Exciting times ahead for city centre wards

AS the local authority elections on May 4 draw ever nearer, the Tele is continuing its coverage of the wards in the city, the issues they face and the candidates who are standing for the council’s 29 seats.

Today, we take a closer look at the Maryfield and East End wards, where three seats are up for grabs in each.

Maryfield is a very diverse ward. While the development of the V&A Museum has brought a real sense of optimism, in some areas of the ward there remains problems with poverty and drug abuse.

More than 16,000 people live in the city centre ward.

Covering Slessor Gardens, City Quay, Stobswell and Woodside, the Maryfield ward is one of the most prominent areas of Dundee.

Residents have previously told local officers that drug and alcohol abuse, housebreaking, anti-social behaviour and prostitution are among the most pressing issues they are concerned with.

As such, while there is excitement over the imminent opening of the V&A and arrival of international music stars, residents are only too aware of the less attractive aspects of the area.

The ward faces many challenges but it also has a lot to offer.

From the ever-evolving Waterfront development to the work of charities like Boomerang, the area and its people have much to be proud of.

Whoever is elected on May 4 for the Maryfield ward will be tasked with representing the city centre during what promises to be one of the most exciting times for Dundee.

Regeneration, education and more affordable housing have been the key talking points in the North East ward, which covers the areas of Whitfield, Ballumbie, Fintry, Mill o’ Mains and Claverhouse.

Three seats are up for grabs, with eight candidates battling it out.

The make-up of the ward has remained the same since 2007, with two SNP councillors and one Labour.

In 2012, the SNP’s Gregor Murray won the most votes after sealing a third of the total, with Labour’s Brian Gordon coming in second with 28% and the SNP’s Willie Sawers securing third with a quarter.

The three current councillors are standing for election again, and will be joined by 18-year-old Conservative candidate Curtis Large, the Liberal Democrats’ Tracy Mulholland, the Green Party’s Alison Catherine Orr, Dundee Against Cuts’ Michael Taylor, and independent candidate Alan Beddows.

Some of the biggest changes in the ward include the creation of one of the largest primary schools in Scotland.

Construction of the North East Campus is due to begin in the next few weeks on land to the north of Lothian Crescent in Whitfield.

The fourth phase of the city’s housing project is also due to begin soon, with hundreds of affordable homes constructed in the last 10 years in areas such as Mill O’Mains, Whitfield and Fintry.

Crime continues to be an issue, however, as it was recently revealed that North East areas Whitfield and Fintry are responsible for the highest rate of intentional fires in Dundee, contributing heavily to the city’s 500 recorded instances last year and the resultant £1 million hit to the city’s coffers.