Issue - meetings

Exempt appendices relating to this report are contained within the Exempt Appendices Section of this agenda.

(i)       instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the redesign of both schemes with the Value Engineering options implemented. These options should be developed to retain the Gold Standards environmental criteria;

(ii)      instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the resubmission of new planning applications, for both sites, to take account of the value engineered options;

(iii)      following approval of (ii), instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the retender of both sites;

(iv)     note that the preferred approach will be to progress both sites simultaneously as single phase developments but there is an acceptance that some project phasing maybe required on one or both sites to spread the capital commitment over a number of years; and

(v)      note the necessary financial commitments that will be necessary to ensure delivery of both sites. Refer to Appendix B.

With reference to article 9 of the minute of meeting of 1 February 2023, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided an update on the options for the continued delivery of Council led housing projects at Craighill and Kincorth.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the redesign of both schemes with the Value Engineering options implemented. These options should be developed to retain the Gold Standards environmental criteria;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the resubmission of new planning applications, for both sites, to take account of the value engineered options;

(c)      following approval of (b), instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to arrange for the retender of both sites;

(d)      note that the preferred approach will be to progress both sites simultaneously as single phase developments but there is an acceptance that some project phasing maybe required on one or both sites to spread the capital commitment over a number of years; and

(e)      note the necessary financial commitments that will be necessary to ensure delivery of both sites. Refer to Appendix B.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Macdonald, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)      note the previous Administration’s decision to allocate £250m gross to deliver 2,000 Council houses and welcomes the Partnership’s commitment to deliver on the previous Administration’s ambitious policy;

(2)    note a net spend of £124m has delivered or is delivering:-

·       283 Homes in Dyce;

·       92 Homes in Great Northern Road;

·       369 Homes in Summerhill; and

·       583 Homes in Bridge of Don.

(3)    approve recommendations 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 within the report; and

(4)    instruct the Chief Officer – Capital, following the receipt of tenders, to report back to the next available Finance and Resources Committee meeting to allow members to confirm that the tenders ensure financial affordability for the HRA account.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (8) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke, Fairfull, Greig, Hutchison and Radley; for the amendment (5) – Councillors Farquhar, Macdonald, Malik, Massey and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.