Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the
Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council's internet site.

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

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Sub-committee held on 15 March 2023, a copy of which is appended hereto.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Sub-committee held on 22 March 2023, a copy of which is appended hereto.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the operational performance of the service.

The report provided updates since the previous Policy Board meeting in respect of key areas delivered by services within Environment, Housing & Infrastructure, which were within the remit of this Policy Board, including fleets, roads and transportation; parks investment; Streetscene; climate change; Team Up to Clean Up and waste and recycling services.

DECIDED: That the operational performance update detailed in the report be approved.

Under reference to item 1 of the Minute of the meeting of this Policy Board held on 15 June 2022, there was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the performance of the service for the twelve-month period covering 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 in relation to the Service Improvement Plan. The Outturn Report was set out at Appendix 1 to the report

The report provided a summary of performance against both the action plan and the service performance indicators, which were included as appendices to the report. It was reported that of the 22 targeted indicators in the performance scorecard, 16 were performing strongly, three were slightly short of target and needed monitoring, two were currently behind target and one value remained to be confirmed.

A number of service updates and key achievements were highlighted in Section 4 and Appendix 1 of the report.  It was noted that the Outturn Report would also be submitted to the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board for the areas within that Board's remit.

DECIDED: That the progress made in delivering the 2022/23-2024/25 Service Improvement Plan for Environment & Infrastructure for the areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the proposed Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 2023-2026 Service Improvement Plan. The Service Improvement Plan was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Service Improvement Plan was designed to sit beneath the Council Plan, Community Plan, Risk Management Plan, and the Workforce Plan to form a suite of documents which provided the strategic direction for the service. The Plan identified the priorities being addressed, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and the measures of success.

It was noted in the report that following a revision to the Council management structure, which came into effect in April 2023, Housing Services and Public Protection would thereafter be included in what was previously the Environment & Infrastructure directorate and would therefore be covered by one Service Improvement Plan.

It was noted that a mid-year progress update on the Service Improvement Plan would be submitted to a meeting of this Policy Board in the autumn of 2023.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Service Improvement Plan 2023/2026, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; and

(b) That it be noted that mid-year progress of the Service Improvement Plan would be reported to a meeting of this Policy Board in the autumn of 2023, with updates to the Performance Indicators and Action Plan.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the proposed Roads Enforcement Policy. The policy document was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

The report set out the Council's vision to create a road network that was safe for all users, provided benefits to health and wellbeing as well as being a fundamental driver of economic regeneration through provision of access to employment, leisure and social activity.  The proposed Roads Enforcement Policy set out the principles to be followed by officers when utilising their powers on behalf of the Council.  It was noted that the policy would help to ensure that infringements and infractions were dealt with proportionately, objectively and impartially across Renfrewshire.

DECIDED: That the Roads Enforcement Policy, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the proposed Roads Adoption Policy. The policy document was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

The report provided detail on requests which the Council often received to adopt lengths of carriageway and to add them to its list of public roads. The requests were usually made by developers following the completion of a housing development however on occasion they were received from private owners. The proposed Roads Adoption Policy was produced to provide guidance to residents on how they could apply to have a private stretch of road added to the list of public roads managed and maintained by Renfrewshire Council.

DECIDED: That the Roads Adoption Policy, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to proposed changes to the Council's cemeteries and Streetscene related charges.

The report advised that burial and lair costs for Renfrewshire residents were among the lowest in Scotland and that the annual cost to the Council for the cemeteries service was over £1.2 million per annum.  It was proposed that the charges to residents be brought into line with the Scottish average and tables outlining the revised charges for burials, headstone foundations and woodland burials were set out at section 3 of the report.

The report also proposed charges for maintenance work on land not owned by the Council. A table in section 4 of the report set out the proposed charges for grass cutting, arboriculture and vegetation maintenance.

Should the proposed changes be approved it was expected they would become effective from 1 June 2023.

Councillor Campbell, seconded by Councillor Burns, moved "(a) That the cemetery charges, as set out in section 3 of the report, be approved; and (b) That the Streetscene charges, as set out in section 4 of the report, be approved."

As an amendment, Councillor Gilmour, seconded by Councillor McMillan, moved "(a) Remove proposed cost increases in paragraph 3.4 of the report and retain the current costs which are promulgated on Renfrewshire Councils scale of fees for internments and associated services; and (b) That the Streetscene charges, as set out in section 4 of the report, be approved."

On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Davidson, Gilmour, J MacLaren, McDonald, McMillan and Smith.

The following members voted for the motion: Councillors Adam, Burns, Cameron, Campbell, Audrey Doig, McNaughtan, Mylet and Nicolson.

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

DECIDED: 

(a) That the cemetery charges, as set out in section 3 of the report, be approved; and 

(b) That the Streetscene charges, as set out in section 4 of the report, be approved.

Under reference to item 3 of the Minute of the meeting of Council held on 2 March 2023, there was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the operational policy of the Council's Garden Waste Permit Collection Scheme.

The report referenced the decision taken by Council, as part of its budget setting for 2023/24, that a garden waste permit scheme would be introduced during 2023/24 at a rate of £40 per property, with the operational policy supporting the introduction of this scheme being the subject of a future report to be considered at a meeting of this Policy Board.

The report set out the operational policy of the scheme at section 4 of the report and provided detail on the arrangements for food waste collection for which there would be no additional charge, exemptions to the scheme and the disposal of garden waste at the Council's Household Waste Recycling Centres. Details were provided on the support which would be made available to residents and a timeline for implementation was set out. It was intended that the scheme would come into effect on 10 July 2023 at a rate of £40 per brown bin per annum.

Councillor Campbell, seconded by Councillor Burns, moved "(a) that the content of the report and the introduction of a Garden Waste Permit Collection Scheme from 10 July 2023 for the uplift and disposal of garden waste from households be noted; and (b) that the operational policy, as set out in sections 4 and 5 of the report, be approved."

As an amendment, Councillor Gilmour, seconded by Councillor Smith, moved "(a) that the content of the report and the introduction of a Garden Waste Permit Collection Scheme from 10 July 2023 for the uplift and disposal of garden waste from households be noted; and (b) that the operational policy, as set out in sections 4 and 5 be approved subject to the following changes: (i) The permit system will be based on one permit per household charged at £40 annually; and (ii) The charge will be applied for this year on a pro rata basis due to the policy implementation date being the 10th of July 2023."

Following discussion and in accordance with Standing Order 27, Councillor Gilmour and Councillor Smith, being the mover and seconder of the amendment, revised their amendment to "(a) that the content of the report and the introduction of a Garden Waste Permit Collection Scheme from 10 July 2023 for the uplift and disposal of garden waste from households be noted; and (b) that the operational policy, as set out in sections 4 and 5 be approved subject to the following change: the charge will be applied for this year on a pro rata basis due to the policy implementation date being the 10th 0f July 2023."

On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment as amended: Councillors Davidson, Gilmour, J MacLaren, McDonald, McMillan and Smith.

The following members voted for the motion: Councillors Adam, Burns, Cameron, Campbell, Audrey Doig, McNaughtan, Mylet and Nicolson.

6 members having voted for the amendment as amended, 8 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the content of the report and the introduction of a Garden Waste Permit Collection Scheme from 10 July 2023 for the uplift and dispose of garden waste from households be noted; and

(b) That the operational policy, as set out in sections 4 and 5 of the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to a Strategic Property Review being undertaken by the Council.

The report provided a background to the property review, which commenced in 2022, and set out its objectives to support learning, support service delivery outcomes, support community needs, reduce the Council's carbon footprint (including energy consumption), and to have a financially sustainable property portfolio.  The key principles of the review were also detailed at section 1.5 of the report.

A summary of the work undertaken and still to be undertaken during Phase 1 of the review was provided along with details on how the review tied in with the five-yearly property condition surveys undertaken, community asset transfers and the Council's revised service and management arrangements which brought together all strategic and property related matters under the Head of Facilities Management and Property Services.

DECIDED:

(a) That the update detailed within the report be noted; and

(b) That the principles in which the review would be taken forward, as set out in section 1.5 of the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Robertson Centre, 16 Glasgow Road, Paisley. The site was identified in a plan attached as an appendix to the report.

The report sought permission to declare the Robertson Centre as surplus to requirements with a view to marketing the buildings and site for sale. It was advised that the Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board had been leaseholders of the site with the lease due to expire in March 2024 when the lease would be terminated. There were ongoing discussions to accommodate RVJB thereafter within Renfrewshire House however it was noted that they were at liberty to consider other locations.

A development brief for the site had been prepared and was approved at the meeting of the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board held on 23 May 2023.

DECIDED: That that the buildings and site at the Robertson Centre,16 Glasgow Road, Paisley, as detailed in the plan at Appendix 1 to the report, be declared  surplus to operational requirements to enable the marketing for sale of the buildings and site.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the annual return to the Scottish Government of Community Asset Transfer requests recieved by the Council. 

The report set out that during the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 the Council received 31 new applications, enquiries and expressions of interest in relation to Community Asset Transfers (CAT). A total of four applications were validated in the period and three applications approved. Within the period one application was also refused and the decision upheld following an application for review.

The report provided detail on the changes to the Council's Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy and procedures, as approved at the meeting of this Policy Board held on 15 June 2022, and to the Scheme of Delegation requiring that all CAT applications thereafter be considered by a sub-committee of this Policy Board, as agreed at the meeting of Council held on 29 September 2022.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the contents of the report be approved and noted; and

(b) That the Head of Economy and Development be authorised to submit the return to the Scottish Government and publish on the Council’s webpage.