Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here.

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 Convener proposed that the Committee consider items 13.1 (Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub Delivery Model – Exempt Verbal Update), 13.2 (Site 16 – Lang Stracht and Disposal Update), 13.3 (Pinewood – Amendment to Sale of Contract), 14.1 North East Scotland Joint Mortuary Full Business Case – Exempt Appendix) and 14.2 (Extension to Bucksburn Academy – Outline Business Case – Exempt Appendix) with the press and public excluded from the meeting.

Councillor McRae, seconded by Councillor Cooke moved as a procedural motion:-

that the Committee consider item 13.2 (Site 16 – Lang Stracht and Disposal Update) in the public section of the agenda.

On a division, there voted:- for the procedural motion (4) – Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill; against the procedural motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing.

In terms of Standing Order 34.1, Councillor McRae intimated that he would like this matter to be referred to full Council in order for a final decision to be taken. Councillor McRae was supported by Councillors Cooke, Nicoll and Yuill.

In terms of Standing Order 34.1, the Convener determined otherwise and ruled that the matter would not be referred to full Council.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to reject the procedural motion; and

(ii)       in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the above items so as to avoid disclosure of information of the classes described in the following paragraphs of Schedule 7(A) to the Act:- articles 26 and 29 (paragraphs 8 and 10); articles 27 and 28 (paragraph 9); and article 30 (paragraph 8).

Members were requested to intimate any declarations of interest in respect of the items on today’s agenda, thereafter the following were intimated:-

(1)      the Convener declared an interest in item 12.1 (North East Scotland Joint Mortuary - Full Business Case) by virtue of him being an Aberdeen City Council appointee of NHS Grampian Board. He indicated that a specific exclusion applied in terms of section 5.18.2 (i) of the Councillors Code of Conduct, therefore he remained in the meeting for consideration of the item;

(2)      Councillor Yuill declared an interest in item 13.3 (Pinewood – Amendment to Sale Contract) by virtue of him being an Aberdeen City Council appointed member of Robert Gordon’s College Board of Governors. He considered that the nature of his interest required him to leave the meeting and he therefore took no part in the consideration of these item;

(3)      Councillor Laing declared an interest in item 10.5 (Town Centre Fund) by virtue of her being a Council appointed Board member of Aberdeen Inspired. She considered that the nature of her interest required her to leave the meeting and she therefore took no part in the consideration of this item;

(4)      the Vice Convener declared an interest in item 10.5 (Town Centre Fund) by virtue of him being an employee of Aberdeen Inspired. He considered that the nature of his interest required him to leave the meeting and he therefore took no part in the consideration of this item; and

(5)      Councillor Cooke declared an interest in item 10.2 (Council Financial Performance, Quarter 3) by virtue of him being an Aberdeen City Council appointee as a Director of Sport Aberdeen. He indicated that a specific exclusion applied in terms of section 5.18.2 (i) of the Councillors Code of Conduct, therefore he remained in the meeting for consideration of the item.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 28 October 2020, for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the Committee Business Planner prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved as a procedural motion:-

that in relation to item 26, to refer the letter received from the Local Government Minister in relation to the £500 bonus payment for key workers across local government to the Staff Governance Committee to give the members an opportunity to see, debate the response and consider any further representation, with input from TU advisers to the committee.

On a division, there voted:- for the procedural motion (6) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton, Laing and Yuill; against the procedural motion (3) – Councillors Cooke, McRae and Nicoll.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the procedural motion;

(ii)       to remove item 13 (Aberdeen City Region Deal – Strategic Transport Appraisal – Initial STAG Appraisal of Regional Transport Projects) and item 25 (This is Aberdeen Promotional Video) from the planner for the reasons outlined therein;

(iii)      to note the reason for the reporting delay in relation to item 4 (Cooperative Development Funding), item 11 (Car Parking Framework) and item 12 (Sustainable Drainage System (SUDS) Section 7); and

(iv)      to otherwise note the content of the Committee Planner.

That Council:-

(1)            acknowledge that while Byron Square car park is currently maintained out of the ACC Housing Revenue Account it is used by the public in the area;

(2)            agree that it is an anomaly to have a car park that is freely accessible to the public but the upkeep and repairs costs come from the budget that is dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of our housing stock; and

(3)            instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Finance, to investigate which account the Byron Square car park should be held on, to take any necessary remedial action and to report back to the City Growth and Resources Committee on the action taken.

The Committee had before it a Notice of Motion by Councillor Jackie Dunbar in the following terms:-

that the Committee –

(1)      acknowledge that while Byron Square car park is currently maintained out of the ACC Housing Revenue Account it is used by the public in the area;

(2)      agree that it is an anomaly to have a car park that is freely accessible to the public but the upkeep and repairs costs come from the budget that is dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of our housing stock; and

(3)      instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, following consultation with the Chief Officer Finance, to investigate which account the Byron Square car park should be held on, to take any necessary remedial action and to report back to the City Growth and Resources Committee on the action taken.

Councillor Jackie Dunbar moved her Notice of Motion and explained the rationale behind her request.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to agree that Byron Square car park has been used by the General public since it was built; and 

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord, to obtain a Market Valuation of the Byron Square Car Park to facilitate it’s move to the General Fund as at 1 April 2021 and for the detail of this to be reflected in the 2021/22 budget.

That Council:- 

(1)            Notes and regrets that slavery, human trafficking and other oppressive activities occur in the UK and around the world;

(2)            Notes that a number of locations and street names in Aberdeen have historical links to slavery and slavery products;

(3)            Notes that Sugar House Lane already has an information plaque explaining the origins of the street name and its links to slavery products; and

(4)            Instructs the Chief Officer - City Growth to report to the City Growth and Resources Committee on the practicalities and projected costs of identifying locations and street names in Aberdeen with links to slavery and slavery products and then erecting appropriate information plaques at each location.

The Committee had before it a Notice of Motion by Councillor Yuill in the following terms:-

that the Committee –

(1)      note and regret that slavery, human trafficking and other oppressive activities occur in the UK and around the world;

(2)      note that a number of locations and street names in Aberdeen have historical links to slavery and slavery products;

(3)      note that Sugar House Lane already has an information plaque explaining the origins of the street name and its links to slavery products; and

(4)      instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to report to the City Growth and Resources Committee on the practicalities and projected costs of identifying locations and street names in Aberdeen with links to slavery and slavery products and then erecting appropriate information plaques at each location.

Councillor Yuill moved his Notice of Motion and explained the rationale behind his request.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note and regret that slavery, human trafficking and other oppressive activities occur in the UK and around the world;

(ii)       to note that across the UK that there are buildings, street names, statues and other public realm which have association with historical slavery and slavery products;

(iii)      to note that IJM (International Justice Mission) whose aims are to end modern day slavery, trafficking, violence against women and children and other forms of abuse securing a world where all are free have held discussions with the Lord Provost and Councillor Boulton to develop a partnership;

(iv)      to note that IJM were due to hold a conference at the Music Hall in Aberdeen in March 2020 and as part our commitment to their aims and our partnership, a civic reception had been arranged for them at the Art Gallery. The hope is that this can be rearranged post Covid-19;

(v)       to request that the Lord Provost write to the UK Government to suggest the creation of a fund and guidance which all Local Authorities could apply to create a document which contained a wider overview of their area’s involvement with slavery and links to other important documents/papers which could allow for more detailed information to be accessed. The fund criteria would allow Local Authorities to cover the cost of placing information plaques including QR codes or alternative methods of providing more information next to items/locations identified to have association with slavery or slavery products giving access to the information on the wider picture and further links; and

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to report to the City Growth and Resources Committee on the practicalities and projected costs of identifying locations and street names in Aberdeen with links to slavery and slavery products and then erecting appropriate information plaques at each location.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officers of Governance, Strategic Place Planning, City Growth and Finance which presented the cluster Risk Registers and Assurance Maps in accordance with the City Growth and Resources Committee’s Terms of Reference and provided assurance on the Council’s system of risk management.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the Cluster Risk Registers and Assurance Maps set out in Appendices A to H of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

With reference to article 17 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Customer Services which provided details on the status of key performance measures relating to City Growth and Resources cluster activities.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the report and provide comments and observations on the performance information contained in the report Appendix.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

With reference to article 13 of the minute of the Urgent Business Committee of 30 June 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which provided details in relation to the actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as required under the approved General Delegation to Chief Officers acting as Duty Emergency Response Coordinator.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve of the actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as set out in Appendix 1;

(b)      note all actions taken by officers to ensure compliance with the law and relevant government guidance was taken in accordance with the Council’s approved Scheme of Governance, approved Generic Emergency Plan and decisions of the Urgent Business Committee;

(c)      note that the impact of Covid-19 on the Council, and the Council’s response to the impact, is being reviewed as part of the Best Value Audit of Aberdeen City Council and that Audit Scotland has advised external auditors to continue to consider all councils’ arrangements for financial sustainability in light of Covid-19;

(d)      note that the financial implications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic remain uncertain as guidance, levels, restrictions, and obligations placed on the Council frequently change; and

(e)      note that the Committee agenda today has the Q3 financial monitoring report that provides an update on the distribution of the Income Loss Scheme and the latest financial forecasts for the year.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

           that the Committee –

(1)    approve recommendations (a), (b), (c) and (e);

(2)    note that the financial implications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic remain uncertain as guidance, levels, restrictions, and obligations placed on the Council frequently change. This uncertainty has increased due to the woefully inadequate local government budget for 2021/22 proposed by Scottish Government;

(3)    note Council has received specific grant funding as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, predominantly distributed directly by the Scottish Government. Agrees the way the Scottish Government has distributed grant funding is complex and inconsistent, with some paid in advance, others being paid at the end of the year and others being claimed in arrears. Therefore, instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Local Government Minister, asking him to investigate why grant funding distribution is more complex and inconsistent than it requires to be, noting that the distribution of grants is an example of where the Council has experienced a significant increase in demand on its resource;

(4)    welcome Aberdeen City Council being shortlisted again, this time for the prestigious Project Management Institute (PMI) UK National Project Award. Noting the Institute has created a special award this year to mark the UK’s best Covid-19 response project. Notes Aberdeen City Council has been nominated by the public for its “Covid-19 remote, secure collaboration programme” to empower employees to work from home and take the necessary actions to maintain services despite the impact of the pandemic. Notes the Council is the only UK local authority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

With reference to article 10 of the minute of meeting of 5 December 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth which outlined the main findings of the third annual report by the Economic Policy Panel, an independent panel formed to advise on the city region’s economic performance in order to support the annual credit reassessment by Moody’s Investment Services of the Council.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the Policy Panel’s third annual report; and

(b)      approve the proposed officer responses to each recommendation as detailed in paragraph 3.6 (Table 1).

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(ii)       to note the success of the City Centre Masterplan adopted in 2015 which has delivered significant public projects for citizens and continues to deliver projects already agreed within the Masterplan;

(iii)       to agree to review the Masterplan and instructs the Director of Resources and the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services to develop a specification for a review of the Masterplan to incorporate appropriate surrounding areas, including the area known as the beach, in consultation with the Co-Leaders and the Convener of the Capital Programme Committee reporting back to the committee on 11^th May 2021; and

(iv)       to note and welcome the U-turn by the Scottish Government in respect of Freeports. Note the strategic role of local government in the governance of potential implementation of the UK Government’s Freeport model proposals. Instructs the Chief Officer - City Growth to work with the UK Government, the devolved Scottish Government, Aberdeen Harbour Board and all other stakeholders on a feasibility study of a city region Freeport and to report back to the 11^th May 2021 committee on the results of the study.

With reference to article 8 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided the financial position of the Council as at Quarter 3 (31 December 2020) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2020/21, including:-

·       General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and capital accounts and associated Balance Sheet; and

·       Common Good revenue account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the positive cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 3 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 3 as detailed in Appendix 3;

(c)      consider the General Fund position, as detailed in Appendix 2, and agree the actions recommended by the Chief Officer – Finance, in advice detailed at paragraph 3.20 of the report;

(d)      note that the revenue budget for the HRA is on target to achieve the approved budget, making a contribution to HRA reserves for 2020/21 as detailed in Appendix 2;

(e)      note that the budget for the Common Good will be exceeded following additional contributions approved by the Urgent Business Committees on 6 May and 30 June 2020. Noting that cash balances forecast for the year remain in line with recommended levels, detailed in Appendix 2; and

(f)       note that the capital expenditure (General Fund and Housing) for the year is going to be significantly lower than budget, for the reasons described in Appendix 2; and that project budgets will have to be carried forward into 2021/22.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations; and

(i)              to thank the Chief Officer – Finance and all other officers who contributed in the preparation the report.

With reference to article 7 of the minute of meeting of 7 February 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided information on the opportunities for a strategic partnership between the Council and the North East Scotland Pension Fund (NESPF) for the purposes of supporting local infrastructure investment.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the content of the report and instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth to report back to the Committee on the methodology and approach to bring investor ready proposals to the market, including resource implications and timescales for developing the opportunities described within the various economic and infrastructure strategies.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)       that the report be submitted to the Committee within two cycles.       

With reference to article 8 of the minute of meeting of 6 February 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided an overview of the recent credit rating annual review.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the outcome of the annual review was affirmation of the A1 rating, with an economic outlook of ‘stable’, in line with the recent changes to the UK’s rating.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

In accordance with article 2 of this minute, the Vice Convener and Councillor Laing withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of the following item of business. They were substituted by Councillor Crockett, The Lord Provost and Councillor Macdonald respectively for this item of business only.

With reference to article 10 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth which (1) provided an update on the progress of the Town Centre Fund allocated projects; (2) provided details on any uncommitted funding, or funding at risk of being unspent; and (3) presented options of how this may be allocated.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the individual project updates at 3.2 in the report;

(b)      agree to withdraw the offer of grant of £100,400 to the Living Wall Project due to timescales; and

(c)      delegate authority to the Chief Officer - City Growth, in consultation with Chief Officer - Finance to vire budgets between the approved Town Centre Fund projects to ensure delivery within the timelines set out under the grant conditions, and agrees to allocate any remaining funds to progression of land assembly in support of the Queen Street surface car park land acquisition.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve recommendations (a) and (b);

(ii)        to delegate authority to the Chief Officer - City Growth, in consultation with Chief Officer - Finance and the Conveners of City Growth and Resources and Capital Programme Committees, to vire budgets between the approved Town Centre Fund projects to ensure delivery within the timelines set out under the grant conditions, and agrees to allocate any remaining funds to the progression of land assembly in support of the Queen Street project; and

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth, to investigate alternative ways to deliver a living wall in the city centre and to report back to the May meeting of the Committee.

An Exempt Appendix is contained within the Exempt Appendices Section of this Agenda.

With reference to article 9 of the minute of meeting of the Education Operational Delivery Committee of 20 January 2021, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which sought approval of the preferred design option and referral to the budget process for the funding required for the preferred design option to progress to detailed design development (RIBA stage 4).

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the preferred design option within the Outline Business Case;

(b)      note the overall funding of £1.5m required to progress to the detailed development stage of this project;

(c)      refer this project to the Council’s Budget Meeting in March 2021; and

(d)      instruct Officers to report back to a future meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee with the Full Business Case

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

           that the Committee –

(1)     note the update in the planner relating to the School Estate which states that officers intend bringing a report to Council meeting in March outlining the process and timeline for delivering the School Estate Strategy;

(2)    note the ongoing works that may be required to allow pupils to return to school, works currently ongoing to develop a community campus model); the impact the pandemic has had on the provision of education, ,noting officers are waiting to determine if Scottish Government guidance will be provided on how education will be delivered in the future and how a school estate may look in light of this guidance;

(3)    agree taking into consideration (2) above, the extension for Bucksburn Academy should not progress at this time and agrees not to refer this project to the Council’s Budget Meeting in March 2021; and

(4)     instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to review expected short-term school role forecasts at Bucksburn Academy and consider options to meet current projections in the short term, reporting any financial requirements for this as part of the budget process, if required.

Councillor McRae, seconded by Councillor Yuill moved as an amendment:-

           that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion – (5) the Convener, the Vice Convener, Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; for the amendment – (4) Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion;

(ii)       that officers circulate details to the Convener relating to the impact of Scottish Government planned free transport for U18s; and

(iii)      that officers circulate details relating to the re-zoning numbers for Kingswells school to Councillor Boulton.

With reference to article 15 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which provided an update on the temporary urban realm works, and recommended the next steps in continuing to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)      note the outcomes of the survey work and data collection done to date and that due to moving into lockdown it has not been possible to collect meaningful data or undertake surveys over late December and January to feed into the report;

(b)      note that where data collection has been possible it has shown a significant increase in pedestrians and cyclists using recreational routes and recreational destinations;

(c)      note the recommendations from the Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian that the interventions should remain in place, particularly in light of the new more transmissible variant;

(d)      note support from both Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue in relation to the interventions, in particular that council officers continue to work with the emergence services to ensure that the interventions in no way impact on their service provision;

(e)      note that Sustrans have confirmed that the funding for the maintenance and removal of the interventions can be carried forward beyond the May deadline; and

(f)       instruct the Chief Officers of Strategic Place Planning, Capital and Operations that in the context of the above, and the current lockdown, to maintain the current interventions and to report back to the next CG&R with a update of the requirement for the measures to remain in place.

The Committee received a presentation from Chris Littlejohn, Deputy Director of Public Health, NHS Grampian who provided an update on the pandemic situation within the city.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve recommendations (a) to (e); and

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officers of Strategic Place Planning, Capital and Operations that in the context of the above, and the current lockdown, to maintain the current interventions and to circulate Service Updates or report back as necessary to the next appropriate Committee on the requirement for the measures to remain in place.

At this juncture, Councillor Yuill, seconded by Councillor Nicoll moved as a procedural motion:-

that given the time is now 6.24pm; that the meeting has the potential to last for a considerable time to come; and that the time is beyond the end of our staff’s normally working day, that the meeting be adjourned and that the remainder of the reports on the agenda be considered by the Committee on a future date to be determined by the Convener.

On a division, there voted:- for the procedural motion (4) – Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill; against the procedural motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing.

The Committee resolved:-

to reject the procedural motion.

With reference to article 12 of the minute of meeting of 27 November 2018, the Committee    of the outcomes of the (1) External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour (ASH) Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Part 2 study and progress on (2) Wellington Road Multimodal Corridor Study – STAG Part 2.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the contents and outcomes of the Aberdeen South Harbour (ASH) Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Part 2 study, as per Appendix 4 of the report;

(b)      approve the progression of recommended Road (Option A4), Public Transport (Options B1 and B2) and Active Travel (Options C1 and C4) from the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) STAG Part 2 Appraisal Report, as shown in Appendix 1 of the report;

(c)      subject to approval of the of options in (b), instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to develop a business case for these options and to report this to the City Region Deal Joint Committee upon completion; and

(d)      subject to approval of the of options in (b), instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to continue with the Wellington Road Multimodal Corridor Study, ensuring that subsequent appraisal work reflects the decision of this Committee on a preferred option from the External Transportation Links to the Aberdeen South Harbour study, and to report the outcomes of the Wellington Road STAG Part 2 appraisal to this Committee in June 2021.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

           that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor McRae, seconded by Councillor Cooke, moved as an amendment:-

           that the Committee:-

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to bring back a report for the change of roads hierarchy at the Coast Road/Hareness Road junction to allow continuous transit into Altens from the new harbour and for a ‘give way’ from the south of the junction on Coast Road;

(3)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to bring back a report into the movement of traffic through the localities of Torry and Cove to ensure that these communities won’t be affected by large vehicles such as coaches and HGVs, by means of introducing weight; width; or other restrictions as officers deem necessary; and

(4)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to explore funding sources, such as Transport Scotland, to cover the traffic management costs in (3) above.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which sought approval to adopt the Electric Vehicle (EV) Framework for Aberdeen and to note the accompanying Evidence Base and Baseline Report.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the adoption of the Electric Vehicle Framework included as Appendix 2 of the report;

(b)      refer the £675,000 capital investment required to support the 2025 delivery target for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure to the Council’s Budget Setting Process in order to support a further step change in the roll out of the required infrastructure;

(c)      instruct the Chief Officers – Strategic Place Planning and City Growth to explore opportunities for external funding opportunities as well as encouraging and facilitating the entry of commercial operators into the city to support the further roll out of charging infrastructure in order to meet demands post 2025;

(d)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, in consultation with the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services and the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, to explore opportunities to pilot onstreet charging infrastructure in the city; and

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to reflect an increasing role for the transition to electric vehicles against the policy background from both the UK and Scottish Governments to have phased out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Cooke, seconded by Councillor McRae moved as an amendment:-

           that the Committee –

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report; and

(2)    instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to prepare Aberdeen Planning Guidance in respect of the minimum requirements for EV charging points on new developments in line with the anticipated growth in the number of electric vehicles under the ‘Exemplar Scenario’; and report back to the Planning Development Management Committee within two cycles and to include EV charging within the future revision to the Supplementary Guidance: Transport and Accessibility.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.

With reference to article 31 of the minute of meeting of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee of 24 January 2017, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which sought approval of the Aberdeen Active Travel Action Plan 2021-2026.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the Aberdeen Active Travel Action Plan 2021-2026, included at Appendix 5 of the report;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer- Strategic Place Planning, in collaboration with the Chief Officer - Capital and Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services, to commence delivery of the Aberdeen Active Travel Action Plan 2021-2026, maximising external funding opportunities, and to report back on progress against the Action Plan on an annual basis by way of a Service Update; and

(c)      note that the Aberdeen Active Travel Action Plan 2021-2026 helps to support the Council’s ambitious Net Zero carbon plans for Aberdeen.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

           that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Cooke, seconded by Councillor McRae, moved as an amendment:-

           that the Committee –

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report; and

(2)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to bring a report to the Committee, outlining the cost of maintaining the existing statutory and advisory 20 MPH limits across the city, and examining the feasibility and potential costs of extending 20 MPH limits to additional residential areas.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.

With reference to article 25 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which sought approval for the submission of a bid to the Scottish Government’s Bus Partnership Fund (BPF) of up to £200 million on behalf of the North East Bus Alliance, of which the Council is a partner.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning with the approval of the Convener of City Growth and Resources to submit a bid in line with Appendix 1 on behalf of the North East Bus Alliance, of which Aberdeen City Council is a partner;

(b)      note, that if successful, the funding will enable a step change in public transport, which will help support the Council’s ambitious Net Zero Carbon plans for Aberdeen;

(c)      note that, if successful, Aberdeen City Council will be the lead and Accountable Officer for the North East Bus Alliance Fund; and

(d)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, to report back to this Committee on the success or otherwise of this bid, on any additional resource requirements to deliver a successful bid and, in consultation with the Chief Officer Governance and Chief Officer Finance, with recommendations for appropriate governance arrangements should the bid be successful, at its meeting on 10 August 2021.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning, that in the context of the corridor options within the bid terminating in the City Centre, and in light of the recommendations from the Economic Policy Panel and ongoing transport projects, to seek to accelerate the City Centre elements of the bid. This should include any necessary enabling works for approved schemes, for example South College Street and Berryden, to help drive recovery, improve the transport system and ensure integration of current transport projects; and

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning, to explore options to improve access and integration of the Aberdeen bus station as part of the bid, to help improve the customer experience.  

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer, which informed the Committee of the consultation proposals for the draft Flood Risk Management Strategies and Plans.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the delays to SEPA’s consultation on the Flood Risk Management Strategies due to COVID-19;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to publish the Aberdeen Draft Local Flood Risk Management Plan for consultation;

(c)      delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to respond to SEPA’s consultation by the end of June 2021 or later as directed by SEPA; and

(d)      instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to bring a report on the final Flood Risk Management Strategies and Plans to this Committee at the first possible meeting following the end of the consultation.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 12 of the minute of meeting of 6 June 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth which provided an upate on Invest Aberdeen delivery from June 2019 to December 2020 and sought approval for its forward priorities.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the update in Invest Aberdeen in the period since June 2019; and

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to work with Aberdeenshire Council and regional partners to support investment promotion opportunities in relation to section 3.6 to 3.12 of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations contained within the report.

A verbal update will be provided within the Exempt/Confidential Section of this agenda.

With reference to article 28 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth which provided an update on the proposed investment and delivery model for the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note work carried out to date in respect of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub and that a Prior Information Notice (PIN) has been uploaded to Public Contract Scotland to allow interested parties to respond as part of a market testing exercise;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth following consultation with the Chief Officer – Finance, Head of Commercial and Procurement Services and the Chief Officer – Governance to take forward discussions with external providers to establish the most viable route to deliver the Hydrogen Hub; and

(c)      provide a further update once the PIN market testing is complete to Council as part of the budget setting process for options for investment.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

An Exempt Appendix is contained within the Exempt Appendices Section of this Agenda.

With reference to article 27 of the minute of the previous meeting of 28 October 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which presented the Full Business Case (appendix 1) for the proposed North East Scotland Joint Mortuary as prepared by NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City Council.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the Full Business Case and instruct the Director of Resources to formally approach the various partners for funding contributions; and

(b)      agree in principle to underwrite the capital costs for construction of the proposed mortuary, subject to inclusion in the Capital Programme to be presented to Council at the budget meeting on 2 March 2021.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved as a procedural motion:-

           that the Committeerefer the report simpliciter to the Council Budget meeting in March 2021.

On a division, there voted:- for the procedural motion – (5) the Convener, the Vice Convener, Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; against the procedural motion – (4) Councillors Cooke, McRae, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the procedural motion.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided details in relation to the decision of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to place a Category A listing against 8 multi-storey buildings in Aberdeen City Centre, and outlined the impact of this on the Housing Revenue Account and options available.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the content of the report in relation to listing of all 8 multi- storey buildings at Category A by Historic Environment Scotland and the implications of this on the council and owners; and

(b)      note the advice in relation to the appeals process for a listing and instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to review this advice and if there are competent grounds for such an appeal to submit this within the required timescale, incurring such professional fees as required, within the Delegated levels of the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

           that the Committee –

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    note the Briefing Paper January 2021 which states "Importantly, an appeal can be made only on the grounds that the building in question is not of special architectural or historic interest and should be removed from the list.";

(3)    agree the buildings in question are not of special architectural or historical interest and as such should not be Category A listed;

(4)    agree to instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to obtain Counsel’s opinion for a Judicial Review, if the appeal is unsuccessful, the cost to come from existing budgets;

(5)    agree that the Co-Leaders write the following letter to the Local Government and Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart MSP to be signed by any group leader who wish to put their name to it, seeking his support in lobbying Scottish Ministers against this unjust decision; and

(6)    agree to delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Governance, following consultation with the Co-Leaders, to determine whether to instruct a Judicial review after consideration of the opinion received and within the legal timeframes and to report that decision to Group Leaders.

Dear Kevin,

LISTING OF THE ABERDEEN INNER CITY MULTI STOREY BLOCKS

As the Local Government and Housing Minister and MSP for Aberdeen Central, we call on you to show your support for Aberdeen City Council by working with us as we oppose the decision by Historic Environment Scotland to list 8 multi-storey buildings.

We enclose the report that was presented to the City Growth and Resources Committee meeting on 3^rd February, along with our successful motion which indicates our willingness to appeal the decision by HES and seek opinion on a Judicial Review.

Our officers have been instructed to submit an appeal, as we believe this decision by Historic Environment Scotland will have a negative impact on the council, council tenants and owner occupiers.  Given the gravity of this decision, the City Growth and Resources Committee also instructed the Chief  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

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

The Committee received an exempt verbal update from officers in relation to the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub Delivery Model report. Article 23 of this minute refers.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information provided.

With reference to article 30 of the minute of meeting of the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee of 29 June 2017, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources, which provided an update on the demolition programme of the site and to advise of the request from the proposed purchaser to revise the sale price.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to tender for and award contract to progress a demolition programme for the site as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of this report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendation; and

(ii)       to report back to the next meeting of the Committee on the progress to date.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

In accordance with article 2 of this minute, Councillor Yuill withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of the following item of business. He was substituted by Councillor Greig for this item of business only.

With reference to article 15 of the minute of meeting of 24 April 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which formally advised of an approach from the site purchasers to discuss the renegotiation of payment terms for the site.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee agree to the revised terms for the site purchase as detailed in the report, and instruct the Chief Officer – Governance to conclude revised terms on this basis.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendation contained within the report.

Councillor Greig, seconded by Councillor Nicoll, moved as an amendment:-

           that the Committee –

(1)        approve the recommendation contained within the report, subject to the removal of 3.9(a) – i.e. to exclude the 10% reduction;

(2)        instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to inform the purchaser of this and to continue discussions on 3.9 (b) to (m); and??

(3)        instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to report the outcome of these discussions to the Council meeting in March if the removal of 3.9(a) cannot be agreed.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Houghton and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cooke, Greig, McRae and Nicoll.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to submit a progress report to the next meeting of the Committee.

In accordance with the resolution at article 24 of this minute, this item was referred simpliciter to the Council Budget meeting in March 2021.

The Committee had before it an exempt appendix relating to the Extension to Bucksburn Academy – Outline Business Case report. Article 15 of this minute refers.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information provided within the exempt appendix.

-         COUNCILLOR DOUGLAS LUMSDEN, Convener