Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Cooke advised that he had a connection in relation to agenda item 4.2 by reason of being a Council appointed observer to the Board of Sport Aberdeen, however having applied the objective test, he did not consider that he had an interest and would not be withdrawing from the meeting.

At this juncture, the Lord Provost advised that it was his intention to take the two written requests together as one item and this was accepted

(A)     The Council had before it the wording of the first written request for a special Council meeting which had been signed by 17 members in accordance with Standing Order 8.2.2:-

“The business proposed to be transacted relates to the decision taken to withdraw funding from Sistema Big Noise Torry at the Council’s recent budget meeting.”

(B)      The Council also had before it the wording of the second written request for a special Council meeting which had been signed by 12 members in accordance with Standing Order 8.2.2:-

“The business proposed to be transacted relates to the impact on residents and communities of library closures, Bucksburn Swimming Pool being closed and cuts to vital public services.”

Councillor Malik moved as a procedural motion, seconded by Councillor Watson:-

That the Council suspend Standing Order 14.3 in order to hear deputations.

On a division, there voted:-

For the procedural motion  (19)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Boulton, Brooks, Crockett, Cross, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Kusznir, Lawrence, Macdonald, McLeod, Malik, Massey, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Against the procedural motion  (24)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Bouse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (2)  -  Councillors Houghton and Mrs Stewart.

The Council resolved:-

to reject the procedural motion.

During the course of questions to officers, Councillor Yuill advised that he had a connection by reason of his relationship with the Great Western Community Trust which had been referred to, however having applied the objective test, he did not consider that he had an interest and would not be withdrawing from the meeting.

Councillor Greig also advised that he had a connection by reason of his position as a Trustee of the Great Western Community Trust, however having applied the objective test, he did not consider that he had an interest and would not be withdrawing from the meeting.

Councillor Nicoll moved, seconded by Councillor Greig:-

          That the Council -

(i)             note that in setting its 2023/24 Revenue Budget, the Council had to bridge a £46.6million funding gap and that the Partnership revenue budget proposal was the only alternative presented to the Council on 1 March 2023 which delivered a balanced budget without cutting millions of pounds from education spending and borrowing millions of pounds to pay for day-to-day spending;

Cost of Living Support

(ii)           note the 23/24 budget is providing £500,000 to support food banks in Aberdeen to support citizens through this ongoing cost of living crisis;

(iii)          note the 23/24 budget is providing a £400,000 top up to the Scottish Welfare Fund to support citizens during this ongoing cost of living crisis;

(iv)          note the 23/24 budget is providing £190,000 investment in money advice services to support citizens through this ongoing cost of living crisis;

Education

(v)           note the 23/24 budget is providing £178million for the provision of Education across Aberdeen;

(vi)          condemn the proposal by both Aberdeen Labour  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.