Agenda and decisions

(i)       to note that the Clerk would circulate the information requested at the last meeting in respect of the cycle path map and the estimated 20mph costs to Councillor Nicoll outwith the meeting;

(ii)       to note that the letters to the Scottish Government, the Chief Constable, and the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal in relation to the Council’s concerns about enforcement of the 20mph speed limit had now been issued and copies of these and any responses would be circulated to Members when received; and

(iii)      to approve the minute as a correct record.

(i)       to note that the Convener, Vice Convener and the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning would liaise outwith the meeting to review the reports on the planner to ensure that realistic dates were given for when reports could be expected back;

(ii)       to note the verbal update provided at the meeting in respect of item 4 (Den Burn Restoration Project) and that officers would report back to a future meeting of the Committee once discussions had been held with partners in respect of the funding position; and

(iii)      to otherwise note the planner.

(i)       to request that officers provide detail outwith the meeting to Members in relation to the number of vehicles currently at Kittybrewster which were currently awaiting equipment to be fitted prior to being put into use, and if possible, the timeline for this work to be undertaken; and

(ii)       to otherwise note the report.

(i)       to request that officers review previous and future figures from recycling centres and brown bins in respect of garden and food waste sent to Keenan Recycling to ascertain if there had been a reduction which could possibly be attributed to an increase in home composting;

(ii)       to note that officers would provide information to Members outwith the meeting on the number of video views of the Aberdeen City Council website information on home composting; and

(iii)      to approve the communication plan (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) and associated actions to encourage and support the expansion of home composting.

(i)       to note that officers would raise the queries around the areas over both Aberdeen City and Shire (such as Silverburn, Leuchar Moss etc) and what was in the Aberdeenshire LNCS for these sites with colleagues from Aberdeenshire Council at their next meeting;

(ii)       to note that on page 210, the table should read ‘Scotstown Moor’ rather than ‘Scotstown’;

(iii)      to approve the content and the recommendations detailed in the draft report: Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCSs) Review Report 2025 and instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to update LNCSs booklet and website information;

(iv)      to note the strategic importance that sites designated for nature, including LNCSs, had in underpinning a range of Council duties, strategies and plans, including delivery of the Council’s Biodiversity Duty, the Council Climate Change Plan, the citywide Net Zero Aberdeen and Aberdeen Adapts and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (Stretch Outcome 15). Also, that these sites support the future design of a Nature Network, identification of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) and the 30x30 nature target;

(v)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to undertake the suggested next steps: a) remove the LNCS designation from Old Manse Wood, b) implement the required boundary changes, c) monitor those sites at risk, d) follow up on confirming land ownerships, where appropriate; and e) continue the wider review process into stage 2, including the potential for any additional sites;

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to report back to this Committee with recommendations arising from stage 2 of the LNCSs Review process, in particular the addition of any new LNCSs, by the third quarter of 2026; and

(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to ensure the outcomes of the next steps and progress on any new LNCSs were reported in the annual Climate & Nature Report.

(i)       to note that officers would provide the ART route map to Councillor Nicoll outwith the meeting;

(ii)       to note the work ongoing to progress the Aberdeen Rapid Transit project.

2.2 Instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to bring a report on the ART Strategic Business Case to the Committee in June 2025;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to bring a further update on the development of a Bus Services Improvement Partnership Plan (BSIP) to the Committee in June 2025, including further development of the proposed BSIP Schemes, being promoted jointly with Aberdeenshire Council, identified at paragraph 3.13 of the report; and

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to report back to the Committee in June 2025 on the Scottish Government’s proposed Bus Infrastructure Fund and £2 flat bus fare pilot, as referenced at paragraphs 3.17-3.19 of the report.

(i)       to note that the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning would ask the City Events Manager to provide further information to Members outwith the meeting on any match funding / additional funding which was in place for the Tall Ships;

(ii)       to note that the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning would provide a breakdown to Members of the £350,000 allocated to Schools Active Travel Training (iBike);

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to write to the Scottish Government outlining the Council’s wish for Aberdeen to be the pilot area for the £2 bus fare cap;

(iv)      to note progress on the projects funded from the BLE programme up to 2024/25, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(v)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to use the framework set out in Table 2 and 3 of the report to prepare future years programmes for any BLE and LEZ surpluses;

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to report back to next meeting of the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee with a programme for the use of BLE and LEZ surpluses for 2025/26, using the agreed framework;

(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to return to the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee with a three year programme of work for core paths/outdoor access by the end of 2025; and

(viii)    to approve the allocation of funding from the Bus Lane Enforcement and Low Emission Zone surpluses, as set out in Table 4 of this report, and to instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to work with relevant partners and to report back to this Committee on the progress of these projects.