Dundee FC architects ‘hope’ stadium will have ‘negligible’ effect on environment

Architects working on Dundee FC’s stadium complex have said they “hope” it will have a “negligible” effect on the environment.

Leadingham Jameson Rogers & Hynd (LJRH) are the architects working on the initial designs for the stadium.

Bob Hynd is a founding partner of the firm.

He said: “The area that we are hoping to get from the council is less than 4% of the entire park, and that’s including the football pitches.

“It’s literally nothing.”

Does the greenspace in Camperdown Park count for ‘nothing’?

The size of the football field in Dundee FC’s Dens Park is 109 x 69 yards.

The architects are yet to decide if the development will include three or four training pitches of this size.

In total, that’s more than 22,500 square yards of greenspace. That’s if the developers go for three pitches rather than four.

There are likely to be other impacts on the environment, outside the loss of green space.

The project’s organisers are required to consider these in a series of assessments.

Mark O’Connor is the lead architect working on the stadium plans.

“Those reports will give very clear responses as to exactly what those impacts are,” Mark said.

“And we hope that they will be pretty negligible at the end of the day.”

What about the ‘climate catastrophe’?

Some Dundonians have expressed concerns over the bid, which could see a large scale development on the fringe of the park.

They worry the complex’s location on the edge of the park will damage the peace and quiet many find in Camperdown.

Volunteer vegetable growers have voiced their frustration at the plans for the 15,000-seater football stadium and associated housing, leisure facilities and crematorium.

Leslie Martin is a volunteer with the Campy Growers who have community gardens in Camperdown Country Park.

She does not have the same “hope” for a “negligible” effect as the architecture firm.

She suggested Mr Hynd’s view didn’t take proper account of “biodiversity loss and the climate catastrophe.”

“I guess he is thinking purely of the acreage they are taking and not at all about the air and noise pollution,” she added.