New images have revealed how the St Mary’s area of Dundee could be transformed under ambitious active travel plans.
Named Strathmartine Connections, the proposals look to create new and improved “placemaking” throughout St Leonard Park and into the greenspace at Baldragon Academy.
It forms part of a wider sustainable drainage strategy that is being developed to address persistent flooding around the St Leonard Park area.
The project is being delivered by Dundee City Council, Scottish Water, Sustrans and Transport Scotland.
But what exactly is being proposed? The Courier breaks downs the plans.
St Leonard Place
Dundee City Council is looking at closing St Leonard Place to traffic outside St Andrews RC Primary School.
It says this would would create a “pleasant public space” where parents can gather and children can play.
Access is retained to the church and the new housing development from St Leonard Place but the school car park would be reached via St Leonard Road.
St Leonard Road from St Marys Road would become a one-way street (south and westbound). This would include St Leonard Place to Cox Street.
A two-way cycle track through the greenspace on St Leonard Road is also proposed.
The proposals come after a previous public consultation revealed parents did not feel comfortable letting their children walk or cycle to school because St Leonard Place had too much and too fast traffic.
There have been three recorded pedestrian or cycle accidents recorded at the school between 2017 and 2019.
Strathmartine roundabout improvements
A number of issues have been flagged with the existing Strathmartine roundabout. These include:
- High-speed car exit from the roundabout making crossing dangerous
- There is no off-road path to Baldragon Academy and Sidlaw View Primary, leaving the greenspace unused
- On Balgowan Avenue and Baldovan Road, high-speed traffic makes crossing unsafe
- Cycling is dangerous due to high vehicle speeds
To address these problems, two options have been proposed.
Option one would change the roundabout so it becomes a signal-controlled junction.
The local authority believes that with the right design, the junction would still accommodate the current level of traffic with minimal impact on the flow.
Option two would involve the roundabout being redesigned to ensure vehicles exit it at a slower speed.
Controlled crossings would also be introduced to allow pedestrians and cyclists a safer route through the park and to nearby schools and sports clubs.
St Leonard Park regeneration
There are also plans to address persistent flooding at St Leonard Park by reopening the historic Back Burn which currently runs beneath it.
This would create an open watercourse through the park that continues through the greenspaces at Baldragon Academy.
It is hoped the plans will be an opportunity to update the church car park and improve the church ground with new paving and planting to make it more welcoming.
New route to Baldragon Academy
Dundee City Council is proposing opening the path between St Leonard’s and St Fergus Church and Lidl.
It says this would create a new gateway to St Leonard Park from Macalpine Road, as well as creating a new active travel route to and through the park.
Also planned is a cycle skills course (pump track) in the Baldragon green space to encourage more kids to take their bike to school.
‘Long-term ambition’
A longer term ambition is to extend the walking and cycling routes to St Leonard Park to create a “safe and attractive” connection via Teviotdale Avenue and Frederick Street to Camperdown Road and Strathmartine Road.
Members of the public are being accouraged to have their say on the plans through the Strathmartine Connections webpage.
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