Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Executive and Interim Director of Corporate Governance which provided information on the establishment of an in-house officer team to facilitate the implementation of the City Centre Masterplan Delivery Plan.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)       note the arrangements as outlined in the report;

(b)       approve the establishment of a City Centre Director post on Chief Official terms and conditions;

(c)        approve the establishment of a City Centre Programme Manager post which may be on Chief Official terms and conditions dependant on the outcome of a review of the job profile for the post;

(d)       approve the establishment of a Communication and Engagement Officer post on Single Status terms and conditions;

(e)       approve the creation of an elected member Appointment Panel (3+3+1+1+1) for the post of City Centre Director which will have authority to approve the job profile and assessed salary for that post;

(f)        set aside standing order 47(2) to allow the appointment of the City Centre Programme Manager to be undertaken by a panel of officers, including the Chief Executive, in lieu of an Appointment Panel in the event that the post is established as a Chief Official; and

(g)       note that under the Scheme of Delegation the Chief Executive would agree all matters relating to the recruitment process for both the City Centre Programme Manager and Communication and Engagement Officer including role profile, person specification and salary, in conjunction with the Head of Human Resources and Customer Service and would provide a progress update to the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 3 December 2015.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

to approve recommendations (a) to (d), (f) and (g) above, and amend recommendation (e) to read “approve the creation of an elected member Appointment Panel from the elected members of the City Centre Masterplan Reference Group only for the post of City Centre Director which will have authority to approve the job profile and assessed salary for that post”; and add the following recommendations:-

(h)       instruct officers to undertake transport modelling taking into account the transport implications associated with Broad Street and Schoolhill / Upperkirkgate and to consider the implications on areas such as Castlegate, Schoolhill Pocket Park, Queen Street, Golden Square and Bon Accord Square and report its findings to the Council in December 2015;

(i)         instruct officers to report back to the Communities Housing and Infrastructure Committee in March 2016 with the results of the city centre wide traffic modelling and interventions; and

(j)         to instruct officers to undertake a development brief of the Station Gateway intervention area and a review of public realm in the city centre and to report back to the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee in January 2016.

Councillor Cameron, seconded by Councillor Dickson, moved as an amendment:-

that Aberdeen City Council re-establishes the Director of Economic Development post and a support team to deliver the City Centre Masterplan, Strategic Infrastructure Plan and City Region Deal; and approve recommendations (h), (i) and (j) above as moved by the Convener

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (11) the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allan, Donnelly, Grant, Ironside, Malone, Milne, Reynolds, Jennifer Stewart and Taylor; for the amendment (6) Councillors Cameron, Dickson, Flynn, Noble, Samarai and Townson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.