Inverness City Committee Minutes

Agenda

Minutes of Meeting of the Inverness City Committee held in the Council Chamber, Town House, Inverness on Monday, 6 June 2011 at 10.00 a.m.

Present

Provost J Gray, Mr R Balfour, Mr I Brown, Miss J Campbell, Mr A Christie, Mr P Corbett, Mrs M Davidson, Mr J Finnie, Mr J Ford, Mr A Graham, Mr D Henderson, Mr D Hendry, Mr J Holden , Mr D Kerr, Mrs B McAllister, Mr K MacLeod, Ms Pauline Munro, Mr F Parr, Mr R Pedersen, Mr T Prag, Mrs G Sinclair, Mr H Wood, Mr B Wynd

In Attendance:

Mr W Gilfillan, Corporate Manager, Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey
Mr D Haas, Inverness City Manager/Clerk
Mr M MacLeod, Development Plans Manager
Mr S MacNaughton, Head of Transport and Infrastructure
Mr N Macrae, Transportation Officer
Mr D Wilby, Senior Learning and Leisure Officer
Mrs A MacNeil, Senior Public Relations Officer
Miss M MacLeod, Business Support Officer

Also In Attendance:

Mr R MacNeil, HIE
Mr F Roach, HITRANS

Provost J Gray in the Chair

Provost J Gray started the meeting by congratulating Mr J Finnie and Mrs J Urquhart on their recent election success and appointment as MSPs to the Scottish Parliament.

Congratulations were also extended to Cllr P Munro on the news that she was expecting twins.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Mrs H Carmichael, Mr J Crawford and Mr N Donald

Mr T Prag declared a non financial interest in this item as a UHI Foundation Member but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraph 5.18 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion (and voting)

Mr H Wood declared a non financial interest in this item as Chairman of the Highland Cycling Campaign Group but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraph 5.18 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion (and voting)

2. Inverness City Vision – Integrated Planning

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-21-11 dated 26 May 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development updating Members on progress with work on the City Vision and highlighting a number of projects that are being undertaken at present, in particular the City Centre Development Brief, The Beechwood Campus project and the Active Travel Audit.

Mr M MacLeod provided Members the background to the City Vision and highlighted the key elements that were essential to the delivery of the vision for Inverness. Those elements were:

development and planning guidance – tied into the Local Development Plan;
transport and accessibility – tied into the Local Transport Strategy;
conservation and environmental enhancement – linked to the work of the City Heritage Trust; and
partnership working – with organisations such as Inverness Business Improvement District.

Work had begun on the City Centre Development Brief, in partnership with Inverness BID, highlighting key development opportunities within the city centre. This would be used to promote the area and inform planning decisions. The timescale for this would be as follows:

Charrette Mainstreaming Project bid (Scottish Government assistance with design work) – awaiting decision;
Draft Development Brief – August/September 2011
Public Consultation – Autumn 2011; and
Adoptions and Implementation – 2012 onwards.

Mr R MacNeil then updated Members on the progress with the Inverness Campus at Beechwood.

Work on Phase 1 of the Campus, extending to 89 acres, is scheduled to commence in late summer 2011 and would provide the infrastructure for the development, including access points, internal road, pedestrian and cycle networks, landscaping, essential services. This will give tremendous opportunities for business and community development.

Other components that would form Phase 1 are:

Inverness College UHI premises – due to open 2014;
Scottish Agricultural College – due to open 2014;
The Training Hotel – due to open 2014;
Centre for Health Science, Phase IV – due to open 2015;
Regional Sports Facility first phase – due to open 2015; and
Student/ short-term accommodation – due to open 2014.

Mr F Roach of HITRANS provided Members with a presentation on the main findings and proposals of the draft Active Travel Audit, the purpose of which is to establish a network for walking, cycling and access to public transport in Inverness.

The consultation had:

developed the methodology;
provided baseline information on existing provision; and
recommended priorities for Inverness.

Mr Roach highlighted the fact that levels of walking and cycling in Inverness are higher than the national average and there was an opportunity to create a Scottish Cycling City identity.

The draft Audit highlighted key priorities for Inverness, which are listed below, and Mr Roach encouraged Members to comment on the Audit to help inform the final outcomes.

The key priorities highlighted in the draft Active Travel Audit were:

East Inverness Active Travel Corridor;
Quick wins i.e. low cost, high value solutions;
Active travel promotion;
Planning and transport integration;
Promote Inverness as a cycling city;
Improve remaining main active travel corridors; and
City centre streetscape improvements.

Members welcomed the report stating that any decisions taken now would shape the future of Inverness for generations to come so it was important to get things right now.

They commented as follows:

the key to the City Centre Development Brief would be car use - how was the Highland Transport Strategy tied into the city vision;
there was no point having a vision if it was unrealistic – what cognisance had been taken of city trends around the UK and elsewhere;
the Brief must recognise that Inverness is a city for people of all ages;
the campus was the biggest and most exciting development in Inverness for generations;
the partnership working of all the agencies was very important to the success of the City Vision;
there were issues with the proposed access to the campus that did not take into consideration the needs of the existing community;
the city centre needed a focus and a city square would help provide this. The Town House, Church Street, High Street area would be an ideal position for this;
the report did not take into account the need for a transport hub;
cycle parking facilities were required within the city centre;
Inverness has a great number of historic and beautiful buildings that should be preserved and maintained;
there was a lack of accommodation in Inverness for students – what percentage of students would be accommodated on campus;
allotments were becoming more popular – what provision had been made for this within the Vision;
there was a need to extend the pedestrianised areas;
would like to see pressure put on Transport Scotland to review pedestrian and cycle routes for school children, particularly in the West of the city;
do opportunities exist within the Inverness Common Good Fund property portfolio to enhance the city centre with the sale and/ or purchase of properties;
the character of the city would change with the campus development;
pro-active marketing was essential to promote the city;
the Longman gateway/ harbour developments provided exciting, long-term potential for the city;
approaches to the city needed to be improved to enhance first impressions;
the Castle could provide a hub for cyclists using the routes into Inverness;
the City Vision needed to be more than just an aspiration;
the Town House had just been awarded a ‘Friendly Employer’ award for cyclists;
Cycle Week (19-26 June 2011) would provide a focus for encouraging people to cycle more and in particular activities taking place in schools;
the City Vision was a blueprint for the city and showed ways on how to move forward;
cars were important for bringing people into the city – the City Vision needs to reflect this;
to ensure sustainability, the economic drivers affecting the city had to be identified;
the city requires a modern prison;
the plans will have an enormous impact on the economy and tourism in areas outwith the city centre;
improved public transport in the Landward areas is vitally important; and
Inverness was a beautiful city and City Vision will provide the building blocks to enhance it even further.

In response to Members comments, officers responded as follows:

the Partnership is working with a large number of transport operators and agencies to provide integrated solutions for the city and campus developments and specific concerns relating to Caulfield Road and Inshes Roundabout have been considered and officers are confident that the plans in place are satisfactory;
a transport hub is an ideal for the city and, if future funding opportunities emerge, the integrated planning taking place now will leave us in a strong position to react quickly to such opportunities;
the plan includes options for park and ride facilities and parking options for the city;
the Moray Firth Transport model is looking at ways of encouraging people to use public transport;
the Partnership is working with Inverness BID to look at the impact on city centres for the future and shaping the way we promote and market the city;
an officers working group, including representatives from TECS, PandD and CEX Services, will be meeting later in June to look at ways the Council can make immediate improvements to the city;
a meeting with the Scottish Prison Service will be taking place in the next week to look at potential sites;
the City Vision is an integral part of the Moray Firth Transport Strategy;
the City Vision is already linked into current projects within the city and one of the key priorities being considered is Academy Street;
the CGF property portfolio provides opportunities for helping to shape and fund improvements to the city;
Community Councils are being consulted on issues relating to campus access routes and transport links;
accommodation will be available for 20% of the student population in Phase 1; and
the tourism industry provides the backbone to the economy of Inverness in the future; and
comments regarding the importance of the landward areas were noted.

The Chair thanked officers for the presentations and commented that the City Vision was one of the most important documents to be considered by the City Committee. It had to be considered strategically and, although individual concerns and issues were important to Members and existing communities, they had to be looked at as part of an integrated plan for the future ensuring the city was in a strong position to take action as funding opportunities emerge.

The Committee NOTED the:

i. implementation of the Inverness City Vision document and that the context of
the Landward areas would be taken into account in the final document;
ii. Beechwood Campus project; and
iii. draft Inverness Travel Audit

3. Ness Walk and Ardross Street Traffic Orders

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-22-11 dated 25 May 2011 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services outlining the objections received to the draft Road Traffic Orders for Ness Walk and Ardross Street.

Mr D Henderson commented that he felt the location of the coach park outside the Cathedral was not appropriate. However other Members felt that its placement was ideal given that tourists would now be dropped off in a particularly scenic and historic area of the city.

The Committee RECOMMENDED approval to the TEC Services Committee of the following draft Road Traffic Orders without amendment:

i. The Highland Council (Inverness Permit Parking) Order 1999 (Ardross Street,
    Ardross Terrace, Inverness) Amendment Order 2009; and
ii. The Highland Regional Council (Inverness – Riverside West) (General Traffic)
    Order 1984 (Ness Walk, Ardross Street, Ardross Terrace, Inverness)
    Amendment Order 2009.

4. Update on Sports Pitches in Inverness

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-23-11 dated 26 May 2011 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport updating Members on the development of sports pitches and their use in Inverness and recommending specific improvements at Bught Park, to be funded through the Inverness Common Good Fund.

Mr D Wilby summarised the report highlighting the

provision for Junior League Football;
Bught Park playing surface improvements; and
Bught Park general improvements.

Members welcomed the report. However regarding the situation with finding a solution for Inverness City Football Team they commented that:

The Scottish Junior Football Association was placing an unfair burden on small teams to provide facilities with criteria which was unreasonable;
the Council was not in a position to set facilities up for teams and options for ground sharing should be looked at;
Inverness City Football Team was being penalised because it could not find suitable facilities;
to provide separate facilities for sole use by Inverness City would exclude the majority of the community;
the Council’s obligation was to provide facilities for the whole community; and
the Council and it’s officers had gone to great lengths to find a solution and it was unfortunate that a solution had not yet been reached, but the Council had fully discharged its obligations.

In relation to the request for funding from the Common Good Fund, some Members expressed concern that:

a standard application form had not been completed, as was required for all other funding requests from external organisations; and
the CGF was being asked to fully fund the improvements and there was no obvious attempt to find funding from other sources.

Other Members commented that the Bught Park was an important open space for the community and the works detailed in the report were essential and we should just get on with it through Common Good funding.

In response, officers commented that:

they would continue to work with the SJFA to look at solutions for Inverness City but would relay the Committee’s feeling that the SJFA’s demands for exclusive facilities were unreasonable;
the request for CGF funding had not been on an application form as detail had been provided to Members over three separate reports and it was felt all pertinent information had been provided. However any future funding requests would be presented on an application form; and
because of the nature of the work to be carried out (internal access roads) agencies such as sportscotland would not fund. They would however consider funding improvements to the pitches.

The Committee AGREED that the:

i. primary use of the Northern Meeting Park be for events and school sport;
ii. Council continues to use its reasonable endeavours to work with the Scottish
     Junior Football Association to locate a suitable football pitch within the City of
     Inverness that meets the requirements of the SJFA through the City Manager
     making contact with the Secretary of the SJFA, Tom Johnston. Discussions to
     convey the Committee’s belief that the SJFA criteria for sports pitches are too

inflexible; and
iii. general improvements outlined in paragraph four of the report be funded from
the Inverness Common Good Fund, at an estimated cost of £54K.

5. Inverness Common Good Fund

5.1 Inverness Common Good Fund – Monitoring Statement

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-24-11 dated 26 Mary 2011 by the Inverness City Manager setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period to 30 April 2011 and shows expenditure to date.

Mr B Wynd commented that the reporting methods for the Common Good Fund were currently being reviewed by Audit and Scrutiny.

The Committee NOTED the contents of the report.

5.2 Barclay’s Scottish Golf Open Championship – Castle Stuart

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-25-11 dated 26 May 2011 by the Inverness City Manager providing an overview of the work in progress to prepare for the Barclay’s Scottish Open Golf Championship at Castle Stuart Golf Club between 7 – 10 July 2011.

Members noted the work being carried out by the City Manager, Events Officer and other Council officers in ensuring that the event was a success and that Inverness was seen as a successful venue for hosting such events.

Members also commented that it was important to ensure that restaurants and catering establishments were fully aware of the benefits to be gained by extending their opening hours during this period and Mr P Corbett, commented that the Licensing Committee would welcome any requests for extensions to food licences.

Other Members asked that officers ensure visitors to the areas were given a typical Highland welcome and suggestions of achieving this were:

ensuring the grass cutting and carpet bedding was in place;
the use of tartan;
traditional music, including accordion music and Gaelic choir;
public address systems at key entries to the City (Dalcross and the Railway Station) welcoming visitors to the Highlands in English and Gaelic; and
gifts of branded whisky miniatures

Some Members questioned whether the local community would benefit in any way from the event, as at Rock Ness.

The City Manager confirmed to Members that:

Castle Stuart and BID had been briefing local businesses to ensure they were fully aware of the potential of this event to their businesses;
the Events Officer was planning a number of traditional events around the city to provide visitors with a taste of the Highlands;
potential Community Benefit for future years was being looked at; and
carpet bedding, grass cutting and general maintenance of the city would continue with the full support of TECS.

The Committee NOTED the arrangements that have been made to support this event as detailed in the report.

5.3 Inverness Common Good Fund – Funding Requests from the 2011/12 Budget

There had been circulated Report No. ICC-26-11 dated 26 May 2011 by the Inverness City Manager detailing requests for funding from the Inverness Common Good Fund from the 2011/12 budget.

The Committee:

i. AGREED to award:

Merkinch Enterprise

£5,000 towards the cost of ‘Community Training for the Unemployed’ project, subject to the standard terms and conditions.

Members requested that officers ensure this project liaises with the Merkinch and Dalneigh Job Clubs and the Highland Council strategy for employability.

Inverness Tattoo Committee

£8,000 towards the cost of organising and delivering the Inverness Tattoo in August 2011, subject to the standard terms and conditions and the additional conditions detailed below:

independently verified accounts; and
evidence how the Tattoo Committee will develop the event to reduce the reliance on the Common Good Fund in future.

Merkinch Greenspace

£9,938 towards the cost of completion of work on the Merkinch Local Nature Reserve subject to standard terms and conditions.

Highland Bodukan Judo Club

The Committee HOMOLOGATED the award of a grant up to a maximum of £2,000 towards the cost of the annual Highland Bodukan Open Judo Tournament subject to standard terms and conditions.

The final figure will be agreed, based on any losses the organisation may incur as a result of the event. Any further requests for support from the Common Good Fund in future years would also require evidence of fundraising/ sponsorship from alternative sources.

ii. NOTED that with effect from City Committee on 8 August 2011, all applications
for sums in excess of £5,000 will be accompanied by a schedule detailing funding

history from the Inverness CGF for the previous 5 financial years, if practicable.

5.4 Inverness Common Good Fund – Sites and Premises Transaction Report

There had been circulated Report No. ICC 27/11 dated 19 May 2011 by the Director of Housing and Property and Inverness City Manager summarising the property transactions recently approved by the Head of Housing Development and Estates, under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation, after consultation with local Members, as appropriate, and in accordance with policy. Also included is a statement on the current position in respect of Inverness Common Good Fund rents and tenant arrears, if any.

The Committee NOTED Inverness Common Good Fund transactions approved by the Head of Housing Development and Estates, under delegated powers, during period 1 November 2010 to 16 May 2011, and the position regarding tenant rent rolls as at 16 May 2011.

6. Minutes

6.1 Inverness City Committee Minutes

The Committee NOTED the Minutes of the Inverness City Committee held on 18 April 2011.

The meeting concluded at 3.00pm