Dispute Over Abrupt Changes to School Crossing Patrol on Forthill Road

 

Last week a Crossing Patroller was abruptly removed from her stance crossing school children over Forthill Road close to its junction with Balgillo Road. The well regarded Lollipop Lady had an outstanding record of crossing children at this road junction, over Forthill Road as well as Balgillo Road. At her post for close to twenty years, a single complaint led to her being moved to a crossing point at another school and the crossing of Forthill Road hastily removed as a crossing point. 

The staff of Tayside Contracts, who supply and manage this service for the Council should have red faces. They claim that the crossing over Forthill Road was not an official crossing point but apparently did not notice the dual crossing in practice when they undertook a comprehensive risk assessment and review of every school crossing control point in the city before they took over the contract in 2016?

Angela Lyall, one of the parents whose children's routes to school is affected has been gathering signatures to have the well loved Crossing Patroller reinstated to her crossing control point and the crossing over Forthill Road reinstated. She and seven other parents have gathered more than 300 hundred signatures. It seems the Crossing Patroller is paying for the lapses in supervision by others. The dedication of our crossing patrollers is impressive in return for earning a little over the minimum wage and turning out whatever the weather week in week out.

I strongly requested a meeting about this which will be taking place at Forthill Primary School this morning. If Tayside Contracts want to remove a crossing patrol point, there is an agreed consultative procedure and they are not following it. The continuing safety of our children is paramount. 

If there isn't reasonable progress at the meeting tomorrow, I will refer this to the next meeting of Children and Families' Service Committee.

Flooding Again at Junction of Cedar Road and Forthill Road

Early evening yesterday, after a squally rain shower, there was once again flooding at the bottom of Cedar Road close to the junction with Forthill Road. I was on my way home from a social event and stopped to record what I could see.

As you can see from the video, liquid is pouring up out of the drains. Less obvious is that with the rain water run off in the drains there is also unpleasant and unhealthy household sewage which is also being flushed out of the drains onto the roadway and pavement. On the basis of previous flooding episodes at this location, it is most likely that when the waters subside, there will be sewage residues on the road and pavement.

I have informed Scottish Water and the City Engineers.

Now that the Council and other regional partners has a Flood Risk Plan, and an area such as this which is frequently subject to flooding shouldn't be ignored any longer. I hope that the drainage system will be enhanced to cope with current and future peak flows of domestic sewage and waste water as well as the rain water run off from Cedar Road and Forthill Road. 

More immediately, I have asked Scottish Water to clean up the area and remove sewage residues from the road and pavement once the flood waters have drained.

Temporary Road Closure for Gas Main Renewal Forthill Road and Fort Street for Eight Weeks from 4 July 2016

Dundee City Council (Forthill Road and Fort Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee) (Temporary Prohibition of Driving) Order 2016

Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating gas main renewal works.  The Order is expected to be in force for eight weeks from 4 July 2016.  Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in (Phase 1) Forthill Road from Fintry Place to Nursery Road and (Phase 2) Forthill Road from Nursery Road to Fort Street and Fort Street from Forthill Road to Queen Street.

Phase 2 will follow the completion of Phase 1 and both phases are likely to last for 4 weeks.

An alternative route will be available via Balgillo Road, Ballinard Road, Claypotts Road, Queen Street, Fort Street and Forthill Road.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to Mark Cobb, Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee  DD1 1LS, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date.  If you have any queries please contact Mr Cobb on 01382 433082.

Cedar Road and Forthill Road Flooding

Unfortunately flooding at the junction of Forthill Road and Cedar Road in Broughty Ferry happens around a dozen times a year. In addition to the hazard the flood creates, especially for pedestrians, the murky water contains an unhealthy mixture of sewage and rainwater. When the water level eventually subsides, there is a disgusting residue of sewage on the ground. I have received complaints on behalf of the owners of properties in Cedar Road and Seafield Lane. These include penetrating damp into the stonework of a house built into a boundary wall, water damage to a driveway and sewage residues deposited on garden ground as well as the unpleasant experience of travelling up and down a polluted roadway and footpaths.

While Scottish Water organize a clean up of the mess when notified, they explain that they have no current plans to increase the capacity of the drainage system to cope with heavy downpours. They repeatedly say that their current investment plans focus on other priorities which are set by Ministers in the Scottish Government. I think it's time that Shona Robison, our MSP for Dundee City East and a Minister in that Scottish Government, used her influence to get these investment plans modified. There must be many other locations in other parts of the city and elsewhere which have similar problems that need some investment to sort them out. Until then, with climate change, flooding incidents at this junction will be more numerous. I think it's unacceptable that residents have to put up with an inadequate drainage system.

Meeting with Scottish Water

On Tuesday morning, I took advantage of Scottish Water running a surgery for Councillors in the City Chambers. I met Steve Scott, the Regional Community Manager, who is based at the Invergowrie Offices of Scottish Water.

I reviewed with Steve Scott, the two major issues which have been raised by constituents; namely the recurrent flooding at Cedar Road and the periodic leaking of the sewerage pipes under the stony beach close to the Western end of Douglas Terrace.

It was good to meet Steve face-to-face and the discuss these two issues and what potential there was to resolve them with the support of Scottish Water, SEPA and City Council. Steve will be sending me further documentation when he returns to the office.

Commitment to New Bus Shelter in Balgillo Road

Constituents in Balgillo Road have complained to me about the lack of a bus shelter at the stop beside the corner shop close to the junction with Forthill Road. They would like some protection from the wind and rain while they wait for a bus. They would also appreciate access to 'real time' information about the upcoming buses on the route.

I first passed on these concerns and requests in 2011 just after the bus timetables and routes were altered. At that time, I was informed then that decisions to move bus shelters or install additional ones would be taken once things had settled down on the new routes. 

Following renewed representations from constituents, I approached the Transportation Department again at the end of last month. This time there was a thumbs up; an agreement that a new Bus Shelter would be provided. 

This is positive news for my constituents who were hopeful, when informed of this, that the installation of 'their' bus shelter will be sooner rather than later.

Missing Double Yellow Lines Near Forthill School Need Repainting

Click on image to enlarge

Parents, with children at Forthill School, have complained to me about the missing stretch of yellow lines on Forthill Road between the bus stop and the corner of Fintry Place.

This has created a 'legal' parking spot just handy for dropping off children near the school which some parents and carers have been tempted to use. But this creates a road safety hazard by blocking the view of drivers turning into or out of Fintry Drive. The parents who contacted me thought this opportunistic parking should be stopped by the Council repainting  the yellow lines. In the meanwhile, they appealed to other parents and carers not to use this 'parking spot' when dropping off or picking up their children from Forthill School.

I have written to the Head of Transportation at the Council to ask for the reinstatement of these yellow lines as a matter of priority.

Cedar Road Flooding Demonstrates That Ferry Drains Can't Cope Again

After the heavy rain yesterday (Friday 12 October), Cedar Road in the Ferry has been flooded again at its junction with Forthill Road.

This was brought to my attention by Community Councillor David Hewick, who passed on his photographs and observations to me.

He is concerned not only about the temporary inconvenience of large pools of water obstructing the roads and pathways but also the unhealthy side-effects. More specifically, he is rightly concerned about effect of raw sewage being washed out of the sewers. When the water level subsides, unpleasant residues are left on the road and pavement.

David and I have contacted Scottish Water about this and asked them to organise a clean up.

I think this regular flooding of Cedar Road, is also indicative of overloaded sewers in this part of Broughty Ferry. This is part of the infrastructure in Broughty Ferry that needs to keep pace with new housing developments.

Dead Branches Overhanging Open Space in Forthill Road Reported

A constituent has alerted me to the large dead branch of a tree overhanging the open space on Forthill Road. 

More worrying, in the picture you can see the part of the tree is cloaked by ivy. When ivy spreads to the canopy of a tree it adds to the risk of  the risk of branches or the entire tree being lost in high winds. It may be that more than the branch should be removed in the interests of public safety. 

I have asked the Council's Forestry Officer to have a look at this tree and refer any work that needs to be done to the owners of the land on which the tree is growing.

Forthill Road Mobile Phone Mast Refused Planning Permission Emphatically

I am delighted that the Development Management Committee emphatically turned down this planning application at our meeting on Monday night 18 June. It was clearly judged by our Planners and Councillors to be an unsuitable site for a mobile phone mast. I know many folk in Forthill will be relieved that the immediate prospect of a telecoms mast on their doorstep and street corner has receded. 

Prior to the meeting I had been contacted by a significant number of constituents who objected to this proposed planning application for a mobile phone mast near their homes. A petition also indicated widespread concern about the proposal. Under the Councillor's Code of Conduct, we are not allowed to publicly comment on the merits of an application for planning permission in advance of the Planning Committee; in short we must be seen to make up our mind on the night when all the evidence is before us. If Councillors go public on their concerns prior to a planning committee, this would disqualify them taking part in the vote at the Planning Committee. I hope my constituents appreciate that a non committal response before a meeting does not necessarily indicate I am indifferent to their concerns.

Potholes in Path at Forthill Flats

At a recent meeting of the Forthill Tenants' Association, I received a complaint about the very poor state of the path to the front door of the block of flats at 14 Forthill Road in the Ferry. The path surface has become distorted with significant variations in level. Most significant, and potentially dangerous, is a pothole just outside the front door. I have reported this to the Housing Department with a request that they rectify this as a matter of urgency.