Getting things done … Glenagnes Gardens, Riverside Drive and Blyth Street

The repaired fencing

I recently mentioned the collapsed fencing at Glenagnes Gardens and have therefore today praised the effectiveness of the Community Payback Scheme, that has seen improvements undertaken by people on community service orders – including replacing that fencing.

I recently nominated two schemes to be undertaken through the Community Payback Scheme – graffiti removal on Riverside Drive and replacing a damaged fence in Glenagnes Gardens – and both proposals were taken on by the scheme and have been successfully completed.

Community Payback Schemes are a way for the offender to make amends to the community for their crime.   I have been impressed with the speed with which Community Payback took on these schemes and made a good job of completing them.   

In Glenagnes Gardens, a large fence had collapsed and it was proving difficult to find out who was responsible for fixing it.    Residents asked me to see how it could be replaced and the finished job by Community Payback is extremely good.    The scheme is very well-managed by the City Council’s Social Work Department.

I have also nominated a seating area in Blyth Street that residents would like to see spruced up.   Local residents asked me if making the seating area nicer would be possible and I am hopeful that this suggestion will also be taken on too.

Community Spirit Action Group – February update

Earlier tonight, I attended the first meeting of 2012 of Community Spirit Action Group, the residents’ group covering Polepark, Pentland, Cleghorn, Ancrum, Tullideph and surrounding areas. 

Matters covered included :

* A presentation by the City Council’s Chief Architectural Services Officer on the proposed capital investment on Blackness Library.   Although welcome in itself – it will provide proper disabled access to the meeting rooms on the first floor – in my view it falls short of what is really required to create a proper community resource for the West End.   This would include provision of a base for community groups, upgrading of the library and meeting rooms and ease of access to the facility in the evenings and weekends for local residents and community groups.

I have specifically requested a proper public consultation with the local community on the proposal, including a display and community engagement event at the library.

* There was thereafter an excellent presentation by Mark Chalmers of Sustrans about the Street Design Project in Kirkcaldy that has provided a low-cost, great value project that is giving the local community traffic and community safety improvements, dropped kerbing, landscaping and improved lighting and pathways.    I have been in touch with Sustrans about how areas like Ancrum and Pentland can benefit from this sort of initiative.

* I updated the group on two projects I have proposed to the Community Payback Scheme to benefit the local area – upgrading the Blyth Street seating area (see right) and repairing the fallen fencing in Glenagnes Gardens.