Bellefield Avenue

Getting things done … Bellefield Avenue and Seafield Road

I recently – on behalf of residents – raised complaints about the state of the roadway in Bellefield Avenue and Seafield Road.    

The City Council has now updated me as follows :

“An order has been raised by the Road Maintenance Partnership inspector to fill various holes on Seafield Road carriageway and footway with a timescale for completion of twenty eight days.   An order has also been raised for the filling of a pothole on Bellefield Avenue with a timecale for completion of three days.”

I am pleased at the fast timeframe in getting the pothole at the south end of Bellefield Avenue as its a really deep hole in the road.

Roseangle car park resurfacing – looking good!

The resurfacing work at the Roseangle car park is nearing completion and, as you can see below from photos I took late yesterday, the newly resurfaced car park is a huge improvement on the old pothole-ridden surface:
The City Council’s parking staff updated me yesterday afternoon as follows and I’m confident the car park will be re-opened over the weekend and in full use next week :

“I carried out a site visit to Roseangle Car Park this morning and I can confirm that good progress is being made with the resurfacing works.

I spoke to the Supervisor on site and he advised me that at the current rate of progress Tayside Contracts will need approximately 1 hour on Friday morning to complete the resurfacing of the tarmac.  He also advised me that the parking bays in the overspill area will be marked out this afternoon and weather permitting, the remainder of the parking bays would hopefully be marked out tomorrow.

With regards to Councillor Macpherson’s/Head of Transportation’s query, I can advise that if these works were to continue past Friday, there are 2 limited waiting bays and a section of double yellow lines on-street that are suitable for the resident loading and unloading their vehicle.  Parking dispensation for these areas can be granted by the Senior Parking Attendant’s if the resident telephones them on 432095.”

The electrical work in Bellefield Avenue that was due over the past week but that Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) kindly postponed at my request to ensure there was not parking space loss there at the same time as the Roseangle Car Park was closed for the resurfacing, will now go ahead starting on Tuesday – but the loss of parking spaces will be limited to one space outside the tenement block that SSE is working on.

Roseangle car park resurfacing

After many months of campaigning on behalf of local residents for proper resurfacing of the badly potholed Roseangle car park, I was pleased to advise last month that the City Council had agreed to fully resurface it and have it properly relined.
Slightly ahead of schedule, the council’s contractor, Tayside Contracts, will commence resurfacing works on Monday morning (27th – weather permitting), with the car park closed from teatime on Sunday for 3-7 days – the time taken will really depend on weather conditions.
I have advised all nearby residents of the temporary car park closure and the City Council has also publicised this as has the Courier and Evening Telegraph.    

Bellefield Avenue – SSE work postponed to avoid parking loss
I was very concerned to learn yesterday that, by unfortunate coincidence, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) intended starting electrical work in Bellefield Avenue on Monday that would see a loss of parking in the street for up to three weeks – see right.   

The combined loss of parking between the car park and Bellefield Avenue would have caused residents real difficulty, so I requested that SSE postpone their works until the car park work is completed.   To their great credit, SSE promptly agreed to this – see their response below:

“Councillor Macpherson 

Arrangements are underway to cancel works that were scheduled to commence on Monday 27 February 2012. 

We will discuss with your Network Management department to identify a suitable time to reschedule. 

The works are to upgrade electricity supplies into properties in Bellefield Avenue. This type of work involves excavations to connect a new cable into the property and disconnect the old one.”

Help with stair lighting problems

On a number of occasions, I have assisted residents in tenements where the stair lighting has failed.   The council’s Private Sector Unit has been extremely helpful in such situations.

I am therefore delighted that the council is now offering one-off awards of £100 per flat to assist with stair lighting repairs.   One of the recurring problems has been in Bellefield Avenue and it is therefore good to see homes there being targeted for funding initially.

Further information is available by calling 436880 or by email – private.sector@dundeecity.gov.uk.

Lighting safety on communal stairs

Over the past few months, I have had a number of concerns expressed to me by constituents about situations where the communal lights on the stairwells of tenements fail. This plunges the stairwell into darkness with obvious health and safety implications.

Just before Christmas, most of the lights on one side of Bellefield Avenue failed together as the wiring is communal and it was very concerning that a number of blocks of flats had no stair lights until that particular fault was detected and sorted.

There have been other examples of the stair lights failing in blocks in the West End and its bound to happen from time to time in tenement blocks where the wiring is old. Given that owners are communally responsible for repairs, getting repairs done can be complicated where a number of flat owners are involved, particularly where there are non-resident landlords.

I have sought advice from the Private Sector Services Unit at the City Council about grant aid for owners faced with a share of a bill for getting communal lighting systems upgraded. They advise :

“Grant assistance is available towards common repairs where the cost per flat exceeds £500. In calculating any approved cost of works we will also take into account savings above £6000.

The owners may wish to engage an electrician to test and report on the installations and obtain estimates. The overall cost to each owner will, as indicated above determine whether individually they will be eligible for grant.

Once they have the report and estimate, if they are needing help to coordinate the work and get everyone to buy-in, the Unit’s Advice & Liaison Team can offer assistance in contacting owners and arranging meetings if required.”

The team can be contacted on Dundee 435400.

Bellefield Avenue

I’ve been trying to assist the residents in many of the tenements in Bellefield Avenue over the past few days to get the stair lights on.

This is a problem that first emerged 5-6 years ago when all the communal lights went out in the 8 of the 9 tenements on the west side, plus 47 Magdalen Yard Road.   With the help of the council’s Environmental Health team and Scottish & Southern Energy, the problem was sorted on that occasion.

This time, the same tenement stair lights went off, but also some on the east side.

On Friday, at my request, an officer from Environmental Health and Trading Standards at Dundee City Council visited the street but there was some difficulty in locating the source of the problem.   

However, as of tonight (and earlier in the case of part of the east side) many of the lights are back on, but I am hoping to progress a proper long-term solution by getting owners together to agree a full survey of the stair lighting system here.

Tenement lighting

Over the weekend, residents in Bellefield Avenue drew to my attention that the stair lighting in all the tenement flats on the east side of the street had failed.    A similar situation arose some time ago on the west side of the street.   The problem is that the stair lighting is linked together, so if a fuse blows in one tenement, all lighting on one side of the street blows.
I contacted the City Council’s Environmental Health & Trading Standards Department straight away and was pleased to receive this update yesterday :

“Officers visited Bellefield Avenue this afternoon and found that a fuse had blown. They were able to repair this and the stairlighting is working again.”

A very fast response and greatly appreciated by the residents.

Parking

I’ve been in discussion with City Council Planning & Transportation officials over the past few days regarding concerns about delivery delays to some residents of the survey on parking issues.
The Council’s parking consultants have now agreed to meet with me in my capacity as Planning and Transport Convener to discuss the concerns and to ensure that all residents and businesses definitely get their say over parking problems in the consultation areas across the City, which include two parts of the West End.

The timeframe set by the consultants for the return of the many questionnaires issued was tight, but I have been concerned to learn from residents in a number of West End streets – Bellefield Avenue and Thomson Street in particular – that delivery of some of the questionnaires had been delayed making the timeframe for return extremely tight.

The postal delays have not helped the process of getting a large number of returns and although the deadline has been extended, I have arranged to meet the consultants to discuss return rates across the five areas of the City being consulted at this stage, and see if there are any streets that will require a re-survey.

I would stress that it is not too late to send back your questionnaire and also there will be consultation meetings across the areas before any recommendations are made by the consultants. However, as Planning & Transport Convener, I want to ensure that we get as large a response to questionnaires as possible because all residents and businesses are rightly entitled to their views on parking problems and how these could be tackled. I am looking for reassurance from the consultants that the questionnaire exercise has been meaningful and looking for them to take any additional steps to improve the process.

Latest West End Issues …

Yesterday, met with a local resident and Waste Management/Environmental Health & Trading Standards Department staff about a refuse problem in the Seafield Road area; both departments have been really helpful in attempting to resolve the issues.
Today, a deluge of complaints from residents in Roseangle and Bellefield Avenue about the extent of noise coming from the rail yards/rail bridge area – as one resident put it – “The noise – a dull ringing sound and ongoing vibration – is incredibly irritating for those of us who work from home. “
I have spoken today to the Rail Bridge Manager and he has promised swift and effective action.
Pleased to say that the promised handrail at Pennycook Lane should now be provided before this winter is over; this will be a boon for residents walking down the slope next to Pennycook Court just north of Perth Road.
Residents have complained about missing street signs at Almond Place and Glamis Drive – I have brought this to the attention of the Planning & Transportation Department.
A grid on the footway on Perth Road (near Ryehill Lane) is missing, a resident advised me. The City Council has promptly confirmed that a temporary repair has been undertaken and an Order has been made for a new grid. Nearby, the Waste Management Department has promised to progress my complaint that the litter bin at the Ryehill Lane/Perth Road corner is missing.
Many thanks to everyone who has contacted me following the delivery of the latest West End FOCUS; I’m grateful for all feedback. Many residents have commented about the operation of the “revised road arrangements” at the Riverside Drive/Perth Road junction (just up from the Botanic Gardens). I have been in correspondence with the City Council about this issue.