Chance to have say over city’s spending plans

DUNDONIANS are being urged to have their say on how the council prioritises its spending going forward.

The launch of the budget consultation comes as the city responds to the Covid-19 pandemic, while at the same time starting the long process of recovery and renewal, all against a backdrop of increasing pressures on council budgets.

The authority will decide its budget for 2021-22 in February.

Willie Sawers, deputy convener of Dundee City Council’s policy and resources committee and spokesman on finance, said: “Each year more and more people are making their voices heard by taking part in the budget consultation and those opinions make a difference.

“Decisions that are taken as part of the budget setting process are influenced by what we hear from the consultation, which is why we want to make sure as many people as possible take part.

“Before your elected representatives take the difficult decisions about exactly how the council’s resources will be allocated please tell us where you think those limited funds should be focused.”

The council expects to have to save £10 million in the next financial year depending on funding settlements before the costs of responding to the pandemic are factored in.

These figures are also before any additional income from annual increases in the current level of council tax are considered.

It is expected the Local Government Finance Settlement will be announced in late January and in February a report will be submitted to the council’s policy and resources committee detailing the grant settlement and what it means for the council’s budget.

Dundee City Council’s budget consultation can be found by following the link on the homepage of the authority’s website.

It will be open until the end of the month.

STREET poet Gary Robertson has penned a festive poem using a “forgotten” Scots phrase.

The Dundonian bard has used the saying “daft days” in his new piece, A Wee Dundee Christmas Poem. The Scots saying was used to describe the festive feeling during the 12 days between Christmas and January 5.

It was most famously used by the 17th-century Scottish poet Robert Fergusson. The phrase has since fallen out of common use in Scotland.

Encouraged to bring back the saying, Gary writes in his poem: “Eh daft days indeed, wid wih cheenj it? Nae fear.”

The award-winning poet made a name for himself using Dundee dialect in his verse.

He said: “A Wee Dundee Xmas Poem is an ode

A STUDENT who seriously injured a pensioner in a head-on crash has been banned from driving for two years.

Louise Sinclair, 23, shot out at speed to try to overtake a bus but slammed directly into a car being driven towards her by 79-year-old David Beggs.

Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Sinclair – who had tried to speed past a number of vehicles – also struck the bus during the incident.

Sinclair, of Chestnut Green, Dundee, admitted driving dangerously, at excessive speed and overtaking when it was unsafe to do so on the city’s Arbroath Road on May 16 last year.

Fiscal depute David Currie told the court cars were parked on either side of the residential street and the bus was trying to negotiate its way through.

“Mr Beggs was coming in the opposite direction from the bus.