Issue - meetings

(i)               to approve the Business Case and the budget for the proposed works;

(ii)             to delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Capital, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services, to procure the first stage public realm enhancement, including all necessary consents, licenses, orders and agreements for the area in front of Aberdeen Art Gallery subject to approval of the funding of £550,000 by the City Growth and Resources Committee on 19 June 2018;

(iii)            to delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Place to bring forward a comprehensive public realm enhancement design for the wider Schoolhill area as future stages of works and report to appropriate committees; and

(iv)            to instruct the Director of Resources to apply for appropriate external grant funding for design costs of £30,000.

With reference to article 9 of the minute of the meeting of the Capital Programme Committee of 23 May 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which presented commissioning proposals in respect of the project and sought approval for the implementation of the proposed procurement.

The report recommended:-

That the Committee –

(a)       approve the Business Case and the budget for the proposed works;

(b)       delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Capital, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services, to procure the first stage public realm enhancement, including all necessary consents, licenses, orders and agreements for the area in front of Aberdeen Art Gallery subject to approval of the funding of £550,000 by the City Growth and Resources Committee on 19 June 2018;

(c)        delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Place to bring forward a comprehensive public realm enhancement design for the wider Schoolhill area as future stages of works and report to appropriate committees; and

(d)       instruct the Director of Resources to apply for appropriate external grant funding for design costs of £30,000.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Wheeler moved:-

            That the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Nicoll, seconded by Councillor Cameron, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee –

1.            instruct the Director of Resources to apply for appropriate external grant funding for design costs of £30,000 and to report on the outcome by way of service update to the relevant committees in early course; and

2.           instruct the Chief Officer – Place to bring forward a comprehensive public realm enhancement design for the Schoolhill area together with the relevant Business Case detailing the works to be undertaken, the projected costs to be incurred and the timeline for completion of any works required and to report back to the relevant committees in early course.  The business case should include a review of preliminary design options already prepared for the public realm enhancement of the Schoolhill area.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Duncan, Sellar and Wheeler; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cameron, Flynn, McLellan and Nicoll.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.