Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

The Convener advised that both Councillors Watson and Kusznir had withdrawn their notices of motion, which were on the agenda, and that there would also be a two minute silence held at 11am.  The agenda order would also be slightly altered to allow Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland to leave the meeting timeously. 

The Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 26 August 2025 for approval. 

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the committee business planner, as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that  items 6 (Review of the Non Traditional Housing Stock) and 12 (Update on Consultation Exercise for City Centre Multi Storey) would now be a joint report and would be reported to the January 2026 meeting;

(ii)            to agree to remove item 11 (Busking Code of Conduct) and to note that a Service Update would be issued towards the end of 2026 in regards to the item;

(iii)          to agree to remove item 43 (Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill), as a service update was issued; and

(iv)          to otherwise note the committee business planner. 

The Committee had before it a report by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which presented the 6 monthly performance figures, from 1^st April 2025 to 30^th September 2025 against the current objectives contained within the Aberdeen City Local Fire and Rescue Plan.

The report highlighted the progress being made by the SFRS locally against the priorities and objectives for Aberdeen City and also allowed scrutiny from Local Authority Partners to ensure that the priorities of the SFRS Strategic Plan, and the Aberdeen City Local Outcome Improvement Plan were being delivered.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee consider and note the performance data provided within the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service 6 monthly performance report.

The Committee heard from Mr Andrew Wright, Local Commander for SFRS who spoke in furtherance of the report and also provided a verbal update in relation to bonfire night, noting that due to positive collaborative working, the amount of incidents had significantly reduced from previous years.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank Scottish Fire and Rescue for their informative report;

(ii)            to request that Scottish Fire and Rescue share their key winter and festive safety campaign with the Council’s Communications Team in order for communicating the information to as many individuals as possible;  and

(iii)          to note the performance data provided within the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service 6 monthly performance report 1 April 2025 – 30 September 2025 at Appendix A.

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with an update on progress of the Estates plans across Aberdeen City. 

The report stated that the aim was to deliver a more effective and sustainable estate that enabled modern policing, supported the health, safety and wellbeing of people and the communities they served and reduced long term operating costs.  The report also advised that a prioritised ten-year programme of building improvements, refurbishments and disposals would be developed and the pace of implementation would be determined by the availability of funding.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee discuss, comment on, and endorse the report.

Members asked a number of questions in relation to the report and these were answered by Superintendent Jason Carrigan, Chief Inspector Vicky Stables and Chief Inspector George Nixon.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank Police Scotland for their informative report; and

(ii)            to note the report. 

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which updated Members in regards to the nature and extent of mental health challenges in the community and their impacts on policing.

The report advised that Police Scotland recognised that mental health calls created substantial pressures on their service and placed a growing demand on their front-line resources.  The report also noted that keeping people safe underpinned everything Police Scotland did, and that they would always respond to threat, harm, and risk to ensure public safety. However it had been clear over recent years that policing involvement in mental health incidents and supporting vulnerable people had gone beyond where it should be.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee discuss, comment on, and endorse the report.

Members asked a number of questions in relation to the report and these were answered by Superintendent Jason Carrigan, Chief Inspector Vicky Stables and Chief Inspector George Nixon.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank Police Scotland for their informative report; and

(ii)            to note the report. 

With reference to article 12 of the minute of Council of 1 October 2025, the Committee had before it by way of a referral, a report by the Chief Officer - Finance which presented the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan for approval and a short term Housing Asset Plan, which was aligned to the recently approved Local Housing Strategy, which informed the development of the Business Plan.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           approve the HRA Business Plan at Appendix A to this report;

(b)           note the key challenges outlined in the Housing Asset Plan at Appendix B and agree the associated priority actions;

(c)           agree that the HRA Business Plan and Housing Asset Plan should be updated and reported in future to the Communities Housing and Public Protection Committee on an annual basis with the update in 2026 moving to a 5 and 30 year model for both Plans; and

(d)           note the requirement for the Council to maintain HRA reserves for financial resilience and sustainability purposes.

The Convener moved, seconded by the Vice Convener:-

          that the Committee approve the recommendations.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Watson, moved as an amendment:-

          that the Committee:-

(1)          note the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee unanimously agreed to declare a local housing emergency in September 2024, and note the proposed HRA Business Plan at Appendix A of this report, does nothing to remedy this housing emergency;

(2)          agree the previous administration procured and built 2,000 Council homes, the largest social housing building programme in Aberdeen in over 30 years;

(3)          agree, thanks to the previous administration, grant funding has been found for all the developments which include the 2,000 new council homes, noting the Partnership has been unable to find grant funding for 222 Council homes at Cloverhill this financial year, which will put a £22m strain on the HRA account, therefore agrees that the Chief Officer – Finance, following consultation with the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, writes to the Scottish Government highlighting the success of the previous administration’s 2,000 new Council homes ambition and asking for access to funding from that committed as part of the national Housing Emergency Action Plan to develop a retrofit programme for post war properties to improve their condition to ensure that unnecessary and unwelcome increases in rent are avoidable;

(4)          agree average rent under this SNP/Liberal Democrat administration has gone up by 5.4% since they came to power in 2022, meaning rents have gone up at their fastest level since 2012;

(5)          agree the HRA 30-year plan assumes no additional new build beyond those that have already been approved, meaning the city is unable to further increase the proportion of Council tenants living in new build homes;

(6)          agree the SNP/Liberal Democrat Administration in Aberdeen are the only authority in Scotland to confirm a housing emergency then simultaneously agree to knock down over 500 houses in Torry, Aberdeen when the most obvious solution was to work with tenants  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

With reference to article 6 of the minute of the meeting of 27 May 2025, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which provided assurance and an overview of the Council’s responsibilities in relation to securing dangerous buildings and protecting public safety, as well as activity on unauthorised building work and unauthorised occupation of buildings.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           note the contents of the report and appendix and

(b)           agree to receive a further Building Standards Activity Report at the meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee on 26th May 2026.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Data Insights, which presented Committee with the status of appropriate key performance measures relating to services falling within its remit.

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:-

(i)             in relation to the Performance Indicator for percentage of registered Nicotine Vapour Products retailers subjected to Test Purchasing for retailer compliance with age restrictions - Year to Date, to note that officers would ascertain whether this indicator was on target for 2025/26 and advise Councillor Nicoll; and

(ii)            to note the performance report.

With reference to article 3 of the minute of the meeting of 27 May 2025, the Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director – Families & Communities, which (1) presented the bi-annual report to enable Committee oversight of all housing improvement activity being coordinated by the Housing Board and (2) presented an amended and measurable Improvement Plan for approval as part of the next Housing Board Bi-Annual Report.

The report focused on activity related to homes in the Council’s estate and services that the Council delivers in relation to housing.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)          note the progress made by the Housing Board from June 2024 to November 2025;

(b)          approve the refreshed Housing Emergency Action Plan available in Appendix A;

(c)          note the Aberdeen Cyrenians Summary Response to the Aberdeen City Housing Emergency Action Plan available in Appendix B; and

(d)          note the Homelessness Benchmarking Summary Report available in Appendix C.

The Convener moved seconded by the Vice Convener:-

          that the Committee –

(1)          approve the recommendations;

(2)          note the cross-party agreement to declare a housing emergency in 2024, acknowledging the decades of underinvestment in Council stock;

(3)          note that the refresh of the Housing Emergency Action Plan was presented to the cross-party working group for endorsement on the 6^th October 2025;

(4)          note the work being undertaken to reduce voids in the city, with360 fewer lettable voids in October 2025 compared to the last year and  work to improve relet timings which has already resulted in a positive decrease on our overall relet times, reducing from the 266 days in June 2025 to 247 days as at 31st October 2025;

(5)          acknowledge the work being undertaken by Council officers to simplify and reduce the void path, to ensure timely return of properties into use;

(6)          note that the Council in 2024/2025 relet 2,536 properties, around 11% of our housing stock and equating to an average of 211 properties per month;

(7)          note a significant reduction in live homelessness cases, with the city now ranking sixth lowest per 10,000 households, outperforming other major urban areas;

(8)          agree that the ambition outlined in this plan to reduce void numbers to pre-pandemic levels and halve the timescales for voids to be turned aroundwill help address the local housing emergency;

(9)          note that around 40% of the circa £50m Repairs and Maintenance budget is spent on voids, with the remaining 60% used for cyclical maintenance and work to ensure Council properties meet current national standards; and

(10)       thank Aberdeen Cyrenians for their review of the Housing Emergency Action Plan and for the recommendations which have been embedded within the Plan.

Councillor Watson, seconded by Councillor Malik, moved as an amendment:-

          that the Committee –

(1)           note the progress made by the Housing Board from June 2024 to November 2025;

(2)           approve the refreshed Housing Emergency Action Plan available in Appendix A, subject to a change in “Key measures and targets” of “key movement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Housing, which sought approval of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for the period 2026/27 – 2030/31, prior to submission to the Scottish Government. 

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the Strategic Housing Investment Plan for 2026/27 – 2030/31 as contained in Appendices 1 and 2.

The Convener moved, seconded by the Vice Convener:-

          that the Committee approve the recommendation.

Councillor Watson, seconded by Councillor Malik, moved as an amendment:-

          that the Committee

(1)          agrees the recommendation

(2)          calls on the Convener of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee, following consultation with the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing calling for certainty of funding for the affordable housing supply programme in future years, and requesting that the funding be restored to 2023/24 levels (taking inflation into account); and

(3)          agrees that consideration be given by the Chief Officer - Housing to the Council building more of the 2,540 houses identified in the SHIP and that, if necessary, dependent on the outcome of such consideration, the SHIP be amended by that Chief Officer and brought back to this Committee for approval.

On a division, there voted – for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Greig, McLellan and Mennie – for the amendment (3) – Councillors Malik, Nicoll and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion. 

-       COUNCILLOR MIRANDA RADLEY, Convener