POLICY AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

 

THURSDAY 16 DECEMBER 1999 - 3.00 pm

 

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

 

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

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Provost Roach and Councillor Mulholland.

 

1273      ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM                                                                                                           1273

 

The Director of Central Services referred to a report by the Director of Legal and Support Services advising of the decision of the Community and Protective Services Committee to cease offering the use of sunbeds currently provided in Council leisure facilities and requesting that the Committee consider the necessary budget adjustment to take account of this decision.

The Convener indicated that consideration of the item was urgent in view of the need to adjust present and future budgets as soon as possible and moved that the item be added to the Agenda.  This was unanimously agreed in terms of the relevant Standing Order.

 

1274      MOBILE TELEPHONE BASE TRANSMITTERS                                                                                1274

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 14 October 1999 by the Director of Community and Protective Services with regard to the siting of mobile telephone base transmitters on Council owned buildings and the potential health risks associated with these installations.  Following discussion Councillor Rebecchi moved that no further mobile telephone base transmitters be permitted on Council property.  As an amendment Councillor Jackson moved that mobile telephone base transmitters continue to be permitted on Council owned property but that the conditions outlined in paragraph 10.6 of the report be included in the Council’s policy when permission is granted to operators to site such a transmitter.  On a vote 2 Members voted for the motion and 8 for the amendment which was declared carried.

DECIDED:  That mobile telephone base transmitters continue to be permitted on Council owned buildings but that the conditions outlined in paragraph 10.6 of the report be included in the Council’s policy when permission is granted to operators to site such a transmitter.

1275      BROWN STREET/BAXTER STREET REFURBISHMENT PHASE 3:  GRANT TO                           1275

              OWNER OCCUPIERS                                                                                                                                

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services on a request from the Social Work and Housing Committee to provide £79,000 from the Non-HRA Capital Programme 2000/2001 to fund anticipated grants to owner occupiers included in Phase 3 of the refurbishment works at Brown Street/Baxter Street, Greenock.

DECIDED:  That the request be agreed.

 

1276      MILLENNIUM BIG BAND SUPPER DANCE                                                                                    1276

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 7 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services on a request from the Community and Protective Services Committee that the Millennium Big Band Supper Dance event be approved and that a contribution of £1,700 be made from the Common Good Fund towards the cost of holding the event.

DECIDED:  That the request be agreed.

 

1277      REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000 - MONITORING REPORT: CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S                       1277

              OFFICE                                                                                                                                                        

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 December 1999 by the Director of Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 for the Chief Executive’s Office as at 13 October 1999.

NOTED

 

1278      REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000 - SUMMARY                                                                                   1278

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 26 November 1999 by the Director of Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1999/2000 as at 13 October 1999.

NOTED

 

1279      REVENUE BUDGET 2000/2001 AND ONWARDS - APPROACH                                                   1279

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 1 December 1999 by the Chief Executive outlining the approach to the Revenue Budget and progress made to date. 

DECIDED:  That the contents of the report be noted and that the approach to the budget be approved.

 

1280      2000/2001 REVENUE BUDGET PROGRESS                                                                                      1280

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Director of Resource Services advising of the progress to date against the 2000/2001 Revenue Budget. The Director of Resource Services advised that based on the latest information received from the Scottish Executive the estimated savings requirement for 2000/2001 was now approximately £3,000,000 rather than £4,000,000 identified in the report.

NOTED

 

1281      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000:  TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                     1281

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 19 November 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

 

1282      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000:  FINANCIAL POSITION                                                       1282

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 24 November 1999 by the Director of Resource Services on the financial position of the current and proposed projects in both the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000 and the Social Inclusion Partnership 1999/2000.

NOTED

 

1283      NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000                                                                               1283

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 25 November 1999 by the Director of 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 £2,096,000.  The total projected spend on current legal commitments was £8,772,000 and there was an additional estimated spend of £1,606,000 following authorisation of projects agreed by the Committee, the total being approximately £1,467,000 more than the current estimated allocation.  The report, however, further advised that the City of Edinburgh Council had provisionally agreed to swap £1,000,000 allocation with Inverclyde Council between 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 and this would assist significantly in addressing the projected overspend.

NOTED

 

1284      GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION - PROPOSAL FOR HOLOCAUST                                          1284

              REMEMBRANCE DAY                                                                                                                              

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services advising that the Government has asked the Council for its views on a proposal for a Holocaust Remembrance Day to be held in the UK.

DECIDED:  That it be remitted to the Director of Legal and Support Services to advise the Government of the views held by Members.

 

1285      PARTNERSHIP CO-ORDINATOR                                                                                                     1285

 

SUBMITTED:  Report by the Director of Community and Protective Services on Partnership developments and requesting that the Committee approve the recommendations made by the Partnership Forum.  The Director of Community and Protective Services drew to the attention of Members that negotiations with the James Watt College were proceeding on the basis of the lease of premises rent free for a period of 6 years rather than a 3 year period as indicated in the report.

DECIDED: 

(a)  That the extensions to the existing contracts of the support team to March 2003 be approved and that the Director of Personnel Services be remitted to make the necessary arrangements;

(b)  That the arrangements currently underway to review the 11 projects be noted;

(c)  That the existing Council representatives on the Urban Programme Panel be nominated as members of the new Key Fund Management Group;

(d)  That the new Capital Project Funding applications as set out in the report be agreed; and

(e)  That the intention to prepare area profiles and area renewal studies as well as to participate in future citizens juries and peoples panel programmes be noted and a further report on the profiles and studies be made to the Committee in due course.

 

1286      PROVISION OF SUNBED SERVICES                                                                                               1286

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services requesting the Committee to consider the implications of the decision of the Community and Protective Services Committee to remove sunbeds from the Leisure facilities within the area.

DECIDED:  That in view of the decision of the Community and Protective Services Committee the necessary budget adjustments in the current year and in the estimates for the financial year 2000/2001 be made.

 

1287      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                  1287

 

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)

Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000: Greenock Waterfront

Leisure Complex - Provision for Fees of Technical Consultants                         6 & 8

Empty Homes Initiative - Proposed Supported Accommodation

Project                                                                                                            8 & 9

Economic Development Service:  Review of Structure                                      1

Gourock Pool Essential Mechanical Plant Replacement                                    8

Minute of Special Waterfront Working Group                                                  6

 

1288      NON-HRA CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000:  GREENOCK WATERFRONT                           1288

              PROVISION FOR FEES OF TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS                                                                   

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 1 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services on a request from the Special Waterfront Working Group that an initial allocation in the sum of £100,000 from the Non-HRA Capital Programme 1999/2000 be made to cover the costs of continuing services from external consultants and the provision in the Capital Plan to cover the cost of additional consultancy fees in the sum of £100,000 be made for each of the years 2000/2001 and 2001/2002.

DECIDED:  That the request be agreed.

 

1289      EMPTY HOMES INITIATIVE PROPOSED SUPPORTED ACCOMMODATION                            1289

              PROJECT                                                                                                                                                     

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services following a request from the Social Work and Housing Committee for the Policy and Strategy Committee to make an in principle commitment to underwrite the revenue costs which would be provided for the first 3 years of the project by the National Lottery Charities Board (NLCB) in the event that after this period the funding cannot be secured from alternative sources including the NLCB, the estimated revenue requirement being £250,000 per annum from 2003/2004 should it not be possible to secure funding from alternative sources.

DECIDED:  That the request be agreed.

 

1290      ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICE: REVIEW OF STRUCTURE                                            1290

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 3 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services on a request from the Corporate Business Committee for the Policy and Strategy Committee to consider the financial implications of implementing proposals to make revisions to the staffing structure of the Economic Development Service amounting to £21,774 including employer’s contributions.

DECIDED:  That the additional costs of £21,774 to implement the review of the structure be approved.

 

1291      GOUROCK POOL ESSENTIAL MECHANICAL PLANT REPLACEMENT                                    1291

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 7 December 1999 by the Director of Legal and Support Services on a request from the Community and Protective Services Committee for the Policy and Strategy Committee to make funding available in the sum of £47,000 from the Non-HRA Capital Programme to allow the essential mechanical plant replacement at Gourock Pool to be made.

DECIDED:  That the request for the sum of £47,000 be included within the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

 

1292     MINUTE OF SPECIAL WATERFRONT WORKING GROUP                                                          1292

 

SUBMITTED:  Minute of meeting of the Special Waterfront Working Group held on 29 November 1999.

NOTED