By Brian Allison, local government reporter

PLANS FOR a £7 million car park off Hawkhill will ease congestion in the area and help promote Dundee’s burgeoning cultural quarter, city councillors heard last night.

The planning and transport and policy and resources committees backed proposals for a 430-space multi-storey at Hunter Street which would also provide retail units at ground level and commercial development at the west end of the site.

In a report, planning and transportation director Mike Galloway said the estimated cost of the car park would be in the region of £7.35 million.

He said there was a very high and growing demand for quality parking in the Hunter Street area.

The existing surface level car park has just under 140 spaces— not sufficient to meet the demand created by the adjacent university campus, new student housing and business developments in the cultural quarter.

“There is a growing need to satisfy the daytime commuter and retail parking demands as well as the growing demand arising from the vibrant evening economy,” he said.

“In support of the council’s primary objective to create a thriving economy through growth of the financial, leisure and retail sectors —which will occur mainly in the city centre—there is an urgent requirement to provide a retail development site for the purposes of relocation of an existing retail outlet in order to allow the proposed extension of the Overgate centre to progress.”

Following committee approval the council will now advertise for a partnering contractor to undertake the development.

Planning and transport convener Fraser Macpherson said the project would help alleviate the considerable parking difficulties for staff and students and the public.

In response to a question from councillor Will Dawson, the convener said the department would be mindful of the need to maintain the traffic flow when the project was being constructed.

Councillor Richard McCready said there was a need for the council to promote the use of public transport, but it must also recognise that many people would continue to use their cars.

The new car park would help address parking issues as well as promoting the vibrancy of the cultural quarter.