Getting things done - Blinshall Street and Douglas Street #dundeewestend

We recently received concerns about the functioning of the junction of Blinshall Street and Douglas Street around a minority of drivers failing to give way.

We raised this with the City Council's Traffic and Road Safety Team Leader who has responded as follows :

"We will have a look at this location as soon as possible.

I have had a look at the accident record and we have two slight accidents at this location in the last 5 years. However, both these accidents have occurred in the 2023.

I am going to have a look at this as I suspect that the road markings have worn off and motorist are not realising it is a give-way.

Once I have had a look I will push the roads maintenance partnership to get it rectified as soon as I can."

Getting things done - Queen Victoria Works #dundeewestend

Residents will be aware that we have repeatedly raised the security of the former Queen Victoria Works  site that is situated between Brook Street and Douglas Street.

We are grateful to the residents who recently highlighted to us that one of the boarded up access doors was open and persons had accessed the site - very worrying as it is not a safe environment.

We immediately raised this with the City Council who had it repaired (see photo) and advised :

"I can confirm the door breached at Queen Victoria Works has been secured and recorded against the relevant record.

We are currently awaiting the cost from the contractor and we will add this to the cost recovery process once we are in receipt."

We have also asked for an update from the council on its progress with engagement with the Dubai-based owners, as we are anxious to see a positive future use of the site.

Temporary Traffic Order - Douglas Street

From the City Council :

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 City Fibre duct installation works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Douglas Street (at its junction with Ash Street), Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Monday 25 July 2022 for 2 working days.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.

Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Ash Street / Park Street.

For further information contact 433082.

Executive Director of City Development

Dundee City Council

Getting things done - Douglas Street

At the request of residents, I have asked the City Council's Rapid Response Team to remove graffiti at the south end of Douglas Street - see below :

On Wave 102 News : Temporary road closure @wave102

I spoke on Wave 102 News today, speaking about the temporary road closure at West Henderson's Wynd/Douglas Street, which starts tomorrow.

You can listen to the interview by clicking 'play' below :

 

Temporary Traffic Order - West Henderson's Wynd/Douglas Street

From the City Council :

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 BT duct laying works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in West Henderson’s Wynd / Douglas Street junction, Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Wednesday 6 January 2016 for 5 working days.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.

Alternative routes are available via Blinshall Street / Lochee Road / Park Street.

For further information contact 433168.

Director of City Development

Dundee City Council

Temporary Traffic Order - Forest Park Place, Edward Street, Brook Street, Brewery Lane, Lower Pleasance and Douglas Street

From Dundee 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 works for the Scottish and Southern Energy 33Kv Cable Installation Scheme.  The Order is expected to be in force for 7 weeks from 21st September 2015.  Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in (1) Forest Park Place between Forest Park Road and Edward Street, (2) Edward Street between Brook Street and Forest Park Place, (3) Brook Street between Edward Street and Milnbank Road, (4) Brewery Lane between Brook Street and Lower Pleasance, (5) Lower Pleasance between Brewery Lane and Douglas Street, and (6) Douglas Street between Lower Pleasance and West Marketgait (Phase (i) – Lower Pleasance to West Hendersons Wynd, Phase (ii) – West Hendersons Wynd to Blinshall Street, Phase (iii) – Blinshall Street to Brown Street and Phase (iv) – Brown Street to West Marketgait).

The closures are planned to be on a rolling programme and proceed as follows: Forest Park Place, Edward Street, Brook Street, Brewery Lane, Lower Pleasance and Douglas Street.  More than one road may be closed at a time.  The terms of the one-way order relating to Douglas Street between Lower Pleasance and Brook Street will be revoked for the duration of this Order.

Alternative routes will be available via (1) Forest Park Road, Milnbank Road, Brook Street and Edward Street, (2) Forest Park Place, Forest Park Road and Milnbank Road, (3) Brook Street, Guthrie Street, Horsewater Wynd, Hawkhill, West Marketgait, Lochee Road and Polepark Road, (4) Polepark Road, Lochee Road and Park Street, (5) Brewery Lane and Park Street and (6) (i) Ash Street, Brewery Lane and Lower Pleasance, (ii) Blinshall Street, Lochee Road and Park Street, (iii) Brown Street, Miln Street and West Hendersons Wynd and (iv) Blinshall Street, Miln Street and Brown Street.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee  DD1 1LS, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date.  If you have any queries please contact 433082.

Street Lighting - Lower Pleasance/Douglas Street/Brewery Lane

Residents have complained to me that some of the street lighting at Lower Pleasance, Douglas Street and Brewery Lane is obscured by foliage from overgrown trees.   I took this up with the Street Lighting Partnership and have been advised :

We have looked at the various streets mentioned. There are some areas where the trees are obscuring the light.   We will get them cut back in the next couple of days.

Getting things done - Douglas Street

Following complaints from residents about a significant amount of fly-tipping in Douglas Street, I contacted the City Council about this.   My thanks go to the Environment Department who reacted promptly and made a good job of cleaning the area up (see below).    I have also asked the department if it can remove the graffiti at the site.

Before

After

West End graffiti clean-up

This morning, along with local residents, members of Community Spirit Action Group that represents much of the 'north' of the West End Ward, local community police, City Council Rapid Response Team, community safety wardens, our West End Communities Officer, volunteers from Tesco and my ward colleague Cllr Richard McCready, I took part in a graffiti clean up in the Blackness industrial area, cleaning up numerous buildings in streets like Ash Street, Douglas Street, Milne's East Wynd and Park Street.

We made excellent progress over two hours and it was very kind of a local business owner who brought the team ice lollies as we worked on a rather warm (and lovely!) morning.

I was on Wave 102 this morning about this initiative - you can listen to the interview by clicking 'play' below - and below that are some photographs from today:

Some of the team from today's graffiti clean-up

The paint rollers were great at getting large areas repainted quickly but my hair was full of paint at the end!

Some of the team in action covering up graffiti

Graffiti clean-up

As part of the Dundee Festival of Volunteering, a number of us, including members of Community Spirit Action Group, are undertaking a graffiti clean-up of the Douglas Street area.   Details below:

You can download a higher quality PDF version of this poster by clicking here.

Temporary Road Closure

From the City Council:

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 electrical cabling works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Douglas Street (from Milnes East Wynd to Lower Pleasance), Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Tuesday 28 May 2013 for 5 working days.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.

Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Park Street / Brewery Lane / Lower Pleasance.

For further information contact (01382) 433168.

Director of City Development

Dundee City Council

Pleasance Court - new residents' group

Pleasance Court

Last night, I chaired a very productive and positive meeting with residents of Pleasance Court ("The Coffin Mill") off Brook Street, and am grateful to all residents who attended and to Home Scotland representatives who both hosted the meeting in the residents' lounge and participated in the discussion.   Ross & Liddell, who factor many of the properties on the south side of the mill, are also very supportive.

The principle of re-forming the residents' group was agreed by all who attended and will be holding another meeting in the coming weeks to progress this and to update everyone on progress with actions taken as a result of issues raised last night.    Between Home Scotland, Ross & Liddell and myself, an update will be sent to every household on issues that have been raised and seeking views/feedback.

Numerous issues were raised including home and parking security, bins, repairs and concern about the state of the nearby Queen Victoria Works site - an issue I am continuing to pursue with the City Council.


Residents had previously raised with me the bad graffiti in Douglas Street opposite the entrance to Pleasance Court.   I had raised this with the council's Rapid Response Team and they swiftly attended to this earlier this week - see below:

Before ...

After ...

After this residents' meeting, I was pleased to catch part of the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden meeting that took place in the Botanic Garden Education Centre on a beautiful warm evening.    The Friends have achieved very substantial donations and earmarkings to assist the Botanic Garden and it was good to learn of the establishment of a Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust.

Temporary Traffic Order - Douglas Street

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 works for flooding investigations.  The Order is expected to be in force for two weeks from 5 December 2011.  Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Douglas Street from its junction with Milnes East Wynd for a distance of 20 metres or thereby in an easterly and westerly and southerly direction.

Pedestrian access and vehicular access to premises will be maintained where possible.

An alternative route will be available via Park Street, Brewery Lane, Lower Pleasance and reverse.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee  DD1 1LS, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date.  If you have any queries please call 433168.

Douglas Street

From the City Council :

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (DOUGLAS STREET, DUNDEE)

(STOPPING-UP) ORDER 2011

Dundee City Council hereby give Notice that they have confirmed an Order under Section 208 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, authorising the stopping-up of lengths of roads, footpaths and footways situated at Douglas Street, Dundee.

A copy of the Order and relevant plan specifying the lengths of footpath to be stopped up may be inspected at the office of the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), Dundee City Council, 21 City Square, Dundee, by any person free of charge between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday inclusive (except public holidays) during a period of 28 days from 28/10/11.

Any persons wishing to question the validity of the Order or of any provisions contained therein on the grounds that the Order is not within the powers conferred by the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, or on the grounds that the applicant interests have been substantially prejudiced by a failure to comply with any requirement of the said Act or of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992 or of any rules or regulations made under these Acts, may within six weeks from 28/10/11 make application to the Court of Session for this purpose.

DEPUTE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (SUPPORT SERVICES)

You can download the full Order and plans by going to http://tinyurl.com/douglasstreet

Scottish Ju Jitsu Association

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Bob Ross, Technical Director of the Scottish Ju Jitsu Association, to see round their premises in Douglas Street that were formerly part of the Park Mill complex (see the colourful entrance gates - right).

Bob and colleagues have put a lot of effort into getting the premises into shape and they hope to have them fully operational for participants of Ju Jitsu and other martial arts early in 2011. Bob is also keen to progress positive diversionary activities around the graffiti issue in the area.

It is good to see positive progress for another sport in the West End and I've made clear to Bob that I'll be pleased to assist the Association in any way I can in the months ahead.

Temporary Traffic Order - Smellies Lane, Ash Street and West Hendersons Wynd

Received today 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 gas main replacement works. The Order is expected to be in force for five weeks from 8 March 2010. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit all vehicular traffic in (a) Smellies Lane from Lochee Road to Ash Street, (b) Ash Street from Smellies Lane to Douglas Street and (c) West Hendersons Wynd from Douglas Street to Brook Street.

Pedestrian thoroughfare and vehicular access to premises will be maintained where possible.

An alternative route will be available via Lochee Road, Polepark Road and Brook Street.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Tayside House, Crichton Street, Dundee, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date. If you have any queries please contact the team on 433082.

Temporary Traffic Order - Douglas Street

Just received 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 building works.

The Order is expected to be in force for ten weeks from 21 April 2008. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Douglas Street between Ash Street and Park Street.

Pedestrian thoroughfare and vehicular access to premises will be maintained.

An alternative route will be available via Ash Street.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to the Network Management Team, Planning and Transportation Department, Tayside House, Crichton Street, Dundee, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date.

If you have any queries please contact the department on 433168.