Dundee & Angus College has unveiled bold plans to deliver two new city-centre campuses and a major STEM facility in a move designed to drive economic growth and revitalise communities across Dundee and Angus.
The transformational 10-year vision would see the College develop new hubs at the heart of Dundee and Arbroath, alongside a cutting-edge green skills and innovation centre at its Gardyne Campus.
It is hoped that the multi-million-pound initiative—expected to cost around £265 million—will attract thousands of additional visitors to both centres and create a new model for how education and employability services are delivered in Scotland.
Education at the heart of regeneration
The plans include the potential relocation of the College’s Dundee campus to a newly developed facility on the Wellgate Shopping Centre site—placing it at the heart of the city’s wider regeneration. Meanwhile, the Arbroath campus could move into the town centre, with the former Abbeygate Shopping Centre among the options being explored.
A purpose-built STEM centre at Gardyne would expand the College’s delivery of Construction, Engineering and Science, supporting the region’s green economy ambitions.
College Principal Simon Hewitt described the project as “an amazing opportunity to build world-class facilities that are fit for the future” and deliver a transformational, community-centred model for education and employment support.
“We want to bring together partners to provide advice, support, training and skills under one roof. Every individual would have access to all of this in one place, tailored to their needs,” Mr Hewitt said.
“If we were to develop a new campus on the site of the Wellgate Shopping Centre, it would put the College at the heart of Dundee’s regeneration and breathe much-needed new life into the city centre.”
A collaborative model for Scotland
Inspired by successful international examples from Australia and Scandinavia, the College aims to create Scotland’s first truly integrated hub where public agencies, employment services and training providers can work alongside education partners to support learners and jobseekers alike.
College Chair Laurie O’Donnell explained: “The facilities will be much more than traditional college or administrative buildings. They will serve as a central hub of support, innovation and opportunity, creating new opportunities and ways of working.”
The College’s current Kingsway Campus in Dundee and the existing Arbroath site—where some buildings date back to the 19th century—would close as part of the move to create modern, sustainable and fully digital environments.
Strong local backing
The project has won early backing from civic leaders across the region.
Councillor Mark Flynn, leader of Dundee City Council, said: “This has the potential to be a massive investment not only in the future of the College but also our city centre. Different, creative thinking about how we use buildings and spaces is at the heart of our 30-year masterplan to reinvent central Dundee.”
Leader of Angus Council, Councillor Bill Duff, added: “We are excited about the possibilities the College’s vision will bring for students from across Angus, complementing wider redevelopment efforts already underway in Arbroath.”
A spokesperson for Wellgate Centre said they were exploring sustainable options to repurpose the centre, adding: “The prospect of establishing a city-centre College campus is hugely exciting and we continue to work with the Council and College to try to make this vision a reality.”
National impact
The Scottish Funding Council is working with colleges across Scotland on long-term infrastructure investment, with this ambitious project from Dundee & Angus College set to play a leading role.
Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, said: “These exciting new plans will contribute enormously to Dundee’s ongoing regeneration and are an example of the College’s innovative, creative and collaborative work.”
Next steps
Early discussions with public sector partners have begun, and detailed planning work is underway.
Mr Hewitt acknowledged the scale of the challenge but said the vision was essential to delivering the best possible outcomes for learners and communities: “It will be a huge undertaking to build new campuses and move our operations, but the benefits it will bring to learners in this region make it absolutely worth it.”
