Two ‘significant’ developments given final approval in Dundee

Dundee City Council has granted planning permission to a new Regional Performance Centre for Sport and a business hub comprising co-working space, retail units and rented apartments.Set for a site in the city’s Caird Park, the sports venue will be a hub building with 8-court sports hall, changing accommodation, performance suite, sports science suite, admin accommodation, café and conference facilities.The development will also include a full size indoor 3G football pitch, full size outdoor 3G rugby and football pitch, a grass community football pitch, an upgraded athletics track, indoor athletics training building, an upgraded velodrome, an energy centre and on-site car parking.An application to build the centre was submitted in July last year with councillors recommended to approve the application in November.However the proposal was withdrawn from the committee agenda at the last-minute after objectors requested a pre-determination hearing.The Scottish Government then ordered a full environmental impact assessment be carried out on the Caird Park site in December, with Dundee FC, who were considering using the centre for training, pulling out days later.In June of this year, the Scottish Government wrote to the council changing their mind, telling the local authority they would not require a full environmental impact assessment.Known as ‘Studio Dundee’, the £20 million business hub project proposes to create “state-of-the-art co-working space” for entrepreneurs and a “business accelerator unit” which will provide direct support to companies using the space.As well as offering space for business start-ups and designers, the plans include proposals for 116 apartments in a mix of sizes with on-site management and use of the Studio Dundee communal space, offering lounges, café, bar and amenity areas, including outdoor terrace space.The project has been developed by Our Enterprise in conjunction with HTA Design.