From the City Council’s Director of Children and Families Service to City Councillors :

“Now that schools will reopen in what would be regarded as normal school days from Monday 17th August, it would be our intention to continue the consultation process to its conclusion.

With this in mind we intend to run the consultation for an additional three weeks from 17th August to 4th September. 

This will provide some additional time for stakeholders to respond to the proposals set out in the consultations and it will also permit the completion of any remaining discussions with schools and staff which were postponed.

It would be important to note that prior to lockdown the vast bulk of the consultative meetings had taken place, including public meetings for each proposal where Education Scotland was present.   In fact, at the point of lockdown the consultation had only a few days to run.

Due to ongoing restrictions on large public gatherings, we intend to carry out any engagement in this additional 3 weeks extended period using a digital format.”

Letters were issued yesterday to parents of the affected schools.     The relevant one for the West End is as follows :

TO PARENTS/CARERS OF PUPILS ATTENDING HARRIS ACADEMY, ANCRUM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, BLACKNESS PRIMARY SCHOOL, CAMPERDOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAYVIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL AND VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Parent/Carer

LEARNING ESTATE CONSULTATIONS

THE REMOVAL OF INVERGOWRIE PRIMARY SCHOOLS STATUS AS AN ASSOCIATED PRIMARY TO HARRIS ACADEMY FROM AUGUST 2021

THE REVISION OF CATCHMENT AREAS FOR ANCRUM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, BLACKNESS PRIMARY SCHOOL, CAMPERDOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL, TAYVIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL AND VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL FROM AUGUST 2021

You will be aware that the above consultations were due to run from 10th February to 27 March 2020.

Unfortunately, due to the Corona virus pandemic and unprecedented events resulting from COVID 19, all schools in Scotland closed on 20 March 2020 and we were unable to complete the consultation within the timescale originally envisaged.

Schools will not be open again for all pupils in what would be regarded as normal school days until Monday 17 August 2020.    With this in mind we intend to extend the consultation and conclude it on 4 September at 5pm.   This will provide some additional time for stakeholders to respond to the proposals set out in the consultations.

The bulk of the planned consultation activities had been carried out prior to the lockdown of schools on 20 March 2020, including public meetings on both proposals. However, there were two further planned public meetings (one on each proposal), that we could not take forward as a result of the lockdown.

Due to ongoing restrictions on large public gatherings, and in an attempt to best support the conclusion of the consultation process and make sure we obtain the most comprehensive views of the proposals, we intend to carry out these last two events using a digital format. The resources used to support the previous public consultation events will be made available via the consultation web pages to allow stakeholder access to any information or materials they would have received at a public meeting.

Over the three week period, stakeholders will be able to submit questions which will be answered on a weekly basis by senior council officers with both the questions and answers published on the webpage. Please use the following link to the consultation webpage where there are details of the engagement and how to respond. 

A link to the questions and answers section will also be found within this.

www.dundeecity.gov.uk/school-learning-estate-formal-consultation

I hope this letter provides some clarity and a way forward during these challenging times. 

I look forward to continuing to receive your views on the proposals and your engagement in the digital events.

Yours sincerely

PAUL CLANCY

Executive Director of Children and Families Service

A garden and wildlife planning meeting from Ninewells Community Garden is online this Wednesday at 6pm – all welcome!

More details at www.facebook.com/events/344282919936818

Residents may recall my recent Facebook article on 30th July expressing my concern and disappointment that, from the 1st August, the free TV licence for all over 75s was removed. 

Instead, the BBC has introduced a new scheme that offers free TV licence assistance to only some over 75 households.

Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action has given some helpful advice about how to continue to get a free licence :

“To be eligible, the licence holder must be 75 years or older and you, or your partner living at the same address, must be in receipt of Pension Credit.

Pension Credit is one of the benefits that is not well claimed.  

To check if you qualify for this or other benefits such as Housing Benefit, council Tax Reduction or Attendance Allowance you can contact either Welfare Rights at Dundee City Council on 01382 431188 (option 2) or by email on welfare.rights@dundeecity.gov.uk or you call the Age Scotland Helpline on 0800 12 44 222. 

Being in receipt of Pension Credit not only enables you to receive a free TV licence,  but also allows access to other benefits too.

If you had a free TV Licence up to 31 July, you don’t need to do anything just now to stay licenced.

TV Licensing has started to write out to all those affected asking them to pay or apply for a free one.  This may take a couple of months.   They will explain in their letter to you what you need to do to set up your next licence.  These letters should arrive within the next couple of months and the licensing authority has confirmed that currently you continue to be covered.”

The following information is from Age Scotland :

“We want you to be aware of how to spot a scam letter or email regarding this, so please be advised that TV Licensing will only ask you to pay using the following options:

By post using the address:  TV Licensing, PO Box 578, Darlington, DL98 1AN

Online at www.tvl.co.uk/75pay or www.tvl.co.uk/75apply

Over the phone on 0300 790 6151

If you are contacted and asked to pay for your TV licence using a different phone number, a different website or by posting your details to a different address you have been contacted by a scammer.

TV Licensing has also been clear that they will not come to your doorstep to collect the licence fee if you are over 75, so anyone who claims to do so is also a scammer.  

If you are unsure about anything, you can call TV Licensing on 0300 303 9695 to speak with someone who can help.  

If you have been scammed then we need to know about it, so please report this to Police Scotland on 101.”

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD – SATURDAY 15 AND SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2020

Perth Road (at Invergowrie Drive) – temporary traffic lights from Tuesday 11 August for up to one week for gas main repair.

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD – WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2020

Lochee Road (at Polepark Road) – mini contraflow on Thursday 20 August for BT works.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Riverside Esplanade – off-peak nearside lane closure on Tuesday 25 August for Scottish Water manhole repair.

Strawberrybank – closed from Thursday 17 September for 5 working days for wall maintenance works.