Community Committee

Thursday 4 May 2006 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Councillors Fyfe, Hill, Hunter, McCormick (M), Moran, Roach,  Robertson, Stewart and Tucker.

Chair:  Councillor Stewart presided.

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In attendance:  Director of Community Services, Mr H McNeilly (for Solicitor to the Council), Mr M Thomson (for Chief Financial Officer),  Head of Environmental & Consumer Services,  Head of Grounds, Transport & Cleansing Services, Community Support Services Manager and Libraries Manager.

Apologies: Councillor White.

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

345

Performance Management Information - 1 April 2005 to 30 September 2005

345

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services providing performance management information in respect of Community Services for the period 1 April 2005 to 30 September 2005.

(Councillors Roach and Hunter entered the meeting during consideration of this item of business).

Noted

346

Use of Powers Delegated to the Chief Executive

346

There was submitted a report dated 12 April 2006 by the Solicitor to the Council advising of the use of the powers delegated to the Chief Executive since the last ordinary meeting of the Committee (1) to appoint contractors for BNSF/CRF additional street lighting works; (2) to authorise the purchase of CCTV equipment as an extension to the Invervision project, funded through the BNSF; and (3) to appoint a sole contractor to deliver courses in respect of the Young People’s Leadership Academy, funded through the BNSF.

Noted

347

Capital Programme 2005/06 to 2007/08 - Progress

347

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services on the current position of the Capital Programme 2005/06 to 2007/08.

Noted

348

Inverclyde Young Scot/Dialogue Youth

348

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services on the progress of the Inverclyde Young Scot and Dialogue Youth Initiative launched on 14 February 2005.

Decided:

(1)   that the report be noted; and

(2)   that the Committee give its support to the continued development of the Inverclyde Young Scot and Dialogue Youth Initiative on a local basis.

349

Adult Learners Event 2006

349

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services providing information on the Community Services Adult Learners main event entitled “Learners’ Showcase 2006” at which the “plain English” version of the Community Learning and Development Strategy for Inverclyde would be launched.

Decided:

(1)   that the report be noted; and

(2)   that agreement be given to the launch of the “plain English” version of the Community Learning and Development strategy at the Learners’ Showcase event on 24 May 2006.

350

Refuse Collection Service: Commercial Waste - Business Plan 2006 - 2009

350

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services appending the Refuse Collection Service: Commercial Waste Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009.

Decided:

(1)   that the Refuse Collection Service: Commercial Waste Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009 and Action Plan be approved;

(2)   that approval be given to the indicators selected for performance reporting and the reporting of the Commercial Waste account in a separate budget; and

(3)   that the Business Plan be referred to the Best Value and Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

351

Refuse Collection Service - Business Plan 2006 - 2009

351

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services appending the Refuse Collection Service Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009.

Decided:

(1)   that the Refuse Collection Service Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009 and Action Plan be approved;

(2)   that approval be given to the indicators selected for performance reporting;

(3)   that the proposal to merge the Refuse Collection trading account with the Refuse Collection client budget be approved; and

(4) that the Business Plan be referred to the Best Value and Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

352

Burial and Cremation - Business Plan 2006 - 2009

352

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services appending the Burial and Cremation Business Plan 2006 - 2009.

Decided:

(1)   that the Burial and Cremation Business Plan 2006-2009 be approved; and

(2)   that the Business Plan be referred to the Best Value and Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

353

Education and Welfare Catering - Business Plan 2006 - 2009

353

There was submitted a report dated 9 April 2006 by the Director of Community Services appending the Education and Welfare Catering Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009.

Decided:

(1)   that the Education and Welfare Catering Draft Business Plan 2006 - 2009 be approved;

(2)   that Councillors Tucker and Robertson be appointed to the short-term working group to be established to carry out a full review of the contract specification of Education, Welfare and Other Catering Services with a view to implementing the results of that review by August 2006 and that approval be given to the establishment of a technical working group to address the required financial restructure of the service;

(3)   that delegated authority be granted to the Director of Community Services and the Head of Personnel Services in consultation with the Chief Executive, to establish a new Principal Officer post within the catering service to meet the demands of the review process and future management of the service; and

(4)   that the Business Plan be referred to the Best Value and Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

354

Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service Plan 2006 - 2007

354

There was submitted a report dated 9 April 2006 by the Director of Community Services appending the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service Plan 2006 - 2007.

Decided:

(1)   that the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service Plan 2006 - 2007 be approved; and

(2)   that the Service Plan be referred to the Best Value and Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

355

The Registration of Private Sector Landlords

355

There was submitted a report date 8 April 2006 by the Director of Community Services advising that the Anti-Social Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004 made provision for the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for private sector landlords and that from 30 April 2006, it was an offence to offer a property for let unless both the landlord and the property were registered with the local authority.

Decided:

(1)   that the Committee note and approve the measures taken to implement the registration scheme for private sector landlords;

(2)   that the Committee delegate to the Head of Environmental and Consumer Services the powers of entry, inspection, seizure, service of notices, registration, refusal of registration and removal from the register, all under the Anti-Social Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004, as detailed in the appendix to the report;

(3)   that the Committee delegate to the Head of Environmental and Consumer Services the authorisation of suitably qualified officers to carry out the powers of entry, inspection, seizure and service of notices under the Anti-Social Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004, as detailed in the appendix to the report; and

(4)   that the Committee delegate to the Director of Community Services, in terms of Section 69 of the cAnti-Social Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004, the power to review the service of an Anti-Social Behaviour Notice under Section 68 of that Act.

356

Contaminated Land - Detailed Quantitative Risk Assessment of Council Owned Sites

356

There was submitted a report dated 7 April 2006 by the Director of Community Services providing details of two sites within the Council’s ownership on which levels of potentially harmful contamination had been identified and the steps which require to be taken to determine the future treatment of these sites in terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Decided:

(1)   that it be noted that ground at Gibshill, Greenock and the Wellington Street Allotments had been identified as having potentially harmful levels of contamination;

(2)   that the approach taken and proposals for progressing the issue as detailed in the report be approved; and

(3) that it be remitted to the Director of Community Services to submit a further report once the results of the detailed quantitative risk assessments for the sites and further information on the likely grant position were available.

357

Anti-Social Behaviour Update

357

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Services on the progress made in respect of the provision of anti-social behaviour services in Inverclyde.

Noted