Agenda item

With reference to Article 3 of the minute of meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 25 July 2013, which had been referred to it for consideration by seven members of the committee, the Council had before it a report by the Director of Housing and Environment which advised of the outcome of the first meeting of Council and NESTRANS officers with Transport Scotland on the future progress and delivery of the Haudagain junction improvements by the Scottish Government and the Council’s regeneration proposals for the wider Middlefield area; and (2) the decision of the Finance and Resources Committee as follows:-

(i)                 to note the minutes contained at Appendix 1 of the report of the meeting held by officers of the Council, NESTRANS and Transport Scotland and their consultants on 28 June 2013;

(ii)               to acknowledge that Transport Scotland had agreed to arrange a meeting with the District Valuer and Aberdeen City Council to discuss financial compensation arrangements for Council assets as soon as possible;

(iii)             to note that a further Equality Human Rights Impact Assessment was required in light of the Council’s proposals to shorten the project timescales and that this was currently being developed;

(iv)              to note the decision of the Council on 26 June 2013 and instruct officers to continue to work to that timescale;

(v)                to instruct Councillor Crockett, Leader of the Council, to write to all Council tax payers within the Middlefield regeneration area setting out the Council’s objectives for regeneration, taking into consideration the fact that the Scottish Government had not yet agreed a compensation package despite this matter being discussed by Council on 25 June 2008 as an emergency item in order that the decision of Council could be referred to the Scottish Government at the earliest opportunity;

(vi)              to note the complete failure of the previous SNP/Liberal Democrat administration and its own two Lead Councillors for Regeneration, Councillor Jackie Dunbar and Kevin Stewart MSP, who, despite both representing the area, did absolutely nothing to implement regeneration;

(vii)            to note that the policy of the SNP was to allow the good people of Middlefield to continue to be treated as second class citizens given their failure to deliver new kitchens and bathrooms despite the Scottish Housing Quality Standard to be met by 2015;

(viii)          to instruct officers to continue to push the Scottish Government to enter into a legally binding contract with the Council to fully fund the project noting the decision of the previous administration on 19 November 2009 at the Housing and Environment Committee, which included the then Vice Convener of that committee, Councillor Mark McDonald now MSP and ward Councillors Kevin Stewart now MSP and Jackie Dunbar, “to suggest that the Scottish Government fully fund replacement facilities for the Middlefield Community Project, Middlefield Youth Project, Pathways and the Healthy Hoose, reporting back to the December meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on its progress”;

(ix)              to instruct officers to carry out a feasibility study on how best to proceed with Middlefield regeneration should the Scottish Government renege on its verbal promise to fund the construction of the road improvements, including all compensation costs for the delivery of the Haudagain scheme, reporting back to the December meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee; and

(x)                to request a comprehensive risk assessment covering political, business and finance risks to be considered in the form of the Corporate Risk Register, reporting back to the December meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Councillor Young moved, seconded by Councillor Thomson:-

            That the decision of the Finance and Resources Committee be approved.

Councillor McCaig moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Delaney:-

            That the Council -

(1)               note with concern the content of the report;

(2)               note the impact of the Council’s proposed plan to begin work within two years would not allow for sufficient time to meet the commitments previously given by the Council to the Middlefield community; and

(3)               revert to the original timescale for redevelopment as agreed by the Housing and Environment Committee at its meeting in May 2013.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (22)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Forsyth, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Taylor, Thomson and Young.

For the amendment   (17)  -  Councillors Cameron, Delaney, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Greig, Jaffrey, Kiddie, MacGregor, McCaig, Malone, May, Noble, Samarai, Jennifer Stewart, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.