Neil Barrington (Langbank Community Council); Councillor Michelle Campbell; Councillor Natalie Don; Councillor James MacLaren; Sam Mullin (Erskine Community Council); Councillor Iain Nicolson; Jacqui Reid (Erskine Development Trust); John Ross (Inchinnan Community Council); and David Woodrow (Bishopton Community Council).

Councillor Campbell, Chair, presided.

K Graham Head of Corporate Governance (Lead Officer), A Armstrong-Walter, Strategic Partnerships & Inequalities Manager, S Marklow, Strategy & Place Manager, C Tolan, Senior Planning & Policy Development Officer, S Tkscenko, Planning & Policy Development Assistant, D Houston Tackling Poverty Project Officer and P Shiach Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council).

Sergeant J Smith (Police Scotland) P McCulloch (Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership) and K McIntyre (Engage Renfrewshire).

Councillors T Begg and J Harte; J Doherty (Langbank Parent Partnership); and H Sutherland (Bishopton Development Trust).

 

 

 

 

 

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

Councillor Campbell opened the meeting by extending a welcome to everyone present.  She invited members, Community Planning partners, and Renfrewshire Council officers to introduce themselves and to advise their role at meetings.

DECIDED: To note the welcome and introductions.

Councillor Campbell advised that, in terms of the Standing Orders for Local Partnerships, a community representative could be appointed as Vice-chair and called for nominations.

Councillor Nicolson seconded by Councillor MacLaren moved that Neil Barrington be appointed as Vice-chair.

John Ross seconded by Sam Mullin moved as an amendment that Jacqui Reid be appointed as Vice-chair.

On a vote being taken five members voted for the motion and two members voted for the amendment.  The motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED: That Neil Barrington be appointed as Vice-chair of the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership.

The Minutes of the meetings of Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership held on 29 January and 22 March 2019 were submitted and approved.

DECIDED: That the Minutes be approved. 

The Head of Corporate Governance provided members with information relative to the Code of Conduct and Register of Interests and emphasised the important role community representatives had which included making decisions regarding public money.  Members of the Local Partnership were invited to adopt the Code of Conduct and Register of Interest. This was agreed.

DECIDED:  That the Local Partnership adopt the Code of Conduct for Devolved Public Bodies and that members of this Local Partnership be required to complete and sign the Register of Interests.

A presentation was delivered by Community Planning partners relative to identifying common matters that were important to people in the area and setting local priorities for improvement. It was envisaged that, once identified, these local priorities would be used to target resources and improvement actions.


The presentation, together with a Local Profile providing background information, detailed key facts about the population, access to services, crime, children in poverty, schools, care homes, extra care and sheltered housing, parks and play areas, health resources and the voluntary sector, specific to this Local Partnership area.  The development of Place Plans for specific localities, such as that already in place for Foxbar, was also highlighted as good practice.

Based on the information provided, members worked in groups to identify and set priorities for the area.  After discussion, the following priorities were identified: -

• Health – access to services, social inclusion, drug awareness;
• Transport – connectivity from villages, safe underpasses, clean green routes;
• Villages - identity and history, culture, community assets;
• Planning and Environment – greenbelt, litter, bins, low carbon footprint;
• Community Empowerment – exploring participatory budgeting, decision-making, availability of information within appropriate timeframes: and
• Intergenerational work as a means of achieving these priorities.

DECIDED: That health, transport, villages identity, planning and environment, community empowerment and intergenerational work be approved as the key local priorities for Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to decisions which the Partnership required to consider in relation to the operation of the Partnership.

These decisions related to arrangements for future meetings and the name the Partnership wished to be known by. 

In addition, Cllr Nicolson proposed that the Partnership adopts a procedure to enable decisions to be taken on grant applications that were not available for a meeting of the Partnership and which cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting of the Partnership. It was agreed that in such circumstances, the grant application could be approved by unanimous written approval by all voting members (including by email) provided there was a valid grant application and there were sufficient funds available to the Partnership. It was also agreed that where no response had been received from any voting member within the time given for a response, this would be taken as approval to the grant award.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the next meeting be held at 6.30 pm on 13 June 2019 in St John Bosco Primary School and that further meetings be held in November 2019 and March/April 2020, at venue(s) and times to be advised;

(b)  That members identify accessible venues in the area and indicate a preference for a single venue for all meetings or alternating between different venues in the area and advise communityplanning@renfewshire.gov.uk by no later than 7 May 2019; and

(c) That suggestions for an alternative name for this Local Partnership be notified to communityplanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk by no later than 7 May 2019;


(d) That the arrangements for Community Representative expenses, as set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report be noted: and

(e) That the proposal that Partnership adopts a procedure to enable decisions to be taken on grant applications that were not available for a meeting of the Partnership and which cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting of the Partnership; that in such circumstances, the grant application could be approved by unanimous written approval by all voting members (including by email) provided there was a valid grant application and there were sufficient funds available to the Partnership; and that where no response had been received from any voting member within the time given for a response, this would be taken as approval to the grant award be approved.