St Leonard Park Regeneration
A Better Way of Managing Storm Water for St Mary’s
Scottish Water, NatureScot and SEPA are working with Dundee City Council to develop an exciting and innovative project to improve the way storm water is managed and reduce flood risk in the St Mary’s area of Dundee.
We are working with the community to shape detailed plans which could bring significant benefits for the area by transforming a landscape corridor running from St Leonards and St Fergus Church on Macalpine Road to Baldragon Academy on Harestane Road, including St Leonard Park as well as part of Balgowan Avenue Park.
St Leonard Park - present and future?
The park as it is today, regularly affected by flooding, and some early ideas for the future
What We Are Doing
We are engaging with the local community about an exciting opportunity to reduce the risk of flooding locally, while also making wider positive changes to the park. The reopening of the historic Back Burn, which was culverted over 50 years ago, could restore a natural watercourse through St Leonard's Park with potential to include a variety of other features.
We are also developing proposals to create a new pathway system that will improve connections and support more walking and cycling; a more attractive planting structure with new spaces, areas for growing and increased wildlife; and areas for active use such as outdoor gyms or improved play opportunities.
Why We Are Doing This
This project provides an exciting opportunity to showcase what can be achieved by retrofitting sustainable drainage into an existing landscape. It aims to create imaginative multifunctional and multi-beneficial nature-based solutions which will provide improvements not only for drainage, but also for recreation, biodiversity, nature, active travel, community identity and health and wellbeing.
Latest
Engagement was carried out with the local community on early proposals in November 2024 and April 2025 as part of Phase 1 to help inform both initial conceptual design options and refine a total of seven proposed interventions for the area.
Building on that previous engagement, a second phase is now underway to gather feedback on the detailed designs for the drainage and active travel elements of the proposals.
There were four key areas of focus which arose from previous consultation. These are:
- Eco-friendly drainage systems throughout St Leonard Park and Baldragon greenspace that help prevent flooding and support local wildlife
- St Andrew’s Primary School - School Street Improvements
- Strathmartine Road and Balgowan Avenue junction – new signalised junction and pedestrian crossing improvements
- Connections through St Leonard Park and Baldragon greenspace to Dundee’s Active Travel Network
A drop in event is being held between 3pm and 7pm on Wednesday 12th November 2025 St Leonard’s & St Fergus Church, DD3 9HU for those who would like to view the design proposals and chat to the project team.
The proposals can also be viewed online and comments from those living in the area submitted by visiting Strathmartine Connections
A Proposal of Application Notice (PoAN) has been submitted to Dundee City Council which notifies the intention to submit a major application. The planning application for the proposed project is expected to be submitted in early 2026.
