Overview

Strathmartine Connections is a major, multiyear programme designed to improve drainage, enhance local greenspaces, reduce flood risk, and strengthen community resilience across the Strathmartine area. It sits within Dundee’s broader Water Resilient Dundee Strategy, helping the city adapt to climate change through nature-based solutions and community partnerships.

Over the next 12 months, the project will move from outline design toward detailed design and early on the ground delivery, working closely with schools, community groups, and Dundee City Council.

Key Work Over the Next 12 Months

Design Development (Outline → Detailed Design)

The Strathmartine Connections programme (formerly the St Mary’s Drainage Strategy) progresses into detailed design through 2026/27. This includes modelling, surveying, and refining the design for future blue-green interventions throughout the catchment.

Activities include:

• Finalising drainage concept designs and progressing to detailed technical layouts
• Coordinating with wider city drainage surveys (basements, sewers, parks, and flow data collection)
• Preparing planning submissions and materials needed for community consultation.
  

Early Delivery Projects with Schools & Community Facilities

A series of smaller but high impact early works are scheduled to build community understanding of sustainable drainage and demonstrate benefits ahead of the larger interventions. These include:

Intervention	Description
St Mary’s Community Centre Raingarden	Construction begins the first week of February and runs for approximately six weeks. This provides new planting and natural water management features on site.
School Weather Stations, Rainwater Planters & Murals	Rainwater planters at local schools will be reclad to their original specification in February, supporting learning about drainage and nature-based solutions.
Outdoor Play and Learning Areas	Nurseries at St Andrew’s PS and Craigowl PS will receive new outdoor play features and additional planters in March, linking play, learning, and water resilience.
Wetland Planting	Wetland planting at St Andrew’s Primary School forms part of a coordinated educational programme helping children and families understand sustainable water management.

These early works are deliberately sequenced to meet Scottish Government expectations around community education before major construction, ensuring the project delivers long-term social and environmental value.

Community Engagement & Public Consultation

Engagement will intensify over the next year as designs progress.

Planned activities include:

• Further school-based engagement with Baldragon Academy, St Andrew’s, Craigowl and others
• Community events at local venues timed with the planning application to inform residents and invite comment
• Regular coordination meetings between Scottish Water, Dundee City Council, and design partners to align education, construction, and communication activity
  

How Strathmartine Connections Links to the City Wide Strategy

The project is a core component of Dundee’s long-term approach to water resilience. It contributes by:

• Reducing flooding and pressure on traditional drainage systems
• Expanding nature-based solutions across multiple districts
• Embedding education and awareness across the community
• Providing early demonstrator sites that inform future city-wide bluegreen investment.