Why is Dundee’s Waterfront such a ‘state’?

Can the council’s efforts to make Dundee one of Europe’s greatest tourism destinations afford to overlook the unsightly Waterfront?

Dundee’s Waterfront, long hailed as the jewel in the city’s redevelopment crown, is again in the spotlight – but for all the wrong reasons. Locals characterise the graffiti-covered hoardings and empty plots as a “eyesore” and a “disgrace”.

Ian Ashton, a tourism operator, thinks that the Waterfront’s current state is deterring visitors.

Ian, who runs SaltDog Marine boat trips on the Tay, says: “We constantly hearing about this desire to become one of Europe’s top tourist attractions, but how does this compare to the reality of what people face?

“The ugliness puts people off – and right now, we’re sending the wrong message.”

A ‘blight’ on Dundee

Ian believes that Dundee City Council cannot afford to ignore such a visible eyesore while pushing ambitious tourism ambitions.

His proposed solution is easy and inexpensive: remove the hoardings, clean up the graffiti, and put grass or plant wildflowers on the empty areas.

He believes that other European towns would never leave significant landmarks in such a “state” and wonders why Dundee appears to be willing to put up with it.

Make Waterfront more attractive

Ian likes the idea of wildflower meadows with walking routes, which foster wildlife and provide people with something to do while they wait for development to occur.

Other proposals for transforming the regions include sculpture trails and temporary art exhibitions.

And why not organise concerts, summer festivals, markets, and sporting events?

These types of activities would improve the city’s image while benefiting local companies, residents, and tourists alike.

Ugliness is not the norm

“A whole generation of kids have grown up thinking it’s normal to have a city centre full of empty building sites and vandalised and graffitied grey hoardings,” Ian admits. “That shouldn’t be considered ‘the usual’ in Dundee.

“The people who live here deserve so much better, and with just a wee bit of imagination and creativity, we can surely give it to them.”

Ian dreads what visitors to Dundee will think when they arrive. “When you drive over the Tay Bridge and look down, you can see a lot of old building materials that have been sitting there for years.

“When you exit the railway station, you are confronted with grey hoardings.

“And if you come via the railway bridge or head towards the Apex Hotel, you’ll see construction sites and hoardings. “Looking down from the higher floors of the Malmaison hotel, all you see are construction sites.

“Essentially there are eyesores in every direction.”

So what’s the plan?

Ian is “not impressed” by what he regards as the council’s lack of ambition for the Waterfront, and he wants to know what they intend to do about it.

“I understand that businesses may be slow to invest and funds are tight, but when will the council clean up its own shopfront?”

“There is a chance for the council to take action.

“If you wandered into any town in France, Italy or Spain, there’s no chance they’d keep their centre like that.”

Waterfront improvement need not cost the earth

Ian, who is aware of the council’s plans to invest in other city centre initiatives, including a £245 million’sustainable travel plan’, claims that it “wouldn’t take much” to improve the waterfront’s aesthetics.

“The Waterfront project is almost 30 years in,” he points out.

“The plan was to complete all of the development and sell off all of the construction sites. “That stopped years ago.

Who would want to put something there now, surrounded by vacant ‘Steptoe and Son’-style construction sites?”

Response from Dundee City Council

A representative for Dundee City Council stated that the city’s investment in the Waterfront is part of a 30-year plan that includes the V&A Dundee and Agnes Husband House, which have created hundreds of employment.

“The train station has been refurbished, and an urban beach has been built alongside public open space.

“The new £26 million modern office accommodation at James Thomson House is almost finished, with great demand exhibited in all five office floors.

“Three private sector sites are currently under development.”

The spokesperson added that a marketing campaign aimed at prospective developers and potential tenants is ongoing to raise awareness about opportunities – in both public and private ownership – that are available.

Update on Dundee Waterfront progress

“A presentation aimed at developers, tenants and agents was held in Glasgow November 19, and this attracted over 20 industry representatives who were updated on progress at the Waterfront and the city generally.

“The hoardings at the numerous undeveloped areas on the Waterfront are necessary for safety since the development sites have not been restored to a level suitable for public access. “This would be a considerable cost that is not justified prior to future progress.

“The hoardings must be maintained to a high quality, and the council has over the years mounted a number of public art and photographic exhibits showing the work of local artists on them.

“At the now, only some of the hoardings are used for public art or marketing materials, but plans are being formalised to use these for cultural marketing, similar to the columns used around the city core.

“Graffiti removal will also take place, and it is hoped that this can be done with the assistance of the criminal justice team.”

Dundee Civic Trust’s ideas for empty Waterfront plots

It was revealed last week that plans for a new office complex on Dundee’s Waterfront may be put on hold.

This indicates that site 5 will likely remain unoccupied for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the Dundee Civic Trust (DCT) has published a discussion paper proposing alternative approaches for vacant lands along the Central Waterfront.

A prominent proposal is to replace the Yeaman Shore car park, known as site 2, with a new bus terminal, alleging that the current one is too far from the city core.

To support the new dwellings, DCT recommends building on sites 5, 11, and 17, as well as a high-density primary school on site 10.

DCT also recommends soft or mixed landscaping for site 12, which is located near the urban beach and Dundee Cycle Hub.

This would result in a “city centre estuary park” and a new playground as an expansion of Slessor Gardens.

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