Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Elaine Robertson and Duncan MacIntyre.

There were no declarations of interest intimated.

Report by Area Committee Manager

A report asking the Area Committee to appoint a Member to the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group was considered.

Decision

The Area Committee agreed to appoint Councillor Neil MacIntyre to the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Community Planning Group.

(Ref:  Report by the Area Committee Manager dated 30^th January 2015, submitted).

A report outlining the background to the Lorn Arc TIF programme and requesting the approval of a start-up budget to enable Project 1 – Lorn Road/Kirk Road Improvements at Dunbeg to be taken to a full business case, was considered.

This report was at the February Area Committee and the Area Committee asked for more information and for the report to be taken to a Special Area Committee.

Decision

The Committee:

1.    Recommended that the Policy and Resources Committee approve the drawdown of borrowing for a total of £238,200 for the development of a Full Business Case for Lorn Arc Project 1 – Lorn Road/Kirk Road Improvements at Dunbeg.  These resources will be held in a defined budget and managed as detailed in the Lorn Arc Programme PID.

2.    Noted that the Full Business Case for Project 1 will be reported to a future OLI Area Committee and subsequent Policy and Resources Committee before moving to the implementation stage.

(Ref:  Report by Oban Lorn Regeneration Project Manager dated 25^th February 2015, submitted).

Louise Lee from the Oban Times challenged the decision to exclude the Public from item 4(b) and 4(c), Lorn Arc TIF Asset Project 1 – Lorn Road/Kirk Road Improvements, Dunbeg – Start up Project.  She asked that she be able to sit in on the Committee debate on this item. She asked if parts of the paper could be discussed without mentioning any sensitive commercial information.

The Press decided to leave the room while the Committee took a decision.

Motion

That the Area Committee resolve to remove the press and public from the meeting for the remaining two items on the agenda as set out in the terms of Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the public for the following item of business on the grounds that it was likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 8&9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Proposed:  Councillor McCuish                  Seconded:  Councillor MacDougall

Amendment

That the questions submitted by Councillors MacLean and MacDonald be amended to seek any further detail on the financial business case which supports the Lorn Arc scheme, that the information provided to Members be limited only to further detail, on the financial business case which supports the Lorn Arc scheme, and that as such discussion could be undertaken without disclosing exempt information, the Press and Public should not be removed from the meeting.

Proposed:  Councillor MacLean                     Seconded:  Councillor MacDonald

Decision

On a show of hands vote, the motion was carried by 4 votes to 2 and the Committee resolved accordingly.

Councillor MacLean asked that it be noted that the Committee received hard copies of the supplementary pack late.  The Area Committee Manager advised that the supplementary pack had been circulated electronically in advance of hard copies been available.

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

The Committee considered an appendix detailing the budgetary timescales.

Decision

The Committee noted the information provided.

The Committee considered a report with supplementary information in regard to the Lorn Arc TIF Asset Project 1 – Lorn Road/Kirk Road Improvements, Dunbeg start up project.

Decision

The Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations at 3.1 of the report.

(Ref:  Report by Oban Lorn Arc Regeneration Project Manager dated 25^th February 2015, submitted).

E1       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; and

E1       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.