January through to Saturday 19 January 2013, 10am - 4pm at the Bernard King Library, University of Abertay Dundee, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG - look for the big yellow banner!

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Halley's Mill Planning Application Approved

Halley's Mill from Broughty Ferry Road October 2012
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William Halley's Mill and the associated site was the subject of a planning application that was approved at the Council's Development Management Committee last night.

It's a prominent building on Broughty Ferry Road and has long lain empty awaiting an alternative use.

During the meeting, I asked the Director of City Development about the potential reuse of the stone on site from the demolition of the former office building. I thought that this might be used as facing stone on the vertical extension of the Category 'B' listed old Mill Building to accommodate an additional floor. I was informed that this would be borne in mind by Council Planners when they deal with the forthcoming Listed Building consent.

Forthill Road Mobile Phone Mast Refused Planning Permission Emphatically

I am delighted that the Development Management Committee emphatically turned down this planning application at our meeting on Monday night 18 June. It was clearly judged by our Planners and Councillors to be an unsuitable site for a mobile phone mast. I know many folk in Forthill will be relieved that the immediate prospect of a telecoms mast on their doorstep and street corner has receded. 

Prior to the meeting I had been contacted by a significant number of constituents who objected to this proposed planning application for a mobile phone mast near their homes. A petition also indicated widespread concern about the proposal. Under the Councillor's Code of Conduct, we are not allowed to publicly comment on the merits of an application for planning permission in advance of the Planning Committee; in short we must be seen to make up our mind on the night when all the evidence is before us. If Councillors go public on their concerns prior to a planning committee, this would disqualify them taking part in the vote at the Planning Committee. I hope my constituents appreciate that a non committal response before a meeting does not necessarily indicate I am indifferent to their concerns.

Community Opposition to Planning Permission for Grove Offices

Monday evening's Development Quality Committee (15 March 2010) of the City Council considered the 'Grove House' Office development. On a vote, the Council granted itself planning permission for this substantial office development. This will see more than 350 council staff relocated to converted offices in the buildings formerly used by Grove Academy on the south side of Camperdown Street. These premises were vacated by the school when they moved to their new buildings on the opposite side of Camperdown Street in November last year. The relocated staff, chiefly from Education and Social Work are concerned with staff training and quality improvement in schools and social work services. It follows that many of the staff based at Grove House will be coming and going to establishments all over Dundee in their day to day work.

The Committee heard from two deputation of objectors and had before them over a dozen written representations from residents opposed to the development. Objectors were chiefly those living in the vicinity of the new offices and anticipating more competition for on street parking. There were also serious concerns expressed about road safety, especially for the 1000+ pupils attending Grove Academy.

Much of the debate turned on whether measures to reduce journeys by private car proposed in two reports by external consultants were feasible and practicable. A flaw in the consultants' reports was they omitted to consider the considerable number of journeys generated to and from these premises by staff (other than those based at Grove House) attending training events and meetings. The plans clearly indicate the provision of space for training and meeting rooms.

I was disappointed in the undue haste of the Council as developer and planning authority wanting to push this planning application through. Had the developer (The Council) come forward with more thoroughly developed proposals, backed up with resources, to reduce the negative impacts of this development on environmental quality and road safety, I would have been prepared to support the motion of the Development Quality Convener, Rod Wallace. While councillors on the Development Quality Committee are meant to come to the meeting and make up their minds individually on the balance of all of the evidence presented, I did notice that Leader of the Administration, Ken Guild (also a Ferry Councillor) and all of his SNP group of councillors voted unanimously to support the proposal.

I assure my constituents that I shall continue to represent their views about road safety and parking at the working group that will be established to monitor progress introducing travel plan measures connected with this development. While I appreciate the wider community benefits for the shops and services in Broughty Ferry from more potential customers working in the area and the retention of the Centenary Sport Hall as a recreational facility, I hope this will not need to be at the undue expense of the residents living in the streets close to the Grove Offices. Primarily, I hope these changes will not need to be at the cost of a decline in the road safety of our young people attending Grove Academy.

Caffe Nero 209 Brook Street, B/Ferry - Planning Appeal Granted

Coffee chain Nero Holdings, owners of Caffe Nero, in Broughty Ferry, have been granted planning permission, on appeal, for the use of a paved outdoor seated area to the rear of the cafe. In a letter dated 8 October to the Dundee City Council, Scott M Ferrie, a Reporter appointed by Scottish Ministers, who adjudicated the appeal, granted the company planning permission, but with conditions. While he agreed with the Council that the use of the outdoor seated area would change the character of the rear courtyard, he did not consider that residents above commercial premises in such locations could reasonably expect to benefit from the the same level of residential amenity as residents in more suburban settings. He imposed a condition that the outside seated area should not be used between the hours of 18:00 and 09:00.