The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Online protest over £15m waterfront office plans
Development chief says petition shows how V&A has captured attention
A row over plans for a £15.5 million office development on the waterfront show how the V&A has captured people’s imaginations, it has been claimed.
Councillors will be asked to approve the appointment of a contractor to build the five-storey development on a site next to the V&A on Monday.
The development will include offices, ground floor commercial units and dedicated parking.
However, the proposal provoked an online row, with dozens of Dundonians posting comments urging the council to rethink the scheme, which will obstruct views of the waterfront and V&A.
Some offered alternative suggestions for the site, including a new bus station and even a crazy golf course. An online petition against the plans, which were approved by councillors in June, has also been set up.
Peter Orange wrote: “Here’s a radical thought – use this space for a bus station, thereby sorting out an integrated transport hub and getting pollution out of the city centre.”
Scott Quinn added: “It’s a shame this will totally obstruct the view of the waterfront from Dock Street and bottom of Union Street. The view down Union Street at the moment is spectacular.”
However, city development convener Lynne Short defended the proposal, saying it would help connect the waterfront with the city centre.
She said: “The fact people are having a rammy about this on Facebook shows the V&A has captured the imaginations of people in Dundee – it’s not something that would have happened two years ago.
“There has to be something else in the area, from both the architectural point of view and in terms of paying for the V&A and the railway station’s redevelopment.”
The SNP councillor said offices built by the Apex Hotel are now full and it is hoped the new development will attract more business – and jobs – to Dundee.
She added that more public spaces, including an urban beach and amphitheatre, are being planned for other sites along the waterfront.
Graeme Hutton, professor of architecture and associate dean of learning and teaching at Dundee University, said it is important the V&A is not “isolated” from the rest of the city.
The award-winning architect said buildings around the V&A need to complement the Kengo Kuma-designed museum, rather than compete with it for attention: “What is more important is what is happening at ground level.
“People rarely look up above the ground floor so if there are cafes and speciality shops, that will create a vibrant public space.
“Without that the V&A would be completely isolated, like the Colosseum in Rome, which has nothing around it.”
Jack Searle, the vice-chairman of Dundee Civic Trust, said his only concerns were the height of the development and what happens if the offices are unoccupied for a significant period of time.
Speaking in a personal capacity, he said: “It’s good that something is going there but I do have some concerns about scale – the original design was only four storeys – and will they get enough businesses to full the offices.”