Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Committee received four deputation requests in relation to item 11.3 on the agenda (Viability Assessment of Proposals from Owners of Properties with RAAC).

The first deputation request was from Lindsay Bruce, Press and Journal and Evening Express reporter, who was heading up a Trapped by RAAC campaign.

Ms Bruce advised that she aimed to highlight how this situation was impacting the lives of fellow Aberdonians, neighbours, their children, the electorate, and expressed how home owners affected by RAAC needed Members to act on their behalf as though their lives depended on it.  Ms Bruce indicated that others here today offering deputations would also point Members to ways in which the administration could help homeowners, whilst still offering best value.

Ms Bruce stated that for the wider Aberdeen public, she would like to implore Members from the outset to come with an openness to hear the words of those at the core of the situation.  Ms Bruce highlighted there had never been another situation like this in Aberdeen, and it was an extraordinary crisis that required extraordinary solutions, and there were no previous paths to follow.  

Ms Bruce explained that this was Members’ opportunity to act with creativity and compassion to find ways to best serve the people of Aberdeen and in doing so, pave the way for other local authorities.  Ms Bruce intimated that she stood with those impacted by RAAC and noted that the people of Torry had become very important to her and their stories had become ingrained deeply.

Ms Bruce explained how she had been impacted from hearing stories from multiple families and homeowners.  Stories of good hard working people about to lose their homes and the lives they strived and saved for, stories of a tight knit community about to be ripped apart.  These stories were of people not precedent, people not policies, people not politics, and it was with this that they launched their campaign.

Ms Bruce intimated that good local journalism had always sought to dig deeper to robustly cover issues of public interest and to call power to account on the ground.  She noted that they heard stories first hand and they saw the impact of what was happening in the city, and when an extraordinary event such as the RAAC crisis happened, they had the incredible privilege and platform to give voice to those experiencing injustice.

Ms Bruce indicated that she had met and covered stories of families in Balnagask and had interviewed at least 65 individuals.  She had spoken with individuals who could no longer dream of starting a family, due to the financial and mental load, pensioners who were worrying that they could no longer enjoy their retirement, and also individuals who could no longer retire at all. 

Ms Bruce asked Members to be mindful not only of the health and safety impact of this crisis but of the greater impact the financial effect this would have on homeowners without exception, through no fault of their own.  Ms Bruce  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

With reference to article 3 of the minute of Council of 17 February 2025, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officers - Corporate Landlord, Finance and Housing, which advised that the Council had noted the alternative options proposed by the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee and instructed officers to explore the feasibility, benefits and risks associated with each option, alongside any other identified opportunities to support owners and report the findings to this Committee.  The report shared the outcomes of a Viability Assessment undertaken and made recommendations for consideration. 

The report also took account of the instruction to consider the landscaping options outlined in a previous report, more fully when reporting back to Committee on the viability of the alternative options presented by the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee (TRCG).

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)           thank the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee (TRCG) and UK RAAC Campaign Group for their positive engagement in the process of identifying alternative options for owners and for granting permission to share the note of engagement via Appendix A with the Committee;

(b)           note the contents of the Viability Assessment contained in Appendix B and that the purpose of the review was to determine if there are additional options which would meet the Council’s overall objectives;

(c)           note that Options 2, 3 and 4 in the Report are all identified by officers as being viable and worth investigating further with all owners;

(d)           note that TRCG have expressed a view that any option which involves owners contributing to costs or sharing equity in their property will not be acceptable to them;

(e)           note that if Option 3 is pursued there will require to be a commitment from all owners within any identified terraces of properties and that there will be a requirement to vacate properties timeously as part of the overall agreement in order to mitigate the health and safety risks; 

(f)             note the previous decisions that Voluntary Acquisition will be at Market Value (with additional supporting payments as previously agreed) and agree that all options should be equitable in so far as no single option will be more financially beneficial than any other to owners;  

(g)           instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to write to all homeowners to advise them of the alternative options presented, in keeping with the officer modelling within Appendix B, and ask homeowners, having considered the information, to formally identify by the end of June 2025 which option they would be willing to consider; and:

In relation to the roof on roof off proposal (Option 3):

1.    instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord,  in consultation with the Chief Officers of Finance, Housing and Capital, to thereafter review terraces on the site which would best lend themselves to meeting demand for the roof on roof off option as indicated by owners;

2.    instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to progress negotiations with owners to deliver the option as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

At this juncture, Councillor Watson intimated that he wished to refer the matter to Council, under Standing Order 34.1.  The Convener advised that she was exercising her right under Standing Order 34.1 to determine that the matter would not be referred. 

With reference to article 13 of the minute of the meeting of 21 November 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director – Families and Communities, which presented Committee with the bi-annual report, to enable Members to have oversight of all housing improvement activity being coordinated by the Housing Board.

The report also aimed to satisfy a previous instruction to report the implications of resource planning assumptions made by the Scottish Government, when known. 

The Committee heard from Lewis McGill and Geraldine Matthew, who represented the Aberdeen Housing Service Review Group and provided an overview of the review that had been undertaken.  The review was an appendix to the report.   

Ms Matthew began by advising that from the beginning, the group had agreed that there would be no barrier to joining the group, and wanted to ensure that the group truly represented all of its tenants and to be fully inclusive.

Ms Matthew indicated that they worked closely with the communities team, Community Councils and also had a member of the Aberdeen Youth Group attend their meetings.  They were also engaged with the Aberdeen Learning Disability Group.  Ms Matthew highlighted that the group had received several national awards over the years and had recently been shortlisted for tenant group of the year 2025, as well as individual recognitions and awards, which highlighted the dedication that the volunteers put into their communities.

Ms Matthew spoke about what had been working well and also what could be done to improve things from a tenant’s perspective.   Ms Matthew indicated that they were pleased to say that they now felt empowered, more now than ever.

Mr McGill then spoke and advised that the group aimed to represent all Council tenants and noted that communication and engagement were very important, with social media playing a key role and they used it frequently to connect with tenants.  They also made sure they met people face to face too.  The Facebook group now had over 4000 members and it was an active space where tenants could stay informed, ask questions and share their views. 

Mr McGill noted that to date, the Housing Service Review Group had completed six full reviews and one read review.  Every set of recommendations they made were included in an action plan, as part of their final report.  These actions were implemented unless a specific reason was provided, such as limitations due to the technology.

Mr McGill provided a summary of the work that had been undertaken so far, and noted that the group took pride in making sure the reports were clear, well represented and accessible.   He thanked the communications and design team for their ongoing support.   In order to reach as many tenants as possible Mr McGill asked that the Council email the reports to everyone with an email address, which was around 13,500 tenants. 

Mr McGill thanked Members for inviting them along to the meeting and noted that he hoped it marked the beginning of a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Committee had before it the minute of the previous meeting of 11 March 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 Interim Chief Officer – Governance. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to agree to remove item 40 (Aberdeen City's Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2025/26 - 2029/30), as this was incorporated into the Housing Bi-Annual report; and

(ii)            to otherwise note the committee business planner. 

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 11th November 2025.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Governance, which advised that the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 required Local Authorities to prepare an annual Service Plan which detailed the intended activity of the Service based on the resources allocated.

The report noted that food enforcement services provided by Aberdeen City Council were located in Protective Services, a city-wide service within Governance and the majority of food enforcement work took place within the Commercial section of the service and officers were also involved in the provision of Elementary Food Hygiene Training, enforcement of health and safety, port health, licensing and animal health & welfare. 

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           approve the Protective Services Food Regulatory Service Plan 2025/2026 as detailed in Appendix A; and

(b)           note the review of performance against the Protective Services Food Regulatory Service Plan 2024/2025 contained within Appendix 2 of the Service Plan 2025/2026.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Interim Chief Officer – Governance, which outlined the Protective Services proposals for delivering the Occupational Health and Safety Regulatory Service for year 2025/26.

The report noted that as an enforcing authority, the Council had responsibility for the provision of health and safety enforcement services which covered a range of businesses, mainly within the service sector and covered approximately 4500 establishments.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the Occupational Health and Safety Regulatory Service Plan for 2025/26 at appendix 1.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

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)             to request that the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord, provide details to members via email in relation to the average time to complete repairs;

(ii)            to request that the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord include information in the next performance report in relation to the increase of complaints being upheld;

(iii)          to request that the Chief Officer – Digital and Technology provide information to members via email, in regards to the percentage of priority one and two incidents closed in the time scale on page 147 of the report; and

(iv)          to note the performance report. 

The Committee had before it a report by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which presented the end of year performance figures, from 1  April 2024 to 31 March 2025 of the SFRS against the current objectives contained within the Aberdeen City Local Fire and Rescue Plan.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the performance data provided within the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service end of year performance report 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, at appendix A.

The Committee heard from Andrew Wright, Local Commander, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who spoke in furtherance of the report and answered various questions from Members. 

The Committee resolved:-

to note the performance report. 

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with an overview of Wilful Fire-Raising in Aberdeen City and the collaborative approaches with stakeholders in response. 

The report noted that wilful fire-raising offences across North East Division had followed a consistent downward trend over the last five years (2020 to 2025), aligned with broader force-wide reductions.

The report also indicated that division wide data analysis highlighted both seasonal and geographic spikes in offending, particularly during March, June and November, with statistical peaks occurring in late evenings and on Saturdays. The trend appeared linked to seasonal behaviours and social activity patterns, which offered opportunities for targeted preventative work.

The Committee heard from Divisional Commander Kate Stephen who provided an overview of the report and answered various questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

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

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information contained in the report.

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with a strategic overview of ongoing crime prevention activity across the North East Division.

The report noted that the North East Division, in collaboration with stakeholders, delivered crime prevention through the implementation of strategies, policies, and measures designed to reduce crime, deter criminality, and enhance public safety through early intervention.  Whilst crime prevention was a shared responsibility, the Division’s dedicated workstreams were primarily led by the Partnerships, Preventions and Interventions Unit (PPI) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), under the oversight of departmental Chief Inspectors. 

The Committee heard from Divisional Commander Kate Stephen who provided an overview of the report and answered various questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

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

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that Police Scotland would provide any feedback to members via the clerk, in regards to the meet your police officer events which had been held recently in the city; and

(ii)            to otherwise note the information contained in the report. 

The Committee had before it a report by Police Scotland, which provided the Committee with an overview of legislation, current processes and procedures and data in respect of incidents and offences relating to Dangerous Dogs and Banned Breeds. 

The report noted that given public interest, increased reporting, the necessity to collate information to assess/mitigate risk and provide community reassurance, Community Safety Partnership Officers within Aberdeen City identified all dog related incidents/crime reports daily and shared information with partners in order that the information could be enhanced, risk could be assessed and incidents allocated to the most appropriate agency.

In addition to partners within the Community Safety Partnership, Aberdeen City Police Officers also had direct contact with the Local Area Dog Warden (or Animal Welfare Officer).

The Committee heard from Divisional Commander Kate Stephen who provided an overview of the report and answered various questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

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

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to request that the Executive Director Families & Communities, liaise with the dog wardens in regards to any trends with dangerous dogs and for this information to be circulated to members by way of email; and

(ii)            to note the information contained in the report. 

With reference to article 13 of the minute of the meeting of 5 September 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Housing, which provided an update on Aberdeen City’s Affordable Housing Delivery Programme. 

The report noted that £12.508m was allocated to Aberdeen City Council in 2024/25 through the Scottish Government’s affordable housing supply programme which was fully utilised, and in 2024/25 there were 459 affordable housing completions through the affordable housing supply programme.  334 of these homes were fully wheelchair accessible and 8 were specialist provision homes.  It was projected that a further 472 homes would be completed in 2025/26.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the progress on delivery of Aberdeen City’s Affordable Housing Delivery Programme. 

The Convener moved, seconded by the Vice Convener:-

That the Committee approve the recommendations contained in the report.

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

          That the Committee:-

1.    approve recommendation 2.1;

2.    congratulate officers on the delivery of 200 new council houses for social rent in 2024/25, which were commissioned under the previous Labour led administration; and

3.    instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Finance and the Chief Officer – Housing, to prepare a strategic outline business case  to consider the options to deliver 1,000 new council houses in the city, to include a realistic timeframe, financial implications on the Housing Revenue Account and potential delivery mechanisms, and to be reported as part of the 25/26 budget process.

On a division, there voted – for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Bouse, Davidson and McLellan – for the amendment (4) – Councillors Cross, Graham, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion. 

-       COUNCILLOR MIRANDA RADLEY, Convener