I have heard unofficially Dundee City Council is not renewing contracts for a number of community safety wardens based in the city. In fact I have been told their numbers are to be drastically reduced.
Can anyone from the council confirm if this is the case, and if so why they are doing this?
In this day and age with all the trouble in the streets and drug abuse rife, the sight of community safety wardens patrolling our streets is welcoming and comforting. — Concerned Reader, Dundee.
[A Dundee City Council spokesman said, “The service is moving towards greater use of intelligence-led deployment, resulting in fewer wardens being required to cover because they are targeting areas as required.
“The number of warden posts will reduce from 34 to 28 but this will take effect only as posts become vacant.”]
Bushes need work
The seating area at Crescent Lane.
When is Dundee City Council going to do something about the bushes and trees in the Crescent Lane area?
The seating area at the top of the lane badly needs cut. Junkies are sitting there and they are doing the toilet there and needles have been found. What are we paying council tax for? — Angry Resident.
[A Dundee City Council spokesman said, “This will be attended to when resources are available. However, if illegal activities are being carried out there the police should be informed.”]
Call for action at Law garden
It was good to see a reply from Margaret Wemyss about the Community Garden on the Law but it skirts round the question, the group is working towards the development, when?
Maybe if the group got up to the site with tools and started working instead of meetings or will Dundee City Council have to clear it again?
Last year the council went in and cleared the site of weeds and old sheds etc and very little happened after that, the weeds were allowed to regrow.
They have been working for two or three years and little has been done.
The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers came along to help and I was told very little help came from the people in the community it was meant to help.
You have to ask are they interested?
Also the group got lottery funding of £10,000 last April.
What has happened to that funding? I am sure the lottery would like to know that very little has been done with it. — Dan de Lyon.
Electric bill confusion
With reference to Elizabeth Paul’s letter, I have received a bill from Scottish Hydro Electric. This is for an address in Dundee that I have never stayed in. This is also five and a half years after I left Dundee and moved to Forfar.
I too phoned and was told when I eventually got through that the bill was not accurate and they would get the validation team to validate it and get back in touch with me.
I too have made it quite clear I have no intention of paying any bill.
I am wondering how many others find themselves in a similar situation. — Nichol, Forfar.
Lady Thatcher
I laughed when I read Stuart Batchelor’s letter on a state funeral for Margaret Thatcher.
Lady Thatcher would entirely agree with Stuart as, I’m sure, she won’t be looking forward to such an occasion.
As far as the ‘hated’ poll tax is concerned, many would agree that it was an eminently fair tax and if the Nationalists have their way, may be introduced under another guise — tax not on property but on individual income. — G. E. Muir.
Wage debate
If wages are to be pegged at less than inflation, then surely oil, energy companies, etc., should have to do the same. For the consumer, privatisation is the worst thing ever to happen to people of this country. — Real Labour.
Open prisons
Sending dangerous criminals to open prisons, who then abscond, will only stop if the CPS is charged with criminal negligence for putting the general public in danger. — Cabbie.
Bus complaint
Regarding “No action on bus boozer”, why did the person not say anything at the time, as something would have been done? If we don’t see it, we can’t act on it. — Bus Driver.
Getting over road accident
My mother is the lady who was injured following the collision with a motorbike on the Kingsway East, Dundee, the other day.
We are extremely relieved to report she has sustained only minor injuries.
My family, especially my parents, pass on our heartfelt gratitude to Catherine Robb (the cycling nurse), paramedics, and Ninewells A&E staff for their time and efforts.
Also, thank you to the Tele reporter for the piece on it as we found it very informative, as my mum cannot remember what happened. We would also like to pass our best wishes to the motorcyclist.
We hope he recovers from the experience quickly. — McMahon Family.
Buses are hot stuff
Travelling by local buses during the summer months has become uncomfortable due to the failure of companies to switch off the heating.
I was informed by a bus driver they used to be able to control the heating by means of an off/on switch on the dashboard but can no longer do so as the switch is now inoperable.
It makes for long, hot journeys. — R. F. Broughty Ferry.
Hot weather
As Dundee and indeed the rest of Britain sweltered on July 21, 1983, in that year’s glorious summer a new record was beinget in a distant part of the world. At Vostok, in Antartica, the world’s coldest temperature was recorded in incredible Minus 89.2C. — Weather Watcher, Dundee.
Making contact
I am trying to contact Colin Robertson, formerly of Dundee. He will be in his mid 40s now. I moved to London and lost touch.
The last I know of him was that he moved to Edinburgh and worked in the tartan trade. He has family in Dundee. I would love to hear how he is doing. Any information gratefully received. — John Leith, johnnyleith@yahoo.com
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