Agenda item

Can the Convener of Education, Culture and Sport confirm what provision has been made to maintain service provision should this administration succeed in evicting volunteers from successfully run leased community centres?

The Council had before it the following questions, of which due notice had been given in terms of Standing Order 10(2), which had been placed on the agenda as both Councillors Townson and Dickson had indicated that they were unhappy with the responses.

Councillor Townson

(1)       Can the Convener of Education, Culture and Sport confirm what provision has been made to maintain service provision should this administration succeed in evicting volunteers from successfully run leased community centres?

ANSWER (by Councillor Laing) -

(1)       As Councillor Townson is well aware it was under his stewardship that the lease and management agreement was approved by full Council on 4 April 2012. Given that Councillor Townson voted for the lease and management agreement to be approved at Council, as did all Councillors, it is felt that volunteers should be well able to sign up to the lease and management agreement, that was approved by full Council in April 2012, prior to the end date of the current leases of the seven centres operating under “tacit relocation” (28 November 2012). It is noted that one volunteer Management Committee has already signed up to the new arrangements, with more Management Committees set to follow over the coming weeks. I am hopeful that all other Management Committees will follow suit in signing up to the new lease so that they can continue the good work of running community centres for the benefit of local citizens, while being supported through the new lease and Management Agreement.

The Council resolved:-

to note the details.

Councillor Dickson

(1)       Can the Council Leader please confirm the timescale and costings of Labour’s proposals to pedestrianise Union Street and Broad Street and reopen the Castlegate?

ANSWER (by Councillor Crockett) -

(1)       Partial pedestrianisation of Union Street, between Market Street and Bridge Street, allowing for buses but not allowing buses to overtake each other

Estimate = approx £6M. The estimate is based upon the following assumptions:

·        the use of high quality setts and stone slabbing such as granite setts/slabs or caithness slabbing as surfacing materials

·        the majority of the existing caithness slab area can be retained

·        allowance has been made for traffic management works and signing changes on the surrounding road network

·        the South College Street road improvement has not been allowed for

·        the Berryden road improvement has not been allowed for

·        extensive soft landscaping and decorative street furniture/lighting has not been allowed for - dependant upon the quality required (including statues/sculpture if desired) this could add anything from a few hundred thousand pounds to in excess of £1M

·        due to timing point requirements, the sheer number of buses involved and the need for servicing access to premises, it is impractical to avoid buses having to overtake other buses, however it has been assumed that a reduction from the current four traffic/bus lanes to a mixture of either two and three lanes dependant upon the proximity to bus stops - the bus stops would be within the lanes

Full pedestrianisation of Broad Street, between Queen Street and Gallowgate

Estimate = approx £1M. The estimate is based upon the following assumptions:

·        the use of high quality setts and stone slabbing such as granite setts/slabs or caithness slabbing as surfacing materials

·        the majority of the existing caithness slab area in front of Marischal College can be retained

·        allowance has been made for local traffic management works and signing changes on the surrounding road network

·        the non adopted footway area in front of St Nicholas House will be upgraded at the developer's expense

·        extensive soft landscaping and decorative street furniture/lighting has not been allowed for - dependant upon the quality required (including statues/sculpture if desired) this could add anything from £100,000 to in excess of £0.5M

·        the diversions of bus routes can be achieved without the need for major road improvements

Reopening the Castlegate to traffic

Two options are given below:

Estimate A - £2.5M - upgrading the whole of the Castlegate and providing a road from King Street through to Justice Street. The estimate is based upon the following assumptions:

·        the whole of the Castlegate will be resurfaced

·        the use of high quality setts and stone slabbing such as granite setts/slabs or caithness slabbing as surfacing materials

·        allowance for local traffic management works and signing changes on the surrounding road network

·        extensive soft landscaping and decorative street furniture/lighting and the potential impact on the Gordon Highlanders Statue i.e. possible relocation, has not been allowed for - dependant upon the quality required (including statues/sculpture if desired) this could add anything from £100,000 to in excess of £0.5M

Estimate B - £1.1M - providing a road from King Street through to Justice Street with only local adjustment to the existing Castlegate as necessary. The estimate is based upon the following assumptions:

·        a large part of the Castlegate will remain unaltered with changes only occurring along the section affected by the new road

·        the use of high quality setts and stone slabbing such as granite setts/slabs or caithness slabbing as surfacing materials

·        allowance for local traffic management works and signing changes on the surrounding road network

·        extensive soft landscaping and decorative street furniture/lighting and the potential impact on the Gordon Highlanders Statue i.e. possible relocation has not been allowed for - dependant upon the quality required (including statues/sculpture if desired) this could add anything from £100,000 to in excess of £0.5M

Timescales

Each of the above schemes, separately or in combination, will require the preparation of a full business case including transportation and environmental assessments, public and stakeholder consultation and the identification of the detail of the proposals, implications, benefits, fit with relevant policies etc. This could take in the order of up to two years subject to available funding and will be necessary to support the successful promotion of the required traffic regulation orders. The statutory process for these orders is estimated to take up to three years to conclude, due to the nature of the proposals and the likelihood of objections which will prompt a public hearing, the results of which will be determined by an independent arbiter. Subject to a successful outcome, the proposals individually or in combination could take 12 to 36 months to introduce. If delivered as a package, phased delivery will be important to minimise temporary impact on the travelling public and the local business economy.

In terms of Standing Order 20(4), the Lord Provost ruled that the question had been answered satisfactorily.

The Council resolved:-

to note the details.