Dundee businessman accuses city planners of ‘putting a gun to his head’ over hotel plan

A Dundee businessman has accused city planners of “putting a gun to his head” over planning at 28 Roseangle.

John Cape said he was not being fairly treated by the city council over his proposals to develop a derelict, listed building into a hotel.

In November, the city council served Mr Cape with a repairs notice on the building, which has lain derelict since 2005 when it was severely damaged by a fire, before compulsory purchase proceedings would begin.

He said: “On December 18 my architect submitted an application to convert the building into a hotel along with the £7,000 fee for doing this.

“The application was subsequently validated.

“At the end of last week, my architect heard that the application was going to be refused under delegated powers by officers, without the councillors even getting a chance to discuss it.

“They are holding a gun to my head. They want to compulsorily purchase it and take it from me for a song.

“The planners won’t even meet with my architect to discuss this.”

A spokesman for the council said: “The council will determine the application made on December 18 in due course.”