Agenda and minutes

Venue: Eaglesham House, Rothesay

Contact: Adele Price-Williams - 01546 604392 

Items
Note No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

There were apologies for absence intimated on behalf of Councillor Audrey Forrest and Councillor Gordon Blair.

 

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

Councillor Alan Reid declared a non-financial interest at item 10 - Clachan Flats Wind Farm Trust as a board member of the Cairndow Windfarm Trust.  As the item was for noting only he remained in the room for the entirety of the item.

 

Councillor Jim Findlay raised a non-financial interest at item 12 - Rothesay Pavilion Progress Report as a board member of Rothesay Pavilion Charity Committee. Councillor Findlay advised this was a council appointed position and remained in the room for the entirety of the item.

3.

MINUTES

3a

Bute and Cowal Area Committee 4 June 2019 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee held on Tuesday 4 June 2019 were approved as a correct record.

3b

Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group 6 August 2019 (For Noting) pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Bute and Cowal Community Planning Group meeting held on Tuesday 6 August 2019 were noted.

4.

PUBLIC AND COUNCILLOR QUESTION TIME

Minutes:

1.    Councillor Jim Findlay asked for a status update in relation to two issues he currently has raised through Casebook;

 

a)    Castle Street, Port Bannatyne, specifically the length of the street that requires to be repaired and resurfaced and the drains, gullies and pavements that require to be cleaned; and

 

b)    Stuart Street, Rothesay, specifically a request for a speed bump or similar to be installed for public safety reasons.

 

Councillor Len Scoullar informed the Committee that he had previously been advised by Officers that speed bumps can be dangerous and asked that the possibility of a 20mph speed limit and options to widen Stuart Street be explored as previously mentioned to him by Officers.

 

2.    Robert MacIntyre, Bute Community Council; spoke on behalf of Charlene Wood, a resident of Stuart Street who had some concerns regarding the dangers of living in the area due to the problems with the road and road users and confirmed that they had been in correspondence with the Technical Officer. Ms Wood spoke about her concerns due to the state of the road and the dangers presented when tourists exit from the museum and walk in the street as the pavements are too narrow and wanted to know when actioned would be taken.

 

Mr MacIntyre also raised concerns about the growth of Japanese knotweed not being dealt with despite a plan being in place to treat the weeds which was due to be implemented by mid-August and asked when this would be addressed. 

 

The Chair explained that he was aware that there were staffing issues but he would raise the issue on Casebook.

 

3.    The Committee heard from several members of the public about their concerns that the swimming pool remaining closed.

 

Councillor Scoullar advised that the delay in opening was a result of the deterioration in steel found in the roof. Councillor Yvonne McNeilly advised that she would speak to the Head of Commercial Services about this.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee agreed:-

 

1.    that the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, would write to the Head of Service for Roads and Amenity Services to request a meeting to discuss the concerns in relation  to Castle Street and Stuart Street outlined by the constituent and Members; and

 

2.    the Chair would log a case on Casebook in relation to the treatment of Japanese knotweed on Bute.

5.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW - AREA SCORECARD pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Area Scorecard report for Financial Quarter 1 of

2019-2020 (April - June 2019) which illustrated the agreed performance measures.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee;

 

1.    noted the performance presented on the Scorecard and supporting commentary;

 

2.    noted that upon receipt of the quarterly performance report the Area Committee Members could contact either the Performance Improvement Officer or the responsible named officer with any queries; and

 

3.    noted that work was ongoing and to respond to the Performance Improvement Officer with requests or comments regarding the layout and format of the report and scorecard.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services dated 3 September 2019, submitted)

6.

ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE REVENUE AND CAPITAL UPDATE pdf icon PDF 81 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing an update on the Roads and Infrastructure Services operational capital and revenue matters in the Bute and Cowal area.

 

Discussion focused on delays in grass cutting schedules and the level of cleanliness of the streets were down to operational difficulties with staffing issues.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee agreed to note the contents of the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated August 2019, submitted)

The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed, to take items out of sequence on the agenda in order to facilitate Officers.  The order of business was discussed as recorded in this minute.

7.

BUTE AND COWAL FESTIVE LIGHTING - ALLOCATION OF REMAINING FUNDS pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report which presented the final step in the community festive lighting handover in Bute and Cowal with the proposed allocation of the remaining festive funds.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee;

 

1.    thanked the Project Manager for his hard work and effort put into the project;

 

2.    endorsed the significant amount of work undertaken by the Council’s street lighting team in developing community handover arrangements in Bute and Cowal; and

 

3.    agreed the allocation of remaining funds of £11,557 as set out in the table below;

 

Town/village

Funding available

Dunoon

6,807

Rothesay

2764

Innellan

662

Sandbank

662

Port Bannatyne

662

TOTAL

11,557

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated 7 August 2019, submitted)

8.

RECYCLING PERFORMANCE pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which explained that Argyll and Bute Council is both a waste collection and waste disposal authority with some recycling collections carried out by third sector groups.  With respect to recording statistics Members noted that recycling, composting and recovery (i.e. other landfill diversion) are reported quarterly within the council’s performance system Pyramid and statutory returns to SEPA such as licensed site tonnage, landfill tax and waste data flow vary.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee noted the details outlined within the report and the national policy drivers that would likely impact over the next few years.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated 3 September 2019, submitted)

9.

MONITORING OF THE SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES FUND 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Report by Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report providing monitoring information on the grants distributed through the Supporting Communities Fund 2018/19.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee agreed;

 

1.    to note the positive contribution of the grants to community projects detailed in the section 4 of the report; and

 

2.    that the unspent funds of £3,929 be carried forward to be included in funds available for dispersal in 2020/21.

 

(Reference: Report by Chief Executive dated 8 July 2019, submitted)

10.

CLACHAN FLATS WIND FARM TRUST pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility Legal and Regulatory Support

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report on the work undertaken by the wind

farm trust set up at Clachan Flats (Cairndow) in accordance with consented developments, in order that Members may be brought up to date on the work undertaken by the Trust over the last year.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee noted the contents of the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility Legal and Regulatory Support dated 17 July 2019, submitted)

11.

DRAFT BUTE AND COWAL AREA COMMITTEE WORKPLAN pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to the Draft Bute and Cowal Workplan as of  September 2019.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee noted the Bute and Cowal Workplan.

 

(Reference: Bute and Cowal Workplan dated 3 September 2019, submitted).

12.

ROTHESAY PAVILLION PROGRESS REPORT pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided Members with a progress update on the Rothesay Pavilion Adaptive Restoration and Extension Works project, being  delivered by CBC Ltd.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee considered and noted the progress update provided in the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated 23 July 2019, submitted)

The Council resolved in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the press and public for the following 1 item of business on the grounds that it was likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 8 and 9 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

 

E1

12a

Exempt Appendix

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to an exempt financial information appendix pertaining to the Rothesay Pavilion.

 

Decision

 

The Bute and Cowal Area Committee considered and noted the financial performance of the project as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

 

(Reference: Appendix by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated 23 July 2019, submitted)

Paragraph 8 The amount of any expenditure proposed to be incurred by the authority under any

particular contract for the acquisition of property or the supply of goods or services.

 

Paragraph 9  Any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services.