Councillors Dempsey (East Dunbartonshire Council); McCaskill (East Renfrewshire Council); Scanlon (Glasgow City Council); Wilson (Inverclyde Council); Coyle and Curran (North Lanarkshire Council); Kelly and Nicolson (Renfrewshire Council); and Dunsmuir (South Lanarkshire Council).

Councillor Curran, Convener, presided.

S Tait, Strategic Development Plan Manager and D McDonald, Assistant Strategic Development Plan Manager (both Strategic Development Plan Core Team); M Hislop, GCV Green Network Partnership Manager (GCV Green Network Partnership); G McCarney, Planning and Building Standards Manager (East Renfrewshire Council); A Laurence, Team Leader – Land Planning Policy (East Dunbartonshire Council); F Barron, Head of Planning & Building Control (Glasgow City Council); S Jamieson, Head of Economic and Social Regeneration (Inverclyde Council); L Bowden, Business Manager (Strategic Planning) and S Linton, Head of Planning & Development (North Lanarkshire Council); F Carlin, Head of Planning & Housing, V Howie, Finance & Resource Manager, D Low, Senior Committee Services Officer and K Brown, Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council); G Cameron, Planning and Building Standards Manager HQ (South Lanarkshire Council); and P Clifford, Planning and Building Standards Manager (West Dunbartonshire Council).

In terms of Standing Order 12, the Convener intimated that he proposed to alter the order of business to facilitate the conduct of the meeting by considering item 4 after item 1 of the agenda.

Councillor McCaskill entered the meeting during consideration of the following item.

Councillors Moir (East Dunbartonshire Council); Buchanan (East Renfrewshire Council); Redmond (Glasgow City Council); and McAllister and O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council).

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

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 14 September, 2015.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Manager relative to the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) Proposed Plan.

The report intimated that the Proposed Plan updated the current SDP and reflected the new national planning and placemaking context set out in National Planning Framework 3, Scottish Planning Policy and Creating Places. It also took account of the National Records of Scotland population and household projections, an updated Housing Need and Demand Assessment and new initiatives such as the Glasgow & Clyde Valley City Deal. Since its approval in May 2011, the first SDP had seen some 15,000 additional housing units added to the housing land supply across the city region. The Spatial Development Strategy set out in the Proposed Plan strongly reflected the continued support for key development locations set out in the first SDP and therefore sought to support and deliver economic growth across the city region and create high quality places.

The report highlighted that the Proposed Plan was subject to a statutory period for the submission of formal representations where the Plan would be on general deposit in constituent local authority planning offices and all public libraries, as well as being available through the Joint Committee’s website. The Proposed Plan’s publication would also be notified to all respondents of the Main Issues Report. A copy of the Proposed Plan text for consultation was appended to the report. It was a statutory requirement that the Proposed Plan be advertised in a local newspaper circulating in the SDP area and on the internet. Additionally statue dictated that Scottish Ministers be consulted and all Scottish Government ‘Key Agencies’ be consulted along with adjoining SDPAs and Local Planning authorities and all Community Councils. The minimum statutory period for representations was six weeks and it was proposed that the consultation period run from 18 January to 29 February, 2016.

The Strategic Development Plan Manager gave a presentation on the Proposed Plan highlighting the main elements of the Proposed Plan, the consultation process and next steps.

The Strategic Development Plan Manager proposed that due to the timing of the consultation that the meeting of the Joint Committee on 14 March, 2016 be rescheduled to 18 April, 2016 to consider the outcomes of the representations period and their impact upon the Proposed Plan. This was unanimously agreed.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Proposed Plan be approved for publication and consultation and that editorial powers be granted to the Strategic Development Plan Manager in conjunction with the Steering Group Chair to finalise the document and all its ancillary background material; and

(b) That it be agreed that the next meeting of the Joint Committee be rescheduled from 14 March, 2016 to 18 April, 2016 at the offices of Renfrewshire Council.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the submissions to the review of the Scottish Planning System.

The report intimated that the Programme for Government 2015/16 had announced the Scottish Government’s intention to review the planning system. The review was being undertaken by an independent panel and had set out the timetable for the review process, with the report expected in Spring 2016. Thereafter Scottish Ministers would respond to its recommendations with a programme for further targeted improvements to the planning system.

The report highlighted that written submissions had been requested by 1 December, 2015 and as agreed by the Steering Group, Clydeplan had submitted a response, subject to Joint Committee approval. A copy of the response was detailed in Appendix A to the report. A joint letter submitted by the four SDPA Managers was also detailed in Appendix B to the report. The Review Panel had invited the Convener and SDP Manager to provide oral evidence, along with other selected stakeholders, within a roundtable discussion on 23 February, 2016.

DECIDED:

(a) That the submission to the Review, as detailed in Appendix A to the report, be approved; and

(b) That the joint response by the four Strategic Development Plan Managers, as detailed in Appendix B to the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership Manager relative to the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership (GCVGNP) Business Plan 2016/19 and the local authority contributions to support the Business Plan for 2016/17.

The report intimated that the GCVGNP Business Plan provided guidance to the GCVGNP Board on the delivery of the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Green Network Programme for the three-year period 2016/19. A copy of the Business Plan was appended to the report and provided a review of progress against the Partnership’s remit, a plan for the continuing development of the Green Network Programme in 2016/17 and a budget for the Green Network Partnership’s Executive Team.

The report highlighted that the budget for the GCVGNP in 2016/17 was £210,000, which comprised contributions from partner agencies and local authorities. The local authority contribution to the 2016/17 budget was £93,985 and the contribution from each authority was calculated pro rata based on population size and a breakdown of the individual authorities’ contribution was outlined within the report.

The GCVGNP Manager gave a presentation on the GCVGNP Business Plan highlighting the main aims and objectives for 2016/17.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the GCVGNP Business Plan be noted; and

(b) That the allocation of local authority contributions to support the delivery of the Business Plan be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Strategic Development Plan Manager relative to the establishment of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (MPP) and seeking agreement for the Authority to be a permanent Board member and the adoption of the Clyde MPP Constitution.

The report intimated that the Scottish Marine Regions were established by the Scottish Marine Regions Order which came into force on 13 May, 2015. The regions extend from mean high water springs (MHWS) out to 12 nautical miles, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report. Regional Marine Plans would be developed by MPPs with planning authorities as key members. These plans would set out the priorities for each particular area and the framework for policies to address local issues.

The Clyde MPP would take forward the development of the Clyde Regional Marine Plan and it was proposed that the Clyde MPP be made up of stakeholders reflecting marine interests in the Clyde including Clydeplan SDPA, local authorities, Inshore Fisheries Groups, Local Costal Partnerships and their umbrella group Scottish Coastal Forum. As a consequence the Authority had been offered a permanent position on the Board. In order to enable the legal delegation for regional marine planning before the end of the Parliamentary session on 23 March, 2016, the Firth of Clyde Forum were seeking to adopt the constitution, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, for the Clyde MPP at its Core Group meeting on 10 February, 2016.



DECIDED:

(a) That it be agreed that the Authority be a permanent board member of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership; and

(b) That it be agreed that the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership Constitution as acceptable as an interim position, subject to a future report to the Joint Committee should the Partnership propose a change in its constitution beyond the period of fixed funding up to 2018.

There was submitted the revenue budget monitoring report by the Treasurer and the Strategic Development Plan Manager for the period 1 April to 13 November, 2015.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Treasurer, in consultation with the Strategic Development Plan Manager, relative to the Revenue Estimates of the Glasgow & the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan Authority and included the requisition of the constituent authorities for the financial year 2016/17.

The report intimated that the unaudited accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2015, as presented to this meeting of the Joint Committee, indicated the level of reserves as £358,414. Of these reserves, £192,486 was earmarked for specific purposes, with £165,928 held in General Reserves. It was anticipated that the level of earmarked reserves would ensure that the Authority’s statutory mandate was achieved and that the impact of the increased workload experienced at certain periods over the five year cyclical production of the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) could be reserved.

The report highlighted that the Authority’s current operational, methods, structure and long term financial arrangements were under continuous review by the SDP Manager and the Treasurer. During financial year 2015/16, the Steering Group Chair in conjunction with the SDP Manager and a small working group with representation from three of the member authorities undertook a review of the core functions of the SDPA in terms of process and finance. The working group recognised that property costs accounted for 11% of the core team budget which represented a significant proportion of the operations costs. The lease on the property at 125 West Regent Street in Glasgow which was currently occupied by the SDPA expired in October 2016 and the SDP Manager was currently reviewing options with support from Renfrewshire Council’s Property Services Division. Any savings which may arose from the review of property costs and the resultant impact on future member authority requisitions would be brought forward to a future meeting.






DECIDED:

(a) That the revenue estimates for 2016/17 budget year and the related requisitions of the constituent authorities be agreed;

(b) That it be agreed to transfer the balance on the IT Project Fund to General Reserves; and

(c) That it be agreed that the Strategic Development Plan Manager, in conjunction with the Treasurer, present a report to a future meeting of the Joint Committee should its remit and finances be materially affected by any future member authority policy decisions.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of the Joint Committee would be held on Monday, 18 April, 2016 at the offices of Renfrewshire Council.