Agenda item

With reference to article 10 of the minute of meeting of the Urgent Business Committee of 30 June 2020, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which provided an update on the temporary urban realm works completed to date through Spaces for People in relation to the Council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to monitor the current interventions and report the findings back to the 3 February 2021 City Growth and Resources Committee including any implications for ongoing capital works or corridor studies;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to write to SUSTRANS/Transport Scotland to seek clarification on the date by which the funding must be spent, in the context that National Health Services (NHS), Scottish and UK Governments advice suggests that the current pandemic conditions are likely to remain in place throughout the winter, and report back to the 3 February 2021 City Growth and Resources Committee for direction on the removal of the interventions;

(c)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to work with SUSTRANS on SUSTRANS request to undertake a case study of the works undertaken in Aberdeen including the parklets and bus stops for the benefit of other local authorities throughout the UK; and

(d)      note that, as detailed in Appendices 4 and 5 of the report, further ongoing engagement with stakeholders has continued throughout which has led to some refinement of the original intervention proposals.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)              to note it is now seven months since COVID-19 was first detected in Scotland;

(ii)            to note Council mobilised to deliver new and existing services for our communities and people particularly at-risk;

(iii)           to agree COVID-19 threatens health and life, but also how we live our lives, and the Council working with the UK and Scottish Governments are committed to suppressing the virus to the lowest possible level, and keeping it there, until the virus is no longer the threat it is now;

(iv)           to note on the 25 May 2020 the Chief Planner and the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Kevin Stewart MSP wrote to local planning authorities encouraging them to take a; “supportive, pragmatic and flexible approach to temporary developments and changes of use which would enable businesses to diversify or adjust the way they operate as the lockdown eases and many people can get back to work.”;

(v)            to note 3.26 of the report “It is therefore proposed that the programme of works will be further monitored over the coming months and a further report will be brought to the City Growth and Resources Committee on 3 February 2021 for the committee to make a decision on the how they wish the programme to proceed. In drafting the report, NHS Grampian’s Director of Public Health will be consulted in order to establish the level of transmission of the virus within the city, and the Local Police commander will be consulted in order to establish local levels of compliance with the public health measures in order to inform whether the existing measures are adequate”;

(vi)           to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to monitor the remaining interventions and report to the next meeting of this committee at the earliest opportunity, to assess all modal data for the city centre, Rosemount and George Street and Torry and review the requirement for the measures to stay in place, including the possibility of opening Union Street to buses only in consultation with communities and the Disability Equity Partnership (DEP); and access for cars at the top end of Union Street and Market Street;

(vii)         to agree to the removal of the temporary cycle lane at the Beach Esplanade, leaving the one way system between Beach Boulevard and Wellington Street only, and continue to consult on options which could form part of a Beach Masterplan;

(viii)        to agree that individuals have a personal responsibility to adhere to Government guidance/legislation in order to protect themselves and other during Covid-19;

(ix)           to commend and instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to work with SUSTRANS on SUSTRANS request to undertake a case study of the works undertaken in Aberdeen including the parklets and bus stops for the benefit of other local authorities throughout the UK;

(x)            to thank all officers for the work they have undertaken across the city in in terms of the Spaces for People interventions; and

(xi)           to otherwise approve recommendations (b) and (d).