Agenda and minutes

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be altered retrospectively.

The Convener proposed that the Sub Committee consider reports 4.1 to 4.8 with the press and public excluded.

The Committee resolved:-

in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude the press and public from the meeting for items 4.1 to 4.8 of the agenda (article 4 of this minute) onwards so as to avoid disclosure of information of the classes described in the following paragraphs of Schedule 7(A) to the Act: article 4 (paragraphs 6 and 9), article 5 (paragraphs 6 and 9), article 6 (paragraphs 6 and 9), article 7 (paragraph 6), article 8 (paragraphs 6 and 9), article 9 (paragraphs 6 and 9), article 10 (paragraphs 6 and 9) and article 11 (paragraphs 6 and 9).

The Sub Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 24 September 2013.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as an accurate record.

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

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         in relation to item 1 (Access from the North Proposals (Third River Don Crossing) – Compulsory Purchase Order), to transfer this item to the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee Business Statement;

(ii)        in relation to item 2 (Property Asset Management Plan), to note that a report was to be considered later on today’s agenda and therefore to remove this item;

(iii)       in relation to item 6 (Bobby Calder Park), to remove resolution (iii);

(iv)       in relation to item 10 (Victoria Road School) to suspend Standing Order 22(1) and to instruct officers to report on this matter to a future meeting of the Sub Committee; and

(v)        to otherwise note the updates contained.

In accordance with the decision recorded under article 1 of this minute, the following items were considered with the press and public excluded.

With reference to article 23 of the minute of the meeting of Council of 25 March 2009, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which provided an update on the current position of the lease of Auchmill Golf Course and the outcome of negotiations with the Management Committee of Auchmill Golf Club (MCAGC).

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       approve the provisional terms for the granting of a long-term lease of Auchmill Golf Course to the MCAGC as described in the report subject to any variations to the user term (5.5.3) that the Court of Session might stipulate to safeguard use of the golf course by members of the public;

(b)       agree to remit it to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to take appropriate legal action to petition the Court of Session for consent to lease Common Good land; and

(c)        agree that on the assumption that such consent was obtained, remit it to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to formally conclude the lease of the golf course to the MCAGC on terms and conditions as were necessary to protect the Council’s interests.  

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 25 of the minute of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 28 September 2010, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which provided an update on miscellaneous properties held on property account.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)      agree that the following sites remain as is until completion of the road widening project;

(1)       Berryden Business Centre

(2)       Ground 203 Great Northern Road

(3)       Ground 36 - 38 Great Northern Road;

(b)       agree that the following sites should remain as is until reviewed in terms of their leases and request that an update will be provided following the review;

(1)       Danestone Doctor’s Surgery,

(2)       Denwood Rifle / shooting Range

(3)       Fairview Street Community Site

(4)       Fairview Street Nursery

(5)       Hayfield riding school including Westwood Lodge

(6)       Land Mains of Dyce

(7)       Land Mill of Mundurno

(8)       Pitmedden Road (Compound)

(9)       Satrosphere, 179 Constitution Street Aberdeen

(10)     76-81 Skene Square

(11)     Stoneywood Road Dyce Road Verge; and

(c)        agree that the following sites be considered for long term lease or sale;

(1)       41 Belvidere Street/ Victoria Park Boundary Wall

(2)       Danestone Facility Site

The Sub Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the recommendations; and

(ii)        to request officers to advise members, by way of email, of the expected rental income at the next rent review, of the land at Pitmedden Road.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which advised of the current interest generated to date in the Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       pending confirmation that F and C Reit wished to incorporate the Bon Accord  Indoor Bowling Centre and Skyline Restaurant within the Bon Accord Shopping Centre, instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operations to cease the ongoing marketing effort, for a period of nine months, from the date of this meeting;

(b)       agree that if such wish was confirmed, remit the Head of Asset Management and Operations to provisionally negotiate terms and conditions for the renunciation of the City Council’s lease of the Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre and Skyline Restaurant;

(c)        agree that if provisional agreement could be reached, remit the Head of Asset Management and Operations to report back on the details of the agreement to this Sub Committee, in order that the formal approval of such provisional agreement might be considered;

(d)       agree that in that event, remit the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to liaise with F and C Reit’s solicitors to agree the formal renunciation of the lease, on terms and conditions as were necessary to protect the City Council; and

(e)       agree that if F and C Reit indicated that they did not wish to make use of the premises, instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operations to resume the marketing effort and consider any options for the building’s future, reporting to Committee at that time of progress; Or

(f)         instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operations to continue the marketing effort and consider any options for the building’s future, reporting progress to the Sub Committee at a later date.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve recommendations (a) to (e) contained in the report.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which advised of a further request received from the tenant of an area of ground adjacent to a property owned by the individual at 5 Redmoss Walk, Nigg.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       refuse the request to purchase land, as requested by the tenant; and

(b)       agree that the tenant be advised that the lease shall continue to run until expiry on 27 May 2039.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 29 of the minute of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 21 February 2013, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which provided an update on the ongoing discussions with Glencraft Aberdeen Limited (Glencraft) concerning the company’s occupation of the premises at 132 Wellington Road.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       agree that if the sub lease governing the continued occupation of the premises was not signed by 10 January 2014, the Head of Asset Management and Operations and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services should be instructed to recover vacant possession of the premises; and

(b)       instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operation to continue without prejudice discussions with the head landlord, and if satisfactory terms could not be reached the Council might have no option other than to seek a sub tenant or assignee, which the head landlord could not reasonably refuse.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to defer consideration of the report to its next meeting to enable the occupier to hold further discussions with the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise regarding its business plan and to instruct officers to provide an update on the negotiations at the Council meeting on 18 December 2013.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which advised on the outcome of marketing activities in relation to a surplus property at 102 North Deeside Road and the offers subsequently received.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       accept the highest offer submitted by Peterkins, on behalf of Mr and Mrs Calder;

(b)       agree that the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be instructed to conclude missives for the sale of this property incorporating various qualifications as were necessary to protect the Council’s interests.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which advised of the outcome of the joint marketing exercise between the Council and NHS Grampian (The Scottish Ministers (TSM)) for the former Raeden Centre and walled garden.

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       accept Dandara Limited as the preferred bidder;

(b)       agree that the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be instructed to conclude missives for the sale of this property incorporating various qualifications as were necessary to protect the Council’s interests; and

(c)        note the apportionment of the sale price for the site between TSM and the Council as indicated in the report.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 16 of the minute of its meeting of 24 September 2013, the Sub Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which provided members with an update on activities in relation to properties which had been declared surplus to the Council’s requirements or were currently vacant awaiting a decision on future use. 

The report recommended –

that the Sub Committee –

(a)       note the position in relation to all the vacant and surplus assets, as identified in Appendices A, B and C of the report;

(b)       note the lease of the following properties held on the tenanted non residential portfolio, concluded since the Sub Committee’s meeting on 24 September 2013:-

·        Unit 8 Farburn Industrial Estate, Dyce, £21,600

·        Suites 2,3B,4,5 10-14 27-29 King Street, Aberdeen, £76,100

·        Units 4,5 and rear compound, Kirkton Avenue, £45,000

·        Unit 3 Tillydrone Shopping Centre, £2,400

·        Unit 4, 61 Cotton Street, 17,500

·        Units 7 and 8 Woodlands Road, Dyce, £35,000

·        Unit 9 Kirkhill Place, Dyce, £19,500;

(c)        note the update on the former Victoria Road School.

The Sub Committee resolved:-

(i)          to approve the recommendations;

(ii)        to instruct officers to provide an update on the status of Leadside Road Community Centre at its next meeting; and

(iii)      in relation to Tillydrone Shopping Centre Unit 7, Hayton Road, Tillydrone, to instruct officers to write to the Director of Housing and Environment asking for confirmation as to when this unit would be required as part of the forthcoming regeneration works in that area.

- COUNCILLOR YVONNE ALLAN, Convener.