Homebase

Riverside Drive – new footpath

Residents have recently commented to me about the new footpath being constructed round the building site at the old Homebase in Riverside Drive, where flats are to be constructed.

It is correctly being built at the ‘road’ side to avoid the public safety concerns about the old claustrophobic pathway that previously ran at the ‘railway’ side, but residents have raised concerns that the new footpath at the road side is both narrow and has been built right against the (extremely busy) road edge.   There is already a little bit of existing footpath at the road edge just past (east) the entrance to Tesco but it is wider and very short.

I have asked the City Council to confirm if this is to be the permanent footpath?   I have echoed to the City Council the views of local residents who feel that, from a safety perspective, it would be much better if this pavement was back off the road a bit.

Homebase site – Riverside Drive

I recently raised with the owners of the disused Homebase site on Riverside Drive residents’ concerns about a gap in the security fencing round the site.

The owners, H&H Properties, responded assuring me that a prompt repair would be carried out and this has indeed since taken place.

H&H Properties also confirmed to me that it is intended to start work on-site in late April or early May, with the piling contractor being on-site during May and June.

Although I was opposed to the original planning application as I feel more could be made of this site with stunning views across the River Tay, the fact that development is to move forward will at least ensure that an unsightly gap site will come into a useful future use as apartments close to the City Centre, cultural quarter, V&A at Dundee and the rail station.

Graffiti Action Day – 1

This morning, along with West End residents, city council representatives, fellow councillors, a local community police officer and with assistance through the Community Justice Authority, we undertook the first of two days of graffiti clean ups – starting at the former Homebase site on Riverside Drive and getting rid of the mess along Roseangle, including the Tay Rope Works site.
Superb start, and it was great to see the community spirit of many residents who came along and helped today. More tomorrow – the north of the West End Ward – but here’s a few photos from today :
Above : some of the team


Above : Homebase before
Above : And after …

Cleaning up graffiti in the West End

As reported tonight in the Evening Telegraph, this morning I attended the graffiti clean-up by Scottish and Southern Energy of Electricity Sub Stations across the West End – the photo (below) is of me with some of the Scottish and Southern team at Milnbank Road.

Tomorrow morning, the West End graffiti weekend graffiti clean-up by residents, councillors, community groups, and supported by the City Council, begins in earnest at the former Homebase site in Riverside Drive.

Homebase Site sold

PricewaterhouseCoopers, admininstrators of the former Homebase site in Riverside Drive have advised me of the sale of the site at the end of last week :
 
“I am able to confirm that the sale of the site completed on Friday.  The purchaser is H&H Properties (UK) Limited of Dundee.”
 
The “Evening Telegraph” printed my comments about the sale last night – see http://tinyurl.com/homebasesale.    It appears from today’s “Courier” that the new owner intends to press ahead with the exisiting planning approval for over 200 flats.   This is, in my view, a missed opportunity to consider a smaller scale development on a site with superb views across the River Tay.   Nonetheless, it is good that the site has been sold, having sat as a target for vandalism for many months.