Councillor Colm Merrick (East Renfrewshire Council) and Councillor Richard Nelson (South Lanarkshire Council).

 

 

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

 

 

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 13 March 2022.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Treasurer relative to the unaudited annual accounts for 2022/23, a copy of which was appended to the report. 

The report intimated that the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 would be submitted to Azets in advance of the statutory deadline of 30 June 2023. It was noted that the Joint Committee had returned a surplus of £75,163 for the financial year resulting in an underspend of £105,163 against the planned deficit of £30,000.

The report advised that the management commentary within the accounts provided an overview of the Joint Committee’s financial performance during 2022/23 and its outlook for the future. 

The report further advised that The Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2014 required the Joint Committee to prepare and publish a set of accounts, including an Annual Governance Statement, by 30 June each year. The unaudited accounts were then required to be formally considered by the Joint Committee with the Annual Governance Statement being formally approved at this time. Once considered, the accounts would be subject to external audit by Azets by 30 September 2023 and the report advised that the 2022/23 audited Annual Accounts would be submitted to the meeting of the Joint Committee scheduled to be held on 11 September 2023 for approval and signing by the Convener, the Lead Officer and the Treasurer, in accordance with the regulations. 

DECIDED: 

(a) That the unaudited Annual Accounts for 2022/23 be noted;

(b) That the Annual Governance Statement be approved; and

(c) That the final budget position for 2022/23 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to the audit of the Joint Committee’s governance arrangements. 

The report intimated that in line with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards, Internal Audit must communicate the results of each engagement to the Joint Committee. It was noted that the Chief Auditor would submit summary reports of completed audit engagements to the Joint Committee on the conclusion of each engagement for formal consideration by members in line with best practice. 

The summary for the internal audit review of governance arrangements, completed in December 2022, was appended to the report and detailed the overall assurance rating and the number of recommendations in each risk category. 

DECIDED: That the summary for the internal audit review of the Joint Committee’s governance arrangements, appended to the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to the Internal Audit Annual Report on the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority for 2022/23.
 
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 also required to provide an audit opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the internal control system of the audited body. 

The Annual Report for the Joint Committee 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 2022/23 and contained an audit assurance statement. 

The Assistant Chief Auditor advised that, in relation to paragraph 4.1 of the Annual Report, the percentage of audit assignments completed by target date in the last column should read 98% and not 93% as stated, and that the percentage completion of audit plan for the year should read 93% and not 98% as stated. 

DECIDED: That, subject to the above amendments, the Internal Audit Annual Report for 2022/23 be noted.

Under reference to item 6 of the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 13 March 2023, there was submitted a report by the Clydeplan Steering Group outlining potential options for the management and governance arrangements for the duty to prepare a Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and seeking the views of the Joint Committee on the preferred model for implementation. The report also dealt with the requisite cessation of the Joint Committee due to the recent changes in planning legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament.

The report provided the background in relation to NPF4 and the introduction of RSSs which, unlike the Clydeplan, would not form part of the statutory development plan, this would now comprise NPF4 and individual authorities’ local development plans (LDPs). RSSs would feed into the planning process by guiding the preparation of relevant LDPs and future iterations of NPF.

The report intimated that, given these changes, the role and remit for which the Joint Committee had been originally established would significantly change. A copy of the Minute of Agreement was appended to the report.

The report advised that there was no prescription in The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 on how local authorities discharged the duty to prepare a RSS and it was open for local authorities to consider their preferred model. The RSS would not be a statutory document and it was not clear what, if any, role a regional body like the Joint Committee would have in approving its content. Guidance on the preparation of RSSs was pending, however the Scottish Government were yet to confirm the timescale and this was an appropriate juncture to examine the future governance of joint working on regional planning matters and to seek the settled view of the Joint Committee.

The report set out three proposed options for the Joint Committee in terms of a proposed way forward with the preparation and governance of the forthcoming RSS; provided detail in relation to staffing and funding; and the next steps.

Alasdair Morrison, Lead Officer advised that recommendation (b) of the report should be amended to now read ‘(b) notes the cessation of Strategic Development Plans and the resultant implications for the Joint Committee’.

Following discussion, the Convener proposed that consideration of this report be continued to a special meeting of the Joint Committee to be held remotely on MS teams in the week commencing 26 June 2023 and that members be advised of the date and time of the special meeting when known. This was agreed unanimously.

DECIDED: That consideration of this report be continued to a special meeting of the Joint Committee to be held remotely on MS teams in the week commencing 26 June 2023 and that members be advised of the date and time of the special meeting when known.

DECIDED: 

(a) That it be noted that a special meeting of the Joint Committee would be held remotely on MS teams in the week commencing 26 June 2023 and that members be advised of the date and time of the special meeting when known; and

(b) That it be noted that the next scheduled meeting of the Joint Committee would be held at 11.15 am on 11 September 2023 and that members be advised if this meeting would be held remotely using MS teams or would be an ‘in person’ meeting.