Bid to keep alive huge centre expansion plan

PLANS for an expansion of Dundee’s Overgate shopping centre could be kept alive when councillors meet in the city next week.

The owners of the centre have applied to renew planning permission, which would allow them to add 40 retail units to the north-west of the existing centre — an area covering about 20,000 square metres on two levels.

The project has been in the pipeline for several years, having previously been given the green light in June 2011, but permission now needs to be renewed if the plans are to ever be implemented.

And although the Overgate says it doesn’t immediately plan to act on them, it wants to keep its options open.

Malcolm Angus, centre manager, said: “There are no current plans to develop any areas around the centre.

“The application has been submitted as a matter of provisional future contingency planning.”

A report from Mike Galloway, executive director of city development, said in his report to councillors: “The supporting statement submitted with this application illustrates that the current owner is actively reviewing their wider longterm strategy for the centre and considers that since 2014, the economic climate and level of retailer demand which required the previous renewal has not improved sufficiently to have allowed the implementation of the current proposals.

“A further five years is now sought to allow sufficient time for improvement and to maintain the ability to implement the planning permission and listed building consent.” The application is set to be decided by the council’s development management committee on Monday and is being recommended for approval. The plans also include 330 additional parking spaces — bringing the total capacity up to 700 cars — over four decks. Mr Galloway added: “The existing service access ramp located off West Marketgait would be retained and would remain the main point of service access and egress for the complete centre.”

The centre would be allowed to expand northwards.