Getting things done – Postal deliveries #dundeewestend

We recently had complaints about postal deliveries in parts of the West End, particularly in Pitfour Street and surrounding area.
We took this up with Royal Mail and have now been updated by its Senior Public Affairs Manager as follows :

“Thank you for your communication regarding mail deliveries to Pitfour Street in your West End Ward. Delivering a reliable service is our top priority, and I am very sorry that your constituents have cause for concern.

Royal Mail is continually adapting to the rapidly changing nature of the modern postbag, which now comprises more parcels and fewer letters. Since the start of the pandemic there has been a rapid acceleration in the decline of letters and an increase in parcels to an ever increasing number of addresses. We continually review delivery rounds, including addresses that are served by Dundee West Delivery Office. This is to ensure that postmen and women each have a fair distribution of workload.

After a review of delivery rounds at Dundee West Delivery Office, changes were recently implemented. This meant that the postman and woman are now delivering to a revised delivery round. The Customer Operations Manager advised that Dundee West Delivery Office has recently been experiencing resourcing issues due to higher than normal absence for this time of year. This has led to some disruption to mail deliveries to Pitfour Street, which I fully appreciate is incredibly frustrating. I apologise for the inconvenience this has caused your constituents.

The Customer Operations Manager has confirmed that mail deliveries to Pitfour Street are currently taking place on a rotational basis to minimise disruption. They are doing everything they can to ensure mail deliveries are as frequent as possible and are focused on returning to a six day service. This remains their priority.”

Electricity upgrade works – Pitfour Street/City Road area #dundeewestend

Starting tomorrow – Monday 7th October – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks will start work to replace the underground electricity cables that serve Pitfour Street and the surrounding areas.

 

Two new 11kV cables will be installed from Pitfour Street Substation to the junction of Baxter Street and City Road.       It is envisaged the works will be completed next month.

 

Traffic management will be put in place by their contractors, Inverness Paving. This will include temporary lane closures and parking restrictions along Pitfour Street.     

 

There should be no interrupting to residents’ electricity supply to carry out these works.      

I recently gave details of the temporary traffic order and you can read this here.

 

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has issued an explanatory leaflet to residents in the area and you can download this here.    This gives contact details of the project manager should any resident have any query.

Temporary Traffic Order – Pitfour Street and City Road

From the City Council :

 

Dundee City Council proposes to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating SSE cable renewal works.  The Order is expected to be in force for 5 weeks from 7th October 2019.  Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Pitfour Street in an eastbound direction between City Road and Roseberry Street (Phase 1) and City Road in a southbound direction between Pentland Avenue and Scott Street (Phase 2).

The Phases will run consecutively.

An alternative route will be available via City Road, Cleghorn Street and Roseberry Street (Phase 1) and Pentland Avenue, Balgay Street, Blackness Road, Rosefield Street and Milnbank Road (Phase 2).

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to the Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee, DD1 1LS.  If you have any queries please contact 433082.

Getting things done – graffiti removal – Rosebery Street, Pitfour Street and Benvie Road

Following residents’ complaints about graffiti requiring removal in Rosebery Street, Pitfour Street and Benvie Road (see below), I raised this with the City Council’s Rapid Response Team :

 

I have now been advised that disclaimers have been given to the property owners concerned to get their authority to allow the council to remove the graffiti (permission required as on privately-owned walls).

Concern over break-ins

Last night’s Evening Telegraph reported on a number of recent break-ins in Marchfield Road, Pitfour Street, Rosefield Street and Peddie Street, together with my comments expressing concern about this.

Intrusion into people’s homes causes great upset and anxiety to householders, in addition to the theft of personal possessions.  　

I have no doubt that Tayside Police will be putting in significant resources to apprehending those responsible and the co-operation of any members of the public with information is vital.

Tackling fly-tipping in the West End

An issue I have had many complaints about in recent months is the extent of fly-tipping or the dumping of old furniture and other items in parts of the West End. At meetings of the West End local community planning partnership, Tayside Fire and Rescue has highlighted that on tenement stairwells, discarded items of furniture present a real fire hazard, and fly-tipping generally is a source of complaint from the vast majority of residents who wish the area to be kept in a nice condition.

 

I am most grateful to the Waste Management Department who, earlier this week and at my request, removed fly-tipping in the Pitfour Street area – this is just one of many dozens of residents’ fly-tipping complaints I have raised with the department in the past few months.   I do have to say that the City Council’s Waste Management Department is extremely proactive and helpful at reacting to such complaints.

 

At a recent meeting of the Housing and Environmental Services Committee, I put forward a motion to seek a review of the special collections charge to see if the way in which the council deals with bulky uplifts could be improved, to reduce the instances of fly-tipping.   The issue is a city-wide one, not just a concern for the West End.

 

The bulky uplifts charge was last looked at in detail by a working group around 2000, just before I was elected to the City Council.   In the intervening years, the charge has increased significantly and I feel that a review is now needed.   

The SNP Housing & Environment Convener, in all fairness, agreed to meet with myself and the Head of Waste Management to look further at the issue and I have suggested that the other council political groups are invited to participate in discussions.    These are planned to take place in the next few weeks.   I think every effort must be made to tackle fly-tipping in Dundee and an all-party consensus approach is undoubtedly the way forward.