New drop-off point for Slessor’s Little Mix gig

A NEW drop-off and pick-up point will be introduced to improve safety for concert-goers at next week’s Little Mix gig in Dundee.

Parts of the Nethergate, Crichton Street, Whitehall Crescent, Castle Street and Exchange Street will be designated for parents to use to drop off and collect young fans attending Thursday’s gig at Slessor Gardens.

The area has been introduced for this concert due to the younger age group likely to be in attendance.

Councillor Lynne Short, whose Maryfield ward includes the city centre, welcomed the move by the local authority.

She said: “The schools close on Thursday and Slessor Gardens will be full of excited children.

“For a lot of them it will probably be their first concert.

“So with all these hyper Little Mix fans, it’s definitely a sensible idea to make the area around Slessor Gardens as safe as possible. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children.

“I remember as a 14-year-old going to my first concert at the Caird Hall and I think I got the bus into town, but more children nowadays rely on parents to get about I would say.

“The drop-off points will allow them to come into the city centre and be dropped off safely at these allocated areas.”

The decision comes amid a raft of road closures which will be introduced from Monday around the gig site.

From 8am on Monday, Earl Grey Place West and East, along with South Crichton Street and South Castle Street, will be closed completely until 6pm next Saturday — with no diversions in place.

Dock Street, between South Union Street and Commercial Street, will close at 2pm on Thursday, reopening just after midnight on Friday.

Meanwhile, traffic travelling eastbound from Riverside Drive will not be able to travel along Thomson Avenue from 2.30pm on the day of the concert.

Motorists will be diverted via South Marketgait, West Marketgait, North Marketgait and East Marketgait.

Parts of South Union Street, Castle Street and Whitehall Crescent will also be affected on the day.

The closures also mean that city centre bus stops will also be relocated to Ward Road, Seagate, Seagate Bus Station and Commercial Street on Thursday.

Children travelling on buses into the city centre can travel for 20p when accompanied by an adult.

The gig is the girl group’s first in Dundee and forms a run of three major concerts taking place at Slessor Gardens this summer.

Reggae stars UB40 performed last month at the venue, and singer Olly Murs is lined up to play in July.

Castle Street, pictured, will be affected by road closures for the concert.