A Day in the Life of Your Local Councillor

Tuesday 8 September 2015 was a day full of meetings and activities.

My working day began at about 09:30 at home reading and writing emails and making phone calls on behalf of constituents. On average I receive more than twenty emails a day about constituency and Council matters as well as letters and reports including papers for Council meetings.

At 11:15, I joined residents from Forthill sheltered housing on their annual estate walkabout with staff representatives from Housing, Environment, Roads, Tenant Participation and Communities. As we walked around the area we noted action points based on our observations and the complaints and comments made by residents who we met us at their gates and doors. At 12:25 I left to go to my next meeting which was in Dundee.

I picked up my post from my Council pigeonhole at my City Square Office and then walked over to Dundee House where i was due at 13:00 to join an interview panel for appointing a Head Teacher for St Joseph's Primary School. The vacancy arose following the death of Marion Myles, the very popular and effective Head Teacher. After a series of interviews, the panel selected a 'preferred candidate' who, following formalities such as references, should be confirmed publicly to Parents, Pupils and Staff in due course.

I arrived back home in time to take my dog Milli for a short walk, before going to Broughty Ferry Library for my weekly surgery. Two constituents came in and reported a recurring parking and road safety issue in their street. We discussed possible solutions and agreed actions I would take. This will need some follow up communications with the Transportation Department.

Back home at about 18:20 with time for a mug of tea and collecting my papers for the next meeting. At 19:00 I arrived at Staff Room in Grove Academy for the AGM and termly meeting of the Grove Academy Parent Council. Penny Lewis was re-elected as Chairperson together with other office bearers. The meeting received a detailed report from Head Teacher, Graham Hutton, which included reference to the very positive but provisional 2015 SQA examination results for Grove pupils, the international sporting achievements of pupils, the school trips under consideration for the 2015/16 session as well as changes in staffing.

Home again at 21:30 and time for a late supper with my wife Rowena.

Not every day contains such a full schedule of 'meetings' and everyday is different; that's what I find so interesting and absorbing about the office of City Councillor.

Grove Parent Council Meeting 11 November 2014

Last night I attended the meeting of the Grove Parent Council held in the school's staff room.

The parents and carer members of the Parent Council discussed a range of matters with Depute Head Teachers Lesley Elder and Fiona McIntosh.

Amongst the issues covered were enhancing communications between home and school. Lesley Elder circulated and introduced Grove's revised anti bullying policy and procedures which had been updated in the light of the review of citywide policies by the City Council. Parents and carers can read or download this document (on the schools website) by clicking on this link.

The next meeting of the Grove Parent Council will be in January 2015.

Broughty Ferry Community Council Meeting February 2013

Last night I attended the regular monthly meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council. Each month there is an opportunity for elected members to report to the Community Council. 

Here is a summary of my report which covers some of the issues I have worked on since the last meeting in early December.

Coastal walkway
The work on the contract to upgrade the last section of the coastal pathway has been progressing more slowly than anticipated because of extreme weather restricting access to the beach. From later this week, the contractor is expecting to be working from both the Douglas Terrace and Grassy Beach ends pouring concrete. The contractors have been maintaining a narrowed pathway for pedestrians while the work is ongoing. Last week, because of the very high tides, the coastal pathway was temporarily closed. During this period of closure, pedestrians were using the connecting path between Grassy Beach and Beach Lane using the the railway footbridge and a connecting pathway. The surface of this pathway was extremely muddy and slippery. After complaints from residents, I contacted the Transport and Environment Departments. This week work has started on the section of muddy path to scrape off the surface and lay some grit to improve the underfoot conditions.

Council Budget
On Thursday afternoon 14 February, the Policy and Resources Committee will convene for the City Council's annual budget meeting. In relation to 'savings' or 'cuts' identified in the budget and affecting residents in Broughty Ferry, I draw attention to the following:

• Grove Academy - Larger Classes for S1/2 English and MathsAt Grove Academy and four other Secondary Schools in the city, Maths and English S1 and S2 classes with an average of 20 pupils will be cut and replaced by standard class sizes with up to a maximum of 33 pupils. According to a report Grove Parent Council last week, Grove will lose 2.4 Maths and English teachers. Over the last 8 years, when these smaller classes have been in place. pupils' examination grades in core examination subjects like Maths and English has markedly improved;
• 5% across the board cut in funding for non council social welfare organisations and services and
• Shoppers 'friendly bus' for sheltered housing residents is to be withdrawn. 

I also reported that the Labour group on the Council are currently finalising their alternative proposals for the budget meeting.

Anton Drive Retaining Wall
Work will be starting soon on rebuilding the retaining wall in Anton Drive.

Developing Visions and Values in Our Schools

Photo copyright acknowledged
www.angusreid.co.uk

Many of our schools are developing or revising their statement of their vision and values.  These statements are both a source of inspiration as well as a reference point to guide expectations and behaviour. The process of arriving at what is recorded should be inclusive so that pupils, teachers and parents and carers are all on the same page. 

I know that Grove Academy are currently going through this process, which has involved a number of rounds of consultation with staff and pupils. It was referred to in the Head Teacher's recent report to the Grove Parent Council.

At St Thomas Of Aquin's High School in Edinburgh, freelance artist Angus Reid has worked with a group of  S4 pupils to explore what a statement of values means to them, and how it affects their whole relationship to the school. His novel approach led to the adoption of a short statement which pupils produced and which has now been displayed on the wall of a stairway for all to see. The full statement the pupils produced is available on this link. (Note you will need to scroll through the images to find the specific pictures from St Thomas Of Aquin's High School.)

I wonder whether the Grove statement will read like this and where it might be re-presented?

Four Weddings and a Funeral Not - Three AGMs and a Development Quality Meeting

Like weddings, there is a season for AGMs and for many of our local organisations in our community, September is when such a meeting is scheduled. During the last ten days, I have attended three Annual General Meetings as well as a meeting last night of the Development Management Committee of the Council. 


First the AGMs. These important meetings usually include not only elections/re-elections of committee members and adoption of annual accounts but also report on the progress of the organisation and provide some pointers about where the organisation wants to go during the next year. 


On Saturday morning 10th September, I attended the second AGM of the Broughty Ferry Development Trust held in Castle Green Leisure Centre. This relatively new organisation is making good progress with a number of admirable projects to enhance Broughty Ferry such as restoring the distinctive street lights on Beach Crescent. It's not a talking shop, it is making things happen and folk are clearly rolling their sleeves up. After the formalities, Roddy Isles from the V&A Making It Happen Project Team overviewed the progress of the project and then talked to the thirty odd members present about the potential opportunities and benefits for Broughty Ferry from the V&A. This stimulated a number of interesting suggestions such as boat trips from the V&A at its waterfront site doon the river to the Ferry. I proposed a vote of thanks to the Committee for their hard work throughout the year.


On the evening of Tuesday 13 September, I attended the AGM of the Parent Council at Grove Academy. The meeting re-elected Allen Thurston as Chairperson of Grove Academy Parent Council. With his background as a parent with children at the school, as a former Teacher in Dundee and as a Researcher working on school improvement, Allen is a a very well qualified person to carry out this role. I think Grove Academy Parent Council is a very effective organisation which has shown its support for and engagement with the school in a number of key ways over the last year.  For example, two parents on the Parent Council were members of the selection board for the appointment of a new Head Teacher for Grove. It was reported that a preferred candidate has been chosen and when the contractual formalities have been concluded by the Education Department, a formal announcement will be made. 


On a wet and windy Friday evening 16 September Broughty Ferry in Bloom held their AGM at Castle Green Leisure Centre. Stan Nutt the Chairperson reported on the award of a Silver Medal in the Beautiful Scotland awards which had been held in Rothesay on Monday 12 September (Silver Medal awarded to be an above-average entry that meets most of the judging criteria and objectives of Beautiful Scotland) . Broughty Ferry in Bloom  hope they that will strike Gold or Silver Gilt next year if we all collaborate by sprucing up our gardens and open spaces. A video of the hidden and beautiful gardens in the Ferry was also shown to the members and supporters who turned up.


Interestingly, if you are wondering about my title, yes there some parallels between Four Weddings and a Funeral and the annual meetings I have been attending. All the AGMs have featured a core of key folk who have undertaken a considerable amount of unpaid work and some of these active citizens appeared in more than one of these key meetings in our community. 


Finally, last night I attended a meeting of the Development Quality Committee of the Council. Of particular note was the detailed planning permission granted for the new Asda supermarket on the NCR site beside Kingsway West.