A constituent contacted me yesterday to indicate:
"I went to dispose of some rubbish this morning to riverside recycling centre only to find yet again it's flooded out. Normally not a major issue and I just go to Marchbanks but I realise part of the budget proposal is to close this site.
"This would be a major concern as it’s a long way and environmentally unfriendly to drive all that way to Baldovie. This leaves those in the west of the city with a lack of recycling facilities and may increase fly tipping which no one wishes to see.
"Additionally the road servicing both the recycling centre and the nature park car park is in a shocking state of disrepair. I would urge that the council reconsider the closure of Marchbanks or upgrade the site and road at Riverside to reduce the significant number of occurrences that the site has been closed at short notice."
The council's Director of Environment has advised me:
"Appreciate the comments being made by your constituent and confirm that we have been in discussions with the City Engineer to identify a permanent solution to the ongoing drainage issue and also to consider any physical improvements that might be required to the infrastructure at Riverside to accommodate the proposed new arrangements.
With regard to the current closure, this has taken place following heavy overnight rain and it is hoped to have the site reopened later today."
I welcome efforts to find a permanent solution to the drainage and flooding problems at the Riverside site. Clearly if the SNP administration's budget proposal to close Marchbanks goes through, Riverside will become the only main civic amenity centre for the west of the city, so it is vital that it is not regularly flooded that results in closure of the facility.
I am against using the Marchbanks site to spend millions on a new headquarters for the council's Environment Department and intend moving a capital budget amendment at Thursday's budget meeting to instead use this funding to improve schools and the state of Dundee's roads.
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