Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of City of Inverness Area Committee the will take place REMOTELY on Thursday, 27 August 2020 at 10.00am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser
Head of Corporate Governance

Business

1. Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

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.

3. Presentation – Inverness Castle Project Update
Taisbeanadh – Cunntas às Ùr mu Phròiseact Caisteal Inbhir Nis

A presentation will be undertaken by representatives from the Inverness Castle Project Team updating Members on the progress of the project.

4. Appointments to Sub-Committee, Working Groups etc
Cur an dreuchd gu Fo-Chomataidh, Buidhnean Obrach is eile

Following the death of Mr George Cruickshank, the Committee is invited to appoint a replacement Member to the Inverness Common Good Fund Sub-Committee.

5. Scottish Fire and Rescue – Area Performance Report
Smàladh is Teasairginn na h-Alba – Aithisg Coileanaidh Sgìreil

There is circulated Report No. CIA/14/20 dated 14 August 2020 by the Local Senior Officer for Highland.

The Committee is invited to comment and scrutinise the attached Area Performance Report.

6. Police – Area Performance Summary Report
Poileas – Geàrr-aithisg Coileanadh Sgìreil

There is circulated Report No. CIA/15/20 dated 14 August 2020 by the Chief Inspector Mairi MacInnes, Area Commander.

The Committee is invited to note the progress made against the objectives set within the:-

i.     Highland Local Policing Plan 2017-2020 Year 3, attached as Annex A to this report, for the period covering 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020; and 
ii.    Highland Local Policing Plan 2020-2023 Year 1, attached as Annex B to this report, for the period covering 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020.

7. City Recovery      

There will follow Report No. CIA/16/20 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Economy. 

8. Housing Performance Report – 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020
Aithisg Dèanadais Taigheadais – 1 Giblean 2020 gu 30 An t-Òg mhios 2020

There is circulated Report No. CIA/17/20 dated 27 August 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer, Property and Housing.

The Committee is invited to consider the information provided on housing performance in the period 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020.

9. B9006/B9091 40mph Speed Limit at Croy

There is circulated Report No. CIA/18/20 dated 31 July 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer, Infrastructure and Environment. 

The Committee is invited to:-

i.     note the details of the proposed 40mph speed limit at Croy; and
ii.    delegate Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment to: 
a.     proceed with the advertisement of the proposed speed limit order;
b.     make the Order should there be no unresolved objection; and
c.     bring back a further report in the event of unresolved objection.

10. Inverness Common Good Fund: Discretionary Scheme for Winter Payments 2020/21
Maoin Mathas Coitcheann Inbhir Nis: Sgeama fo Ùghdarras airson Phàighidhean Geamhraidh 2020/21

There is circulated Joint Report No. CIA/19/20 dated 15 July 2020 by the Head of Revenues and Business Support and the Inverness City Area Manager.

The Committee is invited to agree the following:- 

i.     accept applications from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021 inclusive;
ii.    increase the single tier payment for those applicants that satisfy the eligibility criteria for the Scheme for 2020/21 by 12-month (March 2020) Consumer Price Index (1.5%) to £86;
iii.   provide an overall award budget of £155,000 (up by £13,000 from 2019/20) to accommodate the anticipated increase in demand arising from Covid-19, ongoing welfare reforms and fluctuations in energy costs; 
iv.    where take-up of the Scheme is likely to exceed the available budget, a report will be provided at the earliest opportunity for Members of this Committee as enabled by the Committee timetable.  If necessary, the timescale for applications can be extended to accommodate this committee consideration;
v.     that the criteria utilised for the 2019/20 scheme as set out in paragraphs 8.2 to 8.6 shall be used as the basis for the 2020/21 scheme with a minor but important change in paragraph 8.6 below. This change is being proposed to reflect the anticipated economic environment during the winter months and the ending of the furlough scheme at the end of October 2020.  It is proposed to reduce the following criterion from 6 months to 1 month to enable those that have been recently unemployed to satisfy this element of the eligibility criteria: 
a.     no people in the household in receipt of a wage at the time of the application or in the previous calendar month;
vi.    this discretionary scheme is to be made available to residents in the City of Inverness and the Landward areas of the seven City Wards; and
vii.   promote payment by BACS for this discretionary scheme as this is the most secure method of payment for recipients of the payment and the Council alike.

11. Inverness Common Good Fund
Maoin Math Coitcheann Inbhir Nis

a) Financial Monitoring and Capital Project Report
Sgrùdadh Ionmhasail agus Pròiseactan Calpa

There is circulated Report No. CIA/20/20 dated 17 August 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer, Resources and Finance and the Inverness City Area Manager.

The Committee is invited to:- 

i.     consider the financial monitoring report to 31 July 2020; and note that overall expenditure is within agreed budgets; and 
ii.    scrutinise the current status of capital projects.

b) Grants Applications over £10,000
Iarrtasan Tabhartais thar £10,000

There is circulated Report No. CIA/21/20 dated 10 August 2020 by the Inverness City Area Manager. 

In this connection, there is circulated separately a copy of supporting documentation as Booklet A.

The Committee is invited to consider the applications for funding.

c) Inverness Common Good Fund (ICGF) Sub-Committee – Annual Report 2019/20
Aithisg Bhliadhnail Fo-Chomataidh Maoin Math Coitcheann Inbhir Nis 2019/20

There is circulated Report No. CIA/22/20 dated 17 August 2020 by the Inverness City Area Manager.

The Committee is invited to note and scrutinise the work of the ICGF Sub-Committee as described within the report. 

12. Inverness Common Good Fund: Victorian Market, Inverness – Action Plan – Update
Maoin Math Coitcheann Inbhir Nis: Aithisg na Margaidh Bhictòrianaich

There is circulated a Joint Report No. CIA/23/20 dated 17 August 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment and the Inverness City Area Manager.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.     note the progress in respect of the work agreed through the Action Plan since the reports presented to Committee on 29 August and 21 November 2019;
ii.    note the progress of the works for the Transformation of the Market Hall and Fish Hall of the Victorian Market;
iii.   note that all practicable steps continue to be taken to maximise third party funding opportunities. The allocation of £0.250m from the Town Centre Fund, being added to the project budget; 
iv.    agree to the permanent establishment of the Victorian Market Manager post as detailed in section 7 of this report to be funded from Inverness Common Good Fund, noting that the post will then be subject to approval through the Council’s recruitment policies and procedures; and 
v.     note that further reports will be made to the City of Inverness Area Committee on progress.

13. Inverness Common Good Fund: Events and Festivals
Maoin Math Coitcheann Inbhir Nis: Tachartasan agus Fèisean

There is circulated Report No. CIA/24/20 dated 17 August 2020 by the Inverness City Area Manager.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.     note the status of the events scheduled to take place in the Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group (IEFWG) 2020-21 programme;
ii.    note events under consideration in the context of revised Health and Safety Guidelines; 
iii.   note proposals for the development of a Covid-19 Safe Events Space in Inverness, along with the potential of an event which would meet Covid-19 and any other applicable guidelines and policies in the event of restrictions being eased sufficiently; and 
iv.    agree the Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group reallocate up to £140,000 from 2020/21 Inverness Common Good Fund Events and Festivals Budget toward the cost of replacement events as described in the report for the Winter Festival period, in consultation with Members of the City Area Recovery Group. Noting that this would leave a remaining balance of £113k to be available for redistribution.

14. Inverness Local Holidays 2021/22
Saor-làithean Ionadail Inbhir Nis 2021/22

2021
Friday, 1 January (New Year’s Day)
Monday, 4 January
Monday, 1 February
Monday, 1 March
Monday, 5 April (Easter Monday)
Monday, 3 May (May Day)
Monday, 5 July 
Monday, 4 October
Monday, 1 November
Monday, 27 December (Christmas Holiday )
Tuesday, 28 December (Boxing Day Holiday)

2022
Monday, 3 January (New Year’s Day Holiday)
Tuesday, 4 January (2nd January Holiday)
Monday, 7 February
Monday, 7 March
Monday, 18 April (Easter Monday)
Monday, 2 March (May Day)
Monday, 4 July
Monday, 3 October
Monday, 7 November
Monday, 26 December (Christmas Holiday)
Tuesday, 27 December (Boxing Day Holiday)

The Committee is invited to agree the above dates as Local Holidays for the City of Inverness for years 2021 and 2022.

15. Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas

The following Minutes are circulated for noting or approval as appropriate:-

i.     City of Inverness Area Committee held on 27 July 2020 for noting (pp. 189-198); 
ii.    Victorian Market Stakeholder Management Group held on 28 January 2020 for noting (pp. 199-205); 
iii.   Inverness City Arts Working Group held on 24 February 2020 for approval (pp. 206-209);
iv.    Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group held on 2 March 2020 for approval (pp. 210-213); and 
v.     Inverness Common Good Fund Grants Sub-Committee held on 9 July and 10 August 2020 for approval (pp. 214-225).