Dundee City Council Committee Meetings

Monday evening saw a lengthy meeting of the City Council and its various committees. At the Housing Committee there were proposals to develop a sort of intermediate level of housing called amenity housing which would be somewhere between mainstream housing and sheltered housing. I am really pleased that local people and opposition parties have made their views known and the SNP Administration have decided not to progress plans to scrap sheltered lounges or wardens. I was also pleased that the council will be promoting home insulation, finding effective ways of dealing with fuel poverty and carbon footprints is very important.

The City Development Committee was scheduled to discuss bus services between the West End and St John's. This was withdrawn because at long last council officers are taking the concerns of local parents seriously. I hope that a solution will be forthcoming before too long.

At the Policy and Resources Committee I asked about future plans for the Community Learning and Development section. This section has received excellent reports from the HMIe, which are sector-leading. The council has made a number of changes to this section recently with a number of staff members leaving and the section being moved. I was delighted that the Chief Executive gave me a reassurance that the aim is to maintain the high level of service.

There was also a report on the increasing pressures on children's services. It is important that the council provides the appropriate services to vulnerable children. We need to see if there are ways to help finance this but we also need to note that child safety is priceless and the top priority.

I was pleased to support my colleague Kevin Keenan in calling for better medical services in Ardler.