Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be located 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 welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised that as a result of the adverse weather conditions, he had asked Mr Doug Ritchie, Roads and Infrastructure Manager, and Ms Pam Walker, Waste and Recycling Manager, to provide Members with a verbal update on the gritting programme and on bin collection.  Members then heard from Mr Ritchie and Ms Walker.

The Convener further advised that to enable Mr Ritchie to leave the meeting timeously and return to overseeing the work being undertaken due to the bad weather, he intended to take item 11.1 (Expansion of the Property Level Protection Grant Scheme to include commercial properties) first, followed by item 9.1 (Net Zero, Environment and Transport Performance Report) before proceeding with the remaining items.

The Committee resolved:-

to thank staff involved in the gritting programme and waste collection for their efforts during the difficult weather conditions.

There were no declarations of interest nor transparency statements made.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 10 January 2023 for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which sought approval to expand the current grant support for a Property Level Flood Protection Scheme in relation to domestic properties to include commercial properties.  The report advised that this would reduce the impact on commercial properties vulnerable to internal flooding.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      agree that the existing Property Level Protection Grant Scheme be expanded to include commercial properties with effect from the date of the Committee decision;

(b)      note the costs would be covered from the remaining amount of the original £500,000 budget, recorded in the General Fund Capital Programme and standing at £460,000;

(c)      authorise the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to make grants for Flood Protection Surveys of i) £200 per qualifying property over 200m2 ground floor area; and ii) £150 per qualifying property less than 200m2 ground floor area to eligible commercial property owners;

(d)      authorise the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to make grants of i) 50% of the cost of installing Property Level Protection up to a maximum of £5000 per property over 200m2 ground floor area; and ii) 50% of the cost of installing Property Level Protection up to a maximum of £2500 per property less than 200m2 ground floor area to eligible commercial property owners on receipt of proof of expenditure; and

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to monitor take up of the grant and to report back to the Committee in September 2024.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers would update the £460,000 figure at (b) above to reflect the current figures outlined at the Council Budget meeting; and

(ii)       to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Customer Services which presented the status of appropriate key performance measures relating to the services falling within its remit (Environment, Fleet, Roads and Infrastructure, Waste) for the time period to the end of December 2022 or Quarter 3 2022/23.

Members asked a number of questions of officers.

The report recommended:-

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

The Committee resolved:-

to note the report.

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

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       in relation to item 4 (Building Performance Criteria), to note that officers were working on a specification and an update would be provided to either the next meeting or the one immediately after;

(ii)       to agree to remove item 8 (Various Small Scale Traffic Management – Stage 2) as there had been no objections received and therefore there was no requirement for a report;

(iii)      to agree to remove item 10 (Flood Risk Management Strategies) as no decisions were required from the Committee and therefore a service update had been made available instead;

(iv)      in relation to item 45 (Energy Transition Zone Training and Jobs Plan), to note that due to the timing of committee meetings, a report was due to be presented to the Finance and Resources Committee, and that the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning would seek confirmation from the Chief Officer – City Growth that this was on track, and advise Members accordingly;

(v)      to note the reasons for the delay to the other reports as set out in the planner;

(vi)      to note that although most reports on the agenda had relevance to Net Zero, officers were undertaking a review of what was presented to Committee and would prepare a report on strategies and a further report on the workplan for the next 12-18 months around Net Zero for the next meeting;

(vii)     to note that officers from Strategic Place Planning and Governance were reviewing the business planner to ascertain if report linkages to the six enabling strategies could be reflected, following the addition of the Aberdeen Adapts column;

(viii)    to note that officers were reviewing the Net Zero content on the Aberdeen City Council website and were in dialogue with the Met Office, and would take on board the suggestions from Members about the inclusion of information on long term climate trends and CO2 parts per million; and

(ix)      to otherwise note the planner.

With reference to the meeting of Council of 22 February 2023, the Committee had before it a Notice of Motion in the name of Councillor Houghton in the following terms:-

That the Committee:-

1. Notes the release of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.
2. Notes the statements on page 9 that “We want to see the fastest possible just transition for the oil and gas sector” and on pages, 14, 55, 97 that “there should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas”.
3. Recognises the reaction to the Plan from Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce who stated the presumption “has been met with complete disbelief in the North-East of Scotland” and that it is “a breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries” by the Scottish Government.
4. Believes that the thousands of workers in the oil and gas industry deserve the Council’s full support.
5. Agrees to instruct the Chief Executive to:

5.1      write to the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport; and (b) Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work re-affirming Council’s view that there should be ongoing financial and training support for the oil and gas industry as part of a managed transition.

5.2      invite the Cabinet Secretary for a meeting with Council Co-Leaders and Group Leaders in 2023 to discuss the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan fully.

5.3      formally respond to the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation by 4 April 2023, re-affirming the Council’s commitment to the oil and gas sector as part of the managed transition and noting the concerns of Council about the “breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries”.

5.4      write to the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work to ask the Scottish Government to collect and monitor renewable energy sector job creation data at a local authority level to ensure that a Just Transition is taking place in Aberdeen. With the North East region making up 30,000 (46%) of direct Scottish energy sector jobs, Aberdeen is more exposed to job losses from this energy transition, it is only morally right that there is an additional focus on renewable job creation for our region.

Councillor Houghton was in attendance at the meeting in relation to this item only.

At this juncture, the Convener advised that the Vice Convener would be moving an amendment and asked if any other Members were so minded.  Councillor Blake advised that she also had an amendment, and both were circulated to the Committee.  Following this, Councillor Houghton advised that he was content to accept Councillor Blake’s wording into his Notice of Motion and Councillor Blake therefore withdrew her amendment.

Councillor Houghton, seconded by Councillor Blake, moved as an amended motion:-

That the Committee:-

1.     Notes the release of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.

2.     Notes the statements on page 9 that “We want to see  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which presented the Cluster Risk Register and Assurance Maps in accordance with  Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee Terms of Reference to  provide assurance that risks were being managed effectively within the Operations and Protective Services cluster.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the Cluster Risk Registers and Assurance Maps set out Appendices A and B.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which provided an update on the outcomes of the Review of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Part 2 Appraisal Report, draft Outline Business Case and Programme Delivery Plan undertaken for the Aberdeen Cross City Connections Active Travel schemes.  The report included information on the findings from the various reports, and recommendations on the next steps for the options identified.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the findings and outcomes of the Review of STAG Part 2 Appraisal Report – Aberdeen Cross City Transport Connections (Appendix 1);

(b)      agree that the Active Travel options 7, 8, 9, 11 and 20 identified in the STAG Part 2 report (and listed in Appendix 1) for Aberdeen Cross City Connections were the preferred priority Active Travel options that should proceed to further development work;

(c)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to seek external funding to allow the continued development of the options agreed in 2.2, including the full development of the draft Outline Business Case (OBC) (Appendix 2) for these options; and

(d)      subject to external funding being secured, instruct the Chief Officer - Capital to progress the next stages of project delivery, including but not limited to, surveys and investigations, design development, obtaining all necessary approvals, permissions, licences, agreements, and consents required to fully develop the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the project, as defined in Paragraph 3.9, and to report back to this Committee upon completion of the OBC, and to provide an annual update on progress of detailed design and delivery thereafter.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented the outcome of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG)-based preliminary options appraisal on the A93 Banchory to Aberdeen Multi-Modal Corridor Study and sought approval of the proposed recommendations.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the preliminary appraisal report and its outcomes, as summarised in the Executive Summary at Appendix 1, and detailed in the Full Report at Appendix 2;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services to implement the “Small Scale, Low Risk Options” for Aberdeen City identified in Table 1 (para 3.12), subject to funding availability;

(c)      note that Aberdeenshire Council acknowledged the outcomes of the report and would progress the “Small Scale, Low Risk Options” within Aberdeenshire, as detailed in Table 2 (para 3.13), where officers had delegated authority to do so, within current policy and subject to resource availability;

(d)      agree that work to further develop the Options detailed in Table 3 (para 3.15) be progressed and instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to undertake a Detailed Appraisal and Outline Business Case (OBC)), subject to additional funding being secured;

(e)      subject to recommendation (d) above, instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to report the Detailed Appraisal, Outline Business Case, and next steps to the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee by summer 2024; and

(f)       agree that the Options listed in Table 4 (para 3.16) be taken forward in the upcoming Active Travel Network Review project for full oversight when reviewing the city as a whole.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved the recommendations as contained in the report.

Councillor Massey, seconded by Councillor Farquhar, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee:-

agree the recommendations contained within the report subject to the following changes: 

1.     3.15 - remove PT1 (Implement an eastbound bus lane along the A93 corridor) and PT2 (Implement a westbound bus lane along the A93 corridor) from the Options for Detailed Appraisal; and

2.     3.15 - add Review of the Deeside Way as a supporting Option for Detailed Appraisal.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (10) – the Convener; the Vice Convener; and Councillors Ali, Blake, Hazel Cameron, Fairfull, Henrickson, Hutchison, Macdonald and van Sweeden; for the amendment (3) – Councillors Farquhar, Kusznir and Massey.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note the concerns raised by Cults Academy school pupils about the volume of parked cars on Quarry Road and that officers would provide further information on how this might be addressed to Members outwith the meeting; and

(ii)       to adopt the motion.

-          COUNCILLOR IAN YUILL, Convener