Consultation on the relocation of services to the East End Community Campus - FAQs

What is being proposed?

The building of new East End Community Campus is a flagship modern school and community facility. The campus has been developed with accessibility and inclusion as an integral part of the design.  It will house a music and drama centre suitable for city wide school and community use, with inclusion of a café and library that will be accessible during the day for combined community and school use. 

The sport facilities include floodlit all weather pitches, a fitness suite and a dance studio in addition to the standard gym and games halls, which will all be available for community use during the day to help create a fully integrated community facility. 

The new site has been developed to allow for good links to active travel, taking advantage of the close proximity of the green circular that runs around the city.  In addition, the site layout has identified a zone that can be developed as a community garden and will grow in partnership with the school to create a shared environment that can be enjoyed by both the school and the community at large. 

It is proposed is to relocate all services from the named buildings to the East End Community Campus, creating a 365 campus and leaving the other buildings surplus. 

What has been discussed so far?

There has been wide-ranging consultation with the communities to be served by the East End Community Campus over the last few years to ensure it meets community needs.

For the last three years, DCC officers have engaged with a range of school and community stakeholders and held engagement events. This included discussions themed around: 

• Travel to school and the 20-minute neighbourhood;
• Focus on future of education, built around the perfect new school; 
• Engagement on green space – the new community campus and what it could offer in terms of outdoor space/facilities;
• Multi-generational, designer-led sessions to explore how more senior members of the community might use the community space; 
• Sessions exploring their experience of formal education and asking what kind of Community Campus might encourage those with a negative school experience to come back to place of adult learning. 

The main points raised and considered through discussion were: 

• The importance of having ample storage space for a range of community group needs;
• Sound proofing of rooms to allow for different activities at the same time;
• Having a suitable governance model in place which works for the school and the community;
• Having the spaces flexible and adaptable to allow for different programmes to be delivered in one space;
• Families expect to use sports/exercise facilities;
• Hope to access sports clubs which could be delivered in the evening and weekends;
• Like to see arts, crafts and other creative opportunities;
• Interest in a community cafe meeting local needs (low cost or free);
• Playgroup for preschool children.

How would community access at the Campus operate and what would it cost?

Community access to the East End Community Campus will operate on the same basis as existing community facilities. Facilities across the campus will be bookable by the public. There will be no reduction in accessibility, with East End Community Campus available during the same hours as other leisure and community facilities across the city. 

Groups currently running from the buildings being consulted on will be supported so that they can fully use the upgraded spaces available within the East End Community Campus and no group will be at detriment regarding let fees. The current criteria and charging arrangements in place for bookings in the affected facilities are expected to apply to the new campus.

What is being consulted on now? 

The proposal involves moving all services at the four existing facilities to the East End Community Campus. Those buildings would then close and be made available for alternative uses or sale, reducing costs to the taxpayer. 

The consultation will allow the Council and LACD to identify any mitigations – ways to lessen the impact on users, including those with protected characteristics – which make be required in moving services to the new campus. 

The views gathered will inform a document known as an Integrated Impact Assessment, which will be considered by DCC Councillors prior to a final decision on the future of the facility being taken. 

Who is being consulted? 

It is essential that the Council and Leisure and Culture Dundee understand the impact this proposal would have on users and the wider community. 

This is particularly the case for those who have characteristics protected by law: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. 

Users of the four existing facilities in the area are encouraged to take part. However, it is important to stress that all interested parties are invited to have their say on the proposal. 

How long does the consultation last for? 

The consultation will run for six weeks from 4th November 2024 to 15th December, 2024. 

How can I take part in the consultation?

The survey can be completed online. Free internet access is available in all libraries, with IT support from staff. 

Paper copies of the questionnaires will be available from the facilities being consulted on and at face-to-face information sessions.

Queries on the consultation can be directed to eastendcampus@dundeecity.gov.uk

When and where do the drop-in sessions take place?

How will the consultation be promoted? 

The consultation will be promoted through press releases, printed information posters, word of mouth, and the Dundee City Council/LACD websites. 

Social media platforms will also be used to ensure as many people as possible are reached. This increases inclusion for those who prefer to get their information from legitimate platforms on social media.     

How will you ensure the consultation is accessible to all? 

Questions have been framed using appropriate language and will be offered digitally via the Council’s Consultation Hub. Paper copies will be made available.     

The website offers accessibility options which support users with conditions like visual impairments and dyslexia. The site also offers features to translate information into many different languages.  

Alternative formats will be offered where requested and provision made to ensure that face-to-face communications are accessible and inclusive.  

How will the consultation responses be analysed? 

Dundee City Council will analyse and review responses.  

We will identify staff resources to support and respond to any queries arising as part of the process. Responses that are derogatory, demeaning and/or disparaging will not be considered.  

How will I be able to find out the results of the consultation? 

The results of the survey and focus groups will inform any Integrated Impact Assessment on the relocation of services to the East End Community Campus and the future of any properties no longer needed to deliver services from.  

Following the analysis, the findings of the consultation will be part of the report to Councillors with any recommendations and/or options including the closing of any surplus properties. These will be published on our website. 

Reports are expected to be considered by councillors at a later date.

I am interested in discussing an alternative use for/taking over one of the existing community buildings. What should I do? 

Please email shoreterrace@dundeecity.gov.uk or visit this page on the Council website to find out more about Community Asset Transfer.

What are Protected Characteristic Groups? 

We will gather information to allow us to assess the positive or negative impacts of any final decision, particularly on those with protected characteristics. The nine protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act 2010 are detailed below: 

• Age 

People can be unfairly treated based on assumptions and stereotypes related to their age. Both younger and older people can share similar issues such as unemployment, reduced or low income, not being listened to and not being valued. 

• Disability 

Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disability includes mobility, dexterity, hearing, speech or vision impairments along with "hidden" conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, dyslexia, mental health problems and mental illness. Cancer, HIV infection and Multiple Sclerosis are deemed disabilities under the Act from the time of diagnosis. 

• Gender Re-assignment 

Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes, denoted by terms such as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ and can be different from biological sex. The term ‘gender reassignment’ applies to the process of transitioning from one gender to another. The term used in the Equality Act to describe people who intend to transition, are transitioning or have transitioned is ‘transsexual’. 

• Marriage and Civil Partnership 

Service providers cannot treat customers less favourably, or refuse to provide them with services, on the basis that they are married to a person of the same sex or in a civil partnership, as opposed to being married to a person of the opposite sex.  

• Pregnancy and Maternity 

It is unlawful to subject a woman to unfavourable treatment during the ‘protected period' defined by the Act. Protection from discrimination starts when a woman becomes pregnant. 

• Race/Ethnicity

The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against because of your race. Race can mean your colour or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality. Race also covers ethnic and racial groups. 

• Religion or Belief

The meaning of religion or belief in the Equality Act is broad and is consistent with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Religion means any religion and includes a lack of religion. A religion need not be mainstream or well known to gain protection. However, it must have a clear structure and belief system. 

Belief means any religious or philosophical belief (including, for example, Humanism and Atheism) and includes a lack of belief. To be protected under the Equality Act, a philosophical belief must:

• Be genuinely held.
• Be a belief and not an opinion or viewpoint, based on the present state of information available.
• Be a belief as to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour.
• Attain a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance.
• Be worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with human dignity and not conflict with the fundamental rights of others

• Sex

A person's sex refers to whether they are biologically male or female. In relation to a group of people it refers to either men and /or boys, or women and / or girls. A comparator for the purposes of unlawful sex discrimination will be a person of the opposite sex.

• Sexual Orientation

The Equality Act says you must not be discriminated against because:

• You are heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual.
• Someone thinks you have a particular sexual orientation - discrimination by perception.
• You are connected to someone who has a particular sexual orientation - discrimination by association.

Sexual orientation includes how you choose to express your sexual orientation, such as through your appearance or the places you visit. Discrimination occurs when you are treated differently because of your sexual orientation.

Find out more about the Equality Act 2010, which provides the legal framework to tackle disadvantage and discrimination.