Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence intimated.

There were no Declarations of Interest.

The Minute of the previous meeting of the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee, which took place on 9 March 2022, was approved as a correct record. 

 

The Minute of the Oban Common Good Fund, which took place on 14 March 2022, was noted. 

 

The Minute of the Oban Common Good Fund, which took place on 29 March 2022, was noted. 

 

The Minute of the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group, which took place on 27 April 2022, was noted. 

 

1. Phil Hamerton has submitted the following question:

 

At a recent meeting (May 10th 2022) it was stated by the Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services that, in connection with the drafting of the Harbour Order, "wider consultation with the community is due to start in the next few weeks". Can the Area Committee inform us what the schedule of this consultation is to be? Specifically, with whom will Officers consult on what specific matters and when will each of these exercises start and finish?

 

Mark Calder, Project Manager for Roads and Infrastructure Services reported that the council had published its programme of intention on Oban Bay on the council website, which can be accessed via the following link - Oban Municipal Harbour (argyll-bute.gov.uk).

 

Mr Calder advised that the programme indicates when the consultation process would commence and includes all known stakeholders who have an interest in the Bay including community councils whose area have an interest in the Bay from a transportation point of view. The Area Committee noted that it would not be appropriate to make the list public for GDPR reasons and that the council would update the project plan on a regular basis.  

 

Phil Hamerton stated that this response was not adequate, as the detail that Oban Community Harbour Development Association were interested in is not referenced on the website.  Mr Hamerton stated that OCHDA continue to be interested on details around the what, when and who would be consulted during this process.

 

Councillor Kain advised the Area Committee that he had been appointed as Chair of the Harbour Board and he would be happy to take forward the concerns of OCHDA and is committed to ensuring that all lines of communication with the public would be open.

 

Ross Wilson (OCHDA) advised that Oban Community Council were now members of the Oban Bay Management Group and that they would liaise with all other Community Councils that are served by Oban Harbour.  Mr Wilson advised that OCHDA were due to have a meeting this afternoon where communication with stakeholders would be considered. 

 

 

2.    Question from Duncan Martin

 

Mr Martin acknowledged that the Area Committee had approved the minute of the previous meeting and highlighted that Oban Harbour item had been considered and noted., with no reference to any discussion held.  Mr Martin believed that the Area Committee unanimously agreed, that since the Harbour was central to the economy of Oban, Lorn and the Isles, updates on the progress towards a new Harbour Authority would be a standing item on future Area Committee agendas. It was Mr Martin’s opinion that it seems that unless the views expressed in a meeting result in a formal resolution, these views are not minuted. Do Councillors consider this satisfactory? 

 

Mr Martin had queried this with the Committee Manager and in his reply the Committee Manager acknowledged that the meeting had recognised the importance of Oban Bay. He also stated, correctly, that the Harbour Board is the responsible committee, and that Oban, Lorn and the Isles members would be updated as appropriate for information only. 

 

Mr Martin added that unless a special meeting is arranged, the Harbour Board won't meet until September 2022.  Presumably only after it has reached its decisions would some officers decide what information is appropriate to be passed on to the Area Committee, presumably in November. This is clearly not what the last Area Committee intended. 

 

It seems that meetings of the council and its committees are merely records of decisions reached. Mr Martin asked why is this and whether this is standard practice in local government? 

 

Mr Martin felt that this means that there is no audit trail, a topic doesn't appear on a Committee's minute until it comes for a decision. Minutes have to be much more than a list of decisions, they should enable a member of the public or any outside body to have a grasp of the issues debated. They should also enable Councillors in the rest of Argyll and Bute to understand where we are in Oban, Lorn and the Isles. Is webcasting meetings an effective substitute for proper minutes? 

 

Mr Martin believes that the Area Committee has very limited decision-making powers e.g. in relation to community grants etc. Its main function has to be the monitoring of the local activities of Council Services.  It cannot do this unless it is fully involved and informed. The committee should be ensuring that all proposed service developments are co-produced with all those affected (geographical communities or communities of interest). 

 

Before passing the question to the Committee Manager the Chair thanked Mr Martin for his questions and expressed his support for all services being co-produced and that Oban Bay is a strategic issue that will be considered at all levels within Argyll and Bute.

 

The Committee Manager confirmed that the style of minute is standard across the council, adding that the council is committed to openness and transparency and that all Strategic Committees are now routinely webcast which can be accessed live or at a time of individuals choosing via the archive. 

 

Regarding representation on the Harbour Board, Mr McLean advised that the

Area Committee is represented on the Harbour Board and that any Councillor may be present at a meeting of a Committee or Sub Committee of which the Councillor is not a member, as outlined within Standing Orders.

 

 

3.    Question from Marri Malloy

 

At the last Area Committee Meeting I asked for a breakdown of where the £91,000 staycation money allocated to the Local Authority was spent, particularly in Oban, to date I have not received this information.  I am also waiting on a response from Jim Smith, Head of Roads and Infrastructure to attend an Oban Community Council Meeting?

 

Mark Calder confirmed that he would ask the Staycation Officer to contact Mrs Malloy directly. The Committee Manager also advised that an update report concerning Staycation was considered at the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee on 2 June 2022 and that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services

The Committee gave consideration to the Area Scorecard for Financial Quarter 4 2021/22 (January – March 2022) which illustrated the agreed performance measures.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee:- 

 

a)    Noted and considered the performance and supporting commentary as presented.

 

b)    Noted that upon receipt of the Quarterly Performance Report the Area Committee contact either the Responsible Named Officer or Sonya Thomas with any queries.

 

c)    Noted that work is ongoing and to respond to Sonya Thomas with requests or comments regarding the layout and format of the Performance Report.

 

d)    Noted the proposal to include the additional Corporate Outcome Indicators (COIs) within the quarterly Area Committee report.

 

(Reference:  Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Customer Support Services, dated 15 June 2022, submitted)

 

 

 

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided an update on the recent activities of Roads and Infrastructure Services and highlighted works being undertaken which were of relevance to the Oban, Lorn and the Isles area.

 

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 June 2022 submitted)

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education Services

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by Sandra Clark, which outlined the progress being made at Primary School level since the since the pandemic restrictions were lifted and pupils could return to full time education.  The report also

outlined information in relation to the latest SIMD figures, Free School Meals and Clothing Grant uptake.

 

Decision

 

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

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Education dated May 2022, submitted)

 

Report by Head of Strategic Planning, Performance and Technology, Argyll and Bute HSCP

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided an update from the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) on service performance and the progress made towards the new remobilising targets set by the Scottish Government, Local Authority and the NHS.

 

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee:-

 

a)    Considered the HSCP performance progress presented to the IJB on 25 May regarding remobilisation of activity in line with NHS Highland performance target for 2021/22 agreed with Scottish Government to 70%-80% of 2019/20 activity as at November 2021.

 

b)    Considered Waiting Times Performance and a further reduction in Consultant and Nurse Led Outpatient breaches >12 weeks.

 

c)    Noted performance with regards to both Argyll & Bute and Greater Glasgow and Clyde current Treatment Time Guarantee for Inpatient/Day Case Waiting List and activity.

 

d)    Noted Scottish Government’s advice on timescales for the publication of 2021/22 Annual Performance Report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Reference. Report by Head of Strategic Planning, Performance and Technology, Argyll and Bute HSCP dated May 2022, submitted)

 

Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee gave consideration to Appointments to Outside Organisations.

 

The following was agreed:-

 

Oban, Lorn and the Isles Community Planning Group

 

To appoint Councillors Kain, Green and Vennard to the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Community Planning Group.

 

Oban, Lorn and the Isles Locality Planning Group

 

To appoint Councillors Lynch and McKenzie to the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Locality Planning Group.

 

West Highland Housing Association

 

To appoint Councillor Martin to the West Highland Housing Association Board.

 

Atlantis Leisure

 

To appoint Councillor Martin to the Atlantis Leisure Board.

 

Bid 4 Oban Ltd

 

To appoint Councillor Lynch to the Bid 4 Oban Ltd Board.

 

Catherine McCaig’s Trust

 

To appoint Councillors McKenzie, Hampsey and Hume to the Cathering McCaig’s Trust.

 

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee Workplan as at June 2022 was before the Committee for noting.

 

Decision

 

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

 

(Reference:  Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee Workplan, dated June 2022 submitted) 

The Committee gave consideration to a report which provided information regarding six applications that had been received for support from the John of Lorne Bequest. 

 

As the Committee had further questions on the applications, which were noted on Appendix 1, The Committee resolved in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the press and public for the following items of business on the grounds that it was likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 6 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Committee discussed the contents of the exempt appendix.

 

Decision

 

The Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee agreed to:

 

1.    award £100 to the single family applicant that meets the criteria;

 

2.    award £50 to the two individual applicants that meets the criteria;

 

3.    refuse the one family applicant who does not meet the criteria; and

 

4.    refuse the two individual applicants who do not meet the criteria.

 

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support, dated June 2022, submitted)