West End out of school club #dundeewestend

 

Ninewells Community Garden event #dundeewestend

Next Saturday - 5th February - celebrate National Storytelling week at Ninewells Community Garden at an excellent writing workshop with writer Alex Turner.

It will delve into different types of writing including short stories, journaling, and poetry and explore the theme of nature waking up after winter, awakening our senses and imagination as you meander through the garden to find inspiration for nature storytelling.

Free of charge - all welcome - more details at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-awakenings-tickets-243666311497

Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

ROAD REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - SATURDAY 29 AND SUNDAY 30 JANUARY 2022

Riverside Approach (Riverside Drive to Magdalen Yard Road) – closed overnight (10.00pm – 9.00am) on Saturday 29 January for Scottish Gas Network works.

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 31 JANUARY 2022

Perth Road at junction with Glamis Road - 3 way temporary traffic lights for 4 days starting Wednesday 2 February – City Fibre works.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Perth Road between Glamis Road and Seymour Street - rolling 2 way temporary traffic lights for 3 weeks starting Monday 7 February for City Fibre works.

Lochee Road (Smellies Lane to North Marketgait) – closed eastbound from Monday 7 February for 4 days for Virgin Media work.

Westgrove Avenue (Farington Street to 8 Westgrove Avenue) – closed from Tuesday 15 February for 4 days for Scottish and Southern Energy Network work.

Riverside Drive (near Wright Avenue) – overnight (6.00pm to 6.30am) and off-peak temporary traffic lights from Monday 21 February for 2 weeks for Energy Assets gas service connection.

West Grove Avenue - road closure between Perth Road and Blackness Road for 6 days starting Monday 28 February for City Fibre works.

Shaftesbury Road - road closure between Perth Road and Seymour Street for 8 days starting Monday 28 February for City Fibre works.

West End drop-in events - all welcome! #dundeewestend

 

Temporary traffic order - Riverside Approach

From the City Council - but please note that I have further information from Scotland Gas Networks and should any resident have a query, please e-mail me at fraser.macpherson@dundeecity.gov.uk :

THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1)

THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of SGN maintenance works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Riverside Approach (between Riverside Drive and Magdalen Yard Road), Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Saturday 29 January at 10pm until Sunday 30 January 2022 at 9am.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.

Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Riverside Drive / South Union Street / South Marketgait / Nethergate / Perth Road / Roseangle.

For further information contact 433082.

Executive Director of City Development

Dundee City Council

West End Blethers - all welcome! #dundeewestend

Update from Dundee Pensioners' Forum :

"The West End Blethers cafe has re-started for 2022 - and will continue every Thursday at The Friary, Tullideph Road, between 12 noon and 2pm.

This has been a very successful project - we have managed to secure funding to take us through until around September 2022 and will seek further funding this year to extend that even further.

The blethering levels are rising by the week ... and now that the pandemic restrictions are lifting, we can resume singing all the old songs. It is amazing how well older people remember every word of every verse!

Everyone is welcome!    There is free tea, coffee, cake, scones (heated with butter and jam) and delicious home cooked soup and rolls. The cafe also has a small food larder - 10 items for £2 - and free fruit and vegetables to take away.

We'd love to welcome you at the Friary, any Thursday between 12 noon and 2pm!"

Blether Tay-Gither - Storytelling in Dundee - tonight!

Blether Tay-Gither is the Dundee Storytelling Group.

From Sheila Kinninmonth, Blether Tay-Gither’s secretary :

Our first meeting of 2022 just so happens to fall on Burns Night tonight so we celebrating with the theme of Scottish Tales.

So join us with your haggis and a dram, whisky, tea, or Irn Bru will do.

Look forward to seeing you then!

Topic: Blether Tay-Gither Monthly Storytelling Club

Time: Jan 25, 2022 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86719667337

Meeting ID: 867 1966 7337

Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 24 JANUARY 2022

Greenmarket (at MSCP) – temporary traffic lights for 9 days for electric charging point power installation.

Tait’s Lane – closed from Tuesday 25 January for 2 weeks for footway resurfacing.

Perth Road (Blackness Avenue to Windsor Street) – closed westbound (9.30 am to 3.30 pm) from Monday 24 January for 10 days for Road Safety works.

Riverside Approach (Riverside Drive to Magdalen Yard Road) – closed overnight (10.00 pm – 9.00 am) on Saturday 29 January for Scottish Gas Network works.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Lochee Road (Smellies Lane to North Marketgait) – closed east bound from Monday 7 February for 4 days for VM work.

Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education - online open lecture

From Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education :

The fourth webinar in our series with Trinity College Dublin will take place on Thursday 27th January at 6pm.

For further details and registration, please click the following link :

https://www.almcollege.ac.uk/events/join-the-online-webinar-series-3/

Harris Education and Recreation Association - Spring 2022 courses #dundeewestend

Details of Harris Education and Recreation Association's Spring 2022 courses are now available at :

www.facebook.com/HERAdundee/posts/4763070563776661

There are eight new online evening classes available :

* Italian

* Spanish

* American History

* Drawing & Painting

* Crochet

* Art and Literature Inspired by The Bible

* French

* How Genetic Engineering and Immunology affect your life

The HERA website is at https://heradundee.org.   

HERA is a superb West End local organisation with a great group of volunteers.    The classes are excellent so please give HERA your support!

Temporary Traffic Order - Perth Road

From the City Council :

Dundee City Council proposes to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating road safety improvement works. The Order is expected to be in force for 8 days from 24 January 2022. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all westbound vehicular traffic in Perth Road from Blackness Avenue to Windsor Street.

The closure will only be in place from 0930 hours to 1530 hours each day.

An alternative route will be available via Blackness Avenue, Blackness Road and Glamis Road.

If you have any query, please contact the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee, DD1 1LS or phone Dundee 433082.

Tree planting event at Riverside Nature Park - all welcome! #dundeewestend

Update from the Friends of Riverside Nature Park :

"Tree planting time this Sunday - 23rd January - from 1pm to 3pm.

Meet at Riverside Nature Park, Wright Avenue. Check the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/riversidenatureparkdundee on Sunday morning in case bad weather makes us postpone.      

After your help planting 420 trees before Christmas, we're asking for your help again to plant 250 Alder trees to increase the nitrogen in the soil before we plan a large orchard.

Families and all ages welcome as you can see from the last tree planting. Bring warm clothes, gloves and a SPADE but we will have plenty of sanitised spades too, thanks to support from Dundee Ranger Service.

No need to book but we'll observe Covid regulations."

Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden online event #dundeewestend

From the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden :

"After a long gap, we are delighted to say we have arranged our first talk, via Zoom, next Sunday, 23rd January at 4.30pm.

Professor Lyn Jones will look at the various Plant ID apps available and make his recommendations for you. There will be time for questions at the end.

If you would like to attend, please let us know, and we will let you have the Zoom link - e-mail fudbg.committee@gmail.com

Prepare to enjoy and learn from the comfort of your own home, cup of tea in hand."

Taking action to get the council to remove controversial car parking charges #dundeewestend

Following my strong criticism of Dundee City Council's lack of action to suspend parking charges in residential areas of the West End, despite the First Minister’s instruction to work from home if possible due to the latest COVID situation and the Omicron variant, I have now placed an item on next Monday's council City Development Committee (24th January) to allow me to move that the charges are suspended meantime.

The council's current position on this is ridiculous.

The West End car parks are the only Dundee car parks in residential areas with parking charges but without any form of residents’ parking scheme. Local people are being charged to park near their homes given the 'work from home' directive of the Scottish Government.

The council's lack of action on removing the parking charges creates a disincentive for people to work from home. The council should be supporting the Scottish Government advice and should act to make sure it is not more difficult for people to work from home.

Many of the seven affected car parks are half empty as a result because residents are forced to try to find on-street spaces to avoid the parking charges which he said was a totally unacceptable position for the council to have created.

If my motion is agreed next Monday, parking charges in the West End will be suspended while the 'work from home' directive is in place. This is the responsible thing for the council to do and I hope it will find support in the council chamber.

Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 17 JANUARY 2022

Perth Road (between Riverside Crescent and Riverside Place) - rolling 2 way temporary traffic lights from Monday 17 January for 2 days for City Fibre works.

Greenmarket (at MSCP) – temporary traffic lights from Wednesday 19 January for 2 weeks for electric charging point power installation.

Taits Lane – closed from Friday 21 January for 2 weeks for footway resurfacing.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Perth Road – westbound lane closure (off-peak) between Blackness Avenue and Windsor Street from Monday 24 January for 10 days for Road Safety works.

Riverside Approach (Riverside Drive to Magdalen Yard Road) – closed overnight (10.00pm – 9.00am) on Saturday 29 January for Scottish Gas Network works.

Energy efficiency offer - low income private sector households

 

Trees for Nablus - supported by the Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association

 

Temporary Traffic Order - Tait's Lane

From the City Council :

Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating footway resurfacing works. The Order is expected to be in force for 2 weeks from 20 January 2022. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Tait's Lane for its entire length.

Access for residents will be maintained where possible.

An alternative route will be available via Corso Street, Peddie Street and Hawkhill.

If you have any query, please contact the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee, DD1 1LS or call Dundee 433168.

Dundee Art Society - 2022 evening art class #dundeewestend

 

Improving home warmth in Logie #dundeewestend

As reported in the Courier and Evening Telegraph earlier this week, I have been highlighting that the housing in Logie is now over 100 years old, many tenants and owners highlight how difficult to heat the houses are and there needs to be urgent action by the City Council to improve insulation in the houses in Logie.

I have over the years spoken with many residents about this issue - and at other locations in the West End. In many parts of the city, council housing and ex-council houses have now benefitted from external insulation. However, because of solid wall construction and its historic and conservation area status, Logie cannot have external insulation measures.

The answer is, of course, internal insulation and there were two 'trial' properties for internal insulation in Sycamore Place and Birchwood Place some time ago. The results were positive but I have real concerns that any progress on this has stalled.

I therefore contacted the City Council's Head of Housing and Communities seeking an update and he has responded as follows :

"As you are aware, properties in the Logie estate are of solid wall construction and as such would not be suitable for an external wall insulation solution. The area, however, comes under consideration as being of specific architectural significance in Dundee’s history and heritage.

This means that changing the outward appearance of the flats is unacceptable to city planners which in turn means we have to consider other options such as internal wall or cavity wall insulation to improve the thermal efficiency of the flats and overall buildings.

Proposals are currently being developed along with timescales and funding for this is being allowed for in the housing revenue account capital investment programme but timescales are still not clear as to when this will be delivered during the 5 years of the plan in light of competing priorities which we have also had to factor in.

Once we are clearer, we will of course update you further."

I have responded making very clear my view that there must be progress soon. I have made the point that, of all the council-built properties in my ward, the Logie houses are - unsurprisingly, given their construction - some of the hardest to heat.

This particularly worries me given the number of elderly tenants in the sheltered area north of Logie Avenue.

I have made the point that, in terms of the council's housing capital plan going forward, priority for insulation works should be given to properties that are particularly hard to heat and residents in fuel poverty.

I will, of course keep residents updated on this important issue as I am anxious to see real progress on this, particularly given soaring energy costs.

Paths and steps improvements at Mitchell Street, Fyffe Street, Benvie Road and Polepark Road #dundeewestend

Some time ago, on behalf of residents, I highlighted to the City Council the very poor state of the rear paths and steps to the greenie poles in the "square" of properties at Mitchell Street, Fyffe Street, Benvie Road and Polepark Road that back onto each other.

There was a site visit with residents, the tenancy officer and myself about this and other issues and I am pleased to say that, at the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee last night, councillors approved a significant tender of nearly £125 000 (£150 000 including fees, etc) to replace 7 sets of steps with new handrails and resurface all the paths.

I am very pleased at the outcome of this, which will make access to the back of the housing and drying area much safer.

Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 10 JANUARY 2022

Perth Road (between River Crescent and Riverside Place) - rolling 2 way temporary traffic lights from Monday 10 January for 5 days for City Fibre works.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Taits Lane – closed from 20 January for 2 weeks for footway resurfacing.

Perth Road – westbound lane closure (off-peak) between Blackness Avenue and Windsor Street from Monday 24 January for 10 days for Road Safety works.

Get local support - a useful new resource for vulnerable people

GetLocalSupport.org is connecting vulnerable people with volunteers approved by volunteer organisations.

It is currently in a test phase and although it will be rolled out across the country in time, it is currently offering support only to vulnerable people based in Dundee.   It is being supported by Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action.

Some of the things people can request are :

+ A conversation with someone

+ Pick up shopping

+ Pick up a prescription

+ Walk my dog

+ Digital skills assistance

You can read more at www.GetLocalSupport.org and make a request for assistance there too.

Community regeneration funding for the West End #dundeewestend

 

Getting things done - Perth Road #dundeewestend

I have had several complaints recently about the regular extent of flooding on Perth Road outside Harris Academy.

I brought this to the attention of the Roads Maintenance Partnership and have had the following helpful feedback :

"Perth Road as you are aware is very flat so hard to produce run to get rainfall to the gullies quickly So ponding during rainfall is inevitable and is not helped by the Scottish Water sewer being at capacity.

The big problem is we have nowhere to take the surface water to as Scottish Water will not allow any extra flow into their system.

I have passed this to the design team to do some work at the cemetery entrance to try and stop flow from there."

Magdalen Green footbridge replacement - an update #dundeewestend

Residents will recall that, some time ago, I advised that the City Council was working on a project that, subject to funding support from Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, would replace the Magdalen Green footbridge across the rail line to Riverside, with a new footbridge.

The existing bridge has seen better days and is not suitable for wheelchair users or cyclists, so a bid was made to Sustrans to try to secure money from the Places for Everyone fund to assess the feasibility of replacing it.

This was successful which has allowed design work to progress. However, a more substantial funding award will be necessary to actually deliver the new footbridge. This requires Sustrans to approve the design and the project to gain sufficient support by Sustrans to allow for an award to build the replacement footbridge to go ahead.

I recently contacted the City Council engineer who is working on this project for an update and he has advised :

"Sustrans has asked for some additional information in support of our funding request.

We will continue to work to ensure we meet their feedback and objectives.

This will allow us to resubmit when the next funding allocation opens, next financial year, to take the project forward."

I will, of course, keep residents updated as the process moves forward.

Getting things done - Ninewells Avenue #dundeewestend

A resident recently contacted me to highlight that :

"After the upgrade of pavements in Ninewells Avenue, dog bins have been removed and not replaced. 

We had one foot of Ninewells and one at Perth Road before the roundabout, both are no longer there."

I have therefore asked the City Council to replace these.

Lochee Park wildflower project #dundeewestend

Residents will have read recently about projects to create wildflower meadows in various parks across the city.

One of these is to be at Lochee Park and I asked the City Council for clarification about what is proposed here.

The council's greenspace team leader has advised me as follows :

"At Lochee Park the area of biodiversity grassland will have yellow rattle seed sown into the existing grassland. 

This will help to reduce the vigour of the grass and encourage wildflowers to establish naturally. 

This project is currently being implemented as the Yellow Rattle needs several days of frost to germinate successfully."

Christmas Tree recycling

The City Council is encouraging householders to recycle their tree and not place it out with the general waste collection for uplift.

'Real' trees are recyclable and can be shredded to produce Discovery Compost.

Residents are asked to remove all tinsel and decorations and any pots or stands.

Artificial trees are made from a combination of materials and therefore cannot be recycled.

To request the uplift of your Christmas tree from your property go to www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/neighbourhood-services/environment/christmas-tree-recycling-2021

Getting things done - Marchfield Road #dundeewestend

Residents recently highlighted to me that there were potholes on Marchfield Road - a particularly bad one at the bottom of the street but the road condition is also poor near the Middlebank Crescent junction.

I raised this with the City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership and am have been assured that an Order has been made to ensure repairs are undertaken.

Happy New Year 2022!

A very Happy New Year from Cllr Fraser Macpherson, Michael Crichton and the West End Focus Team!

All the best for 2022!