Taxi Rank at St Andrew's Cathedral - Concerns

A number of constituents have expressed their concerns about the possibility of an official taxi rank operating outside of St Andrew's Cathedral on the Nethergate. Anyone with concerns should make them known officially to the council, in writing to the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), Dundee City Council, 21 City Square, Dundee by Friday 24th June.



I have been approached by a number of constituents who have raised concerns about the possible impact of an official taxi rank outside the Cathedral and DCA. It is important that anyone with concerns puts them in writing to the council by Friday of this week. The proposal is for a rank to operate there between 11 pm and 6 am but there are concerns about the litter that this causes particularly at the front entrance to the Cathedral. There are also concerns about whether such an action would set a precedent that would allow for a proposal for a daytime taxi rank to operate at some point in the future.


The main point at this stage is that anyone who has concerns should make their views known to the council by Friday of this week.

I accept that there is a need for taxi ranks in the area around the cultural quarter. I am concerned that there is a rank which is unused at the bottom of South Tay Street. I hope that there is a solution which can be found which suits all parties.

Development Management Committee

On Monday evening the June meeting of the Development Management Committee took place. The main issue was about new cabinets which BT wants to install in the conservation areas of the West End. I want people in the West End to have access to fast broadband services but I do not think that BT had made enough effort to make these cabinets blend into their surroundings. I was disappointed that these cabinets were given planning permission.

West Fest - World Record Piggy Back Race

I was at Dundee Westfest's Big Sunday today and I was delighted to take part in the world record piggy back race with my daughter Marianne. It was great to see so many local people taking part. I believe that the world record for the number taking part was broken today but this requires to be verified, I look forward to finding out if I'm a record-breaker or not! The wet weather, during the race, didn't dampen the spirits of the people of the West End. There were lots of great stalls and great entertainment. There was also a great turn out by lots of people from the West End and beyond. The pictures show that there was some sunshine in between the showers and shows just how well attended the event was.

Westfest is a great event and as a local resident and local councillor I would like to congratulate all those involved in organising the event.

Riverside Nature Park - Opened at last!

I am delighted that the Riverside Nature Park was formally opened on Saturday. The refurbishment of this former landfill site is remarkable. The views from the park are stunning. This project has come to fruition thanks to the efforts of local people who have argued long and hard for this project to go forward. It was therefore very appropriate that the former chair of the West End Community Council Alan Young performed the official opening (picture shows Alan unveiling the sign at Riverside Nature Park). It was also great to see former community councillor Albert A'Hara present at the opening, Albert has campaigned long and hard to get this site open to the public.



This is a site that will be a great resource for the people of the West End, the rest of the city and beyond to visit. Over time the park will develop a number of habitats to encourage a wide variety of wildlife. I hope that local people will enjoy this park and will use it on a regular basis. I am pleased to have played a small part in supporting the local community in putting pressure on the City Council to take forward this project. Well done to all the members of the community who have made this project a reality and well done to all the workers who have worked so hard to make this project a reality. The smaller pictures show some of the excellent views that you get, even on a relatively dull day like Saturday.

Education Mass- St Andrew's Cathedral

Last Thursday evening I attended the annual Education Mass organised by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld. The Mass was held in St Andrew's Cathedral , Dundee the school in charge of organising the celebration this year was St Joseph's Primary from the West End. The pupils from St Joseph's showed a great deal of talent in playing music and singing beautifully throughout the event.