Concern was expressed in yesterday’s Courier that the new staff travel policy at Dundee City Council could adversely affect service provision to the City Council’s customers. Views about this were, in particular, expressed about social work services. I have been in contact with the City Council’s Chief Executive about this situation and he has responded [...]
Archive for the ‘Dundee City Council’ Category
Monday …
Posted: May 29, 2012 in Dundee City Council, Park Place Nursery School, Park Place Primary School, River Crescent, St Joseph's Primary School, WestFest 2012Yesterday, I attended the latest meeting of the City Council’s School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group. Following the initial meeting of the group before the recent City Council elections, a number of site visits to schools have taken place and feedback from these – along with risk assessments of schools’ parking and drop-off facilities [...]
Yesterday’s Courier highlighted the salaries and allowances claimed by Dundee City Councillors in 2011/12. Of the councillors who served in the 2007-12 term and who did not retire or failed to be re-elected, my claim was the lowest across the City Council* - because I refused the councillor salary increase in 2009 and have maintained this [...]
I have just returned from attending the Statutory Meeting of Dundee City Council. The SNP Administration has made a good choice in their nominee for Lord Provost. Bob Duncan is able, articulate and a very pleasant man. I have no doubt he will make an excellent job of being Dundee’s new Lord Provost [...]
From Dundee City Council : Next week, from 14-18 May, is National Walk to Work Week – the ideal time to give walking a go. Why not walk to or from work, stride out with colleagues at lunchtime or walk between meetings or duties? Or just get off the bus a few stops early or [...]
I have welcomed news that, as part of the Unadopted Footways Upgrade Programme, a number of streets in the West End area will be brought up to good standard and adopted by the City Council over the next year. These include Oxford Street (west side), Harrow Street, Cambridge Street, Kelso Place, Marchfield Terrace, Hillside Road, [...]
International Compost Awareness Week runs from the 6th to the 12th May this year and Dundee City Council is playing its part by offering residents the chance to collect Discovery Compost for free from Riverside Composting Facility in Wright Avenue in the West End. There is also a limited supply of seven litre brown [...]
Two Traffic Orders from Dundee City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 : SECTION 14(1) 1. THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of carriageway surfacing works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in an eastbound direction in [...]
Yesterday saw the last meeting of the City Council take place before next week’s council elections. A number of my colleagues who are not seeking re-election gave their final speeches, including my LibDem colleague and sister in law Cllr Helen Dick, who is standing down as councillor for Strathmartine Ward after nine years, given [...]
Yesterday, I took part in the latest meeting of the City Council’s Local Economy Monitoring Group, at which there was an excellent presentation by Chris Brodie of Brodie Economic Research. Chris gave an very detailed and useful resume of the effect of the economic downturn after 2008 and, in particular, how it has affected [...]
Dundee Liberal Democrats today launch their local election manifesto – “Dundee’s Bright Future” – for the Dundee City Council elections on 3rd May. The document has detailed policies for all areas of local authority responsibility. Leading the Dundee Liberal Democrat team of 10 candidates – 2 more than in 2007 – I have pointed [...]
Yesterday, I attended the first meeting of the City Council’s new school parking and pupil safety working group, following the discussion last month at the council about this issue. There was a useful and detailed discussion about pupil and pedestrian safety outside schools across Dundee and my suggestion of site visits to schools to look [...]
Tonight, following my ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and at Harris Academy, I attended City Council meetings at which : I joined colleagues in thanking both Patricia McIlquham, the council’s Depute Chief Executive, and Rory Malone of UNISON, both of whom are soon to retire. I spoke in a debate on Education Committee [...]
I felt an air of sadness today as two valued colleagues retire – one a hugely respected chief officer, the other being my Liberal Democrat colleague on Dundee City Council (and sister-in-law!) Earlier today, along with the Lord Provost, the City Council’s Chief Executive, previous Chief Executive, Legal Manager and other council group leaders, I [...]
Back in September 2010, I attended a Civic Reception hosted by the Lord Provost of Dundee, in support of the bid by Perth for City status. It was great to learn yesterday that this bid was successful and that, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Year, Perth will indeed be the Fair City. Earlier today, I [...]
Today, I took part in a tour of the City Chambers with a group of University of Dundee students. See right. The Council Officer gave them a really entertaining and informative talk about the city’s civic history. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and great to see the interest in [...]
Following my weekly ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and at Harris Academy this afternoon, I attended tonight’s City Council committee meetings. * At the Housing Committee, I sought assurances that the introduction of “Amenity Housing” (non-sheltered but supported housing largely for people aged over 50) could be used to ensure that our sheltered [...]
On Wave 102 News – Armed Forces Community Covenant
Posted: March 11, 2012 in Dundee City Council, Wave 102I spoke on the Wave 102 News today about Dundee City Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Community Covenant. The Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community and it is good news that our city is giving its support. Click ‘play’ below to listen:
I was on yesterday’s Wave 102 news about the launch of the Dundee DisabledGo webpages last week – click ‘play’ to listen:
Last June, I welcomed the City Council’s introduction of a food recycling trial project. At the moment, this covers only a limited number of addresses (in the West End - Clayhills Drive, Glamis Drive (34, 40, 43 & 45), Invergowrie Drive, Menzieshill Road, Perth Road (391 – South Lodge only), Whitefauld Road – 234 properties [...]
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the launch event at the City Chambers of the DisabledGo web pages for Dundee. DisabledGo is a superb resource for all residents who want to know more about disabled access in the area and Dundee joins many other parts of the UK already covered. The guide, launched in partnership with the [...]
This evening, after my weekly ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and Harris Academy, I attended City Council committee meetings. At the Education Committee, I supported an amendment to re-establish a working group on parking and pupil safety at schools across the city. The issue was brought up by one of the [...]
I was on Radio Tay news yesterday and quoted in the Courier about the lack of proper public toilet provision at Dundee House, the City Council’s new headquarters. At the HQ that cost Dundee council taxpayers some £36 million, there is only a disabled toilet facility but no general toilet provision. It would have [...]
Following my weekly ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and at Harris Academy, I attended tonight’s meeting of the City Council’s Development Management Committee at which a planning application for office accommodation at the digital media park in Greenmarket – aimed at the digital media/creative industries sector – was considered. The application was rightly [...]
Today : + I attended the latest meeting of the Balgay Stakeholders Group, at which we discussed various issues affecting Balgay Park and Hill and Victoria Park. I recently raised residents’ concerns about the state of the roadway near to Mills Observatory (mud and potholes) and assurances were given about resolving this. The [...]
Dundee City Council Budget : An opportunity lost
Posted: February 10, 2012 in Budget, Dundee City CouncilAt yesterday’s City Council Budget meeting, the Liberal Democrat Group’s amendments to the City Council’s proposed revenue and capital budgets proposed : * A cut of up to £6 in the Council Tax bills for residents – the Liberal Democrats were the only group to propose a cut in the Council Tax, to assist hard-pressed council [...]
Our budget priorities : Pupils before Council Offices
Posted: February 3, 2012 in Budget, Dundee City CouncilCllr Helen Dick and I have now submitted to the City Council Liberal Democrat proposals to improve the council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets. We will have amendments to both the revenue budget and the capital budget at the Budget Meeting next Thursday but will look carefully at the ideas coming from the other political [...]
Our schools deserve better than a Sixty Minute Makeover
Posted: January 27, 2012 in Ancrum Road Primary School, Blackness Primary School, Budget, Dundee City CouncilI have today highlighted my concerns about aspects of the proposed Dundee City Council Capital Budget and urged that there be a cross-party discussion about ways to improve the proposals to benefit the city’s schools. There’s much to welcome in the draft capital budget and in particular the proposal to build new primary schools in [...]
Tonight, after my weekly surgeries at Harris Academy and the Mitchell Street Centre, I attended City Council committee meetings at which: * At the Education Committee, I welcomed the recommendation not to progress a 33 period model in Dundee’s secondary schools. I also queried why the council did not have the foresight to build [...]
Concern over increase in street lighting electricity costs
Posted: January 21, 2012 in Dundee City Council, Street LightingOver the past few days, I have heard from colleagues on other councils across Scotland that the electricity companies are considering increasing very significantly the cost to councils of street lighting. Although it has yet to be finalised, I understand that Scottish & Southern Energy is looking at increasing its Distribution Use of System (DUoS) charges [...]
