Getting things done – Arnhall Drive #dundeewestend

Residents have recently contacted me about the deteriorating state of the road surface in Arnhall Drive, including potholes – see below :

I raised this with the City Council’s Roads Maintenance Partnership and have received the following helpful feedback :

“We have inspected the road and found a couple of Category 3 potholes (repair within 30 working days). 

Many parts look worse than they are due to it being a concrete road that has been surface dressed.

 However, on checking the carriageway programme it was due to receive an overlay in 2023/24, this is under review so this may move. 

We should have a better idea in the next few months when the review is complete.”

Unadopted pavements – Arnhall Drive

Having raised over a long period, on behalf of residents, the need to upgrade and adopt the very poor pavements in Arnhall Drive – see right – I was pleased to be advised last year that the pavements would be upgraded relatively soon.

I recently asked for an update from the City Engineer on timescale, who has advised:

The unadopted footway works at Arnhall Drive were included in the 2013/14 programme but carried over into 2014/15 programme. Works started on site on 14 April 2014 and are currently ongoing. Work should be completed by early May with the exception of the footways (outside two properties) which will be delayed due to structural issues with the boundary walls at these locations. 

With regard to the 2014/15 upgrade programme (which includes the footpaths at Seymour Street, Hazel Drive (east footway) and Farington Terrace), he also advises me:

The unadopted footway programme for 2014/15 programme is still to be programmed with the required statutory notification letters having just been issued very recently. The programme will be carried out on a phased basis over the approximate period September 2014 to March 2015. 

Proposed West End pavement improvements in coming year

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 Arnhall Drive, Ancrum Place, Grosvenor Road and Magdalen Place and one new upgraded pavement will also be provided for Whitefauld Road and Middlebank Crescent.   

 

These improvements are to be welcomed and will see more of the very poor pavements in the West End finally brought up to standard.   Back in 2007, I asked the council to improve funding to tackle this problem of really poor unadopted pavements and this was agreed – an increase from £200 000 per annum to £500 000 per annum.   This has made a huge difference in terms of tackling the issue.

 

However, there are a number of important omissions in the West End in the 2013/14 list and I have queried this with the City Engineer.

FOCUS, Unadopted Footpaths

Spent much of today (almost!) delivering my latest FOCUS newsletter … I say ‘almost’ because I must have bumped into at least 15 people on the way and as a result of long chats with residents, the number delivered was not exactly huge! That said, grateful to all colleagues for their help today. Will upload a link to FOCUS soon.

I am pleased to say the City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee will on Monday be deciding on my proposal to increase capital funding for unadopted pavement upgrades from £200 000 to £500 000 each year. This will make a huge difference to the problem.

The photograph (above right) is from Arnhall Drive. The fact that a cover sits above the pavement level (and the poor pavement surface itself) highlights the problem and this street was not even on the waiting list. It hopefully soon will be. I contacted the Acting City Engineer about it (following complaints from residents) and paste his response below:

“I confirm that Arnhall Drive is an Unadopted Footway. It will be added to the list and assessed and scored/ranked at the next review.”