Work on Dundee’s new £31.5 million swimming pool is forcing shoppers to clamber over a wall or tramp through a goods yard to reach the Gallagher Retail Park from the city centre.
Visitors were previously able to walk through the Allan Street car park. But as that is now a building site, entry has been barred, forcing a lengthy detour for pedestrians heading for the Blackscroft end of the retail park.
“The only way or ways you can go at that corner is up one of the two paths at the side of the ex-Borders bookshop,” said one shopper. “The path on the west side takes you to a wall which you’d have to climb over to get on to Blackscroft and into town.
“The path on the east side takes you to the goods yard at the back of the shops where you have to weave your way around packing crates, racks and possibly delivery lorries and then through the heavy gates and on to Blackscroft.
“This is obviously dangerous in that people are being allowed to weave their way through to where they’re obviously not supposed to be.
“On my way back from the town, I retraced my steps by the same route, but when I got to the back of Borders I saw a steady stream of people men, women and children all taking turns to climb over the wall, having used the path on the west side.”
He added that he had not seen any signs warning shoppers that they could no longer walk to the city centre safely from the north-west corner of the retail park.
One Stobswell resident who regularly walks to the DW Sport Fitness Gym in the park said the detour round to the front entrance in Dock Street doubled the length of her journey and she was considering taking her car for future visits.ClimbShe, too, was struck by the number of people who were choosing to climb the wall rather than add extra time to their journey by walking round past the petrol station.
“Basically, there was a crowd of folk throwing themselves over the wall,” she said. “The laugh is that they were climbing over right next to a sign which says the contractors are doing their best to minimise disruption.
“I can understand that they would maybe not want cars there but if they moved the fence just a little bit across they could still give pedestrians access.
“Now folk are coming out of the retail park thinking they will walk into town but they are then faced with a wall which they are having to climb and someone is going to end up scraping a knee or falling.”
Local councillor Ken Lynn said he would take the matter up with officials.
“This doesn’t sound ideal at all,” he said. “It is something I will definitely ask questions about to see if pedestrian access can be provided.
“If there is a good reason why it can’t be, because of concerns about safety, for example, there should be a sign to inform people.”