POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

 

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 1999 - 3.00 pm

 

Present:-  Provost Roach, Councillors Calvert, Robertson (A), O’Rourke, Jackson, McGhee, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Rebecchi, Mitchell and Blair, Councillor Jackson, Convener, in the Chair.

 

In Attendance:-  The Chief Executive, the Depute Chief Executive, the Executive Director Community and Protective Services, the Executive Director Education Services, Mr C Clelland (for the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services), the Executive Director Resource Services, the Executive Director Social Work and Housing Services , the Director of Central Services and the Head of Property Services.

 

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

 

   958      SCHOOL PAINTERWORK PROGRAMME 1999/2000: ST MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL             958

              WINDOW REPLACEMENT PHASE 1 - REALLOCATION OF FUNDING                                            

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 September 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services requesting approval for a £25,000 reduction in the School Painterwork Programme 1999/2000 and for the sum to be used to provide a balance of funding for Phase 1 of the Window Replacement Works at St Mary’s Primary School.

DECIDED:  That the request be agreed.

 

 

   959      REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000:  MONITORING REPORT - CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S                        959

              OFFICE                                                                                                                                                        

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 September 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 for the Chief Executive’s Office as at 21 July 1999.

NOTED

 

   960      REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000:  SUMMARY                                                                                      960

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Executive Director Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 as at 21 July 1999.  The report advised that there was a projected net budget surplus of £42,400 and the projected revenue fund balance at 31 March 2000, assuming break even this financial year, was £1,900,000.  It was noted that the funding of the pay award would put additional pressure on the budget and that Social Work Services would be able to contain the cost of the information systems within their existing budgets.

NOTED

   961      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000:  TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                       961

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 30 August 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

 

   962      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000:  FINANCIAL POSITION                                                         962

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 31 August 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of current and proposed projects for both the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000 and the Social Inclusion Partnership 1999/2000.

NOTED

 

   963      NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000                                                                                 963

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 1 September 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000.  The report advised that the latest estimated shortfall in the Capital Allocation for 1999/2000 was £2,499,000 and that the total projected spend on current legal commitments was £7,145,000 and that there was an additional estimated spend of £2,956,000 following authorisation of projects agreed by the Committee, the total being approximately £250,000 more than the current estimated allocation.  The report advised that requests had been made from Service Committees for approval to incur capital expenditure on projects with a cost of £670,000 and, if approved, the projected shortfall of allocation would be £920,000.

DECIDED:

(a)  That approval be granted to proceed to tender for  the following projects but that it be remitted to the Chief Executive in consultation with the appropriate Officers to authorise and monitor the acceptance of tenders:

                                                                                                                                       1999/00  2000/01

                                                                                                                              £000                £000

Social Work and Housing Committee

Social Work

Finnart House - Internal Adaptations                                                                                    35

Kempock Street - Toilet Upgrade                                                                                        30

Private Sector Housing

Aids and Adaptations                                                                                                          29

18-20 Mearns Street, HAA                                                                                               240         410

                                                                                                                                         334         410

Corporate Business Committee

Major Repairs                   - Greenock Municipal Buildings - Rewiring Phase 4                     50

                                         -  Murdieston Cottage - Roofworks/Windows                            20

                                         - Lynedoch Industrial Estate - Refurbishment                               15

                                         - Octavia Tenants Hall - Roof                                                     25

                                         - St Mary’s Primary School - Windows                                      32

                                         - Larkfield Primary School - Decoration                                        7.5

Accommodation Works     - Greenock Municipal Buildings - Refurbishment, 3rd floor          50

                                                                                                Refurbishment, 1st floor       15

                                                                                                                                         214.5

Community and Protective Services Committee

Boglestone Community Centre - Alterations                                                                       120         230

Economic Development Services Committee

Bus Shelters - Transfer allocation to SPTE                                                                             1               

TOTALS                                                                                                                          669.5      640

and;

(b)  That the contents of the report be noted.

 

   964      GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS 1999/2000                                                               964

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Executive Director Community and Protective Services requesting the Committee to consider making grants to a number of voluntary organisations.  The report advised that the budget for grants to voluntary organisations for 1999/2000 is £656,030 and due to grant allocations already committed there is a balance of £9,282.  The Committee agreed to accept an additional request for a grant from Crawfurdsburn Youth Club in the sum of £375.

DECIDED: That grants be made to the following voluntary organisations:-

Name of Organisation                                                                                Amount

                                                                                                                        £

Crawfurdsburn Youth Club                                                                              375

Gourock Park Playgroup                                                                                 500

Gibshill Sunshine Club                                                                                      250

Inverkip Church Pre-school Playgroup                                                             250

Wemyss Bay Mothers and Toddlers`                                                               250

St Mary’s Senior Citizens Club                                                                        250

Braeside Art Club                                                                                            100

27th Greenock Guides                                                                                  1,000

Greenock Art Club                                                                                          350

Inverclyde Youth Theatre                                                                              1,000

Greenock Ladies Speakers Club                                                                        50

Greenock Wanderers Rugby Football Club                                                   1,000

The Boys Brigade, Inverclyde and District Battalion                                          400

1st Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association              100

Renfrewshire Guide Association                                                                       250

Greenock & District Youth Football League                                                     500

Strathclyde Carers Forum                                                                                100

Strathclyde Elderly Forum                                                                                100

West of Scotland Senior Sports Association (Special Sports

Committee Budget)                                                                                          200

The Scottish National Federation for the Welfare of the Blind                             67

TOTAL                                                                                                      £7,092

 

   965      LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT                                                        965

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 September 1999 by the Chief Executive requesting the Committee to consider the process of responding to the report of the Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament (The McIntosh Commission).

DECIDED:  That it be remited to the Chief Executive to arrange meetings as appropriate to discuss a response to the report and that all Members be invited to attend the meetings.

   966      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                    966

 

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 items of business on the grounds that consideration of the items involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act as are set opposite each item.

 

Item                                                                                                                Paragraph(s)

Hector McNeil Baths/Balrossie School - Security Options                                8 & 12

Potential Claim - Greenock Waterfront Lands                                                  12

 

   967      HECTOR MCNEIL BATHS/BALROSSIE SCHOOL - SECURITY OPTIONS                                    967

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 September 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services following a remit from the Corporate Business Committee requesting that the Policy and Strategy Committee approve a supplementary revenue estimate of £62,000 for the purchase of CCTV equipment as a security measure for Hector McNeil Baths and Balrossie School.

DECIDED:  That it be remitted to the Executive Director Resource Services to examine alternative means of funding the request and to report back in due course.

 

   968      POTENTIAL CLAIM - GREENOCK WATERFRONT LANDS                                                           968

 

There was submitted a report by the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services on a potential claim in respect of the land at Greenock Waterfront and requesting the Committee to approve an additional Capital Allocation to cover costs in this connection and this was agreed, all as detailed in the Appendix.