Committees

A meeting of Inverness City Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Town House, Inverness, on Monday 8 August 2011 at 10.00am.

 

A note of the business to be transacted at the meeting is appended.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive

 

Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from officers prior to the meeting taking place.   

 

1. Apologies for Absence

 

2. Inverness BID Business Plan – Report  

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-28-11 dated 25 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager providing a summary on the activities of the Inverness Business Improvement District Company (BID) during the period August 2010 to August 2011. 
 

The Committee is invited to note the contents of this report and the presentation provided by Inverness BID representatives along with the ongoing, continuing development of the relationship between the Council and Inverness BID.

 

3. Inverness City Heritage Trust - Annual Report  

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-29-11 dated 12 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager informing Members on the work of Inverness City Heritage Trust (ICHT) during the financial year 2010/11.  Particular attention is given to the total grant allocation to properties in Inverness Riverside and Crown Conservation Areas within this period.

 

The Committee is invited to note:

 

  1. the contributions made by the Inverness City Heritage Trust in delivering a programme of conservation work funded by grant assistance in Inverness since 2005;
  2. work carried out in partnership with Inverness College and Historic Scotland to deliver a series of Conservation Master Classes for building professionals/ practitioners and home owners; and
  3. the current situation with the Inverness City Heritage Trust in regard to their ongoing funding from Historic Scotland.

4. Inverness Common Good Fund – Scheme for Winter Payments – Proposals for 2011/2012 

 

There is circulated a joint Report No. ICC-30-11 dated 28 July 2011 by Depute Chief Executive & Director of Finance and the Inverness City Manager following on from Members’ request to revise the Winter Payment Scheme, noting its growing popularity, so as to refocus the benefit towards members of the community most in need. 

 

The Committee is invited to agree to run the Winter Payment Scheme for the City of Inverness and Landward areas of the seven City Wards for the year 2011/12 on the following basis:

  1. that the Scheme operates for Winter 2011/12 based on the rate and entitlement categories detailed in the report Para 5.2 (option 2) being residents in receipt of Income Based means tested benefits and who are also in receipt of Attendance Allowance or Disability Allowance with a care element middle or higher;
  2. that only one claim can be made per household and no person shall be entitled to claim under more than one category of payment; and no residents in the household are in receipt of a wage either now or in the last 6 months or have capital over £6000; 
  3. an ‘Extra Heat’ payment will be made available to those claimants who meet the additional assessment criteria set in association with the Energy Savings Scotland advice Centre. A further report will be made to the first City Committee set for 2012 recommending payment rates which will contain expenditure within resources.

5. Play Equipment Project 

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-31-11 dated 18 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager reporting on the outcome of a project to replace dilapidated play equipment, which has resulted in a £240k investment in new equipment for play areas in the Inverness area.

 

The Committee is invited to note the investment in play areas in 2011 and agree:

 

  1. to commit £80k from the Common Good fund to upgrade existing equipment in the strategic asset of Whin Park; and
  2. that individual Wards consider if they wish to contribute Discretionary Funds towards enhancement of the facilities available in Whin Park.

6. Tackling Homelessness through Prevention 

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-32-11 dated 28 July 2011 by the Director of Housing & Property updating members regarding prevention of homelessness initiatives underway in Inverness, including:

  • recent measures in relation to review of Homelessness Policy agreed by Housing and Social Work committee on 9 March 2011
  • the formation and composition of a homeless prevention team in Inverness and across Highland; and
  • redeployment of staff and other resources, from crisis management, to proactive housing options work.

 

The Committee is invited to note these developments.  
 

7. Inverness Partnership – Community Safety - Operation Respect –
    City Centre  – 2011/2012 

 

There is circulated a joint Report No. ICC-33-11 dated 28 July 2011 by the East Division Area Police Commander & Inverness City Manager detailing the objectives, structure and initiatives forming part of Operation Respect City Centre 2011/12.

 

The Committee is invited to:

  1. endorse the plans for Operation Respect – City Centre – for 2011
  2. note that the resources allocated from Partner Agencies and form the Common Good Fund will be allocated through the Donations Working Group and reported to the Committee at the December meeting with an update on progress and
  3. note that a report detailing the evaluation of the Project will be presented to Committee in early 2012 with particular attention to the extended role of the Street Pastors

8. Review of Council Provision of Public Conveniences – Inverness City Centre 
 

There is circulated a Report No. ICC-34-11 dated 26 July 2011 by Director of Transport, Environmental Community Service reviewing the public conveniences at Castle Wynd and Mealmarket Close, together with the other facilities which are available to the public in the city centre

 

The Committee is invited to agree:

 

  1. to recommend the closure of the Castle Wynd facility to the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee;
  2. to support a recommendation to the TECS Committee that if closure of the Castle Wynd facility is confirmed then the building be declared “surplus to requirements” by TEC Services;
  3. to endorse further in-depth examination by the Inverness City Manager and Housing and Property Services seeking an alternative use for the Castle Wynd building while noting that this could include the transfer of the building to the Inverness Common Good Fund which would open up the possibility of future investment to allow a joint commercial and toilet facility to be developed;
  4. that the Inverness City Manager will establish the Business Case and the next steps to be taken before this option can be assessed as being competent for the Council to consider for investment by the Inverness Common Good. He will report to this Committee at a future meeting; and
    note:
  5. that the existing scheme of toilet signage will be improved and Central Ward Members will be consulted on changes.

9. Town Twinning – Visit to Augsburg 

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-35-11 dated 18 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager reporting on work in progress to improve economic, tourism and cultural links with the City of Augsburg, Inverness’s twin town in Germany.

 

The Committee is invited to note the report of the visit to Augsburg and to agree to further work to develop projects with the City of Augsburg involving young people, tourism and economic development. 

 

10. Inverness Common Good Fund

 

10.1 Inverness Common Good Fund – Monitoring Statement 

 

There is circulated Report No. ICC-36-11 dated 28 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period to 30 June 2011 and shows expenditure to date.

 

The Committee is invited to note the contents of the report.

 

10.2 Inverness Common Good Fund – Capital Monitoring Report 

 

There is circulated a joint Report No. ICC-37-11 dated 21 July 2011 by the Director of Housing and Property and the Inverness City Manager providing an update on the status of all current key capital projects funded through the Inverness Common Good Fund.

 

The Committee is invited to note the progress being made on the current capital projects.

 

10.3 Inverness Common Good Fund - Re-roofing of Victorian Market 

 

There is circulated a joint Report No. ICC-38-11 dated 21 July 2011 by the Director of Housing and Property and the Inverness City Manager updating Members on essential property repairs to the Victorian Market Hall roof for which expenditure was originally approved at Inverness City Committee on 12 November 2007.

The Committee is invited to:

  1. note the additions to the project since initiation;
  2. approve Common Good Funding for the full re-roofing measures outlined in this report for a total estimated project cost of £751,525; and
  3. approve the additional re-decoration project at an estimated cost of £40,000.

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


There is circulated Report No. ICC-39-11 dated 29 July 2011 by the Inverness City Manager detailing requests for funding from the Inverness Common Good Fund from the 2011/12 budget. 

 

The Committee is invited to give consideration to the applications.

 

The Committee is asked to resolve in terms of Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that public be excluded from the meeting for Item 10.5 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 6 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

 

10.5 Inverness Common Good Fund – Action Plan for 1-5 Church Street                 

 

There is circulated a joint Report No. ICC 40/11 dated 10 May 2011 by the Director of Housing and Property and the Inverness City Manager proving Members with options as to the future of the properties owned by the Common Good Fund at 1-5 Church Street.

 

The Committee is invited to agree the recommendations.

 

11. Minutes  

 

11.1 Inverness City Committee Minutes 

 

There is circulated Minute of the Inverness City Committee held on 6 June 2011 for information.

 

11.2 Donations Working Group 

 

There is circulated Minute of the Donations Working Group held on 27 June 2011 for approval.

 

11.3 Inverness Partnership 

 

There is circulated Minute of the Inverness Partnership held on 28 June 2011 for approval.