Last night, I attended the latest meeting of West End Community Council at which there was a very informative and detailed presentation from the City Council's Recycling Projects Officer about the current position of recycling efforts in Dundee and future plans to further extend recycling opportunities for residents.I have, on many occasions on behalf of West End constituents, asked about extending the kerbside plastics and bottles recycling facility that currently only covers a limited number of parts of the West End. It was therefore good to hear last night that the council is, later this year, to be undertaking an additional trial of 3000 households who currently do not have the plastics recycling facility - they will be offered a larger plastics recycling bin that will take a wider range of recyclables. I specifically requested that West End households are offered this new facility. I was also pleased to learn that, in the second half of this one year additional trial, some flatted properties will be offered the facility. I made the point that many constituents who live in tenements in the West End do not currently get the range of recycling facilities offered to other households, so this is welcome news.
It was also good to hear how successful the food recycling trial is going. The Recycling Projects Officer also advised that new "recycling on the go" points will soon be available at specific sites such as Camperdown Park. Speaking with her during the meeting's teabreak, she indicated that Nethergate at DCA was being considered for one of these facilities and I also suggested Lochee Park and Magdalen Green as possible sites.
The Community Council also discussed the on-going issue of Royal Mail delivery problems, in the main caused by the difficulties facing many local residents by the closure of the parcel collection office in Crichton Street and the fact that DD2 and DD3 customers now have to collect items from the remote Baird Avenue Collection Office. I also mentioned that I have had numerous complaints from constituents about wrongly delivered mail in recent months.
Royal Mail's Director of Scottish Affairs is attending the next Community Council meeting on Tuesday 10th April to discuss the various concerns that have been raised about mail deliveries in the West End - all residents are welcome (and indeed encouraged) to attend this and the Community Council would welcome any feedback residents have about mail delivery problems (you can contact the Community Council by using the contact form at http://tinyurl.com/contactwecc). I have a considerable list already of constituent concerns that I have passed on to Royal Mail and will be raising on 10th April and, as always, are very happy to help residents with any concern they have about this or any other local concern.
I also had the opportunity last night to mention the impending graffiti clean-up and litter pick in the West End that I am helping to organise for 16th May. We have already had an excellent response from local organisations and many community councillors also offered their help at last night's meeting.