761 KINGSTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE LANDSCAPING WORKS 761

ADDITIONAL WORKS

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking authority to issue an architect's instruction for additional works at Kingston Industrial Estate, comprising fencing, shrub beds and trees, in the sum of £11,000 excluding professional fees, the costs to be met within the existing budget.

DECIDED: That approval be given to the issue of an architect's instruction for additional works at Kingston Industrial Estate as detailed in the report.

762 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS: 762

TRANSPORTATION AND ROADS

SUBMITTED: Report dated 21 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

Councillor Moody was present and with consent spoke on the North/South Road, Port Glasgow traffic management/minor works project.

NOTED

763 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1999/2000 - FINANCIAL POSITION 763

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 July 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the current position of the Capital Programme 1999/2000.

NOTED

764 WEST OF SCOTLAND EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM 764

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the West of Scotland European Consortium, advising that Inverclyde Council had been elected as the host authority and that Councillor McGhee had been voted Chairman. It was reported that there were no financial implications for the Council.

DECIDED: That it be noted that Inverclyde Council is the host authority for the West of Scotland European Consortium.

765 PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE DISPLAY OF THE COMET REPLICA 765

SUBMITTED: Report by the Depute Chief Executive on the current position in respect of the restoration of the Comet replica and advising of proposals for the display of the vessel in the short and long terms.

Councillor Moody was present and with consent spoke on the matter.

After discussion, Councillor Morrison moved that the Committee (a) support the proposal to site the Comet at Braehead on a temporary basis in support of the Invest in Inverclyde campaign; and (b) pursue development gain from the Gallagher/Stamford development at Port Glasgow to facilitate the optimum final display of the Comet. As an amendment, Councillor Blair moved that it be remitted to the Acting Head of Economic Development to submit a further report to the Committee on the financial implications of re-siting the Comet replica and setting out options for possible sites in Port Glasgow in the first instance, failing which within Inverclyde. On a vote, 4 Members voted for the amendment and 5 for the motion which was declared carried. Those Members who had voted in favour of the amendment then requested, in terms of the relevant Standing Order, that the matter be referred to the Inverclyde Council for decision in terms of the amendment.

DECIDED:

C (a) That the Committee support the proposal to site the Comet at Braehead on a temporary C

basis in support of the Invest in Inverclyde campaign; and

(b) That it be remitted to the Acting Head of Economic Development to pursue development gain from the Gallagher/Stamford development at Port Glasgow to facilitate the optimum final display of the Comet.

766 DEPOPULATION STUDY 766

SUBMITTED: Report by the Depute Chief Executive on population decline in Inverclyde and seeking approval to invite expressions of interest from consultants to undertake a study and prepare an action plan to address the issue of depopulation in Inverclyde, at an estimated cost of £20,000. The report indicated that there was no budget provision for the study but that funding would be sought from public and private sector agencies.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Acting Head of Economic Development be instructed to invite notifications of interest in the provision of a research study with the objective of preparing an action plan to arrest and reverse population decrease in Inverclyde;

(b) That the Acting Head of Economic Development be instructed to investigate additional sources of funding for the proposal including Renfrewshire Enterprise and other public and private sector agencies; and

(c) That it be remitted to the Acting Head of Economic Development to submit a further report with a detailed study brief and information on the contributions available from public and private sector agencies for consideration by the Committee with a view to submitting a bid for funding to the Policy and Strategy Committee for approval.

767 A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY TO STABILISE INVERCLYDE'S POPULATION: 767

UPDATE ON CORPORATE INITIATIVE AND NEXT STAGES

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive with regard to population decline in Inverclyde and advising of representations made on behalf of the Council to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan Joint Committee. The agreement of the Committee was sought in respect of a presentation being made to all Members on the conclusions reached on a Development Strategy for the Local Plan, First Review following a series of meetings involving the relevant Council services and the Council's partners.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee welcome and approve in principle the initiative taken by the Planning Service with the Structure Plan Manager and the timeous recommendations agreed by the Joint Committee to address the recommendations of the Committee to pursue amendments to the Structure Plan to facilitate the Authorities in the Structure Plan area to pursue strategies at least to arrest population decline;

(b) That it be remitted to the Chief Planning Officer to undertake the required further technical work with the Structure Plan Manager and the preparation of a further joint report for the next meeting of the Joint Committee, in accordance with the recommendations agreed by the Joint Committee at its meeting on 21 June 1999, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report; and

(c) That the Chief Planning Officer make a presentation to all Members, on a date to be arranged, on the conclusions reached on a Development Strategy for the Local Plan, First Review, Final Draft which will assist in reversing population decline in Inverclyde.

768 THE REPLACEMENT GLASGOW AND CLYDE VALLEY JOINT STRUCTURE PLAN: 768 CONSULTATIVE DRAFT, 1999

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive requesting the Committee to ratify the Replacement Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan, Consultative Draft approved by the Structure Plan Joint Committee for consultation purposes and outlining the consultative process, the Structure Plan’s relationship to the Inverclyde Local Plan, the main elements of the Replacement Structure Plan and the timetable for progress.

The report indicated that, in view of the timetable for progress with the Final Draft of the Local Plan and the Corporate Initiative on population decline, the Council would be in a position to respond to the Structure Plan Consultative Draft. This was particularly important given that the format of the new Structure Plan would be fundamentally different from that of previous Structure Plans.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Committee affirm the aims, guiding principles and strategic vision and, in principle, the broad direction of the Metropolitan Development Strategy of the Replacement Structure Plan, Consultative Draft 1999; and

(b) That the Replacement Structure Plan be approved for consultation purposes.

769 AYRSHIRE JOINT STRUCTURE PLAN : A RESPONSE TO THE FINAL DRAFT 769

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the publication of the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan - Final Draft 1999 and advising of the issues raised in the Plan which may affect Inverclyde.

DECIDED: That the Committee note the terms of the report and welcome the publication of the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan - Final Draft 1999 and the prospect of continued co-operation between the authorities on matters of mutual concern.

770 SCOTTISH OFFICE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 9/1999: 770

INDICATIVE FORESTRY STRATEGIES

SUBMITTED: Report dated 15 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the publication of Scottish Development Department Circular 9/1999 - Indicative Forestry Strategies and highlighting issues of particular significance.

DECIDED: That the terms of the report be noted and that the Committee confirm its support for the general provisions of the Circular.

771 FORESTS FOR SCOTLAND - CONSULTATION TOWARDS A SCOTTISH 771

FORESTRY STRATEGY

SUBMITTED: Report dated 20 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the publication of the Forestry Commission document, Forests for Scotland - Consultation Towards a Scottish Forestry Strategy, and appending comments on the document submitted on behalf of the Council.

DECIDED: That the terms of the report and the response on behalf of the Council in respect of the Forestry Commission document, Forests for Scotland - Consultation Towards a Scottish Forestry Strategy, be noted.

772 PROPOSED STOPPING-UP OF ROAD : BURNHEAD ROAD, PORT GLASGOW 772

SUBMITTED: Report dated 23 July 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services advising that, following the decision of the Planning & Traffic Management Sub-Committee at the meeting held on 3 March 1999 (Para 265(c)) to instigate the stopping-up procedure for Burnhead Road, Port Glasgow in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, no objections had been received following advertisement of the proposals.

DECIDED: That the Stopping-Up of Roads, Inverclyde (Burnhead Road, Port Glasgow) Order 1999 be confirmed and that the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services be authorised to take all necessary action in connection with the Order.

773 ROAD NAMING 773

SUBMITTED: Report dated 16 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on a proposal that a section of roadway from the junction at Pennytersal Arch to the A761 (Kilmacolm to Port Glasgow Road) currently signposted as Auchentiber Road be renamed Auchenbothie Road.

Councillor Calvert was present and with consent spoke on the matter.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Chief Planning Officer, in consultation with the Director of Central Services, to advertise the proposal in accordance with Section 97 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and to report to the Committee on the results of the advertisement.

774 ROAD WIDENING - KIRN DRIVE, GOUROCK 774

ACCESS TO MOORFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 July 1999 by the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services on a request received from Councillor White relative to road widening at Kirn Drive and improved access to Moorfoot Primary School.

Councillor White was present and spoke on the matter.

DECIDED: That it be remitted to the Director of Transportation and Roads to report to the Committee on the traffic situation in the vicinity of Moorfoot Primary School, together with details of the cost implications of any works proposed.

775 ROAD ADOPTIONS 775

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of additions to Inverclyde’s list of public roads in accordance with the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

NOTED

776 MINUTES OF MEETINGS OF STRATHCLYDE PASSENGER TRANSPORT AUTHORITY 776

SUBMITTED: Minutes of meetings of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority of 3 and 25 June 1999.

DECIDED: That consideration of the minutes be continued to the next meeting of the Committee.

777 CENTRAL GOUROCK DEVELOPMENT 777

SUBMITTED: Report dated 6 August 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive, together with a number of Appendices, relative to the central Gourock development and seeking the nomination of a preferred developer.

The report advised of the background to the selection of a shortlist of 4 developers, comprising the EDI Group Ltd, Alexander George & Company (Investments) Ltd, Heritage Scotland Ltd and one other company which subsequently had decided not to proceed with a submission, and provided a detailed assessment of the proposals received from each developer by the closing date of 22 June 1999. The developers’ proposals had been considered and reviewed at meetings throughout July and August by Officers of the Gourock Partners (Inverclyde Council, Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd and Railtrack plc) and the Central Gourock Redevelopment Working Group comprising Members and Officers and representatives from the other Partners.

It was noted that each of the shortlisted developers had participated in the full public consultation process, the timescale for which had been determined by the timescale for the submission of a Public Transport Fund bid. The responses to the consultation had been made available for public inspection and had been taken into account by the Working Group during its consideration of the developers’ proposals.

Representations from Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd and Railtrack plc were appended to the report and Mr G McKenzie and Mr C Gillies, Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, and

Mr A Macmillan and Mr E Freeman, Railtrack plc, were present.

The Convener referred to the Working Group meeting held on 5 August 1999 and reported that it had been unanimously agreed to recommend the nomination of Alexander George & Company (Investments) Ltd as the preferred developer for the central Gourock development, it being noted that the developer would be required to be flexible and to work closely with the Gourock Partners and that financial checking and the developing of guarantees, or similar, to ensure deliverability of the overall project with the developer would be required.

DECIDED:

(a) That the terms of the report and the Members Working Group recommendation in respect of the nomination of a preferred developer for the central Gourock development be noted;

(b) That the Committee confirms the nomination of Alexander George & Company (Investments) Ltd as the preferred developer for the central Gourock development; and

(c) That it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive to submit the bid for the Public Transport Fund as soon as possible and no later than the deadline of 16 August 1999.

778 RESOLUTION : EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 778

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)

Year 2001 Trunk Road Contract(s) 10

Revenue Budget 1999/2000 -

Monitoring Report: Roads DLO and

Cleaning DSO 8

779 YEAR 2001 TRUNK ROAD CONTRACT(S) 779

SUBMITTED: Report dated 23 July 1999 by the Depute Chief Executive on the trunk road contracts held by the South West Partnership and Clyde Local Authority Consortium, in respect of which the Council is a member of each, and the contractual and professional services provided by the Council to the Scottish Executive and seeking authority for the Council to continue as a member of the appropriate local authority consortium/partnership to compete for the proposed 2001 trunk road contract(s).

DECIDED:

(a) That the terms of the report be noted;

(b) That agreement be given to the Council forming a partnership with other local authorities to match the requirements of the new contract(s);

(c) That authority be delegated to the Director of Transportation and Roads and the appropriate Officer of the Council to sign the relevant Forms of Agreement for appropriate local authority consortia/partnerships established in relation to the 2001 trunk road contract(s);

(d) That authority be delegated to the Director of Transportation and Roads in liaison with the Executive Director Resource Services to agree the pricing strategy for tender submissions; and

(e) That authority be delegated to the Director of Transportation and Roads to provide such assistance as considered necessary to complete the tender submissions.

780 REVENUE BUDGET 1999/2000 - MONITORING REPORT: ROADS DLO AND CLEANING 780

DSO

SUBMITTED: Report dated 22 July 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the position of the Roads DLO and Cleaning DSO Revenue Budget 1999/2000 as at 23 June 1999. NOTED