Lochee clocks off

Historic timepiece misses out on community funding

Angry residents have made repeated calls for the clock, which once stood on the High Street, to be restored to its former glory.

It was hoped they would finally get their wish as part of Dundee Decides, but voters opted to spend £150,000 of council money on three other projects.

Dundee City Council said work would begin on a new clock in 2017 but it was instead put out to the public vote.

Jayne Kelly, chairwoman of the Village of Lochee Partnership, said members would continue to heap pressure on the city council to have it returned.

She said: “We’re really disappointed by this, we were assured that it would be returned.

“If they don’t find the finances for it we will be looking to find the money through some other source.

“They were the ones who damaged it and removed it so it should be their responsibility to fix it. The clock has been on our agenda since the group started and it’s not something that we’re just going to put to one side.”

The timepiece once stood at the bottom of the street but was removed about nine years ago.

Several designs of what the new clock could look like were revealed by the Tele last year. In a freedom of information request, Dundee City Council was asked for details of the clock’s condition and whether it would ever return to the area.

The council responded: “Detailed discussions with the Lochee Community Regeneration Forum have formed a preferred design solution, which is proposed to be in a similar location to the previous clock that was removed.

“The scheme is currently being finalised and it is anticipated that works will commence in late 2017.”

CAMPAIGNERS in Lochee say they will keep fighting for the return of a historic clock after it missed out on Dundee Decides funding.

Irene Baxter, Jayne Kelly and Myles McCallum of the Village of Lochee Partnership, pictured at the Jute Women sculpture, have vowed to keep up the campaign.