Contamination found at building site is a setback for developers

PLANS to build student flats on the site of a former Dundee nightclub have been hit by delays after contamination was found.

An application for a sixstorey student residence to be built on the former site of De Stihl’s nightclub on South Ward Road was approved by Dundee City Council in 2022.

A condition of the approval was that the developers – Edinburghbased KR Developments – had to commence work at the site within 18 months.

However, they have been unable to do so due to the discovery of potential “hydrocarbon contamination” found within the site.

The applicants are now set to re-apply for planning permission to in a bid to address the problems.

The site has been sitting empty for a decade after the former mill that housed a succession of nightclubs, including De

Stihl’s which was popular in the 80s and 90s, was demolished.

Planning officials have recommended the new application should be approved.

A planning report detailed: “There are no material considerations of sufficient weight that would justify refusal of planning permission.”

If approved, the developers will have until November next year to begin work at the site.

The fresh bid will go before councillors at a planning committee meeting next week.

Further student accommodation is planned at another former South Road nightclub, with the council recently approving an eight-storey development with more than 200 rooms on the site of the old Liquid building.

This site has been vacant since 2018 following the closure of the nightclub which was demolished.

The site of the former De Stihl’s nightclub.