Royal Mail Post Box On Camphill Road Corner Closed

At the December meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council, I reported residents' concerns about a damaged stone wall at the junction of Camphill Road and Bughties Road. Holes and cracks in the stone work had been apparently caused by a car crashing into it. The Conservation Officer of the Council had confirmed that the owners of the property were pursuing an insurance claim and repairs to the wall would be forthcoming.

At the same location, right on the corner of these two roads, there is a Royal Mail Post Box. It currently remains difficult to access behind some temporary barriers keeping the public away from the falling masonry. Now residents have noticed that the box has had its letter slot covered. It is rumoured that this is not just a temporary measure. 

Two resident's approached me concerned that a temporary suspension of collections by Royal Mail might turn into a long term closure of this letter box. They pointed out out that there are a significant number of older people in the area and that it is a much longer walk to the next nearest letters boxes in the wider area.

I have written to Royal Mail to request reassurance that this is merely a temporary suspension of collections until the wall is repaired and the public can access to this letter box again.

Joining the Board of Dundee Contemporary Arts

At the full Council meeting on Monday evening, I was nominated to fill a vacancy as a Council representative on the Board of Dundee Contemporary Arts.

I am pleased to have been appointed to take on this role.

I am looking forward to attending my first board meeting in the new year.

Environment Committee Approves Play Area Improvements at Castle Green and Orchar Park

At the Environment Committee on Monday evening 9th December, improvements were agreed to play areas across the city. For The Ferry these included play areas at Castle Green and Orchar Park. 

These proposals had been developed to address existing health and safety concerns and to enhance the amenity of facilities in each location. They should also help reduce the future maintenance burden on the Council Tax.

More specifically, these are the improvements that will be coming our way in Broughty Ferry:

Castle Green 
Install climbing nets and sand play equipment to enhance the site, replacing equipment that is beyond economic repair.

Orchar Park

Improve woodchip safety surfacing under play equipment.

The Memory of Broughty Ferry Book is Published

5th November 2013 was the centenary of Broughty Ferry becoming part of Dundee. A series of community led events during the year have taken place to recognise the end of Broughty Ferry as a separate Burgh.

Very close to the anniversary of annexation, Hugh Begg, Chris Davey and Nancy Davey have published an absorbing volume of local history, 'The Memory of Broughty Ferry'. The handsome cover features in the background the 1801 Plan of the 'New Town at the North Ferry' featuring the distinctive grid of roads which is still recognisable today.

The publication is now on sale for £6 in the The Ferry at Mcdonalds the Stationers in Brook Street and the Eduardo Alessandro Studios in Gray Street. In Dundee you will find it on sale at Waterstones in Commercial Street. There is also a reference copy available at the Broughty Ferry Library. 

The book contains 100 pages featuring nine separate chapters including:

• Broughty Ferry before 1913
• Salmon Fishing in Broughty Ferry
• The Mansion House Murder Mystery
• Fisher Street Graveyard
• The End of the Burgh of Broughty Ferry

Interestingly, the title, 'The Memory of Broughty Ferry' is the toast proposed by Provost Lindsay just prior to midnight on 4 November 1913, before he removed his chain of office for the last time. While it was the end of the Broughty Ferry Burgh as he knew it,  I think he would have been impressed with the enduring distinctiveness of the identity of Ferry folk and the continuing pride of place of its citizens wanting to record and celebrate its history as well as engage in planning its future.

Report to Broughty Ferry Community Council December 2013 Meeting

On Tuesday night 3 December 2013, I attended the monthly meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council. 

Here some extracts from my report to the Community Council:

Damaged Stone Wall Corner of Bughties and Camphill Roads
A stone wall at the corner of Bughties and Camphill Road was damaged by a vehicle crashing into it during the early autumn. A resident had contacted me to express concern that if this wall was not repaired soon the weather might get into the wall. I contacted Gary Knox, the Council's Conservation Officer, who contacted the relevant Planning Officer who has reassured me that the owners of the wall are pursuing an insurance claim and hope the wall be repaired soon..

Barnhill Primary School
The steel frame for the extension has now been erected providing a clearer illustration of the external dimensions of the extesnion currently under construction. 

I have asked the Director of Education to investigate plans that seem to indicate that the changing rooms for the new Games Hall will neither have wash hand brains nor toilets. This does not seem right.

Barnhill Primary school has insufficient storage racks for scooters and bicycles, for the children who scoot or cycle to school, I have asked the Director of Education whether any potential underspend in the contract for the extension of the school can be used for installing more bike and scooter racks.

Eastern Primary School/Grove Academy
After meeting of the School Parking and Pupil Safety working group and a further meeting with the Head of Transportation, Neil Gellatly. I can report that his engineers are investigating the feasibility of installing a lights controlled crossing on Queen Street close to its junction with Church Street.

Dundee Port Authority
I have mentioned previously (to the Community Council) the potential proposals for the expansion of port land from the Stannergate towards Broughty Ferry. In an article in the local press this week, the Manager of the Dundee Port indicated that this was to be pursued.

Changing Policy for School Placing Requests for Session from 2015/16
The Director of Education has produced a report to the Education Committee on Monday 9 December 2013 asking for permission to consult citywide on changing the policy for Placing Requests for schools with effect from school session 2015/16. A consultation meeting about this has been arranged at Grove Academy on Monday 3 February 2014.


Broughty Ferry Community Council meets on the first Tuesday of every month(excluding August and January) in the Community Library, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry Dundee DD5 2HN. Community Council meetings begin at 7pm and are open to the public.

Enter the 2014 New Year Dook at Broughty Ferry Harbour

It's time to get your entry in for the New Year's Day Dook 2014 at Broughty Ferry Harbour. Start time this year is 2:30pm.

The dook is organised by Scotland's only open water swimming club; Broughty Ferry's 'Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association'; the Phibbies! 

Yes the year is passing fast and as the Christmas lights in The Ferry have already been switched on, it's time to fill in your entry form. All entrants will receive their own Dook T-shirt and a Certificate of Achievement.
Entry fee £15.

To enter either fill in the entry form in the printed Dook 2014 Official Programme which is available throughout the Ferry in shops and at the Library or apply online at Ye Abba Dook 1st January 2014 - online entry form. 

Steel Framework Assembly Begins for Barnhill Primary School Extension

On Wednesday, work began assembling the steel frame for the extension to Barnhill Primary School. Looking over from Gillies Park, you can see one of the the first steel beams being lifted by a crane into position. As these are erected, the scale and shape of the two storey extension to the school will become more apparent.

The £2 million extension is programmed to be ready for occupation by teachers and pupils for the new intake in August 2014.

Dundee Festival of Libraries - Events at Broughty Ferry Library This Week

@ Broughty Ferry Library This Week

Thursday 28 November 2013 7.00pm 
Lesley McDowell - Adult Event

Lesley talks about her new gothic novel “Unfashioned Creatures” 200 years after Mary Shelley’s stay in Broughty Ferry.

Saturday 30 November 2013 3–4.00pm
Metaphrog - Children’s Event
10–15 years

Create your own comic character workshop with graphic novel duo Metaphrog.

Read/download Dundee Wide Programme of Events

Broughty Ferry Community Library
Queen Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, DD5 2HN
Phone  01382 436919
Email  broughty.library@dundeecity.gov.uk
Website  http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/library/broughty_ferry

Great Night Out at Christmas Lights 2013 in Broughty Ferry

Last night the Switching on of the Christmas Lights in Broughty Ferry and the associated festivities appeared to be a great success. 

Brook Street and Gray Street were thronged with folk enjoying the fun of the fair and the entertainment on the Radio Tay stage. While the temperature was near freezing, thankfully it was dry this year. 

Many thanks to Broughty Ferry Traders' Association for organising another great night out to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season in The Ferry

Link to Slideshow of Christmas Light Night 2013 in The Ferry

Christmas Poster Competition Winners 2013 from our three Broughty Ferry Primary Schools

Click on poster to enlarge

Broughty Ferry Traders' Association have just announced the winners of their Christmas Poster Competition for 2013. 

• Lawry Angus from P7A at Barnhill Primary School, 
• Rosie Nicoll P5 from Eastern Primary School and 
• Sophie Merchant P2B from Forthill Primary School

will all collect their prizes from the stage at the Christmas Light Night in The Ferry on Thursday evening. 

Didn't they do well?

Temporary Road Closure Central Broughty Ferry Thursday 21 November 2pm-9pm for Christmas Lights Events

THE ROADS (SCOTLAND) ACT 1984 - SECTION 62

The Dundee City Council as Traffic Authority being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of the Broughty Ferry Christmas Lights switch on event 

HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in:

1. Brook Street (between Fort Street and St Vincent Street) Broughty Ferry
2. Gray Street (between Queen Street and King Street) Broughty Ferry.

This notice comes into effect on Thursday 21 November 2013 between the hours of 2.00pm and 9.00pm.

Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Fort Street/Queen Street/St Vincent Street.
Access will be maintained where possible.

For further information contact (01382) 433168.
Mike P Galloway
Director of City Development, Dundee City Council

Christmas Lights Going Up in Brook Street

On Monday afternoon work began erecting the Christmas lights in The Ferry.

My picture catches the team perched on a platform over the middle of Brook Street putting up the illuminated 'Merry Christmas' suspended above the road between the YMCA and the Burgh Halls.

Only three days to go before the switching on of the lights on Thursday evening 21 November 2013.

Dundee Cycling Report Card - Some Good Progress But We Must Try Harder

Click on image to enlarge

A recent national report on Cycling in Scotland assessed the polices of each of the 32 local councils in Scotland. This assessment awarded the City Council an average score of two and a half stars from five. The summary report card is pictured. 

The Council's performance is rated as slightly stronger on 'Planning' and 'Monitoring' and relatively weaker on 'Action'. In fact the two star rating for 'Action' is the Council's lowest score.

The 1% modal share for cycling shows by implication that there is an enormous gulf between this performance and the target from the Scottish Government of 10% of short journeys by bike by 2020 to help meet carbon reduction targets.

Also significant and particularly disappointing are the very low scores of children cycling to school and those undertaking a Bikeabilty Scotland course, which is the replacement for the Cycling Proficiency Test that I tokk when I was at school. I don't think we can anticipate a significant future lift in cycling in our city if only two or three of our Primary Schools undertake this award.

More encouraging is the score for 'Households with Access to A Bicycle' at 23%. This shows that there are plenty of households with a bike who, with the right infrastructure and support, might be encouraged to get back on the saddle and ride their bikes rather than take short journeys in their cars. That would be good for the environment and personal health.

I will be raising the issues raised in this report with the Head of Transportation and the Director of Education.

 Read or Download the National Assessment Of Local Authority Cycling Policy

Speedy Response by Environment Department to Issues at Neglected Open Space on Douglas Terrace

On Monday night I raised an issue at the Environment Committee about the state of the rather neglected open space at the corner of the junction between the coastal pathway and Douglas Terrace. On Friday afternoon (yesterday) a team of Environment Department staff were out rectifying some of the issues I had raised.

The issues at this triangular area of public open space arose chiefly because the area close to the road had been used as a construction compound where plant and equipment had been stored, while recent construction work on the beach and the coastal pathway had been undertaken.

It looks as though the damage caused to the surface, particularly the deep ruts from heavy vehicles have been flattened.

I will look by again next week when the work has been completed - so far so good.

Temporary Road Closures in Central Broughty Ferry While Christmas Lights are Erected

THE ROADS (SCOTLAND) ACT 1984 - SECTION 62

The Dundee City Council as Traffic Authority being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of the erection of the Broughty Ferry Christmas Lights being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in:

1. Brook Street (between Fort Street and Gray Street), Broughty Ferry.
2. Gray Street (between Long Lane and King Street), Broughty Ferry.
3. Fort Street (between Long Lane and King Street), Broughty Ferry.

This notice comes into effect on Monday 18 November 2013 for 3 evenings between the hours of 6.00pm and 11.00pm. Only one section of road will be closed at any one time.

Local diversion routes will be available for each closure. Access will be maintained where possible.

For further information contact (01382) 433168
Mike P Galloway
Director of Planning and Transportation, Dundee City Council