Dundee is One of the Bright Sparks

Yes it's official, Dundee is one of the UK Bright Sparks, as defined by Sunday Times Journalist, Oliver Bennett.

In his feature article published today, he reviews "hi-tech hotspots where innovation is set to ignite the local property market."

Dundee is the sole location identified in Scotland. In the short entry about Dundee, Bennet writes:
"For a while, Scotland had a Silicon Glen: .... But it is Dundee - once known for 'jute, jam and journalism' - that may prove most interesting, particularly as it has become a centre for Computer Gaming.

It's a pity that the article has no mention of the V&A at Dundee or the recent UNESCO City of Design designation nor any references to residential and commercial property developments in the city. Nevertheless, it's good to see our city featuring positively in national media.

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.

Commenting on Proposals to Limit the Numbers of Taxi Licenses in Dundee

At the Licensing Committee yesterday, we were asked to consider putting a cap on the number of taxi licenses in Dundee (Item 3. [i] Licensing Committee Thursday 27 June 2013). This recommendation was based on the Report of Taxi Survey which had been produced by external consultants. 

I asked at the meeting about how future increases in demand for taxis could be accommodated? For example, the projected opening of the V and A and how this might be taken into account if the number of taxis was capped? I was conscious that the recently launched Tourism Action Plan for Dundee is projecting half a million visitors to the city in the first year after the V and A opens and 300,000 per year thereafter. We don't want visitors to the city arriving and finding they have to queue for a lengthy period for a taxi. That would create a very poor first impression of our city. 

I was reassured by the confirmation from Council staff that the annual updating of the survey will be able to accommodate future actual and anticipated increases in demand for taxis such as the opening of the V and A.

V&A at Dundee Architect Kengo Kuma to give Public Lecture in the City Monday February 18th

Kengo Kuma, architect of the new V&A at Dundee, will discuss his approach to architecture and how a new relationship is being formed between people and place at a public lecture in Dundee later this month.

Kengo Kuma will talk about his projects around the world as well as updating progress on his thoughts and designs for the V&A at Dundee. 

The `Power of Place' lecture will take place at the Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee, at 6pm on Monday February 18th.

Kengo Kuma previously gave public lectures in Dundee in May 2011, when the initial event was so heavily oversubscribed that an extra session had to be added to accommodate over 1400 interested people.

Tickets for this lecture are free but advance booking is recommended. They can be reserved from the University of Dundee Events office, online at www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, by emailing events@dundee.ac.uk, or by calling  01382 385564 or  01382 385108.

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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More Trains Stopping at Broughty Ferry Station Please ScotRail

On Monday I was notified by Broughty Ferry Community Council that John Yellowlees, the External Relations Manager at ScotRail, will be attending their meeting on the evening of Tuesday 6 November. Apparently, one of the items he will be covering will be the new timetable for Broughty Ferry begining in early December.

I understand passengers number using trains to and from Broughty Ferry have risen significantly since the  increase in the number of stopping trains on the timetable that came into force from 12 December 2011. 

What would make a significant boost to passengers number is the development of a consistent hourly service to Glasgow and Aberdeen with changes in Dundee for services to Edinburgh. This would not only be more predictable for the travelling public, but good for ScotRail revenues and kinder to the environment.

I hope John Yellowtrees won't be coming empty handed to The Ferry.  We could do with some good news about more stopping trains at our station on new timetable coming into force a couple of weeks before Christmas.

Folk in Broughty Ferry deserve a regular train service to match the improvements on the platform such as the digital information screens.

We also need a regular and frequent train service between Dundee and The Ferry so that, when the V and A opens in 2015, visitors can easily extend their visit from the water front site in Dundee to the centre of Broughty Ferry.

Dundee Waterfront Video

In case you missed it, here is the inspirational video about the Waterfront Project in Dundee City Centre. This is the vision which is driving the current alterations to the approaches to the Tay road bridge, the eventual demolition of Tayside House and the relocation of the Swimming Pool. It will also give pride of place to the VandA.

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V &A Exhibition of Cecil Beaton Royal Portraits at McManus Galleries from 30 September

This autumn visitors to the McManus Galleries will be able to enjoy a unique preview of an exhibition of photographic portraits, many previously unpublished, of the Queen by Cecil Beaton. This exhibition, curated by the V&A as part of the celebrations to mark the Monarch's Diamond Jubilee, will run from September 30 to January 8 in Dundee before transferring to the V&A in London. This is the first in a series of partnership projects between the McManus and the V&A as part of the run-up to the establishment of the V&A in Dundee.

Winning Design for the V&A Museum in Dundee

This morning, the winning design for the V&A Museum in Dundee, by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was announced.

Lesley Knox, Chair of the V&A at Dundee project and of the jury panel said:

"We were delighted by the quality of all the designs which were submitted to the competition and I think this is reflected in the huge public interest which our exhibition of models has generated,

Kengo Kuma's proposal was the unanimous choice of the jury panel and is a worthy winner; a building that will delight visitors and encourage them to revisit it again and again. It demonstrates a clear understanding of the city, offers a new experience of the river, and will be as exciting internally as it will be externally.

This has the potential to be one of Europe's most exciting buildings."

The winning architectural practice will now engage with the partners in the V&A at Dundee project to further develop the proposal. Detailed design work will continue throughout 2011 and work is projected to start on site in autumn 2012.

I hope that the development of the V&A in Dundee will not only bring an iconic building and world class museum and gallery to the north bank of he Tay but also attract other investors to engage with the completion the City Council's waterfront redevelopment and thereby bring more employment to the city.

Exhibition of Designs for V & A at Dundee

FREE Admission to Exhibition

Wednesday 29 September to Thursday 4 November
Abertay University Library, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG

Opening Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09.00 – 21.00
Wednesday 09.00 - 17.00

V & A In Dundee – Comments by Laurie Bidwell, Labour Education Spokesperson on Dundee City Council

"The announcement this morning progressing the development of the Victoria & Albert Museum offshoot in Dundee is most welcome. Not only will this bring economic and cultural benefits to Dundee but it will also be very positive for art education in our city. This museum and art gallery will bring national and international exhibitions to Dundee which will make these much more accessible for our school pupils and their teachers. This will help to inspire more of our pupils to engage in the arts and crafts and aspire to work in the related creative industries. This is also very positive news for Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. This will reinforce their place as one of the top six research led Art and Design higher education institutions in the UK."