AN ‘extensive’ consultation period is set to commence ahead of a planning application being submitted in August for the creation of Eden Project Dundee.
The consultation is being presented as an opportunity for the city of Dundee to help shape the planning application and act as a co-creator of the ‘landmark’ development.
Extensive work with groups and residents in the city has already been undertaken to inform and influence plans, with the formal process of a public consultation acting as a continuation of the work.
There will be three in-person community meetings across the city ahead of submission:
- Wednesday July 26 at Arthurstone Library
- Friday August 18 at Douglas Community Centre
- Wednesday September 13 at the Ardler Complex
The Eden Project will also be providing the opportunity for online feedback. To allow all the residents of Dundee the opportunity to engage with the project there may be further consultation events added if demand is high.
A proposal of application notice (PAN) has been submitted to Dundee City Council to kickstart the planning process, with the planning application due to be submitted once the summer consultation has concluded.
The planning application will show the latest work on Eden Project Dundee and outline details of the design of the buildings, the visitor experience, and how the project will interact with and enhance its immediate surroundings.
Current plans show that the project will combine exhibits, performance, learning, play, immersive experiences, ‘world-class’ horticulture, live music, art, and food, beverage, and retail spaces, all integrated as essential parts of the overall experience.
The Eden project team, which was behind the Eden Project in Cornwall which attracts over one million visitors annually, said that the Eden Dundee will be a ‘landmark’ development for the city and encourage visitors to think, feel, and act differently by revealing how we can learn and be inspired by nature.
Work would include the conversion of the existing gasholder at East Dock Street, demolition of other buildings on the site, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge.
Darren Hoare, the Eden Project’s head of programme delivery, said, “We are hugely excited to be embarking on a new phase of development for Eden Project Dundee with the preparation and submission of our scheme’s planning application.
“We continue to be bowled over by the enthusiasm for this project from the people of Dundee and we’re now ready to have a full conversation with the city to embed their thoughts and aspirations for the project into the designs we submit in the planning application later this year. We hope that the community is as excited as we are for this opportunity to formally contribute to the development process.”
Dundee City Council leader, councillor John Alexander, added, “This is another important milestone in a world-class project which will deliver hundreds of jobs, huge visitor numbers and tens of millions of pounds into the local economy.
“And it’s so much more than that too, with tremendous opportunities for education, inspiration and connecting our diverse communities.
“Although it will attract people from far and wide, Eden is very much for the people of Dundee. So it’s really important that citizens and communities can have their say and co-create what will be a truly incredible facility.”
