Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Water supply problem causing building delay
PLANS to convert a fireravaged c hu rc h i nto housing have stalled due to a lack of connections to water suppl ies a nd sewer systems, it has been claimed.
The former Lochee Old Parish Church had been earmarked for a housing redevelopment before it was destroyed in a blaze over two years ago.
The fire left the church ruined as the roof collapsed and the insides were scorched.
The building has now become an eyesore in Lochee, attracting vandals and litter.
Lochee councillor Charlie Malone believes that the abandoned church is having a negative impact on the community as a whole.
He said: “My concern is that it’s becoming not just an eyesore, but a place for vandalism.
“We’re trying to regenerate and revive as a community, but having this run-down church presents the image that the whole community is run-down.
“I live near the church and walking down that street at night can be quite intimidating because you’ve got this burned-down old building next to you. I also don’t think the site is safe.”
The property was originally owned by a company in Edinburgh, but was sold to Dundee-based George Martin Builders Ltd soon after the fire.
A spokesman for the company said: “We plan to develop the property into flats, but we can’t get planning due to Scottish Water not connecting us to the sewage system and water mains.
“I’m sitting with a property that I can’t get planning for.
“I’ve had to let people go because we can’t get connections for water.
“The suggestion for Bright Street was that we’d have to connect it to a water supply 100m from the site but to do that we’d have to dig up half of Lochee.”
A spokesman for Scottish Water said: “Scottish Water has a wellestablished policy that we will not accept new surface water connections to combined sewers, other than in highly exceptional circumstances.
“This is important to avoid adding to the risk of sewer flooding and to ensure that our drainage networks are able to continue serving customers and protecting the local environment on a sustainable basis.
“We recognise that this position can present challenges for particular development sites.
“We are working closely with developers in the Dundee area to find appropriate solutions which reflect the need to manage surface water in a sustainable way and safeguard our existing customers.”