Agenda item

With reference to article 9 of the minute of meeting of 15 March 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of City Regeneration and Environment which (1) summarised the general progress of delivery of key capital expenditure projects identified within the approved Capital Programme from the General Fund and Housing Revenue Accounts; (2) highlighted those issues considered worthy of particular note which were specific to individual programmes/projects; and (3) incorporated a review of any recent reprofiling of the General Fund Capital Programme, which had been carried out to take account of any current project related factors.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the status of delivery of the Section 3.0 highlighted programmes/projects contained within the approved Capital Programmes

(b)      note that the report aligns with the Council Budget report COM/24/061 as reported on 6 March 2024 to Council, and the Q1 update report to Finance & Resources committee on 7 August 2024 (CORS/24/223);

(c)      instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to vire the necessary monies from the General Fund Capital Programme as shown in Appendix B; and

(d)      note that, following the virement as indicated in Appendix B, the General Fund Capital Programme budget spend has not increased.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

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

that the Committee –

(1)    note the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    agree once again the SNP are robbing “Peter” to pay “Paul” highlighting the inability of the Finance and Resources Committee Convener to understand his brief;

(3)    agree any further money required for Bucksburn Pool is a matter for Sport Aberdeen, therefore instructs the Executive Director  of Corporate Services to enter into discussions with Sport Aberdeen in relation to providing a total budget for this project to the Council budget setting process in 2025/26;

(4)    agree that the three Schools mentioned within the report, namely Countesswells, Greyhope School and Riverbank, were all commissioned by the previous Administration;

(5)    agree the Press Release issued by the Council on 1st March 2023, which suggested that Bucksburn Pool was required for Bucksburn School, was false and asks the Chief Executive to publicly apologise to members and the public for issuing a false press release;

(6)    agree the SNP has let pupils, parents and guardians down by its failure to fulfil its promise to deliver free school meals for p6 and p7 children. Agree that the proposal to take £2m from the expansion of free school meals fund and put it towards Ferryhill School suitability improvements shows the SNP in its true light as political imposters; and

(7)    agree not to vire money for the Bucksburn Pool and to ask the Executive Director of City Regeneration and Environment to bring a report as part of the budget process in 25/26 to allow elected members to determine their position.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke, Delaney and Greig; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Brooks, Farquhar, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.