Foul Water Leak on the Stony Beach in Broughty Ferry

On Thursday evening it was brought to my attention that there was a leak of foul water on the Stony Beach in Broughty Ferry.

At low tide the foul water could be seem flowing down the beach immediately beside the outfall pipe just below Douglas Terrace.

I have reported this to Scottish Water. 

This appears to be a recurrence of a more serious leak at the same location which I reported in August 2013.

Link to posting about previous leak: Following My Complaints, Scottish Water Respond to Leaks from the Sewers on Broughty Ferry Stony Beach

Public Consultation - Reshaping the Dunes BFerry Beach - Drop In Wed 21 January 2 - 8 pm Castle Green Centre

Click on plan to enlarge

On Wednesday 21 January Broughty Ferry residents and traders have the opportunity to find out more about the City Council's planning application to alter the shape and reinforce the base of the dunes at Broughty Ferry beach. This is one of a series of coastal protection measures the Council is bringing forward to minimize the risk of flooding along the Dundee City coastline. 

There will be a drop-in Consultation Event at the Castle Green Leisure Centre, St Vincent Street, Broughty Ferry between 2-8pm on Wednesday 21 January 2015. The event will provide residents and other interested parties an opportunity to look through drawings and details associated with the proposals as well as the opportunity to ask questions on the day.  

The public consultation period for the application is to be extended until Wednesday 4 February at 5pm to allow for any further comments after this event.

The full details of the planning application are as follows:
Reshaping, increased height, planting and formation of access points on the existing Dune system at the Esplanade, Broughty Ferry. Works to include for screened defence works at base of dunes on seaward side. Planning Application Ref: 14/00761/FULL
Link to Planning Application Documents and Plans

Change to Free Parking in Gray Street - Consultation

Click on plan to enlarge

The City Council is proposing to make some minor changes to waiting restrictions in Gray Street in The Ferry.

These changes would have the effect of extending some double yellow lines and reducing the space for 45 minute limited parking on the East side of Gray Street between Long Lane and King Street.

Any comments should be submitted not later than 9 February 2015 to:

Caroline Robertson
Dundee City Council, Legal Section
21 City Square, DUNDEE, DD1 3BY
Email caroline.robertson@dundeecity.gov.uk
Tel     01382 434062
Fax    01382 434182

Update on Changes to Bin Collections and Recycling in Broughty Ferry

Manufacturer's illustration of
1280 litre communal bins ordered
by the Environment Department

At the Environment Committee last night, the Committee approved the purchase of additional communal recycling bins for householders in Broughty Ferry and the West End at a cost of £106,940. 

Both areas of the city are in the planned first phase of the new fortnightly general waste black bin collections along with more collections of waste for recycling. These new collections are planned to begin in March of this year.

Along with two other opposition Councillors, I used the opportunity to quiz the Convener of this Committee, Councillor Craig Melville about progress with the promised consultation with community organisations and with householders prior to the switch to the new services. 

These consultations were meant to ensure that residents are given a choice about which of the new recycling containers they can accommodate. In addition, in flatted accommodation, householders as groups are meant to be able to choose the most acceptable communal recycling and waste bins for their close or block. 

I also asked the Convener whether there had been any progress with making up one calendar for all the Domestic Bin / Recycling Container Collections. I wanted to avoid householders having to check four or five calendars from the Council to work out which bin to put out each day. I reminded the Convener that I had raised this issue at a previous meeting. He assured the meeting that work was ongoing on this and this should be ready for the changes in Broughty Ferry.

With only eight weeks to go before these changes apparently are being introduced, I was not entirely satisfied by the Convener's assurances that the consultations are as thorough as promised and that it will all be fine when the fortnightly kerbside general waste collections along with more recycling collections are introduced in The Ferry.

Any residents who would like to be consulted about the new collections and which of the new recycling containers they can accommodate should contact the Environment Department via Dundee (01382) 433710

Community Open Day at Grove Swim & Sport Saturday 17 January 2015 10am-5pm

Claypotts Junction Roadworks Start Monday 12 January 2015

Work to refurbish traffic signals at Claypotts Road and Arbroath Road will take place from Monday January 12 2015.

Starting today, this will lead to several road closures over the next four weeks.

Traffic will not be able to travel from Claypotts Road onto Arbroath Road and vice versa.

An alternative route will be available for eastbound traffic approaching Scott Fyffe Roundabout via Strips of Craigie Road, A930 Dundee Road and Claypotts Road. Westbound traffic on Arbroath Road will be diverted via East Balgillo Road, Balgillo Road and Claypotts Road.

This is the second of a two phase programme in renewing the traffic signals at the linked Claypotts junctions, the first took place in October 2014. 

The Council's traffic engineers reassure us that inconvenience to road users now will be worthwhile in the long run. The current traffic controls are at the end of their useful life and prone to breakdowns. The new control systems at these linked set of traffic signals will be easier to maintain and will be 'adaptive', allowing the lights to change more quickly when traffic flows are low.

Better Budget Management by SNP Government Ministers Could Have Avoided Cuts in Schools Last Year

Click on image to enlarge

SNP Ministers at Holyrood underspent by almost half a billion pounds in 2013-14, according to a final out-turn report lodged at the Scottish Parliament the day after MSPs left for their Christmas holidays.

The government had £444 million left over from its £34.5bn budget last year, or 1.3 per cent of the total. This was the first time that an underspend had exceeded £350 million since the SNP came to power in 2007.

The underspend is usually less than one per cent. To get this into perspective, the projected underspend in the 20014/15 accounts for Dundee City Council is £45,000 (Dundee City Council, Policy and Resources Committee, 12 January 2014 - Revenue Monitoring Report). According to the Director of Corporate Services this represents 0.01% of the Council's net Revenue Budget for 2014/15. At a national level, the underspend by SNP ministers was proportionately 130 times larger. 

What a pity that these government ministers could not be as vigilant in deploying the cash that is available? 

Although the £444m will still be available for use this financial year, it means public services missed out unnecessarily on better funding in the last financial year.

The table above shows that, £165 million of the £444 million underspend by the Scottish Government in financial year 2013/14 was within the education budget. These were resources that could have poured into schools.

Across Scotland there are 4,000 fewer teachers in Scotland since the Nationalists took over and, in breach of their promise, primary school class sizes are bigger now not smaller. 

That £165m underspend on education was enough to employ 4,459 teachers, so they could have cancelled out their education cuts.

Commenting on the Potential Designation of 20 mph Zones in Broughty Ferry

Earlier this week the Scottish Government published a Good Practice Guide on 20 mph Speed Restrictions. This was written in conjunction with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), The guidance aims to provide clarity on the options available to local authorities and thereby aid greater consistency on setting 20 mph speed restrictions throughout Scotland, while encouraging local authorities to introduce them near schools, in residential areas and in other areas of our towns and cities where there is a significant volume of pedestrian or cyclist activity.

Last year, at a Council Meeting, I supported  a motion that would have led to a public consultation on which residential streets in the city might be suitable for designation as 20 mph zones. This was defeated at that occasion but I think it merits reconsideration. 

Over the last month, I have been recovering from a hip replacement and initially I was venturing out around The Ferry with the help of two walking sticks.  That certainly brought home to me the challenge of crossing the road when your speed of walking is restricted and traffic is moving fast.

I have been approached by a number of groups of residents in The Ferry who would support 20 mph zones in their area. For example, the Ferryfields Residents' Association requested this in their estate, in the interests of child safety. They would also point out that the speed bumps are already in place on Strathyre Avenue so that apart from the new 20 mph speed limit signs, there would be minimal cost to the Council to make this change in their area. 

Residents in Camphill Road and Hill Street and connecting streets had a meeting with me last year about road safety concerns, especially on the narrow and twisting section of Camphill Road between Queen Street and Panmure Street which they thought was an accident waiting to happen. Many of those residents thought that a 20 mph speed limit would help. 

Forthill Drive and Forthill Place, which is predominantly sheltered housing with narrow roads is another area where I think a 20 mph zone merits consideration.

To take this forward, I think, this matter should be delegated to the eight Local Community Planning Planning Partnerships to consult with residents in their areas to come up with proposals for 20 mph zones in residential streets.

I hope that now this national guidance has been published, the Director of City Development in Dundee will be more sympathetic to supporting a public consultation about this.

Happy Christmas and a Guid New Year

Dundee Has Lowest Level of P1-3 Pupils in Classes of 18 or Fewer

Scottish Government education statistics published on Wednesday have revealed that only 2.8% of Dundee pupils in their first three years at Primary School are in classes with a pupil teacher ratio of 18 or fewer. 

Compared with other Councils in Scotland, Dundee is bottom of this class. The average percentage across Scotland is 12.9%.

The overall Pupil Teacher Ratio in Dundee primary schools has also increased over the last year continuing a trend from 2008. 

In 2007, the SNP promised parents and carers in Scotland they would reduce class sizes for all P1-3 classes to 18 or fewer. More recently, they reduced their target to 20% of primary 1-3 pupils in these smaller classes. These statistics show that in Dundee they have totally failed with only a handful of classes across the city with 18 or fewer pupils.

Unfortunately Dundee is bottom of this national league table. Pupils, parents and carers in the City deserve better. 

SNP Councillors in Dundee have some explaining to do.

Upgraded Car Park at Gillies Park on its Way

On Monday night the City Development Committee approved a tender for £48,358 for the surfacing of the car park at Gillies Park and some related lighting work.

I welcome this contract for the surfacing of the car park at Gillies Park. Many Barnhill residents have complained to me about the potholes and mud in the car park so I am sure they will welcome this upgrade.

It will also help parents and carers dropping off and picking up their children from Barnhill Primary School. The Nursery and P1 classes located in the new extension to the school are easily accessed from Gillies Park.

There will also be improvements to the lighting which should help all park users feel more confident about walking through the park at night time.

I have been assured that the work will be carried out before the end of March so thankfully folk won't have to endure the potholes much longer.

Christmas Land Train and Santa's Grotto in Broughty Ferry Sunday Afternoon 14 December 2014

Come to central Broughty Ferry to do your Christmas shopping on Sunday 14th December 2014 and take your children for a ride on the Festive Train and visit to Santa's Grotto between 12-4 that afternoon.

The land train, decorated with lights and tinsel, will be offering rides around central Broughty Ferry with pick up/and drop off outside Visocchi’s in Gray Street. The specail £1 fare will be donated to charity.

Santa and his elves will also be handing out sweets to children from their Grotto 

These events are all courtesy of the Broughty Ferry Traders' Association.

Clean Sweep Along Coastal Path

Earlier this week, staff from Dundee's Environment Department deployed one of their smaller mechanical sweepers on the coastal pathway between the Stannergate and Douglas Terrace. This has cleared up accumulated debris on both sides of the path. 

I am sure regular users of the path, including dog walkers and cyclists, will notice the difference.

Well done to the Environment Department to whom I had made a request. I have also suggested that this stretch of pathway is regularly scheduled for a clean sweep, perhaps once every one or two months.

Dundee Named the First UK City of Design by UNESCO

On Monday 1st December, Dundee was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the first City of Design in the UK.

Our city has been recognised by UNESCO for its diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics and video games.

The title recognises the design innovations Dundee has contributed to the world, including, biomedical research which has led to numerous new drugs, comics including the Beano and Dandy, orange marmalade, and video games including Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto.

The city's waterfront is also undergoing a 30-year, £1bn regeneration project at the waterfront. Central to this plan is the creation of V&A Museum of Design Dundee. The city is also home to Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee Rep Theatre, McManus Art Gallery and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

Through this prestigious award, it has joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network along with 27 other cities from 19 countries. Within the network there are seven thematic areas: Craft and Folk Arts, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music

Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The network aims to foster international cooperation between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and enhanced influence of cultural in the world.

This designation is further recognition of the growing reputation and confidence of Dundee as a city with international significance.

World AIDS Day 1 December 2014

On October 27, 1988, the UN General Assembly officially declared December 1, 1988, to be World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day has also been observed on this date each year since then.

Is your HIV knowledge stuck in the 80s? Take part in a World AIDS Day quiz to find out.

AIDS stands for "acquired immune deficiency syndrome" or "acquired immunodeficiency syndrome" and denotes a condition, which results from the damage done by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) to the immune system. The condition was first identified in 1981 and the name "AIDS" was first introduced on July 27, 1982.

HIV can only be transmitted between people through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the blood stream with a bodily fluid. Hence, there has been a lot of stigma around the spread of HIV and people living with HIV and AIDS. It has been estimated that around 33 million people around the world have been infected with HIV and that around two million people die from AIDS related conditions each year.