Councillor Alan Moir (East Dunbartonshire Council), Councillor Jim Paterson (Renfrewshire Council) and Councillor Robert Brown (South Lanarkshire Council). 

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


Prior to the start of the meeting, Councillor O’Neill indicated that he had recently retired as an employee of Glasgow City Council and therefore would participate in any discussion on item 4.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 11 March 2024.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Auditor relative to the Internal Audit Annual Report on the Glasgow & the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority for 2023/24.
 
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 2023/24 and contained an audit assurance statement. 

The Chief Auditor advised that the date detailed in the heading and in paragraph 5.1 of the report should read 2024/25. 

DECIDED: That, subject to the above amendments, the Internal Audit Annual Report for 2023/24 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Treasurer relative to the Unaudited Annual Accounts for 2023/24, a copy of which was appended to the report. 

The report intimated that the Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 would be submitted to Azets in advance of the statutory deadline of 30 June 2024. It was noted that the Joint Committee had returned a surplus of £59,000 for the financial year resulting in an underspend of £79,000 against the planned deficit of £20,000.

The report advised that the management commentary within the accounts provided an overview of the Joint Committee’s financial performance during 2023/24 and its outlook for the future. 

The Joint Committee thanked Clydeplan employees for the work undertaken by the team since the departure of both the Strategic Development Plan Manager and the Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the Unaudited Annual Accounts for 2023/24 be noted;

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

(c) That the final budget position for 2023/24 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Head of Economy & Development, Renfrewshire Council, requesting that the Joint Committee make a financial contribution to the Glasgow City Region (GCR) Commercial and Industrial Land Study which would help to inform the forthcoming Regional Spatial Strategy and respective Local Development Plans.

The report intimated that the Joint Committee’s Financial Regulations delegated authority to the Clydeplan Manager to spend up to £10,000 without requiring authorisation from the Joint Committee. The report advised that with the Clydeplan Manager post being vacant, it had been assumed that without any changes to the Financial Regulations, that this same limit would also apply to any officer of the Steering Group of the eight member authorities. As the financial contribution requested amounted to £25,000 it had been necessary to bring this report to the Joint Committee for approval.

The report provided detail in relation to the four elements, outputs and timescales of the Commercial and Industrial Land Study.

DECIDED: That a funding contribution of £25,000 from the existing Clydeplan budget towards the cost of the GCR Commercial and Industrial Land Study be approved.

There was submitted a joint report by the Treasurer and Head of Economy & Development, Renfrewshire Council providing an update on the next steps regarding the winding up of the current Clydeplan Joint Committee.

The report provided detail on the formal approval to withdraw from the Clydeplan Joint Committee; the next steps; and the notice period required to dissolve the Joint Committee.

DECIDED:

(a) That the decisions taken by the member authorities to formally withdraw from the Clydeplan Joint Committee be noted;

(b) That the next steps required to be completed before the Joint Committee was fully wound up be noted;

(c) That the use of reserve balances to cover any costs in 2025/26 in the event that the Joint Committee was not wound up by 1 April 2025 be approved; and

(d) That it be agreed that the two-year notice period to dissolve the Clydeplan Joint Committee be waived.