Issue - meetings

having due regard to all of the information contained within the report and the deputations, approve the following:-

2.1      TRANSPORT AND CONNECTIVITY (City Centre, Castlegate, Beach Boulevard, Beach)

2.1.1   notes the City Growth & Resources Committee on 24 June 2021 approved the Low Emission Zone within the City Centre;

2.1.2   notes the Council were formally notified of the success of the Partnership bid in the latter half of June 2021, confirming that up to £12,030,000 had been awarded, the full amount that the Partnership had bid for;

2.1.3   note the outcomes of Phase 1 of the Traffic Management Plan in respect of Union Street Central (CCMP report Appendices A, B and C) and agree:

(a)    the option to fully pedestrianise Union Street Central, except for cyclists and time limited servicing; and

(b)    that in order to do so, bus, taxi (and private hire) and cycle priority, will require to be implemented on Bridge Street, Market Street and Guild Street, Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate will require to be pedestrianised between Harriet Street and Flourmill Lane, and right turns prohibited except for buses, taxis (and private hire) and cycles from Union Terrace into Rosemount Viaduct, all as identified in Appendices A and B; and, pending Committee approval of 2.1.3 (a) and 2.1.3 (b) above;

(c)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to progress with the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders;

(d)    approve the detailed design principles for Union Street Central (Appendix D) and instruct the Director of Resources to proceed to the next stage of works including detailed design, stakeholder engagement, contractor engagement and applications for statutory consents;

2.1.4   note the outcomes of stakeholder engagement to date with regards accessible parking, cycle facilities, bus stops and routing, taxi ranks and servicing arrangements, and traffic management in the City Centre and Beach areas and instruct the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning to continue to engage with stakeholders to finalise Phase 2 of the Traffic Management Plan in tandem with the evolving streetscape design for the priority intervention areas, connectivity to the Beach and Beach Boulevard and report progress back to this Committee in June 2022; and

2.1.5   instruct the Director of Resources to progress design works for public realm improvements from Aberdeen Market to Guild Street in association with ongoing design work for Aberdeen Market (recommendation 2.5) and report progress to this Committee in February 2022.

2.2      SPACES FOR PEOPLE

2.2.1   subject to approval of the various design work packages identified within the report, instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to remove all Spaces for People measures in the city centre with the exception of Union Street Central, the Belmont Street Back Wynd area and Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate by the end November 2021;

2.2.2   instruct the Chief Officer – Capital, following consultation with the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning and the Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee, to:-

(a)    arrange for the temporary removal of the Spaces for People interventions at Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate in order  ...  view the full decision text for item 4

With reference to articles 14, 15 and 19 of the minute of meeting of 25 August 2021, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which presented new reports in relation to the following:-

·       City Centre Masterplan Update;

·       Aberdeen Market;

·       Queen Street;

·       Beach;

·       Combined City and Beach Covering Report (this report); and

·       Financial Appendix (Exempt).

The report (1) progressed the above strategic work streams setting out the suite of recommendations and programme of works going forward recognising the interdependencies and phasing required and (2) provided a strong programme approach which allowed officers to maximise current and future external funding opportunities for projects.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(A)      Transport and Connectivity

City Centre, Castlegate, Beach Boulevard and Beach

(a)      note the City Growth & Resources Committee on 24 June 2021 approved the Low Emission Zone within the City Centre;

(b)      note the Council were formally notified of the success of the Partnership bid in the latter half of June 2021, confirming that up to £12,030,000 had been awarded, the full amount that the Partnership had bid for;

(c)      note the outcomes of Phase 1 of the Traffic Management Plan in respect of Union Street Central (CCMP report Appendices A, B and C) and agree:-

(1)    the option to fully pedestrianise Union Street Central, except for cyclists and time limited servicing; and

(2)    that in order to do so, bus, taxi (and private hire) and cycle priority, will require to be implemented on Bridge Street, Market Street and Guild Street, Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate will require to be pedestrianised between Harriet Street and Flourmill Lane, and right turns prohibited except for buses, taxis (and private hire) and cycles from Union Terrace into Rosemount Viaduct, all as identified in Appendices A and B; and, pending Committee approval of (c)(1) and (c)(2) above;

(3)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to progress with the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders; and

(4)    approve the detailed design principles for Union Street Central (Appendix D) and instruct the Director of Resources to proceed to the next stage of works including detailed design, stakeholder engagement, contractor engagement and applications for statutory consents;

(d)      note the outcomes of stakeholder engagement to date with regards accessible parking, cycle facilities, bus stops and routing, taxi ranks and servicing arrangements, and traffic management in the City Centre and Beach areas and instruct the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning to continue to engage with stakeholders to finalise Phase 2 of the Traffic Management Plan in tandem with the evolving streetscape design for the priority intervention areas, connectivity to the Beach and Beach Boulevard and report progress back to this Committee in June 2022; and

(e)      instruct the Director of Resources to progress design works for public realm improvements from Aberdeen Market to Guild Street in association with ongoing design work for Aberdeen Market (recommendations (E) below) and report progress to this Committee in February 2022.

(B)      Spaces for People

(f)       subject to approval of the various design work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4

(i)       to note the positive cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(ii)       to note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 3;

(iii)      to note that the General Fund full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is expected to show a balanced position for 2021/22 through the mitigations contained within the report;

(iv)      to note that the HRA full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is on target to achieve the approved budget, making a contribution to HRA reserves for 2021/22;

(v)      to note that the forecast for General Fund capital expenditure is that there will lower spend than has been profiled for 2021/22, and for Housing capital expenditure this will be on budget, as described in Appendix 2;

(vi)      to agree the financial resilience framework that has been described in Appendix 5 and note that this will be developed further and incorporated into the refreshed Medium Term Financial Strategy, which will be presented to the Committee at its November meeting;

(vii)     by supporting the ongoing promotional campaigns to attract people back into the city centre, to instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth in consultation with the Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee, to procure street banners to be installed on Union Street to promote arts, museums, exhibitions and events, up to a maximum of £40,000 to be met from the current year City Growth budgets;

(viii)    to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services and the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to undertake increased cleaning, pavement washing, graffiti and fly posting removal and small maintenance works including repainting of railings on and around Union Street up to a maximum of £100,000 in 2021/22 to be met from Common Good cash balances, which have increased in Quarter 2; and

(ix)      that in relation to (viii) above, to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services to consider light cleaning works of statues, where appropriate.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided the financial position of the Council as at Quarter 1 (30 June 2021) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2020/21, including:-

·            General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and capital accounts; and associated Balance Sheet; and

·            Common Good revenue account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the positive cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 3;

(c)      note that the General Fund full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is expected to show a balanced position for 2021/22 through the mitigations contained within the report;

(d)      note that the HRA full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is on target to achieve the approved budget, making a contribution to HRA reserves for 2021/22;

(e)      note that the forecast for General Fund capital expenditure is that there will lower spend than has been profiled for 2021/22, and for Housing capital expenditure this will be on budget, as described in Appendix 2; and

(f)       agree the financial resilience framework that has been described in Appendix 5 and note that this will be developed further and incorporated into the refreshed Medium Term Financial Strategy, which will be presented to the Committee at its November meeting.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(ii)       that by supporting the ongoing promotional campaigns to attract people back into the city centre, to instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth in consultation with the Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee, to procure street banners to be installed on Union Street to promote arts, museums, exhibitions and events, up to a maximum of £40,000 to be met from the current year City Growth budgets;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services and the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to undertake increased cleaning, pavement washing, graffiti and fly posting removal and small maintenance works including repainting of railings on and around Union Street up to a maximum of £100,000 in 2021/22 to be met from Common Good cash balances, which have increased in Quarter 2; and

(iv)      that in relation to (iii) above, to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services to consider light cleaning works of statues, where appropriate.

-                 COUNCILLOR RYAN HOUGHTON, Convener