A Dundee-based MSP has slammed the council for allowing the former registration office on Commercial Street to become an “eye-sore of a mess”.
Jenny Marra, Labour constituency MSP for North-East Scotland, is upset at the “disgraceful” condition the building is in.
She claims the abandoned building is emblematic of the “mess” SNP led councils were making of Scottish city-centres.
Former registry office in #dundee commercial st a mess. Can you put blinds up @dundee council? #citypride #disgraceful
— Jenny Marra (@JennyMarra) August 23, 2016
Ms Marra called on the council to “put up some blinds” to stop people having to look at the “mess” through the windows.
She said: “For people who married or registered the births of their children in the historic office on Commercial Street, the state the council has left this in is disgraceful.
“All they have to do is put up a blind to save the eyesore of the mess inside.
“This is about city pride but just about sums up the mess that the SNP are making of city centres.
“They need to revise their policy on rates for small businesses so we can try to get some shops back into the city centre.
“Existing traders in Dundee deserve this as do citizens who want a thriving city centre.”
Councillor Will Dawson, convener of the council’s city development committee, said he was “deeply disappointed” with an elected official doing nothing but commentate “from the sidelines”.
The SNP councillor notes retailers are encouraged to approach the council to discuss rates with the independent assessors.
He said: “I am deeply disappointed that someone who claims to represent this city and its people on a national stage continually carps from the sidelines about how bad things in Dundee are.
“Jenny Marra is well aware of the many positive things going on and the hard work many people are putting in to deal with complex issues not of the city’s making, but part of a wider, global change in retail habits.
“Everyone who wants to see Dundee continue to grow and prosper should be devoting their energies to the task, rather than simply creating a cheap headline.
“The heart of Dundee is still seen by many as a premium location for businesses with rates and rents broadly uniform across the area.
“However it is always open to retailers to approach the independent assessors and ask for them to be recalculated.
“Developers, restaurant owners and businesses that are choosing to invest their money in Dundee are creating jobs, wealth and a real buzz about the place.
“They are seizing the opportunities that we are presenting to do business in a city that is on the up.”
David McDonald, owner of Commercial Street Coffee, echoed the MSP’s comments that the council need to revise the policy for rates on small businesses.
He said: “It does feel like Commercial Street has been forgotten about.
“The registration office is quite emblematic of the run down nature of this part of the city.
“I agree, the rate policy for small businesses in the city centre does need to be looked at.”
