May 2008 Update to the West End Community Council

I have today launched my May update to West End Community Council.

Issues covered include:

* Perth Road - gas main replacement works
* Youth football
* Dundee airport - helicopter noise
* Homebase site - update

* Riverside Approach - site visit with Network Rail

Click on the headline above to read the update.

The Community Council meets this Tuesday at 7pm - location : Logie St John's (Cross) Church Hall.

Review of the last few days

Wednesday

* Met with the new acting Managing Director of Travel Dundee, and raised the concerns of residents about the re-routing of the 9X bus service – this no longer serves the Ninewells Avenue area. She promised to review this.

* Attended the Deaf Awareness Open Day at the Central Library, organised by the Sound Sense project. It was good to see a number of organisations promoting their services to deaf people locally and the event was extremely well-attended.

* Attended the “Community Spirit” group evening meeting at Mitchell Street Centre. “Community Spirit” is the new residents’ group for the “north” of the West End Ward – including the Pentland, Cleghorn and Ancrum areas. Another good attendance and an interesting discussion on local issues.

Thursday

* A site visit with Scotland Gas Networks, Turriff (their contractors) and City Council Planning & Transportation at Perth Road to review road management issues, signage and other issues arising out of the continuing gas main replacement works on Perth Road.

* Along with my LibDem council colleague, Cllr Helen Dick, I attended the Best Bar None accreditation scheme 2008 awards launch at the City Chambers. This is an excellent scheme – recognising customer safety and good practice in Dundee’s licensed premises. Click on headline to view the full story in the “Evening Telegraph.”

* After a busy three surgeries at Mitchell Street Centre, Harris Academy and Blackness Primary School, I attended the evening board meeting of Dundee Contemporary Arts. A very positive review of the past year at DCA was presented, showing excellent visitor figures.

Friday

* A helpful site visit with Network Rail to Riverside Approach to allow me to point out graffiti and fly-tipping problems. Pleased at Network Rail’s willingness to tackle these issues, raised with me by West End residents.

* As one of the City Council representatives, I attended the opening of the Winston Churchill exhibition at the University of Dundee, making the 100th anniversary of Churchill’s election as Liberal MP for Dundee. An excellent and entertaining speech by Churchill’s daughter, Lady Mary Soames, who opened the exhibition and unveiled a plaque, commemorating Churchill’s connections to the City.

The event was extremely well-attended and it was good to see my former City Council colleague Neil Powrie (pictured at the event – right) and also my LibDem colleague Willie Wilson (Depute Provost of Perth and Kinross).

You can read the BBC news item on this at :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7390904.stm

and the Churchill Centre web pages are very interesting :

http://www.winstonchurchill.org

And, lastly, here’s a photo from the event, during Lady Soames’ speech, showing that I have no photographic skills whatsoever.

Blackness Library's 100th birthday!

In October of this year, Blackness Library celebrates its 100th anniversary (as does Coldside Library elsewhere in Dundee).

I have been in touch with the City Council's Leisure & Communities Department already to ask what plans are being considered to mark this important milestone and I am pleased to learn that plans are well advanced. Here's part of the response I have received from the department :

"A number of library staff have been tasked to plan appropriate celebrations for these events and will be holding their first planning meeting shortly to discuss initial proposals for a programme of activities.

As both are Carnegie libraries, contact will be made with the Carnegie Trust for any relevant information to use in exhibitions. Other local groups, together with parents and children will be included in the celebrations for the library.

Publicity for the celebrations will be prepared and issued at an appropriate time."

I'll keep residents updated with the details as I hear them.

On another matter, pleased to see the Evening Telegraph promoting Dundee's latest "Monopoly" board bid (and a brilliant picture of the LP in tonight's paper - click on headline above to view!)

Last year, I ran one or two items on the blog about the city's previous (and successful) Monopoly board bid (see - for example - http://frasermacpherson.blogspot.com/2007/05/vote-dundee-and-last-word-on-election.html) and I again hope everyone will "Vote Dundee!" by going to http://www.monopolyworldvote.com/en_GB/world

Lastly, I recently received residents' complaints about the road condition at the Riverside Approach/Magdalen Yard Road junction. I have now had the following feedback from the City Council :

"An order for the filling of a pothole at the junction of Riverside Approach and Magdalen Yard Road has been raised with the contractor."

Busy Saturday ...

Firstly, thanks to everyone who helped today with West End FOCUS deliveries; many thousands delivered in a rather windy and slightly soggy environment!

I have complained to the City Council's Economic Development Department about the state of the walls of their industrial units in Peddie Street (see above right) and have asked for the graffiti to be removed.

I have also received complaints that there are absolutely no signs in Perth Road itself to indicate that Riverside Approach is closed as a result of repair work. They are at the south entrance to Riverside Approach but nothing to stop drivers going down, say, Roseangle or Thomson Street, only to find Riverside Approach closed.

On 30th May, I mentioned the trip hazard at the bus stop in Tullideph Road - click on headline above to view story. I have now had feedback from the City Council as follows:

"This hole in the footway was left when the previous variable message system at the bus stop was dismantled and the new bus stop pole installed. The footway should have been reinstated at the time but this was overlooked. Street Lighting coordinated the works and they have arranged with Tayside Contracts to have a temporary repair carried out to make safe, followed by a permanent reinstatement at a later date."

I have now had feedback on my request for detail of speed/safety surveys in Scott Street, following issues raised by residents. Here is the feedback from the Planning & Transportation Department :

"A speed survey was carried out at Scott Street as well as Blackness Road and City Road. The survey was carried out in the first week in February.

Results did not show a problem with speeding at Scott Street in relation to other similar streets in the City, (with average speed of 27 mph for both directions and an 85th percentile speed of 34 mph which demonstrates that a relatively small number of cars are travelling over 30 mph).

As a result, the police did give attention to both Blackness Road and City Road.

In view of the results there was no case to give similar attention to Scott Street, however, if residents are finding that there is a problem associated with certain vehicles at known times, perhaps these details could be forwarded to the road policing unit for their attention."

Belfast, City Centre, Riverside Approach, Seabraes

Was in Belfast Tuesday/Wednesday with the "day job" - we ran a professional meeting on local government reform at Belfast City Hall - keynote speaker Sir Michael Lyons of the Lyons Inquiry - excellent day. As the photo shows, Belfast City Hall is a superb civic centre.

If you click on the headline above, you can read the article about my latest City Centre & Harbour Community Council update (and indeed download it) - attended half the meeting tonight (slightly exhausted after last couple of days!) but useful discussion on festive and other matters.


Good news! Photo below shows Network Rail busy replacing the blue boards today on Riverside Approach - but less good is the other photo from a local resident showing the glass at Seabraes. The City Council met with SET earlier this week to explore the detail of a proper maintenance arrangement; meantime I have requested that the glass gets cleaned up.