Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be located at the following link:

http://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=2517&Ver=4

The Convener advised that Mrs Anne Tree had been formally appointed as the Third Religious representative for the Committee at the meeting of Council of 22 August, 2012 (article 17 refers), but unfortunately Mrs Tree had been unable to attend this afternoon’s meeting.  The Convener stated that she looked forward to formally welcoming Mrs Tree at the next meeting.

The Convener also expressed her sadness at being advised that Mr Peter Campbell (Church of Scotland Religious representative) had stood down as a member of this Committee with immediate effect.  She thanked Mr Campbell on behalf of the Committee for his valuable contribution since 2009.

The Convener advised that three requests for deputation had been received in terms of Standing Order 10 in relation to item 3.1 of the agenda (Community Centres), as follows:

·          Mr Paul O'Connor

·          Wilma Mackland (Development Worker/Volunteer)

·          Mr Alex Mess, Reverend Andy Cowie, both of Powis Gateway Community Centre and Mrs Sylvia Davidson, of Woodside Community Centre.

The Committee resolved:

to agree to hear the deputations prior to considering item 3.1 (Community Centres) of the agenda (article 7 of this minute refers).

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 7 June, 2012.

In relation to page 5 of the minute (article 8 (c)), it was noted that the maps pertaining to the current school zones had not been circulated to members to date.  The Acting Director undertook to circulate these maps at an early date.

The Committee resolved:

to approve the minute as a correct record.

With reference to article 7 of the minute of its meeting of 23 February, 2012, the Committee had before it a report by the Head of Finance which advised members of the current year revenue budget performance to date for the Service, and outlined any areas of risk and management action being taken in this regard.

The Committee resolved:

(i)t        to note the forecast outturn on the revenue budget and the information on areas of risk and management action being taken; and

(ii)        to instruct officers to continue to review budget performance, and report on Service strategies.

The Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sought approval of the Service asset management plans, as detailed within the report.

The report set out the Service wide priorities as follows:

The Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director for Education, Culture and Sport which advised members of the “Strategic Guidance for Community Planning Partnerships: Community Learning and Development” publication by the Scottish Government, and set out the requirements this placed on community planning partnerships.

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to note the Scottish Government’s publication “Strategic Guidance for Community Planning Partnerships: Community Learning and Development”;

(ii)        to note the important role that Community Learning and Development has to play in the future delivery of public service, its contribution to early intervention/ prevention, and its ability to empower people both individually and collectively to make positive changes to their lives and in their communities through learning;

(iii)       to note the requirement that this guidance places on Community Planning Partnerships, and the decision of the Community Planning Aberdeen Board that the Smarter Forum would take the lead role in ensuring that the duties placed on community planning partnerships by the strategic guidance are discharged; and

(iv)       to note the expectations that this guidance places on local authorities, as detailed within the report.

With reference to article 10 of the minute of meeting of Council of 13 June, 2012 the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which updated members on the current position in relation to moving community centres to the leased model, and detailed the outcome of recent consultation with management committees attached to community schools in relation to proposals to retain these community centres within the responsibility of the Council.

With reference to article 2 of this minute, the Committee heard from (1) Mr Paul O’Connor, (2) Wilma Mackland, and (3) Mr Alex Mess, Reverend Andy Cowie, and Mrs Sylvia Davidson on the matter before members.  Mr O’Connor stated that he felt sections of the report before members misrepresented Inchgarth Community Centre.  Mrs Mackland read a statement from Zuzana Jatelona, who was a volunteer at Sunnybank Community Centre, but had been unable to attend today’s meeting.  Mrs Mackland also suggested that Sunnybank Community Centre did not require a clerical assistant, but that they would like to continue to employ a Development Officer.  Mr Mess took issue with a number of statements in the report, and felt he had been misrepresented.

Members asked a number of questions of the deputations.

The Service Manager for Communities introduced the report and circulated a supplementary paper which updated members on ongoing legal negotiations, and the issue of officers gaining access to a community centre to install solar panels.  Mrs Woodcock also advised the Committee that Seaton Community Centre had been the first to sign their management agreement, which had been active from 1 September, 2012.

A number of questions were asked in relation to the proposed virement of funds from the supplies and services budget to the staffing budget, and Mrs Woodcock undertook to circulate a report which she had presented to the Education, Culture and Sport senior management team on this matter.

The report recommended –

that the Committee –

(a)       agrees that the community wings within Dyce, Bridge of Don, Cornhill, Tullos and Sunnybank community schools will not transfer to the leased centre model, but will remain within the responsibility of the Council, with a local management committee inputting into the programming of the building;

(b)       agrees that management committees connected to the above community wings within schools will be provided with a grant of £625 per year, for the purpose of purchasing indemnity insurance, and public liability and employers insurances;

(c)        notes the progress in relation to moving community centres onto the new lease and management agreement;

(d)       instruct officers that, in the case of any further amendments to the lease and management agreement being agreed, any management committees which have already signed up to the standard lease and management agreement will be offered, on an optional basis, a variation to their lease and management agreement to reflect these amendments; and

(e)       note the intention to vire budgets from the “supplies and services” budget (development grants) to the “staffing” budget  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

With reference to article 16 of the minute of its meeting of 15 September, 2011, the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which advised on progress to date on the work ongoing in relation to new ways of working for the provision of library services within the city.

The report recommended –

that the Committee –

(a)       notes and endorses the content of the report;

(b)       instructs officers to consult on the proposed two community library models, reduction of opening hours and options for closure of smaller least used libraries and report back to this Committee;

(c)        agrees the proposed structure for the service as set out in appendix 1 to the report;

(d)       agrees the revised audio visual charges and fines to be charged under the residents discount and visitors card scheme as follows:

(e)       instructs officers to conduct competitive tendering exercises in line with Council Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and European Union legislation for the provision of a library café service as outlined in section 5.6 of the report;

(f)         delegates authority for the Head of Procurement, in conjunction with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, and the Library and Information Services Manager to award contracts / places on framework to the highest scoring compliant bidder, on the basis of the most economically advantageous offer, as set out under Standing Order 7 (6) of the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts and Procurement.

Further to a number of questions, the Head of Communities, Culture and Sport advised that the “models” referred to in recommendation (b) above referred to section 5.1 of the report where Bucksburn and Kaimhill community libraries were used as benchmark models.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:

that the report’s recommendations be approved.

Councillor McCaig, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved as an amendment:

that the Committee –

(1)       note the content of the report;

(2)       recognise that a full consultation was undertaken on the library service by the previous administration, and notes that the unanimous decision taken forward following that consultation was that libraries were an important community asset and an agreement that no further consultation on closure or reduction in opening hours in necessary; and

(3)       approves recommendations (c) – (f).

On a division, the votes cast were as follows:  for the motion (15) – the Convener, the Vice Convener, and Councillors Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Malik, Nathan Morrison, Taylor and Young, and Mr Duncan, Mr Maclean, Mr Nicoll, Mr Paul and Mrs Wischik; for the amendment (9) – Councillors Cameron, Greig, McCaig, May, Noble, Samarai, Stewart, Stuart and Townson.

The Committee resolved:

to adopt the successful motion.

With reference to article 5 of the minute of its previous meeting of 7 June, 2012, the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which proposed the disestablishment of the Culture and Leisure Trust Monitoring Board, and the establishment of a Culture and Sport Sub Committee.

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to approve the disestablishment of the Culture and Leisure Trust Monitoring Board;

(ii)        to approve the establishment of a Culture and Sport Sub Committee, further to the recommendations of Audit Scotland;

(iii)       to approve the remit as appended to the report;

(iv)       that the membership of the Sub Committee be sourced from this Committee on the following basis – 2 Labour, 2 SNP, 1 Liberal Democrat, 1 Conservative, 1 Independent Alliance;

(v)        to appoint Councillor Laing as Convener of the new Sub Committee; and

(vi)       that the Sub Committee will meet once per committee cycle, with the first meeting to be held on Wednesday 7 November.

With reference to article 11 of the minute of its previous meeting of 7 June, 2012, the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which presented recommendations for the second round of cultural grants for the 2012/13 financial year.

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to allocate the cultural grants to the total value of £148, 405 as follows:

(ii)        to allocate the remaining amount through the Public Art Fund and the new commissions programme to support the UK City of Culture 2017 bid as follows:

The Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which advised members on the developing culture and education partnership between Aberdeen and Argentina.

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to approve the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (substantially as set out in appendix 1 to the report) with the city of Buenos Aires; and

(ii)        to approve the progression and signing of a similar Memorandum with the province of Santa Fe, and the municipality of San Isidro, Argentina.

With reference to article 14 of the minute of its previous meeting of 7 June, 2012, the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which presented applications for financial assistance from sports organisations.

The Committee resolved:

to grant the following applications –

·               Active Aberdeen – Festival of Sport, physical Activity and Dance £5,000

·               City of Aberdeen Gymnastics £2,260.

The Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which advised that a request had been received from Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association to rename the Aulton Pavilion as “The Raymond Kelly Pavilion” in remembrance of Raymond Kelly who had sadly died earlier this year, but had been twenty six years in charge of Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association.

The Committee agreed that this would be a fitting tribute to a dedicated member of the community.

The Committee resolved:

to change the name of the Aulton Pavilion, School Road to “The Raymond Kelly Pavilion”.

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

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to agree to remove items 1 (Learning Estate Strategy (Schools) – Rezoning Exercise (Secondary), 4 (Reduced Communities Team/ Leased Community Centres) – parts (2) and (3) only; and

(ii)        to agree in terms of paragraph 9 of the in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, that an update be provided on item 5 of the business statement (Provision for Children with additional support needs – Raeden)) as the last item of business on this day, with the press and public excluded; and

(iii)       to note the update in relation to item 9 (Newhills Primary School) provided by the Acting Director.

With reference to article 17 of the minute of its previous meeting of 7 June, 2012, the Committee had before it a report by the Acting Director of Education, Culture and Sport which provided members with a summary of performance of the Service up to 30 June, 2012.

The Committee resolved:

(i)         to approve the content of the report for the period up to 30 June, 2012, and note the progress made towards achieving service plan actions;

(ii)        to approve the Education, Culture and Sport statutory performance indicator submission for 2011/12 for –

·          attendances at indoor pool and at sports facilities

·          visits to museums

·          visits to libraries, library borrowers and use of PC terminals

·          Education Scotland and Care Inspectorate inspections for pre school, primary and secondary schools and for learning communities ; and

(iii)       to note the briefing notes for childcare services and the communities team self evaluation calendar 2012/13, as detailed in the report.

In terms of the decision taken at article 14 (resolution (ii) of this minute), the following item was considered with the press and public excluded.

The Committee heard from the Acting Director who provided an update on the potential site for the new school with provision for children with additional support needs.

The Committee resolved:

to note the update provided by the Acting Director, and that a report back would be presented at the next meeting.

JENNIFER LAING, Convener.