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Starbucks and Domino’s franchisees speak out in Dundee nursery planning row

The Starbucks and Domino's outlets at Dunsinane Industrial Estate in Dundee. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson
The Starbucks and Domino's outlets at Dunsinane Industrial Estate in Dundee. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

Franchisees running Starbucks and Domino’s outlets in Dundee have spoken out in a council planning row over an empty nursery unit.

The food and drink outlets, along with a Greggs, opened at the development at Dunsinane Industrial Estate – just off the Kingsway, near Dryburgh – in 2018.

As part of the project, permission was also granted for one of the new units to become a children’s nursery.

But despite “extensive marketing”, the site’s owner says it has been unable to secure a tenant.

Starbucks ‘concerned’ over empty unit

In a bid to boost the chances of filling the unit, property consultant Bidwells – acting on behalf on the site’s owner – lodged an application with Dundee City Council to change the use from a nursery to a food and drink outlet.

That bid has been rejected, despite the pleas from the existing businesses.

In a statement submitted to the council, Burton & Speke – which runs the Starbucks cafe – said: “Empty units are aesthetically displeasing and the adjacency of this unit to our business causes us concern.

An early artist’s impression of the Dunsinane Industrial Estate development including nursery. Greggs now occupies unit three. Image: Supplied

“We would very much like to see this unit occupied as soon as possible. We welcome the investment, jobs and amenity and trust that the council concurs with this view.”

DP Reality, which runs the Domino’s outlet, said: “(We) would prefer to be a tenant in a fully-occupied development rather than continue to operate in a partially-let scheme.

“We, therefore, support in principle (the owner’s) application for a change of use as the next step to enable (the owner) to find a suitable tenant for the unit which has been vacant for several years.”

Council ‘content with site staying unused’

A marketing report was also put to council chiefs highlighting how there is “no interest” from nursery operators.

But officials at the council turned down the move, saying it did not meet the requirements of the local development plan – which helps guide the types of projects deemed suitable in different parts of the city.

It came just days after Bidwells had to chase up city planners for not making a decision on the application.

Despite lying vacant for over five years the council’s planning department appear to be content for that to continue in perpetuity”

Bidwells

The firm accused the council of being satisfied with seeing the unit lying empty.

A statement from Bidwells said: “Despite lying vacant for over five years the council’s planning department appear to be content for that to continue in perpetuity and believe that the unit should only ever be used for its original intended purpose.”

In its decision, the council said a change of use would “result in the loss of a nursery which was previously approved”.

The empty proposed nursery unit. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

It also said the applicant had “failed to demonstrate” there are no more suitable sites in the city centre or district centres – such as Lochee – for a food outlet, and that it had also failed to show the development would not have an adverse impact on these areas.

The site already has a controversial planning history.

Proposals for the development were initially rejected by the council but overturned on appeal to the Scottish Government in September 2017.

Data shows Dundee planning decisions have been overturned by government officials more than any other local authority area in mainland Scotland.

Conversation