Agenda

Carried forward from October Council meeting

Carried forward from October Council meeting

“That the Council:

(1)            Notes the Aberdeen Friends of Ukraine dinner on 14 September 2024 which brought together the Ukrainian community, supporters and elected members, from myriad political parties, to recognise the local efforts of support and assistance since the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia;

(2)            Recognises the ongoing support from both the Council to the Ukrainian community and that from ordinary Aberdonians who support the Ukrainian school at Rosemount Community Centre; and

(3)            Reaffirms the Council’s commitment to continuing support for the Ukrainian community in the face of continuing Russian aggression.”

“That the Council:

(1)        Notes with regret that new British citizens are not able to bring along guests to group citizenship ceremonies held by Aberdeen City Council;

(2)        Understands that group ceremonies are held approximately every 3 weeks in the Grant Room at Marischal College to meet demand, yet individuals’ guests cannot routinely attend and need to wait outside due to capacity in the Grant Room, unless they book a private ceremony;

(3)        Is aware from Officers that refreshments are no longer provided due to concerns over cost and waste, yet notes the cost is £3.50 per head for tea, coffee and biscuits plus £50 delivery fee per event, and considers this is a small cost as part of welcoming new citizens in Aberdeen;

(4)        Considers not allowing guests at group ceremonies nor providing refreshments is a penny-pinching attitude, which fails to properly respect and promote the effort to become a British citizen and presents an unnecessarily unwelcoming attitude to new citizens;

(5)        Recognises the contribution of naturalised Brits and believes the small expenditure on recognising their citizenship represents value for money for the City of Aberdeen;

(6)        Therefore, directs the Chief Officer - People and Citizen Service from 2025/26 to:

(a)   reinstate refreshments of tea, coffee, water and biscuits and provision for any other dietary requirements to ensure inclusion.

(b)   allow citizenship applicants to invite two guests to group citizenship ceremonies.

(c)   change the room as required to meet the required increased capacity.

(7)        Confirms that any expenditure (estimated by Officers to be in the region of £5,000 per annum) and loss of income (estimated by Officers to be in the region of up to £20,000 per annum) associated with this change will be referred to the 2025/26 Budget process.”

“That the Council agrees to: 

(1)            Instruct the Chief Officer - Operations to refer details of the funding required to develop further detailed studies for a flooding solution as described by the WSP consultants to provide protection for The Paddock, Peterculter to the budget process;

(2)            Instruct the Chief Officer - Operations to refer details of the funding required to develop further detailed studies for a flooding solution as described by the WSP consultants to provide protection for Millside and Culter Den, Peterculter for a 1 in 200 and a 1 in 30 flooding event to the budget process; and  

(3)            Instruct the Chief Officer - Operations to continue engagement with local residents, Culter Community Council and the Community Resilience Group on the progress in relation to these flood prevention schemes, subject to funding being awarded to support future activity, and to report these outcomes to a future meeting of the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee.”

“That the Council:-

(1)        Notes the Planning Development Management Committee’s decision on 7 November 2024 to approve planning permission conditionally, subject to referral to the Scottish Ministers due to SEPA’s objection, over Land at Coast Road, St Fittick's Park/ Gregness Headland/Doonies Farm, Aberdeen, following an application by ETZ Ltd who, at the time of the application, had no meaningful legal interest in the Land;

(2)        Notes Govan Law Centre has lodged a reclaiming motion (appeal) to the Inner House of the Court of Session in the environmental justice judicial review of McLean v. Aberdeen City Council. The appeal concerns a decision by Aberdeen City Council (ACC) to possibly industrialise St. Fittick’s Park as part of its Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) plan for the city;

(3)        Notes the decision of Council regarding Land Options Within the Energy Transition Zone 11.09.2023 “to recommend to the Planning Development Management Committee that any future reports of the ETZ Masterplan be reported to the earliest appropriate meeting of Full Council” and seeks clarification as to why the matter was raised at Planning Development Management Committee and not Full Council as agreed by Elected Members;

(4)        Instructs the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to bring forward to Full Council, within two cycles, a plan as to how the Council intends to market the land owned by the Council which forms part of the Land noted above for the Council to obtain best value, rather than allow ETZ Ltd the opportunity to take over this land without competitive tenders; and

(5)        Agrees that Aberdeen City Council as landowner should remove St Fittick’s Park from any proposed redevelopment.”

“That the Council:

(1)       Notes with concern that the “A” Listed Building Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, latterly known as Woolmanhill Hospital, has fallen into a state of disuse; and

(2)        Instructs the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to:-

(a)        identify the current owners;

(b)        contact the owners to seek assurances in respect of making the buildings safe, secure, and watertight in the first instance;

(c)        ascertain what are the owners’ plans and timescales for the redevelopment of the site in a manner compatible with its “A” listed status;

(d)        identify the enforcement powers available to the Council should the owners fail to co-operate;

(e)        seek the support and advice of Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government and the King’s Trust in relation to the restoration of what is a building of national importance; and

(f)         report to the relevant committee(s) in relation to the instructions within no more than two meeting cycles.”