Councillor Moir (East Dunbartonshire Council); Councillor Lafferty and Councillor Miller (both East Renfrewshire Council); Councillor Elder and Councillor McLean (both Glasgow City Council); Councillor Wilson (Inverclyde Council); Councillor Curran and Councillor Magowan (both North Lanarkshire Council); Councillor Begg (Renfrewshire Council); Councillor Anderson and Councillor Fulton (both South Lanarkshire Council); and Councillor O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council).

Councillor O’Neill, Convener, presided.

D McDonald, Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager and A Adams, Strategic Planner (both Strategic Development Plan Core Team); N Urquhart, Team Leader Sustainability Policy (East Dunbartonshire Council); G McCarney, Planning and Building Standards Manager (East Renfrewshire Council); F Barron, Head of Planning and Building Control (Glasgow City Council); G Laing, Planning Manager (Strategy & Policy)  (North Lanarkshire Council); F Carlin, Head of Planning and Housing Services, K Festorazzi, Senior Accountant, A Murray, Senior Auditor and E Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council); T Finn, Planning and Building Services Headquarters Manager (South Lanarkshire Council); P Clifford, Planning and Building Standards Manager (West Dunbartonshire Council).

There was submitted a report by the Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the factors influencing Clydeplan including the progress of the Planning Bill, the National Planning Framework refresh and the Glasgow City Region Partnership and seeking approval of the Clydeplan work priorities over the coming months.

In relation to the Planning (Scotland) Bill the report intimated that the most relevant aspects of the Bill as it pertained to Clydeplan were the removal of the statutory requirement to prepare Strategic Development Plans and a requirement on planning authorities to provide information to assist the Scottish Ministers in their preparation of the National Planning Framework.

Clydeplan had submitted both written views and oral evidence to the Local Government and Communities Committee and the Committee’s final Stage 1 report on the Bill had been published on 17 May 2018.  The recommendations in respect of Strategic Development Planning were detailed in the report.

 

The Minister for Local Government and Housing provided the Scottish Government’s response to the Stage 1 Report on 24 May 2018 and a full debate in Parliament took place on 29 May 2018.  The Government had restated that they wished to see a continuing role for strategic planning and had also stated that they would “seek to amend the Bill at Stage 2 to deliver a clearer duty for local authorities to work together in strategic planning while retaining flexibility about how they wish to do so and about which other authorities they collaborate with”.  Stage 2 would take place during June and it was anticipated that the Bill would be enacted by the Scottish Parliament in September 2018.

In relation to the Glasgow City Region the report intimated that the Glasgow City Region Partnership was continuing to evolve beyond the delivery of the City Deal Infrastructure Investment Fund into a regional partnership model in order to take forward delivery of its Regional Economic Strategy and Action Plan through themed portfolios.

A copy of the report by the Director of Regional Economic Growth on governance and organisational arrangements, which had been approved by the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, was appended to the report.  The report recommended the creation of the Glasgow City Regional Partnership to sit alongside the Chief Executives’ Group with both reporting to the Glasgow City Deal Cabinet.  Within the recommended organisational changes, the Economic Delivery Group on which Clydeplan sits, would become a senior officer group with responsibility for the delivery and implementation of the actions within the Regional Economic Strategy and Action Plan.

The report further intimated that given the progress of the Planning Bill combined with the Glasgow City Region activities, Clydeplan’s future processes and governance arrangements would be subject to change.  Discussions were ongoing with the Scottish Government regarding the future direction, timescale and technical/evidential requirements for the new National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).  These considerations would be important in influencing the continuing role Clydeplan could play in supporting the development of regional planning activities and NPF4.

Clydeplan was maintaining ongoing contact with the Director of Regional Economic Growth and the Scottish Government to ensure that ongoing activities remained fully aligned with the requirements of the City Region Partnership and future strategic planning requirements resulting from the Planning Bill.

Clydeplan’s Action Programme had been approved by the Joint Committee in October 2017 and set out 35 actions which were firmly framed under partnership working to deliver Clydeplan’s Vision and Spatial Development Strategy with the vision of the Glasgow City Region Economic Strategy.  Clydeplan, in partnership with its Steering Group and wider stakeholders, would focus on a number of priority actions where Clydeplan had a direct role and influence.

DECIDED:

(a) That the factors influencing Clydeplan including progress of the Planning (Scotland) Bill, the National Planning Framework refresh and the Glasgow City Region Partnership be noted; and

(b) That the Clydeplan work priorities based on the action programme approved in October 2017 be approved.

Councillor Johnston (East Dunbartonshire Council); Councillor Clocherty (Inverclyde Council); Councillor McGurk (Renfrewshire Council); and Councillor McColl (West Dunbartonshire Council).

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 March 2018.

In relation to item 6(c) the Convener intimated that he would send a targeted communication to MSPs highlighting the work of Clydeplan as the Planning Bill progressed through the parliamentary scrutiny process. 

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Treasurer relative to the unaudited annual accounts for the Joint Committee 2017/18 which were attached to the report. The report intimated that the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 had been completed and forwarded to Audit Scotland for audit. The accounts showed a deficit for the year of £11,492 against a budgeted breakeven position.

 

In accordance with the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 the unaudited accounts had only been signed by the Treasurer as proper officer.  The audited accounts would be signed by the Convener and Strategic Development Plan Manger, as well as the Treasurer, in accordance with the regulations.

 

DECIDED: That the annual accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018 be noted and that the accounts be further presented to the Joint Committee on completion of the audit.

Under reference to item 3 of the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 12 March 2018 there was submitted a report by the Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager providing an update on the legal challenge to the Clydeplan Strategic Development Plan (July 2017).

The report intimated that the Law Lords had issued their decision on 20 March 2018 and had dismissed the challenge to Clydeplan.  A copy of the Law Lords decision was appended to the report.

It was noted that both the decision-making process and the Clydeplan Strategic Development Plan had withstood this further scrutiny and any suggestion within the grounds of the appellant’s challenge that Clydeplan misled the Reporter during the examination proceedings was rejected by the Lord President.  

Given the decision, legal advisers were currently pursuing award of costs which had been opposed by the appellants.  The opposed motion hearing for expenses would be heard on 12 June in the Court of Session and a decision was expected shortly.  Clydeplan’s costs currently stood at approximately £20,000 and the costs to proceed, given the contested motion, could extend to an additional £1,500.  Provision for the potential costs were covered within current budgetary provisions under earmarked balances.

The Law Lords decision now enabled the Local Development Plans to proceed without risk and good progress was being made with six of the eight Plans progressing towards adoption within the expected two years following approval of Clydeplan. 
 
DECIDED: 

(a) That the terms of the Court of Session decision, associated costs and the progress now being made with respect to the Local Development Plans be noted; and 

(b) That the costs incurred thus far and ongoing proceedings to recover costs be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor, Renfrewshire Council relative to the Internal Audit annual report on the Glasgow and The Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority 2017/18. The report intimated that the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards required that the Chief Auditor prepare an annual report on the internal audit activity’s purpose, authority and responsibility as well as performance relative to its plan. The report must also provide an audit opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the internal control environment of the audited body. 

The annual report for the Planning Authority was attached as an appendix to the report and outlined the role of internal audit, the performance of the internal audit team and the main findings from the internal audit work undertaken in 2017/18 and contained an audit assurance statement. 

DECIDED: That the Internal Audit annual report for 2017/18 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor, Renfrewshire Council relative to internal audit reporting arrangements.

The report intimated that the Chief Auditor was required to develop and maintain a quality assurance and improvement programme that covered all aspects of internal audit including conformance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.  This had presented an opportunity to review and formalise the internal audit reporting arrangements for the Joint Committee.

It was noted that in line with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards, Internal Audit must communicate the results of each engagement to the Joint Committee.  The report outlined the details and outcomes of the Chief Auditor’s considerations in relation to the Joint Committee reporting arrangements for completed audit engagements and follow-up work.

DECIDED: That the reporting arrangements put in place to communicate the results of internal audit work to the Joint Committee be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Treasurer and the Strategic Development Plan Manager detailing the list of expenses incurred through corporate procurement card payment by type and employee for the period 4 February to 31 March 2018. 

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of the Joint Committee would be held at 11.15 am on 10 September 2018 in Glasgow City Council Exchange House, George Street, Glasgow.