Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

https://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=621&MId=6287&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 Convener had determined that the following items of business be considered as matter of urgency in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973:-

·       Item 8.3 Education New Build Programme 2018

·       Item 9.2 Education New Build Programme 2018 – Exempt Appendices

The Committee resolved:-

to concur with the Convener.

The Convener proposed that the Committee consider items 9.1 (Council House Building Programme) and 9.2 (Education New Build Prgramme 2018 – Appendices) on th agenda 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 during consideration of items 9.1 (Council House Building Programme) and 9.2 (Education New Build Programme 2018 – Exempt Appendices) so as to avoid disclosure of exempt information of the class described in paragraphs 6 and 9 (for item 9.1) and 6 and 14 (for item 9.2).

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

(1)      the Convener declared an interest in item 9.1 (Council House Building Programme) by virtue of her position as a Council appointed Director of the LLP and considered that the nature of her interest did not require her to leave the meeting at that item on the agenda;

(2)      Councillor Flynn declared an interest in item 9.1 (Council House Building Programme) by virtue of his position as a Council appointed Director of the LLP and considered that the nature of his interest required him to leave the meeting at that item on the agenda.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the declarations of interest.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 23 May 2018.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as an accurate record.

The Committee had before it the Business Planner as prepared by the clerk.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       in relation to item 4 (Review of Community Facilities in Garthdee – Notice of Motion Councillors Yuill and Townson) to note the update provided and to request that the item be separated into two entries;

(ii)      to agree to remove items 5 (Joint Notice of Motion by Councillors Flynn and Nicoll – Land Adjacent to Gateway Business Park) and 6 (Option for the old Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre),

(iii)      to note that items 7 (Queens Square as part of the Masterplan), 8 (St Peter’s School – Long Term Education Provision) and 10 (City Centre Masterplan Project EN10: Union Terrace Gardens) would be transferred to the 14 November meeting;

(iv)     to note that items 15 (HMO Overprovision Policy – Main Issue Report Local Development Plan) and 16 (Main Issue Report – Local Development Plan – Affordable Housing Contributions to Dedicated Student Accommodation) would be transferred to the 23 January meeting; and

(v)      to otherwise note the content of the Business Planner.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning which provided an update on the progress of the Community Food Growing Programme and sought the necessary approvals to support new projects.

The report recommended:

That the Committee -

(a)      note the progress to date, including successes in attracting external donations and in-kind contributions to support the original Community Food-growing Programme and the on-going consultations with the Food Growing Steering Group;

(b)      to delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to amend the remainder of the Community Food-growing Programme should priorities and feasibilities change; and

(c)      to instruct the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning to investigate external funding opportunities to extend the Community Food-growing Programme into a self-funded model and to report this to a future meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee in a years’ time.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve recommendations (a) and (c)

(ii)      to delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to amend the remainder of the Community Food-growing Programme should priorities and feasibilities change and to promote the programme inviting applications from areas outwith the targeted localities where they link to the socio-economic disadvantaged aspect of the programme; and

(iii)      to approve a grant of £6,000 from the food growing programme to Bonnymuir Green Community Trust.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer Operations and Protective Service Services which provided an update (1) on the progress of the Fleet Replacement Programme for 2016/17 and 2017/18; and (2) on Capital Expenditure projects carried out by Fleet Services over the last Financial year.

The report recommended:

That the Committee -

(a)      note the progress made in delivering the Fleet Replacement Programme 2016/17 and 2017/18;

(b)      note the progress made on the following as per the CHI/16/318 report agreed on 24 January 2017:

·       Procurement of Tyre Management service provision

·       Telematic System trial

·       Fuel Bunkering System and Fuel Management System procurement

·       Fleet Management System procurement

·       Development of Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking

·       Introduction of additional Hydrogen Vehicles; and

(c)      approve the continuation of the Fleet Replacement Programme for 2018/19.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       in response to a question regarding why purchases for the vehicles had not been completed to date, to note that the Director of Resources would identify when the purchase of the vehicles had been planned and any reasons for the slippage and would circulate a response to the Committee;

(ii)      in response to a question regarding the budget saving identified for Fuel Bunkering and whether the saving would be achieved, to note that the Director of Resources would circulate response to the Committee;

(iii)      in response to a question regarding the budget saving identified for the telematics system and whether the savings would be achieved to note that the Director of Resources would discuss specific issues outwith the meeting;

(iv)     in response to a question regarding why the bid to the Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking was unsuccessful to note that the Director of Resources would determine if a reason was provided and circulate the information to the Committee;

(v)      in response to a question relating to what the North West Programme was, to note that the Director of Resources would circulate a response to the Committee; and

(vi)     to otherwise approve the recommendations contained in the report.

MATTER OF URGENCY

The Convener accepted the following item as a matter of urgency in terms of Section 50(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 in order to avoid delays in the delivery of the projects specifically for one site where the acquisition and development of the land was time critical.

The Committee had before it a report by Chief Officer Corporate Landlord which provided an update on the progress with the development of a new schools programme and sought the appropriate authority to progress a number of different projects.

The report recommended:

That the Committee -

(a)      approves the project proposals for Countesswells and Milltimber Primary Schools;

(b)      agrees that Countesswells Primary School be added to the Capital Programme;

(c)      agrees, subject to approval of recommendations 2.7 and 2.8 (for the City Growth and Resources Committee) that the detailed designs and development works be progressed at Countesswells, Milltimber, Tillydrone and Torry; and

(d)      instructs the Chief Officer Corporate Landlord to submit full business cases for each of the aforementioned proposals to this Committee during 2019 for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       in response to a question regarding whether the Early Learning and Childcare provision included in the Milltimber Primary School proposal had been included in the list presented to the Scottish Government, to note that the Director of Resources would circulate a response to the Committee;

(ii)      in response to a question which sought clarification in relation to the content of the Section 75 Agreement in place with the Countesswells consortium, to request the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning to provide a response to the Committee;

(iii)      in response to a question which sought clarification as to whether the Section 75 Agreement for Countesswells would cover the full costs of the school; to request the Chief Officer Strategic Place Planning to provide a response to the Committee;

(iv)     in response to a question regarding the timescales for providing full business cases on the proposals to this Committee, to note that due to the work required to progress the detailed designs and development for each of the proposals, that a specific date for the business cases could not be confirmed at this stage;

(v)      in response to a question regarding the situation with the Milltimber Primary School project specifically around the timescales within the Section 75 Agreement and why the project had not progressed earlier to request the Clerk to identify which Committee under their Terms of Reference would receive a report relating to the delays in the capital project; and

(vi)     to otherwise approve the recommendations contained in the report.

In accordance with the decision recorded under article 2 of this minute, the following items of business were considered with the press and public excluded.

In accordance with article 3 of the minute, Councillor Flynn left the meeting during consideration of the following article.  Councillor Jackie Dunbar was in attendance for the following item.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer Corporate Landlord which provided an update on the proposed business cases for the delivery of 2,000 new Council houses.

The report recommended:

That the Committee -

(a)      agree that the projects listed in Appendix 1 be added to the HRA Capital Programme subject to finalisation for their respective financial models;

(b)      agree to delegate authority to the Director of Resources, following consultation with the Convener and Vice Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee, to approve financial models for each project, including finalising sources and level of funding (Council/HRA Borrowing, Council 2^nd Homes Grants, Scottish Government Grant, affordable housing developer contributions etc), prior to the awarding of any contracts, subject to each financial model being self-financing; and

(c)      agree to delegate authority to the Director of Resources, following consultation with the Chief Officer Corporate Landlord and Chief Officer Governance, to agree the value of the sites for transfer from the Common Good and General Services accounts to the HRA account (and to make the transfers); and the purchase price of new build units from land owners/developers (and to make the purchases); and to seek Scottish Government consents as may be necessary.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations contained in the report.

With reference to article 8 of this minute, the Committee had before it project proposals in relation to the education new build programme.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the content of the appendices.

-        MARIE BOULTON, Convener