City Development Committee - 16/05/2005

At a MEETING of the PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th May, 2005.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Fiona GRANT, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 9th May, 2005 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I STATUTORY UNDERTAKERS REINSTATEMENT PERFORMANCE IN DUNDEE 2003-2005

There was submitted Report No 279-2005 by Director of Planning and Transportation seeking to:-

(i) provide a report on the performance of Statutory Undertakers operating in Dundee during 2003-2005 based on inspections of their reinstatements as required under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA);

(ii) update the Committee on the results of the latest local and national coring programmes of Statutory Undertakers reinstatements; and

(iii) update the Committee on the progress of the Transport (Scotland) Bill, Part 2 - Road Works

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the performance of Statutory Undertakers reinstatements in Dundee based on the visual sample inspection regime and local and national sample coring results for the last two years, and

(ii) note the progress of the Transport (Scotland) Bill, Part 2 - Road Works, which was expected to be introduced on 1st April 2006.

II STREET LIGHTING PARTNERING AGREEMENT

There was submitted Report No 289-2005 by the Director of Planning and Transportation reviewing the existing Partnering Agreement with Tayside Contracts for the provision of street lighting services and making recommendations on proposals to extend the Partnership.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) extend the Street Lighting Partnership for a further three years; and

(ii) review the staffing structure within the street lighting team in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive (Management)

III A92 - DUNDEE-ARBROATH DUAL CARRIAGEWAY ASSOCIATED TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDERS

There was submitted Report No 277-2005 by the Director of Planning and Transportation considering the requirement to make Traffic Regulation Orders associated with the dualling of the A92 Dundee-Arbroath Road.

The Committee approved the preparation of Traffic Regulation Orders to:-

(i) impose a 30 mph speed limit on that part of Kingennie Road within the Dundee area;

(ii) prohibit the right hand turn for westbound traffic from the Dundee-Arbroath Road into the service road east of Baldovie Road; and

(iii) promote a Joint Order with Angus Council to formally make the A92 Dundee-Arbroath Road a dual carriageway.

IV STOBSWELL REGENERATION STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

There was submitted Agenda Note AN194-2005 whereby reference was made to Article V of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 28th September 2004 where the Stobswell Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework was approved for consultation. A report back on consultation was to occur within four months.

Summary leaflets were prepared and delivered to all households and businesses in the area. A contact name and number was given for anyone wanting further information. There was also included a general invitation to an open meeting of the Stobswell Forum where the Strategy would be explained by a member of the Planning and Transportation staff, the full document would be available for anyone wanting it, and questions could be asked. The meeting occurred on the 19th October, 2004 and was very well attended. There were concerns raised about only two items, the proposed supermarket at Dura Street and the traffic circulation proposals and associated environmental works for Park Avenue, Cardean Street, Morgan Street etc.

The response about the former item was that this was now a live planning application that would be decided by the Development Quality Committee and undoubtedly those concerned would have registered their objections. Although there was no comment of support for the supermarket during the meeting (people were reticent), there were several people afterwards who made it clear that there was support from some residents and traders. With regard to traffic re-arrangement there were concerns about convenience for residents and businesses in the immediate area and also about the affect and positioning of associated tree planting. It was agreed that there would be subsequent detailed consultation about options with owners and residents in the affected streets following detailed traffic assessments. Otherwise there was general endorsement of the Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework.

In considering the surrounds of some of the significant new developments with planning consent it was desirable to include some additional environmental works in the Arbroath Road area.

Statutory undertakers were not included at this time, because they would be consulted automatically on traffic circulation changes proposed and any contract work to streets. Community Planning partners were not included because they were aware of the ideas via the Building Stronger Communities Group or were part of the officers group for the Stobswell Project.

The Committee agreed that no changes were required, other than the minor addition of environmental works in the vicinity of Arbroath Road and to approve the Stobswell Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework for implementation.

V DUNDEE GREEN CIRCULAR CYCLE ROUTE - (STANNERGATE TO DOUGLAS TERRACE WALKWAY)

There was submitted Agenda Note AN195-2005 advising that as part of an initiative to improve the National Cycle Network funding had been obtained from Sustrans to upgrade the cycleway from Stannergate to Douglas Terrace Walkway.

The City Engineer had obtained through the Unit Rate Contract for Road Maintenance and Other Minor Roadworks, an offer of 50,601.10 from T & N Gilmartin (Contractors) Ltd to resurface approximately 800m of the cycleway. The value of the Works, including allowances for Professional fees of 5,000 and contingencies of 29,398.90 would be 85,000. In addition, a further allowance of 5,000 had been allocated to carry out feasibility and preliminary design for the west most section of the cycleway.

The Depute Chief Executive (Finance) advised that the above costs could be met from the grant of 90,000 in 2005/06 from the Scottish Executive via Sustrans for improvement works to the National Cycle Network.

The Committee approved accordingly.

VI ANNUAL UNIT RATE CONTRACT - EXTENSION

There was submitted Agenda Note AN197-2005 whereby reference was made to article XVII of the minute of the meeting of this Committee of 26th April, 2004 when approval was given for the use of the Annual Unit Rate Contract from April 2004 until May 2005.

The City Engineer was currently investigating the replacement of the Annual Unit Rate Contract in favour of a Partnering Agreement with Tayside Contracts for road maintenance and other minor road works. A full report on any such proposal would be brought back to a future Committee. In the interim, authority was sought to extend the use of the existing Annual Unit Rate Contract for a further period of three months until August 2005. In the interim, contracts would be let on the basis of the existing tendered rates with appropriate allowances for inflation.

The Committee approved accordingly.

VII VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND PROGRAMME 2005/2006; ALSO CONTRACT EXTENSION 2005/2005

There was submitted Agenda Note AN198-2005 whereby reference was made to Article X of this Committee of 15th November, 2004 that indicated the locations where it was proposed to use the 2m offered by the Scottish Executive via the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2004/2005. This was the first year of a two year 4m programme.

The Scottish Executive had agreed a draft programme for 2005/2006, many items being carried forward from 2004/2005 or completing items started in 2004/2005. The projects proposed were:

(a) Peripheral locations - completing works at Trottick Village Green, Longhaugh Quarry, Whitfield and Baldovie; carrying out major advance works on sustainable urban drainage to enable a variety of sites in Whitfield to be developed for housing more easily; purchase of vacant land at Drumgeith Road that might be necessary for the sustainable urban drainage scheme for Whitfield; removal of some of the dereliction at Dunsinane Industrial Estate.

(b) Inner City locations - completing the acquisition and demolition of the vacant or derelict properties on the sites targeted in 2004/2005, in the Hilltown and Stobswell areas; undertaking improvement on sites started in 2004/2005; grant assisting works to enable development of vacant land at James Street; grant assist environmental works at Carnegie Street to support the approved housing development; grant assist demolition and listed facade retention of the vacant factory at Arbroath Road, acquire and demolish property to the rear of Albert street and carry out improvement works; demolish buildings and yard at Erskine Street to make available for development.

Contract Extension 2004/2005

Given the short period remaining to the end of the financial year 2004/05 and the need to maximise spend from the Derelict Land Fund 2004/2005 the Committee's attention was drawn to the following:-

Additional demolition works were instructed to be carried out by Safedem Ltd as an extension to the contract for, and based upon demolition rates for Wallace Land O'Cakes as reported to the Planning and Transportation Committee on 25th October, 2004.

Additional Works - Safedem Ltd

98 Alexander Street - Demolition21,500.00

Jamaica Works - Site Clearance 29,107.00

Crescent Lane - Demolition 2,425.00

Approval of Dundee Contract Services to undertake the following works based on a Schedule of Rates.

Additional Works - Dundee Contract Services

6-8 Alexander Street - Landscaping - 20,781.32

Harriet Street - Post Demolition Treatment and Landscaping

These works took the contract beyond 10% additional costs.

The Committee agreed to approve this programme.

VIII TRAFFIC ORDERS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN193-2005 detailing the undernoted Traffic Orders.

(a) DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (KINGSWAY EAST SERVICE ROAD, DUNDEE) (PROHIBITION OF DRIVERS) ORDER 2005

Reference was made to Article XI of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 28th June, 2004 instructing and authorising the preparation of an Order to improve road safety and to avoid traffic congestion at Pitkerro Road/Kingsway by removing through vehicle traffic.

It was reported that the proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period no adverse comments were received. Thereafter, the Order was duly advertised and there were no objections.

The Committee agreed to make the Order as advertised.

(b) DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (PITKERRO ROAD SERVICE ROAD, DUNDEE) (PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2005

Reference was made to Article IX of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 26th April, 2004 instructing and authorising the preparation of an Order to improve road safety and to avoid traffic congestion at Pitkerro Road/Kingsway by removing through vehicle traffic.

It was reported that the proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period no adverse comments were received. Thereafter, the Order was duly advertised and there were no objections.

The Committee agreed to make the Order as advertised.

(c) DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (CLOAN ROAD, DUNDEE) (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ALTERATIONS) ORDER 2005

Reference was made to Article XI of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 26th April, 2004 instructing and authorising the preparation of an Order to improve road safety and residential traffic circulation at Cloan Road, between Frederick Street and Strathmartine Road.

It was reported that the proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period comments were received from St Margarets Primary School. Copy correspondence had been placed in the Members' Lounge and with Group Secretaries. Reference was also made to Article X of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 20th December, 2004, which authorised publication of the Order as drafted.

Thereafter, the Order was duly advertised and there were no further comments or objections received.

The Committee agreed to make the Order as advertised.

(d) DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (SOUTH MARKETGAIT, UNION STREET AND YEAMAN SHORE AREA, DUNDEE) (PROHIBITION OF LEFT HAND TURN AND VARIATION OF TRAFFIC REGULATIONS) ORDER 2005

Reference was made to Article IX of the minute of meeting of this Committee held on 21st March, 2005 instructing and authorising the preparation of an Order to accommodate the new road layout of South Marketgait and Yeaman Shore and to maximise the efficiency of the traffic circulation within the new layout.

It was reported that the proposed Order was duly drafted and during the statutory consultation period no adverse comments were received.

The Committee agreed to authorise formal publication of the order as drafted.

IX CONFIRMATION OF TREE PRESERVATION ORDER - GROUND TO THE EAST OF KINGS CROSS ROAD, DUNDEE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN199-2005 requesting that the Committee note that on 14th January, 2005 the Council made a provisional Tree Preservation Order covering 59 trees at the abovementioned site. This was in response to the owners proceeding to implement an expired planning consent. The Council considered the trees merited protection due to their arboreal and visual amenity. An objection was received from the owners in which they requested the removal of seven of the trees. A compromise had been negotiated with the approval of the Council's Forestry Officer that three of the trees would be removed from the Order (trees identified T31, T32 and T33 on the Map annexed to the Order) as he considered that these trees had a limited life span. If these three trees were removed from the Order the owners would withdraw their objection. A further tree was to be removed from the Order as it was discovered that this tree had been felled since the site was last surveyed (tree identified T40 on the Map annexed to the Order).

The Committee agreed to authorise the Depute Chief Executive (Support Service) and the Director of Planning and Transportation to undertake the necessary procedures and confirm the above Tree Preservation Order with the modifications set out above.

X NEW ROADS - APPLICATIONS FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION

There was submitted Agenda Note AN200-2005 advising the Committee of the undernoted applications for road construction consent.

(b) OBJECTION

It was also noted that an objection had been received for RCC application number CC04/12 - Dykes of Gray Road. The objection was from the residents of Greystane Lodge and Balgray House on the following grounds of (1) flooding and (2) road safety;

(1) "The road currently floods and no measures are proposed to deal with this."

Roads Authority Response - There was to be permeable drain placed the full length of the works in the verge to the east of the road to improve road drainage.

(2) "The road has unsatisfactory horizontal and vertical alignments together with inadequate sightlines. The current access to Greystane Lodge and Balgray House has very limited visibility onto the existing road and there are no proposals to improve this. Given the fact that there will be a large increase in the level of traffic passing the access, this makes exiting the access onto Dykes of Gray Road a very dangerous manoeuvre."

Roads Authority Response - The existing sightlines from the lodge access would be unaffected by the proposals and would not therefore be made any worse than the current situation, furthermore the associated stone walls and gate piers were protected by their Grade B listing. While it was accepted that the horizontal and vertical alignments and the sightlines on this rural road did not fully meet current full urban standards it was considered that wherever appropriate, possible and feasible the maximum possible standards had been met and that the alignment complied with the overall strategy for the western village proposals.

The Committee approved the applications subject to conditions agreed between the applicants and the Director of Planning and Transportation, and further agreed that completion of these roads and, if so requested by the applicants, they be entered on the List of Public Roads for the purposes of management and maintenance in terms of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

FIONA M GRANT, Convener.