Agenda item

Pages 91 and 94 of the original agenda pack recirculated to include the graphs which were not originally displaying

The Council had before it a report by the Director of Customer Services which provided the outcome of consultations and engagement on six libraries: Cornhill, Cults, Ferryhill, Kaimhill, Northfield and Woodside; and Bucksburn Swimming Pool, to enable members to give due regard to the needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty and consider any potential impacts identified on those with protected characteristics prior to considering the recommendations.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           thank the communities, campaign groups and individuals for their welcome participation and input to the online consultations and focus group sessions;

(b)           give due regard to the needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty and consider any potential impacts on those with protected characteristics along with any mitigations to address any impact identified in the updated Integrated Impact Assessments (IIAs);

(c)           agree that feedback, ideas and suggestions from the library consultations be used to inform the Future Library Service Report;

(d)           consider the overall findings of the report and agree one of the following options: 

-       Option 1 - Reaffirm the original budget decision to close the 6 libraries  

-       Option 2 - Overturn the original budget decision to close the 6 libraries and to recommission all 6 and to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to commence planning for the recommissioning of facilities, referring ongoing funding implications to the 2024/25 budget; and

(e)           consider the overall findings of the report and agree one of the following options in regard to the Reduction in Sport Aberdeen Funding Option: 

-       Option 1 - Reaffirm the original budget decision regarding the reduction of funding 

-       Option 2 - Request Sport Aberdeen to recommission Bucksburn Pool andinstruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Finance, to work with Sport Aberdeen to investigate how the possible recommissioning of the Pool could be funded, referring any ongoing funding implications to the 2024/25 budget.

Councillor Allard moved, seconded by the Depute Provost:-

          That the Council -

(1)       thank the communities, campaign groups and individuals for their welcome participation and input to the online consultations and focus group sessions;

(2)       acknowledge the updated IIAs which had considered potential impacts and mitigations to address any potential impact on service users;

Libraries

(3)       instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to take into account all feedback and mitigations and report this back as part of the Future Library Service Review to the relevant meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee;

(4)       agree option 1 as highlighted within the report;

Bucksburn Pool

(5)       note the impact the closure of the pool had on service users who faced barriers such as transportation and accessibility when accessing other swimming provision in the city;

(6)       accept option 2 - Request Sport Aberdeen recommission Bucksburn Pool; and

(7)       instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to work with Sport Aberdeen to undertake recommissioning of the pool, including any improvements to the building and net zero upgrades to reduce energy costs, with funding taken from the Capital programme contingencies and refer ongoing revenue implications to the 2024/25 budget.

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

          That the Council -

(1)      agree recommendations (a), (b) and (c);

(2)       agree the Aberdeen Labour budget and the Conservative budget 23/24 did not include closing the six libraries at Cornhill, Cults, Ferryhill, Kaimhill, Northfield and Woodside;

(3)       agree the closure of the six libraries at Cornhill, Cults, Ferryhill, Kaimhill, Northfield and Woodside was a political decision taken by the SNP and the Convener of Finance and Resources, Alex McLellan, who was given the opportunity at the budget to negotiate with the other parties but said “he could not go through the budget line by line”;

(4)       agree to overturn the budget decision made by the SNP/Lib Dem Administration, with regard to the 6 libraries, and to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, notwithstanding the estimated officer timescales noted in the report, to commence planning for the recommissioning of facilities immediately and for the reopening of the facilities preferably before 31 March 2024 or as soon as is practicably possible. Agree to refer the recurring revenue and any capital cost implications to the 2024/24 Budget process;

(5)       agree to instruct Sport Aberdeen that Bucksburn Swimming should reopen as soon as is practicably feasible, instructing the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to engage with Sport Aberdeen on the actions required. Agree that any budget required for this should come from within the contingencies budget for 2023/24 and to refer the recurring revenue and any capital cost implications to the 2024/25 Budget process;

(6)       disagree entirely with section 3.3 of the report by pointing out that at the budget in March 2023, members were asked within the recommendations to “Approve the savings and redesign of Council services to address demand, in line with the commissioning led approach described in the report, and to set at least a balanced budget for financial year 2023/24, having due regard to Integrated Impact Assessments and screening results provided in the background papers”;

(7)       note the disgraceful decision by the Finance and Resources Committee on 13 September - as noted below - regarding the Condition and Suitability programme where once again Aberdeen Labour’s amendment to keep the allocated resources noted at 6.2 of this report was defeated, meaning the Council will now require to find additional monies that were already in the budget for the purposes noted;

(8)       instruct the Chief Executive to make a public apology on the Council’s behalf for the way in which the public and communities have been affected by the unnecessary closure of these facilities; and

(9)       agree that the Convener of Finance should consider his position as he has now lost the trust of this Council and those communities following his budget that was flawed, and a downright insult to the public and communities affected.

Amendment referred to in (7) above:-

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

That the Committee:-

(1)  note the report that indicates at Appendix D the removal of the projects listed below as they are no longer in operation:-

-      Cults Library;

-      Bucksburn Swimming Pool

-      Ferryhill Library; and

-      Northfield Library;

(2)  agree to defer the new projects mentioned in Appendix C of this report until the first meeting of this Committee after Council in December to follow the report on the future of the 6 Libraries and Bucksburn pool closed by the SNP as part of its 23/24 budget; and

(3)  agree that the Council has catapulted from the Budget proposed by this Convener of Finance in March, therefore it is self-evident that the Convener must give serious consideration to his suitability to represent the Council on matters of Finance.

Councillor Brooks moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-

          That the Council -

(1)       agree in principle to the reopening of all six libraries and of Bucksburn Swimming Pool, subject to the agreement of Sport Aberdeen;

(2)       agree to include all six libraries in the Future Libraries and Information Service review process; and

(3)       therefore instruct the Chief Officer - Finance, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord, Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment and Chief Officer - Commercial and Procurement, to prepare as part of the 2024/25 budget process the financial implications, with a view to reopening the facilities.

There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Malik and the amendment by Councillor Brooks.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Malik  (11)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Crockett, Graham, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Tissera and Watson.

For the amendment by Councillor Brooks  (5)  -  Councillors Boulton, Brooks, Farquhar, Massey and Mrs Stewart.

Declined to vote  (24)  -  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, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (3)  -  Councillors Kusznir, McLeod and Thomson.

The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Malik.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (24)  -  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, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment by Councillor Malik  (16)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Boulton, Brooks, Crockett, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Massey, Mrs Stewart, Tissera and Watson.

Absent from the division  (3)  -  Councillors Kusznir, McLeod and Thomson.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.