Economic Development Services Committee

Tuesday 12 September 2000 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Provost Roach, Councillors Campbell, Hunter, Jackson, McGhee, Rebecchi and Robertson (Y).

Chair:  Councillor McGhee presided. 

In attendance:  Depute Chief Executive, Mr H McNeilly (for Director of Legal & Support Services), Mr J Aird (for Director of Resource Services), Head of Economic Development Service, Head of Planning Services, Head of Property Services and Head of Transportation and Roads Service.

Apologies:  Councillors Blair, McCormick and Morrison (M).

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

   795

Revenue Monitoring Report - Period 4

795

There was submitted a report dated 31 August 2000 by the Director of Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 2000/2001 as at 26 July 2000.

Decided:

(1)  that the Committees note that for the next cycle there will be a review of the payments to contractors and associated income; and

(2)  that the current position of the Revenue Budget be noted.

   796

Capital Programme 2000/2001 - Technical Progress

796

There was submitted a report dated 21 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 2000/2001.

Noted

   797

Capital Programme 2000/2001 - Technical Progress:  Transportation and Roads

797

There was submitted a report dated 22 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 2000/2001.

Noted

   798

Capital Programme 2000/2001 - Financial Position

798

There was submitted a report dated 24 August 2000 by the Director of Resource Services on the financial position of the Capital Programme 2000/2001.

Noted

   799

Pathways - Special Needs Training Project

799

There was submitted a report dated 21 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive on the outcome of discussion and correspondence with Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire on the consultation processes undertaken relative to discontinuation of the Pathways Project and to ensure effective consultation with the project partners in future.

Noted

   800

Events 2001/2002

800

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive (1) seeking approval for an events programme for 2001/2002 in terms of the Council’s Economic Strategy, (2) outlining maritime related and other event opportunities at an estimated cost of £125,000 excluding sponsorship or support from other agencies and advising that the Economic Development Service Revenue Budget contained an allocation of £60,000 for the promotion of events, (3) referring to the proposed monitoring and evaluation arrangements and (4) highlighting staffing implications and proposing the establishment of a dedicated tourism team from within existing Council resources.

Decided:

(1)  that the Committee approve an events programme, in line with that indicated within the report, and associated or complementary events as considered appropriate and that it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive to develop and implement the programme;

(2)  that an events team be established by the Depute Chief Executive to implement the events programme;

(3)  that it be recommended to the Policy and Strategy Committee, as a bid through the budget process, that an additional allocation of £65,000 be included in the base budget for 2001/2002 to support the events programme, with sponsorship and external funds being sought;

(4)  that it be recommended to the Policy and Strategy Committee, as a bid through the budget process, that an allocation of funds in the sum of £10,000 be approved in each of the financial years 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 in respect of pre event activities associated with the bid for the return of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races; and

(5)  that it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive to report to the Committee on a six monthly frequency on the progress of the agreed programme of events.

   801

Derelict Land Strategy:  Capital Plan

801

There was submitted a report dated 30 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive (1) indicating that agreement had been reached with Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire on the broad principles of a Derelict Land Strategy for Inverclyde, to be reported to Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire’s Board in October for formal endorsement and ratification, (2) outlining the rationale and key components relative to sites and categories over the short, medium and long terms, (3) detailing the financial implications and requesting the Council to commit to the Strategy by making provision within the Capital Plan which would be likely to secure partner participation, attract match funding through the European Structural Funds Single Programme 2000/2006 and attract private sector finance and (4) on the sequencing of projects within the schedule of priority sites for action agreed by the Committee at its meeting in September 1999 (para 926) which was likely to be determined by a number of factors including deliverabilityø.

Decided:  that the Committee approve in principle:-

(a)  the key components of the Derelict Land Strategy for Inverclyde outlined in the report, particularly in terms of the timescales set out in Section 3.0;

(b)  the proposal to establish a specific budget head in the Capital Plan for joint Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire/Council Derelict Land Strategy for Inverclyde;

(c)  the inclusion in the Capital Plan of the sum of £200,000 for the financial year 2001/2002, the sum of £300,000 for the financial year 2002/2003 and the sum of £500,000 for the financial year 2003/2004; and

(d)  to remit to the Heads of Planning and Economic Development Services to keep under review the operation of the Derelict Land Strategy and, in particular, the assessment of priority sites for funding.

   802

The Greenock Waterfront - East India Harbour Compulsory Purchase Orders

Nos 1 & 2

802

There was submitted a report dated 29 August 2000 by the Director of Legal & Support Services advising that at the public local inquiry held on 29 August 2000 to determine whether or not the Compulsory Purchase Orders in respect of 2 sites at East India Harbour should be confirmed by the Scottish Executive (1) the Solicitor for the landowner had requested that the inquiry be adjourned on the basis that, arising from minor discrepancies between the Compulsory Purchase Order Plans and Title Deed Plan, a further Compulsory Purchase Order would be required and (2) that the Reporter had agreed to adjournment.

Noted

   803

Winter Maintenance - Procedures and Resources Document 2000/2001

803

There was submitted a report dated 23 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive requesting the Committee to approve the Winter Maintenance Procedures and Resources Document 2000/2001, a copy of which was appended to the report.

Decided:

(1)  that the Winter Maintenance Procedures and Resources Document 2000/2001 be approved; and

(2)  that approval be given to the distribution as detailed in Appendix D of the document.

   804

Safer Routes to School - Additional Capital Consent

804

There was submitted a report dated 31 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive (1) advising of additional capital borrowing consent of £93,000 allocated to the Council on a one-off basis for the promotion of safer routes to school and (2) outlining a programme of measures to promote safer routes to school, all costs being contained within the additional allocation.

Decided:

(1)  that the course of action outlined in the report be approved; and

(2)  that it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive and the Head of Transportation and Roads Service to submit a further report on the outcome of the programme of measures to promote safer routes to school.

   805

Temporary Traffic Signs to Special Events

805

There was submitted a report dated 24 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive recommending the adoption of a policy for the provision of temporary traffic signs to special events. 

Decided:

(1)  that the Department of Transport advisory leaflet on “Provision of Temporary Traffic Signs to Special Events” be approved as Council policy; and

(2)  that it be remitted to the Head of Transportation and Roads Service to authorise signs in conformity with the advisory leaflet.

   806

Transportation and Roads Service’s 2000/2001 Capital Programme

806

There was submitted a report dated 24 August 2000 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking approval to (1) reschedule the projects within the Transportation and Roads Service’s Capital Programme as a result of emergency works required to Nittingshill and Belhaven Bridges and (2) vire funding from the Auchenfoyle Bridge project for the emergency repairs, design of permanent replacements and to meet a shortfall between the lowest tender and the original estimate for the private bridge assessment project, to be contained within the current capital allocation.

Decided:

(1)  that approval be given to the rescheduling of the Transportation and Roads Service’s capital projects as detailed in the report; and

(2)  that virements of funding from the Auchenfoyle Bridge project as detailed in the report be approved on the basis these are contained within the current capital allocation.

   807

Minute of Meeting of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority

807

There was submitted minute of meeting of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority of 2 June 2000.

Noted

It was agreed in terms of Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item on the ground that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 8 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

   808

DLO/DSO Revenue Monitoring Report - Period 4

808

There was submitted a report dated 31 August 2000 by the Director of Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 2000/2001 as at 26 July 2000.

Noted