Funding of £1.17m has been earmarked for tackling vacant and derelict land in Dundee.

It will come from the Scottish Government's Vacant and Derelict Land Fund, which is intended to improve the quality of life for communities and stimulate economic growth by creating jobs and promoting sustainable environmental living.

In Dundee the money will go towards four projects.

The first is the construction of a new pedestrian bridge, linking the Seabraes Yard with the Riverside Esplanade and the creation of a new underpass at Lochee, part of a wider plan to demolish the Highgate Shopping Centre.

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The Whitfield Primary School and Newfield Primary School buildings that are no longer used will be demolished and a landscaped area linking between home and school, shops, facilities, countryside and Dighty Park will be created.

A disused site on Riverside Drive will also be cleared, ready to be put to better use.

Since being established in 2004, the Fund has contributed to the reuse of 224 hectares of land, across Scotland, from the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Register.

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil said: "The Vacant and Derelict Land Fund has the potential to bring back into use our derelict land, some of which hasn't been used for many years. It is such a waste to have 10,000 hectares of vacant and derelict land across Scotland, especially when more than 40 per cent has been unused for at least 20 years. We have set aside over £8 million for the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund in 2012/13 and, quite rightly, it remains one of the few ring-fenced funds. I believe that this fund has the potential to kick-start significant economic development in Dundee, as well as making a contribution to increasing sustainable growth across Scotland."

(NE)