Dundee SNP

Councillor Jim Barrie, SNP PPC for Dundee West today welcomed Dundee City Council’s plans for regeneration of the Highgate Centre shopping mall.

Jim Barrie said: “Dundee City Council and the Scottish Government have big plans for Lochee. Only a few months ago, the Scottish Government gave the community £2m to regenerate Lochee High Street, now the Scottish Government has given the Council funding to purchase the centre as part of redevelopment plans.

“I am particularly delighted that there will be a new open space within the development and that shopping and housing will remain at the heart of the new Lochee.

“I look forward to the plans taking shape. Both the Scottish Government and Dundee City Council should be congratulated for their commitment to the regeneration and improvement of Lochee.”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick and local politicians were today celebrating in Lochee High Street with representatives of local residents groups, the announcement from the Scottish Government of an award of £2m for Lochee from the Town centre Regeneration Fund.

In April the MSP contacted Dundee City Council and suggested that the Council and the local community should consider an application to the Fund as he had learned that the Fund rules had changed and would now allow applications from High Streets in urban areas to apply.

Dundee City Council, through the Local Planning Partnership prepared a bid – and learned today of its success.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “I am delighted that Lochee is getting £2m from the Scottish Government to help regenerate the High Street. It is a vote of confidence in the ability of the local community to regenerate itself. Although Lochee has has recent knocks, the community spirit here is strong and the commitment and resilience of local people here is at the heart of a revival.

Councillor Ken Guild, Leader of the SNP Administration on Dundee City Council and Lord Provost John Letford (who is one of four Councillors representing Lochee along with SNP Councillors Alan Ross and Councillor Bob Duncan) were all on hand to welcome the announcement today, with SNP Candidate for Dundee West Councillor Jim Barrie.

Jim Barrie said: “This is fantastic news for Lochee. Now we can get on and make lots of big improvements to make the High Street look better and also to make people safer – some of the money will go for new security entry for local housing.”

SNP Councillor Alan Ross said: “Some of the money will go to refurbish the Lochee Swimming Baths – badly needed – and some to repair the roof of the Lochee Library, but there are many projects which this money will help to fund. It is a good day for Lochee!”

SNP Councillor Bob Duncan said: “This is a red letter day for Lochee and another example of the SNP Government and SNP-Controlled Dundee City Council working together for Lochee.”

Picture shows, L-R: Shona Gaffney, Cathy Mckenzie, Secretary of Whorterbank Residents and Tenants Assoc., Cllr Jim Barrie, Cllr Alan Ross, Lord Provost John Letford, Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Cllr Ken Guild, Leader, Dundee City Council, Sadie Valentine, Adamson Court Tenants Group, Cllr Bob Duncan, Patricia Phinn, Chair, Whorterbank Residents & Tenants Assoc. celebrating confirmation of the funding award.

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said today: “Lochee is busier than it has been for a long time. There are few empty units in the town centre. In the present recession, the recovery is fragile but we can make the regeneration of Lochee a major part of Dundee’s recovery.”

“Only recently, the community welcomed the saving of Lochee’s post office in its new High Street location, but a lot more needs to be done to support Lochee as a shopping and community hub.

“The High Street has suffered a number of body blows over the decades since losing its railway station and the jute mills closing down. More recently, we lost the Kwik Save supermarket, then Tesco and Woolworths.

“But there are generations of the same family running shops in the High Street and their commitment and resilience should be at the heart of revival. The spirit of Lochee and its people remains as strong as ever but we can do a lot to make the centre of Lochee look better.

“Dundee City Council has plans to regenerate Lochee as a major shopping area and the public and private sectors need to work together to ensure that this happens, without repeating some of the mistakes of the past.

“Development sensitive to the needs of the community which will keep people living and working in the area is what is required.”

In April, the MSP called on the Council and the Lochee community to consider an application to the £60m Town Centre Regeneration Fund when he learned that the fund had extended its remit to include any area identified in local authority development plans as a town centre.

Subsequently, Dundee City Council, through the Local Community Planning Partnership, prepared a £3m bid to the Scottish Government’s regeneration fund on behalf of Lochee High Street.

Further details on how Scotland’s hard pressed high streets will benefit from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were released yesterday [2 April]. The new information on the operation of the 60 million pound scheme was issued by the Scottish Government and COSLA today.

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has welcomed the new details which reveal that the fund is now open to any area identified in local authority development plans as a town centre.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “The fund will complement efforts already underway to support town and city centres across Scotland which are feeling the effects of the economic downturn and I would encourage the community in Lochee to consider an application to the fund.

“A wide range of bodies including local authorities, Community Planning Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts, Town Centre Managers, local Chambers of Commerce, businesses and third sector groups are eligible to apply.

“It would be great if an application could be mounted on behalf of Lochee High Street and I will be contacting Dundee City Council to see if that suggestion could be taken further through the Community Planning process or other interested bodies.”

Announcing the new details of the fund today, the Scottish Government Minister for Housing and Communities, Alex Neil, said: “These are hard times for businesses and families across Scotland and this government is working hard to meet this challenge, refocus activity and ensure Scotland gets through the economic downturn in the strongest possible position.

“Investing money in our town centres is a crucial part of this effort and we are clear that we want to see the whole of Scotland feel the benefit of this fund.

“We are looking for strong bids from all areas and all size of towns with a clear emphasis on partnership working, economic, social and environmental benefit. I would encourage any organisation who think they can meet this criteria to apply to the fund.”

Alison Hay, COSLA’s Spokesperson for Regeneration and Sustainable
Development said:

“I welcome the joint initiative to invest in town centres and breathe life into them. I look forward to the re-invigorated towns we will achieve by working with our community planning partners and other successful applicants.

“Whether it is dealing with contaminated land, renovating stone work or creating innovative community facilities, for those at the sharp end of the downturn it is extremely important that we see the benefits of spend this year.”

Calls for mobile service for one day

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick while welcoming confirmation that the new Post Office in Lochee, at 163-165 High Street, will open for service on Tuesday 7 April, expressed disappointment that for a period of three days before that, there will be no Post Office service in the area.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “I have been informed today that the existing branch, which still operates in the now-closed Tesco Stores at the Stack leisure Park is to cease at 6pm on Thursday 2 April, so that there will be three days, the Friday, Saturday and Monday when people in Lochee will have no post office.

“I have been informed that during those three days, the Post Office expect constituents to use the two nearest branches, at Brantwood Avenue or Charleston branch on Craigowan Road.

“Clearly this will cause considerable inconvenience, particularly since Mondays are big days for people to collect their pensions.

“I am writing back to them pointing this out and asking them to consider options for providing the service locally for one day. Maybe they could provide a mobile post office service so that local folk can collect their pensions.

“I think many of the people who normally collect their pensions on Monday in Lochee will not be able or willing to make the trip to Charleston or Brantwood Avenue.

“Some might defer collecting it until the Tuesday but that could cause great problems on the new branch’s first day.

“I hope that the Post Office will be able to come up with a solution to help the transition to the new service run smoothly – without leaving pensioners in Lochee facing problems collecting their pensions.”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick contacted Royal mail for an urgent update on the moves to find a new location for a Post Office branch in central Lochee and was informed that a new sub-postmaster has been appointed in a new High Street premises – the Dreams Bed Superstore – but these have to be fitted out which will take approximately 4-6 weeks.”

Joe FitzPatrick said: “I was delighted to be informed of the appointment and the new location for the new branch in Lochee.”

The MSP had been informed by Royal Mail in early September that they were negotiating with applicants to provide a location for the new branch. The existing branch will be forced to move in early February when Tesco in the Stack Leisure Park closes.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “The local councillors in Lochee, Bob Duncan and Alan Ross contacted me with their concerns that the timescale is running out for the new branch to be up and running before Tesco closes.

“There is now only a matter of weeks before that happens and we still had only rumours of where the new branch PO is to be. I asked Royal Mail for an urgent update of the situation.

“I also discussed with them how they will deal with a gap in service in Lochee if the new branch is not ready in time. Would they, for instance, provide a mobile service, or be able to continue to use the existing branch in Tesco even after the supermarket has closed?

“I have been assured that Royal Mail Group are in discussion on the situation with Tesco and are hopeful that there will be no service provision gap. It might be that Tesco itself may be remaining open after its provisional closing date or that the Post Office may be able to continue to use the premises after the supermarket has closed. Either way, I hope to have an update on the outcome of these discussions in the near future.”

Councillor Jim Barrie added: “With the closure of the Lochee Road Post office, post office users have had to travel further to get to a local PO and more people are using the branch in Tesco than before.

“It is therefore vital that there should be no gaps in service. Although there was never any danger of losing the Post Office in central Lochee, we must do everything we can to impress on Royal Mail the need to keep the service going until the new Post Office branch in Lochee High Street is established.”