Agenda and decisions

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to agree to remove item 43 (Annual Effectiveness Report Service Update) as this was due to be published in January 2026; and

(ii)            to otherwise note the committee business planner. 

The Committee resolved:-

to note the Justice Social Work Service Annual Performance Report and Community Payback Order 2024-25 report (at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2), which provided assurance about progress made over the period.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord would ascertain whether the Community Payback Team could be utilised to assist with Voids; and

(ii)            to note the performance report. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that Mr Shaw would find out more information from his team in relation to responses from utility companies around graffiti and to report back to the Vice Convener;

(ii)            to note that a Service Update would be issued to Members in relation to progress  ahead of the next report coming back to Committee in August 2026;

(iii)          to note that Mr Shaw would compose a briefing note for circulation to all Community Council’s in relation to graffiti;

(iv)          to note the demand being placed on, and the work being carried out by, Environmental Services to remove graffiti in Aberdeen;

(v)           to note the current work being undertaken by the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) to reduce graffiti and the steps being proposed to gather data and evidence to help tackle the problem; and

(vi)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations, following consultation with the Community Safety Manager, to bring a report to the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee in the Summer 2026 to give an update on the progress being made

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             in relation to the use of a safe consumption room, to note that Police Scotland would provide an informed response to Members outwith the meeting;

(ii)            in relation to Group 2 figures for Sexual Crimes, to request that Police Scotland break down the figures by gender for future reports;  

(iii)          to endorse the report;

(iv)          to agree Police Scotland polices by consent with the public; note the report where it states “We know that Hate Crime continues to impact individuals and communities, particularly those most vulnerable in society”; and agree Police Scotland are doing a good job in ensuring asylum seekers and refugees are protected from the rise in anti-immigration protests, noting Hate Crime is not a legitimate protest; and

(v)           to agree Police Scotland should continue to respond to protect Council workers who face intimidation and threats as they take down the flags from the lampposts right across the city, noting that ensuring public safety is a key element of policing by consent.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord, would circulate to Members the missing appendix from the report as soon as possible;

(ii)            to note the work undertaken with condition surveys for non-traditional properties and instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to develop a programme of structural inspections of non-traditional constructed properties on a prioritised basis;

(iii)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Capital to procure technical and economic reports on the long-term investment options (all as noted in 3.5 of this report) for each type of non-traditional building and to include the findings of these in the 30 year business plan.

In relation to the city centre multi storey properties:

(iv)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Capital to instruct full condition surveys of the city centre multi storey buildings covered by this report; and thereafter to review the previous options appraisal to reflect these updated surveys, and changes and proposed changes to regulation, along with investment requirements over differing timeframes for each group of buildings, all as noted in this report; and to provide updates through the 30 year business plan;

(v)           to instruct the Chief Officers – Capital, Strategic Place Planning and City Development and Regeneration to engage with Historic Environment Scotland with regard to the technical, economic and habitability issues associated with the listed city centre blocks, so as to identify any potential technical solutions and/or funding sources in relation to investment required in the buildings;

(vi)          due to the fragmented nature of the ownership in the buildings, to instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord and Chief Officer - Housing to investigate any funding options for private owners, but also the implications of offering a ‘buy-back’ or sell to rent scheme for city centre multi-storey buildings, reporting on this to committee in August 2026;

(vii)         to instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord and Chief Officer - Housing to undertake further engagement with owners once further costings and options information is available; and

(viii)       to instruct the Chief Officer - Housing, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Capital, to manage the scheme decisions required to allow the surveys and reports noted in recommendations to be undertaken, and to share these reports, once available, with those private owners having a shared interest in these properties.

That the Committee:

Instruct the Chief Executive to write on behalf of Aberdeen City Council to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the First Minister of Scotland:

(i)             calling on them to work together, to share information on grooming gangs as part of any national inquiries or reviews, thus ensuring that no evidence of cross border activity by grooming gangs is missed; and

(ii)            stating that we owe it to all victims of grooming by gangs or individuals to have all politicians work collaboratively to give the victims the assurance that they will finally get the answers, actions and support they need, and their voices heard; and stating that victims need us to collectively make this happen sooner rather than later.      

The Committee resolved:-

to instruct the Chief Executive to write on behalf of Aberdeen City Council to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the First Minister of Scotland:

(i)             calling on them to work together, to share information on grooming gangs as part of any national inquiries or reviews, thus ensuring that no evidence of cross border activity by grooming gangs is missed; and

(ii)            stating that we owe it to all victims of grooming by gangs or individuals to have all politicians work collaboratively to give the victims the assurance that they will finally get the answers, actions and support they need, and their voices heard; and stating that victims need us to collectively make this happen sooner rather than later.