A stand-off over a potential £30,000 bill is delaying the demolition of a row of dilapidated shops in Dundee, it has been claimed.
The former retail units on Macalpine Road have fallen into disrepair in recent years – with the site now fenced off after parts of the buildings collapsed.
It has now emerged that an impasse between the site’s owners and a utilities firm may be putting any plans for demolition on hold.
Representatives from owners Purewal Properties have told a local councillor that BT-owned Openreach is demanding £30,000 to disconnect a cable at the site – which would allow for demolition to go ahead.
Cable row at former Macalpine Road shops
In correspondence with Councillor Daniel Coleman, David Allison & Company surveyors – acting on behalf of Purewal – claimed any hopes of redeveloping the site are being delayed as a result.
The email to Mr Coleman said: “The difficulty has been securing disconnection of all services to the site to facilitate demolition – gas, electricity and plumbing services have all now been disconnected, however BT is the last stumbling block.
“It has a single cable affixed to the rear of the shops at eaves level, which simply requires to be either rerouted or lifted clear of the buildings.
“(Openreach) has quoted our clients over £30,000 to reroute the cable – almost equivalent to the total costs of demolition.
“We hope to resolve the impasse very soon to allow the demolition works to take place.
“There are as yet no firm plans for redeveloping the site – our clients are still considering options.”
Buildings ‘getting dangerous’
Mr Coleman, who represents the Strathmartine ward, has been calling for something to be done with the Macalpine Road shops for years.
He said: “It’s been something I’ve campaigned for since 2017.
“Local people call it an eyesore and they think it could be used for something better.
“It’s getting dangerous, too, and parts of the roof are starting to fall in.
“Action needs to be taken – it’s been six years since I raised it.
“However, I understand the issues the owners are facing and that they can’t just demolish the buildings.
“I understand that cost could be a barrier, but there needs to be a solution to this problem.”
Openreach says diverting cable ‘not straightforward’
A spokesperson for Openreach told The Courier: “We carried out a detailed survey of this site in 2021 to consider what was needed to reroute our infrastructure.
“There are multiple lines housed in a single cable, which are connected to two of our network distribution points.
“In turn, these provide active services to a dozen other local businesses, so diverting the network isn’t as straightforward as it looks.
“We’ve looked at this carefully and sought to keep works to a minimum, but they’re quite complex.
“For example, we’d need to build new underground infrastructure, which accounts for much of the cost.
“We’re keen to find a solution that works for all parties and we’re happy to meet with them to discuss next steps.”
Conversation