Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found at:-

http://councilcommittees/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=1914&Ver=4

The Convener welcomed as newly appointed members of the Committee:- Mr. Murdo Maclean, representing the parents of secondary school children, Mr. Alex Nicoll, representing parents of children in the primary and additional support needs sectors, and Mrs. Irene Wischik, representing the Roman Catholic church.

The Committee resolved:-

to concur with the Convener’s remarks.

Members are requested to resolve that the business listed at item 10.1 on this agenda be considered with the press and public excluded.

Prior to considering the matters before the Committee, the Convener proposed that, in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the item identified as article 15 of this minute be considered with the press and public excluded so as to avoid disclosure of exempt information of the class described in paragraphs 3 and 5.

The Committee resolved:-

to consider the aforementioned item with the press and public excluded.

The Committee had under consideration, in terms of Standing Order 10, requests for deputations from:-

(1)       Mastrick, Sheddocksley and Summerhill Community Council in relation to item 6.3 on the agenda and article 9 of this minute (Community Centres);  and

(2)       Torry Community Council in relation to item 8.2 on the agenda and article 11 of this minute (Water Management Plan).

The Committee resolved:-

to hear the deputations, and to combine agenda items 6.2 (Community Development Fund – Childcare and Out of School Provision) and 6.3 (Community Centres).

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 15 September, 2011.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the minute;  and

(ii)        to instruct officers to recirculate to all committee members a breakdown of admissions to the Virtual Campus.

With reference to article 3 of the minute of its meeting of 2 June, 2011, the Committee had before it a further background report on the undernoted motion by  Councillor Boulton, referred by Council on 23 February:-

            “That Aberdeen City Council write to Mike Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, asking for a review of ‘The Parent’s Charter’.”

CouncillorBoulton, seconded by Councillor Laing, moved the terms of her motion.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice-Convener, moved as an amendment:-

            that the Committee instruct officers to report back with options to reduce the number of placing requests refused to in-zone pupils who have moved into zone in school year.

On a division, there voted:-  for the motion (8) – Councillors Allan, Boulton, Collie, Cooney, Laing and Leslie;  and Mr. G. Bruce and Mr. S. Duncan;  for the amendment (14) – the Convener, Vice-Convener;  and Councillors Cormack, Greig, McCaig, MacGregor, May, Reynolds, Townson, Kirsty West and Yuill;  and Mrs. M Abdullah, Mr. P Campbell and Mrs. I Wischik;  declined to vote (2) – Mr. M Maclean and Mr. A. Nicoll.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the amendment.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport and the Head of Finance which presented the current year revenue budget performance to date and advised on the areas of risk and management action.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)       note the report on the forecast out-turn on the revenue budget and the information on areas of risk and management action contained therein; 

(b)       instruct officers to continue to review budget performance and to report on service strategies;  and

(c)        approve the following budget virements:-

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the recommendations; 

(ii)        that the options appraisal on the Maritime Museum include exploring a “Friends of the Maritime Museum” group and a social enterprise scheme, to be informed by the wider Culture Trust options appraisal;  and

(ii)        to instruct officers to provide clarification to Councillor Reynolds on how the figure of £160,000 to operate the community centre in Bridge of Don Academy had been arrived at.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which detailed the capital spend to date for the Education, Culture and Sport projects included within the Non-Housing Capital Programme.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the position as set out within the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport seeking approval to close city schools to pupils and staff on Tuesday, 5June 2012, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee bank holiday.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)       instruct officers to request from the Scottish Government an exceptional closure day for schools, so that staff and pupils could benefit from the additional bank holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday, 5June 2012;  and

(b)       approve the proposal to move the 8 May in-service training day for school staff to Monday, 4 June 2012, allowing pupils to benefit from the four day weekend to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it reports by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport (1) referring to article 32 of the minute of meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 17 June, 2011 and outlining the implications of establishing a Community Development Fund to which community groups could submit bids in order to provide not for profit registered childcare and out of school provision;  and (2) referring to article 13 of the minute of its previous meeting of 15 September, 2011 and outlining progress made towards the transfer of community learning centres to lease centre status.  

In accordance with the decision to hear a deputation on this item (article 3 of this minute refers), the Committee heard from Mr. Steve Delaney of Mastrick, Sheddocksley and Summerhill Community Council, who highlighted the excellent work undertaken at Mastrick Young People’s Project (MYPP) over the previous 30 years which had concentrated on helping young people to develop life skills, working in collaboration with Grampian Police.   The project had been responsible for reducing youth crime in the area and since its closure six months previously there had been no facilities available for young people to go to.   Mr. Delaney suggested that the views of Grampian Police should have been sought as part of the proposal, and expressed the view that some of the alternatives to MYPP listed within the report were not viable.   The report itself was not, in his opinion, evidence-based and it was felt to be irresponsible of officers to state that there was now no revenue funding available for the project despite capital funding for the project having been approved previously.   Furthermore, Mr. Delaney queried the statement made within the report that it would cost between £60,000 and £80,000 per year to run the Centre as a fully staffed youth centre.   Consultation on the report has been poorly undertaken, with no early engagement and false rumours surrounding the proposal.   Mr. Delaney closed by requesting the Committee to honour its previous commitments to relocate Mastrick Young People’s Project to the Hillylands Centre, to work in liaison with Grampian Police, and to set up a monitoring group to monitor the running of the facility, including a representative from Grampian Police, residents and local members. 

The report at (1) recommended:-

that the Committee confirm that the current Council policies, these being the Out of School Care policy and the Bookings and Lettings policy, in relation to providing free access for non-profit making registered childcare and pre-school providers would continue to apply in relation to those Council establishments that had become leased or equivalent.

The report at (2) recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       note that officers would refer the Hillylands Centre to the Corporate Asset Group as surplus to the requirements of the Education, Culture and Sport Service, in accordance with the new Surplus Property Procedure as approved at the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on 29 September, 2011; 

(b)       agree that Loirston Community Wing ceases operating formally as a community  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

With reference to article 12 of the minute of its previous meeting of 15 September 2011, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which presented applications for financial assistance from three sports organisations and the recommendations in respect of each.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee considers the applications and approve the following recommendations:–

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 29 of the minute of its meeting of 16 September 2010, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing an update on the Water Management Plan for Aberdeen City.

In accordance with the decision to hear a deputation on this item (article 3 of this minute refers), the Committee heard from Dawn Bellamy, Secretary of Torry Community Council, speak on behalf of the community of Torry, as well as past users of Tullos swimming pool.  Ms. Bellamy referred to the closure of Tullos Pool in August, 2008 for the purpose of conducting repairs to the roof;  stated that Tullos Pool had been the most well used community pool in Aberdeen and was missed by Torry residents as well as people working in and around Torry and Tullos and various clubs which had used this pool extensively;  urged the Committee to address the lack of a swimming pool in Torry urgently by committing to re-open and running the pool on an on-going basis;  presented the Convener with a petition co-ordinated by the Community Council requesting that the pool be re-opened;  set out the rationale for re-opening the pool, including Torry’s status as a regeneration area, the health benefits of swimming, the distraction from nuisance and vandalism experienced in Torry.   Ms. Bellamy sought clarification on the extent of the works already undertaken at Tullos Pool and asked that the Committee instruct officers to involve the Torry community in looking into any means, whether public, private, co-operative or not for profit in re-opening the Tullos Pool.   Turning to the report before the Committee, Ms. Bellamy queried the reason for including private pools within the assessment undertaken, which were not accessible unless an initial joining fee and monthly payment were made.   Likewise, the inclusion of the Beach Leisure Centre was queried on the basis that it was not possible to do any kind of swimming at this facility.   Ms. Bellamy further expressed the view that the ordinary and occasional user of swimming pools, i.e. the public, had not been adequately involved in the consultation process, and asked the Committee to address the lack of the swimming pool in Torry on an urgent basis by committing to re-open and run Tullos Pool, and to instruct officers to (1) bring back a report to the next meeting detailing and validating costs for repair at the pool with a view to officers identifying money for these repairs to take place, and (2) inform and involve the Torry community in looking into any means of re-opening Tullos Pool.   Ms. Bellamy, on behalf of Torry Community Council, raised concerns about the assumptions made in the preparation of the initial Water Management Plan (a) particularly the running of models using the Beach Leisure Centre and private swimming pools;  (b) challenging perceptions about the accessibility of pools by people living in regeneration areas and the cost of this access compared to income;  and (c)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Committee had before it a statement of committee business prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)                 to delete parts of item 3 (Reduced Communities Team), where recommended within the statement, item 4 (Kaimhill Community Learning Hub) and item 5 (St. Machar ASG – Community Learning Hub); and

(ii)               to otherwise note the statement.

The Committee had before it a motions list prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee resolved:-

to delete item 1 (Parental Representation on Education, Culture and Sport Committee – Motion by Councillor Cormack).

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which provided a summary of performance data up to 31 August 2011 for the Education, Culture and Sport Directorate.  Appended to the report were:- 

(1)       a synopsis of SQA attainment in 2010/11;

(2)       5 – 14 primary attainment for 2010/11;  and

(3)       Service Plan performance measures.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)       approve the Education, Culture and Sport Service performance report for the period up to 31 August 2011;  and

(b)       approve the briefing notes on SQA attainment 2010-11 and 5-14 attainment 2010-11.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the recommendations, subject to referring to the next meeting approval of the briefing note on SQA attainment 2010/11, so as to ensure that the most up-to-date figures were provided to the Committee;  and

(ii)        prior to the next Committee, to hold a briefing session for Committee members on the SQA attainment figures, and that this also cover changes to the way in which assessments would be carried out in future and the impact on performance reporting.

EXEMPT INFORMATION

In terms of article 2, the following item of business was considered with the press and public excluded.

With reference to article 5 of this minute, the Committee had before it further information on the number of school placing appeals received in the academic session 2010/11, and some detail on the outcomes of these appeals.

-  JOHN WEST, Convener.