University still hopes to demolish building

DUNDEE University says it st i l l hopes to demolish a for mer student accommodation bu i ld i ng despite w ithdraw i ng an appl icat ion over concerns from heritage bosses.

Plans had been submitted to the city council by the university in March, seeking permission to bulldoze 16-18 Airlie Place, a grade B listed building that was mothballed in 2007.

The block was originally built i n the 1870s but has since deteriorated into a “very dilapidated condition”, the uni says.

A temporary playground had then been proposed for the site, to be used by children who attend the university’s nursery i nside the student association building.

It was also hoped that the demolition proposals will form part of a “wider campus strategy” that could eventually lead to a new university facility being built on the site.

However, the application was subsequently withdrawn this week, in part due to concerns that the look of the surrounding area could be adversely affected.

A spokesman for the university said: “The property at 16-18 Airlie Place is showing significant signs of structural deterioration, and it is not economically viable for the university to repair and refurbish the building.

“We have withdrawn the application to allow us to address concerns relating to it raised by Dundee City Council and Historic Environment Scotland (HSE).”

Despite the concerns raised by the local authority and the HSE, the university is still planning on moving forward with the application to demolish the building and is hopeful it can work with the authorities to come up with a solution to their concerns.

The spokesman added: “We do not believe the proposed demolition and creation of a play area for the university nursery will have a detrimental impact on either the university conservation area or the setting of adjacent listed buildings, and plan to re-submit the application after we have engaged with DCC and HES.”

Over the course of the 20th Century, all of the properties on the street were bought up by the then University College Dundee and the current university, and converted into student halls of residence.

Named Airlie Hall, the east side was used for accommodation until 1996, and the west side until 2007.

The building in Airlie Place is grade B listed, but is in a ‘very dilapidated condition’.