Agenda item

With reference to article 3 of the minute of meeting of the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee of 7 December 2016, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources, which provided details on the City Centre Living Strategy.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       note the City Centre Living Strategy;

(b)       instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to consult with the local business community, developers and other key stakeholders on the City Centre Living Strategy; and

(c)       instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the 18 September 2018 meeting of this committee on the result of the consultation in conjunction with the current market engagement with landowners in Aberdeen in relation to proposals for the construction of Council housing as agreed by the Strategic Commissioning Committee on 30 April 2018.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice-Convener, moved:-

            That the Committee:-

(1)       note the City Centre Living Strategy;

(2)       note the approach taken by Edinburgh City Council in encouraging residential development in the city centre through promoting development opportunities;

(3)       agree Aberdeen City Council is committed to delivering and enabling the delivery of a vast amount of development and infrastructure in the city and requires continued commitment from other sectors, including the private sector, to support much needed development;

(4)       request that the report being submitted to the City Growth and Resources Committee in September 2018 will include the detail and implications of including Denburn Valley as one of the areas of development opportunity;

(5)       instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to consult with the local business community, developers and other key stakeholders on the City Centre Living Strategy on the basis of 3.18 to 3.24 of the report; and

(6)       instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the 18 September 2018 meeting of this Committee on the result of the consultation in conjunction with the current market engagement with landowners in Aberdeen in relation to proposals for the construction of Council housing as agreed by the Strategic Commissioning Committee on 30 April 2018.

Councillor Nicoll, seconded by Councillor Dunbar, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee:-

(1)       note the City Centre Living Strategy;

(2)       note the approach taken by Edinburgh City Council in encouraging residential development in the city centre through promoting development opportunities;

(3)       agree Aberdeen City Council is committed to delivering and enabling the delivery of an appropriate amount of development and infrastructure in the city and requires continued commitment from other sectors, including the private sector, to support much needed development;

(4)       request that the report being submitted to the City Growth and Resources Committee in September 2018 will include the detail and implications of including Denburn Valley as one of the areas of development opportunity;

(5)       instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to consult with the Local Business Community Developers and key stakeholders on the City Centre Living Strategy with the exception of the proposals to introduce a moratorium on developer obligations and a moratorium on contributions to affordable or social housing;

(6)       Instruct the Director of Resources to report back to the 18 September 2018 meeting of this committee on the result of the consultation in conjunction with the current market engagement with landowners in Aberdeen in relation to proposals for the construction of Council housing as agreed by the Strategic Commissioning Committee on 30 April 2018; and

(7)       instructs the Chief Officer Corporate Landlord to undertake an options appraisal for measures to be considered that would mitigate some of the perceived obstacles to city centre living for home owners and tenants at present in Aberdeen contained within the report.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice-Convener and Councillors Boulton, Donnelly and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Dunbar, Flynn, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to adopt the motion; and

(ii)       that in relation to Retail and Leisure Offering on page 10 of the report prepared by Savills (page 364 of the agenda), to request that officers circulate further details regarding the sample sizes and demographics in terms of the survey.