Communities still have the chance to stage Hogmanay celebrations across Dundee, despite the collapse of plans for a major public party.
The Dundee Hogmanay group had been set up by a group of energetic young residents with the aim of staging an event for the first time in years.
They had hoped to stage an organised, large-scale party in the City Square, at Baxter Park or in Camperdown Park.
But the prospective organisers have been forced to abandon their ambitious plans after the costs of staging such an event became clear.
They have criticised Dundee City Council for failing to provide the support and advice required to enable their fledgling idea to succeed. However, the local authority said there had simply been “joint recognition” that the costs would have been too high.
It has pledged to support individual groups and communities who wish to stage Hogmanay celebrations with small grants on application to the city’s Common Good Fund.
The council had identified £15,000 in its budget with which to support the proposal but Dundee Hogmanay admitted it had become clear that would cover only a fraction of the likely costs.
Issues over policing, transporting revellers home and “unachievable conditions” have been identified as the key stumbling blocks.
A spokesman for Dundee Hogmanay said: “We are extremely disappointed that we have had to cancel plans for a Dundee Hogmanay for 2015.
“Over the past year-and-a-half we have spent a great deal of time putting plans in place for a party in the city.
“After meeting with Dundee City Council recently, however, we feel that we have no option but to cancel, despite already receiving quotes from companies to supply services at the event.”
Although the council had earmarked money in the eventuality that the party plans could be realised, it is understood that no application for the money was ever made.
The city has held Hogmanay events in the past but these ceased some years ago as the scale and popularity of gatherings elsewhere, in Edinburgh in particular, has grown.
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “There was joint recognition that the costs and logistics of organising a Hogmanay event in Dundee city centre were greater than first thought.
“The council has, however, again allocated money from its Common Good Fund to establish a grant scheme to help groups which wish to organise community events to celebrate Hogmanay.”
Details can be found at www.dundeecity.gov.uk/hogmanay.