Agenda Contents
North Ayrshire Council · 17 September 2025
Back to North Ayrshire Council — 17 September 2025 and its agenda
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE North Ayrshire Council A Meeting of North Ayrshire Council will be held in the Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 at 14:00 to consider the undernoted business. Meeting Arrangements - Hybrid Meetings This meeting will be held on a predominantly physical basis but with provision, by prior notification, for remote attendance by Elected Members in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003. Where possible, the meeting will be live-streamed and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home. 1 Apologies 2 Declarations of Interest Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda. 3 Previous Minutes The accuracy of the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 25 June 2025 will be confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7(1) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (copy enclosed). 4 Provost's Report Submit report by the Provost for the period covering 16 June 2025 to 7 September 2025 (copy enclosed). 5 Leader's Report Submit report by the Leader of the Council for the period covering 16 June 2025 to 7 September 2025 (copy enclosed).
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 6 Minute Volume (issued under separate cover) Submit, for noting and for approval of any recommendations contained therein, the Minutes of Meetings of committees of the Council held in the period 1 May to 1 September 2025. 7 Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Board: Minutes of Meeting Submit report by the Executive Director (Communities and Housing) on the Minutes of the Community Planning Partnership Board held on 5 June 2025 (copy enclosed). 8 Findings of Hearing Conducted by the Standards Commission for Scotland Submit report by the Head of Service (Democratic Services) on the findings of Hearing conducted by the Standards Commission for Scotland (copy enclosed). 9 Annual Review of Governance Documents The Council is invited to consider the following reports in terms of the annual review of the Council's suite of Governance documents which regulate the operation of Council, its committees and officers. 9.1 Standing Orders Relating to Meetings and Proceedings of the Council and Committees Submit report by the Chief Executive on the Standing Orders Relating to Meetings and Proceedings of the Council and Committees (copy enclosed). 9.2 Scheme of Administration Submit report by the Chief Executive on the Council's Scheme of Administration (copy enclosed). 9.3 Scheme of Delegation to Officers Submit report by the Chief Executive on the Council's Scheme of Delegation to Officers (copy enclosed). 9.4 Other Key Governance Documents Submit report by the Chief Executive on other key governance documents regulating the operation of the Council, its committees and officers (copy enclosed). 10 Committee Timetable 2026 Submit report by the Chief Executive on a proposed timetable of meetings of the Council and its committees for the period from January - December 2026 (copy enclosed). 11 Collaborative Working in Ayrshire Submit report by the Chief Executive on progress of collaborative working across Ayrshire and to outline the recommended next steps (copy enclosed).
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 12 Questions In terms of Standing Order 14, submit:- (1) a question by Councillor Currie to the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care in the following terms: “ In their first media interview following their appointment, the new Cabinet Member said, “putting communities at the heart of things is the biggest priority”. Their first action in post was to second the proposal to cut beds at Montrose House. 97% of those who took part in the so-called consultation opposed these cuts. The IJB’s own paper showed that between 2020/21 and the current financial year, 48% of Arran residents who have entered long-term care settings have been required to move to a mainland care setting due to a lack of available beds on Arran. That was before these cuts. The Cabinet Member, this SNP administration, and the IJB, have all left island families worried that they will be separated by the sea if one of them requires care in the future. Why, in their first action, has the Cabinet Member broken their promise and treated our communities on Arran with such disdain?" (2) a question by Councillor Stalker to the Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and the Islands in the following terms: " Houses were demolished by NAC at Longbar, Dalry in 1999. The land has been left undeveloped, although the grass is regularly cut at the Council’s expense. Given the recent increase in private housebuilding activity in Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Beith, would the Council consider selling the land at Longbar to help regenerate the area?" (3) a question by Councillor Todd Ferguson to the Cabinet Member for Education in the following terms: “Can the Cabinet Member for Education provide an update on the current provision of traditional Scottish music education in primary and secondary schools on the North Coast?" (4) a question by Councillor Foster to the Cabinet Member for Education in the following terms: “Can the Cabinet Member for Education provide details of what new approaches have been taken to strengthen early intervention and prevention, with a view to minimising the number of excluded pupils who are Care Experienced?"
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE (5) a question by Councillor Stalker to the Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and the Islands in the following terms: "A block of flats was demolished by NAC at Baidland Avenue in Dalry during 2022. The site has been left in a derelict condition and serves no purpose. It is fenced off and the overgrown weeds are not maintained. Would the Council consider selling this land if it has no further use for it?" (6) a question by Councillor Todd Ferguson to the Leader of the Council in the following terms: "To ask the Leader to provide an update on the steps the Council has taken in the last year to support veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Covenant?" (7) a question by Councillor Montgomerie to the Leader of the Council in the following terms: “Does the administration support a cash-first approach to anti-poverty initiatives?” (8) a question by Councillor Marshall to the Education in the following terms: “Apparently the Scottish government uses 13 different measures for the size of the Poverty Attainment Gap - the gap between the richest and poorest groups of pupils. They include the number of pre-school children showing development concerns, levels of literacy and numeracy at primary school, qualifications and the destinations pupils go on to such as further education or apprenticeships ad nauseam. The recent Cabinet Report on Education measures the Gap between SIMD Quintile 1 and SIMD Quintiles 2-5. A Measure that minimises the Gap. However, a more realistic Measure is the Gap between SIMD Quintile1 and SIMD Quintile 5. Using that Measure can you exhibit graphs, similar to those appearing on page 43 of the recent Cabinet Report for the NAC Poverty Attainment Gap ,showing the proportion of students achieving grades A to C for SIMD Quintile1 and SIMD Quintile 5. for each of the Exam Results for National 5 and for Higher for each of the last 10 years?”
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE (9) a question by Councillor Murdoch to the Cabinet Members for Green Environment and Economy in the following terms: “During debate on noting the paper regarding the additional funding for Ardrossan Campus, I asked if the revised budget would be £155,538,167, not £114.6 million as stated in the papers. This would mean an increase of £84,062,659, from the original budget of £71,000,475 can I ask which of these calculations is correct? An answer to this question was not available at this point, I received the following answer on 8th July 2025. “In response to your query, I can provide the undernoted information: • The total cost of the de-contamination, revetment and any other enabling works? £47.9m • The total cost of the new campus construction? £114.6m • The total combined cost of this project and everything connected to it? £162.5m • The borrowing rate for the combined figure? Not all of this combined figure will be subject to a borrowing requirement as we will seek to maximise income from other funding sources, including SUSTRANS and the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund, before undertaking prudential borrowing. Additionally, we do not borrow for specific projects or assets but rather as cash flow requires, utilising internal balances before resorting to PWLB borrowing. However, the costs to the General Fund for the provision of these assets would be based on the prevailing interest rate at the time of expenditure. The majority of the de-contamination, revetment and enabling works were undertaken during 2024-25 when the average cost of borrowing was 4.87%. The costs for the construction phase would be incurred during 2025-26 and 2026-27 and we are currently budgeting to achieve all required borrowing over these financial years at 5.3% or lower.” Can the Cabinet Member please inform this Council why the £162.5 million figure was not mentioned during the item at the June meeting?" (10) a question by Councillor Foster to the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care in the following terms: “Can the Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care provide details of our progress in keeping the promise, specifically relating to how many siblings in Care within NAC have been separated from their brothers or sisters over the past 12 months? How many instances of Care Experienced Children being physically restrained have been recorded over the past 12 months and what percentage of Care Experienced children have had access to independent advocacy as defined by The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance?"
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE (11) a question by Councillor Murdoch to the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy in the following terms: “Can the Cabinet Member please provide separate costs of the decontamination and revetment of the land at the new Ardrossan Campus Site?” (12) a question by Councillor Hume to the Leader of the Council in the following terms: “Having cut the number of school crossing patrollers, the Council Leader promised a road safety campaign in response to her administration's cuts. Can the Leader tell us when that campaign will launch because surely social media memes saying, “Stay Alert” and “Phones Down, Eyes Up”, is not the much-vaunted road safety campaign the Leader used to justify her cuts to crossing patrollers?" (13) a question by Councillor Murdoch to the Cabinet Member for Finance in the following terms: “In the light of the BBC’s recent report into Scottish Council’s debt levels, (North Ayrshire Council showed Scotland’s third biggest rise in debt in 2024/25 – which increased from £319,364,000 in 2024/25 to £429,364,000 in 2024/25: an increase of 34.4 %). Will the Cabinet Member inform Members of the breakdown of the debt? Specifically, who the debt is owed to, for what purpose was the debt incurred and when was it incurred, what was or is the nature of the debt, eg, PFI, PPP, SFT, PWLB or held by Venture Capital Organisations such as banks or insurance companies? Have any such projects ever been subject to refinancing or renegotiation, and if so, what were or are the outcomes of the exercise in terms of both amounts still owed and contract end dates, what proportion of the debt is interest? What is the 2024/25 per capita debt for the constituents of North Ayrshire and where can the public view or access the figures, including historic data?” (14) a question by Councillor Montgomerie to the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy in the following terms: “Can the Cabinet Member explain why the railing and footpath around the Saltcoats Harbour Tower has not been fixed yet?” (15) a question by Councillor Currie to the Leader of the Council in the following terms: “As co-chair of the Ardrossan task force, can the Council Leader update us on progress to bring Ardrossan Harbour into public ownership?”
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 13 Motions In terms of Standing Order 15, submit:- (1) a motion by Councillor Inglis, seconded by Councillor Gallacher, in the following terms: Council considers that: • Constituents expect North Ayrshire councillors from different political parties and ideologies to work together to better their lives, towns and villages in the area. • A budget working group would allow councillors to come together to help form North Ayrshire Council's 26/27 budget • Furthermore, a budget working group through a collaborative approach could also help avoid Council revisiting recent budget decisions and focus on future budgets. Therefore, Council agrees: • To create a budget working group and That the group: • Will be made up of two members of each political group and the three independent members; • Include relevant senior officers to provide financial and strategic advice; • Begin meeting during October 2025; • Consider budget pressures, service priorities, savings proposals and opportunities for investment; • Facilitate open discussion and early engagement ahead of formal budget setting.
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE (2) a motion by Councillor Inglis, seconded by Councillor Stalker, in the following terms: Mixed Tenure Repairs & Maintenance Grant Fund Motion • Notes the growing financial pressures faced by private owners in Council-factored blocks, particularly in relation to the affordability of major common repairs and maintenance such as lift replacements, roofing and essential building works. • Recognises that while the Council’s Scheme of Assistance and repayment arrangements are available, these measures do not always provide timely or sufficient support for owners facing large and unavoidable repair costs. • Agrees to the principle of establishing a Mixed Tenure Repairs & Maintenance Grant Fund with an initial budget of £500,000, to be financed as follows: • £250,000 from Energy Smart • £250,000 from Transformation Funds • Agrees that the Fund will be subject to strict eligibility criteria to ensure it supports works in Council factored private properties that is focused on repairs and maintenance that: • is essential to ensure homes are wind and watertight; • meets statutory or regulatory compliance standards; and/or • supports accessibility and building security improvements. • Requests that officers bring forward a detailed scheme for administering the Fund, including eligibility criteria, assessment arrangements, relevant integrated impact assessments demonstrating that any adverse impacts can be appropriately mitigated and officer resourcing implications, for approval at a future meeting.
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE (3) a motion by Councillor Montgomerie, seconded by Councillor Angus-McDonald, in the following terms: Members acknowledge the dynamic nature of the common housing register, with an applicants’ relative position on the list subject to daily change based on many factors such as new applications joining the register, the latest allocations and the outcome of accessibility assessments. Council also recognises that the allocation policy is a group- plus-points one and that subject to interest in areas and house types, the number of points that an applicant requires to be made an offer fluctuates from town to town, street to street, and property to property. Whilst acknowledging the above, the Council supports the principle of being more transparent with applicants over their housing prospects and agrees to explore ways in which we can share more information about allocations with housing applicants. Council therefore requests officers to bring a report back to Council outlining options that will enable residents to access more transparent information about housing allocations within their choices 14 Urgent Items Any other items which the Chair considers to be urgent.
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Webcasting Please note: this meeting may be filmed/recorded/live-streamed to the Council's internet site and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public- i.tv/core/portal/home, where it will be capable of repeated viewing. At the start of the meeting, the Provost/Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed/recorded/live-streamed. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018. Data collected during the webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site. Generally, the press and public will not be filmed. However, by entering the Council Chambers and using the press or public seating area, you acknowledge that you may be filmed and that any information pertaining to you contained in the video and oral recording of the meeting will be used for webcasting or training purposes and for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available to the public. In making this use of your information the Council is processing data which is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. If you have any queries regarding this and, in particular, if you believe that use and/or storage of any particular information would cause, or be likely to cause, substantial damage or distress to any individual, please contact dataprotectionofficer@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE North Ayrshire Council Sederunt Nairn Angus-McDonald John Bell Marie Burns Eleanor Collier Joe Cullinane Charles Currie Scott Davidson Anthea Dickson Stewart Ferguson Todd Ferguson Robert Foster Scott Gallacher Tony Gurney Alan Hill Mary Hume Cameron Inglis Margaret Johnson Amanda Kerr Christina Larsen Shaun Macaulay Jean McClung Matthew McLean Louise McLaughlan Davina McTiernan Tom Marshall Jim Montgomerie Ian Murdoch Donald Reid Donald L Reid Chloe Robertson Ronnie Stalker Angela Stephen John Sweeney Chair: Apologies: Attending: