A very busy week with West End and City Centre issues; firstly pleased that, at my request, the City Council has written to the owners of the former Homebase on Riverside Drive about the state of the site. As you can see from the photo (right) the walling on the pathway to the west of the sit
e is badly damaged and (left) the graffiti on the building is really bad. Whilst its appreciated the site will be a building site in due course as planning approval for flats was approved last December, its important that health and safety issues in particular are addressed ASAP.
A thoroughly enjoyable and very different City Centre & Harbour Community Council meeting on Thursday as most of it consisted of a walk round the historic parts of the City Centre, with Professor Charles McKean from the University of Dundee's Department of History (click on link on headline!) Despite a little light drizzle, it was a fascinating tour and well attended. The photo (left) shows Prof McKean leading part of the group through the Wishart Arch. There's a good overview of the history of the Wishart Arch at : http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst8838.htmlOther issues of the week included the handrail I'd asked for in Ford's Lane (where elderly people find it difficult to navigate the slope during winter months) finally installed (bit of a war and peace story this one but got there in the end!); a useful LibDem council group leaders across Scotland meeting with Nicol Stephen & other LibDem Scottish Ministers on Tuesday (good for raising issues of importance to us in Dundee & for my colleagues from elsewhere in Scotland) - similarly useful meeting with neighbouring councils later in week; and I have agreed to meet Digital UK when I am next in London (re the Freeview issue - http://www.dundee.prai.co.uk/news/177.html).
Two other issues - had meeting with council colleagues and made comment about the concerns many constituents have raised about proposals to increase car parking charges at Ninewells Hospital. There are two main concerns here:
* Potential impact on making parking in West End streets even more difficult
* The principle that it is wrond (in my view) that patients and patients' visitors should have to pay to access a "free at the point of delivery" National Health Service
See http://www.dundee.prai.co.uk/news/175.html ("Strong Backlash against hospital parking charges") -
I spoke about this on today's Tay Talk In on Radio Tay, stressing that I will always stand up for West End residents on this issue. I'm writing to both NHS Tayside & Andy Kerr, Health Minister, on the issue.And lastly, when is a drain repair not a drain repair? When Scottish Water hasn't done it! Having highlighted the organisation's failure to repair a drain (or, rather, provide a drain cover) following a little girl having an accident in Commercial Street, Scottish Water claimed the work had been done. Err....well maybe not. Having given the Courier a photo (right) rather proving the drain was still uncovered, and one apology from Scottish Water later, I am pleased to report the matter was properly attended to on Friday night (19th).