New Year message

From Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson

"Can I wish everybody a very Happy New Year.

"And can I offer a special thanks to all the NHS staff and the police officers and the emergency services who haven't had a good break over the last few days and instead have been working to keep the country ticking over. I hope you get a well-earned rest soon.

  

"Of course, this is traditionally the time of year when we say out with the old and welcome in the new.

 

"And given the rocky year we’ve just been through, I suspect many of us will be hoping that’s the case more than ever.

 

"2016 will go down as one of those years when the world felt that it shifted a little on its axis. It became a different, often more troubling place.

 

"Change can often be good – necessary even; but some change can be unsettling too.

 

"So my hope for 2017 is that we see a little more stability and moderation.

 

"That applies right across the world – but it applies here at home too.

 

"People don’t expect governments to do everything for them. But they do expect them to make life a little easier.

 

"So, here in Scotland, that means we need to focus not on creating further division and instability; but on improving services and supporting business to get our economy moving again - to help families who are struggling to get by.

 

"My commitment for this coming year is to do everything I can to make sure that happens.

 

"To all of you here at home, and to Scots right across the world celebrating this evening -  all the very best for the coming year."

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of my constituents and readers of this blog.

Temporary traffic order - New Year Dook

Broughty Ferry Library- surgery details

Broughty Ferry Library will be closed from Thursday 22 December (13:00) until Wednesday 4 January 2017. It means that my Saturday morning surgery won’t be going ahead for the next couple of weeks. However I will be out and about and dealing with local issues over the festive period so if you had intended to come along to my surgery and would still like to see me then please telephone me or send me an email and I can make alternative arrangements.

Collingwood Street

I’m pleased to see work being carried out on the pavement in Collingwood Street. It’s being brought up to standard as part of the council’s unadopted footways scheme. Thankfully so far this winter the weather hasn’t been too bad so the work on this year’s batch of pavement improvements has made steady progress.

 

There are not too many unadopted pavements to go now, with a good number of Broughty Ferry pavements well placed to benefit from the unadopted footways scheme over the next couple of years. I will of course continue to look for ways to improve the priority of those Broughty Ferry pavements still to be attended to.

Bins and a box in Bughties Road

A couple of issues in Bughties Road have been raised with me by residents. The first is the lack of dog bins. There was previously one at either end of the street, attached to lampposts, but these were removed when the unadopted pavement on one side of the street was brought up to standard and new street lighting put in. I took the matter up with the council’s environment department and I have since been advised that the intention is to put the bins back roughly where they were before, but they will be attached to their own poles rather than lampposts.

 

The second issue is the Royal Mail pouch box which has been pushed over and is sitting at a jaunty angle. I contacted the council’s roads network team about it who very kindly reported it to Royal Mail requesting it to be removed if it is no longer needed and repaired if it is still in use.

Waste and Recycling Festive Arrangements

Household bin and trade waste collections from Monday 19th to Saturday 24th December 2016 & Monday 26th to Saturday 31st December 2016 will be carried out as normal.

 

All domestic recycling collections during the festive period will be carried out as scheduled. Please consult your collection calendar.

 

https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/forms/wastemgt_calendars.php

 

The household waste recycling centres at Riverside and Baldovie will be closed on Sunday 25th & Monday 26th December 2016 and Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd January 2017.  The centres will be open 9am - 4.15pm on all other days.

 

There will be no special collection / bulky uplift service from 23rd December 2016 until 4th January 2017.

 

If you have an item that could be re-used by someone else, please call The Community Re-Use Hub on 07565 811823.

New traffic warning signs

 It was suggested to me by local residents that it would be helpful to have signs in Forthill Drive alerting drivers to the fact that the street is within a sheltered housing area. Given the concerns raised about traffic safety I approached the council to ask if this would be possible.

 

I have now been advised by the roads network management team that arrangements for a 'frail or disabled pedestrians likely to cross road ahead' sign will be installed at the entrance to Forthill Drive from Nursery Road. The sign will be programmed for installation in the first quarter of 2017/18.

Christmas in Broughty Ferry

Dawson Park success

For a long time I have been requesting that improvements be made to the Dawson Park play area and I’m very pleased that at last something is to be done.

 

The Neighbourhood Services Committee this coming Monday is to be asked to approve a spend of £76,698 on playground improvements at the park. Earlier this year when I became aware of funding being made available I met with the council's landscape architect on site to discuss the proposal. The existing equipment will be refreshed and the fenced off area extended to allow the introduction of some additional new equipment. It is anticipated that the work will be carried out early in 2017.

 

At the November meeting of the committee it was agreed that Orchar Park would also receive some attention, including refurbished shrub beds and borders and additional benches. I will continue to press for Broughty Ferry’s other parks and open spaces to receive funding to carry out improvements.

Proposed Flood Protection Scheme

There is to be a further public consultation on the proposed flood protection scheme for Broughty Ferry. It will be held on Tuesday 13 December between 11am and 7pm in the Caste Green Leisure Centre. The letter from the City Engineer notifying neighbouring properties of the event says:

‘Since the last public exhibition in June 2016, Dundee City Council Engineers have been working on refining the details of the project, seeking to take on board comments and feedback from residents of Broughty Ferry.

 We would like to invite you to a second public exhibition at the Castle Green Community Centre, St Vincent Street, Broughty Ferry, and Dundee, DD5 2HA on Tuesday, 13 December 2016 between 11am - 7pm.

 

The aim of this public exhibition is to give an update of the project and seek opinion on the latest design proposals. We have arranged for a sample panel of the proposed wall to be placed at the notice board at Broughty Castle Pier. You are invited prior to the event to inspect and provide feedback.  On the day, members of the design team will be available to help answer any queries you may have.’

 

More information can be found on the flood protection page of the council’s website.  I would encourage all those who can make it to go along to the exhibition.

Christmas Lunch

I had a busy surgery on Saturday with Liam Kerr. Immediately afterwards Liam visited a number of shops in Broughty Ferry, along with a representative of the Federation of Small Businesses, as part of the Small Business Saturday campaign. The campaign celebrates every small business and encourages customers to spend their money in independent, local shops.

 

Later in the day we both attended Dundee Conservatives Christmas lunch at the Woodlands Hotel. Great to see so many members and supporters in attendance. Ross Thomson MSP was present as were the candidates for next year’s elections to Dundee City Council. Murdo Fraser MSP was the guest speaker and he gave an entertaining and interesting speech which included how the Scottish Conservatives are holding the SNP government to account.

Surgery with Liam Kerr MSP

 

 

Just a reminder that Liam Kerr MSP will be joining me again at my drop in advice surgery in Broughty Ferry Library this Saturday (3^rd Dec), 10:00-11:00. All welcome, no appointment required.