Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Officer - Data and Insights which highlighted progress with respect to the Council Delivery Plan for the year 2022/23 which was approved by Council on 7 March 2022.

The report recommended:-

that the Council note the report and provide comments and observations on the information contained in the Annual Review Report at Appendix A.

Councillor Yuill moved, seconded by Councillor Allard:-

          That the Council note the report.

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

          That the Council -

(1)  note the report; and

(2)  agree the following comments from the report -

Council has made significant progress in many key areas during 2022/23. Not lease of these has been the ability of our staff to continue to deliver essential services and care to the people of Aberdeen as the impact of both the pandemic and the ‘cost of living’ crisis continued to be felt, both operationally and through health, social and economic challenges experienced across the city. 

Specific highlights from 2022/23 include: 

• the opening of Union Terrace Gardens, following its refurbishment, a previous Administration achievement

• the launch of the ONE BioHub with laboratory space, office space, incubation facilities, hot desk & co-working space, a previous Administration achievement

• the launch of the National Subsea Centre, part of the Net Zero Technology Centre, in January 2023, providing advanced research to accelerate the transition to net zero, a previous Administration achievement 

• the new Aberdeen South Harbour becoming operational, with the official launch held in September 2023, a previous Administration achievement 

• £27million investment in ONE Seedpod to grow the north East Scotland food and drinks industry, with the aim to increase sector turnover by 5% per annum, a previous Administration achievement 

• £1.9million allocated by the Council towards the Aberdeen Gift Card Scheme, resulting in 14,172 eligible citizens benefiting from £125 gift cards, a previous Administration achievement

• almost 19,000 Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments made by the Council, before the wider rollout of the Scottish Child Payment 

• the opening of the new Countesswells School, a previous Administration achievement 

• the introduction of Youth Workers, Family Learning and Money Advisors in all schools, a previous Administration achievement

• 65,840 free school meal vouchers delivered to eligible families; 14,564 chrome books; 500 Wi-Fi connections with dongles; and 210 data only SIMs, a previous Administration achievement

• welcoming over 300 children and young people who have been displaced by the war in Ukraine into the city’s schools started under the previous Administration

• the launch of the city’s cycle hire scheme in November 2022, a previous Administration achievement 

• construction works completed for new council housing at Wellheads and Auchmill sites, with further ongoing construction at Summerhill, Kaimhill, Tillydrone and Cloverhill, a previous Administration achievement 

Following various interruptions during the course of debate and summing up, the Lord Provost referred to Section 3.11 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct under the heading of Respect and Courtesy, with regard to respecting and complying with rulings from the Chair during meetings.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Bouse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment  (14)  -  Councillors Ali, Bonsell, Brooks, Crockett, Farquhar, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, McLeod, Malik, Massey, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Absent from the division  (3)  -  Councillors Boulton, Graham and Mennie.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.