Labour leader Kevin Keenan has called on Dundee City Council to bring residents back into the loop over redevelopment plans on the site of the old Kingspark School.
Councillor Keenan’s comments come after the publication of a controversial planning brief which appears to confirm that residential property will be built on the site.
By doing so, the Labour chief claims that council bosses are ignoring public requests for a new playpark a view which Dundee City Council deny.
He said: “Local residents are feeling ignored.
“I’ve had a considerable amount of emails in relation to this and I can understand why people are feeling aggrieved.
“I’ve contacted both the chief executive and the head of planning and both feel that there is no need to reconsider.
“Residents definitely feel that they have been kept out of the loop so far.”
Despite his criticism, Mr Keenan believes there is still time for the council to reach a compromise.
The Strathmartine councillor also called on his fellow councillors to intervene in the situation and make sure the council considers residents’ views.
He said: “At this stage there is still time for compromise.
“Though I do believe this planning brief has become a festering sore which has left people very frustrated.”
One local resident, Lynn Watson, claims to have gathered more than 200 signatures demanding that the brief be binned.
She now believes she has a clear mandate to call for residents’ voices to be heard.
She said: “We only asked people in the streets directly surrounding the Kingspark site and rapidly collected over 200 signatures.
“We consider that a very strong mandate that the community are not in support of what has happened nor what is proposed.”
A council spokeswoman insisted, however, that residents’ wishes were considered.
She also revealed that a quarter of the land will be kept for public use.
She said: “The Kingspark School site planning brief was agreed as planning advice to inform future development there. It suggests a mix of house types and sizes on three quarters of the site, with the other 25% retained as open space for community use.
“The area of open space in the planning brief is the result of these discussions and is of a sufficient size to meet the identified needs of the local community.
“Taking into account the existing provision of open space in the wider area and the local community needs, it is considered that a larger site is not justified.”