Broughty Ferry Post Office Closed Yesterday

 On Wednesday morning I became aware that the Post Office hosted in the NISA Local store at the corner of Queen Street and Gray Street in Broughty Ferry had abruptly closed.

I went round there to discover that the only information about the closure was a printed sign directing folk, 'Your nearest Post Office is Barnhill at Campfield Square'.

Clearly this will be very inconvenient for the many customers that use and rely on this Post Office and turn up to find that inexplicably the doors are shut.

Later, I contacted the Post Office who confirmed the closure but as yet could not confirm the timescale for the advertisement of the franchise. I had hoped that the existing post office staff and counter might be temporarily relocated to another premises in the central Broughty Ferry shopping area to preserve the post office service and the jobs of the staff. 

I will continue to pursue the Post Office management to try to ensure there is a replacement full service post office in central Broughty Ferry and minimise the time for this to be established.

Road Safety Fears after Fourth Car Crash at the Same Location in Nursery Road

Last Saturday, a young driver lost control of their vehicle and demolished a brick built garden wall and a street light on Nursery Road. This was reported in the Courier on Monday and Tuesday.

It is very worrying that the car crossed the pavement which is well used by pedestrians and that this is the fourth time over seven years (13 February 2007, 23 December 2010, Christmas morning 2012, and 2 August 2014) that this same garden wall has been significantly damaged by the impact of a car crashing into it. Judged by the damage to the street light and the garden wall, a pedestrian would have been killed or severely injured by such an impact.

I have been contacted by the homeowner whose house fronts onto Campfield Road and whose garden boundary runs along the side of Nursery Road. He is very concerned that this is the fourth such incident and wants some road safety measures to reduce potential damage to life, limb and his property.

I have also been contacted by another resident whom I am sure speaks for many residents in the area:
"I don’t want to seem as though I am overreacting but the last accident took place at a time of day where anyone could be passing. I am in that area a lot and can see that a lot of people, especially parents of young children pass there to and from the shops and the local schools and don’t accept that it is right that the council will only do something when someone is injured as quoted by the house owner’s son in 'The Courier' "

I would also add that this stretch of footpath is well used by residents of the dispersed sheltered housing at Forthill Drive/Nursery Road/Anton Drive who walk or ride their mobility scooters to and from the Campfield Square shops.

I have asked the Head of Transportation on the City Council for a road safety asessment and proposals of measures that will reduce the potential risks to pedestrians at this point.

Next Meeting of Ferry Local Community Planning Partnership Thursday 30 May 2013

THE FERRY LOCAL COMMUNTY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP MEETING THURSDAY 30 MAY  2013 AT 6.00 PM
BARNHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE, CAMPFIELD SQUARE BROUGHTY FERRY

The meetings are open to members of the public where issues of community concern can be raised in relation to items on the agenda through the chair of meeting.

If you would like further information about the meeting or the Community Planning Partnership, please use the contact details shown below.

A G E N D A
1.  WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
2.  PRESENTATION – ALCOHOL AND DRUGS PARTNERSHIP (Vered Hopkins)       
3.  PREVIOUS MINUTE AND MATTERS ARISING
3.1  HMIe Update (Chair LCPP and Rector Grove Academy)
3.2  Welfare Reform
3.3  Road Safety – Grove / Eastern
4.  COMMUNITY PLAN 2012-2017 UPDATE
       Monitoring Report
       Sub Groups
       - Environmental/Beach Management
       - Engaging Young People
       - Mental Wellbeing
       - Community Safety
       - 2013
       - Economic Regeneration/Tourism
       - Community Facilities
5.  DEPARTMENT/AGENCY/ORGANISATION UPDATE
6.  COMMUNITY ISSUES RAISED BY MEMBERS OF PUBLIC
7.  DATE OF NEXT MEETING       
     Thursday 15th August at 5.30 pm
     Forthill Sheltered Housing Complex, 3a Forthill Drive, Bferry.

Carole Jenkins, Communities Officer
Tel:  436929 Email: carole.jenkins@dundeecity.gov.uk

Sunset Over Campfield Square Shopping Centre

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This was the beautiful sunset over Campfield Square earlier tonight. 

This dramatic skyline was what greeted me when I walked back into the Square after my surgery at the Community Centre. 



My Surgeries - Tuesdays
Forthill Sheltered Housing Complex 3a Forthill Drive 3:30 - 4:00pm
Barnhill Community Centre Campfield Square 5:00 - 5:45pm (2nd and 4th)
Broughty Ferry Library Queen Street 6:00 - 6:45pm 
(all school term time only)

SNOWDROP-IN Saturday 23 February 2013 1-3 pm Barnhill Community Centre Campfield Square

Click on poster to enlarge

On Saturday afternoon 23rd February 2013, 1-3pm, Broughty Ferry in Bloom are holding their SNOWDROP-IN at Barnhill Community Centre in Campfield Square. 

They challenge us to bring along a snowdrop from our gardens and have a cup of tea or coffee for £1:50. This will help establish how many different types of Snowdrops are growing in The Ferry.

Also Cake and Candy and a Plant Stall

Barnhill Stretch of Pavement in Urgent Need of Resufacing

A constituent in Camphill Road has complained to me about the very poor state of a section of pavement in her home area. It is in fact stretching a point to refer to this pathway as a pavement. The pathway in question is at the beginning of Abertay Street on the western side of the road between Campfield Square shops and Camphill Road.

My constituent finds that the potholes and unevenness in the surface on this short stretch of pathway makes it impossible for her grand daughter to push her wee dolls pram round to the shops. Furthermore, the sharp exposed chunks of gravel are very hard on the feet of adults and children. They are also very punishing on the knees and hands of those, young and old, who are unsteady on their feet and fall over onto the gravel.

The picture shows both some of the holes in the path as well as the coarse and sharp exposed gravel on the surface of the path. This coarse and angular gravel is probably more exposed now that some of the finer particles has been dispersed by the wind and rain over the years.

I have written to the City Development Department to request an urgent resurfacing of this short section of pathway. It would be good if the Council could make this rough section of path into a bona fide pavement.

Missing Bus Timetable Requested for Stop at Campfield Square Shops

Residents in Barnhill have complained to me about the lack of a bus timetable at the 'new' bus stop on the south side of Nursery Road close to the Campfield Square Shopping Centre. They are glad that the bus stop has been replaced but puzzled why the Timetable space has remained blank.

I have written to the transportation department to request a timetable is inserted as soon as possible.

I shall be watching this space!

Cllr Laurie Bidwell Announces a New Rota of Surgeries from 27 August 2012

Click on image to enlarge

I have extended my regular programme of surgeries for my constituents and these come into effect from Monday 27 August 2012. 

I have added a new weekly surgery at the Forthill Sheltered Housing Complex on a Tuesday afternoon beginning at 3:30 pm. I have also added a surgery at the Barnhill Community Centre on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month beginning at 5pm.

I also confirm that I am continuing with my weekly surgery at the Broughty Ferry Library but this will now begin at 6pm.

You can read full details of my new surgeries and my contact details in the poster displayed.

I think it's important that I am available to my constituents on a regular basis.  It is also important, in a large ward like The Ferry, that I am available to constituents in different parts of the ward and I have tried to do this through the premises where I have located my surgeries.

However, the shortage of suitable premises in West Ferry, Panmurefield, Balmossie Brae, Ferry Fields and Clearwater Park means that not everyone can have a surgery in their neighbourhood. I am also aware that many problems and issues can't wait for one of my surgeries, I am therefore very happy to hear from constituents by phone, letter or email.  It is important to me as a Councillor to hear the views of people in Broughty Ferry and respond as quickly as possible.  If you think that I can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.