Dundee unveils five-year £390m Capital Plan

Dundee City Council has unveiled an updated Capital Plan to cover the period between 2016 and 2021 with expenditure grouped into key areas.

As well as housing projects the plan identifies investment in jobs and regeneration; children and families; recreation, culture, arts and heritage; health and social care; community safety/public protection; smart cities, digital and ICT; and sustainable city infrastructure.

Among the projects outlined in the new plan are a feasibility study on five Victorian/Edwardian Primary schools, plus further primary and secondary school investment and the scope of phased works, coastal and flood protection works and sustainable transport and low carbon initiatives.

The report will be discussed by councillors on Monday August 24.

Willie Sawers, deputy convener of the council’s policy and resources committee, said: “For the first time we have broken the plan into themes to make it easier for people to see where capital money is being invested and what our priorities are.

“The level of borrowing to fund these projects is within manageable levels and I am confident that the investment outlined in the plan will make a difference, not just to the built environment of the city but also to the lives of people in Dundee.”

He added: “We also plan to continue with our successful council house building programme and maintaining the investment in thermal insulation and tackling fuel poverty that has been successful and popular with our tenants and other householders.

“In all the revised Capital Plan is a balanced, well thought programme that is affordable and deliverable.”

Meanwhile the £1 billion transformation of Dundee’s waterfront is continuing to take shape as work on two separate elements gets underway.

More than £400,000 of activity has been approved at Slessor Gardens, at the rear of the Caird Hall and to replace dock gates at Camperdown Dock.

Work at Slessor Gardens, costing £250,000, will include the creation of the Discovery Walk of Fame, the commemorative Royal Arch of trees and associated lighting, the outline formation of the Waterfront Showcase Gardens, enhanced landscaping and planting adjacent to the Tay Road Bridge, the Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) pond, feature lighting, seating, sculpture and gardens.

Contractors Sir Robert McAlpine, who have already carried out a number of elements of the Waterfront project were awarded the contract, which is due to be completed in January next year.

Meanwhile as part of the City Quay Marina development the existing dock gates to Camperdown Docks will be replaced.

The current set up is no longer fully functional or appropriate for a marina and as a result tenders were issued to 11 specialist consultants with four offers received.

The winning bid was submitted by Mott MacDonald with the total expenditure of £150,000, to include fees and specialist professional and technical services.