Councillor Miller (East Renfrewshire Council); Councillors Elder and McLean (Glasgow City Council); Councillor Magowan (North Lanarkshire Council); Councillor Begg (Renfrewshire Council); Councillors Anderson and Fulton (South Lanarkshire Council); and Councillor O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council).

Councillor O’Neill, Convener, presided.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. 

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 12 June 2017.

There was submitted an update report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the approval of the second Strategic Development Plan (SDP2).

The report intimated that Scottish Ministers approved SDP2 subject to a number of modifications, mostly related to housing, where an additional 5% had been added to the level of generosity and forestry and woodland to reflect the Scottish Government’s new ambitions for woodland planting.  In addition, Scottish Ministers were seeking the preparation of three pieces of supplementary guidance related to strategic heat infrastructure, aggregates and forestry and woodland, with the Forestry and Woodland Strategy supplementary guidance to be submitted to Scottish Ministers by 24 July 2018.  The Scottish Ministers also included a modification in relation to the network of strategic centres seeking an early review of the network which will include consideration of the status of centres within the network and an analysis of the potential impact on town centres of expanding Braehead.  The early review reflected the existing commitment in the SDP Action Programme.  The modification had low impact as this had already been considered as part of Policy Four of the SDP and through the assessment of development proposals.

In accordance with the necessary statutory requirements, Clydeplan were required as soon as practically possible to publish SDP2 (including electronically); send two copies of the SDP2 to Scottish Ministers; place copies of SDP2 in local libraries; advertise in the local newspaper (the Herald); and notify those people who had made representations to SDP2 that it had been published and where it was available for inspection.  In addition, as soon as was reasonably practicable after the approval of SDP2, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) post adoption statement should be published with copies placed in the Clydeplan office and an advert placed in a local newspaper (the Herald).  Clydeplan were also to inform the SEA consultation authorities of the adoption of the SDP and send them a copy along with a copy of the post adoption statement.  It was intended to publish and advertise the post adoption statement and the plan together on Friday 15 September 2017.

The report advised that the Action Programme accompanying SDP2 required to be adopted within three months of SDP2 being approved and thereafter to be kept under review and updated and republished at least every two years.  Whenever an Action Programme was published two copies were to be sent to Scottish Ministers, published electronically and copies placed in local libraries.  The deadline for this was 24 October 2017, as this fell between Joint Committee meetings, it was proposed that the SDP Manager seek the agreement of the Joint Committee Convener and Clydeplan Steering Group Chair prior to submission of the Action Plan.  Under the current regulations the third SDP would require to be submitted no later than four years from the date of approval of SDP2 which would be 24 July 2021. Until such times as the new Planning Bill came into effect and acknowledging the direction set out in the Scottish Government’s Position Statement, it was intended to progress with a work programme to support the preparation of the third SDP whilst recognising the opportunity to support and align this with the emerging work streams of the Glasgow City Region and its Economic Strategy and related Action Plan.

DECIDED:

(a) That the approval of the SDP2 by Scottish Ministers be noted and welcomed;

(b) That the requirements post approval in terms of the publication and advertisement of SDP2 and the SEA post adoption statement be noted;

(c)  That the timeline for the submission of the Action Programme be noted; and

(d) That it be agreed that the SDP Manager confirmed the agreement of the Joint Committee Convener and the Clydeplan Steering Group Chair prior to submission of the Action Programme.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager in relation to the preparation of the Strategic Development Plan 3 (SDP3).

The report intimated that whilst the Scottish Government’s planning review Position Statement published in June 2017 continued to seek to remove the current requirement to prepare SDPs at this point in time there remained a statutory requirement for the Joint Committee to produce SDP3. It was proposed to take forward a work programme progressing within the timeframe set for SDP3 which would require undertaking technical work in the period Autumn 2017 to Winter 2019.  This aligned with the Scottish Government’s revised NPF4 timescale with preparatory work commencing in 2018 for adoption in 2020.

The report advised that at its meeting on 12 September 2016, the Joint Committee agreed to extend the lease on the office accommodation at 125 West Regent Street, Glasgow for a period of three years with a break option at the end of year one (26 October 2017).  Since that time, the SDP Manager and the Senior Asset and Estates Surveyor, Renfrewshire Council had been in regular contact with the Scottish Futures Trust to consider relocation options within the public sector estate with the most likely option resulting from Transport Scotland’s ongoing rationalisation of space at Buchanan House.  However, at present it looked increasingly as though an option at Buchanan House would not become available for Clydeplan to consider until summer 2018 at the earliest.  With the Planning Bill due to be published at the end of 2017, approval expected six months later and the lead in time for its formal introduction and publication of secondary legislation possibly taking a further 12 to 18 months, it was considered that the continuation of the lease of 125 West Regent Street until October 2019 to be the most suitable and cost effective arrangement and that the current lease be continued to run without invoking the break out clause.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be agreed that work commence in respect of the development of SDP3;

(b) That the intention to work closely with the Glasgow City Region in the development of the SDP3 work streams to ensure that they align and support the Glasgow City Region portfolios be noted; and

There was submitted a report by Audit Scotland in relation to the Annual Audit Report 2016/17, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report intimated that the audit certificate issued by Audit Scotland provided an unqualified opinion that the annual accounts presented a true and fair view of the financial position of the Joint Committee as at 31 March 2017, in accordance with the accounting policies detailed in the accounts.

There was submitted a joint report by the Treasurer and the Strategic Development Plan Manager in relation to the audited annual accounts 2016/17.

The report intimated that following the introduction of the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 the audited accounts must be approved for signature by the Joint Committee no later than 30 September each year.  A copy of the annual financial statements 2016/17 was appended to the report and following approval by the Joint Committee the audited accounts would be submitted to the Strategic Development Plan Manager, the Convener and the Treasurer for signature.

There was submitted a joint report by the Treasurer and the Strategic Development Plan Manager for the period 1 April to 18 August 2017.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

Under reference to item 4 of the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 20 June 2016, there was submitted a report detailing the list of expenses incurred through corporate procurement card payment by type and employee for the period 1 April to 18 August 2017.

There was submitted a report by the Clerk to the Joint Committee seeking approval for the existing Standing Orders Relating to Contracts to be revoked and replaced by the revised Standing Orders Relating to Contracts, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report detailed the key changes in relation to the Standing Orders Relating to Contracts and confirmed that they had been developed following a detailed review in light of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015; the Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016; the Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016; and statutory guidance made under and in terms of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be agreed to revoke the existing Standing Orders Relating to Contracts;

(b) That the revised Standing Orders Relating to Contracts, a copy of which was appended to the report, be approved; and