Agenda and minutes

Venue: MICROSOFT TEAMS

Contact: Stuart Mclean, Committee Manager - 01436 658717 Adele Price-Williams, Senior Committee Assistant - 01546 604480 

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillor Roderick McCuish and Councillor Andrew Vennard.

The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed, to change the order of business in order to facilitate Officer attendance. The items were discussed in the order that they appear in this minute.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest intimated.

3.

MINUTES

3a

Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee - 8 September 2021 pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee held on Wednesday 8 September 2021 were approved as a correct record.

3b

Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group - 10 November 2021 pdf icon PDF 213 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group held on Wednesday 10 November 2021 were noted.

3c

Special Oban Common Good Fund - 11 November 2021 pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Oban Common Good Fund held on Thursday 11 November 2021 were noted.

3d

Oban Common Good Fund - 23 November 2021 pdf icon PDF 195 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Oban Common Good Fund held on Tuesday 23 November 2021 were noted.

4.

SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORTS

4a

Tobermory High School pdf icon PDF 630 KB

Report by Head Teacher, Tobermory High School

Minutes:

The Acting Head Teacher Tobermory High School took the committee through a progress update report on the school’s achievements for the 2021 session.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Committee;

 

1.            noted the contents of the report; and

 

2.            commended the excellent work done by the school and pupils during the pandemic.

 

(Reference: Report by Acting Head Teacher, Tobermory High School, dated 8 December 2021, submitted)

5.

AREA SCORECARD FQ2 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Area Scorecard report for Financial Quarter 2 of 2021-2022 (July-September 2021) which illustrated the agreed performance measures.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee:

 

1.    noted and considered the performance presented on the Scorecards 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 8 December 2021, submitted)

6.

ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE pdf icon PDF 340 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided an update on the recent activities carried out by the Roads and Infrastructure Service.  This included information on how the £10m Roads Capital Programme is progressing and how the Service continues to respond to covid-19 whilst focusing on delivering frontline services.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee considered and noted the contents of the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services dated November 2021, submitted)

7.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

Minutes:

Questions from Duncan Martin – Oban Community Council (OCC)

 

1.    When will Roads and Infrastructure Services (RIS) confirm when the OCC will be consulted regarding the Oban Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)?

 

Response from Head of Roads and Amenity Services

 

RIS are currently working on the TRO, the second part of which will be subject to a workshop group in conjunction with OCC in due course.

 

2.    Over a year ago Audit Scotland told the Council to put in place robust option appraisal processes.  But when officials were instructed to carry out an appraisal on the future of Oban harbour they ignored key elements of any such process, resulting in a totally inadequate report to the Harbour board,  putting the members in an impossible position. As a consequence the reputation of the council is again damaged.

 

At the same time the 'appraisal ' highlights various omissions from the OCHDA proposals. Most if not all of these omissions concern information which should have been supplied by council officials to OCHDA, since these officials had been instructed by the Harbour Board to enter constructive negotiations with OCHDA.

 

Why are Council officials able to regularly ignore instructions from Council committees?

 

3.    Reports to committees always end with the financial implications of the official's recommendations, but the report last week makes no mention of this. Unlike OCHDA,  which has much marine and legal expertise within its membership,  the council manifestly does not, and will have to buy in all the professional services needed to set up a municipal port. This will  be £100k and then some.

 

Does the failure of officials to inform the Board of the financial implications of their recommendations invalidate their decision or can it permit a challenge at full council?

 

Response from Committee

 

The Chair confirmed that Mr Martin’s questions would be forward onto the appropriate department and a response in writing would be issued to him.

 

Questions from Marri Malloy – Oban Community Council (OCC)

 

4.    Could Officers stop sending automatic replies to emails submitted by the OCC, which are raised on behalf of the community and please reply in full?

 

Response from Committee

 

The Chair confirmed that Mrs Malloy’s concerns would be forwarded to the relevant departments.

8.

ARGYLL COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL UPDATE pdf icon PDF 6 MB

Presentation by Chief Executive, Argyll Community Housing Association

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to an annual update presentation for the Oban, Lorn and the Isles area by the Chief Executive of the Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA).

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee;

 

1.    noted the contents of the presentation; and

 

2.    thanked the Chief Executive of ACHA for his input over many years and wished him well in his retirement.

 

(Reference: Presentation by Chief Executive of the Argyll Community Housing Association dated 8 December 2021, submitted)

 

 

9.

ARGYLL AND BUTE HSCP ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 259 KB

Report by Head of Strategic Planning and Performance Health and Social Care Partnership

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Annual Performance Report for 2020/21.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee noted and considered the Annual Performance Report for the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) for the year 2020/21.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director Head of Strategic Planning and Performance, HSCP dated 8 December 2021, submitted)

10.

CHARITABLE TRUSTS BEQUESTS AND TRUST FUNDS pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Report by Executive Director with responsibilities for Legal and Regulatory Support

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided details on of a number of the Trusts and Bequests that remain active in the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area and sought agreement regarding their ongoing distribution and management.

 

Decision

 

1.    noted the financial position of the Charitable Trusts, Bequests and Trust Funds as of July 2021;

 

2.    agreed that a moratorium be placed on awards being made from the James McKechnies Trust and the Miss Mary A McNivens Trust;

 

3.    agreed that the charities and trust funds, that have historically been awarded to Council Departments and Allied Partners, are awarded on the basis outlined in paragraph 5.5 and defined within appendix 1; and

 

4.    noted that officers are in ongoing dialogue with representatives from the Lord Advocates office to establish appropriate methods of distributing those funds that have no established distribution arrangements.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support dated October 2021, submitted)

11.

DRAFT OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES AREA COMMITTEE WORKPLAN pdf icon PDF 369 KB

Minutes:

The Draft Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee Workplan, as of December 2021, was before to the Committee for noting.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee noted the Workplan.

 

(Reference: Draft Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee Workplan, submitted)

12.

JOHN OF LORN BEQUEST APPLICATIONS

12a

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support pdf icon PDF 284 KB

Minutes:

The Committee gave consideration to a report which contained information regarding 54 applications that had been received for support from the John of Lorn Bequest.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee:

 

1.    awarded £100 to the 18 family applicants who meet the criteria;

 

2.    awarded £50 to the 12 individual applicants who meet the criteria;

 

3.    refused the 13 family applicants who did not meet the criteria;

 

4.    refused the 11 individual applicants who did not meet the criteria, and

 

5.    agreed to continue with the current distribution arrangements and criteria for awards to be made from the John of Lorn Bequest.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support dated 18 October 2021, submitted)