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Site of demolished Halley’s Mill in Dundee could see 130 flats built

By Jake Keith

November 16 2022, 7:36pm

Craig Main of YM Architects shows off the designs at a public event on Wednesday. Image: Gareth Jennings/DC Thomson.

Around 130 flats could be built at the former site of Halley’s Mill in Dundee with plans for the properties to be affordable Hillcrest homes.

Also known as Wallace Craigie Works, the Blackscroft building was controversially demolished in 2018.

But now plans for a large development have been showcased to the public in a consultation event.

The site is no longer owned by Craigie Estates Ltd, the firm that knocked down the prominent former jute mill on Broughty Ferry Road.

Social housing developer First Endeavour bought the entire site recently and is taking the project forward.

Nothing left of heritage

Locals peruse the plans. Image: Gareth Jennings/DC Thomson.

Speaking at the event at the Boomerang Centre in Stobswell, Neil Gray, director of the developers’ consultants, Gray Planning, said: “A previous planning application was going to incorporate the heritage of the mill.

“But we can’t do that obviously now the building is gone; there’s nothing left of it.

“Even the gold coloured lettering is gone so we couldn’t even use that for something.

A design image of the flats. Image: YM Architects.

“What we are looking to do is simply bring more affordable properties into the market in Dundee.

“They would be in a great location next to the centre with many having great views over the city and the river.”

Dundee City Council has a target of building 200 affordable homes in the city annually but has missed that target in each of the last seven years.

An overview of the plans. Image: YM Architects.

Last year, only 81 new social homes were built.

But if the Wallace Craigie Works plan goes ahead, it would provide a big boost to the council’s efforts.

Only a pre-application notice (PAN) has been submitted so far but a full planning application is expected to be submitted in the first half of 2023.

The site would sit just a stone’s throw from the Eden Project, which it is hoped will open in 2026.

Mr Gray said: “Our target is these properties would be finished in 2024 with occupation by the end of that year.

“We are not holding off on seeing when or if the Eden Project happens.

“We just want to get building. We are thinking the site will be very walkable. There will be so much going on around here in future years and it’s very close to bus routes.”