Issue - meetings

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to note the national activities underway in relation to the matter of establishing protest-free buffer zones, in particular:-

·       the legal opinion referred to in the COSLA briefing note at Background Paper 10.1;

·       that there is a technical ‘mini-summit’ to discuss the potential use of byelaws being held on 29 August, referred to in detail at paragraph 3.6 of the report; and

(ii)           to instruct the Interim Chief Officer - Governance to continue to liaise with the Scottish Government and COSLA and report back to the meeting of Full Council on 14 December 2022 with an update on latest developments including:-

1)    evidence contained in the independent research commissioned by the Scottish Government relating to protests/vigils on patients and others if available; and

2)    evidence from NHS Grampian, Police Scotland and Back-off Scotland as to the number and nature of protests taking place in Aberdeen.

With reference to Article 1 of the minute of its special meeting of 13 July 2022, the Council had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer - Governance which provided an update on progress in liaising with the Scottish Government and COSLA in exploring options to establish protest free buffer zones including but not limited to potentially implementing a local byelaw.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)          note the national activities underway in relation to the matter of establishing protest-free buffer zones, in particular:-

·         the legal opinion referred to in the COSLA briefing note at Background Paper 10.1;

·         that there was a technical ‘mini-summit’ to discuss the potential use of byelaws being held on 29 August, referred to in detail at paragraph 3.6 of the report; and

(b)          instruct the Interim Chief Officer - Governance to continue to liaise with the Scottish Government and COSLA and report back to the meeting of Full Council on 14 December 2022 with an update on latest developments including:-

·         evidence contained in the independent research commissioned by the Scottish Government relating to protests/vigils to gather more robust and objective evidence on the impact of protests/vigils on patients and others if available; and

·         evidence from NHS Grampian, Police Scotland and Back-off Scotland as to the number of protests taking place in Aberdeen.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.