Councillors Caldwell, Cameron, Glen, Provost Hall, Councillors Harte, Holmes, Hood, Lawson, K MacLaren, McCartin and Nicolson.

Councillor Glen, Convener, presided.

M Crearie, Director of Development & Housing Services; A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; A Morrison, Head of Regeneration, R Cooper, Economic Development Manager, V Howie, Finance & Resource Manager and S McMillan, Policy & Regeneration Manager (all Development & Housing Services); and K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, D Forbes, Finance Manager and R Devine, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).

Councillors Harte, Nicolson, Glen and Lawson having declared previously an interest in the following item of business, remained in the meeting.

Councillors Harte and Nicolson having declared previously an interest in the following item of business, remained in the meeting.

Councillors Harte and Nicolson having declared previously an interest in the following item of business, remained in the meeting.

Councillor Mullin.

Councillors Harte and Nicolson declared an interest in relation to items 6, 7 and 8 of the agenda as they were members of the Board of Renfrewshire Leisure. Both had a general dispensation from the Standards Commission which allowed them to take part in and to vote in relation to such matters.

Councillor Glen declared a pecuniary interest in relation to item 6 of the agenda as he was a shareholder of St Mirren Football Club.  However, as he considered the interest to be insignificant in terms of the Councillors' Code of Conduct he did not consider it necessary to leave the meeting. 

Councillor Lawson declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to item 6 of the agenda as he was a supporter of St Mirren Football Club.   However, as he considered the interest to be insignificant in terms of the Councillors' Code of Conduct he did not consider it necessary to leave the meeting. 

There was submitted a joint revenue budget monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Development & Housing Services for the period 1 April to 18 September, 2015.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted; and

(b) That it be noted that there had been net budget realignments of £2,370,000 processed since the budget was approved relating to the drawdown of ring-fenced Invest in Renfrewshire reserves.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources for the period 1 April to 18 September, 2015.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to progress to deliver the Development & Housing Services’ Improvement Plan 2015/18. The report detailed key achievements over the period 1 April to 30 September, 2015, provided an update on delivery of the Service Improvement Plan action plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, and assessed service performance in the scorecard of core performance indicators as intimated in Appendix 2 to the report.

It was proposed that a further report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board detailing the number of local sites with vacant and derelict buildings.  This was agreed. 

DECIDED:

(a) That progress made on service performance be noted;

(b) That progress made on actions and performance in the action plan be noted;

(c) That progress to implement the Service Improvement Plan 2015/18 be reviewed in Spring 2016; and

(d) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board detailing the number of local sites with vacant and derelict buildings.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the LEADER Programme 2014/20, which supported financially the delivery of new local services with match funding from local applicants.

The report advised that the Council was leading, on behalf of the Local Action Group (LAG), on the development of a new LEADER programme for the rural areas within the Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde areas. Each LAG required to submit a Local Development Strategy (LDS), which outlined the priorities for the area, as the basis for their local programme. A draft LDS, based around three key themes, of economy, environment and community, had been approved at the meeting of this Board held on 19 November, 2014. The Strategy for Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde had been submitted to and was currently being considered by the Scottish Government. Following approval of the LDS by the Scottish Government the Council required to formally accept the offer of grant and to sign the Service Level Agreement, agreeing to act as the accountable body, on behalf of the LAG. The LAG met regularly and details of the current membership of the Group were provided.

The report also stated that a Business Plan had been developed as a companion paper to the LDS, which detailed the operational aspects of the programme. Confirmation had been received from the Scottish Government of the indicative allocation of £2,324,196 of European Union grant funding to the Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde LAG area, of which 25% was available to meet staffing and operational costs. It was highlighted that the increased size and value of the Programme for the wider Renfrewshire area meant that the technical funding provided had also increased. A summary of the staffing establishment of the LEADER team was provided.

The timescale for the start of the new LEADER Programme had been delayed and was now expected to start in early 2016. Details of those actions which Renfrewshire Council required to undertake as a priority were outlined within the report and it was highlighted that further update reports would be submitted to future meetings of the Board.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be agreed that Renfrewshire Council act as the accountable body (lead partner) for the Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Local Action Group;

(b) That following acceptance of grant, Renfrewshire Council should begin implementation of the new programme; and

(c) That the revised Scottish Government timetable for the implementation of the new LEADER 2014/20 programme be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the establishment of an Enterprising Renfrewshire Forum.

Invest in Renfrewshire had a significant role to play in promoting and supporting enterprise and business start up. The report advised that as part of the increased focus on entrepreneurship within the Invest in Renfrewshire programme, a new local Enterprising Renfrewshire Forum had been established to promote enterprise and self employment across the area. The Forum would co-ordinate and influence local partnership working and, as an early action, aimed to be the biggest Scottish contributor to Global Entrepreneurship Week which was to be held during November 2015.

The composition, aims and focus of the Forum were detailed within the report. A summary of the key areas of work was also provided.  It was propesed that arrangements be made to submit a report to a future meeting of the Board detailing the current activities of Scottish Enterprise locally. This was agreed.

The report advised that Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) would be held between 16 and 22 November, 2015, that over 140 countries had registered to participate and that the event inspired people through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. Activities ranged from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connecting participants to potential collaborators, mentors and investors. Details of the local activities planned were appended to the report and it was intimated that local marketing would be undertaken to promote these events.

DECIDED:

(a) That the establishment of the Enterprising Renfrewshire Forum and the plans across Renfrewshire for Global Entrepreneurship Week be noted;

(b) That further updates on progress be provided to the Board; and

(c) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board detailing the current activities of Scottish Enterprise locally.

There was submitted a progress report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to delivery of the Paisley Town Centre Heritage Asset Strategy (PTCHAS) between May and October, 2015.

The PTCHAS highlighted the world class standard of Paisley’s built and cultural heritage and provided a framework for investment that would drive the economic and social regeneration of Renfrewshire. The Strategy for the town centre sought to exploit its wealth of heritage and cultural assets as a basis for regeneration. The report stated that a successful Paisley town centre was vital to the economic and social performance of all of Renfrewshire. The Strategy outlined an ambitious vision for Paisley which included the development of a signature museum project of national status, opportunities to improve the visitor experience, rebrand Paisley as a visitor destination and provide employment and regeneration opportunities. As a regeneration platform the Strategy identified opportunities to ensure that the economic gains were seen throughout Renfrewshire and were beneficial to local people in terms of training, employment and business development.

The report detailed progress in terms of a series of ambitious projects and long-term partnerships with local, national and international organisations. Specific updates were provided in respect of the proposed museum refurbishment/extension, relocation of Renfrewshire museum stores, the Townscape Heritage/Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme II, town centre promotion and marketing initiatives, events and festivals and partner engagement. Details of proposed actions during the next quarter were also provided. 

The report intimated that a delegation from Renfrewshire had been invited by the Scottish Government to attend a reception in October to celebrate Scotland's cultural links with France.  The Chief Executive had agreed that a small team of senior officers, led by the Leader of the Council, attend the event and this decision required to be homologated by this Policy Board. 

It was proposed that members of the Board be provided with the detail used as the basis to determine the property advertising licence costs.  This was agreed. 

DECIDED:

(a) That the significant progress made in the delivery of the Paisley Town Centre Heritage Asset Strategy be noted;

(b) That it be agreed to draw £3.7m from the approved Regeneration Fund resources to support the delivery of the museum store project;

(c) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to finalise the terms of an advertising licence with St. Mirren Football Club to support a marketing campaign for Paisley;  

(d) That the decision to accept an invitation from the Scottish Government for the Leader of the Council to attend a reception and meetings along with senior council officers, be homologated; and
 
(e) That arrangements be made to provide members of the Board with the detail used as the basis to determine the property advertising licence costs.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the regeneration of Paisley Town Centre.

The Paisley Heritage Asset Strategy, which was approved at the meeting of the Board held on 29 January, 2014, outlined an ambitious vision for Paisley including the development of a signature museum project of national status, opportunities to improve the visitor experience and rebrand Paisley as a visitor destination and provided employment and regeneration opportunities. The report indicated that Paisley and its town centre were vital to the economic and social performance of the Renfrewshire area. The Strategy highlighted the potential to significantly improve the performance of Paisley’s tourism economy and create employment in the town. The overall aim was to deliver economic regeneration benefits for the town and details of economic impact analysis estimates for the project were provided. Full details of the proposals for the regeneration of Paisley Museum and the outline business case were provided within the report.

The estimated costs for the project had been quantified and defined at £56.7 million. Approval was sought to submit a £15 million grant funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund and to match fund the bid from the Council’s regeneration funds. Applications required to be submitted by 1 December, 2015, and would be assessed by the Scottish Trustees before being determined at the UK Board during April 2016.

The report also outlined proposals to relocate Paisley Central Library, which was currently located within the museum building in an alternative facility within Paisley Town Centre and significantly enhance the current library provision by facilitating a growth in activities for children and young people, provide an extension in the availability of public access personal computers and provide a fully modern and accessible facility, . Initial cost assumptions for a new library had been developed and estimated at £2.7m. These costs could be met from within the Council’s existing Regeneration Fund resources. Approval was sought to undertake a consultation exercise with service users and wider interests on the opportunities for regeneration benefits arising from the relocation of the lending library to a site within the town centre. It was highlighted that the results of the consultation would be submitted to a future meeting of the Board for further consideration.

DECIDED:

(a) That the progress made on the development of the concept design and Outline Business Case for the extension and refurbishment of Paisley Museum be noted;

(b) That the submission of a major grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £15m support to develop and deliver this project be agreed;

(c) That it be agreed to earmark £15m from the approved Regeneration Fund resources to support the delivery of the Museum project;

(d) That officers be authorised to conduct a consultation exercise with library users and wider interests on the options for the potential relocation of the Paisley Central Lending Library;

(e) That it be agreed to earmark £2.7m from the approved Regeneration Fund resources to support the redevelopment of Paisley Central Library; and

(f) That it be noted that further reports on the outcome of the grant application and any public consultation process would be submitted to a future meeting of the Board for consideration.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the proposed establishment of a fund of £500,000 from existing Council regeneration funds to support the development of culture, events or projects, contributing to the cultural and social regeneration of Renfrewshire.

The report stated that the Culture, Heritage and Events fund would be available to organisations and individuals, including community groups and professional artists who wished to create or develop a cultural or heritage event or project, specifically inspired by the vision and aims of Paisley 2021. The report advised that the criteria and guidelines for the fund were currently being developed and would be further informed by the assessment criteria for the UK City of Culture 2021. It was highlighted that the Council was committed to support local organisations or individuals applying for funding by running free advice surgeries to aid applicants developing projects, marketing events and evaluating success. The key objectives of the fund were outlined, together with the timeline for the submission of applications and the decision-making process.

DECIDED:

(a) That the establishment of the Culture, Heritage and Events Fund be approved;

(b) That it be agreed that the sum of £500,000 from existing regeneration funds be made available to support the programme; and

(c) That it be noted that recommendations on funding awards from the fund would be made by a sub-group of the Paisley 2021 Partnership Board, and be subject to the approval of the appropriate Council Board.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to local enterprise developments and InCube.

As part of the Invest in Renfrewshire enterprise agenda, and the forward planning for InCube, some new and additional services had been identified that would add value to the enterprise services currently available. These included resources and facilities to support innovation and excellence in design across the area; access to equipment, specialised knowledge and advice; and promotion of wider access to learning.

The report advised that collaboration with creative specialists would expand the range of services and support offered via InCube. Two companies, MAKLAB and Vanilla Ink, had expressed interest in working alongside InCube to strengthen the local entrepreneurial offering. Full details of both companies, who would lease key town centre properties as their Renfrewshire base, were provided. Further negotiation was required with these companies with the aim of bringing in a range of new enterprise services to support increased entrepreneurship and employability across Renfrewshire, contribute to the Town Centre regeneration plan and support the City of Culture bid.

DECIDED:

(a) That the opportunity and intention to bring two new companies to Paisley to work alongside InCube to promote local enterprise and entrepreneurship be noted; and

(b) That it be agreed that a further update on the progress of these negotiations and potential service level agreements be submitted to a future meeting of this Board.

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to labour market statistics for Renfrewshire as at 30 September 2015 and providing comparisons, where data was available, with Scottish and UK markets. The Renfrewshire Economic Development Newsletter: October 2015 was appended to the report.

The percentage of Job Seeker Allowance (JSA) claimants in Renfrewshire had fallen from 2.8% in September 2014 to 2.1% in September 2015. Youth unemployment had fallen from 6.2% in July 2014 to 2.2% currently. It was highlighted that for the first time ever Renfrewshire had a youth JSA rate below the Scottish average. Adult JSA claimants aged 25-49 had decreased by 0.2 % since the previous month while the JSA rates for those aged 50+ had remained static. 

DECIDED:

(a) That the report and the improving unemployment figures across Renfrewshire be noted;

(b) That staff and partners involved in achieving the reduction in unemployment locally be thanked for their efforts; and

(c) That Glasgow Airport be congratulated on being crowned UK Airport of Year at the 2015 National Transport Awards.

The Economic Development Manager gave a presentation relative to the provision of services available to local residents aged 50+ to support them into employment.

Reference was made during the presentation to the number of Job Seeker Allowance claimants within various age categories, the reductions achieved in each category of claimant over the previous three-year period, short and long-term unemployment trends for those aged 50+, current, local service provision to support those aged 50+ into employment together with details of new services available from January 2016. It was highlighted that it was also proposed to identify a 50+ champion to promote the service and to increase targets and re-align budgets.

DECIDED: That the information provided be noted.