Members of the public are being encouraged to have their say on plans to relocate community services in the East End of Dundee to a flagship Community Campus.
Construction of the East End Community Campus is well under way, bringing local school and community facilities together in a single state-of-the-art complex.
The plans include a proposal to relocate all services from four facilities: The Hub Library & Community Facilities; Whitfield Community Library; Douglas Community Centre & Library; and Douglas Sports Centre.
A public consultation on that proposal is now being run by the Council, in partnership with Leisure & Culture Dundee, over the next six weeks.
Full details of what’s planned, why the proposal is being put forward and how to take part can be found on the Council’s Consultation Hub, along with Frequently Asked Questions.
People can share their views either by filling out an online survey, completing a paper copy or taking part in face-to-face sessions.
The aims of the consultation include understanding the impacts that implementing the proposal would have on communities, and particularly any related to people with protected characteristics.
Feedback will help identify any additional steps that can be taken to mitigate these. This will inform any Integrated Impact Assessments which would be presented to elected members on Dundee City Council when they are asked to take any final decisions.
The consultation will also explore options for the future of the properties. These could include:
- Using the buildings for other purposes;
- Transferring the buildings to community organisations;
- Selling the buildings;
- Closing the buildings.
A spokesperson for the Council said: “Before any final decisions are taken, it is essential that we understand what these plans would mean for users and the wider community.
“This is particularly the case for those who have characteristics protected by law.
“This is a legal requirement, so the survey asks specific questions to identify if people have protected characteristics. However, each of the questions is entirely optional.
“It is also important to stress that everyone is invited to have their say on the proposal, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves to have protected characteristics.
“We are committed to working with communities, understanding that the plans will have different implications depending on individuals’ circumstances.
“Whether you are a current user of the facilities, a member of the wider community, someone with an idea about the future of a building or anyone else with feedback, we want to hear from you.”
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
