There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the report by the Accounts Commission – “An Overview of Government in Scotland 2016”.   The report intimated that Audit Scotland prepared an Annual Report on behalf of the Accounts Commission which provided a high-level independent view on the management and performance of all councils across Scotland.  The 2016 overview report, which was published in March 2016, was appended to the report.  The 2016 report reflected a number of key messages for local authorities across Scotland and represented a call for local authorities to significantly change the way in which they worked to deliver services in order to effectively manage the significant financial challenges ahead.   The report specifically considered the financial context in which councils were operating, the impact of local government budget settlements, public accountability, the preparedness of councils to deliver on the requirements of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the extent to which governance arrangements within councils were fit for purpose.   The report included an extract of the key messages contained within the Audit Scotland report on financial management, budget reductions, customer satisfaction and performance information, workforce, Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and governance and training for councillors.  The Renfrewshire Council position in relation to each key message was detailed. 

DECIDED:      That Audit Scotland’s key messages in their Overview of Local Government in Scotland 2016 report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the proposed next stages of the Better Council Change Programme and highlighting the potential implications of the current year financial settlement for local government and for the longer-term prospects for Council services.

The report intimated that the Better Council Change Programme had played a significant role in helping to manage the impact of budget deficits on services over successive years in a planned way throughout the financial year.  The programme had aimed to introduce change to the organisation and the delivery of services to facilitate the release of necessary budget savings and, where possible, minimise or mitigate the impact of the budget reduction on the public and on the workforce.   Constant review and update of the Change programme so far had helped avoid, in the main, short-term savings decisions which needed to be implemented quickly and which could be damaging to the service and those who used it. 

The Better Council Change Programme had centred on four key areas: the Council debt smoothing strategy, reconfiguration of 'back office' services and introduction of a new consolidated support service module for the Council, a review of environmental and waste management services and ways of working, and investment in the prevention agenda for children and adults to reduce cost pressures for the Council. The report intimated that such measures would diminish and whilst there would be an ongoing drive for improvement and efficiency in the delivery of these services it was unlikely that there would be the same scale of opportunity for savings again from this part of the Council without a radical change in delivery model. 

It was highlighted that the Council must continue to take strategic decisions about how services were delivered for the future balancing the needs of communities with resources available, creating a model of delivery which the Council could sustain over the medium term.

DECIDED:     

(a) That the report be noted;

(b)  That it be noted that officers were available to advise on the 2017/18 budget as required by members; and

(c)  That themes for the next phase of the Better Council Change Programme would be reported to members later in the year.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to progress with the Council plan.   The report intimated that Council had approved a refreshed Council plan at its meeting held on 17 December 2015 which set out the key priorities for the Council to March 2017.  The plan set out for residents, elected members, employees and partners what the Council would work to achieve and how this would be taken forward.  The plan set out ten key priority areas which the Council would progress to invest in a better future for Renfrewshire and create a better Council that would work with customers and partners to make it happen.   The progress report was structured around the three themes of Better Future Place, Better Future People and Better Council.   Performance and progress against the specific actions and measures contained in the Council plan were detailed.

DECIDED:       

(a) That the progress that had been made to date by services in terms of delivery and the Council plan be noted; and

(b) That it be agreed that a further progress update be prepared and submitted to the Board in December 2016.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to progress against the Tackling Poverty Action Plan which had been approved by the Council at its meeting held on 25 June 2015.   The report outlined key progress highlights against the priority areas within the Council’s Tackling Poverty Strategy covering the 12 months since the Tackling Poverty Action Plan had been approved.

The report intimated that since the Commission’s recommendations had been published the Council had made significant progress in the delivery of the Tackling Poverty Programme and had now produced a Tackling Poverty Action Plan and Strategy and had developed projects to deliver the recommendations of the Commission under the priority areas of pockets - maximising household resources of families on low incomes;

prospects - improving life chances of children living in poverty; and places - children from low income households live in well designed sustainable places.  The report outlined the next steps including public performance reporting.

DECIDED:      That progress on the delivery of the Tackling Poverty Action Plan be noted.

There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Executive and the Director of Community Resources relative to two projects within the Tackling Poverty Programme: the expansion of the Street Stuff Programme and the Special Wardens Initiative.  The report intimated that Street Stuff was a community-based youth engagement and diversionary programme for young people aged eight and above that provided activities including football, dance, clubbercise, and computer games through the deployment of mobile resources including youth buses and mobile units and multi-use games areas.   The report outlined the expansion of the programme funded by the Tackling Poverty Action Plan.   It was noted that there had been over 37,000 attendances at the Street Stuff Programme in the year April 2015 to March 2016 a 50% increase on the previous year.  Over 6,000 of these were at expanded programme sessions and holiday programmes where young people were able to enjoy a choice of hot meal or snack. 

The report referred to the Special Wardens Initiative in which 12 trainees had completed an intensive eight-week training programme delivered with the assistance of key partners including Police Scotland during December 2015 and February 2016.   The training was designed to improve skills and prepare candidates for the Special Warden recruitment process.   

DECIDED:  That the report and accompanying presentation be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to a proposed economic framework for Renfrewshire.   The framework identified the key priorities for economic development in Renfrewshire today, bringing together existing strategies and initiatives and outlining additional actions to drive the local economy forward over the next two years.  The report intimated that during 2015 an assessment of current economic development issues had been commissioned to assist in the preparation of a future economic framework targeting key issues to help the area achieve the step change that was required to overcome existing challenges.   To date Renfrewshire had not developed an economic strategy that pulled together different elements of the local economy to understand what needed to be prioritised to grow the local economy and take advantage of the emerging wider economic context that currently existed.

Renfrewshire did however have a number of related strategies for example the Community Plan, Council Plan, Local Development Plan, Tackling Poverty Strategy, Local Housing Strategy, Paisley Heritage Asset Strategy and these were recognised within the framework.   The economic framework was not intended to replace any of these current strategies but instead sought to consolidate a set of key economic priorities for the Council, its Community Planning partners and the wider community. 

Councillor M Macmillan, seconded by Councillor Holmes, moved that the draft economic framework priorities and milestones be approved as the basis for engaging a wide range of stakeholders in dialogue towards a consensus on a new economic framework for Renfrewshire be approved and that the draft economic framework be agreed as a basis on which to ask key stakeholders to play a direct role in moving forward on the proposed action plan.

Councillor Andy Doig, seconded by Councillor Lawson, moved that one further bullet point be added to clause 2.1:

"Amend the draft economic framework priorities as follows:

Priority 4, change to "Regenerating and Investing in all of Renfrewshire's town centres.";

Priority 10, change to "Outward looking - Connecting with the Glasgow City Region and improving connectivity within Renfrewshire."

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

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

5 members having voted for the amendment and 8 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED

(a) That the draft economic framework priorities and milestones be approved as the basis for engaging a wide range of stakeholders in dialogue towards a consensus on a new economic framework for Renfrewshire be approved; and

(b) That the draft economic framework be agreed as a basis on which to ask key stakeholders to play a direct role in moving forward on the proposed action plan.

There was submitted a joint report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Development & Housing Services relative to the Paisley Town Centre Heritage Asset Strategy – the Paisley Pattern.  The report intimated that the Paisley Pattern remained the most historically-significant component of the rich textile heritage associated with Paisley and continued today as a globally-recognised design.   As part of the Council’s Heritage Regeneration Strategy preliminary work had been completed which had examined the potential opportunities for the Council to firmly re-establish the global link between the Paisley Pattern and the town of Paisley.   Despite the pattern remaining a globally- recognised design that continued to be used in contemporary textile and fashion industries, over the course of history the level of awareness of the direct link with the town of Paisley had been gradually eroded.  

Consequently, and despite the Paisley museum retaining the most comprehensive collection of patterned designs and shawls of national and international significance, Paisley and Renfrewshire secured only limited benefits from this unique historical link to the pattern.   The report set out details of preliminary work undertaken to date and recommendations to further develop the most promising elements in the context of the Council’s heritage-led Regeneration Strategy and specifically Paisley 2021 and museum development.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the report and the intention to undertake a further stage of work to develop a detailed business case which would be presented to a future meeting of the Board be noted; and

(b)  That authority be delegated to the Directors of Finance & Resources and Development & Housing Services to engage suitably-skilled and experienced external support to progress the development of the detailed business case.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the redevelopment of Paisley Museum and Art Galleries which was a key project of the Paisley Heritage Asset Strategy.   The report provided an update on the outcome of an application for funding made to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a grant to support the delivery of the project with match-funding from the Council’s established regeneration budgets.   The report intimated that the application had now been determined by the UK Board of HLF and they had decided not to award the grant.   HLF staff had advised of the reasons for the Board’s decision and these were set out in the report.  The feedback received had confirmed that the project, its regeneration ambitions and the application were of an exemplary nature.  However from a national fund of only £50 million there were 18 applications all of which were seeking grants of more than £5 million and only five projects had been awarded funding.   HLF staff had outlined to the Council what it might now consider as a way forward for the project should the Council wish to reapply for funding.  The key advice being around the development of a funding strategy which included a greater degree of secured funding commitments towards the overall project budget.  HLF had advised that it would welcome the resubmission of an application in December 2016 but could offer no guarantee of success.

The report emphasised the strategic importance of the Paisley Museum project to the realisation of the Council's overall regeneration ambitions and sought authority to continue to develop the project.

DECIDED:       

(a) That the decision of HLF not to award a £15 million grant to develop and deliver the project be noted;

(b) That it be agreed that the Council would progress the development of a new application to HLF in December 2016 and continue development and design work on the project both to maintain progress towards delivery and to demonstrate progress to HLF;

(c) That the Directors of Development & Housing Services and Finance & Resources be authorised to assemble the project design team and funding team referred to in the report and it be agreed that the required costs indicated in section 5 would be met from the established project budget; and

(d) That it be noted that the revised application for grant funding would be brought to the meeting of the Leadership Board to be held on 30 November 2016 for approval prior to submission.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

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

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to a proposed Cultural Strategy for Renfrewshire.  The report intimated that the previous Cultural Strategy had been developed in 2010.  This had evolved into the Creative Renfrewshire Strategy and a partnership of key cultural partners was formed to support the strategy implementation.   A draft Cultural Strategy had been submitted to the meeting of the Leadership Board held on 17 February 2016 and had been derived from consultation which took place in 2015 and established the priority objectives for the strategy.   Further consultation on the draft had the aims of ensuring that delivery partner organisations had an opportunity to review and feedback on the draft document, seek the support of national agencies for the strategy, to incorporate relevant advice and to seek general review and feedback from individuals, cultural bodies, public, private and third sectors in Renfrewshire ensuring that the strategy was as relevant as possible to all.   In light of the feedback received recommendations on required changes were made by the Creative Renfrewshire Steering Board and these had been incorporated into the final draft.  An action plan would be developed for Autumn 2016 to set out the planned activity across the full range of partners.  The action plan would be implemented through the Creative Renfrewshire network and be monitored by the Creative Renfrewshire Steering Board.   Regular reports on progress would be brought back to the Leadership Board.

DECIDED:     

(a) That the content of the report be noted; and

(b) That the Cultural Strategy titled 'Creative Renfrewshire' be endorsed subject to individual projects and actions which might have resource implications for the Council being subject to the Council’s usual governance and due diligence process.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Resources relative to the Charter for Household Recycling in Scotland and seeking approval for the Council to sign up to the Charter.

The report intimated that a zero-waste taskforce had been convened in 2014 with representation from the Scottish Government, COSLA, Solace, Zero Waste Scotland and the Waste Managers Network.   Its main task was to review nationally waste- management practices and make recommendations to transform the production, collection and disposal of household waste into a feedstock to promote the circular economy. The key objective of the taskforce was that local authorities should be able to improve recycling performance whilst developing approaches which were consistent across Scotland.   However provision was made for councils to have flexibility to design services reflective of local needs and issues.  This approach had now been set out in the Charter for Household Recycling in Scotland and associated Codes of Practice.   Local authorities were being encouraged to sign up to the Charter as part of their strategic waste management planning.  Formal signing demonstrated a local authority’s commitment in principle to the Charter.   At this stage it only committed the local authority to investigating how to adopt the associated Codes of Practice locally as part of their waste management strategy.  A significant benefit through signing in principle was that funding sources within Zero Waste Scotland could become accessible to assist councils in the development of their future waste strategy.

DECIDED:     

(a) That the Council formally sign up to the principle of the Charter for Household Recycling in Scotland; and

(b) That it be noted that as Renfrewshire Council's future waste strategy developed, further reports would be brought back to the appropriate Policy Board.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to resettlement of Syrian refuges in Renfrewshire and support to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.  The report intimated that 77 Syrian people had now been resettled in Renfrewshire since 17 November 2015.   Initial resettlement was progressing well and officers were working with partners and communities to welcome and integrate the Syrian families within the local area.   Significant progress had been made in terms of registering children in educational placements, supporting families to access health services and to learn English.   A range of donated items had been given to the families from individuals, groups and communities across Renfrewshire. 

In relation to more recent developments, in line with all other local authorities in the UK, the Council had received requests from the UK Government to offer support to some of the 1,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children currently being cared for by Kent County Council after arriving in this Council through various routes.   Officers from the Council had explored potential options for supporting a small number of  such children in Renfrewshire and these were detailed in the report.   Officers were currently exploring legal and financial considerations with the Home Office in relation to these proposals.

DECIDED:     

(a) That progress made recently to resettle refugees in Renfrewshire be noted;

(b) That the work undertaken by officers to explore options for supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Renfrewshire be noted;

(c) That it be noted that officers would seek further clarification on the legal and financial implications relating to the provision of support to this group; and

(d) That it be agreed that further to the above Renfrewshire Council would offer support to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Renfrewshire.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to consultation by the Scottish Government on a number of aspects of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) 2015 Act with responses requested by various dates in June 2016.   The guidance that emerged following the consultation would provide a framework for community planning partnerships to work within when implementing the provisions of the Act.   The proposed response of the Council to the consultation questions were set out in the report.   An additional response on behalf of Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership would be approved by the Renfrewshire Forum for empowering communities and submitted to the Scottish Government.

DECIDED:      That the response to the consultation papers on the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 as set out in the completed consultation questionnaires appended to the report be approved.