V&A hit by ‘Dundonian short-sightedness’

Sir, – I am baffled by Angus Tourism Co-operative’s statement that visitor numbers and money spent were not the only way to measure tourism (V&A wider tourism lift fails to endure, Courier, June 29).

The only other impacts that spring to mind are social and environmental, which are so often negative.

This does not sound like a pro-active response from the sector. I am less perplexed by the claim the “V&A effect” has not been sustained.

As an occasional visitor to the region in which I grew up, there are many things I love to visit, but the much-vaunted V&A is frankly more café than gallery.

Even on opening, the curators lacked confidence: the Ocean Liners exhibition was second-hand from London, which at the same time had Videogames as its exhibit, an industry in which Dundee has some renown.

The building itself was a compromise, pushed inland, and ill-planned roadways divorced the city centre even further from its waterfront.

The site was blighted by offices void of architectural merit and occupants, built in a fit of Dundonian shortsightedness.

Mike Galloway claimed in 2017 that the lack of office space impeded the local economy, and councillors could o nly claim the uproar showed how much local people cared for the

V&A building. But even before Covid-19, it was clear that offices were not the future of work – and these should have not featured in the waterfront masterplan.

The legacy of this project should have been vast for the wider region: instead it has been an opportunity squandered.

The Eden Project should look well outside the city limits for a location.

Jamie Potton. 14 Lind Street, Ryde.