Work on a multi-million pound plan to redevelop the site of historic Blackness Road flats in Dundee is finally set to begin – eight years after councillors controversially voted to demolish them.
In 2017, Dundee City Council’s then neighbourhood services committee agreed the tenements at 219 – 245 Blackness Road should be razed.
The flats had stood for more than a century but public safety concerns were raised about the deteriorating rear spiral stairwells at the site – named ‘pletties’.
The block was eventually demolished in spring 2021 and the council subsequently unveiled plans for modern housing to be built on the site.
Bur why has it taken four years for work on the development to begin and why was the decision to demolish the tenement block so controversial?
The Courier takes a look back at the saga.
Councillors vote to demolish tenement block
Plans to demolish the Blackness Road flats first emerged in 2017 after it was revealed the stairwells at this site had “significantly deteriorated” over the years.
In October of that year, the then neighbourhood services committee agreed the proposals.
Many of the flats at 219-245 were reported to be in good condition inside.
But councillors were informed the stairs had a maximum five-year lifespan left before they became entirely unsafe.
The cost of repairing the stairwells was estimated to be between £880,000 and £1.2 million.
However, the demolition and redevelopment option was estimated to cost £4.5m and has been promised to bring about “good quality, energy efficient affordable homes”.
A report that went before the committee claimed a majority of residents favoured demolition of the blocks.
Landlords counted as ‘residents’ in consultation
In February 2018, it emerged six private landlords who did not live in the block were counted as “residents”.
The information was revealed through a freedom of information request, which showed eight people voted in favour of refurbishing the flats and 14 in favour of demolition.
Of those 14, six were private landlords and three were owner occupiers.
The majority of council tenants favoured refurbishment.
This led to calls from councillor Jimmy Black to rethink the demolition.
But in August 2018, The Courier reported that Dundee City Council had agreed in private to pay owner occupiers of the flats at Blackness Road for their properties.
The local authority owned 16 of the properties and the others were subsequently compulsorily purchased in late 2019 for a maximum of £120,000.
Demolition begins and new plans emerge
Demolition of 120-year block of flats eventually began in February 2021.
At the time, The Courier reported the cost associated with the demolition were estimated to be around £310,000.
In August 2021, Dundee City Council unveiled plans to build 24 modern apartments on the site.
The development included 18 two-bedroom flats and six one-bedroom flats that would be wheelchair-accessible.
The proposals were given planning permission in February 2022.
Funding shortfall revealed
However, by April last year work had still yet to commence at the site.
The Courier subsequently revealed the project was facing a £2m budget shortfall after the local authority failed to secure the full grant requested from the Scottish Government.
Figures obtained by West End councillors Fraser Macpherson and Michael Crichton show DCC requested a £4.3m grant to help meet the cost of the project.
However, the total funding agreed by the government was just £2.3m.
Council chiefs said this was due in part to “unprecedented inflation” and “material and labour shortages” which has pushed costs above the original estimation.
Alarm over soaring costs but tender agreed
In September, concerns were raised by West End councillor Fraser Macpherson that the projected cost of the development has soared to £10m.
However, councillors agreed to approve a “competitive tender process” aimed at securing a contractor to develop the site at “best value”.
And this week, an £8.5m tender was approved by the committee.
Under the agreement, Dundee City Council will meet over £5.2m of the total cost of the project.
The Scottish Government will also provide £2.3m in funding. However, this is two million less than what the local authority was hoping for.
Council tax income from second homes, which is earmarked to support costs related to affordable homes and reducing the number of empty homes in the city, will cover the rest of the cost of the project.
Work on the development is set to start in August and is projected to be completed by April 2027.
Conversation