Issue - meetings

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to approve the Council’s participation in the North East of Scotland Investment Zone Steering Group until the Regional Economic Partnership was formed;

(ii)           to appoint Councillor Allard, Co-Leader, to be the Council’s representative on the North East of Scotland Investment Zone Steering Group; and

(iii)          to instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to report back to Council on the developed proposal.

The Council had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer - City Growth which provided an update on the UK and Scottish Government’s allocation of Investment Zone status to the North East of Scotland (Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council administrative areas) and sought approval for the Council to participate in short-life steering and working groups with regional partners to design and establish the Investment Zone.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           approve the Council’s participation in the North East of Scotland Investment Zone Steering Group until the Regional Economic Partnership was formed;

(b)           agree to appoint Councillor Allard, Co-Leader, to be the Council’s representative on the North East of Scotland Investment Zone Steering Group; and

(c)           instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to report back to Council on the developed proposal.

Councillor Allard moved, seconded by Councillor Yuill:-

          That the Council approve the recommendations.

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

          That the Council -

(1)       approve the recommendations;

(2)       note with disappointment that on neither the Steering Group or the Working Group, a Trade Union representative has been appointed, and instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to discuss with Aberdeenshire Council and ONE the potential inclusion of a regional Trade Union representative on the proposed Steering Group, noting that this will not delay the submission of the Investment Zone proposal back to governments. And instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to consult with Trade Unions prior to submission of the final proposal to Council; and

(3)       note section 5.4 of the report which states “The Investment Zone Technical Document requires a Local Authority to undertake the role of Accountable Body for a proposed Investment Zone”. Therefore, in order to protect the Council’s interest, when the governance for the future Investment Zone, including the Accountable Body is agreed, at Gateway three of the process, instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to propose to Aberdeenshire Council and ONE that Councillor Allard, Co-Leader, be Chair of the board for the North East of Scotland Investment Zone.

At this juncture, the Council agreed to suspend Standing Order 40.2 to allow the meeting to continue beyond six hours.

During the course of debate, Councillor Grant advised that he had a connection in relation to the matter by virtue of his membership of the trade union Unite, however having applied the objective test he did not consider that he had an interest and would not be withdrawing from the meeting.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (34)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Boulton, Bouse, Brooks, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Crockett, Cross, Davidson, Fairfull, Farquhar, Greig, Henrickson, Houghton, Hutchison, Kusznir, MacGregor, McLellan, McLeod, McRae, Massey, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, Mrs Stewart, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment  (11)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Graham, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.