Eurovision …

Each year, I do a bit of a Eurovision theme and, this year, as Britain heads to guaranteed defeat tonight in Baku, I thought I’d highlight one of my favourite Eurovision losers of all time!

Gigliola Cinquetti’s 1974 entry for Italy – “Si” - was one of the best Eurovision entries of the 1970s but faced something of an uphill struggle in that she was up against Abba and “Waterloo”.  Gigliola Cinquetti came a creditable second to Abba that year, with Olivia Newton John’s UK entry “Long Live Love” coming fourth.

Here’s the Gigliola Cinquetti original version:

… and here’s a rather good cover in English by Tears n’ Joy from 1993:

Riverside Drive footpath – an update

Earlier this week, I highlighted the concerns residents and I have about the new footpath on the north side of Riverside Drive (in front of the development site at the old Homebase store) being, in our view, too close to the very busy roadway and too narrow.

I have been in correspondence with the Head of Transportation at Dundee City Council regarding the matter, asking what the possibilities are for moving the footway a bit away from this hugely busy roadway – or widening the pavement – or installing safety barriers.

Most recently, I have received this feedback:

“The pavement will be constructed as the development progresses and I cannot envisage a pedestrian barrier being installed along the very extensive length.

I will ask for a Road Safety Review of the temporary set up and the permanent layout but do not anticipate anything significant – the speed limit reduction to 40mph will hopefully change the feel of this road.  

More significantly the rail footbridge will significantly change pedestrian routing in the future (reduced use of north footway of Riverside is expected).”

The Road Safety Review is to be welcomed and I have asked for feedback once this has been carried out.   However, I remain concerned that the footpath here could have been constructed differently – and better – and I will be keeping a close eye on the situation as development on the site progresses.

Gibson Brothers …

To round off disco-retro week, the GIbson Brothers:

West End Local Community Planning Partnership

Last night, after my ward surgery at Blackness Primary School, I attended the latest West End Local Community Planning Partnership (LCPP) meeting at the Tartan Coffee House in Perth Road.    

The LCPP meeting remains a great opportunity for representatives from different council departments, councillors and representatives from other organisations like police, fire and rescue and the NHS to discuss local issues and matters of concern and also let local residents raise issues, ask questions and have their say.

We started with a presentation from a local 10 year old pupil of Blackness Primary School who recently wrote to me saying he and his friends would like to see a skatepark in the West End as the nearest facility – Dudhope Park – is so far away.   Along with his father, we have met with the City Council’s Head of Environmental Management to discuss the viability and last night we sought the support of the LCPP meeting to move this forward.  Obviously funding is the major issue – finding a site for it in public ownership in the West End is less of an issue –  and the LCPP enthusiastically supported the idea – everyone was so impressed that a primary school pupil aged 10 had not only come up with this idea but had the confidence and ability to address the meeting on the issue.

The LCPP has tasked several senior officers to help make this project a reality in time and I am delighted at the LCPP’s support.

We had a very useful discussion about recycling and I again emphasised my wish to see recycling opportunities in the West End increase – including allowing more types of recycling at Neighbourhood Recycling Points.    A number of other issues were discussed including dangerous and derelict buildings and house/flat factoring – and I sought support for residents in the far west end area of Perth Road (including Millbay Terrace/Gardens and Clovis Duveau Drive) who are very concerned at the decision of National Express Dundee to withdraw their area from the Service 5 bus route.

We had a lengthy LCPP meeting last night but it was both productive and positive.    It highlighted just how many positive initiatives are taking place right across the West End Ward, the great community spirit in the West End (evidenced by the recent community graffiti clean up and litter pick with around 70 volunteers taking part) and the desire of all on the LCPP to tackle issues facing our area.

Union Place

On behalf of residents, I have raised the condition of the roadway at the Union Place/Perth Road junction.    I am grateful to the council’s Roads Maintenance Partnership that has agreed to resurface here.

The City Council has now released the following Public Notice about the work:

THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1)

THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of carriageway resurfacing works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Union Place, Dundee.

This notice comes into effect on Monday 28 May 2012 for 3 working days.

Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained.    Access will be maintained where possible.   No alternative routes are available.

For further information contact (01382) 433168.

Mike P Galloway

Director of City Development

Dundee City Council

Chic – Everybody Dance

Hillcrest Road – an update

Hillcrest Road

Last month, I updated residents that the very poor road surface in Hillcrest Road was, at last, to be resurfaced.

The work should have started this week, but residents have contacted me to say it hasn’t.    I sought an update from Tayside Contracts who advised me yesterday:

“The works at Hillcrest Rd have been delayed due to a number of reasons. A combination of the poor weather experienced from April to date and unforeseen circumstance being experienced on a number of other jobs have prevented the works starting when planned. To exacerbate this, the closure for the works was for a fixed period of 5 days preventing us from simply moving the works back a week until the over running works were completed. In order to carry out the works we have had to apply for a new closure and to ensure there is flexibility to deal with any future unforeseen circumstance a full flexible closure has been applied for. Unfortunately this process takes 6 weeks to promote, with the works now programmed to commence 4th July 2012. Signs will be placed to inform the residents that the works have been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. I apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused residents.

As indicated previously, the works are not to be a series of individual patches, they comprise of a 40mm full width patch for approximately ¾ of the street (150m), starting at Blackness Ave going west towards Marchfield Rd.”

I asked that the promised signage to update residents be placed as soon as possible (as residents were avoiding parking outside their homes expecting works to start imminently) and was given a commitment by Tayside Contracts that this would be done yesterday.

It is obviously disappointing that the work has been slightly delayed but we will undoubtedly see a much better road surface in Hillcrest Road by early July.