Fraser Macpherson

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West End Community Council meeting tonight #dundeewestend

I have today launched my November 2017 Update to West End Community Council.    

It covers the forthcoming West End Christmas Fortnight events – see details below and you can also download the full Update here.

The Community Council meets tonight at Logie St John’s (Cross) Church Hall at 7pm – all residents welcome.      

A fabulous West End Christmas Fortnight launches soon!

Saturday 25th November sees the start of the West End Christmas Fortnight and there will be a fortnight of superb community events across the West End of Dundee.

On Wednesday 29th November the Christmas Lights Switch On for the West End will take place including a spectacular fireworks extravaganza.

This year’s West End Christmas Concert takes place that evening at Dundee West Church at 6.15pm.   

There will be musical contributions from all local primary and secondary schools.    The Concert will be hosted by Gordon Sharp.    

We are delighted that “The Notables” will perform as well as local school pupils – it will be a great concert and everyone is very welcome to attend.   Mains of Fintry Pipe Band will pipe everyone from the church to Seabraes for the Christmas Lights Switch-On.

At 7pm, Loadsaweeminsinging will perform by the tree and thereafter at 7.20pm the West End Christmas Lights will be switched on at Seabraes by Lord Provost Ian Borthwick, ably assisted by Santa and his sleigh.  

There will again be a spectacular fireworks display after the lights switch-on.

West End Christmas Fortnight is packed with events and we hope that, as in the past 17 years, the local community will take part.      

We are extremely grateful to all the local businesses for their support of the Christmas Fortnight, without which the events would not be possible.

Other main West End Christmas Fortnight events include :

• Saturday 25th November   :   Christmas Fortnight starts with Dundee West Church’s Christmas Coffee Morning taking place in the church – 10am to 12 noon – enter from the church’s entrance at 132 Perth Road.

• Sunday 26th November   :  Open Day at Blackness Fire Station – 11am to 3pm – see round our local fire station – all welcome.

• Tuesday 28th November 4pm – 5pm :  Children’s craft activity at Blackness Library – make a Christmas Tree card  – all children welcome!

• Thursday 30th November – Frocks and Fizz evening at The Gate Coffee Bar, 158 Perth Road – 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

• Friday 1st December – West End – Best End!   –   Lights Switch on in West Port at 5.30pm – includes a piper, singers and a string quartet.    Roast chestnuts, apple spiced Christmas drinks and hot chocolate for the children.     Don’t miss it!

• Saturday 2nd December – Blackness Primary School’s Christmas Fair (10am to 12 noon), organised by the Friends of Blackness, and with a large variety of stalls.

• Saturday 2nd December – A Cosy Cup of Crafts! – Join the Gate Church for a cosy cup of tea or coffee and a cake while you enjoy a Christmas Craft Fair featuring local artists.   11am to 4pm.

• Saturday 2nd December – Verdant Works Winter Fayre – 12 noon to 4pm.

• Saturday 2nd December – Specifically Vintage Christmas Market at Roseangle Kitchen Café from 11am to 4pm.

• Saturday 2nd December – An evening of Christmas music – Dundee West Church at 7.30pm.    Tickets from Dundee Box Office.   Raffle in aid of Age Concern Dundee.

• Monday 4th December –  Children’s craft activity at Blackness Library – decorate a Christmas stocking  – all children welcome!   4pm – 5pm.

• Wednesday 6th December – Christmas West End Community Groups’ Social Event at The Vine.    

• Thursday 7th December – Winter Market at Dundee University Students’ Association, Airlie Place.   11am to 4pm.

• Friday 8th December – Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden’s “Mystery Walk in the Dark” – great fun for children!       5.30pm to 6.30pm.   

• Friday 8th December – West End Community Christmas Carol Concert at Logie & St. John’s (Cross) Parish Church at 6.30pm.    A family orientated candlelit celebration of Christmas sung with Carols, old and new.    Refreshments served and admission free. Bring a torch if you can!

• Friday 8th December – Starter Packs – a Rocking Christmas with “Road Runner” – 7.30pm at the Friary.   Tickets £7 in aid of Dundee Starter Packs and Dundee Foodbank.

• Saturday 9th December – West End Christmas Fortnight’s lovely children’s craft event led by the wonderful Lisa Earl of Create … Kids Create Craft Workshops.    Taking place at Logie St John’s (Cross) Church Hall, this event is most suited to young school aged children.

• Saturday 9th December – Friends of Magdalen Green – Soup and Pudding Lunch at Dundee West Church – 11am to 1pm – £5 – all welcome!

• Saturday 9th December – Harris Academy from 12.30pm – Primary 6 football competition.  P6 teams participating from our local primary schools. 
  
• Saturday 9th December – Christmas Tea and Carols at the Gate Church – 3pm to 5.30pm.    Come along and enjoy a festive afternoon tea including sandwiches and cakes and a sing along to some of your favourite Christmas carols.  

• Over Christmas Fortnight – Window Spotting Competition for children – prizes include a family membership of the Botanic Garden.
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Fraser Macpherson

Council to review street cleaning changes

Dundee City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee has agreed to review the effectiveness of changes made to the street cleaning operation across the city, following implementation of a report in December 2015 that has resulted in alteration to the service and removal of street cleaning posts.

I made the request to the Policy and Resources Committee as it is important that the council reviews the situation to ensure that there is no reduction in the effectiveness of the street cleaning service.

My motion – accepted unanimously by councillors – states :

“Street Cleaning and Open Space Management

Motion by Bailie Fraser Macpherson 

Given that it is approaching two years since adoption of Report 439-2015 on the Street Cleaning and Open Space Review, adopted at committee on 7th December 2015, this committee instructs Neighbourhood Services to review the effectiveness of the street cleaning revised operation to ensure that the changes undertaken since 2015 have not significantly impacted on the quality of street cleaning in any part of the city.   

A report on the outcomes of such a review should be brought back to committee, together with any necessary recommendations, to ensure Dundee City Council maintains good quality street cleaning standards across the city over the coming years.”

Earlier this year, Accounts Commission reported that the streets of Dundee are becoming dirtier – the report showing that Dundee’s street cleanliness score fell by 1.6% over the past six years and the council’s spending on street cleaning, per 1 000 residents, had been reduced by 39.8% over the same period.

The staff doing street cleaning do an excellent job.   However, recent changes have already resulted in some 26 fewer posts in street cleaning and this is bound to affect the service.     It is really important therefore that the street cleaning operation is fully reviewed and I am pleased the council has agreed to this.

A photo of an example of residents’ complaints about street cleaning (taken in Annfield Road) is shown above right – I highlighted this example at the Policy and Resources Committee.
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Fraser Macpherson