A meeting of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 27 September 2007 at 2.00 pm.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
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.
Business
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Good News
National Spring Clean, organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), took place in April 2007 and over 21000 people participated in the Highlands, the highest number of any Local Authority in Scotland and the highest number per head of population. In recognition of this KSB have awarded Highland a National Spring Quaich. John Summers, Chief Executive of KSB will present the Quaich to the Chairman of the Committee.
3. Revenue Budget Monitoring – 1 April to 31 August 2007
There is circulated Report No TEC-56-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which sets out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007 and the projected year end position.
The Committee is invited to note the report and the attached monitoring statements which show the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007.
4. Capital Expenditure Monitoring – 1 April to 31 August 2007
There is circulated Report No TEC-57-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which summarises the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007 and the projected year end position.
The Committee is invited to note the report and the attached monitoring statements which show the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007.
5. A890 Stromeferry Bypass – Urgent Remedial Works to Rockface
There is circulated Report No TEC-58-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to carry out urgent remedial works to the rock faces on the Stromeferry Bypass.
The Committee is invited to approve the urgent remedial works to the rock faces on the Stromeferry Bypass at an estimated cost of £250,000.
6. Revision to Business Support Staffing Structure
Following the revisions to the operational staffing structure agreed by the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee on 16 August 2007, there is circulated Report No TEC-59-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out proposals in relation to the staffing structure for Business Support.
The Committee is invited to agree to the following revisions to the staffing structure:-
i. in Business Support - Administration
- delete seven posts of Business Support Officer
- create three new posts of Business Support Officer
- create four new posts of Assistant Business Support Officer
- redesignate Assistant Business Support Officer (Inverness) to Business Support Assistant
and
ii. in Business Support - Fleet Management and Maintenance
- delete three posts of Workshop Manager
- create two new posts of Fleet Monitoring and Control Officer
- review Workshop Foreperson’s responsibilities.
The Committee is asked to note that consultations will take place with affected staff and the Trade Unions and that the grades and methods of filling new posts will be subject to consultation with the Head of Personnel and then require approval by the Resources Committee.
7. Performance Management: Statutory and Internal Performance
Indicators for 2006/07 and the First Quarter of 2007/08
There is circulated Report No TEC-60-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services providing details of Transport, Environmental and Community Services’ performance, as measured by Statutory and Internal Performance Indicators, for the financial year 2006/07 and the first quarter of 2007/08.
The Committee is invited to note the performance of Transport, Environmental and Community Services in relation to Service activities that are measured by Statutory Performance Indicators and Internal Performance Indicators.
8. Food Safety Enforcement Policy
There is circulated Report No TEC-61-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval of the latest version of the Food Safety Enforcement Policy.
The Committee is invited to approve the new version of the Food Safety Enforcement Policy.
9. Responsibilities for Flood Management
There is circulated Report No TEC-62-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the current responsibilities in relation to flooding and advising Members that the Scottish Government’s legislative programme includes a Flooding Bill. This supports the commitment by the Administration to work with COSLA and the Scottish Government to promote legislation to simplify the process of securing Flood Prevention Orders.
The Committee is invited to note the current responsibilities for flooding and the Scottish Government’s Legislative Programme which includes a Flooding Bill.
10. Draft Flood Prevention Orders
There are circulated reports by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which support the commitment by the Administration to continue to progress Flood Prevention Orders for areas where there is a history of major flooding. The reports seek approval to publish Draft Flood Prevention Orders for the following schemes:-
a) River Ness – Report No TEC-63-07
b) River Lochy and Caol – Report No TEC-64-07
c) Dell Burn – Report No TEC-65-07
d) Millburn – Report No TEC-66-07
The Committee is invited to approve the engineered drawings for the schemes and the publication of Draft Flood Prevention Orders.
11. Acharacle Flood Prevention
There is circulated Report No TEC-67-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which makes recommendations for the development of an alternative solution to the flooding at Moss Road, Acharacle.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. agree that the current proposal to reduce the risk of flooding at Acharacle,
which involves lowering the level of Loch Shiel during times of flooding and
increasing the flow in the River Shiel, is no longer pursued due to the
difficulties in resolving environmental issues;
ii. approve, as an alternative to the original proposal, the development of a
scheme to raise the level of Moss Road to ensure access is maintained during
periods of flooding;
iii. note that the current Capital Programme only includes an allowance for
design costs and does not include any funding for construction; and
iv. note that the Director of Planning and Development has been consulted on
the report and will take account of the flood issues when considering
applications for development in the area.
12. Coastal Flooding – Loch Linnhe Tidal Surge Model
There is circulated Report No TEC-68-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval for the appointment of consultants to prepare a tidal surge model for the Loch Linnhe area for use as part of a flood warning system in conjunction with SEPA to help mitigate the impact of flooding.
The Committee is invited to approve the appointment of JBA Consulting to prepare a tidal surge model for the Loch Linnhe area, incorporating Corpach, Caol, Lochyside, Inverlochy and Fort William, to assist SEPA in their flood warning system for the area and to predict tidal surges in future years.
13. Flood Prevention Works - Mallaig
There is circulated Report No TEC-69-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to allocate funding for the construction of flood defences between the gaps in the Fisherman’s Stores in Mallaig which are being rebuilt following the extreme storm in January 2005. The flood defences will close the gaps between the buildings and offer protection to community facilities and local businesses.
The Committee is invited to allocate £100k from the flood alleviation budget for 2008/09 to construct flood defences between the gaps in the Fisherman’s Stores in Mallaig to provide protection to community facilities and local businesses.
14. Glenelg and Kylerhea Slipways
There is circulated Report No TEC-70-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services updating Members on the position in relation in to the Council’s involvement with the privately owned slipways at Glenelg and Kylerhea, which form the landing facilities for the community owned car and passenger ferry operating between the mainland and the Isle of Skye, and making recommendations in relation to the Council’s involvement with the future use of the slipways.
The Committee is invited to agree that:-
i. a termination notice (five year termination period) be issued immediately in
respect of the lease of the Kylerhea slipway;
ii. the Council continue to provide the basic level of maintenance for the
Glenelg slipway for the next five years, up to a limit of £2000 per year;
iii. The Ferry Community Interest Company be charged dues for the use of
the Kylerhea slipway, at an annual sum of £1000; and
iv. the Council assist the Ferry Community Interest Company to obtain funding
to carry out structural repairs to the Glenelg slipway
15. Sconser Quarry – Procurement of Replacement Asphalt Production
Plant
There is circulated Report No TEC-71-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to procure a replacement asphalt production plant at Sconser Quarry, Isle of Skye and, as an interim measure, extend the Agreement with Leiths (Scotland) Ltd to operate a coating plant at Sconser Quarry until the new asphalt production plant is operational.
The Committee is invited to agree that:-
i. competitive bids be sought for the supply of a new asphalt production plant
at Sconser Quarry; and
ii. the current Agreement with Leiths (Scotland) Ltd to operate a coating
plant at Sconser Quarry be extended to 31 July 2008.
16. Objection to One Way Traffic Order – Aird Avenue, Inverness
There is circulated Report No TEC-72-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advising Members of an unresolved objection to the proposed One-way Traffic Order in respect of Aird Avenue, Inverness. The proposed order is part of the safer routes to school initiative for Hilton Primary School.
The Committee is invited to approve the making of the One-way Traffic Order in respect of Aird Avenue, between Dell Road and Temple Crescent, Inverness.
17. Minutes
There are circulated for noting Minutes of the:-
i. Ross, Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee held on 12 June 2007;
ii. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee held on 18 June 2007 ; and
iii. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee held on 31 July 2007.