Agenda and minutes

Venue: COUNCIL CHAMBER, KILMORY, LOCHGILPHEAD

Contact: Hazel MacInnes Tel: 01546 604269 

Items
Note No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were intimated from Councillors John Armour and Anne Horn.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee held on 7 April 2016

Minutes:

The Minute of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting held on 7 April 2016 was approved as a correct record.

4.

PERFORMANCE REPORT FQ1 2016/17 AND FQ4 2015/16 pdf icon PDF 390 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report presenting the Development and Infrastructure Services departmental performance reports with associated scorecard performance in financial quarter 4 2015-16 and financial quarter 1 2016-17.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the Development and Infrastructure Services departmental performance reports with associated scorecard performance for financial quarter 4 2015-16 and financial quarter 1 2016-17;

 

2.    to note that the Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure and the Head of Economic Development will raise Members’ concerns regarding progress with the rollout of the next generation of Broadband across Argyll and Bute at their next scheduled meeting with key stakeholders;

 

3.    that feedback from this meeting and an update on progress with the rollout of the next generation of Broadband should be given at a future Seminar day for elected Members and that a representative from HIE, as lead organisation, should also be invited to attend;

 

4.    to note that the Head of Economic Development will circulate to all Members an explanatory note on the different types of Broadband and mobile connectivity that exist across Argyll and Bute; and

 

5.    to note that as well as the challenges faced by the dairy industry there were also a wide range of challenges facing the fishing industry and that these would be highlighted in the next quarterly performance report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services, submitted)

5.

ARGYLL ENTERPRISE WEEK pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which provided a briefing on Argyll Enterprise Week which is being jointly hosted by Argyll and Bute Council’s Business Gateway and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  This will run in Oban as a pilot from Monday 31 October to Friday 4 November 2016 and, if successful, could be replicated in other areas in future years.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the activities planned and partners involved with Argyll Enterprise Week; and

 

2.    to note that if Members wished to suggest other opportunities to further align Council and partner activity within Argyll Enterprise Week they should contact Kate Fraser at Business Gateway via email by Friday 19 August 2016.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 14 July 2016, submitted)

6.

UPDATE ON DISCOVER SPACE UK (DSUK) BID TO PROVIDE UK SPACEPORT AT MACHRIHANISH pdf icon PDF 97 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report updating the Committee on the progress with work the Council and Discover Space UK (DSUK) has being doing as a consortium, with HIE support, to establish the UK’s first Spaceport at Campbeltown, Machrihanish and seeking approval that this work should continue at both an Officer and Member level as a top priority for the Council.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the paper on the progress to date;

 

2.    that the Executive Director - Development and Infrastructure Services write to the UK Government to promote Machrihanish as the UK’s first Spaceport and Aviation activity and encouraged Members to do the same;

 

3.    that the Executive Director - Development and Infrastructure Services write to the Scottish Government to call for the Machrihanish Community Airbase to be declared an Enterprise Area for UK Spaceport and Aviation activity; and

 

4.    to thank MACC for all their hard work in getting the bid to this point and to commend them on their ambition and determination with this project.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 28 July 2016, submitted)

7.

2014-2020 ARGYLL AND THE ISLANDS LEADER PROGRAMME - SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT AND PROGRAMME LAUNCH; AND EUROPEAN MARITIME AND FISHERIES FUND UPDATE pdf icon PDF 373 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report updating the Committee on progress with the outstanding LEADER governance issues relating to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) and on progress with launch of the LEADER programme.  The report also provided an update on progress towards finalising the governance arrangements for the Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) strategy along with an update on the delivery of a joint FLAG programme with Ayrshire.  The report also advised on progress with launching the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which will be delivered via a joint FLAG strategy between Argyll and the Islands and Ayrshire.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the proposed LEADER timeline;

 

2.    to note the outstanding governance arrangements relating to the SLA which affect the LEADER programme;

 

3.    to approve the proposed date for launching the LEADER programme;

 

4.    to note progress towards finalising the EMFF FLAG Framework Agreement;

 

5.    to note the joint FLAG delivery arrangement between the Argyll and the Islands and Ayrshire FLAGs which will combine and become a joint FLAG; and

 

6.    to note the potential for the current timeline to change and to delegate authority to the Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Leader/Policy Lead for Strategic Finance and the Policy Lead for Sustainable Economic Growth, to proceed with arrangements in relation to the launch of FLAG as necessary.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 6 July 2016, submitted)

8.

RESPONSE TO CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON ENTERPRISE AND SKILLS REVIEW pdf icon PDF 162 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which provided the Committee with the proposed Council response to the Scottish Government Enterprise and Skills Review Call for Evidence. The specific agencies under review are Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.

 

Decision

 

The Committee:-

 

1.    noted the content of the report;

 

2.    considered the high level principles articulated in the main paper and addressed in more detail in the proposed Argyll and Bute response; and

 

3.    agreed to approve the Argyll and Bute Council response, as set out in Appendix A of the report, for submission to the Scottish Government by 15 August 2016.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated 4 August 2016, submitted)

9.

WINTER SERVICE POLICY 2016/17 pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

A report presenting the Winter Service Policy 2016/17 which remains in a similar format and covers a similar network to the Policy approved by Council in 2014 was considered.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed to approve the minor updates to:-

 

a)    the 2016/17 Winter Maintenance Policy as detailed at Appendix 2 of the report; and

 

b)    the Salt Use Reduction and Preservation of Stocks Protocol as detailed at Appendix 4 of the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated June 2016 and Winter Service Policy 2016/17, submitted)

10.

BURIAL AND CREMATION POLICY pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report presenting the management rules for burial grounds and the protocol for provision of cemetery and cremation services was considered.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to approve changes to the Management rules for Burial Grounds as detailed at Appendix 1 of the report subject to the following further amendments

 

·         Section 3, last paragraph highlighted in bold to be removed,

 

·         Section 8, 1st paragraph the word “must” in first sentence to be replaced with “should normally”

 

·         Section 8, paragraph highlighted in bold to be removed and replaced with “There will be a maximum of three interments per lair.  However, if ground conditions restrict this to a lesser number, lair owners will be advised at the time of the first interment”,

 

·         Section 13, 1st paragraph “no upset” to be changed to read “no reasonable upset or disturbance”; and

 

2.    to approve the protocol for provision of cemetery and cremation services as detailed at Appendix 2 of the report.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated June 2016; Management Rules for Burial Grounds, dated June 2016; and Protocol for Provision of Cemetery and Cremation Services, dated February 2016, submitted)

Councillor Aileen Morton left the meeting at this point.

11.

FESTIVE LIGHTING pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report summarising the type and number of features of festive lighting in Argyll and Bute towns and villages together with the typical annual costs of carrying out repairs, testing, erecting and removal of the festive lighting.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the contents of the report;

 

2.    that active community engagement is progressed to transfer festive lighting from the Council to the community by no later than 2018/19; and

 

3.    to note that Officers will work towards providing as much detail as possible of the current situation to support the community engagement process.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated June 2016, submitted)

Councillor Dick Walsh left the meeting at this point.

*

12.

UPDATE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PAVEMENT CAFE LICENCE POLICY pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report providing an update on the implementation of the Pavement Café Licence policy.

 

Decision

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

1.    to note the contents of the report;

 

2.    to approve proactive engagement with the community to encourage further take up of licences; and

 

3.    to recommend that the Policy and Resources Committee approve the waiving of the Pavement Café Licence fee for a further year.

 

(Reference: Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services dated July 2016, submitted)

13.

ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WORKPLAN pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Service Work Plan as at August 2016.

 

Decision

 

The Committee noted the Work Plan.

 

(Reference: Environment, Development and Infrastructure Services Work Plan as at August 2016, submitted)