Missing Bollard Located and to be Repaired and Replaced

On Saturday afternoon, I identified that the removable bollard at the end of the coastal pathway at Douglas Terrace was missing with a traffic cone covering the hole.
Link to previous posting about the bollard. 

On learning that it had been missing for more than a few days, I assumed that it been removed as a deliberate act of property damage. 

Subsequently, I requested a replacement from the transportation department.

On Monday afternoon I received more positive news. A manager from the Environment Department let me know that the bollard had been removed for repairing. Apparently, the dog bin man reported problems with removing the bollard to gain access to the bins on Grassy Beach. Apparently it should be back in place later this week.

Thanks to the staff in the Environment Department for maintaining our highly valued open space at Grassy Beach and the coastal pathway.

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

Missing Bollard on Coastal Pathway at Douglas Terrace

This afternoon, I went down to Grassy Beach to attend the open day organised by Dundee Sailing Club. 

On the walk there, I noticed that the removable bollard at the end of the coastal pathway at Douglas Terrace was missing. 

I have checked with Dundee Sailing Club and the Royal Tay Yacht Club and the bollard has apparently missing for the best part of a week. This is an important loss as the bollard helps to prevent motor vehicles from driving along the coastal pathway.

I have written to the Transportation Department to request that a replacement bollard is installed.

School Placing Requests - What you Can do if Your Choice of School is Refused

A parent or carer has the right to make a placing request to send their child to a particular school other than the one in whose catchment area they reside. The local education authority can refuse to accept a parent or carer's choice. If this happens, the parent or carer can take informal action by talking to the local education authority or formal action by appealing against the decision.

These resources may help inform pursuing either of these options:

Link to Citizens Advice Bureaux notes on Education choices for children 5 to 16 in Scotland

The 'Placing Request Appeal Toolkit' written by Iain Nisbet and Sarah-Jane Kissock - Education Law Solicitors at Govan Law Centre is also a useful resource
Click on this link to read the appeal toolkit or print out a copy - 12 pages.

Vote Today for Lesley Brennan as MP for Dundee East - Polling Stations Open 7 May 2015 From 07:00 - 22:00

Today, Thursday 7 May 2015, its time to vote in Dundee East constituency for Lesley Brennan, Scottish Labour Party candidate in the elections to the UK Westminster parliament. 

Polling stations open 07:00 - 22:00.

Upgrading of Pavements in Broughty Ferry 2015-16

The City Engineer, has recently confirmed the programme for the upgrading of unadopted footways (pavements) for the current financial year. 

The £0.5million annual programme of work includes the following list of pavements in Broughty Ferry that have been prioritised for financial year 2015/16.

Work will commence on a phased basis starting in summer 2015.

• Abertay Street - east footway only south of Hamilton Street
• Stewart Street
• Reres Road - south footway only Monifieth Road to Reres Park

I am sure residents who live and walk along these streets will be pleased that, at long last, their footways are being upgraded and thereafter adopted by the city council.

Appointed to Dundee Fairness Commission

At the end of April, I attended the inaugural meeting of Dundee Fairness Commission. I am one of two City Councillors to have been nominated to serve on this body. 

The formation of the fairness commission is a serious attempt to tackle poverty and inequality in Dundee by bringing together councillors, members of the community and professionals with expertise in this area to investigate successful approaches elsewhere, understand the concerns here and recommend a way forward.

I feel a strong sense of responsibility to work with the other commissioners to try to devise ways to reduce the unacceptable scale of inequalities in our city. For example, I am acutely aware that many residents of The Ferry, which I represent as a Councillor, can expect to live on average 10 years longer than residents in some other parts of our city. Additionally a postcode is likely to predict the average attainment of pupils in our schools. 

It is not right and fair that there should be such a stark gulf in life chances in our city.

Big Beach Clean-Up Broughty Ferry Saturday 9 May 2015

On Saturday 9 May 2015, the Marine Conservation Society are running a Big Beach Clean-up in Broughty Ferry beginning at 10:00. 

Join in on Saturday 9 May 2015. Start time: 10:00. The clean up will last between one and three hours. Protective gear and equipment will be supplied. 

Meeting place in the Mill Street car park, near the beach.

Event leader name and contact number: Mark McKenzie 07914114212

Lets Get On- Offers Free Classes and Support to Enjoy the Benefits of the Internet

Spearheaded by the Scottish Government and galvanised by partner organisations, the Let’s Get On campaign is a concerted effort to help people from all walks of life to get connected and take advantage of the benefits of the digital age. 

Libraries, clubs and community organisations across Scotland are supporting the Let’s Get On campaign and offering people the opportunity to join classes and support groups, showing them how to get online and use the internet to their advantage.

Find out about free classes in Dundee at www.letsgeton.scot

West Queen Street Broughty Ferry - Claypotts Junction to Bayfield Road - Road Resurfacing from Sat 9 May 2015

Road works are programmed to commence at West Queen Street Broughty Ferry (Claypotts Junction to Bayfield Road) on Saturday, 9 May 2015 and will last approximately sev days.

The Contractor for the works is Tayside Contracts.

In the interest of public safety, road closures will be implemented between Claypotts Road and Bayfield Road.

The works will be carried out in two phases to minimise disruption to traffic.

• Phase 1:- West Queen Street/Claypotts Road junction will be closed for 2 days from Saturday 9 May to Sunday 10 May and
• Phase 2:- West Queen Street from West of Claypotts junction to Bayfield Road will be closed for a further 5 days from Monday 11 May.

Note, Claypotts Road junction will be open.

• During Phase 1 vehicular traffic will be diverted via Victoria Road, Ballinard Road, Balgillo Road, Forthill Road, and reverse and
• During Phases 2 vehicular traffic will be diverted via Victoria Road, Strathern Road, Claypotts Road and reverse.

Phase 2 closure will not be implemented until Phase 1 has been completed.

Bus Services will be affected by this road closure and bus passengers are advised to visit www.dundeetravelinfo.com or telephone the bus operator for further details of diversion routes and alternative bus stops.

Please note that a pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained throughout the works.
 
If you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact Mr L Grubb, Senior Engineer, Road Maintenance by telephoning 01382 834126.

Commenting on Shared Use Cycle and Pedestrian Pathway on Coupar Angus Road

I have received a detailed briefing about this proposal which has attracted matched funding from Sustrans.

This is a very positive development which will lead to the creation of an additional cycling route alongside the Coupar Angus Road from the Kingsway north to the boundary with Angus. I think it is well thought through and will provide links with cycle routes in the south at the Lochee Transport Hub and in the north with Muirhead and Birkhill. In fact, when Angus Council realise their aspiration for an off road cycletrack on a long stretch of the bed of the former Newtyle railway, there should be opportunities for a cycling route all the way to Newtyle.

This development will therefore see another shared use pathway for cycling and walking. In this instance, I hope that the relatively light current use by pedestrians will mean there should be less potential for future conflict between walkers and cyclists sharing the pathway. Recently, I was admiring the new signs at the beginning of the shared use coastal pathway between Douglas Terrace and the Stannergate. These signs urge all users to show consideration to each other. I assume that some of these will be deployed on this new shared use pathway.

School Leavers' Performance Information for all Secondary Schools in Dundee now Available Online

Parents and carers, in fact any member of the public, now has access to a set of 'results' based on the performance of school leavers from S4-S6 in 2014.
 
For the first time, alongside details of each school's SQA examination results there are figures for pupil destinations and a measure by measure comparison with a 'virtual comparator school'.

"Considering these measures alongside data on a sample of school leavers from other parts of Scotland allows schools to compare their performance. The sample group is made up of school leavers who are similar to the school's own school leavers, in terms of factors that are known to influence educational outcomes (such as social context and additional support needs). This sample group is called the virtual comparator." Education Scotland.

This information has been published on Parentzone Scotland. It aims to give parents and carers more information about schools alongside other resources such as school websites and handbooks.

The new information, which covers all secondary schools in Scotland, can be found by visiting Parentzone Scotland and searching by school name. Scroll down to the foot of a secondary school's page and select View Performance Data.

Link to Grove Academy Performance Data

Abertay only European University in Princeton's best places to study Game Design

Congratulations to Abertay University as the only European university to be ranked in the prestigious Princeton Review's just-published list for 2015 of the 'Top 25 Schools to Study Game Design'.

In the graduate list, Abertay is the only non-US institution listed, and in the undergraduate list Abertay is one of only two non-US institutions, the other being a college in Vancouver, Canada.

The Princeton Review ranked the universities based on a survey it conducted in 2014-15 of 150 institutions offering game design courses in the United States, Canada, and some countries abroad.

The company's 50-question survey asked universities to report on everything from their academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience.

Tree Felling at Armistead Development Site

Earlier today, whilst out dog walking on Reres Hill, I noticed and heard some activity on the other side of Monifieth Road at the site of the former Armistead Clinic.


As I got closer, I could see a figure clambouring up the trunk of the most prominent pine tree at the front of the former clinic. I could also hear their chain saw as they lopped off the lower limbs of this fine tree.


I immediately rang the Council's Conservation Officer and sent my picture to the Council's Forestry Officer. They were able to confirm that this tree felling had been properly sanctioned by the approved planning approval for the redevelopment of this site.


Futhermore, this particular tree was a 'Monterey Cypress' (a species of cypress native to the Central Coast of California) which had previously been subject to a tree preservation order.


One positive from witnessing this tree felling was that this is an indicator that the developer is beginning site clearance prior to beginning the conversion of Armistead House into apartments and the building of some new build houses on the wider site. I am sure the neighbours will be relieved when this long empty site has been redeveloped.


Further details about the history of Armistead House are available from the Building at Risk Register.

Sort Out Concerns About New Recycling Services at 5 Drop-Ins 16-20 March 2015

A significant number of constituents have been contacting me over the last few weeks about the introduction of the new recycling services in The Ferry.

Whether your new bins have arrived or not, whether you want them or not, whether alternative communal bins are right for your close or group of properties or block of flats, whatever your query or concern:

There are five opportunities to meet members of the Environment Department this week in Broughty Ferry Library as follows:

Monday 16th March 10am - 12pm
Monday 16th March 5pm - 7pm
Wednesday 18th March 12pm - 2pm
Friday 20th March 10am - 12pm
Friday 20th March 5pm - 7pm
all at Broughty Ferry Library Queen Street,
Broughty Ferry Dundee DD5 2HN

Of course, if you or your neighbours have remaining issues that can't be resolved directly with the Environment Department, please do not hesitate to contact me.