Dundee student accommodation plans earmarked for approval despite raft of objections

Plans for more student accommodation in Dundee look set to be approved despite a raft of objections.

An application to demolish an existing warehouse on Douglas Street and redevelop the site into student flats was lodged with Dundee City Council last year.

Included in the proposals, submitted by Glenmore Student Property, is a five-storey building of 98 studio apartments.

Councillors on the planning committee are being recommended to approve the application when they meet next week – even though it doesn’t fully comply with the local authority’s own development plan.

Site neighbours other student flats

Glenmore is also behind already approved plans for student accommodation at 56 Brown Street, which is immediately east of the Douglas Street site.

This £20 million development will see 152 new flats built and its construction is nearing completion.

It’s planned the Douglas Street accommodation will operate as an extension of 56 Brown Street, sharing facilities and amenities.

However, the latest proposals have attracted criticism from the local community.

Fifteen letters were submitted to Dundee City Council objecting to the plans.

Concerns were raised the development would have a negative impact on local businesses through increased noise and pressure on parking in the surrounding streets.

There were also fears the five-storey building would have a “detrimental impact on the
“character of the conservation area”, resulting in “overshadowing”.

Council chiefs also admit the proposals do not fully comply with the local authority’s own development plan.

But, they say, there are “material considerations of sufficient weight” to support approval of planning permission.

Councillors will make a final decision on the proposals on Monday.

Thousands of students in Dundee

Dundee has one of the highest ratios of student population in the UK, with more than 17,000 full time students living in the city.

Since April 2021, eight planning applications for purpose-built student accommodation have been approved.

There are two other live planning applications for up to 517 student beds and the council has received proposal of application notices for 1,574 further purpose-built student beds across three other sites.