Part of road could be closed on match days

A PLAN has been unveiled to shut a section of Dundee’s Dens Road after football matches.

The proposal is aimed at improving safety for spectators leaving games at Dens Park and Tannadice and will be presented to councillors on the city development committee next week.

It would see a section of road between Provost Road and North Isla Street shut for a short period on each match day following the game.

A similar plan is already put in place following major games involving Dundee and Dundee United, according to nearby residents. However, some are worried about the potential impact of a new traffic order to formalise the closure for all matches.

Resident James McDonald, 49, said safety and traffic issues were not a major concern for people living in the area.

The social care officer said parking tickets were the biggest issue.

He added: “We’ve all had them for parking outside our houses on match days.

“Closing the road is a nightmare for us. It just means we can’t even access our homes.

“They need to take local residents’ views into account. This won’t be better.”

Full-time mum Andrea Sayers said: “It’s really difficult on match days. Once you’ve moved your car you can’t come back until after the game, or you’ll be given a ticket.

“I would be keen to know what a road closure means for parking and access.”

She said she had been in contact with local councillor Jimmy Black about possible solutions.

Mr Black said it was about finding a balance between the needs of the football clubs and those of local residents.

He said: “The clubs are extremely welcome in the area and we need to ensure they are able to do business in the best and safest way. This will help but the area also has long, well-established residents who are important too.

“We need to find a balance between inconvenience, the cost of living near a football club in a city centre and unfairness.”

Traffic management would be handed over to club stewards trained by Police Scotland staff.

The proposals would formalise the agreement between the football clubs, Police Scotland and Dundee City Council to improve post-match safety.

A city council spokeswoman said: “The proposed traffic order will be considered by the city development committee on Monday.”

Fans queueing outside Dens Park on a match day.