Broughty Ferry Electric Vehicle Rechargng Leads the Way

At the Broughty Ferry Community Council meeting on Tuesday 6 December, the members received a presentation from Gary McRae from the Dundee City Council's City Development. He and a colleague came to consult our Community Councillors about their proposals for the Electric Vehicle Charging Hub at Queen Street car park.

The proposed new layout is pictured in the top left and bottom images. These proposals are described in more detail in a previous blog posting.

What Gary was able to reveal is how Dundee and Broughty Ferry are in the forefront of encouraging and facilitating switching to electric vehicles.

For example, the current rapid e-car charger in the Queen Street Car Park, pictured top right, is the most frequently used in Scotland. Hopefully the switch to low emission vehicles will help improve air quality in the City in general and Broughty Ferry.

Proposed Recharging Hub at Queen Street Car Park

Last month Ferry Councillors had a site visit to the Queen Street car park opposite the Library. We were there to examine proposals for an enhanced number and variety of electric vehicle recharging points. This is to be funded from a share of a £1.86 million grant from the UK government's Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). As well as more rapid recharging points for cars, there would also be provision for the recharging of electric bikes and electric mobility scooters. 

I think many older folk in The Ferry who have extended their bike riding by shifting to an e-bike or those that rely on a mobility scooter will be pleased that their needs have been recognised in the plans for this proposed facility.

The two pictures show an artist's impression of what the new Recharging Hub might look like; it would be sited where the recycling bins are currently lined up. To accommodate the Recharging Hub, the recycling containers would be moved to the western side of the car park closer to the railway.

This project is subject to consultation with the Broughty Ferry Community Council and The Ferry Local Community Planning Partnership.

Grove Academy Pupils Excel in Street Dance and Community Gardening

Xplosion Dance Crew
Huge congratulations to Grove Academy's Xplosion Dance Crew who were 1st in the UDO Scottish National Street Dance competition at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on 5th June 2016 and then were runners up in UDO British Schools Championships in Stoke in early July.




Queen Street Community Gardens
Congratulations also to Grove Pupils who, with support from Mrs Holligan, have been involved in creating and developing the Queen Street Community Garden. Their gardening efforts transforming a neglected area of the car park has been recognised with the award of an 'Outstanding' Status from It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN).  It's very positive to see that the hard work of Grove pupils has paid off. 'Outstanding' is the highest IYN award and it is an advance from their 'Thriving' status awarded in 2015.

Missing Bollard and Trip Hazard Reported

A constituent contacted to to complain about a missing bollard in the Queen Street Car Park. The missing bollard - see image top left - is at the end of a line of bollards closing off an earlier access point for vehicles from Gray Street.

The gap that has been exposed between the yellow Taxi Cabin and the remaining bollard looks large enough for a car to squeeze through. 

Not only is the missing bollard likely to encourage vehicles to use this 'entry point' but also it's a potential trip hazard as the exposed base has been hollowed out and might lead to a nasty trip for an unsuspecting pedestrian.

I have reported the missing bollard to the Roads' Maintenance Partnership. 

In the meanwhile, watch your step in this corner of the car park.

Grove Academy Eco Group Talking Wildflowers Project

Congratulations to the Grove Academy Eco Group who have been continuing their good work tending and developing the Community Garden in the Queen Street Car Park adjacent to Broughty Ferry Station.

In their latest project, Talking Wildflowers, they have identified and photographed over 20 wildflowers growing at the site. They have also written and recorded stories about 9 of them with more to follow. Their words and pictures can be found on a blog created by one of the pupils https://broughtyqueenstreet.wordpress.com

Abertay Rotary Club Annual Plant Sale Today Queen Street Car Park Saturday 25 May 2013

Abertay Rotary Club are holding their annual Plant Sale today.

Plant Sale TODAY
10:00 - 16:00
Queen Street Car Park
Saturday 25 May 2013 

Bag some bargain plants for your garden and at the same time support our local Rotary Club's funding raising for good causes.

Missing Bollard in Queen Street Car Park Reported

A constituent alerted me to the missing bollard in the easterly corner of the Queen Street Car Park.

This row of bollards prevent cars from takin a short cut into Gray Street.  

I have contacted the transportation department about this issue and requested the installation of a replacement to bridge the gap in the line of bollards

Ferry Automated Public Convenience is Finally Open - But Who Pays for the Delays?

After a series of disappointing delays, the Automated Public Convenience in Queen Street Car Park in Broughty Ferry was finally open for 'spending a penny' on Tuesday 13 December.


This leased public toilet was a 'replacement' for the award winning Queen Street staffed toilets which were closed as part of the budget savings for this financial year. Ken Guild also a Ferry Councillor and Leader of the Council, promised that when our award winning  staffed toilets closed at the end of March, the replacement would be installed and operational before the summer holidays. Well the Automated Public Convenience has been standing in the car park for months but with no connection to water and sewerage.


As well as the public inconvenience from this eight month gap in provision, there is disappointment about Ferry Council Tax being wasted on charges for a leased public convenience that has not been operational for three months.


Let's hope that this disappointing start can be put behind us and visitors and residents alike find the 24 hour access to an Automated Public Convenience a satisfactory alternative to the former staffed toilets.

Mounting Cost of Not Spending a Penny in Broughty Ferry

Automated public convenience still not working 1st November 

In March when our award winning staffed public toilets in the Queen Street Car park were closed as part of the cuts, we were promised that there would be a replacement Automated Public Convenience (APC) in place for summer visitors.


Work to install the automated public convenience did not however begin until the end of August. On Tuesday, more than two months later, a trench is finally being dug in the car park for the water and drainage connection to the automated public convenience. But as the APC has been on site and partially installed since the end of August, I presume our public money has been wasted paying the leasing charges while it can't be used. 

I have written to David Dorward, the Council's Chief Executive, to clarify the responsibility for the lengthening delay to 'spend a penny'  and the mounting cost to council tax of paying for a facility that has not yet been fully installed. 

Ken Guild, Leader of the Council and also a Broughty Ferry Councillor, can hardly feel flushed with success from this initiative.

Piano Duets Lunchtime Concert Saturday 22 October St Mary's Episcopal Church B/ferry

The next Lunchtime Concert at St Mary's Episcopal Church in Broughty Ferry is on Saturday October 22 beginning at 1pm.

Stephen Armstrong and Avril Evans will be performing piano duets including Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite.

St Mary's Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry DD5 1AJ located next door to the Post Office Bar

Car parking in the Queen Street Car Park which is opposite the Public Library.

Wait Nearly Over For Spending A 'Penny'

Work has commenced in the Queen Street car park on the installation of an Automated Public Convenience (APC) which is due to open by the middle of September. 


This single unit will replace the former staffed public toilets which were closed nearly five months ago at the end of March.


Unfortunately the former award winning staffed public toilets in the car park were a victim of the SNP led Council's cuts in local public services.


The opening of this Automated Public Toilet will bring to an end this gap in public convenience provision in central Broughty Ferry. 


I hope users of this new facility will find it an adequate replacement.