We are planning to commence ECM works at Ancrum / Morven at the tail end of the 17/18 Financial year and I would confirm this will include a repaint to the stairwells and landings. Unfortunately this development is of a traditional build so is not a priority for External Insulation as it will have received cavity insulation in the past.
Ancrum Place
Ancrum Place/Morven Terrace sheltered housing – stairwells repainting
Morven Terrace and Ancrum Place sheltered housing meeting
New benches – Morven Terrace and Ancrum Place Sheltered Housing
New Post Box promised for sheltered tenants

Thursday West End meetings
Meetings at Tullideph and Morven Terrace Sheltered Lounges

Morven Terrace and Ancrum Place sheltered housing meeting
Morven Terrace Sheltered Lounge improvement
Amenity housing issues
Last couple of days …
Improved pavement at Ancrum Place

Proposed West End pavement improvements in coming year
Tuesday in the West End …
Getting things done … Morven Terrace
Friendly Bus Sheltered Shopping Service – new timetable

Getting things done … Morven Terrace
Tuesday in the West End …
Wednesday meetings …
![]() |
Dundee Remploy factory |
Busy Tuesday …
![]() |
Sinderins Court |
Morven Terrace and Ancrum Place Sheltered Housing
Changes to the Friendly Bus sheltered shopping service
From Monday 15th August, there will be changes to the Friendly Bus – the shopping service for sheltered housing residents.
Excellent improvement to car park and roadway at Ancrum Place sheltered housing
Back in August, I was pleased to report that the Housing Department had promised me that improvements to the car park and roadway at the Ancrum Place side of the Morven Terrace/Ancum Place sheltered housing would take place.
These have now been carried out – and what an improvement!
BEFORE :
AFTER :
Ancrum Place – good news!
I am pleased to report good news I received today from the City Council’s Housing Strategy Manager :
“Dear Cllr MacphersonI refer to your previous correspondence on the poor state of the car park at Ancrum Place.
In order to address the problems residents are facing here a contribution from the risk management fund has been made to enable Housing to carry out repairs to the car park.
These repairs will now be instructed via City Engineers. I will keep you updated on the timescale for completion of the repairs.”
As the car park and road area is in very poor condition, I have been concerned about this, particularly as it is used by elderly people who live in the nearby sheltered housing. I am therefore very pleased that the Housing Department has responded positively to the request that the car park area be improved.
Ancrum Place – dire roadway and car park
As reported in Friday’s Tele, following residents’ complaints to me about the state of the car park and road, I contacted the Area Housing Manager in June 2009 about it (the Housing Department own the ground). He advised that costings had been requested for repair. Fourteen months later and we appear to be no further forward.
I have now received this e-mail from a senior member of Housing Management :
“… the land is held on the HRA since it is unadopted. The Department owns considerable areas of such unadopted land. There are no resources identified for the maintenance of such areas.Funding within the HRA is extremely pressured with around £130M required to 2015 to meet SHQS standards on the housing stock alone. Meeting SHQS by 2015 is a legal requirement and so we must concentrate resources accordingly.
Given the state of these areas I have contacted the Council’s risk management department for funding but have been unable to secure any such funding.
… the Council is looking corporately at how best to deal with addressing these issues more effectively going forward.”
I have responded to him as follows :
“Thank you for this. Of course I appreciate the pressures on the HRA but can I remind you that on 23rd June 2009 I was advised :“costings have been requested for these works meantime”
and I hadn’t heard anything further whatsoever since.
Were these costings obtained and what were they?
Also can you advise what is actually being done “corporately” to find a solution and the timescale for feedback on any possible results of this? Thanks.”
Housing concern
Although in Stirling for most of today with the ‘day job’, I was in contact with the Housing Department regarding my concern about the continual breakdown of Mr John Melville’s heating system.
Mr Melville, who lives in Ancrum Place in the West End Ward, has suffered continual heating breakdowns since December 2007 and both today’s Courier and Evening Telegraph covered the issue. You can read the Tele article by going to http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2009/01/22/story12536276t0.shtm
As I said to the Tele :
“I was most concerned to hear of Mr Melville’s situation.
“I will be making enquiries to the housing department as a matter of urgency to find out exactly what has gone wrong on this occasion and to ensure that whatever problems are pinpointed are fixed permanently.
“For a pensioner to suffer without heating in the winter is totally unacceptable.”
I received the following feedback from the Housing Department this afternoon by e-mail :
Central Heating Defects
Arising from the press article contained in today’s Courier this report outlines the background and the current action being taken to deal with the defective heating system.
A new central heating system was installed in Mr Melville’s home in June 2007. Initially the heating system was working satisfactorily.
Between December 2007 and March 2008 Mr Melville experienced difficulties with the system, there were 6 reports of either no heating or no heating/hot water. In each instance repairs were completed as necessary.
In September 2008 Mr Melville began again to report difficulties with the system and over September to December 2008 there were 7 reports of no heating or no heating/hot water and 1 report of a leak. Again repairs were completed as necessary, including an investigation of the central heating radiator pipework for leaks.
However, due to the difficulties being experienced with the system and the frequency of these the problem was referred to the boiler manufacturer Ferroli in December 2008. Apparently there were problems in Ferroli making access arrangements which has delayed an inspection report on the boiler and effective remedial action being implemented. This has led to Mr Melville continuing to report another 3 instances of no heating/hot water in January 2009.
In view of the persistent problems Mr Melville has experienced with the heating system and the inconvenience he has suffered a new boiler will be installed immediately and Mr Melville has been offered alternative accomodation until Monday 26th January whilst the new system is being fitted. In addition Mr Melville will be compensated for any additional heating costs as a result of having to use electric heaters.
We will continue to pursue the problems with the boiler manufacturer Ferroli.
Elaine Zwirlein
Director of Housing
Whilst I am relieved at the action now finally being taken to get Mr Melville a new boiler, alternative accommodation whilst it is fitted and compensation, I am very concerned that the matter has dragged on for such a prolonged period. It is of the greatest concern that an elderly person has been left without adequate heating.
I have immediately responded to the Director of Housing stating given that her own report states there were some 13 reports of either no heating or no heating/hot water from December 2007 to December 2008, I am very surprised that it took a year to refer the matter to the boiler manufacturer Ferroli and would like an explanation as to why this was the case.
It is not only very important that Mr Melville’s heating is resolved fully very urgently but that the City Council ensures that no other elderly tenant is ever in this situation of prolonged heating breakdowns.
As the City Council’s Administration Group met tonight, I took the opportunity to speak with both the Housing Convener and the Director of Housing about the issue and seek assurances that a repetition of this cannot occur.