Brian Cox is right about Dundee City Centre, say councillors

Dundee’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have said that Dundee-born actor Brian Cox is “spot on” in his criticism of Dundee City Council over its failure to regenerate the city centre. In a recent Courier interview with Michael Alexander he said :
“I just wish the city fathers would acknowledge a wee bit about what community is – get people back living in the city centre and get that f***ing High Street sorted out!”   

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Fraser Macpherson said:
“Our group has long highlighted the SNP council’s complete failure to regenerate the city centre and we find ourselves being in the unusual position of being in complete agreement with Brian Cox, who long supported the SNP, in saying the council needs to sort out the city centre.” 
“Last year on a number of occasions, I highlighted the mess of graffiti in the city centre but despite repeated assurances that the council would get on top of this, the situation is, if anything, worse.” 
“The state of numerous streets with graffiti and empty shops is extremely worrying – particularly the Murraygate.  Constituents continually raise their concerns at the situation but there is inertia and inaction on the part of the City Council under the SNP administration.”
Last year, in response to Liberal Democrat Group concerns, the council responded:
“The council is currently rolling out elements of its long-term City Centre Strategic Investment Plan which is designed to bring about improvements to make the centre a safer and more attractive place for locals and visitors alike.”

Councillor Macpherson added: 
“A year on and there is zero progress on this investment plan.    The extent of empty shop units is worryingly high and the extent of graffiti vandalism really depressing.     There is a need for a council that takes a far more proactive approach that we are not currently seeing.”

Councillor Macpherson’s group colleague Councillor Craig Duncan added:
“At the council’s City Governance Committee in June, I highlighted figures that shows that the latest town vacancy rate of empty commercial units is 17.7% which is well above the current year target of 12.5% and the year 5 target for next year of 10%.”    

“To be frank, I have little confidence that the lower vacancy rate targets are going to be met.” 
“There is a sense of malaise around the SNP council administration where the city centre decline is just one of a list of failures – including declines in the quality of street cleaning, parks maintenance and poorer services all round – but the SNP still raised the council tax by another 8% this year.”
Liberal Democrat councillors have written to the council’s Head of Planning and Economic Development highlighting the shops unit vacancy rate, graffiti vandalism in the city centre and the lack of action on the City Square fountains which have not been working for around a year, calling for urgent measures to tackle these issues.