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.

Road Safety Improvements in Claypotts Road Outside Grove Academy

The new bus stop for Grove Academy
Click on image to enlarge

Claypotts Road reopened last Friday after a period of closure for road works. 

The road works comprised a complete resurfacing of Claypotts Road from the junction with Ferndale Drive, past the main front entrance of Grove Academy right down to the junction with Queen Street and West Queen Street at the Occidental traffic lights. 

In addition, a number of road safety measures have been introduced including:

• Moving the bus stops from a position close to the main entrance to Grove and its vehicular entrance to new positions close to the pedestrian only entrance further down Claypotts Road;
• Introduction of a traffic island in Claypotts Road close to the new bus stops to prevent vehicles overtaking the buses dropping off and picking up passengers and
• Revised and redrawn traffic restrictions including yellow lines.

The Grove Academy and Eastern Primary School Parent Councils, the Broughty Ferry Community Council were all consulted about these proposals as were the four Councillors for Broughty Ferry.

When I had a site visit before the road re-opened, I voiced some concerns to Traffic Engineers that the new traffic island, which seemed to have been erected in the wrong location. I was concerned that it was located adjacent to the kerbside fence outside the pedestrian access to Grove Academy.  The Traffic Engineers confirmed that this traffic island was being constructed in the location they had planned. It was positioned to stop overtaking of stationery buses (see picture above) but not positioned to facilitate pedestrians crossing at that point.

I first raised concerns about the traffic arrangements in Claypotts Road in 2009 before the opening of New Grove Academy. 

I trust that these new arrangements will be used appropriately by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians and thereby contribute to enhanced road safety in the vicinity of Grove Academy and Eastern Primary School.

New Stretch of One Way Traffic Restriction in Seafield Road Broughty Ferry

New Section of One Way Traffic in Seafield Road

Earlier this week Broughty Ferry's latest stretch of one way street was introduced on the southern end of Seafield Road between Grove Academy and Davidson Street. This narrow section of Seafield Road now only permits traffic driving north.

Traffic driving south down Seafield Road from Balgillo Road will find that at the cross roads with Davidson Street their path direct ahead is now "No Entry" and they need to turn right or left down Davidson Street.

Temporarily, there is also no turn available along Davidson Street heading west as this leads to Claypotts Road which is currently closed for complete resurfacing work.

As my photograph taken at twilight shows, the new short section of one way traffic begins by the back entrance to Grove Academy.

This traffic change came from recommendations made by a short life working group. This was formed to address concerns about pupil safety in anticipation of the move of Eastern Primary School to the refurbished old Grove building next door to the new Grove Academy. Chaired by the Chief Executive David Dorward, this group involved Head Teachers and members of the Parent Councils of Grove Academy and Eastern Primary Schools, senior members of staff from the Council's Education and Transportation Departments and Tayside Police and Ferry Councillors.

It is hoped that this measure will divert traffic towards the front entrance of the school on Claypotts Road and reduce the number of vehicles exiting Church Street onto Queen Street. The one way was deliberately introduced during the summer vacation so that residents could get used to this before the school runs resume on Tuesday 12 August.

Speed Limit on Dalhousie and Monifieth Road Reduced This Week to 30mph

Motorists driving along the main A930 lower road between Broughty Ferry and Monifieth will be faced with a reduced speed limit later this week.

The section of Dalhousie Road/Monifieth Road which is currently subject to a 40 mph limit will be brought down to 30 mph. This lower limit will mean that there is a consistent 30 mph speed limit on the main road between The Ferry and Monifieth.

Detailed analysis of traffic volumes, accidents, the current speed drivers travel at and local concerns were all taken in to account when the limits were revised. I think this will make a significant difference to the quality of life of the people who live, work and travel through these areas.

On Wednesday 6 March, the existing 40mph signs will be removed on Dalhousie Road/Monifieth Road, leaving a continuous length of road with a 30 mph limit.

Road Safety Fears from Camphill Road Residents

Camphill Road looking East along
one of the narrower stretches.

Many residents in Camphill Road have contacted me to pass on their concerns about road safety in their street. 

Their concerns focus particularly on the narrower section of their road between the top of Whinny Brae and the junction with Queen Street at the traffic lights. 

They think that the corners in this stretch of the road leave drivers with blind spots. These hazards mean that motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are in danger of colliding at the corners where sight lines are restricted by the turns in the road and parked cars down one side of the road. In the picture (click on the picture to enlarge) notice that the single free lane is bounded on the left with a narrow pavement.

Observations of close run collisions at this point make some residents fearful that this is a serious accident waiting to happen. Their solution is to make Camphill Road east from its junction with Panmure Street one way. This would also reduce the opportunity for Camphill Road to be used as a rat run.

I have written to the Head of Transportation at the City Council to request that the traffic flows on this section of Camphill Road are monitored and options for improving road safety are assessed. The residents I have met are however adamant that they are not requesting the Council to paint more double yellow lines as many homes in the narrower part of the road have no off street parking.

Temporary Closure of Gray Street Pedestrian Underpass Starting Monday 5 December

The City Council have announced that there will be a temporary closure of the Gray Street pedestrian underpass for eighteen days beginning on Monday 9 January 2012. This is to facilitate improvement work to the station platforms, including creating a new access to the down platform (for trains towards Dundee).


I trust this temporary closure will not tempt any pedestrians, especially children and young people at our local schools to try to cross the level crossing at the last minute as the safety barriers are coming down. 


I have written to the Head Teachers at Eastern Primary School and Grove Academy to draw attention to this temporary closure and the potential hazard this might pose for their pupils walking to and from school. They have readily agreed to draw this to the attention of their pupils.

Online Map of Road Casualties in Broughty Ferry 2000-2010

Click on the map to see a larger version

Earlier this week, public access to an online map of road casualties for 2000-2010 was published on a website. The map displayed here focuses on Broughty Ferry.


From my reading, the map indicates that over a ten year period there have been four people killed on our roads in the Ferry area. Two of these were pedestrians, both older people, and two were occupants in vehicles (drivers and passengers are not distinguished). The map also indicates a much larger number of serious and slight injuries sustained by pedestrians, cyclists and occupants in vehicles.

It all points to the need to be more road safety conscious as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or car drivers and passengers.

The map was released by the charity RoadPeace. The casualty data is based on Stats19 data collected by the police and made available through the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) and the UK Data Archive.

The map is available online at http://map.itoworld.com/road-casualties-uk

Could 'Trixi' Mirrors Save Lives in Dundee Streets?

Trixi mirrors are the latest road safety development to help keep cyclists safe on our roads. They can give drivers of large vehicles a view of their blind spot - the corridor down their left where cyclists become invisible.


They are named after Beatrix Willburger, a Swiss young woman who was killed by a lorry turning left. Her father has since promoted the use of the mirrors at junctions.


They are relatively low costs improvements requiring no wiring or digging up the highway to install. 


Right now Trixi mirrors are being trialled in London. I have written to Neil Gellatly, Head of Transportation in the City Council to ask him to keep an eye on the trial down south and consider installing these at busy junctions in the city.

Road Safety Improvements Due for Busy Road Junction in The Ferry

At the meeting of the City Development Committee on Monday 27 June, road safety was one of the matters considered. It was agreed that in Broughty Ferry, improvements to the busy and accident prone junction between Fairfield Road and Strathern Road would be targeted. Road users and residents can expect changes to be introduced during the coming year. 


This will be welcome news for pedestrians and drivers alike who find this a tricky junction to negotiate at peak traffic times; especially traffic movements from Fairfield Road joining or crossing Strathern Road.

Eastern Primary School Relocation - Decision Time

After a long tussle at the Education Committee earlier tonight (Monday evening), the proposal to relocate Eastern Primary School to the former Grove Academy buildings was approved. But the Education Convener, Liz Fordyce, did not have it all her own way and had to offer a major concession to Opposition Councillors from the Ferry. This took the form of establishing a Project Management Board with parent and resident involvement.

I am convinced that this concession was extracted by dint of the visible and vocal objections from parents/carers and residents with an interest in the relocation of Eastern Primary School, whose concerns I was also able to represent a the Education Committee.

The outstanding concerns that had stirred residents and parents/carers to contact me and other Councillors in The Ferry were principally about child safety, traffic management and securing the educational benefit of the relocation. As Eastern Primary School will effectively become part of an education campus with Grove Academy, it seemed important that Grove staff and parents were also included on the Project Board. After all, the Grove and Eastern staff and pupils will be using the same footpaths and roads to access their school.

The Project Board will be Chaired by the Chief Executive, David Dorward and will comprise:

• elected members (Convener of Education and four Ferry Councillors),
• Director of Education,
• the Head Teachers of Eastern Primary School and Grove Academy,
• 2 Parent Council members from each of Eastern Primary School and Grove Academy,
• I Teacher Union representative,
• I Community Council representative,
• a representative of Tayside Police and
• any other relevant Council officer as the Director the Director of Education and the Chief Executive deems appropriate.

The first meeting of the Project Board will be held in December and the Board will stay in place until after Eastern Primary School has relocated and until the members are satisfied that measures to secure pupil safety and mitigate traffic management issues were effective.

While this is a victory for common sense in Broughty Ferry, it is also an important precedent. Previously it was only the new build schools projects in the city that have had this level of project management with input from parents and community.

Commenting on the call for Car Exclusion Zones next to Schools

Commenting on the call by Living Streets for car exclusion zones next to schools:

"I welcome the campaign by Living Streets just before the start of the new Education Session next week. They remind us of the potential dangers for our children as they travel to and from school; especially from inconsiderate parking and unnecessary traffic movements; much of this caused by relatively short car journey's to drop off children at school. They also remind us of the health consequences from our school children having a less active life style.

It is for reasons like this that, in my time as Education Convener, I promoted an initiative to improve dropping off and parking around our primary schools. Following successful pilots at Eastern and Park Place Primary Schools this is being extended to all of our primary schools in Dundee by the current Administration with all party support. While car exclusion zones around every school is not going to be practicable, it is an issue for new schools that are currently at the design stage. I shall ask the Director of Education and the Convener to take this on board."

Community Opposition to Planning Permission for Grove Offices

Monday evening's Development Quality Committee (15 March 2010) of the City Council considered the 'Grove House' Office development. On a vote, the Council granted itself planning permission for this substantial office development. This will see more than 350 council staff relocated to converted offices in the buildings formerly used by Grove Academy on the south side of Camperdown Street. These premises were vacated by the school when they moved to their new buildings on the opposite side of Camperdown Street in November last year. The relocated staff, chiefly from Education and Social Work are concerned with staff training and quality improvement in schools and social work services. It follows that many of the staff based at Grove House will be coming and going to establishments all over Dundee in their day to day work.

The Committee heard from two deputation of objectors and had before them over a dozen written representations from residents opposed to the development. Objectors were chiefly those living in the vicinity of the new offices and anticipating more competition for on street parking. There were also serious concerns expressed about road safety, especially for the 1000+ pupils attending Grove Academy.

Much of the debate turned on whether measures to reduce journeys by private car proposed in two reports by external consultants were feasible and practicable. A flaw in the consultants' reports was they omitted to consider the considerable number of journeys generated to and from these premises by staff (other than those based at Grove House) attending training events and meetings. The plans clearly indicate the provision of space for training and meeting rooms.

I was disappointed in the undue haste of the Council as developer and planning authority wanting to push this planning application through. Had the developer (The Council) come forward with more thoroughly developed proposals, backed up with resources, to reduce the negative impacts of this development on environmental quality and road safety, I would have been prepared to support the motion of the Development Quality Convener, Rod Wallace. While councillors on the Development Quality Committee are meant to come to the meeting and make up their minds individually on the balance of all of the evidence presented, I did notice that Leader of the Administration, Ken Guild (also a Ferry Councillor) and all of his SNP group of councillors voted unanimously to support the proposal.

I assure my constituents that I shall continue to represent their views about road safety and parking at the working group that will be established to monitor progress introducing travel plan measures connected with this development. While I appreciate the wider community benefits for the shops and services in Broughty Ferry from more potential customers working in the area and the retention of the Centenary Sport Hall as a recreational facility, I hope this will not need to be at the undue expense of the residents living in the streets close to the Grove Offices. Primarily, I hope these changes will not need to be at the cost of a decline in the road safety of our young people attending Grove Academy.

Appeal to Drivers & Pedestrians in the Vicinity of the New Grove Academy

The rebuilding of Grove Academy has recently been completed. On Monday 16 November, the new school, in one integrated building, will open its doors for the first time to staff and pupils. A significant change is that the main entrance to the school has been moved to Claypotts Road adjacent to the junctions with Davidson Street and Ballinard Gardens.

I want to urge all road users in the vicinity of the new Grove Academy to take extra care next week while we all become familiar with the changed layout. Pupils crossing the road by the new school main entrance need to be wary of restricted sight lines because of the bend in Claypotts Road. Buses stopping adjacent to the school gates may also restrict their view. I think, many manoeuvres by drivers in and out of the new Grove school car park, especially right turns, will be potentially hazardous for pedestrians and other road users. These changes will also affect adults attending Grove for evening classes organised by BERA. From Monday night, they will need to use the new entrance to the school on Claypotts Road to access all of their classes.

In addition, road users should also note that on Monday 16 November there will be temporary closure of the end of Claypotts Road south of West Queen Street while the road over the railway bridge is resurfaced.

Car Ditched in East Home Street as Temporary Bridge over Pavement Trench Collapses

Professor Steve Partridge got a shock when he was parking his car in his garage off East Home Street in Broughty Ferry on Wednesday evening. As he carefully drove on plastic bridging sheets over the trench dug by Tayside Contracts, the side of the trench gave way and the offside front wheel of his car became stuck in the trench. Careful jacking by a garage he called out helped to extricate the car.

He said,

“While being delighted that the pavement has been adopted, the minor disruption to daily routine has now turned serious. The trench that has been dug in preparation for the installation of the kerbs means that either we risk driving over inadequate plastic ramps and our cars falling in (as happened to me this evening), or leaving our cars on the street in direct contravention to our insurance companies' instruction.

Either adequate ramps of greater length should be supplied, or the trench should be filled in until the delivery of the radius kerbs, which have clearly been holding up the work. I should also like to know from Tayside Contracts if they will compensate me for the garage callout and if the underside of my car has been damaged?”

Councillor Laurie Bidwell, who was also called to the scene said,

“I think residents with garages accessed on the south side of East Home Street will be very nervous about crossing this trench. Like Mr Partridge, I think they will want to know when the pavement upgrading will be completed on their side of the street so that they can access their homes and garages easily and safely.”

Grove Academy Road Safety & Parking Issues - Disappointing Response from Councillor Guild

Ferry Councillor, Laurie BidweIl said:
"In statement published in the Courier on Monday 22 June 2009,
http://lauriebidwell.blogspot.com/2009/06/potential-road-safety-dangers-and.html
I called for reassurance by Mike Galloway, Director of Transport & Planning, that the traffic planning for the new Grove Academy and its recreational facilities for the wider public is not undertaken in isolation from the traffic and transport planning for the 300 plus Council staff being relocated to converted offices in the Old Grove six months later. I continue to think that the public want to know that the necessary road safety measures will be in place before the new school site becomes operational. It’s absolutely crucial that we don’t wait for a serious injury to one of our pupils at the school to trigger traffic management changes that can surely be anticipated.

Ken Guild's, response published in the Courier on Wednesday 24 June 2009 proposed two measures:
1. Extending the 20 mph zone for the school and
2. Individual travel plans for the 300 plus Social Work and Education staff being transferred to the offices in the Old Grove building.

This is deeply disappointing and ignores the essence of what I requested. In fact his response illustrates for me the limited and isolated road safety and traffic planning which is being conducted for these two side by side major developments and which he seems prepared to go along with. Why, for example, is the individual traffic planning for the 300 plus social work and education staff moving into the offices in the Old Grove not being extended to the all of the staff of Grove Academy? The latter details should be part of an elaborated Travel Plan for the new school. Furthermore, is extending the 20 mph zone for the school the only specific road safety measure he thinks is necessary? I was expecting a more considered road safety and traffic management optional appraisal to be undertaken covering both of these important developments on the Grove campus."

Potential Road Safety Dangers and Traffic Chaos When New Grove Academy and Council Offices Open

Saturday 20 June 2009

Claypotts Road could be grid locked and an accident black spot when the new Grove Academy is complete at the turn of the year and 300+ council staff move into converted offices in the old Grove buildings.

Ferry Councillor Laurie Bidwell warns,
“The new main entrance to Grove Academy, with access to the new school car park, will move into Claypotts Road adjacent to the junctions with Davidson Street and Ballinard Gardens. In addition to drop offs and teachers and visitors coming and going, these same parking spaces will be in demand by the public using the swimming pool and sports halls in the evenings and at weekends. With restricted sight lines because of the bend in Claypotts Road and fast flowing traffic, many manoeuvres in and out of the school car park, especially right turns, will be potentially hazardous.

The number of road traffic movements in the street will also be increased very significantly by the 300 plus City Council staff being moved into the converted offices in the Old Grove buildings. At peak times, especially at the beginning of the school and working day, there may be gridlock in Claypotts Road as school and council staff as well as pupils and their parents try to navigate the Claypotts Road bottle neck between Queen Street and Strathern Road.

Given the shortage of parking places in the Old Grove car park and only two thirds planned provision of car parking spaces for staff at the new Grove Academy, residents anticipating some relief when the building work finishes will doubtless find more parking connected with the school and the council offices spilling over into their surrounding streets. “

Councillor Laurie Bidwell said:
“Ferry residents need to be reassured by a statement from Mike Galloway, Director of Transport and Planning, that the traffic planning for the new school and its recreational facilities for the wider public is not undertaken in isolation from the traffic and transport planning for the 300 plus Council staff being relocated in the Old Grove six months later. Furthermore, I think the public want to know that the necessary road safety measures will be in place before the new school site becomes operational. It’s absolutely crucial that we don’t wait for a serious injury to one of our pupils at the school to trigger traffic management changes that can surely be anticipated.”