Latest bid for housing at former Dundee bottling plant

A housebuilder is poised to submit yet another application for a residential development on the site of a former Dundee bottling plant.

Property developer Bruce Linton has been attempting to redevelop Stewart House at Kingsway East for several years.

Together with building firm Persimmon Homes North Scotland, Mr Linton has submitted a proposal of application notice (PAN) to Dundee City Council.

The PAN serves as a fresh start on a proposal to build on the site, once home to the Stewart’s Cream of the Barley bottling plant.

A public consultation event will be held at St Ninian’s Church in the near future, with the application due to be submitted in April.

This latest move comes after councillors agreed to lift a restriction on the site, which ended a previous attempt to build 84 homes on the land.

City planning chiefs had recommended the last plan for refusal because the area had been earmarked for industrial use due to its proximity to the Port of Dundee.

However, after the planning application was rejected at committee, a Scottish Government report assessing the city’s local development plan recommended that the restriction on Stewart House should be lifted. This was agreed by councillors in December.

Stephen Profili, managing director for Persimmon Homes North Scotland, said: “We are pleased that the council is adopting the local development plan following the recommendation that the Stewart House site is suitable for housing.

“In anticipation, we submitted a proposal of application notice and are now in the process of confirming dates to carry out public consultation on our plans prior to the submission of a detailed planning application in April.

“We are aware of the demand for new family housing in the area and look forward to meeting the public to hear their views.’’

Mr Linton, who owns the site, took the decision to demolish Stewart House last year, citing a Holyrood decision to scrap rates relief for vacant buildings.

A representative for Mr Linton told the Tele he was not available for comment.