West End LCPP

Tonight I attended a meeting of the West End Local Community Planning Partnership. The main topic discussed was a presentation on progress on the proposed new schools in the West End. There was also an update on the residents car parking scheme and discussions about the work of the various partner organisations (council departments, police, fire and rescue, the NHS)in the West End.

Strictly Fair Trade Tea Dance 27 February

On Wednesday morning I attended a meeting of the Dundee Fair Trade Forum. The main item on the agenda was the forthcoming Strictly Fair Trade Tea Dance which takes place on 27th February in the Bonar Hall from 10am until 3pm. To see the flyer click here. The point of the event is to encourage people to swap their current brand of tea for fairtrade tea (and coffee or whatever your favourite is!). There is also a website promoting this message.

The event at the Bonar Hall will be fun with stalls, fairtrade goodies and a number of dance groups. Please come along.

Sport Dundee

On Wednesday evening I attended a meeting of the Sport Dundee the new name for Dundee City Sports Council. This was a very interesting meeting which looked a number of issues such as facilities, and the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As an elected member it is important to listen to the views of athletes and the volunteers who make sport happen in Dundee. In this difficult economic period I believe that it is important to ensure that the importance of sport is still recognised.

Local Community Planning Partnership - Thursday

This Thursday 18th February sees the meeting of the Local Community Planning Partnership in the West End. The meeting takes place at 7pm and will be held in the Tartan Cafe on the Perth Road. The agenda is below, but the main item will be a presentation on the new school projects at the former Logie site. The meeting is open to all local residents.


1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES



2. PRESENTATION ON NEW WEST END PRIMARY SCHOOL BY GILLIAN ROSS POND, PROJECT DIRECTOR, DUNDEE SCHOOLS PPP PROJECT



3. MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING OF 26 NOVEMBER 2009 AND MATTERS ARISING



4. RESIDENTS PARKING SCHEME UPDATE



5. OPEN FORUM ON ISSUES RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC



6. ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS



7. DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING - 25 MAY 2010, 7.00 PM IN THE TARTAN CAFE

You can find out about some of the issues the West End LCPP has taken up so far by clicking here.

BARA - Blackness Area Residents Association

Tonight I attended the monthly meeting of BARA - the Blackness Area Residents Association. This is an effective group which represents tenants in the Blackness, Corso, Abbotsford area of the West End. There was a discussion about the process by which the council sets rents and tenants made clear that they felt that there should be more consultation and more options offered.

Development Quality Committee

Monday evening saw a meeting of the Development Quality Committee of the City Council. There were six planning applications decided upon, including one in the West End.

Dundee WestFest

I've been asked by the people at WestFest to highlight this important community event which is in its inaugural year. For more information please visit the website. I hope that this festival is a great success and I know that a lot of great work has already taken place.

Dundee WestFest is an exciting community led initiative in the West End of Dundee that aims to celebrate the area's diverse culture and vibrant community spirit. The week long festival will centre on five themes; art, drama and dance, environment, history and music and the week will end with a Parade and Party. The festival is open to all who want to take part, whether that is an individual artist / performer, a small group of local residents or a large organisation.

There will be events for all ages, including some organised through the local schools. The objective is to harness the skills and enthusiasm of people in the West End to showcase their talents and to create a memorable and enjoyable festival that will generate benefits for the residents, local businesses and visitors to the area. The first festival will take place 20 - 27 June 2010; there are plans to make it an annual event.