We recently received complaints about the deteriorated state of the road surface – including potholes – in Hillside Road in the section from Glamis Drive to junction with Hillside Terrace – see photo.
We raised this with the Roads Maintenance Partnership and received the following helpful feedback :
“(The roads inspector) has raised an order for repairs to be done, timescale approximately thirty days and also for a patch longer term when resources are available.”
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| Before the crowds arrived! |
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| Glamis Terrace Jubilee Party in full swing! |
At the City Council’s Development Management Committee tonight, I moved refusal of yet another mobile phone mast planning application in the West End – this time at Ninewells Avenue and close to Glamis Gardens (formerly Wimberley Court) and the Hillside area.
I made the point that there is too little co-operation in mast sharing between mobile phone companies. This application was by O2 and Vodafone, but there are already three Orange/T-Mobile masts off Riverside Drive and another on the water tower in Yarrow Terrace.
My motion to refuse read :
1. The proposed development is contrary to Policy 1 – “Vibrant and Sustainable Communities” of the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 as the development is likely to impact adversely on the environmental quality enjoyed by local residents by reason of design and layout. There are no material considerations of sufficient strength to justify the granting of planning permission contrary to the policy.
2. The proposed development is contrary to Policy 78 – “Location of Telecommunications Equipment” of the Dundee Local Plan Review 2005 as there is a failure to demonstrate that there are no other viable options in respect of alternative locations. There are no material considerations of sufficient strength to justify the granting of planning permission contrary to the policy.
3. The proposed development is contrary to Policy 1 of Dundee City Council’s adopted Non-Statutory “Planning Policies in Relation to Telecommunications Masts and Other Apparatus” as the applicant has failed to investigate all alternative sites in order to minimise the visual impact of the proposal.
4. The proposed development is contrary to Policy 2 “Residential Areas” of Dundee City Council’s adopted Non-Statutory “Planning Policies in Relation to Telecommunications Masts and Other Apparatus” as there is a general presumption against the siting of free standing masts in residential areas unless the mast is sensitively designed and sufficient justification is provided.
Unfortunately, I lost the vote 15-11, so yet another mobile phone mast will be erected in the area.
Although delayed by the recent winter weather, it was good to see road resurfacing work start today in Hillside Road.
Many residents had complained to me about the poor road surface and the road improvements will be welcomed
Given the recent thaw and the resultant release of some resources from winter maintenance work back to road repair and resurfacing works, the City Council has tonight advised me that :
” … we plan to re-commence the carriageway surfacing programme on Monday 10th January 2011, starting with the previously postponed works at Hillside Road.
The road will not be closed. However access will be maintained although restricted and lengthy delays should be expected during excavation and surfacing operations. Works are programmed to take 5 days.
Courtesy signs will be erected asap and residents notified.”
In past months, I have, on behalf of residents, raised the need for improvments to the Hillside Road road surface. I am pleased to note that the City Engineer’s Department is now undertaking works here and has written to householders as follows :
“No 32 Hillside Road to and including the junction with Hillside Terrace : Carriageway Resurfacing Works
I wish to notify you that work is programmed to commence at the above location on Monday 29 November 2010 and will last approximately 5 days. The contractor for the works is Tayside Contracts.
In the interest of public safety, a road closure will be implemented and through traffic will be diverted via Hillside Terrace/Hillside Drive and reverse.
No on-street parking will be allowed on the section of carriageway being worked on. Access to properties with driveways will be maintained, though delays will be experienced, especially during surfacing operations. Therefore, we would, however ask that vehicular traffic movements be kept to a minimum, where possible.
Please note that pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained throughout the works.
Please accept my apologies for any disruption these works may cause. I am sure that you will understand that major road maintenance work is unavoidable and necessitates a degree of inconvenience to road users.
If you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact the Roads Maintenance Partnership, by telephoning 01382 433558.”
An update on my recent item about the poor road condition in Hillside Road and adjacent roads (see http://tinyurl.com/blogonhillside to view this) – today’s “Courier” has an item about this – see http://tinyurl.com/hillsiderd.
I am pleased to advise that, following my raising residents’ concerns about the road condition in the Hillside Road area, particularly near the junction with Glamis Drive, the City Engineer advised me:
In recent months, I have had a number of complaints from residents about the condition of the road at the junction of Hillside Road and Glamis Road.Over the past few days I have had lots of complaints from people in the River Crescent, Newhall Gardens and Riverside Place areas about a really bad smell, apparently coming from the Riverside Civic Amenity site. Indeed, when I attended the River Crescent Residents’ Association AGM on yesterday at the Botanic Garden, many residents at the well-attended meeting were complaining about the smell – so bad that they couldn’t sit out in their gardens and had to shut windows.
I immediately contacted both Environmental Health and Waste Management and the City Council’s Head of Waste Management, having obtained feedback from staff at Riverside Civic Amenity site, called me this afternoon to say that the source of the problem appears to have been traced.
Over the period Thursday to Saturday a windrow (row of cut hay) was moved and this disturbed old compost. The work had been planned for this period as the wind direction was likely to ensure any smell would be away from the residential housing to the north, but clearly it did cause a problem in the area over the past few days.
I hope given what I have been advised by the City Council that the matter is now resolved and there will be no further smell nuisance, but I will be keeping a close eye on the situation. I should add that there were a number of other complaints from residents in other parts of the West End – for example Hillside Road and Menzieshill Road – but it looks likely that these emanated from fields to the west of the City.
Lastly, a burst large waste waster system cover near the junction of Riverside Drive and Riverside Avenue which had resulted in a mess round the cover had also been reported to me by residents. Having spoken with Scottish Water today about this, I have been assured that the cover will be replaced and the debris tidied as a matter of urgency.
Cllrs Fraser Macpherson and Michael Crichton 