Councillor McGurk, Convener, presided.

M Crearie, Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services; J Trainer, Head of Child Care & Criminal Justice (Children’s Services); F Carlin, Head of Planning & Housing Services, O Reid, Head of Communities & Public Protection, C Dalrymple, Communities & Regulatory Manager, S Marklow, Strategy & Place Manager and L Muirhead, Planning & Housing Manager (all Communities, Housing & Planning Services); J McIntyre, Assistant Business Partner, A McLaughlin, Senior Solicitor, Litigation & Regulatory Services, and R Devine, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).

Councillor Burns.

Councillors Don and Nicolson entered the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Children’s Services, a copy of which was appended to the report. 

The Service Improvement Plan set out a comprehensive statement of the service aims and objectives for the next three-year period, based on the resources likely to be available, and took account of the themes, actions, outcomes and targets contained within the Council Plan, Single Outcome Agreement and Community Plan. The report highlighted that at the core of the Service Improvement Plan process was an action plan which detailed the priorities, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and the outcomes against which progress would be measured. It was noted that progress to deliver the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Children’s Services would be monitored and reported to this Policy Board on a six-monthly basis. 

DECIDED: 

(a) That the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Children’s Services, a copy of which was appended to the report, be approved in terms of those areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board; 

(b) That it be agreed that mid-year progress in respect of those areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board be reported to the meeting of this Policy Board scheduled to be held during October 2020; and 

(c) That it be noted that the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Children’s Services would also be submitted to the meeting of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board to be held on 12 March 2020 to approve those elements of activity within the remit of that Policy Board.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Communities, Housing & Planning Services, a copy of which was appended to the report. 

The Service Improvement Plan set out a comprehensive statement of the service aims and objectives for the next three-year period, based on the resources likely to be available, and took account of the themes, actions, outcomes and targets contained within the Council Plan, Single Outcome Agreement and Community Plan. The report highlighted that at the core of the Service Improvement Plan process was an action plan which detailed the priorities, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and the outcomes against which progress would be measured. It was noted that progress to deliver the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Communities, Housing & Planning Services would be monitored and reported to this Policy Board on a six-monthly basis. 

It was proposed that clarification be provided to all members of the Policy Board in connection with the target set in respect of the Local Government Benchmarking Framework Scorecard performance indicator for the percentage of council dwellings that were energy efficient.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Communities, Housing & Planning Services, a copy of which was appended to the report, be approved in terms of those areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board; 

(b) That it be noted that the Service Improvement Plan 2020/23 for Communities, Housing & Planning Services would also be submitted to the meeting of the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board to be held on 18 March 2020 to approve those elements of activity within the remit of that Policy Board;  

(c) That it be agreed that mid-year progress in respect of those areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board be reported to the meeting of this Policy Board scheduled to be held during October 2020; and 

(d) That clarification be provided to all members of the Policy Board in connection with the target set in respect of the Local Government Benchmarking Framework Scorecard performance indicator for the percentage of council dwellings that were energy efficient.

Councillor K MacLaren declared a non-financial interest in respect of agenda item 15(b) of the agenda - Planning Application 19/0840/PP – and indicated that he would leave the meeting during consideration of the item and take no part in the discussion or decision as he had previously made public statements regarding the application.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Police and Fire & Rescue Scrutiny Sub-committee held on 14 January 2020, which forms the Appendix to this Minute.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a joint Revenue Budget Monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources, Communities, Housing & Planning Services and Children’s Services for the period 1 April 2019 to 3 January 2020.

DECIDED: That the budget position be noted.

There was submitted a joint Capital Budget Monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Communities, Housing & Planning Services for the period 1 April 2019 to 3 January 2020.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Greenspace, Parks & Play Areas and Villages Investment fund. A cross-service panel of officers had been established to review and assess applications against agreed objectives and criteria. The Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services had delegated authority to make grant awards under £5000. The report stated that four applications seeking more than £5000 had been assessed in this round and met the criteria. A summary of each application was provided within the report with full details included within an Appendix to the report. Details of a further four applications, which had sought less than £5000 and had been approved in terms of the delegated authority were also provided in the Appendix. 

In response to an enquiry, it was proposed that a breakdown of funding allocated to date, from the Villages Investment Fund 2019/20 be provided to a future meeting of the Board.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the work currently being undertaken to support communities as they develop projects to be funded using the Greenspaces, Parks & Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund be noted; 

(b) That the award of grants totalling £13,645.12, in terms of delegated authority, to community groups, as detailed in Appendix of the report be noted;  

(c) That the projects detailed in Section 3 of the report and the Appendix, awarding grant funding totalling £122,000 to support community groups, be agreed; and 

(d) That a breakdown of funding allocated to date, from the Villages Investment Fund 2019/20 be provided to a future meeting of the Board.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the response prepared and submitted on behalf of the Council in connection with the Scottish Government consultation document entitled “Housing to 2040: Consultation on outline policy options”.

The report advised that the Scottish Government had published a consultation document entitled “Housing to 2040: Consultation on outline policy options” during early December 2019, which invited views on the Scottish Government’s draft vision and principles and sought proposals across a number of areas of housing policy.  
It was intended that, following the consultation, the Scottish Government would publish its final vision and route map for 2040. The deadline for submissions had been 28 February 2020. 

The report made reference to the discussion paper entitled ‘Housing Beyond 2021’ issued by the Scottish Government during September 2018  This discussion paper had considered the whole housing system over the period 2021/40 with the Scottish Government indicating that feedback received from the discussion paper would be used to make connections between housing and other policy areas such as health, equalities and climate change etc. Feedback had been provided to the Scottish Government by Renfrewshire Council at the end of November 2018.  The Scottish Government had subsequently published ‘Housing to 2040, A Vision for our Future Homes and Communities’ in July 2019 which set out a draft vision and principles following the initial round of stakeholder engagement.   The vision set out in this consultation was structured around four themes and 15 principles which were detailed in the report.  A further consultation entitled, ‘Housing to 2040, Consultation on Outline Policy Options’, had been issued in December 2019 which had included additional information relating to the key drivers of change and invited views on the draft vision and principles and also policy suggestions in relation to affordability, accessibility, energy efficiency, quality standards and state of repair, and the space around people’s homes. 

A copy of the response to the proposals contained within the consultation document, prepared and submitted on behalf of the Council, was appended to the report.

DECIDED: That the response submitted on behalf of Renfrewshire Council, in compliance with the stipulated deadline, to the Scottish Government consultation document entitled “Housing to 2040: Consultation on outline policy options” be agreed.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the response prepared and submitted on behalf of the Council in connection with the Scottish Government consultation on Planning Performance and Fees:2019.

The report advised that the Scottish Government had set out a work programme ‘Transforming Planning in Practice’ which aimed to support the implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. As part of this work programme, a consultation document on Planning Performance and Fees had been issued on 18 December 2019. The deadline for submissions had been 14 February 2020. 

The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 had received Royal Assent on 25 July 2019 and it was noted that the majority of the provisions of the Act were not yet in force but Scottish Ministers had introduced some of the provisions through Regulations and would continue to do so in the future.  The consultation document on Planning Performance and Fees: 2019 sought to reflect the Scottish Ministers’ commitment to the principle that increases to planning fees required to be linked to performance. 

The consultation paper indicated that the overall resourcing of local planning services was the responsibility of local authorities, recognised that the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 placed additional duties on planning authorities, and emphasised that it was not the role of planning fees to cover the costs of undertaking these new duties unless they related specifically to the determination of an application. It was also highlighted that increasing fees was not the only solution to resourcing the planning service. Smarter resourcing and the opportunities which digital services could bring to the planning service required to be considered.  Full details of the proposed fees increase for 2020 were also provided. The consultation document also outlined proposals for extending the scope of discretionary charging and services which planning authorities could charge for; referred to the provisions available to reduce and/or waive fees where considered appropriate; and highlighted a proposed new approach to the measurement of planning authorities’ performance.  It was noted that the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 included the power for the Scottish Ministers to appoint a National Planning Improvement Co-ordinator to monitor and provide advice to planning authorities and others on the performance of general or specific functions.  A copy of the response prepared and submitted on behalf of the Council, in compliance with the stipulated deadline, was appended to the report.  It was proposed that the response to question 31 of the consultation document should be amended to reflect that it was the Council’s opinion that no fee should be introduced for those applying for Listed Building Consent.  This was agreed.

The report indicated that further updates in relation to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and the subsequent Scottish Government work programme for implementing the Planning Act would be submitted to future meetings of this Policy Board when significant sections of the Act came into force and/or other relevant consultations were issued.

DECIDED: That the response submitted on behalf of Renfrewshire Council, in compliance with the stipulated deadline, to the Scottish Government consultation on Planning Performance and Fees:2019 be approved with the exception of the response in relation to question 31 and that the response to question 31 of the consultation document be amended  to reflect that it was the Council’s opinion that no fee should be introduced for those applying for Listed Building Consent.

Under reference to Item 6 of the Minute of the meeting of this Policy Board held on 14 January 2020 there was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area.

At the meeting on 14 January 2020, the Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board had authorised the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Governance, to enter into a legal agreement with Paisley Housing Association (PHA). The purpose of the proposed legal agreement was to give PHA sufficient comfort to start acquiring privately owned properties and take forward further planning activity to enable delivery of the proposed Comprehensive Tenement Improvement project in the Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area.  

During negotiations between the Council and PHA in connection with the proposed legal agreement, three properties within the Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area were advertised for sale on the open market.   It was considered that a change in ownership could be detrimental to the progress of the refurbishment project and may add further risk and delay.  As PHA was not at that time in a position to buy the properties, the Council sought to assist the partnership project by purchasing them. The Council’s offers for two of the flats, 1/3, 33 Causeyside Street and 1/2, 5 Orchard Street, Paisley were accepted.  The offer for the third flat was not accepted. The report advised that a legal agreement had now been signed by both parties and that PHA had made contact with the owners of all properties regarding acquisition of the properties as quickly as possible. The report sought authorisation to now transfer ownership of the flats at 1/3, 33 Causeyside Street and 1/2, 5 Orchard Street, Paisley, to PHA for the sum paid by the Council.

DECIDED: That the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services be authorised to dispose of the properties at 1/3, 33 Causeyside Street and 1/2, 5 Orchard Street, Paisley to Paisley Housing Association for the sum paid by the Council.

Under reference to item 11 of the Minute of the meeting of the former Housing & Community Safety Policy Board held on 26 August 2014 there was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Johnstone Castle housing regeneration strategy. 

The report stated that the strategy included the demolition of 257 Council and 31 privately owned tenement properties and the construction of new, modern, energy efficient Council homes for social rent on cleared sites in the area. The first phase of redevelopment was nearing completion, with most of the demolition completed and 95 newbuild Council homes due to be ready for tenants to move into between March and early June 2020. 

A copy of the Development Framework which described the progress made to date and provided a framework for the second phase of redevelopment in Johnstone Castle, incorporating land at Cedar Avenue, Elm Drive, Maple Drive and Chestnut Place, which would be taken forward in partnership with the Link Group and Linstone Housing Association was appended to the report.  Provision was included for phase 2 of the Strategy in Renfrewshire’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2020-25.  It was noted that further demolition was required, which would include properties in Cedar Avenue and Maple Drive and the report sought authority for the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services to pursue the compulsory acquisition of privately owned properties in Cedar Avenue and Maple Drive, detailed in Table 1 of the report, to enable phase two of the regeneration strategy to be implemented.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the positive progress made to date in delivering the housing regeneration strategy for Johnstone Castle be noted; 

(b) That the Johnstone Castle Development Framework, a copy of which was appended to the report, be noted; and 

(c) That the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services be authorised to pursue the compulsory acquisition, by the promotion and submission for confirmation to the Scottish Ministers of the second Compulsory Purchase Order in respect of the three remaining privately owned properties, identified in Table 1 of the report, for housing purposes, to enable the Council’s regeneration strategy to be completed.

Under reference to item 10 of the Minute of the meeting of this Policy Board held on 22 May 2018 there was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the range of measures taken and/or put in place to ensure the safety of residents living in high-rise properties in Renfrewshire.

The report advised that Renfrewshire Council owned and managed 14 high-rise blocks of flats, representing over 8% of the council’s total housing stock, providing homes to 1,132 tenants and residents. It was highlighted that high-rise properties played an important role in the provision of housing, remained popular with residents and in view of the continuing demand for this property type the Council had committed significant amounts of investment in recent years to ensure that they were maintained in a good condition and were sustainable and attractive to both current and future residents. 

Reference was made within the report to the measures in place to ensure the on-going safety of everyone living in high rise properties in Renfrewshire, advice that had been given to residents and actions taken following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. A summary of the role and operational arrangements of the concierge and caretaking services was also provided.

Details of the ongoing investment in high-rise properties in Renfrewshire, which included a comprehensive programme of lift upgrade works, a stock condition survey to assess the condition of each high-rise block and associated external elements including roof, insulated render, rainwater goods and windows to inform the Council’s capital investment programme for future years and an assessment and programme to replace landing and common areas flooring was provided.

It was noted that consideration of the fitting of fire suppression systems to all high-rise flats was still being reviewed by both the UK and Scottish Governments and that the Council awaited their findings and subsequent guidance on this issue.  A report would be submitted to a future meeting of this Policy Board on any related fire safety matters in due course as findings/guidance were published by the respective Governments.

DECIDED: That the ongoing investment in high-rise blocks and the measures that had been taken to ensure that effective fire safety management practices were in place at the 14 high-rise blocks, owned and managed by Renfrewshire Council, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

The report stated that the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 detailed high level changes to the Planning System intended to strengthen its contribution to promoting inclusive growth and empowering communities. It was noted that the detail of how the new provisions would work in practice would be contained within secondary legislation and guidance provided by the Scottish Government.  Scottish Ministers had introduced some new provisions contained in the Act through Regulations and would continue to do so in phases in the future. The first phases of the provisions were introduced on 8 November, 1 December and 20 December 2019 and 1 March 2020 and a summary of those elements implemented and relevant to the activity of the Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board was provided.  The report highlighted that the Act had introduced (i) a new purpose for planning, which was ‘to manage the development and use of land in the long-term public interest”; (ii) new parameters as to what should be included within the National Planning Framework for Scotland; (iii) a requirement for the Planning Authority to prepare a Forestry and Woodland Strategy; (iv) increases to the maximum fines for enforcement notices; (v) a requirement to provide details for all planning applications defined as major within the terms of the Planning Act to each local authority councillor, members of the Scottish Parliament and members of Parliament; and (vi) the need for decision notices issued by the Planning Authority to include a statement as to whether the application accorded with the Development Plan. 

Further reports would be submitted to future meetings of this Policy Board providing updates when significant sections of the Act came into force and training and information sessions would also be organised for all elected members.

DECIDED: That the update on the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and the new provisions now in place be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the Renfrewshire Planning Enforcement Charter 2020.

The report highlighted that the use of enforcement powers was a discretionary function for Planning Authorities and their implementation was determined to an extent on the nature of the breach of planning control and the potential negative impact or damage that an activity or development could generate.  The Planning Authority required, in terms of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, to review the Enforcement Charter every two years.  The Planning Enforcement Charter detailed the process and procedures to be employed by the local Planning Authority in relation to breaches of planning control and provided information and advice as to how a suspected breach could be brought to the attention of the Planning Authority.  In addition, Service standards and timescales were contained within the Charter together with a commitment to dealing with breaches of planning control through the prioritisation of action dependent on the nature of the breach. 

The Renfrewshire Planning Enforcement Charter 2020, a copy of which was appended to the report, outlined the importance of a Planning System which delivered good places along with enforcing planning controls that were fair and reasonable.  The Charter also stressed that an important element of enforcement was ensuring that everyone involved was kept informed and updated. In this context, there were a range of Service Standards set out within the Charter to ensure that individuals were fully aware of the enforcement processes, procedures and timescales. 

DECIDED: That the Renfrewshire Planning Enforcement Charter 2020, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to proposal of application notice 19/0865/NO.
It was proposed that flooding and drainage issues be identified as additional key issues.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: That the key issues identified to date be noted. 

There were submitted reports by the Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services relative to the following applications for planning permission that required to be determined by the Board.

(A) 19/0840/PP – WARD 2: ERECTION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERSHIP WITH SERVICE FACILITIES, FORMATION OF ACCESS AND ASSOCIATED LANDSCAPING AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS AT LAND TO SOUTH OF M8 MOTORWAY, MOSSLAND ROAD, HILLINGTON PARK, GLASGOW BY ARNOLD CLARK AUTOMOBILES LIMITED (T/A HARRY FAIRBAIRN).

It was proposed that the application be granted subject to the conditions and reasons detailed within the report. This was agreed. 

DECIDED: That the application be granted.

Declaration of Interest

Councillor K MacLaren having previously declared an interest in the following item of business left the meeting.


(B) 19/0849/CC – WARD 4: DEMOLITION OF FORMER STUDENT RESIDENCIES AT 20 UNDERWOOD LANE, PAISLEY PA1 2SL BY SANCTUARY SCOTLAND HOUSING ASSOCIATION LIMITED.

It was proposed that the application be granted subject to the conditions and reasons detailed within the report. This was agreed. 

DECIDED: That the application be granted.