Developers reveal proposal for Scotland's tallest building in Dundee

Developers have revealed they want to create Scotland's tallest building next to the city's new V&A museum.

The £200 million development proposed for a vacant site between the £80 million attraction and the Tay Road Bridge would tower 460 ft tall above the waterfront.

However the plans have received a cool reception from the city council, which has already lined up a rival developer for the vacant site, and has raised concerns about the impact it may have on flights coming to and from Dundee Airport.

The 39-storey “Discovery Heights” complex would house a five-star hotel, a conference centre, 263 luxury apartments and a “sky-bar” boasting views across the city.

An artist's impression of the new tower.

InverTay Homes are promising almost 1000 jobs would be created across the entire building, which would be more than 30 ft taller than the Glasgow Tower which opened on the banks of the River Clyde in 2001.

If it was given the go-ahead it would be built on the other side of a proposed “urban beach” from the new museum, which has attracted 300,000 visitors since mid-September.

But the InverTay Homes scheme will need to overcome an “exclusivity agreement” the council has struck with Dawn Developments.

It has proposed a more modest development featuring a mix of offices, homes and ground-floor commercial units.

InverTay Homes said its project “won’t just be the creation of an exceptional landmark, it will also bring multiple benefits to the local area and local people.”

Director of operations Edward Wighton said: “We plan to build the tallest building in Scotland right in the heart of Dundee and we believe this will put Dundee on the global map.

“We need the moral support of local and national government to take this forward. We believe this is the last piece in the whole regeneration and would create a focal point to be the Sydney Opera House of Scotland.

“The next step is to move towards a formal planning application and we need to carry out investigations of the site and move towards a detailed design.”

Commercial director Michael Pratt added: “This will be a real focal point and will be something for Dundonians to be proud of. We want this to significantly complement and enhance the V&A.”

Work on Dundee’s £1 billion waterfront regeneration began more than 20 years ago, with the plans for the V&A museum being unveiled in 2007.

A spokesman for the city council: “While we are keen to find out more about this interesting concept, such a project would face a number of important challenges.

“All proposed development at the waterfront is guided by the Dundee Central Waterfront Masterplan, which also forms part of the city-wide Local Development Plan.

“It sets out the land use strategy and guides decisions taken by council officers and the planning committee.

“The scale of a development such as this may not be appropriate in this context, as well as the question of its proximity to aviation flight paths.

“We have previously agreed an exclusivity agreement at the site and negotiations are ongoing.”