Application No 02/00415/OUT Item 2 Page 6 KEY INFORMATION Ward East Port Proposal Outline application for extension and remodelling of existing shopping centre to create 4680 sq m retail unit adjacent to Victoria Road. Address The Wellgate Shopping Centre The Wellgate Dundee DD1 2DB Applicant Britel Fund Trustees Ltd Lloyds Chambers 1 Portsoken Street London Agent 3D Architects Proposed Extension of Wellgate 11 Stafford Street Edinburgh EH3 7BR Shopping Centre at Victoria Road Registered 29 May 2002 Case Officer C Walker An Outline application for the extension and remodelling of existing shopping centre to create 4680 sq m retail unit adjacent to Victoria Road is RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS. Report by Director of Planning and Transportation RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY OF REPORT The proposed • Outline planning permission is sought to extend the Victoria Road end of the Wellgate development complies Centre by 4,680 sq. metres. Taking demolitions into account the net increase would with Development Plan be some 2,590 sq. metres. policy. Subject to the • imposition of appropriate Illustrative plans have been submitted indicating the demolition of the Victoria Road conditions at outline entrance, the furniture retail unit to the west of that entrance and the row of shops at 5- stage, a future detailed 15 Victoria Road and the erection of a 2 storey retail unit with the upper level being at application for the the same level as Victoria Road. proposed extension can • There is a second application to extend the Wellgate Centre by 2,530 sq. metres at enhance the appearance Meadowside Yard, and a report on that application (ref. no. 02/00416/OUT) is of the Wellgate Centre contained elsewhere in this Agenda. The cumulative impact of both developments and the overall would be a net increase in floorspace of 5,120 sq. metres. attractiveness of the city • centre as a retailing The Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland are concerned to ensure that the destination. development is of appropriate design in the context of the adjoining streetscape. • The proposal complies with Development Plan and emerging Local Plan policy and National Guidance on retailing. The imposition of appropriate conditions can ensure that the development is of satisfactory design. Dundee City Council Development Quality Committee 24 February 2003 Application No 02/00415/OUT Page 7 city centre and strengthen the retailing DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL pitch between the Overgate and POLICY BACKGROUND Wellgate. Outline planning permission is sought Dundee and Angus Structure to extend the Victoria Road end of the The applicants state that these Wellgate Centre by 4,680 sq. metres. applications are speculative in that Plan 2001-2016 Taking demolitions into account the they are not linked to named operators The following policies are of net increase would be some 2,590 sq. but that they reflect a demand from relevance: metres. For comparative purposes the larger space users which cannot be existing Wellgate Centre has a floor accommodated within the existing Town Centres and Retailing Policy 3 area of some 27,400 sq metres. smaller units in the centre. They state supports further retail development in that the redevelopment of the Wellgate the central area, including the Illustrative plans have been submitted Centre is overdue. extension of the prime retail area, indicating the demolition of the where this can be suitably integrated Victoria Road entrance, the furniture with the existing shopping area. retail unit to the west of that entrance However the preamble to this and the row of shops at 5-15 policy suggests that there is Victoria Road and the erection of limited spare expenditure capacity a 2 storey retail unit with the and a need for caution when upper level being at the same considering new proposals for non level as Victoria Road. These food retailing. plans indicate the building filling the void formed by the Wellgate Environmental Resources Policy 6 steps and effectively extending to requires new development to the pavement at Victoria Road, make a positive contribution to with the entrance at its north the identity, character and quality eastern corner. of the built and historic environment. The illustrative plans give tentative proposals for the design Dundee Local Plan 1998 of the building suggesting windows on the Victoria Road The following policies are of elevation and some form of relevance: feature at the junction of Hilltown and SITE DESCRIPTION The site is allocated as part of the Victoria Road. A Design Statement secondary retail area and Policy S5 accompanies these plans. It states the The site comprises the Victoria Road accepts retail and non retail activities intention that the development relates end of the Wellgate Centre, a 1970's within Classes 1,2 and 3 at this in a satisfactory manner to streetscapes shopping centre of utilitarian design. location. Policy S1 promotes an and neighbouring buildings. A flight of steps leads up to Victoria expansion of the prime shopping There is a second application to extend Road and the entrance to the centre floorspace at the Arnotts/Forum Centre the Wellgate Centre by 2,530 sq. was upgraded in recent times with the site and the preamble to this policy metres at Meadowside Yard, and a provision of a glass canopy. The site indicates that the city requires report on that application (ref. no. incorporates the retail unit to the west additional prime shopping floorspace. 02/00416/OUT) is contained elsewhere of this entrance as well as a 2 storey The site lies just outwith the city centre in this Agenda. In response to parade of shops at 5-15 Victoria Road. conservation area and adjoins a listed concerns from the Council about the To the west at 71-83 Meadowside is building (Kandahar House). Policy potential impact of significant Kandahar House, a Category B listed BE1 seeks the highest standards of extensions to the size of the Wellgate building with ground floor shops and design. Centre on the city centre the applicants first floor offices. Behind Kandahar have produced an assessment on the House is a service road to the Wellgate vitality and viability of the city centre. Dundee Urban Nature Centre and upper storey car parking Conservation Subject Local Plan In this report they state that the areas. existing centre is healthy, vacancy To the east is the Central Library. To 1995 rates are low and that there is scope for the north-west on the opposite side of There are no policies relevant to the growth. They criticise notions of lack Victoria Road, is an impressive run of determination of this application. of capacity for growth stating that this Category B listed buildings from 10-20 does not allow for competition or Victoria Road, with ground floor Finalised Dundee Local Plan choice and point to the redevelopment commercial uses and upper floor office of the Overgate Centre as contributing and residential uses. To the north east Review to the city centre rather than leading to is an area of open space in front of The following policies are of increased vacancies. They note that modern flats at the junction of relevance: many of the existing vacancies in the Hilltown and Victoria Road. city centre are in the Wellgate Centre Policy 34 seeks to protect the retail and that the refurbishment of the core area and Policy 35 provides for Wellgate Centre would enhance the the extension of the retail core area. Dundee City Council Development Quality Committee 24 February 2003 Page 8 Application No 02/00415/OUT However the preamble to Policy 35 concerned that the historic link from shopping area of the city. Both Plans notes that the redevelopment of the the Hilltown to the city centre by the encourage the extension of the prime Overgate Centre has added Wellgate steps would be lost with the retail area of the city and there is no considerably to Dundee's supply of proposed extension and the fact that its doubt that this site, which extends the prime retail floorspace and suggests entrance would be offset from this Wellgate Centre, is integrated with the that the potential for further additions route. With the building line extended existing shopping area. The preamble to the core area are likely to be limited to front the pavement and the increased to Town Centres and Retailing Policy for the present. The upper levels of the height, the Commission considers that 3 of the Structure Plan does sound a Wellgate Centre fall within a speciality there would be deterioration in the note of caution about the level of spare shopping and non core area and quality of pedestrian environment, capacity for additional non food Policy 36 permits uses within Classes including loss of sunlight. Although retailing within the city centre but the 1, 2 and 3. detailed elevations have not been policy itself does not seek to restrict provided the Commission is concerned expansion on this basis. Policy 55 puts an emphasis on design that the proposed new façade could quality and Policy 56 supports a The design of the proposed extension present an unreadable dead frontage to percent for public art. has not been established. This is an Victoria Road if it had no shop outline application without an windows or doorways. Finally the Scottish Planning Policies, operator. Ideally it would be useful to Commission states that the opportunity establish the design of the extension at Planning Advice Notes and should be taken to consider the this stage particularly since this is a refurbishment of the exterior of the Circulars substantial development at a prominent centre including the area under the roof location. The applicants have already The following are of relevance: car park on Meadowside.