Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will take place REMOTELY on Thursday 4 February 2021 at 10.30am. 

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

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. Good News 
Naidheachdan Matha

4. Development and Infrastructure Service Revenue Budget - Monitoring 
Sgrùdadh Buidseat Teachd-a-steach Seirbheis an Leasachaidh is a’ Bhun-structair    

There is circulated Report No. ECI/01/2021 dated 19 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.
The Committee is invited to note:-

i.   the more detailed reporting of gross income and gross expenditure to improve scrutiny of net budgets as set out in the Appendices;
ii.  the Revenue Monitoring position for the period to 31 December 2020;
iii. net spend at the end of quarter 3, totaled £22.716m;
iv.  based on the best available information to date, a service budget gap of £8.941m is forecast to end 2020/21;
v.   many areas of the Service rely on income to pay for services and this was significantly disrupted this year because of COVID-19 impacts and the impact of BREXIT in particular to harbours income. A loss of income is the key driver of the Service’s budget gap;
vi.  the budget gap may change positively or negatively depending on:  applying expenditure and recruitment controls, aligning services to meet budget savings agreed; income recovery in 2020/21; and
vii. further adjustments will be made in future quarterly reporting to reflect the updated apportionment of costs and savings across the new structure.

5. Economic Recovery Update
Cunntas as Ùr mu Fheabhas Eaconamach

There is circulated Report No. ECI/2/2021 dated 17 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

Members are asked to note the progress being made on the Council’s Economic Recovery Strategy.

6. Highland Labour Market
Dùbhlain Margaidh Obrach na Gàidhealtachd

There is circulated Report No. ECI/3/2021 dated 17 January 2021 by Executive Chief Officer, Infrastructure and Environment. 

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   note the labour market challenges facing the Highland economy and in particular the impact this will have on young people;
ii.  agree that The Highland Council adopts a pro-active and leadership role with partners through the Highland Employability Partnership, to ensure clients receive a cross agency service that is responsive to their needs and enables them to progress towards and into employment;
iii. agree that The Highland Council as an employer and service provider, provides the proposed work experience and job creation opportunities and, through its management of external funding, enables others to also do so; and
iv.  note that the proposed staffing changes to ensure that The Highland Council has capacity to effectively undertake its employability function during this challenging time are being taken forward following agreement at the Council meeting on 7 January 2021.

7. Covid related pressures and service prioritisation 
Cuideaman a’ buntainn ri Covid agus a’ toirt prìomhachas do sheirbheisean

There is circulated Report No. ECI/4/2021 dated 22 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to note:-

i.   the additional Covid-related services being delivered by the Service;
ii.  the pressures that this puts on service delivery;
iii. the 4 harms posed to our staff and our customers as a consequence; and
iv.  the effect on services in a number of areas as set out in Section 5.

8. Business Grants – Discretionary Grant Scheme
Tabhartasan Gnothachais – Sgeama Thabhartasan fo Ùghdarras

There is circulated Report No. ECI/5/2021 dated 21 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.  agree to the proposed Discretionary Grant Scheme; and
ii. agree that delegated decision making be given to the Executive Chief Officer – Infrastructure and Environment, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee to make any grant criteria changes required in light of other national grant schemes and to design and deliver a second phase grant scheme, if not all of the grant is utilised.

9. Roads Capital Spend 
Cosg Calpa Rathaidean

There is circulated Report No. ECI/6/2021 dated 11 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.  agree to continue with the current distribution method for the £7.2M base allocation for road maintenance as detailed in section 6.1 of the report; and
ii. approve the distribution of the additional £20M for road maintenance as detailed in the report, subject to future reports coming to this Committee and Local Committees on the detail of the spend.

10. Inverness and Highland City Region Deal Update
Cunntas às Ùr mu Chùmhnant Baile Roinne Inbhir Nis agus na Gàidhealtachd

There is circulated Report No. ECI/7/2021 dated 13 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.  note progress with the City Region Deal during the last Quarter; and
ii. agree the Annual Report 2019/20 attached at Appendix 2 of the report.

11. Flooding Update
Cunntas às Ùr mu Thuiltean

There is circulated Report No. ECI/8/2021 dated 6 January  2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   note work undertaken to date in partnership with SEPA to allow SEPA to publish draft Flood Risk Management Strategy information for joint consultation on 21 March 2021;
ii.  agree to the publication of the potential Actions for the Local Flood Risk Management Plan for Highland and Argyll Local Plan District and the Local Flood Risk Management Plan for Findhorn, Nairn and Speyside Local Plan District on 21 March 2021, as shown in Appendix 1 of the report; and
iii. note a further report on the final Flood Risk Management Strategies and Plans will be brought to committee, after the public consultation closes on 21 June 2021.

12. Road Construction Consent Charges – Outcomes from Legal Challenge
Cìsean Aonta Togail Rathaidean – Toraidhean bho Dhùbhlan Laghail

There is circulated Report No. ECI/9/2021 dated 12 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.  approve the proposed revised scale of fees for Road Construction Consents, which in accordance with the original report of 16 August 2018 (Appendix 1 of the report) will be applied retrospectively from 1 April 2017; and
ii. note that Highland Council’s previous fees were subject to a legal challenge and the revised fee structure is a response to this challenge.

13. Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas

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

i.   South Planning Applications Committee held on 9 October 2020 and 3 November 2020 for noting;
ii.  North Planning Applications Committee held on 20 October 2020 for noting;and
iii. City Region Deal Monitoring Group held on 17 November 2020 and 21 January 2021 for approval.

14. Exclusion of the Public
Às-dùnadh a’ Phobaill 

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

15. Property Transactions Monitoring Report
Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Ghnothachasan Seilbhe

There is circulated to Members only Report No. ECI/10/2021 dated 8 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to note the recommendations as detailed in the report.

16. Land and Property
Fearann agus Cuid-seilbh                                                              

There is circulated to Members only Report No. ECI/11/21 dated 16 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to note the recommendations as detailed in the report.

17. Housing Development Initiatives
Iomairtean Leasachaidh Taigheadais

There is circulated to Members only Report No. ECI/12/21 dated 25 January 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure and Environment.

The Committee is invited to note the recommendations as detailed in the report.