Issue - meetings

(1)      note the General Fund Capital Programme as agreed on 5 March 2025 through the annual budget setting process and the progress to date;

(2)      acknowledge the delays in reaching financial close for the Castlegate Public Realm caused by the need for public utilities works, and instructs the Chief Officer – Capital to take all necessary steps to ensure works can begin immediately following the prerequisite public utilities works;  

(3)      instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to continue to ensure adequate resources are in place to deliver the Capital programmes as agreed by Council budget in March 2025; and

(4)      note that the Chief Officer – Capital would look to provide details within future reports to include a short project timetable of commissioning dates, current status and completion dates.

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director for City Regeneration and Environment which (1) summarised the general progress of the delivery of key capital expenditure projects identified within the approved Capital Programme from the General Fund and Housing Revenue Accounts; and (2) highlighted those issues considered worthy of particular note which were specific to individual programmes/projects.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the status of delivery of the Section 3 highlighted programmes/projects contained within the approved Capital Programmes.

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

that the Committee –

(1)    note the General Fund Capital Programme as agreed on 5 March 2025 through the annual budget setting process and the progress to date;

(2)    acknowledge the delays in reaching financial close for the Castlegate Public Realm caused by the need for public utilities works, and instructs the Chief Officer – Capital to take all necessary steps to ensure works can begin immediately following the prerequisite public utilities works; and

(3)    instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to continue to ensure adequate resources are in place to deliver the Capital programmes as agreed by Council budget in March 2025

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

that the Committee –

(1)    note the status of delivery of the Section 3 highlighted programmes/projects contained within the approved Capital Programmes, noting most if not all were started by the previous administration;

(2)    agree, thanks to SNP incompetence, the following projects are being delivered/started late:-

·            Union Street Central - Summer 2026;

·            Bucksburn Pool - Spring 2026;

·            St Peters redevelopment - delayed until Autumn 2027; and

·            Start of Castlegate works delayed until first quarter of 2026;

(3)    agree, as Hub Scotland seems to receive a significant number of the Council’s contracted works, to instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to investigate why  project Union Street Central has become synonymous with productivity issues, with a full report coming back to the budget process; and

(4)    note that the notice of motion approved by Council in February 2024 said “Notes that Aberdeen City Council, public and private sector partners, and M&S are committed to working together to find a new use for the St Nicholas Street Building” and yet 21 months on we have heard nothing on the progress or otherwise of this approved notice of motion; and agree we require less spin more action from this SNP administration. 

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allard, Greig and Radley; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Houghton, Malik, Nicoll and Tissera.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)      to note that the Chief Officer – Capital would look to provide details within future reports to include a short project timetable of commissioning dates, current status and completion dates.