D Leese, Chief Officer, Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership, J McKellar, Chief Executive, Renfrewshire Leisure Limited and G Vincent, Senior Project Manager (Airport Access Project), Glasgow City Council.

Councillor Andy Doig declared a financial interest in relation to items 7 and 13 of the agenda as he was a relative of an employee of Renfrewshire Leisure Limited and indicated his intention to leave the meeting during consideration of the items and not to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

Councillor Harte declared an interest in item 13 of the agenda as he was the chair of the Board of Renfrewshire Leisure Limited and indicated that it his intention to take part in the discussion as he had a general dispensation from the Standards Commission which allowed him to take part and to vote in relation to such matters.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to progress against the Tackling Poverty Action Plan as approved by the Council on 25 June 2015.  The report outlined highlights against the six priority areas of: increasing the number of households who could access employment that provided an acceptable standard of living; preventing financial crisis and supporting low income families to make the most of their money; closing the educational gap between children from low income families and their better off peers; creating neighbourhoods where people wanted to live and could afford to live and narrowing inequalities by working in a way which was inclusive, effective and evidence-based.  The report also recommended grant funding towards Johnstone, White Cart and Gleniffer Credit Unions, Engage Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire Foodbank.

The Project Manager (Early Years Strategy) and the Co-ordinator of the Families First Johnstone Team gave a presentation on the Families First core teams in Foxbar, Gallowhill and Johnstone and on the 'Walking with Families' approach; detailing the numbers of referrals from each locality and income generated; and a case study 'Lucy's Story' was highlighted. 

There followed a question and answer session at the conclusion of which the Convener thanked Ms Graham and Ms McGarvey for their presentation.

It was agreed that members be provided with a breakdown of total income generated since the inception of the Tackling Poverty Programme. 

DECIDED:

(a)     That progress on the delivery of the Tackling Poverty Action Plan be noted;

(b)     That £75,260 of grant funding from the Credit Union Development Fund for Johnstone Credit Union, White Cart Credit Union, Gleniffer Credit Union and Engage Renfrewshire, as detailed in the report, be approved.

(c)     That £14,500 of additional grant funding to Renfrewshire Foodbank to support clients with public transport costs, as detailed in the report, be approved; and

(d)     That members be provided with a breakdown of total income generated since the inception of the Tackling Poverty Programme.

There was submitted a joint revenue budget report by the Director of Finance & Resources, Director of Children's Services and the Chief Finance Officer, Renfrewshire HSCP for the period to 16 September 2016 providing oversight of Renfrewshire Leisure Limited, Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership and the Glasgow & Clyde Valley City Deal.

DECIDED:     

(a)     That the budget position be noted; and

(b)     That it be noted that since the last report there had been a number of budget adjustments resulting in a net decrease of £526,388 primarily relating to the transfer of SportScotland grant income budget from Children's Services to Leisure Services and the transfer of the housing adaptations budget from Adult Services to other housing.  These decreases were partially offset by rates realignments and additional Sensory Impairment funding.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources for the period to 16 September 2016 relative to Leisure Services, Adult Social Care and the Glasgow & Clyde Valley City Deal.

DECIDED:     That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to progress of the Renfrewshire Council City Deal projects being delivered as part of the Overall Glasgow City Region City Deal and seeking authority to submit the  Outline Business Cases (OBCs) for the two Renfrewshire projects - Renfrew Riverside and Clyde Waterfront and Glasgow Airport Investment Area and the Outline Business Case for the Airport Access Project, being delivered jointly with Glasgow City Council, to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet  (the Cabinet) for approval.  In addition, the report sought approval to authorise the Director of Development & Housing Services to make such minor changes to the OBCs that may be requested by the City Deal Programme Management Office (PMO) prior to submission to the Cabinet.

The Project Director City Deal gave a presentation on both the Clyde Waterfront & Renfrew Riverside and the Glasgow Airport Investment Area OBCs, detailing the land use study/masterplanning approach, public and stakeholder consultation, traffic modelling, infrastructure enhancements, high level benefits, options appraisal, costs and project milestones.

The Joint Project Director gave a presentation on the Glasgow Airport Access OBC detailing the key findings of the strategic business case, the purpose of the project, the preferred options, costs, economics, capacity, route and programme milestones.

There followed a question and answer session at the conclusion of which the Convener thanked Mr McFadden and Mr Vincent for their presentations.

It was agreed that members be provided with information in relation to the difference in passenger numbers between personalised rapid transport (PRT) and tram train.

Councillor M Macmillan, seconded by Councillor Holmes, moved that the progress to date on delivering the Renfrewshire City Deal projects to date on delivering the City Deal projects be noted; that the Outline Business Cases for the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside; Glasgow Airport Investment Area; and Airport Access Projects be approved for submission to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet for approval; and that the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to make such minor changes to the OBCs that may be requested by the City Deal Programme Management Office prior to submission to the Cabinet.

Councillor K MacLaren, seconded by Councillor Andy Doig, moved as an amendment that recommendations 2.1(ii) and 2.1(iii) be deleted and replaced with:

"2.1(ii)     Bring full details of the Outline Business Cases to the next full council meeting including the full financial implications for Renfrewshire Council.  The Board notes the limited information within the outline business cases on the potential running costs of the Tram Train Link with within the Airport Access Project and notes with concern that Renfrewshire Council, along with Glasgow City Council, will be liable for all overspends on the Airport Access Project."; and

add new recommendation 2.1 (v) "This Council, in the light of monies for Holyrood announced in the recent Autumn Statement from the Westminster Government, calls on the Council Leader to lobby for an emergency meeting of the Glasgow City Deal Region Cabinet to include as a City Deal project the upgrade of the A737."

On the roll being called the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Cameron, Andy Doig, Lawson, K MacLaren and M MacLaren.

The following members voted for the motion: Councillors B Brown, Glen, Harte, Henry, Holmes, M Macmillan, I McMillan and Williams.

The following member abstained: Councillor McCartin.

5 members having voted for the amendment, 8 members having voted for the motion and 1 member having abstained, the motion was declared carried.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the progress to date on delivering the Renfrewshire City Deal projects to date on delivering the City Deal projects be noted;

(b)     That the Outline Business Cases for the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside; Glasgow Airport Investment Area; and Airport Access Projects be approved for submission to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet for approval; 

(c)     That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to make such minor changes to the OBCs that may be requested by the City Deal Programme Management Office prior to submission to the Cabinet; and

(d)     That members be provided with information in relation to the difference in passenger numbers between personalised rapid transport (PRT) and tram train.  

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to implementation of the Glasgow City Region City Deal and on progress with partnership working across the City Region.

The report intimated that the Glasgow City Region City Deal, which was the first and largest City Deal in Scotland, and second largest in the UK, was formally signed with the UK and Scottish Governments in August 2014.  Thereafter in January 2015, the Joint Committee Agreement was signed by all eight member authorities and the Glasgow City Region Cabinet was established with the purpose of delivering the strategic economic development priorities of the City Region, including the City Deal.  The report provided details in relation to the eight portfolios which had been established - land use and sustainability; infrastructure and assets (including utilities, telecoms and digital); inward investment and growth; tourism and marketing; enterprise; transport and connectivity; skills and employment and housing and equalities.  Each portfolio was determining priority areas and actions to maximise collaboration and impact across the City Region that would complement the Regional Economic Strategy and the review of Enterprise as detailed in the report.  These priorities would be incorporated into the Action Plan for Regional Economic Growth which would be submitted to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet for approval in February 2017. The report also provided an update in relation to overall programme progress.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the report be noted; and

(b)     That the progress made in both the development of the programme and governance of the City Deal at a Glasgow City Region level be welcomed.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the requirement in terms of Section 15 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 that the Council prepare and publish a Corporate Procurement Strategy by 31 December 2016.  The Corporate Procurement Strategy set out the strategic context within which the Council was operating and the need for procurement services and processes within the Council to continue to develop to meet expected future demands.  It highlighted the key priorities for developing procurement capacity and processes in light of these demands.  The report intimated that Renfrewshire Council had a sector-leading approach to public procurement which was based on mature, and well-developed local processes and service-level strategies.  The Corporate Procurement Strategy highlighted the intention to enhance the Council's approach to procurement by embedding strategic commissioning in the planning, development and delivery of services and to maximise community benefit opportunities which might arise through the Council's procurement activities.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the Corporate Procurement Strategy for 2016/17-2017/18 be approved; and

(b)     That it be agreed that six-monthly updates on the implementation of the strategy would be submitted to the Procurement Sub-committee.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Andy Doig having previously declared an interest in the following item left the meeting.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the regeneration of Paisley Town Centre - Paisley Museum Project.  The report intimated that the redevelopment of Paisley Museum and Art Gallery was the signature project of the Paisley Heritage and Asset Strategy, approved in January 2014.  It was noted that the Council had applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in November 2015 for a £15 million grant as part of a £56.7 million museum redevelopment project and the report provided an update on work undertaken to revise project proposals following this unsuccessful bid and following feedback from HLF on that application.  The feedback confirmed that the project was of high quality and met the criteria for funding.  However there was a fundraising challenge which made the project higher risk than the others considered.  Work had been undertaken in responding to HLF feedback to reduce the overall cost of the project and to develop a funding strategy which ensured the project was deliverable for all funding partners and in relation to vision and outcomes; redevelopment of architectural solutions; third party peer review; and phasing.  Details of the funding strategy were provided including an increase to £26 million in the resources committed from the Council towards the project.    The Museum redevelopment project sat within a context of development including City Deal projects; the Town Centre 2016/16 Action Plan, the Museum store; Learning and Cultural Hub and the bid for UK 2021 City of Culture.

It was noted that reference to £81 million and 46 jobs in paragraph 3.5.1 of the report should be £71 million and 42 jobs.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the revised project proposal being submitted to the HLF to address the issues outlined in HLF feedback provided in May 2016 be noted;

(b)     That the Directors of Development & Housing Services and Finance & Resources be authorised to submit an application to HLF for funding of £10m to support delivery of the revised Paisley Museum Project;

(c)     That the revised funding package proposals be noted and that it be agreed that the earmarked Council resources be adjusted in line with the proposals outlined in the report; and

(d)     That it be noted that the Council would continue to work to develop the project, with resources as approved by the Leadership Board at its meeting held on 8 June 2016, in order to maintain momentum of the project to the point where HLF permission to start was received, assuming HLF approval in May 2017.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Council's bid to host the Royal National Mòd in 2021.  The report intimated that Paisley had successfully hosted its first Mòd in 2013 and an independent evaluation of that event found that there had been a significant positive impact on the local economy.  The bid to stage the 2021 event had cross-party support.  It was highlighted that hosting the Mòd would be a key platform for Gaelic cultural activity as part of a year of culture in 2021 and would contribute to the promotion of Paisley as a vibrant and connected location for hosting events and festivals; make a significant contribution to the local economy and contribute to the delivery of the Council's Gaelic language plan.  The report detailed the bid process, costs, and outlined the benefits of hosting the Mòd.

It was agreed that members be advised of how they could become involved in the bid process.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the progress to date with the plan to bid to host the Royal National Mòd in Paisley 2021 be noted;

(b)     That there be a budget commitment of £300,000 should Paisley's bid be successful; and

(c)     That a total budget of £12,500 per annum to be available from financial year 2017/18 up until 2021 to stage and support a number of Gaelic events, activities and projects in preparation for hosting the Royal National Mòd.

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to progress with the development of the Bid for UK City of Culture 2021.  The report intimated that significant progress had been made to build a basis for the content of the Bid through a range of consultation and engagement programmes as well as research and development work to inform why Paisley should become UK City of Culture and the benefits this would bring.  Details of the media opportunities to see or hear about Paisley were provided and it was noted that in relation to social media the Paisley 2021 campaign had the highest following of all competing cities.

It was noted that the competition to be UK City of Culture was run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  Changes to the DCMS structure were outlined and it was noted that a White Paper on Culture had been published.  It was therefore anticipated that the competition guidance for the 2021 UK City of Culture would change from previous competitions.  Initial guidance from DCMS was that the timeframe for publication of this guidance had now slipped from the end of 2016 into 2017.  Details of Bid development were provided together with the next steps.

It was agreed that members be provided with details of the spend on the Bid. 

DECIDED:

(a)     That the progress on the development of the Bid for UK City of Culture 2021 be noted; and

(b)     That members be provided with details of the spend on the Bid.

There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the Better Council Change programme providing details of progress with the delivery of the programme and development options for the next phase beyond 2017/18 required to address the forecast budget savings requirement.

The report outlined the strategic context, provided an update on phases 1 and 2, together with details of savings achieved against target, the on-line customer access project which had 11,000 citizens signed up for MyAccount  and 200 new users joining each week; ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) which was the core systems replacement project; depots rationalisation, implementation of a new staff development programme and workforce planning arrangements, and development for options for phase 3 of the programme. 

DECIDED:

(a)     That the report be noted; and

(b)     That it be noted that a further report would be provided in the new year with information on the emerging range of options for the next phase of the Better Council Change programme.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to progress in relation to implementation of the Council Plan between June and November 2016.  The report was structured around three themes of Better Future: Place; Better Future: People and Better Council. The report confirmed that Council services had made significant progress in delivering the key priority actions.  Progress had been achieved through close working with key partner organisations, with a focus on working together to achieve the best outcomes for local people, communities and businesses within the resources available.  Key priorities included the focus on tackling poverty and mitigating the impact of welfare reform, driving economic and cultural regeneration, addressing the attainment gap, providing care and support to those most vulnerable, and modernising the way the Council does its business, including the way services engaged with service users, citizens and businesses.  

The next progress update in relation to the Council Plan would be submitted to the Leadership Board in spring 2017.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the significant progress made over the previous six months in terms of implementing the Council Plan be noted;

(b)     That it be agreed that a further progress update on the Council Plan would be submitted to the Leadership Board in spring 2017; and

(c)     That it be noted that a new Council Plan was scheduled for development over summer 2017.

There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the schedule for the rollout of Universal Credit (UC) full service and outlining the preparations for UC to date, including steps taken to understand the potential financial risk to the Council. 

The report intimated that UC was a core component of the UK Government's welfare reform programme.  UC combined all working-age benefits and tax credit into one single benefit payment and paid it monthly to one person in the household.  UC was implemented by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) in Renfrewshire in June 2015 and had been limited to new claims for single job seekers.  On 16 November 2016 DWP announced the schedule for the rollout of UC full service confirming that Renfrewshire would have UC full service in May 2018.  The report set out the potential financial impacts of UC on the Council in terms of homeless and supported accommodation, the housing revenue account, and on citizens of UC and wider welfare reform.  

DECIDED:

(a)     That the announcement of Universal Credit full service roll out in Renfrewshire in May 2018 be noted; and

(b)     That the progress made in preparing Renfrewshire for Universal Credit full service be noted.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Andy Doig, having previously declared an interest in the following item, left the meeting.

Councillor Harte, having previously declared an interest in the following item, remained in the meeting.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the six-monthly update on progress being made by Renfrewshire Leisure on the implementation of its Business Plan for 2016/17, as part of the  new governance arrangements agreed by the Board at its meeting held on 29 March 2016 which comprised of quarterly progress review meetings and the submission of six-monthly and annual reports to the Board.  The report intimated that the quarterly review meetings were now well established.  Renfrewshire Leisure submitted a written update report in advance of the review meetings which provided a basis for discussion.  The submission and approval of the quarterly service invoice from Renfrewshire Leisure to the Council followed on from each review meeting.  The  report provided an update relative to library and information services; heritage and arts development; cultural venues; leisure and sport facilities and services; community facilities and support for key Council strategic initiatives. 

DECIDED:

(a)     That the good progress being made by Renfrewshire Leisure on the implementation of its Business Plan for 2016/17 be noted;

(b)     That it be noted that Renfrewshire Leisure continued to meet the terms of the service agreement it had with the Council; and

(c)     That it be noted that a further report would be produced in six months' time on Renfrewshire Leisure's performance for the annual period 2016/17 and on the content of its new Business Plan for the period 2017/18.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the Paisley Town Centre - 10-year Action Plan and the Renfrewshire Strategic Economic Framework post consultation update and seeking approval of the final documents.

The report intimated that Paisley was Scotland's largest town with the fourth busiest railway station in Scotland and had one of the highest concentrations of listed buildings and significant built heritage of anywhere in the country.  During late 2015 work commenced on developing a new action plan for Paisley Town Centre to reflect the emerging context of the investment through the City Deal projects, particularly the Airport Access Project and the Airport Investment Area as well as the bid for UK City of Culture 2021.  The report referred to the Economic Framework which was approved by the Board at its meeting held on 8 June 2016.  This proposed 10 key actions for Renfrewshire setting out key overarching actions that were considered to make the biggest different for the people of Renfrewshire and how others perceived the area. Each of the actions was accompanied by a proposed timeframe for implementation. The report detailed the public consultation which had taken place and the next steps.  A copy of the Paisley Town Centre Action Plan was appended to the report.

DECIDED:

(a)     That the revised Paisley Town Centre Action Plan which was appended to the report be approved; and

(b)     That the Renfrewshire Economic Framework as agreed at the meeting of the Leadership Board held on 8 June 2016 be approved as the basis on which to engage key partners on implementation of the 10 identified priorities over the next two years.