Tavish Scott – a great start as the new Scottish LibDem leader

… and an excellent reshuffle of parliamentary party already.
See :  http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/08/tavish-scott-great-start-as-new.html

Another Top of the Blogs semi-triumph …

After coming 22nd in the Top 40 Scottish Blogs, my head size has continued to soar (not really) on hearing that I’m also 28th in the Top 50 LibDem blogs!

OK, still way behind Scottish LibDem blogging ace, Stephen Glenn of Linlithgow fame, but a rather good result from a lowly councillor from Bonnie Dundee!   [...]

Photos of events this weekend

Above : Yesterday I was delighted to attend the opening of the new tennis courts at the West End Tennis Club.   A really good turnout of local people – here’s some of the crowd at the opening!

Above : Judy Murray cut the ribbon!

 Above : Today, the Friends Of Magdalen Green launched their super 2009 Calendar [...]

Top 40 Scottish Blogs …

Pleased – and surprised! – to see this blog named as 22nd in Iain Dale’s Top 40 Scottish blogs – see more by following this link – http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-40-scottish-blogs.html 
I appear to be second in the Scottish LibDem list – congratulations Stephen Glenn of Linlithgow who topped this ‘poll within the poll’.
Great amusement reading some of the [...]

Seymour Street Update

As I previously indicated (see http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/02/pathway-adjacent-to-seymour-lodge.html to view), the pathway beside Seymour Lodge will soon be upgraded, with thanks to Tayside Police, who own this popular walkway.    The City Council has updated me on the improvement works as follows:
 
Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 [...]

Angus & Dundee Roots Festival

The Angus & Dundee Roots Festival takes place from 6th to 13th September and gives a great opportunity for people whose ancestors came from Dundee and Angus to visit the area to find out more about their ancestral homeland giving them a flavour of what life was like for ancestors in days gone by.
 
You can [...]

Post Offices – latest news

As you’ll know from previous blog entries, I have raised with Dundee City Council the possibility of taking legal action to stop the Dundee Post Office closures. If you click here :
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/08/29/newsstory11883839t0.asp, you can read the latest update in today’s “Courier.”

The City Council’s legal officers have been making thorough investigations on the legal position and [...]

Carpenters – Close to You

A shed load of e-mails today following my uploading the Carpenters ‘Yesterday once more’ – so here’s another classic – ‘Close to you’ -  go to  http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/08/carpenters-close-to-you.html

Harry for Glenrothes!

I am really pleased that the Fife Liberal Democrats have selected Harry Wills to be the party’s candidate for the forthcoming Glenrothes by-election.
Harry is a former Chief Executive of several Fife and Tayside companies and is a former Chamber of Commerce ‘Business Man of the Year’. He had a key role in resurrecting the [...]

Carpenters – Yesterday Once More

See : http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/08/carpenters-yesterday-once-more.html
Another classic (and totally irrelevant to everything else on this blog!!) – more at http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/memorial.htm

Weeds in West End tackled

In recent weeks, I have received numerous (and I mean numerous!) complaints from residents across the West End about the extent of weeds at road edges and footpaths – I know this is a complaint not just in the West End but in other parts of Dundee too. The photo (right) from Blackness Road is typical [...]

News release on the Local TV campaign …

A News Release this afternoon on local television
TAYSIDE & FIFE LOCAL TV GROUP CALLS ON OFCOM TO BACK LOCAL TV IN SCOTLAND
Fife and Tayside Local TV Working Group – a consortium developing local TV in Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross has responded to a recent Ofcom consultation to allocate spectrum for local [...]

Triumph for Tavish!

I’m delighted at the election of Tavish Scott as our new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader – and at the wide margin of his victory – with nearly 60% of the vote.   See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7581344.stm
 
Tavish will be an excellent and forthright leader of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland.   He will provide the sort of dynamic leadership the [...]

Local television for Dundee, Tayside & Fife – submission to Ofcom

The Fife and Tayside Local TV working group (see http://www.tayscreen.com/page.cfm?page_ID=24&menu_ID=1) has now made its submission in terms of the Digital Dividend Review Consultation to Ofcom, the media regulator. It is great to see the momentum behind the campaign for local television in Tayside and Fife, summed up, I think, by a brief quote from the [...]

Ninewells Avenue again …

Back on 12th August, I mentioned that I had asked the City Council to ensure the bushes it is responsible for maintaining beside the footpath on the east side of Ninewells Avenue are trimmed as they were overgrown - see http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/08/overgrown-bushes-ninewells-avenue.html
 
I have now been advised by the Council that Tayside Contracts are to cut back the foliage [...]

Seagulls problem : Task Force to be welcomed but more needs done

If you click here : http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/05/seagulls-nuisance.html, you can read the blog story I wrote back in May about residents’ concerns regarding seagulls – particularly in the areas of tall tenements south of the Perth Road shopping area. Seagulls appear to thrive on litter/rubbish and their aggressive behaviour towards other birds, pets and even people is [...]

Blast from the past …

Another rather irrelevant post! Greatest American Hero from the 1980s – see http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKqwdxUH8U&eurl=http://www.dundeewestend.com/

Flooding issues …

Since getting back from the West End local community planning partnership meeting at Balgay Church Hall last night, I have been inundated with calls and e-mails from constituents on flooding concerns – Roseangle, Riverside Drive, Richmond Terrace and Osborne Place in particular.

 
Apart from the issues in the West End, as City Council Planning & Transport [...]

Thursday updates …

A few updates from today …
 
* This morning the West End Councillors took part in a Logie walkabout with the Logie Residents’ Association and Housing Officers to document local issues (both Housing and other – footpaths, street signs, grounds maintenance,etc) – we got round the sheltered housing area (north side of Logie) and will do [...]

Latest on local TV

Latest news on the campaign for local television :
 
Local TV coalition attacks Ofcom
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/08/local_tv_coalition_attacks_ofcom.html
 
ULTV’s letter to Ofcom
 
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/08/ultvs_letter_to_ofcom.html;jsessionid=FDB29F030CC4AF9F40B5BF7AE4813035?tmcsTrackingInfo=$28uJ8_y3qrx0oXsNHSFtBXN1N9Xc4RW4e_tiU7vgnvvOJLt0pGZBm8g5fY61eb1TeAUMLpSOF31$

Today and more about Dusty Springfield!

Just in from a great meeting with Friends of Magdalen Green – they are a super group of people and their enthusiasm about the Green makes their meetings thoroughly enjoyable.   It has been a busy day – I am burning the “day job” midnight oil at the moment with the Institute’s Scottish Conference taking place [...]

Development Quality Committee and proposed phone mast at Balgay Bowling Club

A marathon Development Quality Committee at the City Council last night, lasting some four hours and finishing around 10pm.    However, I successfully moved refusal of an application for a mobile phone mast at Balgay Bowling Club in Melville Terrace, a proposal local residents had objected to (including a resident who addressed the committee to express [...]

Dusty Update – e-mail received tonight …

Nice to see a Councillor with excellent taste in music

Will

Forum Admin, “Let’s Talk Dusty!”

http://www.dustyspringfield.info/

Local TV – Letter to the First Minister

The Tayside & Fife Local TV working group has now written to the First Minister on the subject of local television across Scotland.
 
This is in support of a request from the Scottish Local TV Federation, arguing for an additional digital TV spectrum allocation for Scotland – the “seventh mux” – to ensure delivery of local [...]

Parking – Park Place Nursery and Primary Schools

With the new school year about to commence this coming week and following concerns raised with me by parents, I met with the Head of Primary Education of Dundee City Council on Friday past regarding parking and dropping off arrangements at Park Place Primary School and the adjacent Nursery School.
 
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education recently [...]

FOCUS on Saturday

Many thanks to all of the LibDem team who helped me largely complete delivery today (only 200 to go now!) of FOCUS Edition 65.

Issues covered in this edition of FOCUS include :

* Bus service 72 – route saved
* Airport – noise issues
* Speed limit on western part of Perth Road to be reviewed
* Pathway at [...]

Dusty Springfield – All I see is you

Link :  http://www.dundeewestend.com/2008/08/dusty-springfield-all-i-see-is-you.html
 
Totally irrelevant distraction … haven’t heard this for ages. Came on the radio a few days ago … on the strength of it, bought a Dusty Springfield Greatest Hits CD. Superb.

Today’s Perth Road/Nethergate “official re-opening”

The Perth Road/Nethergate “official re-opening” with the Lord Provost this morning went extremely well, with good media interest including the Evening Telegraph, local radio stations and STV. You can read tonight’s article in the Tele by following this link :
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/08/15/story11814047t0.shtm
Many thanks to the Lord Provost, other city councillors, local businesses and residents, Scotland Gas Networks, [...]

Thursday’s West End News

Dundee’s success in terms of gaining funding from the “Smarter Choices Smarter Places” initiative has been well reported today in the media. Two leading examples :

The Courier : http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/08/14/newsstory11804006t0.asp
BBC : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7558556.stm

On another matter, delighted to see the buses returning to Perth Road east of Sinderins and Nethergate from this morning. I’ve been in touch with [...]

Latest update on bus services

Martin Hall of Stagecoach Strathtay and I had an excellent meeting with over 40 residents at the Paton’s Lane Sheltered Lounge this afternoon about the future of the 72 bus service. The news release below expands upon the situation – but the key points are :
* There will be three full journey routes each day [...]