Councillor Alan Lafferty and Councillor Stewart Miller (both East Renfrewshire Council); Bailie Glen Elder (Glasgow City Council); Councillor David Wilson (Inverclyde Council); Councillor Harry Curran (North Lanarkshire Council); Councillor John Anderson and Councillor Alistair Fulton (both South Lanarkshire Council); and Councillor Lawrence O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council).

Councillor O’Neill, Convener, presided.

S Tait, Strategic Development Plan Manager and D McDonald, Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager (both Strategic Development Plan Core Team); F Barron, Head of Planning and Building Services (Glasgow City Council); L Bowden, Business Manager (Strategic Planning) (North Lanarkshire Council); F Carlin, Head of Planning and Housing Services, K Festorazzi, Senior Accountant, and E Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council); and S Afzal, Auditor (Audit Scotland).

In terms of Standing Order 12, the Convener intimated that he proposed to alter the order of business to facilitate the conduct of the meeting by considering item 8 of the agenda after item 6 of the agenda.

Councillor Denis Johnston and Councillor Alan Moir (both East Dunbartonshire Council); Councillor Agnes Magowan (North Lanarkshire Council); and Councillor Tom Begg (Renfrewshire 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 10 December 2018.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved. 

There was submitted a joint report by the Treasurer and the Strategic Development Plan Manager for the period 1 April 2018 to 1 February 2019. 

The report intimated that gross expenditure was currently £12,000 underspent and income was currently £8,000 over-recovered resulting in a net underspend of £20,000.  The projected year-end position was an underspend of £39,000 due to budgets not being able to be utilised due to the Strategic Development Plan and an over-recovery in income.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by Audit Scotland relative to the annual audit plan 2018/19 for the Joint Committee which outlined Audit Scotland’s planned activities in their audit for the 2018/19 financial year. 

 

DECIDED: That Audit Scotland’s annual audit plan 2018/19 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the Clydeplan Annual Report 2018, a summary of which was appended to the report. 

The Annual Report provided an overview of the work undertaken by Clydeplan during 2018 under the broad headings of Clydeplan Joint Committee; approval of the Strategic Development Plan and legal challenge; the Glasgow City Region and City Deal; the Glasgow City Region Infrastructure and Assets Summit and Pilot Study; the Scottish Government’s Review of Planning in Scotland – parliamentary scrutiny of the Planning (Scotland) Bill; and the priorities and issues affecting the future work of Clydeplan. 

DECIDED:

(a) That the Annual Report 2018, as set out in the appendix to the report, be approved; and

(b) That it be agreed that, in accordance with the practice in previous year, an enhanced version of the Annual Report be produced in order to promote the work of the Joint Committee.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2019/20, a copy of which formed the appendix to the report.

The report intimated that as part of the requirements of the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006, planning authorities were expected to publish a Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement and review it on an annual basis. Clydeplan published its first Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement on 31 March 2009, with subsequent revisions published annually in March. 

The Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2019/20 reflected the current position in respect of the terms of the Planning (Scotland) Bill published in December 2017 which, as originally proposed, sought the removal of the statutory requirement to prepare Strategic Development Plans.

The Joint Committee complimented the Strategic Development Plan Manager and his team for the work undertaken to compile the Clydeplan Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2019/20 despite the uncertainty around the Planning (Scotland) Bill.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2019/20, as set out in the appendix to the report, be adopted; and 

(b) That the Strategic Development Plan Manager make the necessary arrangements for publication and distribution to all local libraries throughout the city region, on Clydeplan’s website and to Scottish Ministers.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the Scottish Government’s feedback on Clydeplan’s Planning Performance Framework 2017/18 and proposed changes to performance monitoring as specified in the Planning (Scotland) Bill.

The report intimated that as part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to improving planning performance across Scotland, Clydeplan had submitted its sixth Planning Performance Framework, covering the period April 2017 to March 2018, to the Scottish Government.  

It was noted that, in relation to plan preparation performance; and collaborative approach to sharing good practice, skills and knowledge between authorities, Clydeplan’s performance had been assessed very positively and had been rated as green and that in relation to continuous improvement, Clydeplan’s performance had been rated as amber.

The Minister for Local Government and Housing, Kevin Stewart MSP, had written to the Convener of the Joint Committee on 17 January 2019 and a copy of his letter and feedback report were appended to the report.  This letter also advised that the Planning (Scotland) Bill had recently passed through the second stage of parliamentary consideration, during which the Local Government and Communities Committee voted, amongst other things, to remove the proposed provision on planning performance; the provisions to make training for elected members mandatory; and the existing penalty clause provisions.

DECIDED: That the Scottish Government’s feedback on Clydeplan’s Planning Performance Framework 2017/18, as appended to the report, be noted.

Under reference to item 5 of the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 10 December 2018 there was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager providing an update on the ongoing role of Clydeplan within the portfolios and wider activities of the Glasgow City Region.

The report intimated that since the last update, the Glasgow City Regional Partnership met on 28 February 2019 and considered the Regional Skills Investment Plan; the Regional Strategic Assessment; the refresh of the Regional Economic Strategy and Action Plan; a research commission into regional approaches to maximising inclusive economic growth along with a presentation by SEPA on the Vacant and Derelict Land Task Force.  

The Director of Regional Economic Growth met with the Local Authority Chief Executives Group on 29 November 2018 to set out a proposed organisational structure to support the Glasgow City Region related activities. It was understood that the structure would comprise three groupings sitting under the Director of Regional Economic Growth, being the Intelligence Hub; the City Deal Programme Management Office; and Regional Relationships.

As a consequence of the delays in the Planning (Scotland) Bill, the Chief Executives Group agreed to wait until there was clarity before proceeding with any consideration of a merger between the Clydeplan and Glasgow City Region staffing structures. A transition group had been established to consider issues relating to any future staffing integration.

Clydeplan was now an active participant in four of the eight portfolios as well as the overarching Economic Delivery Group and Economic Intelligence Working Group. The report provided information in relation to Clydeplan’s budget; delivery of the Clydeplan Strategic Development Plan; resources; office accommodation; processes and governance; and the National Planning Framework.

The report also detailed the key elements of the current Clydeplan Core Team work plan and observations on matters Clydeplan could support.

DECIDED: That the report and the approach of Clydeplan and its Core Team in relation to Glasgow City Region be noted.

Under reference to item 4 of the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 10 December 2018 there was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager providing an update on matters relating to the ongoing consideration by the Scottish Parliament of the Planning (Scotland) Bill.

The report intimated that it was envisaged that Stage 3 would take place in April 2019 and that this would be the final opportunity for MSPs to propose amendments to the Bill. If the Bill was passed there would then be a four-week period when the Bill could be challenged by Law Officers on the issue of whether or not the Parliament has the power to make law on the subjects covered by the Bill. If there was no challenge, the Presiding Officer would submit the Bill to the Queen for Royal Assent and it was anticipated that the Bill would receive Royal Assent in the summer of 2019.  New and amended secondary legislation and guidance would be required before most of the provisions of the Bill came into force and the Scottish Government estimated that this would take a period of 18 months.

A revised Financial Memorandum in respect of the Bill, as it currently stood at the end of Stage 2, was expected soon and given the increased number of additional statutory duties placed on local authorities and the Scottish Government it was anticipated that there would be a significant increase in the cost of implementing the Bill.

The Strategic Development Plan Manger and Steering Group Chair met with John McNairney, Chief Planner and Fiona Simpson, Assistant Chief Planner on 21 January 2019 to discuss matters in relation to the role of strategic planning as part of any new Bill.  Little clarity was given at the meeting in respect of strategic planning, other than it remained the intention of the Scottish Government to submit another amendment at Stage 3.  Clydeplan had offered to work with the Scottish Government on their approach to any such amendment, however to date that offer had not been taken up.

It was proposed (i) that the report and the progress and parliamentary scrutiny of the Planning (Scotland) Bill be noted; and (ii) that the Strategic Development Plan Manager make contact with Mr McNairney, Chief Planner requesting that he meet with him, the Convener and Vice Convener to discuss matters relating to the Planning (Scotland) Bill.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the report and the progress and parliamentary scrutiny of the Planning (Scotland) Bill be noted; and

(b) That the Strategic Development Plan Manager write to Mr McNairney, Chief Planner requesting that he meet with him, the Convener and the Vice Convener to discuss matters relating to the Planning (Scotland) Bill. 

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of the Joint Committee would be held at 11.15 am on 10 June 2019 in Glasgow City Council, Exchange House, 231 George Street, Glasgow.