Dundee councillors have signalled their support for the £14 million redevelopment of Dundee railway station and heard the hotel proposed as part of the plan is already attracting interest from potential operators.
Councillor Ken Guild, leader of the city council administration, said: ”I know there is more than one hotel chain interested in this development.”
He was speaking as councillors agreed in principle to build a new five-storey concourse, which would feature improved passenger facilities, a cafe/restaurant, shops and on the upper floors a mid-market hotel.
No details of which hotel chains are considering involvement were released, although Hilton which is facing a compulsory purchase order for its nearby hotel as part of the transformation of the waterfront has already ruled itself out.
Indicative drawings of the new crescent-shaped concourse have already been published and Mr Guild noted that most comments from the public to date had been positive, although he noted some people had reservations about the shape or colour.
He pointed out that these were only concepts at this stage and detailed plans would be drawn up later, which could incorporate any changes required by the hotel operator.
When the plans were revealed earlier this month, they sparked a huge reaction on this website and elsewhere.
Councillor Richard McCready said anyone who uses the station will realise it needs an overhaul. He asked that the public have a chance to make their views known on the finalised design.
Much of the funding for the project has been identified, but a £2.2 million contribution from station owner Network Rail is still being sought.
It usually provides funding only for work that will improve the functionality of a station.
City development director Mike Galloway told councillors: ”We are making progress with this. They are supportive of the project. We are in active discussions with them and we are hopeful we will find a way which will enable them to release funds.”
Mr Guild added: ”We are trying to persuade them this will improve the functionality of the station as well as its throughput.”
Councillor Fraser Macpherson said he wanted assurances about the timescale of the development, as it is ”vital” the new station is ready before the opening of the £45 million V&A design centre nearby.
”It can’t be the current carbuncle or a building site,” he said.
Mr Galloway said it was the council’s wish for the station to be completed by then, but added: ”Clearly we will not press the button to commit to the project until we have the funding in place.”
He said officers would come back to councillors with alternative proposals should there be a shortfall.
Councillor Brian Gordon said he felt it would be a ”missed opportunity” not to have a bus interchange at the station. He was told that arrangements were being planned for out-of-town buses to ”touch base” at the station and there would be bus facilities for city services too, although the council could not force bus companies to use them.
Councillor Kevin Keenan raised the issue of disabled access to the platform, which is below ground level. He said he was aware of one case of a person in a wheelchair travelling to a family wedding who had arrived only to find the passenger lift was out of order. It took some time before staff arranged for the person to gain access via the freight lift.
”Network Rail have a duty to ensure that the station is fit for use by everyone,” he said.
Councillors gave their unanimous approval to the outline proposals for the station. This will allow the city development department to prepare detailed designs and work out the costs involved before seeking tenders to carry out the redevelopment. These tenders will then have to come before elected members for approval.
The council is hoping it will be able to carry out the redevelopment around the same time as engineering works needed to ensure the ground above the tunnels taking the railway line north out of the station is strong enough for a new road system.