Economic Regeneration Committee

Tuesday 5 November 2002 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Provost Roach, Councillors Blair, Calvert, Campbell, Jackson, Hill, McCormick and McGhee.

Chair:  Councillor McGhee presided. 

In attendance:  Depute Chief Executive, Miss M McKnight (for Director of Legal & Support Services), Mr M Thomson (for Director of Finance), Head of Planning Services, Head of Property Services and Head of Transportation and Roads Service.

Apologies:  Councillors Morrison (M), O'Rourke and Robertson (Y).

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

885

Revenue Budget 2002/03 - Period 6

885

There was submitted a report dated 9 October 2002 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 2002/03 as at Period 6 (18 September 2002).

Noted

886

Capital Programme 2002/03 to 2003/04 - Progress

886

There was submitted a report dated 17 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive on the progress of the Capital Programme 2002/03 to 2003/04.

(Councillors Blair and Jackson entered the meeting during consideration of this item of business).

Noted

887

Virement Request - URBAN II Development Funding

887

There was submitted a report by the Depute Chief Executive seeking approval to vire funding from revenue budget allocations within the Economic Development Service to establish a development fund to be used as match funding for URBAN II eligible projects.

Decided:  that approval be given to the establishment of an URBAN II development fund and that an initial allocation of resources to the fund be vired from the Economic Development Service Revenue Budgets for business development (£30,000), physical development (£30,000) and training and human resource development (£20,000), together with a Capital Programme allocation from the existing Invest in Inverclyde resources (£20,000), on the basis of an earmarked reserve for year end accounting purposes.

888

Renfrewshire Local Plan - Finalised Version

888

There was submitted a report dated 21 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive on the publication of the Renfrewshire Local Plan (Finalised Version), updating the Committee on issues the Council commented on at the Consultative Draft stage and informing the Committee of new issues raised by the Finalised Version.

Decided:  that Renfrewshire Council be (i) advised that Inverclyde Council does not intend to submit any objections in respect of the Finalised Version of the Plan and (ii) requested to keep Inverclyde Council fully informed of any progress regarding plans for the future development of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Bishopton.

889

Street Naming - Former Bridge of Weir Hospital Site

889

There was submitted a report dated 22 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive on the proposed naming of streets within the residential development at the former Bridge of Weir hospital site.

Decided:  that the names Laurel Way, Juniper Avenue and Cypress Grove as shown on the plan appended to the report be adopted.

890

Road Adoptions

890

There was submitted a report dated 17 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of additions to Inverclyde's list of public roads in accordance with the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

Noted

891

Network Rail Owned Bridges - Second Tranche of Assessments

891

There was submitted a report dated 24 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking approval to enter into a further agreement with Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) for the assessment of the load carrying capacity of Network Rail owned bridges at a total estimated cost of £60,000 over three years, the current year costs being approximately £17,000, all costs being contained within the Transportation & Roads Service's current and future years capital allocation.

Decided:

(1)      that it be remitted to the Depute Chief Executive to commission Network Rail to undertake the second tranche of private rail bridge assessments on behalf of the Council;  and

(2)      that it be remitted to the Head of Transportation & Roads Service to grant approval to accept the appropriate tender bid received by Network Rail for the second tranche of private rail bridge assessments.

892

Concessionary Travel - National Minimum Standards and National Blind Scheme

892

There was submitted a report dated 17 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive on the introduction of the national minimum standard for concessionary travel on 30 September 2002 and changes to the national blind schemeÞ, together with the financial implications.

Noted

893

Road Safety Unit Progress Report - April 2002 to September 2002

893

There was submitted a report dated 21 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive on the work undertaken by the Road Safety Unit relative to schools' activities, cycling, publicity, the schools' working group, liaison activities and school crossing patrols during the period April 2002 to September 2002.

Decided:

(1)      that the terms of the report be noted;  and

(2)      that the Head of Transportation and Roads Service express thanks on behalf of the Committee to the Road Safety Officers for the work undertaken by them.

894

Routes to School Projects

894

There was submitted a report dated 7 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66(a) to accept rates from Prismo Ltd up to the value of £35,000 to carry out works in relation to the Routes to School project.

Noted

895

Risk Assessments of School Crossing Patrol Sites

895

There was submitted a report dated 21 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking approval to vire funding from the Transportation & Roads Service manual employees budget line to allow site specific risk assessments of school crossing patrol sites to be carried out and to allow the purchase of additional uniforms and equipment for school crossing patrollers.

Decided:

(1)      that the virement of £12,000 from the manual employee costs budget line to the other expenditure - external consultants budget line to enable the carrying out of employee workplace risk assessments for school crossing patrol sites be approved;

(2)      that the virement of £3,000 from the manual employee costs budget line to the supplies and services - equipment school crossing patrollers budget line to allow the purchase of additional uniforms and equipment for school crossing patrollers be approved;  and

(3)      that the virement of £3,000 from the manual employee costs budget line to the other expenditure budget line to allow increased health and safety training be approved.

896

Membership of WESTRANS

896

There was submitted a report dated 21 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive recommending that the Committee approve membership of WESTRANS, the West of Scotland Transport Partnership½, formed in 1998 by local authorities disaggregated from the former Strathclyde Regional Council for the benefit of constituent authorities with regard to transport matters of common interest.  The report indicated that membership costs would be contained within the Transportation & Roads Service's revenue budget.

Decided:

(1)      that approval be given to membership of WESTRANS and the draft Minute of Agreement appended to the report;  and

(2)      that the Inverclyde Council be requested to nominate a member and depute member to represent the Council on WESTRANS.

897

Minute of Meeting of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority

897

There was submitted minute of meeting of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority of 2 August 2002.

Noted

It was agreed in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the following items on the grounds that the business 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)

Installation of Permanent Traffic Counters

Permission to Negotiate with Sole Contractor                                           6 and 8

DLO/DSO Performance Reports - Roads Direct and Cleaning                8

898

Installation of Permanent Traffic Counters

Permission to Negotiate with Sole Contractor

898

There was submitted a report dated 25 October 2002 by the Depute Chief Executive seeking permission to negotiate with a sole contractor to supply and install permanent traffic counters at various sites, at an estimated cost of £7,500.

Decided:

(1)      that it be remitted to the Head of Transportation & Roads Service to negotiate and accept rates from the firm detailed in the report for the supply and installation of traffic counting equipment;  and

(2)      that it be remitted to the Head of Transportation & Roads Service to submit a report to the next meeting of the Committee detailing the number of vehicle journeys in and out of Inverclyde.

899

DLO/DSO Performance Reports - Roads Direct and Cleaning

899

There was submitted a report dated 11 October 2002 by the Director of Finance providing information on the performance of the Roads Direct DLO and Cleaning DSO for the period to 18 September 2002.Æ

Decided:

(1)      that the current position with regard to the performance targets be noted;  and

(2)      that it be noted that the business plan targets and key performance measures will be further developed as a result of the approval of the business plans in due course.