Ballumbie Primary School is Blooming Marvellous

I attended the official opening of Ballumbie Primary School on Thursday morning. This event provided a wonderful demonstration of the creativity and learning of the pupils in their new school. Whether they were performing in unison when the choir sang or the percussion group drummed, or solo singling, playing violin, highland dancing or reciting poetry; their performances were confident and warmly appreciated by the invited audience.

My highlight of the morning was the Choir's opening number, 'Don't Stop Us Now'.


"Don't stop us now We're having such a good time
We're having a ball don't stop us now
If you wanna have a good time just give us a call
Don't stop us now ('Cause we're having a good time)
Don't stop us now (Yes we're having a good time)
We don't want to stop at all" 
(after Freddie Mercury)

The optimistic message of the Choir's adaptation of Queen's hit song summed up the school's and children's aspirations. As the children sang, I thought it also presented Parents and Carers, Councillors and Education Managers with a challenge to provide the conditions that will enable our children to flourish and not to rein in their aspirations. Now we have made the long term investment in this new school, it is important that the year to year money for teachers and other staff is maintained so that the Primary pupils at Ballumbie Primary School can make the most of the learning possibilities that this new school building provides.

North East Labour Councillor Brian Gordon, said:
I am proud to have been one of Councillors in Dundee who initiated the process that led to the merger of Newfields and Whitfield Primary Schools and the Whitfield Community Nursery and its replacement with this fine new school, community nursery and community wing. This new school building is a step forward for the education of our children and also a bold statement of commitment to the continuing regeneration of Whitfield.

Reserved Places for Barnhill and Forthill Primary Schools and Grove Academy

At the Education Committee on Monday 25 February, the Committee considered a report on 'Retaining Reserved Places In Schools 2013/2014'. Councils can reserve places in schools in anticipation of children who may move into the catchment area of the school in-year. They must consider the overall demand for places at the school, and can only keep empty the number of places that they consider are reasonably required for pupils likely to move into the catchment area in the period up to and including the forthcoming school year.

The Committee papers contained the following list of proposed reserved places in school session August 2013 - June 2014. Addressing the Committee, I said:                                                                        

Click on table to enlarge

"I welcome this report. It addresses some of of the pinch points in demand for schooling in the city and tries to ensure that children whose families move into the school catchment area during the school year have a small number of reserved places potentially available at the Primary and 

Secondary schools in their area. On the basis of the criteria in this report, I believe that Forthill Primary School should also have 2 reserved places at P1 stage. At the Parent Council meeting last week, which the Director of Education attended, concerns were expressed about rising roll of the school. For people moving into the Forthill catchment area, the potential constraint would be in P1 where there the legal maximum is 25 whereas it is higher in P2 and above.

Forthill catchment area contains some new housing and with some recently built major new housing development such as the Ferryfields. It is a catchment area with a continuing reasonable level of turnover of homes as people move in and out.

Accordingly, I ask the Committee to approve this change to the list of reserved places for the next school year."

The Convener of the Committee, after consultation with the Director, accepted my proposal.

Long Lane Potholes Reported But Would Resurfacing be More Cost Effective?

Click on image to enlarge

Following a complaint from a resident, I have reported this pothole to the Roads' Maintenance Partnership.  

It's located in the western end of Long Lane between Westfield Road and Church Street. 

The depth and sharp edge would make this an uncomfortable pothole to encounter while passing parked cars on the southern side of the street.

While this pothole is certainly worth reporting and patching, the picture also indicates that at several adjacent points, the edge of this road is breaking up and has either been recently patched or will also require repair shortly as small fissures become enlarged. In the long term, a complete resurfacing of Long Lane would probably be more cost effective.

Older Ferry Folk Have Your Say! Communities in Action Event Wed 13 March 2013 2-4pm YMCA Broughty Ferry

Older people living in Broughty Ferry have been invited to have their say about their area over a cup of tea. 

On Wednesday 13 March, 2013 2-4pm they will be welcome to come along to the YMCA in Brook Street. They will be asked about what they would like to see improved in their community and most importantly, how they could help to achieve this?

A new team of Community Engagement Workers for Dundee are based at The Volunteer Centre in Dundee. This new team have been funded through the Reshaping Care for Older People Fund. They will be working closely with older people in the city to help to develop the capacity of communities to better support older people to remain in their own homes for longer. They are organising this event and look forward to meeting older Ferry folk on that afternoon. 

The target audience is older people, however, they are not excluding any age groups as it’s a public involvement event and they believe it would be good to hear an intergenerational perspective.

There is no charge for this event. 

Further details please contact: 
Email GillBain@number10.org
Email PatGreenhough@number10.org
Email Philippa@number10.org
Tel     01382 305758

Forthill Primary School Gets a Double Boost

At the City Development Committee Meeting last night two decisions supported improvements at Forthill Primary School.


Firstly, the Committee approved a Traffic Order for the Part-Time Prohibition of Driving in Fintry Place east of the turning circle at the front of the school. This traffic order would restrict access to this section of Fintry Place to pedestrians only during School Days Monday - Friday 8:30-9:15 am and 3:00-3:30 pm. This traffic order will now be subject to a period of consultation. If confirmed and implemented, this should improve road safety at the school.

When this item was discussed, I asked for and received reassurance that there would be opportunities for further consultation about the location of the rise and fall barrier barring access to the eastern end of Fintry Place when the implementation of the traffic order was reconsidered.

Secondly, the Committee approved a tender of £28,124.51 to pay for site works for the new dual classroom temporary building ('hut') to be erected at Forthill Primary School for use by the expanding and highly successful Forthill Out of School Care Club. 

Progress with Forthill Primary School Road Safety Measures

On Monday night 25 February 2013, the City Development Committee will take an important step towards resolving a road safety issue at Forthill Primary School that was identified in April 2012. The Committee will be asked to approve a Traffic Order for the Part-Time Prohibition of Driving in Fintry Place east of the turning circle at the front of the school. This traffic order would restrict access to this section of Fintry Place to pedestrians only during School Days Monday - Friday 8:30-9:15 am and 3:00-3:30 pm.

The background to this traffic order is that on Thursday 19 April 2012, I visited Forthill Primary School with members of the School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group. This included officers from Tayside Police, Council staff from Transportation, Education and Travel Active and Councillors like me.  

Section of Finrty Place which will be subject
to part-time prohibition of driving

This is what I observed on our visit:
For about 25 minutes there was a lot of comings and goings including several hundred vehicle movements. There was also a significant number of parents and carers on foot rather than driving right up to the door in their cars. The potentially most dangerous manoeuvres I observed involved cars reversing close to where children were also crossing the school road. While the issues associated with dropping off and collecting children at Forthill Primary School are well known to me, it was important that all the other members of  this group observe the potential dangers to children from the traffic congestion in the vicinity of the school at the end of the school day. It was I think significant that this was the first visit of the working group, which demonstrates the priority being given to systematically investigating and improving  arrangements for picking and and dropping off children at Forthill. The working group have four further visits to Primary Schools in other parts of Dundee next week before we move onto devising some solutions.

The School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group was set up by the Education Committee on Monday 27 February 2012 and the group is chaired by the Chief Executive. 

I am sure parent and carers, with children at Forthill Primary School, will be relieved that that one more of the practical solutions we identified last year is about to be implemented.

Dog Poo Issues at Grassy Beach

Click on image to enlarge

Dog walkers on Grassy Beach have drawn my attention to a damaged lid on a dog poo bin located beside the coastal pathway between Douglas Terrace and Grassy Beach.  This particular bin is close to the foot of the steps up to the footbridge over the railway which connects with the pathway that leads to Beach Lane.

It looks as though the lid has been eaten away by rust. Whatever the cause, the gaping lid does not do its job.

While I have drawn this to the attention of the Environment Department, I also want to appeal to all dog owners to clean up after their dogs and use the bins. Within three metres of this bin, there are six dog poos left on the grass and one filled dog poo bag carelessly dumped on the ground.

Residents in Albany Road Complain About Pavements

Residents who live on the stretch of Albany Road between Ralston Road and  Fairfield Road are fed up with their muddy pavements. On both sides of the street the pavements are unadopted. Slowly this road is rising up the list of priorities for bringing up to standard and then adoption by the City Council. But that can't be fast enough for residents who walk along this street.

My picture above shows, a stretch of footway on the south side of the road close to a construction site for a new build house with a portacabin site office on the road and a muddy section of pavement in between.

On the same stretch of the road, but on the north side, the second photo shows the tyre tracks of a heavy vehicle which has churned up the surface of the footway. Also in shot is the overhanging foliage from a resident's garden that is obstructing the footway.

I have written to the Transportation Department to request that they inspect the footway and re-prioritise it on the list of unadopted pavements.

All in a Productive Day's Work

Beach Lane Path resurfaced
right to the end

Yesterday was a long but productive day.

I started my day early by reading some candidates' reports for the Head Teacher interviews taking place from 10:00 in Dundee House. On the way into the city centre, I dropped into Beach Lane to check that the work on the resurfacing of the muddy path had been completed. Good news that it was looking good and a jogger was out putting the path to the test.

After taking a couple of pictures, I drove along to Albany Road to follow up a constituent's complaint about the state of the unadopted pavements in his end of the street. After gathering some photographic evidence, I drove into town and parked and then walked over to Dundee House.

After three interviews (following two the previous day) and some thoughtful deliberation, we selected our 'preferred candidate' for the post.

I drove back home and took my dog Milli for a walk to Grassy Beach. This also gave me an opportunity to have a look at the progress with rebuilding the coastal pathway near Douglas Terrace and check the temporary signage as the coastal path had been closed, apparently only until the weekend.
Returning home, I had a mug of tea with my wife who had just got back from her work. I then wrote and emailed a short report for a meeting I was missing because it clashed with the quarterly meeting of the Local Community Planning Partnership (LCPP). After remembering to download agendas and papers for the two meetings ahead, I left the house and went round the corner to Grove Academy.

The members of the LCPP, with Evening Telegraph Reporter Michael Owen, convened in the Grove Academy Library. We had a very useful briefing about Welfare Reform and its implications for residents. In the light of the switch to online only applications for new claims for Universal Credit, we discussed where in Broughty Ferry one might gain advice and practical help making an online claim. When libraries were mentioned, I queried whether there would be sufficient numbers of computers in Broughty Ferry Library to cope with the  additional influx of claimants who needed help to make their claims. I also commented on the lack of spaces in our library for interviews with some degree of privacy.

I left this meeting and headed off to attend the Parent Council at Forthill Primary School arriving at 7:15 pm just after it had begun. This was a lively meeting with an extended dialogue between parents/carers and Michael Wood, Director of Education who was asked to respond to a list of twenty written questions that the parent Council had gathered in preparation for the meeting. The most pointed questions from parents were about the rising number of children in the school (current roll 561 pupils) and teh physical capacity of the school to cope; the catchment area of the school; recent budget cuts in Education and their impact on Forthill Primary and Grove Academy and the appointment of a replacement Head Teacher. There was also a discussion about road safety issues outside the school.

After the school bell rang the meeting was concluded but the discussion with parents and carers migrated into the car park. I eventually arrived home for my tea just before 10pm.

Resurfacing Beach Lane Path Almost Complete

Click on image to enlarge

Yesterday morning I visited Beach Lane in Broughty Ferry to examine the condition of the path that connects Grassy Beach and Dundee Road. 

The Courier and Evening Telegraph both reported on Tuesday that the resurfacing of the muddy section of this path had been undertaken by the Environment Department in preparation of the temporary closure of the coastal pathway between Douglas Terrace and Grassy Beach and the diversion along this pathway.

The picture shows that, the resurfacing that I had called for in August last year and at the beginning of this month was well underway. It looked as though, with the laying of another load of grit, the resurfacing of the muddy section of the Beach Lane path would be complete. 

I trust folk using the Beach Lane pathway find this resurfacing work by the Environment Department an appreciable improvement to underfoot conditions.

Agenda for Next Meeting of The Ferry Community Planning Partnership Thursday 21 Feb at 5.30pm

The next meeting of The Ferry Community Planning Partnership will be held tomorrow, Thursday 21st February 2013, at 5.30 pm
in Grove Academy, Claypotts Road, Broughty Ferry.

This meeting is 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 wish to attend and would like further information about the meeting or the Community Planning Partnership, please use the contact details shown below.

Agenda

1. Welcome and Apologies

2. ​Welfare Reform Presentation - Update from A.D.A.P.T. – Rosemarie  

3.​ Previous Minute and Matters Arising

4.​ Community Plan 2012-2017 Update
​(This will be by written report and will feature in updates by individual partners
​And agencies)

5. ​Department/Agency/Organisation Update

• Grove Academy – Vision and Values
• Transport around School

6.​ Community Issues Raised by Members of the Public

7.​ Date of Next Meeting
​Thursday 31st May 2013 – Barnhill Community Centre 5.30 pm

Carole Jenkins
Communities Officer
Tel  436929 (Tues, Wed, Thurs only)
Email carole.jenkins@dundeecity.gov.uk

Deepdale Place Care Home Gets Planning Permission Despite Objections from Residents & Ferry Councillors

Click on image to enlarge

On Monday evening 18 February, the Development Management Committee of the City Council considered the planning application for:
11 DEEPDALE PLACE, BROUGHTY FERRY - CHANGE OF USE FROM PRIVATE
DWELLINGHOUSE TO RESIDENCE FOR DEPENDENT YOUNG PEOPLE

Link to Committee Report 

After hearing two deputations from objectors and the developer, I proposed that planning permission be refused.

This is a copy of the statement I read out to the Committee:

'Convener, I shall be moving that permission for this development is refused. This proposal is the wrong development for this site.

Firstly, I think the applicants and the planners have seriously underestimated the amount of traffic that would be generated by the managers, visitors including the relatives of residents, the two shifts of staff, suppliers and the transport toing and froing to take residents to other services. This would clearly be more than the equivalent traffic movements from a multi car owning ordinary household. They have also underestimated the parking pressure in the street from the Coop convenience store in Claypotts Road less than 100 metres away.

Secondly, this development is bound to generate more noise than the ambient noise generated by the neighbours because this is a quiet street where many of the residents moved in when the estate was new. One of the objectors comments that 80% of the residents living close to the development are over 65 years old.  I think the residents deserve a continuing quiet life.

Thirdly, The garden ground fails to provide adequate amounts of amenity space for the client group selected. The site is sloping with a significant drop in levels from the front entrance to the end of the back garden ground. This would be challenging for the client group some of whom are likely to have mobility challenges.

Additionally residents are also mindful that the 'use category' would give permission for successor operators at these premises to change the client group of  the residents to other types of client groups. While the applicants claim they would create a family atmosphere, the staffing suggests otherwise. This amounts to a mini care home business.

This then is the wrong development for this site which is NOT in accord with planning policies.

Accordingly, I move refusal.'

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the Committee voted 13 for and 8 against and this development was granted planning permission.

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

Uplifting Holocaust Memorial Event at Grove Academy

Holocaust Survivor Ziggy Shipper with Grove
Pupil Holocaust Ambassadors

Last night I had the privilege of attending the Holocaust Memorial Event at Grove Academy. This combined a series of presentations by pupils and former pupils who had volunteered over the last three years to be Holocaust Ambassadors. As such they had visited the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Subsequently, they shared their experience with groups of pupils at Grove. 

The evening combined presentations by these ambassadors about their experience of making the visit, what they had learned and how they had shared this with their fellow pupils. The presenters were confident and insightful about their life changing experience of making their visit to the death camp at Auschwitz. 

The evening ended with an inspiring testament from holocaust survivor, Ziggy Shipper from London. Now in his eighties, Ziggy, shared his vivid memories of his time, as a young boy in the Nazi concentrations camps. He finished with an impassioned plea to all the pupils to never feel hate in their own lives. He warned that if they did feel hate then they would be the one that suffers.

This was a very impressive night for the Grove pupils who performed, for the audience of parents and carers who appreciated the pupils' performances and also witnessed the riveting talk by Ziggy Shipper. It was also a night to celebrate the creativity of Grove teachers who had so ably facilitated their senior pupils involved.

Call for Network Rail to Better Maintain Broughty Bridges

Last autumn, I highlighted the loose heavy stone at the Brook Street end of the parapet of the Fort Street humpback bridge over the railway. It still remains loose and swivels round and I continue to be concerned that it might fall and injure an unsuspecting passer by. Unfortunately, the City Engineer did not agree with my judgement and decided it did not present a danger to the public.

Yesterday in the bright spring like sunshine, I noticed how shabby the parapet of the Church Street bridge has become. It's rusty and badly in need of some corrosion treatment and a lick of paint.

Whle neither of these issues is an emergency, I think it's important to keep on top of the cyclical maintenance of these bridges and thereby protect the routes into and out of central Broughty Ferry. A neater finish should also support The Ferry as it competes for a higher level of award from Keep Scotland Beautiful this year. 

Come on Network Rail, you surely can do better than this?