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=546&MId=4156&Ver=4

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 retrospectively altered.

The Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 24 February 2016 for approval.

With reference to item 1(A) Jennifer Craw advised that Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski would be the third named substitute representing ONE.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)        to appoint Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski as ONE’s third substitute member; and

(ii)        to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Joint Committee had before it a report by Richard Sweetnam (Head of Economic Development, Aberdeen City Council) and Belinda Miller (Head of Economic Development, Aberdeenshire Council) which proposed a terms of reference for an Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme Board.

The report recommended –

that the Joint Committee approve the terms of reference for and composition of the Programme Board.

Members considered the report and discussed the remit and purpose of the Programme Board, as well as indicative reporting and monitoring arrangements of the various work streams and projects at a local level and to the Scottish and UK Governments. Members also discussed the proposed membership of an Enabling Group, and Richard Sweetnam advised that at this point no individuals had been approached to be members of this group of experts, after which Sir Ian Wood requested that the private sector be represented on this group.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)        to revise references within the report to the Programme Board’s implementation of projects role and to replace these with a remit to co-ordinate and monitor the delivery of projects;

(ii)       to request that the private sector be represented on the proposed Enabling Group; and

(iii)      otherwise to approve the terms of reference for and composition of the Programme Board.

The Joint Committee had before it a report by John Paul Cleary (City Region Deal Programme Manager, Aberdeen City Council) which updated members on the programme management approach that had been adopted to manage and implement the City Region Deal.

The report recommended –

that the Joint Committee approve the programme management approach proposed in the report.

Members considered the report and discussed the development of an integrated Communication Plan and members also highlighted the importance of providing early updates to elected members from both Councils to ensure they remained informed and invested in the City Region Deal particularly as a number of proposed projects had not been accounted for at this point in either Council’s Capital Plans. To this point, Angela Scott explained that S95 Officers from both Councils were involved at Joint Committee level and would be able to provide members with an outline of funding availability going forward. Members also stressed the importance of developing robust business plans and models to ensure that support could be provided in an expedient manner to projects which were time sensitive due to the prevailing economic environment such as the development of Aberdeen Harbour and the creation of an Oil and Gas Technology Centre.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)        to defer consideration of communication planning at programme, theme and project level and to request that an integrated Communication Plan for the Programme be developed and brought back to a future meeting of the Joint Committee for decision making;

(ii)       to request that regular progress updates on the City region Deal be produced and circulated to the wider community on a regular basis;

(iii)      to note that discussions would be held between ONE representatives and Programme Management on reporting arrangements to the Programme Board; and

(iv)      to approve the programme management approach proposed in the report.

The Joint Committee had before it a report by Richard Sweetnam and Belinda Miller which provided an update on the Programme to develop the specific projects under the City Region Deal Heads of Terms (£250m).

The report recommended –

that the Joint Committee note the progress on the Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme.

Richard Sweetnam spoke to the report and advised that following the signing of the Heads of Terms lead officers had been in discussion with the Scottish and UK Governments on the next steps in order to finalise the City Region Deal. Mr Sweetnam explained that there was a requirement to develop a City Region Deal Agreement and an Implementation Plan and a draft was currently being developed and expected to be finalised in the summer of 2016. He added that lead officers would continue to provide regular updates on progress to the Joint Committee and its constituent bodies.

Thereafter members questioned officers on additional plans the City Council had to develop Aberdeen Harbour and there was recognition of the importance of the Harbour project and the oil and gas industry to North East Scotland’s Regional Economic Strategy. Further to this, Derek Murray (Director of NESTRANS) provided an update on ongoing regional transportation and infrastructure projects and the City Centre Masterplan and advised that he expected these existing projects would eventually be integrated within the wider City Region Deal strategy but would continue in the meantime regardless of the progress of the City Region Deal Agreement and Implementation Plan.  

The Joint Committee resolved:-

to note the progress on the Aberdeen City Region Deal Programme.

The Joint Committee had before it a report by Richard Sweetnam and Belinda Miller which provided an update on the additional funding of £254m announced by the Scottish Government when the City Region Deal Heads of Terms Agreement was signed in January 2016.

The report recommended –

that the Joint Committee note the update on the additional funding.

The Chair highlighted that clarity had been sought from the Scottish Government on the new funding package and Richard Sweetnam advised that lead officers would look to formally engage with the incoming Scottish Government after the Scottish Parliamentary elections in order to clarify that element of funding and whether it could be brought into the existing City Region Deal governance arrangements. Stephen Archer (Director of Infrastructure Services, Aberdeenshire Council) added that constructive discussions had been held with the Scottish Government with regards to infrastructure improvements at Laurencekirk and explained that he had been advised that improvements would be implemented in an expedient manner.

The Joint Committee resolved:-

to note the update on the additional funding.

The Joint Committee had before it a set of proposed meeting dates for approval.

The proposed dates were as follows:-

9:30am, Friday 20 January 2017, Committee Room 4, Town House

9:30am, Friday 17 March 2017, Committee Room 4, Town House

The Joint Committee resolved:-

(i)         to approve the meeting dates; and

(ii)       to instruct the Clerk to liaise with Committee Services at Aberdeenshire Council in order to set meeting dates post May 2017.

COUNCILLOR JENNIFER LAING, Chairperson.