COURIER OPINION: Time for SNP to repay city’s faith by backing Dundee and Angus College transformation

Dundee and Angus College’s pioneering vision for the institution’s future is a beacon of hope at a time when our city and town centres need it most.

With proposals to relocate the college’s Dundee campus to the Wellgate Shopping Centre and establish a new hub in Arbroath’s town centre, this project has the potential to not only transform education in the region but to breathe new life into struggling high streets.

This is precisely the kind of bold, forward-thinking initiative that the region needs, and the whole community must rally behind it.

The Courier’s award-winning High Street Trackers series has documented in painful detail the challenges facing our town centres.

The decline of traditional retail has left voids in the heart of our communities that demand innovative solutions.

By reimagining these spaces as centres of education and employability, Dundee and Angus College is offering a vision of regeneration rooted in community need.

Bringing thousands of students, staff, and visitors into the Wellgate and Arbroath’s Abbeygate areas each week would provide a vital boost to local economies, with footfall likely to benefit surrounding businesses.

‘Vision needs substantial investment’

This is a transformative moment not just for Dundee and Arbroath but for Scotland as a whole.

The integration of education, training, and employment services under one roof—an approach inspired by successful models in Australia and Scandinavia—could set a new standard for the college sector nationwide.

It is a model that could and should be replicated elsewhere, providing communities across Scotland with opportunities to reimagine their futures.

Yet for all its promise, this vision cannot be realised without substantial investment.

The estimated £265 million required is not a small sum, but it is an investment in people, places, and the future prosperity of our region.

If the Scottish Government is serious about its commitment to economic regeneration, skills development, and net-zero ambitions, it must step up to ensure the necessary funding is secured.

Dundee has long demonstrated its faith in the SNP government’s promises of support—now it is time for that faith to be repaid.

The college sector is vital to Scotland’s success, but it has been shamefully neglected for over a decade by policymakers at Holyrood.

Institutions like Dundee and Angus College have faced chronic underfunding while being expected to deliver ever more for students and communities.

‘Bold plan’

This project is a reminder of just how much more colleges could achieve with proper support.

It offers a unique opportunity to revitalise our high streets, reinvigorate our economy, and redefine the role of education in our communities.

Simon Hewitt, the college’s principal, deserves immense credit for his vision and resourcefulness in bringing forward this bold plan. He has shown what is possible with determination and innovative thinking.

Now he and his team must be given the backing they need to make it a reality.