NCP, who run the Overgate shopping centre’s Bank Street and Marketgait car parks, collapsing into administration isn’t good news for Dundee.

If those car parks close, it will be a hammer blow to the shopping centre.

When a firm runs into difficulties the administrators keep, or offload as a going concern, the biggest assets on the books.

The city must do all it can to ensure the car parks are among those good assets and therefore stay open.

Because if the main artery is cut, Dundee’s shopping heart will die.

The Overgate needs shoppers who drive in – no normal person will arrive from Inchture, Forfar, Arbroath, or Tayport by bike for a big shopping trip.

Surely the council will now alter the Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) to allow an in/out corridor for all cars to the Overgate’s Bank Street car park from the inner ring road?

South Ward Road – North Lindsay Street – Willison Street.

It is 360 metres, doesn’t go near a school, and doesn’t pass many (if any) dwelling places.

It’s a small alteration to the LEZ. Opening this lifeline won’t poison anyone.

‘Preaching independence…but no independent thoughts’

We need a council flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances, a council not blinded by dogma.

Councillors, you will help the city centre, won’t you?

It is a simple choice.

Robotically obey your party’s diktat: “Every town has an LEZ”.

Or choose to support your city and its people by doing everything you can to help it thrive.

Even 5% more cars coming in could make all the difference.

Ach, what am I saying?

The ruling SNP group on Dundee City Council aren’t allowed to, neither are they able to, think for themselves.

They quiver in fear of what party bosses would say if they deviated from the party line.

Isn’t it ironic that the party which preaches independence doesn’t allow its local representatives to have independent thoughts?

You regularly see SNP councillors in Fife, Angus, and Perth & Kinross voting against other members of their party.

No SNP member of this 2022-27 council has ever broken ranks to vote against the group. Not once!

What more do you need to measure the quality of local “politician” Dundee has?

‘Dundee needs leadership’

I won’t ever tell you which party to vote for in a national election. I recognise your right to make up your own mind.

But, please, think differently in a local election – and we might have a by-election soon, depending how the Holyrood votes fall.

National elections are when your left/right/whatever, or nationalist/unionist opinions matter.

These things mean nothing at local level.

You need experience, local knowledge, common sense, and good judgment to run a city – qualities our current councillors never display.

The SNP group do what they are told.

Not one of them has the strength of character or independence of thought to do anything else.

This is proved beyond all doubt by their voting patterns.

The city is crying out for leadership from people who have opinions of their own on what’s best for the city – not councillors who silently, mindlessly get in line with whatever their party thinks best serves its national cause.

© The Courier