Pretenders star Chrissie Hynde slams office block 'monstrosity' By Graeme Ogston

BBC Scotland Tayside and Central reporter Published duration 11 September 2018

image copyright Richard Cook / BBC image caption The Pretenders singer called the new office block a "horrible carcass"

Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde said a controversial office block next to Dundee's V&A was a "monstrosity" that should be "torn down."

The musician, who played at Dundee's waterfront on Sunday, said the under-construction site "distracted" her from her performance.

The £15.1m development has previously been criticised for obstructing views of the museum.

Hynde said there should be "some sort of uprising" against the development.

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said it made "little economic sense for the people of Dundee" to leave the site empty.

Hynde told BBC Scotland: "In the daylight I noticed this quite beautiful building in the background, which I didn't realise is the V&A building, and this horrible carcass going up in front of it.

"I did mention that (during the show) because it was actually distracting me from what I was trying to do.

"I have been walking around Dundee and I was walking down Union Street there and I saw the V&A again, a really beautiful vista of it and this monstrosity that's totally obliterating the view of that beautiful building."

The musician said she had heard a "lot of good things" about Dundee as a "sort of renaissance city."

She said: "Why should it be obliterating a beautiful new initiative to bring people into the city?

"Put it somewhere else. I would have it torn down. There should be some sort of uprising against it."

image caption Council leader John Alexander said it made "little economic sense" to leave the site empty

Mr Alexander said: "From the start, the city council and its partners have been absolutely clear that the waterfront was created not only as a place for fun and creativity, but more importantly, as a place where we could generate jobs and income for the people of Dundee and bring in further investment.

"That plan is working and it's bearing fruit.

"These proposals have been under way since I was nine years of age. This has not happened overnight.

"This is part of a longer term, sustainable, economically more prosperous and exciting future for the city.

He said "My building was always designed to complement and harmonise with its surroundings and the adjacent developments.

"It was never designed in isolation and was always meant to be part of a built environment with a flow of people and buildings with other uses in proximity."