Council leader welcomes Tay Cities investments

The leader of Dundee City Council today welcomed multi-million pound investments in the city’s culture and tourism sector as part of the Tay Cities Region Deal.

The Deal’s joint committee has approved an outline business case for an updated regional programme which includes increased financial commitments to HMS Unicorn’s Project Safe Haven and Discovery Point Transformed.

The £27million programme now includes £5.7m for HMS Unicorn (up from £5.5m) and £5m for Discovery Point (double the original £2.5m allocation).

The same committee also recommended allocating £15m to a project increasing the capacity of Dundee’s Livehouse venue as part of a reshaping of investments for the final years of the Deal.

Council leader Councillor Mark Flynn said today: “Culture and tourism are a cornerstone of Dundee’s economy, generating over £300m per year for the city and supporting thousands of local jobs.

“While there is growth in the sector, it’s essential that we don’t rest on our laurels. That’s why I welcome investments in two long-standing attractions, Discovery Point and HMS Unicorn.

“Both of these projects will stand our historic ship attractions, of which the city is rightly proud, in good stead for many years to come.”

Discovery Point Transformed is the heart of a mission to conserve the RRS Discovery for local people and visitors from around the globe for the next 100 years.

It will advance vital conservation works to conserve the ship for future generations, introducing a new supportive cradle to prevent critical degradation within a decade.

Project Safe Haven is an ambitious, multi-year, multi-million-pound initiative designed to secure the future of HMS Unicorn, one of the world’s oldest ships still afloat.

It includes a new, fully accessible learning area as well as a café and retail space. The project promises to create jobs, boost visitor numbers and contribute to Dundee's long-term economic growth.

Both projects are part of a £27m regional investment in tourism which aims to create 320 jobs across the region and attract match funding of the same amount. It includes a £10m challenge fund which is being launched to support further projects in the sector.

The Livehouse proposal is part of a reallocation of almost £50million in Tay Cities Region Deal funding following a review of existing projects.

The £15m Livehouse investment, which is subject to Government approval, is expected to leverage a further £6.5m of funding, create 150 jobs and benefit around 600 small and medium-sized local businesses.

The project will deliver essential enabling works and transform Livehouse – a conference and live music venue - into an internationally capable mid-scale facility, filling a gap in the regional offering.

The proposed investment will increase capacity to 3,500 attendees and expand the number of viable event days, enabling Dundee to access touring circuits and international conference markets currently out of reach.

Councillor Flynn said: “This is a really exciting project for Dundee, with forecast annual attendance of up to 85,000 when completed.

“That will undoubtedly bring benefits to the city centre, particularly for our many hotels, bars and restaurants. Conference and gig attendees will get the chance to explore all our hospitality sector has to offer.

“I’m really pleased to see these, and many other projects across the region, being progressed through the Tay Cities Region Deal.

“As the £300m Deal enters its final few years, it continues to deliver real benefits for Dundee and beyond, bringing greater prosperity and equality.”

About the Tay Cities Region Deal

The Tay Cities Region Deal is a partnership between local, Scottish and UK governments and the private, academic, and voluntary sectors which seeks to create a smarter and fairer Angus, Dundee, Fife, and Perth & Kinross under the headings Inclusive Tay; Innovative Tay; International Tay; Connected Tay and An Empowered Tay.

The Scottish Government and UK Government will each invest up to £150 million in the Tay Cities Region Deal over 10 years, subject to final approval of robust business cases.  

As of 30 September 2025, over £232 million of Government has been approved by Governments and the Partnership for investment and over 5,300 jobs have been created. This central investment from both Governments has the potential to lever in £400 million of investment, of which more than £258 million has already been secured by Projects.