Following the policy and resources committee’s decision to move forward with plans for the area, Dundee City Council is moving to engage with the local community, as well as a wide range of stakeholders including local groups and trade unions.
The period of consultation and engagement will run between October and December.
The model could see St Paul’s RC Academy and Baldragon Academy open their doors for more use by the public, with St Paul’s including library services.
Education, advice, information, support, guidance, sport and leisure, prevention/early intervention services and community activities would all also be provided from the school locations.
Feedback and opinions will be gathered to help shape and refine the model that will be delivered. How the new HUB will run, operate and what activities and access arrangements will be required will be designed through the consultation period.
Engagement activities will pay particular attention to the views of the existing users of Kirkton Community Centre and Library to fully understand how their needs can be met from a Community HUB in the area.
In the meantime, there is no change to how services and activities are delivered from Kirkton Community Centre and Library.
A further report will be considered by councillors in January on the results of the consultation and setting out how the model for Kirkton would be delivered. If agreed, the trial is expected to begin early next year.
More follows…
Council leader John Alexander said: “This area contains superb modern amenities in two secondary schools that could be used much more by people to access services and activities.
“These two schools are already the focus of community activities and contain first-class spaces that are much more appealing.
“I would urge the community to get involved during this consultation and engagement phase as their views and ideas are hugely important to how the HUB is developed and during the time we trial these new ideas. No decision will be made on the existing centre in the meantime.
“I must emphasise that the Kirkton model being developed will help us to focus on how we might take forward the community HUBs concept. We have no plans at this stage for any further proposals in other parts of the city.
“We are also mindful of the ongoing Coronavirus situation and the hub that could be taken forward for Kirkton would follow national guidance at every stage.”
A Frequently Asked Questions page about the Community Hubs trial has been set up on the Council website. You can find it here
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%.
