POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

 

TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 1997 - 3.00 pm

 

Present:-  Provost Allan, Councillors Calvert, O'Rourke, Jackson, McGhee, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Sir Simpson Stevenson, Mitchell and Finnie, Councillor Mulholland, Convener, in the Chair.

 

In Attendance:-  The Chief Executive, the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration), the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development), the Assistant Chief Executive (Contract Services), the Director of Central Services, the Director of Legal Services, the Director of Finance, the Director of Economic Development, the Director of Education Services, the Director of Property and Technical Services, the Director of Planning, the Director of Leisure and Recreation, Ms B Billings (for the Director of Social Work), the Director of Housing and Customer Services, Mr A Moore (for the Director of Personnel Services), the Director of Information Technology, the Chief Environmental Services Officer and the Chief Consumer Protection and Trading Standards Officer.

 

An apology for absence was intimated on behalf of Councillor Morrison (M).

 

1040      ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS                                                                                                         1040

 

The Convener referred to reports by the Director of Central Services on (a) a remit from the Economic Development Committee regarding proposals for a comprehensive development at Pottery Street, Greenock to provide industrial accommodation and (b) remits from the Corporate Business Committee seeking (i) funding for the mothballing of Hector McNeil Baths and (ii) authority to progress with expenditure following application to the Scottish Office for special grant funding to assist in the collection of Community Charges and Council Tax.  The Convener indicated that consideration of the items was urgent to allow progression of all of the matters without delay and moved that the items be added to the Agenda.  This was unanimously agreed in terms of the relevant Standing Order.

 

1041      REVENUE BUDGET 1997/98                                                                                                              1041

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 27 August 1997 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 1997/98 for the Chief Executive's Department as at 23 July 1997.

NOTED

 

1042      REVENUE BUDGET 1997/98:  SUMMARY                                                                                        1042

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 September 1997 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 1997/98 showing the projected expenditure for the full financial year.  The report indicated that as at 23 July 1997, the projected surplus amounted to £1,062,280.  Attention was drawn however to a number of factors which could have an effect on this projection during the course of the financial year.

NOTED

1043      NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98                                                                                   1043

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 3 September 1997 by the Director of Finance on the current position of the 1997/98 non-HRA Capital Programme drawing particular attention to requests for additional funding from the Social Work and Housing Committee and the Leisure and Cultural Services Committee.

Based on the latest information provided by Technical Officers and Client Departments, there was a current estimated shortfall in allocation of £1,931,000 which represented a decrease of £170,000 to that intimated to the Committee at is meeting on 7 August 1997 which was the result of reductions in project costs.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the request by the Social Work and Housing Committee for additional provision of a sum of £35,000 in respect of introducing security measures at the new Lynedoch Street ATC be approved;

(b)  That the request by the Leisure and Cultural Services Committee for additional provision of a sum of £21,000 to meet further increases at the Waterfront Leisure Complex be approved; and

(c)  That the report be otherwise noted.

 

1044      VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS:  SUBMISSION OF AUDITED ACCOUNTS                            1044

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 27 August 1997 by the Director of Finance on a recommendation from the Finance Sub-Committee regarding the introduction of an audit procedure where the Council provides financial support to Tenant's Associations or Community Associations.

DECIDED:  That the current requirement to submit up to date audited accounts in a format acceptable to the Director of Finance prior to grant payments being made be extended to all voluntary organisations including Tenant's and Community Associations.

 

1045      GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS 1997/98                                                                 1045

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) advising of the outcome of the evaluation of various categories of Local Voluntary Organisations funded by the Council and setting out the recommendations of the Sounding Board on requests from organisations for grant aid during 1997/98.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development) advised that two grants in the Appendix had now been dealt with and that it was recommended that the Gingerbread Self Help Group receive £500 and Scottish Opera for All receive £843 and this was agreed.

DECIDED:   That the grants to various Voluntary Organisations as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report as amended amounting in total to £8,989 be approved.

 

1046      NUCLEAR FREE LOCAL AUTHORITIES (SCOTLAND)/NUCLEAR FREE LOCAL                      1046

AUTHORITIES (UK) AFFILIATION/MEMBERSHIP

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 9 September 1997 by the Director of Central Services advising that the National Steering Committee of Nuclear Free Local Authorities had intimated that the UK Association was to be the primary body and that membership of Nuclear Free Local Authorities (Scotland) is to be contingent upon membership of the UK Association, the annual subscription of which for 1997/98 was £962.00 of which £330.00 was the element applicable to membership of Nuclear Free Local Authorities (Scotland).

The report referred to the decision of the Committee at its meeting on 22 August 1996 (para 711) to affiliate to Nuclear Free Local Authorities (Scotland) only for 1996/97 at an annual subscription of £330.00.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the National Steering Committee of Nuclear Free Local Authorities be advised of this Council's wish to continue to affiliate to Nuclear Free Local Authorities (Scotland) only at an affiliation fee of £330.00; and

(b)  That the Director of Central Services submit a report to the Committee on other means by which a Nuclear Free strategy might be pursued by the Council.

 

1047      STRONE FARM:  AREA REGENERATION                                                                                       1047

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 28 July 1997 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) summarising various actions and investments undertaken in the Strone Farm area since 1990, setting out a proposed strategic framework and addressing a number of social and economic issues to ensure progression of the regeneration strategy.

DECIDED: 

(a)  That the proposals detailed in the report form the basis of the Strone Farm strategy;

(b)  That it be remitted to the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) to report further on specific programmes and proposals as they are developed;

(c)  That action plans be developed for implementation and reported by the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) to the Committee at its meeting in December 1997;

(d)  That it be recommended to the Social Work and Housing Committee that the future of the properties at 1/9 Kilmun Road be decided once the results of the further investigative works are available and accurate costs of refurbishment prepared;

(e)  That it be recommended to the Social Work and Housing Committee that the properties at 1/13 Crawberry Road and 23/33 Darndaff Road be demolished at a cost of £300,000 and the existing tenants offered the opportunity of tenancies within Cloch Housing Association and Inverclyde Council accommodation within Strone Farm or be allocated housing from areas outwith Strone Farm;

(f)  That it be recommended to the Social Work and Housing Committee that the cost of the demolition of 1/9 and 2/10 Clydeview Road amounting to £130,000 in addition to the costs associated with (e) above be placed against the Council's HRA Capital commitment to the area;

(g)  That it be agreed to add £600,000 (£200,000 per annum for 3 years commencing in 1998/99) to the Non-Housing Capital Plan, these funds being used to continue work on the Entranceway proposals in order to complete the area regeneration process;

(h)  That the funding of £50,000 requested for use in economic and social initiatives in the Strone Farm area in order to assist the implementation of the strategy, be referred to the 1998/99 Revenue Budget process; and

(i)  That it be remitted to the Assistant Chief Executive (Economic Development and Urban Regeneration) to form a Social and Economic Working Group comprising Officers from Social Work, Education, Economic Development, Leisure and Recreation, the Employment Training Initiative, and 2 community representatives from both Strone Farm and Strone Maukinhill.

 

1048      ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND THE PATH TO QUALITY:  THE BEST                         1048

VALUE REGIME AND THE ACCOUNTS COMMISSION - AUDIT OF MANAGEMENT

ARRANGEMENTS

 

It was agreed that this matter be withdrawn from the Agenda and be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.

 

1049      HECTOR MCNEIL BATHS                                                                                                                 1049

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 18 September 1997 by the Director of Central Services on a request by the Corporate Business Committee that provision be made for Capital and Revenue expenditure associated with the mothballing of the Hector McNeil Baths, Greenock following closure of the building until such time as the future use of the premises has been decided and seeking approval to proceed on this basis.

DECIDED:

(a)  That provision be made in the current Capital Programme for a sum of £20,000 for the mothballing of the Hector McNeil Baths;

(b)  That provision be made for revenue costs of £2,000 per month for security/surveillance and also a sum of £9,000 in 1997/98 and £37,000 in 1998/99 in respect of non-domestic rate charges; and

(c)  That the Director of Education Services submit a report to the next meeting of the Committee providing options for the future use of the building.

 

1050      COUNCIL TAX COLLECTION SCHEME                                                                                         1050

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 18 September 1997 by the Director of Central Services on a request from the Corporate Business Committee for authority to progress with expenditure relating to a preliminary application to the Scottish Office for special grant funding to assist in improving collection of outstanding Community Charges and Council Tax the extent of the grant applied for being £49,050 in the current year and £27,250 in respect of 1998/99.

DECIDED:  That the Director of Finance in consultation with the Directors of Personnel Services and Information Technology as appropriate, be authorised to progress with the expenditure covered by the special grant as detailed above.

 

1051      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                  1051

 

On the motion of the Convener it was agreed unanimously that, in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted item of business on the grounds that consideration of the item involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

 

1052      POTTERY STREET DEVELOPMENT                                                                                                 1052

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 12 September 1997 by the Director of Central Services on a request from the Economic Development Committee that a sum of £400,000 be provided within the current Economic Development Capital Programme to enable site assembly requirements to proceed in connection with the proposed comprehensive development at Pottery Street, Greenock to provide industrial accommodation.

DECIDED:  That a sum of £400,000 be provided in the 1997/98 Economic Development Capital Programme to enable site assembly requirements to proceed.