City Development Committee - 20/03/2006

At a MEETING of the PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 20th March, 2006.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Fiona GRANT, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 13th February, 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I CONFIRMATION OF TREE PRESERVATION ORDER - 11/2005 - GROUND AT CLEMENT PARK NURSING HOME, CLEMENT PARK PLACE,DUNDEE

This item was withdrawn.

II CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS FOR A PUBLIC TRANSPORT USERS' COMMITTEE FOR SCOTLAND

There was submitted Report No 156-2006 by the Director of Planning and Transportation highlighting the Scottish Executive consultation document "Proposals for a Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland" and Dundee City Council's response thereto.

The Committee approved the Dundee City Council response as detailed in Appendix A to the report.

III TAXI RANK CLEARWAYS

There was submitted Report No 159-2006 by the Director of Planning and Transportation seeking approval for the implementation of a Traffic Regulation Order to prohibit parking by any vehicle other than a taxi in a taxi rank, and rationalising the current provision with additions and deletions.

The Committee approved the preparation of the necessary Traffic Regulation Order to make all taxi ranks clearways and to rationalise the current provision with additions and deletions as detailed in the report.

IV ROAD MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT

There was submitted Report No 164-2006 by the Director of Planning and Transportation advising on the recommendations arising from the Audit Scotland publication "Maintaining Scotland's Roads", and reporting on actions being taken to address the key recommendations contained within the report.

The Committee agreed to note the contents of the report and agreed to:-

(i) the Director of Planning and Transportation's support for the Efficient Government Fund bid for the development of a common roads asset management system across Scotland;

(ii) take account of the backlog of 50m in the setting of future capital programmes; and

(iii) continue to promote through COSLA the need for increased funding of road maintenance to tackle the growing backlog.

V VODAFONE MASTS - LIGHTING STANDARD PROPOSALS

There was submitted Report No 165-2006 by the Director of Planning and Transportation advising the Committee of a proposal by Vodafone for the integration of mobile phone masts with existing street lighting standards.

The Committee noted the proposal and remitted officers to investigate this further and report back on the outcome of these investigations.

VI VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND 2005/06, PROJECTS AT BALDOVIE/ HAREFIELD ROAD/RIVERSIDE DRIVE, ARBROATH ROAD AND RATTRAYSTREET

There was submitted Agenda Note AN75-2006 whereby reference was made to Article X of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 15th November 2004 regarding a programme for the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. It was reported that several acquisitions within this programme had not been concluded in an appropriate timescale to be able to be funded from this programme and another project was behind schedule for reasons outside Council control. This was resulting in an underspend against this programme. Rather than not benefit from the grant available, three substitute projects that could be undertaken within the two month period remaining had been proposed, and the Scottish Executive had agreed that these were acceptable substitutes.

(i) Baldovie/Harefield Road/Riverside Drive - grant of 50,000 in respect of:-

7                                             contribution towards earthworks and access at Baldovie Industrial Estate in connection with the creation of a recycling centre;

7                                             removal of soil heap at Harefield Road to permit extension of hard standing for parking at Harefield Road. This soil will be graded and used to help with the capping layer required by SEPA at Riverside Drive which is on the SVDL register as vacant but managed.

(ii) Arbroath Road (Former Tyre Depot)

7                                             a grant of 50,000 to the developer to cover the cost of demolition and assist with subsoil works, on condition that the work is completed by the end of March 2006.

(iii) Rattray Street (derelict former church building)

7                                             a grant of 40,000 to the Dundee Drugs and Aids project, jointly with the Dundee Cyrenians, in connection with the development of the Cairn Centre for vulnerable people, to pay for fees and stripping out to enable the development work to follow in 2006/2007.

To enable the projects to be progressed in the required timescales it was reported that approval had been given by the Director of Planning and Transportation, in consultation with the Convener of the Planning and Transportation Committee and Spokesperson from the Majority and Minority Opposition Groups.

The Committee noted accordingly.

VII VACANT AND DERELICT LAND FUND: PROPOSED LANDSCAPING, DUNSINANE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN96-2006 making reference to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 16th May 2005 which outlined the programme of works proposed under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for 2005/06 which included an allowance to remove some dereliction in Dunsinane Industrial Estate.

It was reported that the Director of Planning and Transportation was at an advanced stage in discussions with the principal landowner within the Estate regarding the production of a masterplan for the regeneration of Dunsinane Industrial Estate as required by the Dundee Local Plan Review. As part of this, new tree planting along the northern boundary of the Estate was proposed as an early action.

It was agreed that a grant of 18,200 be awarded to Dunsinane Estates Limited under the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund to undertake this planting, to be paid upon completion of the works.

VII NEW ROADS

There were submitted undernoted applications for road construction consent. The Committee approved the applications subject to conditions which had been agreed with the applicants:-

It was further agreed that, on satisfactory 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 GRANT, Convener.