Arbroath Road - Bumpy Ride


Responding to a recent letter in the tele;


Bumpy Road for Drivers.

In response to Broughty Commuter, I have already had discussion with the Planning & Transportation department regarding this very issue and a meeting was held at the site on 9th May. Tests of the surface have been carried out (these are more rigorous than those carried out during the councils local program) and the results indicate compaction, layer depth and material are all as per specification. A further visual inspection shows no signs of a problem.

All at the meeting acknowledge that their is a problem with the running surface but at present no one can accurately pinpoint why this has occurred. I know from experience that this road feels horrendous at present. The situation will be monitored until the end of June where further tests will be carried out. If these tests still show a defect then remedial action will have to be taken.

One possible cause of the problem is that the filled in area is a different surface to that of the existing carriageway and if this is found to be the case then a surface dressing could be put on to this carriageway in order allow the traffic to travel on a more uniform surface. Any remedial action can be taken when the road is again closed from the 28th July. The reason for this closure is to allow Scottish and Southern Energy to complete the cabling works at the Scott Fyffe Roundabout. For obvious reasons I cannot say if this will cure the problem as we will have to wait until the tests are carried out.

If after the monitoring period the road surface improves and is running smoothly, then no further action would be required.

I understand the frustration that drivers feel when road surfaces are running like this but Broughty Commuter can rest assured that it is being looked into and remedial action will be taken as necessary.

Cllr Will Dawson
East End Ward
SNP Planning and Transportation Spokesperson

Douglas Summer Festival

From tonights tele,

"Summer festival

On June 22, there will be a summer festival in Douglas and we are looking for volunteers to help out.

Are there any people who are willing to come on the day to give us a hand? We would be very grateful and you might enjoy taking part. We can be contacted c/o Community & Library Centre, Balmoral Avenue, Dundee. — Douglas Festival Committee."

I'm sure that Jim and his team who are organising this years festival will be more than happy for any help that can be given. Their will be a parade, stalls, refreshments and contributions from local groups (cadets etc if I remember correctly) so anyone that can help please get in touch with them.

Lack of updates

Have to admit I haven't posted for a while so feel quite guilty as really should be keeping all who read this updated with the work that both Christina and I do.

However on many occassions the work of a Councillor is actually quite personal.

Ok, I could report every pothole, missing street sign or unemptied bin on this blog but I don't think that is the point and it would become very boring very quickly.

Also as I have said a lot of the work is personal which would mean divulging information which people who have come to me would not want divulged!

However, I will try to update this as often as possible and appreciate any feedback that is given.

One last bit of (belated) good news. The ABB factory is finally coming down. The protective fences have gone up and have been painted (why paint a fence for demolition - I don't know but I am not going to complain about it) and I was quoted in the press recently as saying "are they blowing it up? Can I press the buton?" - Good news indeed -

some images below from the factory including ones from people who have actually managed to enter the building which was apparently under the watchful eye of security all the time.








Trolley Wars Over?

Asda have recently confirmed that they have taken on a contractor who will now come out on their behalf a few times a month in order to collect the abandoned trolleys. Finally a success! However Christina has informed me that she has had more trolleys reported in the old Pitkerro part of the ward than ever before. The problem seems to have moved! However we will keep an eye on the problem and keep on top of Asda.

Hunter Street Car Park

Glad to welcome this at committee tonight, basically the city council are planning to change the current street parking at Hunter Street with a multi story car park which will accommodate over 400 cars compared to the current 130. For those of you who do not know where this car park is, it is in the Westport area close to Session Street and immediately behind Mickey Coyles.

This to me is an excellent idea. The area is heavily used by students, residents, businesses and those wishing to use the incredibly popular cultural quarter. My only fear is that with the amount of building work going on, I asked for assurance that free traffic flow will be allowed with the amount of building work that is due to take place (or is taking place) in the area.

We have the Tay Road Bridge ramps being re-routed, the car park being built, the planned extension to the Overgate could technically start at any time, Dundee House the list seems to go on and on, however with all this going on, the free flow of traffic in the Westport and Nethergate is crucial to allow our City to function. The Convenor gave me these assurances and said that a full traffic impact assessment will be undertaken, however, I will watch with interest.

Some more news from the Council and Claverhouse Junction

The City Council have informed me of a proposal to install a new recycling station in Westcroft Place. It is proposed that this be installed on the large section of pavement in front of the two parking bays (on East side of the road).

The council will also send letters to nearby households at least one week prior to installation to provide occupants with an opportunity to comment.

Nearby householders will also be provided with an information leaflet and reusable jute bag to carry recyclables to the bins.

Each Neighbourhood Recycling Point will consist of 4 steel containers for recycling each of the following materials: Paper, Clear glass, Green glass and Brown glass.

With recycling being something that many of us are trying to do more of, I welcome this proposal. As with the other recycling centres in the are both myself and Christina will be watching the containers to ensure that they are not vandalised. Thankfully, I have not heard of any being vandalised as of yet.

My other concern at the moment is the road layout at the Claverhouse Junction, especially at Fintry Road and Fountainbleu. The reader's letter page of the tele has had some worrying letters in it recently indicating that drivers feel this particular junction is an accident waiting to happen. I have to agree.

Prior to these letter going to press, I spoke to the Director of Planning and Transportation raising these concerns. The basic crunch issue is this. On approach to this junction, their is only one sign indicating which lane you should be in. Blink and you miss it. It is not the first time I have been in the correct lane for a driver to cut me up.

Ok, it always takes time for people to settle in to a new junction and sometimes I think it is easier for out of town drivers as they will generally be paying more attention as the layout is unfamiliar to them. However we have become very used to the old junction and simply do not know what to do when we approach something new. I say this from experience as the first time i got to this junction, I didn't have a clue and ended up in the wrong lane myself!

Along with Christina and my SNP colleague's in the North East Ward, we will be asking for immediate improvements to be made before an accident does happen.

Dundee SNP Welcomes Support For Voluntary Sector

Press release recieved from colleaugues in the parliamentary office today, certainly something well worth welcoming.

Support For Voluntary Sector Welcomed

Dundee MSPs today welcomed details of how more than £30m from the Third Sector Development Programme is to be allocated.
Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick today welcomed the announcement that the network of 57 Councils of Voluntary Service (CVS) will receive £11.85m from the Scottish Government over the next three years for Third Sector development.

The role of Volunteer Centres in enabling people to find volunteering opportunities has also been recognised with a £11.5m award. In Dundee, the CVS, known as Dundee Voluntary Action, and Volunteer Centre Dundee share premises in Constitution Road.

Joe FitzPatrick said: "This extra funding will enable CVS like Dundee Voluntary Action and Volunteer Centres to develop their roles and work with central and local government to grasp the opportunities that lie ahead."

Shona Robison added: "John Swinney previously announced a 37% increase in Third Sector Development Funding in November and £63 million is allocated in 2008-11 for development of the sector. It is intended that the CSV network will use this £30m funding to work with community planning partnerships to provide local advice and support to the third sector under the theme of 'Thrive and Connect' - the joint business plan."
£3.7m has been allocated to the Dunfermline-based Voluntary Action Fund to encourage volunteering. A further £4m has been allocated to help the Third Sector become more enterprising and deliver more public services.
In making the announcement, Finance Secretary John Swinney said:
"The third sector has a massive role to play in helping to make Scotland a more successful country. More than one million people contribute to their community through volunteering, often helping to transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society.
"The Scottish Government will be providing local government with record levels of funding - and the Third Sector will reap the benefits.
"Local authorities will in future have increased flexibility and will be able to divert any efficiency savings they make into local priorities. This presents a real opportunity to enhance, not diminish, the delivery of Third Sector provision.
Dr Alison Elliot, Convener of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said: "SCVO welcomes this investment in local infrastructure which helps the voluntary sector make such a difference to the people of Scotland. This is a really welcome vote of confidence in the work of the voluntary sector. We hope that this will facilitate further serious voluntary sector engagement in Community Planning."
George Thomson, CEO of Volunteer Development Scotland, said: "Together with the network of Volunteer Centres in each local authority area, we appreciate the Scottish Government's recognition and investment in our services.
"Through our partnership with the Scottish Government and local government, we will also ensure that Scotland retains its world-class reputation for excellence and innovation in volunteer development."

Roadworks

The city council have informed me of the following roadworks set for the Arbroath Road. This is a particularly busy junction and whilst this will cause considerable delays and inconvenience, I trust that the work is over relatively quickly.

Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating works for the installation of hydro electric cable. The Order is expected to be in force for four weeks from 31 March 2008. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.
The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all westbound vehicular traffic in Arbroath Road from Scott Fyffe Roundabout to Craigie Avenue.
The right turn from Montgomerie Crescent will be prohibited for the duration of the closure. Access and egress from Noran Avenue/Gannochie Terrace/Balgavies Avenue to Arbroath Road will be prohibited for the duration of the works.
An alternative route will be available via A92 Greendykes Road and Craigie Avenue.

Council Tax - Good news

Dundee City Council met on Thursday to set the Council Tax rates for next year. I am extremely pleased to report that as a Council, we have been able to freeze the amount that Dundee's citizens will have to pay.

This has been brought about by a concordat signed by the Scottish Government and CoSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Autohrities). The good news for the Council is that it is no longer tied into having to ring fence money. One of my greatest hates over the last few years is that we were given money by the previous Scottish executive and it had to be spent on specific things. We had no leverage in deciding on where this money would be best placed. Thankfully this has now finished. We were also given more money as a council through the agreement.

My only great concern is that whilst the council have been able to stop any increases, Scottish Water are in the process of increasing the water charge for the area. If recent newspaper reports are too be believed this will be to the tune of about £11 a month. i'm sure that particular report is wrong, but I will watch with interest over the next few days.
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