City Development Committee - 08/01/2007

At a MEETING of the PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 8th January, 2007.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Fiona GRANT, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 11th December, 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I FORMER FIRE STATION, STRATHMORE AVENUE - DRAFT SITE PLANNING BRIEF - CONSULTATIONRESPONSE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN1-2007 whereby reference was made to Article V of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 16th October, 2006 whereby approval was given to the Director of Planning and Transportation to proceed with external consultations on the draft site planning brief of the former Fire Station on Strathmore Avenue and to report back to Committee on the completion of the consultation exercise.

A copy of the draft brief and a covering letter was sent to 38 neighbouring properties on 1st November, 2006 with comments to be returned by 28th November. No responses were received and the case officer received no telephone calls in connection with the consultation.

The draft brief contained two concept layouts, one showing the retention of the main building, the other its removal. These layouts were indicative only and were intended to illustrate the requirements of the brief for the benefit of consultees. Their inclusion in the adopted brief may limit the scope of a developer and therefore neither layout would appear in the adopted brief.

The Committee approved the former Fire Station, Strathmore Avenue Site Planning Brief including the above amendment as supplementary planning guidance to the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 and remitted the Director of Planning and Transportation to report this to the Development Quality Committee as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for the site.

II PLANNING POLICY ADVICE: AIR QUALITY AND LAND USE PLANNING

There was submitted Report No 696-2006 by the Director of Planning and Transportation advising the Committee of the consultation exercise completed on 1st December, 2006 and seeking approval of the Planning Policy Advice: Air Quality and Land Use Planning.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the consultation exercise as described herein;

(ii) approve the planning policy advice contained in Air Quality and Land Use Planning; and

(iii) refer the advice note to the Development Quality Committee as a material consideration in the determination of future planning applications.

III DUNDEE CITY REGION SHOPPING STUDY

There was submitted Report No 8-2007 by the Director of Planning and Transportation advising the Committee of the findings of the Dundee City Region Shopping Study carried out by the leading planning and retail consultants, Colliers CRE, and seeking its authorisation to commence next steps involved in implementing the relevant provisions of the study.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the findings of the Study; and

(ii) remit the Director of Planning and Transportation to bring a separate report to the March, 13th meeting of the Committee which would assess the implications of the study findings and advise on appropriate implementation measures for the relevant elements of the study.

IV NETHERGATE - STOPPING UP

This item was deferred.

V BROUGHTY FERRY OFF-STREET CAR PARKS VARIATION

There was submitted Report No 1-2007 by the Director of Planning and Transportation seeking to vary the regulations relative to resident's season tickets in the Broughty Ferry car parks.

The Committee approved the preparation of the necessary Traffic Regulation Variation Order to vary the regulations relative to the Broughty Ferry car parks to allow any Broughty Ferry resident's season ticket holder to use any of the car parks in Broughty Ferry.

VI MEADOWSIDE AT ALBERT SQUARE - PROHIBITION OF DRIVING

There was submitted Report No 5-2007 by the Director of Planning and Transportation considering the effects of the environmental improvements in Albert Square on Traffic Regulation Orders.

The Committee agreed that as a result of the environmental improvements to take place on the south side of Albert Street it was necessary to vary the prohibition of driving between Reform Street and Chapel Street to exclude the exemption for taxis.

VII DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (SOUTH WARD ROAD AND LINDSAY STREET, DUNDEE) (PROHIBITION OFDRIVING) ORDER 2006

There was submitted Agenda Note AN2-2007 whereby reference was made to Article IV of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2006 wherein the Committee authorised the preparation of an Order to remove vehicular traffic during specified hours in lengths of Lindsay Street and South Ward Road in the interests of crowd control and public safety.

The proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period no adverse comments were received.

The Order was duly advertised and there were no objections.

The Committee agreed to make the Order as advertised.

VIII DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (WILLIAM STREET AND VICTORIA ROAD, DUNDEE) (PROHIBITION OF RIGHTHAND TURN) ORDER 2007

There was submitted Agenda Note AN3-2007 whereby reference was made to Article IV of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 14th August, 2006 wherein the Committee authorised the preparation of an Order to improve junction safety and reduce accident records by prohibiting vehicles turning right from William Street into the two way traffic system of Victoria Road.

The proposed Order was duly advertised and there were no objections.

The Committee agreed to make the Order as advertised.

IX DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (DENS PARK AND TANNADICE PARK AREA, DUNDEE) (MAJOR EVENTS RELATEDTRAFFIC CONTROL) ORDER 2007

There was submitted Agenda Note AN14-2007 whereby reference was made to Article III of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 16th October, 2006 wherein the Committee authorised the preparation of an Order to facilitate crowd control and relieve congestion on occasions of major events at Dens Park and Tannadice Park.

The proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period no adverse comments were received.

The Committee agreed to authorise formal publication of the Order as drafted.

X VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND: TECHNOPOLE, 17-29 ANNFIELD ROAD - DEMOLITION

There was submitted Agenda Note AN4-2007 whereby reference was made to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2006 which approved the draft programme of works proposed under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2006-2008. This Council owned site at 17-29 Annfield Road was identified for action in the programme agreed with the Scottish Executive and approved by Scottish Ministers.

The adjacent land to the north of the site is on the Vacant and Derelict Land Register and forms the undeveloped part of the Technopole. The Technopole is a strategic site within the City identified for technology and research related development. The majority of the current occupiers fall within the Biotechnology section although the site is designed to accommodate technology and research related projects from a number of key sectors. To aid the long term development of the vacant land in the Technopole, an allocation had been made in the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund programme for the removal of a derelict former works building at 17-19 Annfield Road. Once cleared, the site would be marketed for technology and research related development.

Preliminary works had taken place to prepare the building for demolition and the contract for the work had been let with work commencing on 11th December, 2006. The demolition works were instructed to be carried out by D Geddes (Contractors) Limited at a cost of 71,800.84 as reported to the Economic Development Committee on 13th November, 2006.

The Committee agreed that an allocation from the Vacant and Derelict Fund up to a maximum of 100,000 be made for the costs of demolition (71,800.84), the preliminary works (8,755.00) and fees with the demolition works to be completed before the end of the financial year.

The Economic Development Department had been successful in bidding for ERDF funding for the post demolition treatment of the site. This treatment was expected to comprise grass and a new boundary wall onto Annfield Road to match the post demolition treatment of the existing development sites in the Technopole.

XI VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND: BALERNO STREET - REPLACEMENT RESIDENTIAL HOME FOR THEELDERLY

There was submitted Agenda Note AN5-2007 whereby reference was made to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2006 which approved the draft programme of works proposed under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2006-2008. The site at Balerno Street was identified for action in the programme agreed with the Scottish Executive and approved by Scottish Ministers.

The Balerno Street site consists of an area of land on the Vacant and Derelict Land Register that is located in the Douglas and Angus area of Dundee. At the time the programme was drawn up, the Social Work Department were preparing plans for the development of a residential home for the elderly on the site. To bring this development forward and remove the vacant site from the Vacant and Derelict Land Register an allowance was made to assist with ground preparation works. These works formed part of the 3.4m contract for the development which was approved by the Social Work Committee on 21st August, 2006. The contract had now been let and work had commenced on site.

The Committee agreed that an allocation of 52,000 from the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund be made to the Social Work Department.

XII VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND: SUMMERFIELD GARDENS/DUNHOLM ROAD - DEMOLITIONS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN6-2007 whereby reference was made to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2006 which approved the draft programme of works proposed under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2006-2008. Sites at Summerfield Gardens and Dunholm Road were identified for action in the programme agreed with the Scottish Executive and approved by Scottish Ministers.

An allocation had been made in the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund programme to grant assist the Housing Department with the costs of demolition and clearance of these sites.

The Housing Department had let the demolition contract for the two sites following the usual tendering process. The value of the contract was in excess of the 80,000 allocated for each site in the VDLF programme. The Committee agreed that an allocation from the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund of up to 80,000 for each site be made to the Housing Department towards the costs of demolition and site clearance work with the demolition and clearance works to be completed before the end of the current financial year.

XIII VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND: FORMER BURNS AND HARRIS PRINTING WORKS, WEST MARKETGAIT AND FORMER HOMEBASE STORE, RIVERSIDE DRIVE - DEMOLITIONS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN7-2007 whereby reference was made to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2006 which approved the draft programme of works proposed under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2006-2008. Sites at West Marketgait and Riverside Drive were identified for action in the programme agreed with the Scottish Executive and approved by Scottish Ministers.

The West Marketgait site currently accommodates the former Burns and Harris printing works which have lain vacant for a number of years and which are now in Council ownership. The Council had approved a planning application for the development of a six-storey office building in this key position in the Cultural Quarter. To aid the development of the site and the removal of the vacant buildings an allocation had been made in the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund programme to assist with the demolition and site clearance works.

The costs of demolition had been estimated to be around 250,000. The Committee agreed that an allocation of 25,000 from the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund be made to the Economic Development Department towards the costs of clearing the site with the demolition and clearance works to be completed this financial year.

The former Homebase store on Riverside Drive had also lain vacant for a number of years. Planning permission has been granted for the development of 202 flats on the site. The site was identified as a potential recipient of a Vacant and Derelict Land Fund grant as the removal of the vacant building and the development of flats would not only enable the redevelopment of the site but it would also encourage the development of adjacent sites to the north which appear on the Register of Vacant and Derelict Land.

An allocation had been made in the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund programme to assist with the demolition of the building and the remediation of the site. It was therefore further agreed that a grant of up to 100,000 be made towards the costs of clearing the site.

XIV NEW ROADS

(a) APPLICATIONS FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION CONSENT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN8-2007 detailing the undernoted applications that had been submitted:-

The Committee approved the applications subject to conditions agreed between the applicant and the Director of Planning and Transportation and further agreed that on satisfactory completion of these roads and, if so requested by the applicants, they be entered on the List of Public Roads for the purposes of management and maintenance in terms of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

XV TENDERS RECEIVED BY CITY ENGINEER

There was submitted Report No 9-2007 by the City Engineer detailing tenders received in respect of the undernoted project:-

(a) DOUGLAS TERRACE WALKWAY

The Committee agreed to accept the lowest offer from Torith Limited in the sum of 289,526.65 together with allowances of 1,473.35 for non contract allowances and 32,000 for fees, giving a total expenditure of 323,000.

Fiona GRANT, Convener.