Agenda Document Pack - Enterprise and Fair Work Committee - 17/11/2023
North Lanarkshire Council · 17 November 2023
Back to Enterprise and Fair Work Committee — 17 November 2023 and its agenda
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8 November 2023 Members of the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Chief Executive’s Office Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Notice is given that a Meeting of the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee is to be held in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Friday, 17 November 2023 at 10:00 AM which you are requested to attend. The agenda of business is attached. Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Members : Clerk Name: Clare Louise McDonald Clerk Telephone: 01698 302190 Clerk Email: mcdonaldcl@northlan.gov.uk A McVey, F McKay, A Bustard, D Crichton, P Di Mascio, K Docherty, K Duffy, H Dunbar, W Goldie, L Jarvie, A Khan, K Larson, J Leckie, J Logue, F MacGregor, A Masterton, A McCrory, M McPake, L Nolan, L Roarty, G Robinson, R Sullivan, J Toner, S Watson, C Williams. Page 1 of 312
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Agenda 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 Operational 2 City Deal Programme Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing an update on the current status of North Lanarkshire City Deal Infrastructure Programme subprojects (copy herewith) 5 - 14 3 Town Action Plans Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing an update on the progress made on the development of North Lanarkshire's Town Visions Action Plans (copy herewith) 15 - 156 4 Renewal of Fair Trade Zone - Community Status for North Lanarkshire Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) informing of the activities of the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone and associated Steering Group since its approval in February 2020 (copy herewith) 157 - 192 5 Environmental Key Fund (EKF) Update Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing an update on the Environmental Key Fund (copy herewith) 193 - 202 6 North Lanarkshire Industries Submit report by the Chief Officer (Education - South) outlining the impact of the pandemic on the capacity of North Lanarkshire Industries, the actions taken during the period and also the recovery to deliver its range of services and contracts (copy herewith) 203 - 208 7 Routes to Work Ltd - Appointment of Category B Directors Submit report by the Chief Officer (Education - South) seeking approval for the appointment of three new Category B directors to Routes to Work Limited and proposing amendments to its Articles of Association (copy herewith) 209 - 216 8 Fusion Assets Limited - Proposed Revisions to Articles of Association Submit report by the Chief Officer (Business and Digital) setting out proposed revisions to the Articles of Association for Fusion Assets Limited (copy herewith) 217 - 254 Page 3 of 312
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Performance 9 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Employability Submit report by the Chief Officer (Education - South) highlighting the strategic performance framework within Employability for Quarter 1 2023/24 (copy herewith) 255 - 264 10 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Place Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) highlighting the 2022/23 year end performance and the 2023/24 year to date performance of the Place Service in relation to the performance indicators (copy herewith) 265 - 274 11 Routes to Work Ltd - Performance and Finance Report Submit report by the Chief Officer (Education - South) outlining Routes to Work Ltd's performance against its charitable objectives and Council priorities and financial performance for Quarter 4 2022/23 to Quarter 1 2023/24 (copy herewith) 275 - 292 12 Fusion Assets Limited – Performance Monitoring Report to 30 June 2023 Submit report by the Chief Officer (Place) providing details of Fusion Assets Ltd operational performance during 2023/24 and financial performance up to 30 June 2023 (copy herewith) 293 - 308 Contracts 13 Contracts awarded below committee approval threshold Submit report by the Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) advising of contracts awarded below Committee approval threshold since the last meeting of the Committee (copy herewith) 309 - 312 Page 4 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref LN/PH Date 17/11/23 City Deal Programme Update From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail NobleLy@northlan.gov.uk Telephone Lyndsay Noble 07970016256 Executive Summary The North Lanarkshire City Deal Programme Update Report seeks to inform the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee of the current status of North Lanarkshire City Deal Infrastructure Programme subprojects. This report also seeks the agreement of Committee to submit the East Airdrie Link Road (EALR) Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet for Approval in February 2024. The approval of the OBC would allow for a significant governance milestone to be met and for the project to proceed to Full Business Case, enabling substantial drawdown of City Deal Funding. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1) Acknowledge the status and recent progress of North Lanarkshire City Deal infrastructure subprojects. 2) Agree to the submission of the East Airdrie Link Road Outline Business Case to the Glasgow City Region Cabinet for Approval in February 2024. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (5) Grow and improve the sustainability and diversity of North Lanarkshire's economy Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 2 Page 5 of 312
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1. Background 1.1 The Glasgow City Region (GCR) City Deal is an agreement between the UK and Scottish Governments and the eight GCR Local Authorities, with the sole focus of creating additional economic growth. The 20-year GCR Deal was accepted by GCR Council Leaders on 20 August 2014 and incorporated: • implementing a £1.13bn Infrastructure Fund to improve the regional transport network, regenerate sites for economic use and improve public transport provision; • supporting growth in the life sciences sector; • helping small and medium enterprises to grow and develop; • establishing programmes to support the unemployed; and • piloting new ways of boosting the incomes of low wage employees. 1.2 The City Deal programme for North Lanarkshire as part of the Infrastructure Fund comprises the following projects: • A8/M8 Corridor Access Improvements o Strategic Active Travel o Orchard farm Roundabout • Glenboig Link Road (complete) • Pan-Lan Orbital Transport Corridor o East Airdrie Link Road o Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure o Motherwell Town Centre Transport Interchange (complete) 2. Report 2.1 Motherwell Town Centre Transport Interchange 2.1.1 The Motherwell Town Centre Transport Interchange project, comprising Motherwell Station and Muir Street improvements, is complete and performing well as an integrated transport hub. The Station has undergone transformational change with the improvements providing a high quality experience for rail passengers and railway employees at Motherwell. Transport and public realm investment at Muir Street, led by the council, complements, and supports the major investment in Motherwell Rail Station, providing a new access road to the station and new taxi rank, expanded bus stop capacity on Muir Street and public realm improvements. 2.1.2 Together, the Station investment and Muir Street improvements have created a sustainable transport hub in the heart of Motherwell. This provides an improved gateway into Motherwell and the Glasgow City Region by public transport and forms a key part of regeneration plans for Motherwell town centre. 2.1.3 The Partnership between Scotrail, NLC, SPT and Transport Scotland in delivering the joint project has been a success and is now driving forward related active travel projects to connect Motherwell Rail Station and surrounding communities to leisure facilities, employment and training opportunities at Strathclyde Country Park, Braidhurst Industrial Estate, Ravenscraig and local services in Motherwell. 2.1.4 Whilst the Muir Street contract works are complete and the new facilities are now open and in use, there are some defects which require to be rectified by the contractor on Page 6 of 312
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sections of the public realm and surfaced areas of Muir Street. Once the timing and duration of the rectification works has been agreed with the contractor this will be communicated to local members, stakeholders, local businesses and residents. 2.2 Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure 2.2.1 The Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure project comprises three projects: • a new road connection between Motherwell and Ravenscraig from Airbles Road, passing under the West Coast Main Line railway, and on to the Regional Sports Facility • completing the dualling of Airbles Road between Airbles Farm Road and Hamilton Road and improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists • upgrading the A723 for three kilometres from the New Craig Road junction at Ravenscraig to the M8 at Holytown to create a dual carriageway and shared footway/cycleway 2.2.2 In respect of the connection between Motherwell and Ravenscraig from Airbles Road, the first phase of works has now been completed with all works to complete the under bridge crossing the WCML and to fully reinstate the railway finishing in September. The council has been working with Network Rail to finalise the long-term agreements for the future management and maintenance of the bridge. 2.2.3 The remaining land required for the connection from Motherwell into Ravenscraig has now been acquired under the Compulsory Purchase Order. Advance works have taken place to divert some public utilities around the Windmillhill Street / Airbles Road roundabout and further works will be undertaken during late 2023 and early 2024. 2.2.4 A revised procurement strategy for the development of the new road between Windmillhill Street and the Ravenscraig Sports Facility has been developed. The initial phase of work will include the demolition of the buildings acquired for the scheme – at Manse Road (formerly Cook & Indis and Yesss Electrical), the existing Evans Halshaw dealership and the adjacent vacant commercial unit. Following tender award and building warrant, works are expected to commence in early 2024. A later contract will be published in early 2024 for advance groundworks within the Ravenscraig site itself. The final phase of works will be for the construction of the road and associated works. The phasing of the works packages will allow time for further consideration of a wider strategic and local drainage strategy to potentially help support further works to improve the drainage network in the vicinity, which is significantly constrained and may inhibit future redevelopment and regeneration of council and other sites. 2.2.5 The advancement of the discrete demolition contract and a subsequent groundworks contract will assist in maintaining progress and in de-risking the later main contract works. 2.2.6 Related to this part of the project, works have progressed well for the relocation of the Evans Halshaw Ford car dealership with the construction of the new premises on the nearby former Taggarts site progressing well. The main works will be complete in early November as initially programmed however due to delays in works by public utility providers, the opening of the dealership, and its relocation from the existing premises, will be delayed to December. 2.2.7 It is anticipated that detailed design and supporting technical specifications will be completed in early Summer 2024 for the dualling of the A723 from Ravenscraig to the M8 at Holytown. Page 7 of 312
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2.3 East Airdrie Link Road 2.3.1 As Committee is aware, the East Airdrie Link Road (EALR) will provide a new strategic link between the M8 and south Cumbernauld. The proposed link road will also provide access to the New Monklands Hospital at Wester Moffat, Airdrie. During DMRB Stage 2, the preferred route was amended and realigned accordingly to accommodate the proposed Hospital site following the selection of the Wester Moffat site. The Scottish Government approved The Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) Outline Business Case in July 2023 and subsequently, NHS Lanarkshire (NHS L) submitted a planning application to North Lanarkshire Council in early August 2023. NHS L have appointed Laing O’Rourke as their preferred contractor who will work alongside their design team to progress the detailed design and project to Final Business Case. 2.3.2 The EALR project team continue to liaise with NHS L through regular technical meetings. A Project Interface Board has been established to ensure coordination, manage risk, secure efficiencies, and maximise benefits. There are however a number of significant risks and challenges for both the EALR and MRP projects around ground conditions, technical consents, ecological constraints and land ownership. There are also real challenges for both, concerning management of programme, physical overlap of works and construction access. It has been highlighted to NHS L that sole reliance on the EALR may present a risk to the Hospital Programme given the complexities of the Link Road. 2.3.3 In line with previous Committee approvals, the procurement for professional services for the development of the preliminary design for the link road and preparation of the planning application is nearing completion. The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 3 procurement is in the final stages of evaluation and to maintain programme it is likely that the contract will need to be awarded under delegated authority by the Deputy Chief Executive in accordance with general Contract Standing Orders, with the outcome reported to the next Committee. 2.3.4 As previously reported to Committee, the programme for the development and delivery of the EALR has been reviewed. This is to accommodate complex design and planning requirements and to allow for technical approvals and implementation of the land acquisition strategy. In moving into DMRB Stage 3 (subject to approval), the programme can progress at pace and further consultation will take place with key stakeholders including local communities and residents. 2.3.5 To secure approval to move forward with the EALR project and to release the next tranche of City Deal Funding, it is intended that an Outline Business Case (OBC) is submitted to the GCR Cabinet in February 2024. The OBC is in development and requires to be submitted to the GCR Project Management Office for assessment in late December 2023. The Committee is therefore asked to agree the submission of the EALR OBC to the Glasgow City Region for approval. The OBC is based on the EALR being both critical to the Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor and for the opening and operation of the Monklands Replacement Hospital. 2.4 Orchard Farm Roundabout 2.4.1 The ‘A8/M8 Corridor Access Improvements’ Outline Business Case (OBC) including the Orchard Farm Roundabout was approved by the GCR Cabinet on 30 August 2022. As reported, the scope of the Orchard Farm Roundabout project comprises a financial contribution of £2m to the developer for the construction of the junction on the A8. Page 8 of 312
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2.4.2 The Orchard Farm Roundabout is a new junction on the A8 All Purpose Distributor Road and critically supports the development of the Mossend International Rail Freight Park (MIRP) and provides important access to a number of development sites to the north of the A8/M8. 2.4.3 The proposed Full Business Case (FBC) for the new junction will be underpinned by a funding agreement between the council and the developer/s and will establish funding arrangements, obligations and key milestones. The remainder of the costs and any associated delivery risks relating to the delivery of the infrastructure will be met by the developer/s. The infrastructure will form part of the strategic road network and will fall under the responsibility of Transport Scotland. 2.4.4 It is proposed to submit the FBC for the Orchard Farm Roundabout for approval to the GCR Chief Executive’s Group in Summer 2024, subject to sufficient procurement progress by the developers. The FBC will report on the procurement outcome of the new junction and associated works and is the final stage in the funding approvals to allow for contract award and the delivery of the infrastructure. Agreement will be sought from Committee to submit the FBC to the GCR Chief Executives Group for approval in due course. This would allow for works to commence in late Autumn 2024, with the intention that the works would be complete by late 2024. 2.5 A8/M8 Corridor Strategic Active Travel 2.5.1 The provision of Strategic Active Travel Links, connecting Eurocentral/Maxim Office Park/Newhouse and Mossend to surrounding local communities and local rail stations was approved by GCR Cabinet on 30 August 2022 as the new preferred option for the Eurocentral sub-project. 2.5.2 The routes identified are to the south of Eurocentral between Bellshill Rail Station/town centre and the M8 cycle route at North Road; Bellshill town centre, Mossend and Holytown, connecting into Eurocentral from Holytown and between Holytown and Newhouse. To the north of Eurocentral, a route has also been identified from Whifflet rail station to the M8 cycle route at Shawhead. These routes are designated as Strategic Network Routes within the North Lanarkshire Active Travel Strategy. 2.5.3 In total, it is aimed to deliver 10km of shared use walking and cycling routes with City Deal investment. The routes link with other planned active travel route improvements as part of the Ravenscraig Infrastructure Access and East Airdrie Link Road projects and with other projects being developed by the Infrastructure and Transportation team. There are also opportunities to seek match funding from other external funding sources to expand the scope of the project to connect more communities to employment opportunities. 2.5.4 Due to the scale of the project, a phased approach will be taken to design and delivery. Consultants have been appointed to progress options appraisal, consultation and concept design work for the first phase of the project, focussing on the route into Eurocentral from Holytown. It is planned to coordinate consultation activities with work being led by Architecture and Design Scotland on the Holytown Climate Action Town project. Concept design work is also progressing on the Newhouse to Holytown and Whifflet Corridor routes. Detailed design work will be progressed over 2024 with it then intended, subject to Committee agreement, to submit a sub-project Full Business Case in Winter 2024 and commence construction work in 2025. Page 9 of 312
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3. Measures of success 3.1 The North Lanarkshire City Deal Programme construction timescales are as follows (construction only): Glenboig/Gartcosh Community Growth Area: • Glenboig Link Road – May 2017 to June 2018 (complete) Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor: • Muir Street – January 2022 to June 2023 (complete) • Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure – March 2022 to December 2026 (delivered in 4 phases). • East Airdrie Link Road – Sept 2027 to Sept 2030 A8/M8 Transport Corridor: • Orchard Farm Roundabout – Sept 24 to October 25 • Eurocentral Strategic Active Travel – Aug 24 to Dec 25 (delivered in 4 phases) 3.2 The Programme and its sub projects have been developed to ensure that at a North Lanarkshire level, North Lanarkshire’s residents and businesses will directly benefit through: • creation of 2,000 new workplace jobs, representing a 1.6% uplift in the future jobs growth forecast for North Lanarkshire; • a significant share of some 15,000 temporary construction jobs anticipated to be generated by the development of the Infrastructure Investment Fund projects – construction being a predominant local employment sector; • estimated 9.2% of North Lanarkshire working age residents having heightened access to employment opportunities within the wider GCR area; • additional tender opportunities as a result of GCR City Deal investment for North Lanarkshire Business and SME’s; • community benefits derived from all GCR City Deal contracts awarded over £50,000; and • a proportionate share of the £2.2bn per annum Gross Value Added (GVA) increase in the GCR area over the lifetime of City Deal, equivalent to 4% uplift in the region. 3.3 Each project at Outline Business Case stage and at sub-project at Full Business Case stage has to demonstrate how it will contribute the high level benefits/impacts above. As part of the business case process, through the Economic Impact Assessment, outputs and wider benefits are identified and are set out in a Benefits Realisation Profile. The Business Cases identify the economic impacts and the Benefits Profile quantify and details when outputs will be delivered and achieved as a result of the specific project investment. This approach is in accordance with the GCR City Deal Assurance Framework. The benefits will be measured over a 10 year period, reporting as part of the GCR Gateways until 2035. 3.4 All North Lanarkshire City Deal contracts seek to maximise community benefits from contracts awarded for the Project. Community Benefits will be secured for both sub- projects comprising the Project, through the procurement of services and works in line with the City Deal Community Benefit Strategy. The Community Benefits will be delivered through the design, planning and implementation phases, through contracts Page 10 of 312
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directly awarded by North Lanarkshire Council and where relevant its partners. The community benefits menu within the City Deal Community Benefits Strategy will be used to target benefits that support the Council’s key aims and objectives and deliver against priorities. 3.5 The type and number of community benefits to be delivered at a project and contract level will be determined with reference to the nature and duration of each contract and supplier. Community benefit outcomes for the Project will be linked to the Council’s Single Outcome Agreement and Corporate Outcomes and the relevant local outcomes which underpin these at a Service level. Community Benefits can be reported as part of the sub projects updates. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 No supporting document presented. Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 11 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The City Deal Cabinet has agreed that Inclusive Growth is to be fully embedded within the GCR City Deal programme delivery and that it is also committed to supporting the delivery of the Fairer Scotland Action Plan. Future NLC subproject OBC/FBC development will be scrutinised to ensure it meets the duties of the Fairer Scotland Action Plan. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The North Lanarkshire Council City Deal Programme approved funding allocation across the 3 headline projects is as: • A8/M8 Corridor Access Improvements £6,478,521 • Glenboig Link Road (complete) £6,223,205 • Pan-Lan Orbital Transport Corridor £215,696,493 The City Deal funding comprises funding from the GCR City Deal Infrastructure Fund (£148,956,293) and North Lanarkshire Council (£79,441,926). The financial implications of the City Deal Programme are incorporated within the Council’s Long-term Financial Plan and to date budgetary implications have been approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Page 12 of 312
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Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The City Deal Team work closely with Legal Services on all sub projects focusing on land acquisition and CPO, procurement and contract preparation and management, funding agreements and any other related matters. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? All infrastructure projects developed by the council as part of the GCR City Deal will be subject to relevant environmental and sustainability appraisal and as part of the design process and subsequent planning application approvals and procurement. Furthermore, to adhere with HM Treasury Greenbook best practice, each iteration of project business case seeking GCR City Deal funding will include a review of the sustainability considerations, this will include carbon management, involving categorisation, assessment and mitigation. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The City Deal programme and the delivery of the projects will continue to be promoted through Corporate Communications and the Glasgow City Region’s Communications team. Page 13 of 312
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Specific to Muir Street Improvements, a joint communications group with Scotrail, Transport Scotland and North Lanarkshire Council has been set up to coordinate communication and promote the Motherwell Station redevelopment and the City Deal Muir Street improvements. In terms of East Airdrie Link Road, a joint communication plan will be developed with NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council to coordinate communication, stakeholder engagement and promote the projects as they develop. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? A key risk for the City Deal Programme is the current global economic climate and its short and long term impacts on the delivery of the city deal projects. This risk is becoming a live issue for the Programme and will be assessed and recorded within the City Deal Issues Register. This is not unique to City Deal and the approach to this risk and issue management will be carried out in conjunction with Finance and the Glasgow City Region Project Management Office. Risk management of North Lanarkshire’s City Deal activity is incorporated within the council’s City Deal programme risk register which is reviewed by the City Deal Manager and reported to the council’s City Deal Board. The City Deal risks are also integrated in the Planning and Regeneration Service Risk Register. Each City Deal sub project has a detail risk register and is managed by the Project Manager. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 14 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref TAP/CM Date 17/11/23 Town Action Plans Update From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail Greerd@northlan.gov.uk Telephone David Greer, Growth Programme Manager, 07583 059816 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to update committee on the progress which has been made on the development of North Lanarkshire’s Town Visions through the publication of Town Action Plans (TAPs) for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw which were subject to public consultation in May and June 2023. The Town Visions were approved by Policy and Strategy committee in September 2021 and since then extensive engagement work has been undertaken to try to ensure that the concepts and ideas being proposed within the visions truly reflect future community needs. This report outlines the engagement work undertaken, a summary of findings for each town and proposals for how the Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw will be developed and delivered over the next 10-15 years. The Action Plans outline the bespoke proposals which sit behind each of the Town Visions and identifies key town centre actions which the council will aim to take forward in the short, medium and long-term. Town Action Plans are also currently being developed for Bellshill, Kilsyth and Shotts. Work has also started in relation to gathering local people’s views on Coatbridge Town Centre as part of this Town Action Plan development process. However, the timescale for the finalisation of the Coatbridge Town Action Plan is likely to be adjusted to reflect the requirements of the £20m Town Fund recently announced by the UK Government. Rather than a Town Action Plan, a finalised Masterplan will be developed for Cumbernauld Town Centre in recognition of the scale of regeneration activity required following the proposed demolition of The Centre Cumbernauld. Lastly, this report provides an update on the £20M Town Fund which has been allocated by the UK Government to deliver regeneration activity within Coatbridge over a 10-year period from 2024/25. Item 3 Page 15 of 312
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1. Background 1.1 In August 2019, the Enterprise and Growth Committee approved the Economic Regeneration Delivery Plan (ERDP) 2019-23 as the high-level framework which aimed to co-ordinate the physical and economic regeneration of North Lanarkshire, increase economic output, and help address social and economic inequality. 1.2 As a key action arising from the development of the 2019-23 ERDP, in September 2021, the Policy & Strategy Committee approved the Town Visions for all eight town centres within North Lanarkshire (Kilsyth, Cumbernauld, Airdrie, Coatbridge, Bellshill, Motherwell, Wishaw and Shotts) 1.3 The development of the Town Visions was not an end in itself, they are conceptual in nature and were intended to stimulate debate and set a direction of travel towards an ambitious and sustainable future for our towns. 1.4 The Town Action Plans which stem from the visions were developed in consultation with the local community. As part of this, site specific investment and development proposals were identified and discussed in partnership with the Community Boards and the general public to ensure that the community were directly involved in the development of the Town Action Plans. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1. Endorse the content of this report and the findings of the engagement work undertaken on the development of the Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw; 2. Approve the proposals outlined in the Town Action Plans in order to provide a strategy for future investment within North Lanarkshire’s Towns; 3. Approve proposals to establish further Town Action Plans (in conjunction with key stakeholders and local communities) for, Bellshill, Kilsyth and Shotts with overall completion by April 2024; 4. Approve the approach to the development of the Town Action Plan for Coatbridge which will be developed in accordance with the requirements related to the Town Fund allocation for Coatbridge; and 5. Acknowledge that, rather than a Town Action Plan, a finalised Masterplan will be developed for Cumbernauld Town Centre in recognition of the scale of regeneration activity required following the proposed demolition of The Centre Cumbernauld. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (2) Refocus our town centres and communities to be multi- functional connected places which maximise social, economic, and environmental opportunities Programme of Work Transforming Places Page 16 of 312
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2. Report 2.1 Consultation and Engagement 2.1.1 The consultation on the Draft Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw has involved a wide programme of engagement which ran between the 22nd of May and the 30th of June 2023 and included: • press releases and information provided on council web and social media platforms; • flyers and posters dropped off in local town centre shops and businesses to raise awareness of the plans within the local business community and promote planned workshops, drop-in-sessions and exhibition; • on-line consultation via Community Boards and at Tenants & Residents Association events. • the production of a physical exhibition for each of the three towns, located in the library within each town, plus an online exhibition (accessible via the council’s website) providing local residents with the opportunity to explore, review, comment and add to the Town Action Plan proposals via an online survey; and • eighteen drop-in sessions which were held in the local libraries throughout the six weeks of the consultation period to allow people to come in and discuss the proposals/identify priorities for their town centre. 2.1.2 The table below summarises the level of engagement achieved during the six-week publicity and consultation period: Publicity & Consultation Event Summary Table Total Airdrie Motherwell Wishaw Number of Views to the TAP News Article 514 Number of On-line Views of the TAP Documents 1,327 395 446 486 Number of Views to Have Your Say page 289 Number of Views to Consultation events page 110 Responses to Survey Monkey Questionnaire 32 13 9 16 Emails/Postcards/Letters 16 5 6 5 Visitors to Drop-In Sessions 76 22 23 31 2.1.3 The outcome of the consultation programme can be summarised as follows: • The response from the Community Boards was positive with some issues raised as to the reliance upon buy-in and support from the private sector with the overriding concern being the timescale for the delivery of the Town Hub investment and how this could either add value to the town centre or damage the footfall over time. Every Community Board recognised that retail trends are such that there needs to be an alternative to the traditional function of our high streets, moving towards a more mixed-use service and leisure-based economy. The Community Boards were particularly supportive of the council’s promotion of new ‘Town Centre Living’ Page 17 of 312
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developments as pilot projects to persuade the private sector to invest in town centres. • The public consultation generated over 1,300 views of the online TAP documents in addition to the 76 people who engaged in discussion with officers at the drop-in sessions at the physical exhibitions in the local libraries. The council received 32 written responses to the public consultation through the online survey – 13 Airdrie, 9 Motherwell and 10 Wishaw. The majority of responses supported the production of the Town Action Plans and their content as it was recognised that our towns are going through structural change and that within the council area we need both mitigation and alternative forms of development to replace the more traditional uses of the high street. The importance of heritage buildings to the sense of civic pride was also a key priority for the public. • There was little or no response from the business community or retailers which is disappointing as they hold the key to the delivery of the transformation that we are seeking to promote. This is something that needs to be addressed in phase 2 of the TAP programme. 2.1.4 Full details of the engagement and consultation findings are outlined in Appendix 1: The Report on the Consultation for the Draft Town Action Plan. The final versions of the Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw are contained in Appendix 2. 2.2 Delivering the Town Action Plans 2.2.1 Further to committee approval of the finalised Town Action Plans, the delivery of the proposals for each town will be taken forward as follows: • the rollout of the council’s New Supply Programme and implementation of Registered Social Landlord planned developments to deliver new town centre living opportunities across all three towns over the next five years; • the delivery of short, medium and long-term regeneration proposals as outlined in the Town Action Plans; • continued engagement with local communities, private sector owners of the land, buildings and businesses and potential investors to identify partnership projects and ways to support the private sector in contributing to the delivery of the vision; • development of proposals to secure funding from the council’s next 5-year capital programme from 2024/25; • engagement with the UK and Scottish Governments and other grant giving bodies to identify external funding to support the delivery of the Action Plans; and • the production of a performance framework for each town that will be used to measure and review progress and update plans. 2.2.2 The Town Action Plans will be updated on an annual basis and be flexible enough to reflect changes in council priorities, the availability of internal and external funding and to deal with unknowns such as the impact from the pandemic, post-Brexit trade issues and the cost-of-living crisis. 2.3 Future Town Action Plan Development 2.3.1 Town Action Plans are currently in development for Bellshill, Kilsyth and Shotts with overall completion by April 2024. Work has also started in relation to gathering local people’s views on Coatbridge Town Centre as part of the Town Action Plan Page 18 of 312
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development process. However, the timescale for the finalisation of the Coatbridge Town Action Plan is likely to be adjusted to reflect the requirements of the £20m Town Fund recently announced by the UK Government, as set out in 2.4 below. 2.3.2 It should also be noted that rather than a Town Action Plan, a finalised Masterplan will be developed for Cumbernauld Town Centre in recognition of the scale of regeneration activity required following the proposed demolition of The Centre Cumbernauld. 2.4 UK Government Town Fund 2.4.1 On 30th September, the UK Government announced that 55 towns will benefit from £1.1 billion levelling up investment as part of a long-term plan for towns across the UK. 2.4.2 As part of this investment, 7 towns in Scotland were awarded £20M each to deliver activity over a ten-year period (£2M funding per year) including Coatbridge. 2.4.3 Although the council await further guidance on this fund, early information provided highlights that: • funding will be made available from summer 2024; • this funding will be available to spend across three streams: safety and security; high streets, heritage and regeneration activity; and transport and connectivity; and • long-term town plans must be developed and approved by a Town Board (consisting of local community and business representatives, public sector organisations, key cultural, arts, heritage and sporting organisations and local MP) and submitted to UK Government for approval. 2.4.4 As this fund will be a key driver in what will essentially be the Town Action Plan for Coatbridge, this will impact upon how this specific plan is drawn up and delivered. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The successful delivery of the regeneration proposals as outlined in the Town Action Plans. 3.2 The development of effective Town Action Plans for Bellshill, Coatbridge, Kilsyth and Shotts and masterplan for Cumbernauld Town Centre. 3.3 The successful drawdown and spend of the Town Fund allocated to Coatbridge. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 The Report on the Publicity & Consultation 4.2 Appendix 2 Airdrie, Motherwell & Wishaw Town Action Plans Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 19 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The delivery of regeneration proposals will incur costs. As such, bids for these works will be sourced through the council’s capital programme and where possible external funding. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? TAP projects will require input from Legal & Democratic Services (including for example conveyancing support, preparation of legal documents etc.). Projects and required inputs are discussed regularly with Legal & Democratic Services through ERDP Steering Group and project meetings. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 20 of 312
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Community input to the ongoing development and amendment of TAPs will be promoted through council communications activity. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 21 of 312
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Appendix 1 Report on the Town Action Plan Publicity & Consultation for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw Introduction The following report sets out the publicity and engagement process to ensure community input to the development of Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw. Background The Town Action Plans, which stem from the Town Visions, were developed in consultation with the community through the relationships we have built with the Community Boards and their sub-groups. Site specific investment and development proposals were identified and discussed in partnership with the Community Boards to ensure that the community are directly involved in the development of the draft Town Action Plans. The consultation on the Town Action Plans for Airdrie, Motherwell and Wishaw has also involved a wide programme of community engagement which ran between the 22nd of May and the 30th of June 2023 and included: • press releases and information provided on council web and social media platforms; • flyers and posters dropped off in local town centre shops and businesses to raise awareness of the plans within the local business community and promote planned workshops, drop-in-sessions and exhibition. • on-line consultation via, Community Boards and at Tenants & Residents Association events; • the production of a physical exhibition for each of the three towns, located in the central library plus an online exhibition (accessible via the council’s website) providing local residents with the opportunity to explore, review, comment and contribute to the proposals via an online survey; and • eighteen drop-in sessions which were held in the local libraries throughout the six weeks of the consultation period to allow people to come in and discuss the Town Action Plans directly with officers. The table below summarises the level of engagement achieved during the six-week publicity and consultation period: Publicity & Consultation Event Summary Table Total Airdrie Motherwell Wishaw Number of Views to the TAP News Article 514 Number of On-line Views of the TAP Documents 1,327 395 446 486 Number of Views to Have Your Say page 289 Number of Views to Consultation events page 110 Responses to Survey Monkey Questionnaire 32 13 9 16 Emails/Postcards/Letters 16 5 6 5 Visitors to Drop-In Sessions 76 22 23 31 Page 22 of 312
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The outcome of the consultation programme can be summarised as follows: • The response from the Community Boards was positive with some issues raised as to the reliance upon buy-in and support from the private sector with the overriding concern being the timescale for the delivery of the Town Hub investment and how this could either add value to the town centre or damage the footfall over time. Every Community Board recognised that retail trends are such that there needs to be an alternative to the traditional function of our high streets, moving towards a more mixed-use service and leisure-based economy. The Community Boards were particularly supportive of the Council’s promotion of new ‘Town Centre Living’ developments as pilot projects to persuade the private sector to invest in town centres. • The public consultation generated over 1,300 views of the online TAP documents in addition to the 76 people who engaged in discussion with officers at the drop-in sessions at the physical exhibitions in the local libraries. The council received 32 written responses to the public consultation through the online survey – 13 Airdrie, 9 Motherwell and 10 Wishaw. The majority of responses supported the production of the Town Action Plans and their content as it was recognised that our towns are going through structural change and that as a council we need both mitigation and alternative forms of development to replace the more traditional uses of the high street. The importance of heritage buildings to the sense of civic pride was also a key priority for the public. • There was little or no response from the business community or retailers or which is disappointing as they hold the key to the delivery of the transformation that we are seeking to promote. This is something that needs to be addressed in phase II of the TAP programme. The following tables set out the comments received from the public: Town Action Plan Phase 1: Postcard/Letter/Email Responses (Verbatim) Public Comments Airdrie We need homes for people like myself over sixty to buy in the town centre. You can’t even buy a pair of trousers or shoes in Airdrie anymore, decent shops needed too. No bus link to Glasgow! Need more men’s/women’s clothes and shoe shops. I am not at all impressed by your “Vision” for Airdrie because I know that at the foot of all buildings the pavements will be just the same as they are now – covered in mud and puddles when it is wet and dirt, grit and weeds when it is not. No one seems to know how to use a brush any longer. You high flying executives need to get out of your helicopters and on to your feet. I am concerned that the taxis that come round Buchanan Street and Boots corner may disappear (due to no access) and that those with mobility issues may find it difficult to access the town centre if the walk from and to the taxi rank in order to go to the shops or bank, is any distance. I would also like to highlight the possibility that there may be a risk of pedestrians and cyclists/scooters using the same space and I feel that could cause problems for mothers with young children and the elderly. There may also be a lack of seating or benches around the town centre for the elderly or people with mobility issues. Page 23 of 312
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Motherwell Public Transport is very important, more child friendly places to sit in warm for free. Safe and secure town centre (no begging). Water feature, farmer markets. Lots of shops (drop rents), free car parking. The paths and grounds in the town centre are all stained and filthy. I think a start would be to wash them regularly. Just looks like a housing estate with some shops! This is not a town centre in my opinion. Action Plan Map, inaccurate labelling PO is no longer in that location, underpass/subway why two terms? Underpass at Menteith Road not shown, Govt Offices is a car park? Action Plan/Vision Map, very little direct link between the plan and vision. The overall plan looks good. Replacing unwanted shops with housing is the only way to go. The problem is, the new housing will require all vehicles to use Menteith Road which will make it very congested. Better to have a new road to the right of High Road to take vehicles round the back of the station. The Old Town Hall, YMCA and Masonic Halls are being made into housing is a good idea as it keeps the history of Motherwell. Heritage assets are very important to any area. Motherwell has already had many historic buildings removed, removing anymore will make Motherwell more unrecognisable The bridge between the car park and the shopping centre is a brilliant idea as well as changing the Aquatec to housing The new Transport Interchange Hub will help bring more people to the area. The Town Hub being located at Ravenscraig is a good idea as that area needs help. Also the new road through Ravenscraig to Airbles Road will benefit Motherwell and beyond Is it not better to build homes above the shopping centre as it is rather than demolition? I don’t agree with turning the area between Wilko and KFC into housing. I know you want to build 5,000 homes by 2035, but is removing the shopping centre and replacing it with housing a good idea? The new square within the shopping centre is a good idea, but is creating that as well as encouraging new housing to the area a good idea? The shops will either have to close completely or move elsewhere, this means people will have to go to other places and this will cause the shopping centre to go into a decline. The Vision of Motherwell right now makes the area unrecognisable. Many years ago the town centre was cut in half, if this vision happens then the town centre will be cut into a quarter. The mixed town hub being proposed to be built within the town centre is a good idea as it will bring people to the area for different reasons. Is the Town Vision being proposed already agreed? You say you are in talks with the owners of the town centre now to create the new square and housing, has it been agreed fully already or partially? Is this ‘Have Your say’ just box ticking? Wishaw Hopefully the Public Library will still stay where it is. I hope the housing projects have a bit of style and character and we don’t end up with the visual prison – like boxes. Modern housing projects always prioritise the functional over aesthetics. Hoping planners have a bit more vision than that and we are not left with a whole load of short-lived carbuncles. The proposed plans seem to be a positive step. It would be helpful to address the anti-social behaviour of pre-teens and teens so we can all live in peace. I have major concerns about the state of some (many) of the buildings along the streets of the town centre. Someone is going to be injured by the decaying sandstone and roofing falling onto pavements. Can you do anything to remove the danger? I am sending this to share my contact details with you as I wish to become more active in supporting local development. My interests are in community development and as a project Page 24 of 312
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consultant, I am keen to identify and engage in projects in and around Wishaw and Lanarkshire. ‘Have Your Say’ Online Survey Questionnaire (Verbatim free text Responses) Airdrie Not enough variety in the shops. More food shopping Better choice of shops as there is nowhere really to buy clothes, books, toys, music More choices in all retailers Get all the empty buildings turned into much needed housing and stop allowing all the cars to drive through l would also like the shops put into the one section rather than mismatched all over the place. It will be good to have Airdrie back, but change has to happen, more new and Modern buildings, houses, flats and would be nice to have some restaurant’s to eat out . Green space so it is a pleasant place to walk about. At the moment if feels built for cars and is grey and bleak. We moved here a few years ago and essentially view the town centre as a drag to go into. I support anything that would make the space greener and feel more like a community than a dying open mall. Make it prettier, cleaner, more green as in trees, plants, flower areas. More uniformity across the buildings on Graham Street. Just make it generally nicer Have Decent shops. Not houses. NLC need to Encourage people into the town with attractive retail Instead of high rents. Encourage low rent to encourage a variety and increased number of retailers. This in turn would encourage people to visit the town and spend money. I rarely come into Airdrie despite living local. There is nothing in it other than dozens of fast food and charity shops. Nowhere to buy clothes or anything other than ‘pound’ shops for household items Protected cycle-only lanes between town centre, station and NCN75 Several errors in document text and some maps hard to see. No real vision for making town centre enjoyable to walk around let alone cycle. Need networks of active travel routes not just one or two. For example, quality link from lane next to Airdrie CHC with zigzag ramp rebuilt as long slope along Callon St - widened paths and narrowed roundabout with improved crossings to train station. Need more pedestrian/cycle bridges over railway - if Motherwell can have more why not Airdrie? Make it easier for people to walk, cycle and wheel into the town centre. We live walking distance from the town centre but feel motor traffic has priority in terms of timings for pedestrian crossings and a general feel that motorists and cars dominate the area. Have more shops that offer a variety of things to buy so you don’t need to leave for other towns that have the shops you’re looking for Motherwell Make it a town centre again. Give businesses grants to open stores and cafes. Improved retail & access. More restaurants I think major investment in upgrading buildings, cafe, bars, restaurants are needed while repurposing historic buildings and buildings of character The shops are all much of the same. Having a wide variety of shops would bring different people to the area. This would result in the shops having a wide range of customers and using public transport more. Page 25 of 312
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The Town Vision for Motherwell is very drastic and according to the plan you are already in talks with the owners of the Town Centre to develop a new square and remove the shops and buildings already there. It gives the impression the vision has been approved and this 'Have Your Say' questionnaire is a box ticking exercise. Get rid of the high-rise tower and develop flats above the shops to bring people and activity into the town centre. Need to work with owners and businesses in the town centre to deliver the change set out in the Vision. Motherwell deserves better. Having a more variety of shops, restaurants, and bars. Motherwell needs a niche which will make more people come to the area. By removing the Shopping Centre as it is and 'encouraging' more housing will cut the Centre in half and people will go elsewhere. Motherwell has already lost so much of its heritage buildings and doesn't need to lose any more. This is a major change for Motherwell. So why isn't this being advertised in the Motherwell Times? I believe the Town Vision has already been approved and this is just a box ticking exercise for you to say the public had their say. To have more variety of shops. This would bring more people to the area and will result in people using the cafes and restaurants giving them a healthy profit. More shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and entertainment events would be better for Motherwell and bring people from all over to the area. The new Transport Interchange and the new bus stop and taxi rank at Muir Street will bring more people to the area. Changing the town centre to housing will mean less shops thus resulting in people going elsewhere. This will cause Motherwell Town Centre to go into a decline and the area will become rundown and will attract no visitors. Just more shops & cafes. So many empty units makes it quite a depressing place to be. Please protect the lovely old buildings that are left. Like you're doing with the YMCA building. I can't stand to see every trace of heritage wiped away. Please don't close any more banks. Please keep free parking. Build a network of protected cycle routes (not just painted lanes like picture) Text in document for active travel seems to be for Wishaw not Motherwell? New bridge could be useful link but no real vision for walking or cycling routes. If Aquatec goes, it's an opportunity to upgrade Greenlink path and join it to improved crossing of Merry St at Roman Rd. Only needs a short protected section and zebra crossing across Dalziel St to car park. Dalziel House car park is now underused. Pull parking spaces in and create segregated cycle route (with bollards/whatever) along north-west edge of car park to link to underpass and path to Scott St. Other way from Dalziel St build cycle path on grass verge east along Merry St, Wilson St, Allan St to Coursington Rd then into Ravenscraig. Would be important active travel link plugging gap west of New Craig Rd. The new paths from Sports Centre to Craigneuk and into Wishaw Main St show how it can be done. Complete traffic-free route between Motherwell and Wishaw town centres would be a game changer. If there was a more direct cycle route with on-road protected lanes it would be faster than driving through traffic. Rail underpass should link to Windmillhill St at Lochend St too. Make it single toucan crossing to a new build-out at Boots pharmacy (create parking lane if you want). Build-out should go to corner into lane to McDonald St. Could then link south to Airbles Rd and north to Asda. Also should have cycle routes along Airbles Rd to Strathclyde Park - could have big benefits for health and quality of life. Wishaw Upgrade Belhaven Park to a multigenerational park and build a community facility there too but no more pump tracks it has to be multigenerational Stop people hanging about outside shops, back courts drinking. It can be intimidating, Have fewer empty shops More living facilities within the town centre will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour More variety of shops within a smaller area. Wishaw needs an attraction which would be unique and bring more people to the area. Page 26 of 312
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Wishaw does need help and the current Town Vision being 'offered' will help the town. No traffic lights at the Cross Preserve the old buildings, whilst making good use of them. Fill empty units. Wishaw's in a sorry state. Anything that can be done to improve the look of it, would be very welcome. Please keep the free parking. The carpark near the bingo hall needs some TLC though. The cleanliness of the streets and the dog poo, try navigating with a pram to keep your tires clean nearly impossible Build a network of protected cycle routes to encourage active travel Glad to see route for Alexander St/Hill St/Kenilworth Ave - hope it's high quality. Must deal with roundabout - no need for it to be as big. Looks like enough space to create Dutch- style roundabout (see new East Ren one on A77). Lane downside of Houldsworth and bingo needs ramp created to make it accessible. Across Kirk Rd end of Shand St should replace railings with bollards and drop kerbs to open it up to active travel. Need quality link between Wishawhill Main St path and Uni Hospital Wishaw. Lots of green space around Wishaw, especially Greenhead Moss, but no decent active travel links between them. Needs more retail shops. Lot of empty units. Page 27 of 312
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‘Have Your Say’ Online Questionnaire 1. Which draft Town Action Plan are you commenting on? 2. How often do you visit this town centre? 41% 29% 29% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Airdrie Motherwell Wishaw 44% 29% 6% 9% 9% 0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Daily Weekly Fortnightly Monthly A few times per year Yearly Page 28 of 312
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3. How do you usually travel to the town centre? 4. Why do you visit the town centre? Please select all that apply. 9% 12% 59% 3% 18% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Bicycle Bus Drive (private car) Train Walk 9% 4% 12% 8% 15% 3% 15% 12% 17% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% Local services (GP, dentist, Council offices) Leisure facilities (gym, swimming etc) Library Access to public transport (train station or bus stop) Cafes, bars and restaurants Entertainment Access to banks, Post Office and other services Shopping for other goods (e.g. clothes) Shopping for food Page 29 of 312
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5. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: The town centre meets my needs… 6. Please provide any comments as to why you agree or disagree with the previous statement: 15% 47% 15% 15% 9% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Not enough variety of shops Too many charity shops – need more food and clothes shops Empty buildings need addressing I want to see more green spaces and outdoor meeting areas We need more focus on local independent retailers. I’d also like to see more dog friendly cafes/bars. The new transport hub is a real asset to Motherwell. It makes travelling to shops easier. Wishaw shops are spaced out over a large area with gap sites in between – this needs to be given attention. Town centres need better cycle routes Airdrie town centre needs attention around the main shopping areas, Stirling Street and Graham Street Page 30 of 312
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7. What does the town centre need to make you use it more often or to maintain your interest? 8. Do you support the actions/developments set out in the draft Town Action Plan which seeks to move to a more mixed use? 9. What are your priorities for change within the town centre? Priority 1: Redevelop or upgrade empty retail units Priority 2: Develop outdoor spaces for people to meet/event space (Civic Space) Priority 3: Develop active travel routes to town centres Priority 4: Develop new homes within the town centre Priority 5: Make homes and businesses more energy efficient 8% 36% 6% 9% 17% 24% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Other Improved retail offering More town centre housing More local services (dentist, GP, Post Office) Improved leisure offering (e.g. gym, swimming pool) More cafes, bars and restaurants 29% 21% 50% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Unsure No Yes Page 31 of 312
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10. Do you support the Council’s ambition to promote town centre living to address future vacancy within town centres? 11. Do you support the safeguarding of heritage buildings within the town centre? Heritage buildings can include listed buildings or places of local historical interest. 12. What is your favourite building/place within the town centre? 21% 24% 56% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Unsure No Yes 9% 3% 88% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Unsure No Yes Page 32 of 312
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13. If you could change one thing about the town centre, what would it be and why? 14. Do you have any other comments related to the Town Action Plans? Better variety of shops Turn empty buildings into much needed housing Put shops into one section of the town rather than a mismatch all over the place Green space so it is a pleasant place to walk about. At the moment it feels built for cars and is grey and bleak. Make it easier for people and walk, wheel and cycle to the town centre Demolish high rise tower blocks and create new flats above shops. Build a network of protected cycle networks Preserve the old buildings and make good use of them. It will be good to have Airdrie back – change needs to happen. I support anything that will make the town centre greener and feel more like a community Lower rents to encourage a variety and increased number of retailers into the town Theres no real vision for making Airdrie town centre enjoyable to walk around let alone cycle Need to work with owners and businesses in the town centre to deliver the change set out in the Vision. Motherwell deserves better. Please protect the lovely old buildings that are left like you’re doing with the former YMCA building A complete traffic-free route between Motherwell and Wishaw town centres would be a game changer Page 33 of 312
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15. Which area are you a resident of? Please select your nearest town 16. Which of the following best describes you? 9% 18% 29% 3% 6% 35% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Outwith North Lanarkshire Wishaw Motherwell Coatbridge Bellshill Airdrie 0% 9% 9% 0% 12% 71% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% I attend school or college within this town I have family/friends who live in this town I often visit this town I own a business which is based in this town I work in this town I live in this town Page 34 of 312
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Appendix 2 The following documents constitute Appendix 2 • Town Action Plan for Airdrie • Town Action Plan for Motherwell • Town Action Plan for Wishaw Page 35 of 312
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Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 36 of 312
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Written, designed and produced by Corporate Communications, North Lanarkshire Council. Design concepts provided by: Ironside Farrar Ltd, Environmental Consultants - Town Vision design concepts Norr, Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Design - Town and community hub design concepts Mast Architects - Town living Design Concepts All statistics and information correct at date of print: November 2023. Page 37 of 312
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Contents Introduction .............................................................................. 5 SECTION 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends .......... 7 SECTION 2: Key Considerations for Airdrie ............................... 13 A High Street for Everyone ......................................................... 14 A Vision for our Towns .............................................................. 15 The Vision for Airdrie ................................................................. 17 Town and Community Hubs ..................................................... 19 Economic Prosperity & Stability ................................................ 21 Town Centre Living ................................................................... 23 Movement & Active Travel ......................................................... 26 Built Heritage & Place ............................................................... 28 Transition to Net Zero ............................................................... 31 Other Considerations ................................................................ 32 SECTION 3: Airdrie Town Action Plan ....................................... 33 Town Action Plan Proposals ..................................................... 34 The Town Action Plan Proposals Map ....................................... 35 3D Proposals Map .................................................................... 36 Strategic Alignment .................................................................. 37 Page 38 of 312
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Introduction This is North Lanarkshire. This is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit. This is our vision. We have come a long way with one of the fastest growing economies in Scotland, the most ambitious council housebuilding programme in the country, record levels of infrastructure investment and dozens of new schools. These are just a few examples. The Plan for North Lanarkshire, approved in 2019, offered a clear way forward. It offered a shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all and we are delivering on that ambition. We’re making huge progress, with investment and development happening in all our towns and communities. But what comes next? How do we deal with the undoubted challenges that remain, like unacceptably high levels of deprivation and child poverty, in-work poverty and areas of inequality across communities? How do we become the agents of change for towns and communities to ensure they have a sustainable future in the face of declining revenue budgets? This vision for North Lanarkshire, as the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit is reflected in the Town Action Plan for Airdrie which seeks to identify site specific proposals to deliver the concepts set out in the vision. The Town Action Plan has been divided into three sections as follows: Section 1: The scale of the challenge facing North Lanarkshire and the key trends which are impacting on North Lanarkshire’s Town Centres. Section 2: The key issues and opportunties which have helped formulate the proposals outlined in the Town Action Plan for Airdrie. Section 3: The Town Action Plan Proposals. 5 Page 40 of 312
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Section 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends Page 42 of 312
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Key Trends The following highlights the potential impact of economic, demographic, technological and social trends on our towns. RETAILING Demand for UK retail space on our high street is now at its lowest since 2007, with a move toward online retail as well as prime mixed-use locations (such as Silverburn and Braehead) offering retail, leisure, entertainment and amenities, whilst serving vibrant night-time economies. Our town centres are highly vulnerable to weak footfall with a decline in retail sales across Scotland of 6.2% since 2021 alone (following year on year drops over the last decade). The inevitable reality is that fewer physical stores will be present on the high streets of the future and that the role of those remaining stores will need to evolve. On its current trajectory, it is estimated that physical retail sales across our towns will fall by a further 35% over the next five years with a growing reliance on convenience and discount retailers paying lower rents. We will see consumers with lower disposable income and limited access to higher end retail. North Lanarkshire in particular will be highly susceptible to this trend where our towns are competing with bigger centres such as Glasgow and Edinburgh for footfall and retail spending. Both large and small scale operators also continue to struggle to adapt to the growth in online shopping. UK consumers spend more online than any other European country – accounting for 18% of all retail sales. It is projected that 35% of sales within the next few years will be online.. Store-based profit margins have more than halved over the last decade as consecutive rises in business rates, the national living wage, the national minimum wage and relative occupancy costs spiral upwards. 8 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 43 of 312
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LIVING North Lanarkshire is home to over 341,000 people living in more than 154,000 homes. The Council is Scotland’s largest local authority landlord, owning and managing more than 36,000 homes with a further 5,000 new affordable homes by 2035. Forecasts predict that the number of households will rise by 1.5% (2,300) between now and 2028. However, the local development plan promotes sufficient land for more than 21,000 homes across North Lanarkshire. Of our 154,000 homes, only circa. 1,500 - or just under 1% - are located within town centres with over half of these built before 1919 and likely to require significant future repair and maintenance. There is, however, significant opportunity for residential development to replace the contraction in retail. This is a key way of helping to develop footfall within our town centres and, in turn, creating a more viable (although reduced) retail and commercial offer. POPULATION North Lanarkshire is currently home to around 6.3% of Scotland’s total population. However, the number of deaths has exceeded the number of births over the last three years although it is forecast that North Lanarkshire’s total population will increase by 0.3% between 2018- 28 due primarily as a result of net inward migration. In contrast, the population of Scotland over the same time period is anticipated to grow by 1.8%, demonstrating that North Lanarkshire is still failing in attracting people to come and live here. It is well established that economic growth is closely linked to population growth. As such, to help make North Lanarkshire a more prosperous place, it is essential that we provide the right type of housing and environment that will make this a place where people already living in, or moving to or within Scotland, want to relocate. DEMOGRAPHICS Children and young people aged 0-15 make up almost one fifth of North Lanarkshire’s population (18%) and this is forecast to decrease to almost 16% by 2028. Almost two thirds (64%) of North Lanarkshire’s population are of working age (16-64 year olds). This is forecast to continue to decline in the long-term. The older adult population (aged 65+) accounts for 18% of North Lanarkshire’s total population. This is expected to increase so that, by 2028, one in five (20%) of people living in North Lanarkshire will be aged 65+. This demographic change will have an impact. Tax income is likely to fall because there will be fewer people of working age, and care responsibilities will increase. It is essential that towns are designed to ensure that people are able to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, homes are adaptable and flexible and local services accessible. 9 Page 44 of 312
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CONNECTIVITY We need to put transport and digital infrastructure in place to ensure residents can access employment and leisure as well as online opportunities and services. 13.2% of Scotland’s motorway network is located in North Lanarkshire, a place which has excellent rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as three of Scotland’s busiest passenger train stations (Motherwell, Croy and Airdrie). While transport links in and out of North Lanarkshire are excellent, there are relatively poor transport connections within the local authority area. The development of the Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor linking the M80, M8 and M74 will in part address this issue, but the visions need to ensure that our towns are designed as accessible and well- connected places. Road and rail use has grown significantly over recent years but the number of bus journeys has declined by approximately 23% which is significantly higher than the Scottish average of a 5% decline. Given that only 37% of households earning less than £10,000 can access a private car compared to 97% of those who earn more than £40,000, public transport is a key issue for the people of North Lanarkshire. Whilst a national conversation about the shape of future public transport is required, particularly in terms of cost, ticketing, coverage and responsiveness, the Council needs to work with partners to identify local gaps and how they can be filled through, for example, community transportation and active travel. This was a key recommendation of the North Lanarkshire Fairness Commission and will be subject to discussion as part of the development of the emerging Local Transport Strategy for North Lanarkshire. The ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars after 2030, and a requirement for them to be off the road by 2040, will also require significant investment in infrastructure to support a shift in how we fuel our private vehicles e.g. electric vehicle charging points within car park’s and on streets and the development of EV Hubs (fast charge sites) along key transport corridors and within town centres. DIGITAL ECONOMY 86% of UK households use the internet on a daily basis and it is anticipated that this use will continue to grow and drive demand for faster and better quality access. It is clear that good quality internet access will be essential for future business development and will underpin many areas of employment. Whilst 98% of homes have access to superfast broadband, the uptake of this is relatively low due to the cost of access. The Council has secured a digital partner, Commsworld, to take this investment further, expand opportunity for full-fibre and ultra-fast broadband and develop more affordable access for all. This will include delivery of these digital connections as part of the planned development and regeneration works across North Lanarkshire’s town centres. 10 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 45 of 312
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THE LOW CARBON AGENDA A Scottish target of net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions has been set for 2045. However, in recognition of the importance of climate change, the council declared a climate emergency in 2019, committing it to reduce council carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. In particular, new zero carbon policy and legislation will inform the way we design and build new housing, or refurbish existing housing stock, towards zero carbon. This includes: INFRASTRUCTURE New development within our town centres could in part be constrained by existing infrastructure such as energy, water and sewerage. There is a need for early engagement with utility providers to identify issues of capacity within existing networks to ensure that the infrastructure to support development within our town centres is available at the right time and the right cost. • ensuring all new housing uses renewable or low carbon heating systems from 2024; • ensuring all private rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band C or above by 2030; • ensuring all socially rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band B or above by 2032; and • developing an undertaking, where financially and technically viable, to ensure all housing is net zero carbon by 2045. 11 Page 46 of 312
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Section 2: Key Considerations for Airdrie Page 48 of 312
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22 Wishaw Rebalancing RepopulatingRepositioning Repurposing Airdrie A High Street for Everyone A People Centred Approach Our high streets offer a rich and authentic environment that for generations has been the backdrop to the ceremonies and memorable events of our community. Furthermore, the health of our town centre reflect the health of our wider community or society. An energised town centre that is open to all and where there is opportunity for improvement, will help enrich the lives of our residents. It is critical that we achieve a perception shift in our communities and stakeholders and reposition the High Street at the heart of the community. In doing so we are seeking to develop a better town centre where the requirements of all, regardless of age, ability or wealth, are accommodated. The following section outlines the key issues and opportunities which have helped drive forward the development of the Town Action Plan for Airdrie. These key drivers have been identified from: • the findings which were outlined in The Town Centre Visions and Town & Community Hub plans which were approved by Council in 2021 (as part of the Council’s ‘The Place: The Vision’ strategy) following an extensive programme of public consultation; • desktop research to assess the key challenges, issues and opportunities which need to be addressed or taken forward to help support the transformational change of Airdrie Town Centre; • and the workshops and consultation work (including community board briefings, on-line plans and questionnaire and a 6-week exhibition held within Airdrie library which also incorporated opportunity for one-to-one drop-in sessions) that has allowed local communities to comment on plans and bring forward proposals for change. The general feedback from this consultation was as follows: • it was recognised that given current retail trends, alternative options need to be developed for our town centres; • general support was given for the Council’s goals to promote and enable town centre living; • the importance of the heritage fabric of our towns was highlighted and a demand to, where possible, repurpose and reuse historic buildings rather than replace these; and • good transport and access links to our town centres was seen as vital to success of our towns. It should be noted that as part of the consultation process, there was limited input received from retailers, the business community in general. It is, however, intended that the Council will undertake further consultation on the Town Action Plans with local communities and stakeholders (including targeting local businesses) as part of future reviews and updates of these plans. 14 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 49 of 312
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A Vision for our Towns Some of our town centres face difficulties. Built around a twentieth century model of primary retail, they have been challenged by the rise of online and out-of-town shopping. How do towns survive as retail gradually moves away and how can the council reimagine our towns? The answer is to reposition town centres as mixed-use spaces. Only by shifting the focus from retail-driven town centres to a broader mix of investment, and promoting town centre living, can our towns have a sustainable future. The council can bring about this change by positioning local services in towns and communities. By doing so, local people can have direct access to services they need and staff can be closer to the communities they work in. This is about more than niche retail, developing the evening economy or increasing leisure opportunities. These must be living towns, with a much stronger focus on newbuild housing and residential conversion and the repurposing and reuse of our existing buildings in order to help address the decline of the built environment. Town Action Plan Aidrie 15 Page 50 of 312
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The Town Visions for all eight of North Lanarkshire’s Town Centres were approved by the Council’s Policy & Strategy Committee in September 2021, detailing concept designs for our towns and forming the foundation of our Town Action Plans. Crucially, the Town Visions join together with Town and Community Hubs and our Country Parks for the Future programmes to create a coherent, vibrant and sustainable future for North Lanarkshire. The Town Visions highlight proposals for each town and how each town could function in the future. These recognise that one size does not fit all. Each of the towns in North Lanarkshire has its own challenges and opportunities and its own history and heritage. A number of common themes have emerged in the development of these prospectuses. For example, there is a need for residential development which uses land no longer required for traditional retailing. Improving town centre access and active travel and examining the needs of an older population living longer, are also key considerations. The Council can’t do this alone. The Town Vision for Airdrie contained within is just that: A Vision. To become a reality, the vision needs to be shaped through extensive consultation and engagement with community planning partners, landowners, retailers, residents, councillors and other agencies (via the development of the Town Action Plan). The Vision should inform both public and private sector investment. The Town Vision represents a long-term strategy for transformation over a 20 year period. It works alongside town centre projects that are planned for the short, medium and long-term including regeneration projects, the acquisition of prominent vacant and derelict buildings and sites, new council house construction and infrastructure and access developments. Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 51 of 312
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The Vision for Airdrie 17 Page 52 of 312
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The Vision for Airdrie Airdrie’s vision is built around transformational investment in the town’s infrastructure that will create one of the best connected settlements in North Lanarkshire. A more accessible and attractive centre built around its ’market town’ qualities will attract new homes and new investment celebrating the towns heritage, character, scale and connectivity. New transport connections created by rail, road and the green network make Airdrie an easy and accessible place to move around. Moreover, the development of Airdrie Health Centre supports town centre liveability, health and wellbeing and creates a cluster of accessible services to address local needs. Airdrie with its improved access and connections offers excellent opportunities for town centre living. The historic centre with sensitive urban infill and potential building conversions will provide a range of homes with good access to local services and an attractive town centre environment. Improved access to public services, employment and leisure facilities could also allow Airdrie to take advantage of its location and place appeal as an important town centre in North Lanarkshire. The development of the New Monklands Hospital on the edge of Airdrie also has the capacity to drive demand for town centre living and the growth of leisure and hospitality uses as we capture some of the buying power and needs of a new workforce. Airdrie also has a number of quality heritage buildings which contribute to the townscape and history of the town. In seeking to move Airdrie to a mixed-use town centre through the stabilisation of the retail, leisure and hospitality offering and promoting new town centre living, the heritage estate presents an opportunity for refurbishment to these new uses in a way that secures the character of the town. Airdrie Opportunities Town centres are facing a range of opportunities and challenges as community needs and the way we use our town centres change. Airdrie needs to adapt and strengthen its role as an appealing and active centre based on quality of place, enterprise, community assets, heritage and the potential for low carbon living. The core concept proposals outlined in the Vision include: • developing a new Town Hub for the delivery of public services including education and leisure uses. • focusing investment in the town centre around the cross and connections to the rail station. • the creation of new active travel routes to link the town centre to major community assets, other towns and important greenspace such as Brownsburn Park. • promoting a sense of place by securing long term futures for heritage assets such as the Townhouse, Airdrie library and the former Royal Bank of Scotland; and • promoting lifestyle appeal based on town centre living locations adjacent to facilities, services and places of interest. 18 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 53 of 312
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Town & Community Hubs As part of the Council’s ambition for North Lanarkshire, all schools constructed pre-1996 have been identified for improvement or replacement. So that they can be sustainable, we need to reduce the number of building assets across North Lanarkshire, working with communities and partners. As such, our town and community hubs will in some places, be merged, co-located or combined and integrated with other community and partnership assets. For example, there may be a single campus for 2-18 year olds where early learning, primary and secondary education is delivered alongside other council and community services. To design this model, we will use six guiding principles: • Inclusive, universal provision: a hub must serve the whole community and offer universal provision of services as a default. • Sense of community ownership: central to the model is learning and teaching, but the hub must be an asset for the whole community. • Maximum availability and usage: hubs will operate from early in the morning until late in the evening. They must be multi-functional and must be able to be used throughout the day. • Designed with the community: options for design should be shared as early as possible in the process so that people in communities have ownership. • Tailored, bespoke, representative: each hub will be unique to ensure it meets specific community needs. • Maximise services on offer: services available within the hub should complement rather than compete with services already serving the same community. TOWN HUBS COMMUNITY HUBS SMALL COMMUNITY HUBS EARLY YEARS FACILITIES (council or partnership run) PRIMARY PROVISION SECONDARY PROVISION ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS (ASN) PROVISION COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAY OLDER ADULTS CAFÉ GREENSPACE RETAIL/ COMMERCIAL/ START-UP OFFICES FAMILY COUNCIL AND PARTNER STAFF LEISURE HEALTH SERVICES EMPLOYABILITY / TRAINING LIBRARY SPORT (INDOOR AND/ OR OUTDOOR) TRANSPORT Hubs will have a form and facilities based on the need of the local community. Zones which could be included are numerous and could be some or all of the following: We envisage three types of hub: Town hubs are likely to include primary and secondary education and an early years facility. Other services on offer in town hubs will be larger in scale, such as more comprehensive sport and leisure offerings, more significant outdoor sport provision and a wider range of services. Community hubs are likely to include at least one learning establishment and may include other zones such as sport and leisure. Small community hubs may exist in areas where there is no requirement for new education facilities but where there is a need to replace older facilities such as libraries, community centres or health facilities. 19 Page 54 of 312
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Airdrie Town Hub Following a programme of public consultation, the Council has identified the land in and around St Margaret’s HS and Airdrie Sports centre at Rawyards off Motherwell Street (A73) as the preferred site for the development of the Town Hub for Airdrie. This site was short-listed for consideration as it is owned by the Council, has sufficient land to accommodate the footprint of the Town Hub campus and is easily accessible. An active travel route will be developed to link the Town Hub to the town centre via the existing green corridor of Central Park. The Council is currently seeking to secure the funding to proceed with the design development of the Town Hub and the associated statutory public consultation around education provision (although this is likely to be a long-term project). The hub would provide new state of the art facilities for St Margaret’s High School and associated primary schools. 99 20 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 55 of 312
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Retail Whilst the ambition for all of our town centres is to move towards a more mixed-use offering to improve resilience and recognise the shift in how we use our town centres, the Council wants to retain and support the retail sector and assist it’s recovery from the double impacts of an economic downturn and the covid pandemic. Research has shown that the independent retail sector is more resilient to change than larger national multiples and that these, in most cases local businesses, will prevail if sufficient infrastructure and interest is in place. We will therefore seek to support the retail sector in Airdrie by, offering support to smaller and independent shop owners in core retail areas of the town centre. Funding constraints and legal issues do, however, constrain the level of support which the Council can provide. Support could nevertheless be provided through small funding schemes such as shop-front improvement grants. Moreover, where vacancies occur, we will encourage businesses to concentrate around the key retail node within the town centre (with other premises being promoted for conversion to residential use) in an effort to sustain existing footfall within the core town centre and create a more viable offer. Commercial The collapse in the demand for commercial premises such as offices in town centre locations echoes wider structural changes in the economy and the growth of digital connectivity. The impacts of the covid pandemic demonstrated the benefits and ease of remote working across the public and private sector and led to an exponential growth in homeworking with a resulting impact on footfall within the town centre. This needs to be recognised in how we change the structure of Airdrie town centre and make best use of the vacant premises which occur as a result of lower demand and need for town centre office space. In addition, moving forward, the commercial space which remains also needs to be more accessible and energy efficient to compete with out of town locations with consideration given to how we measure the scale of this challenge and take forward the repurposing of vacant office space. Leisure & Hospitality The leisure and hospitality sector is a key component of the move towards a more mixed-use town centre. The importance of ‘Place’ in terms of the public’s perception of character and safety is very important in attracting people to use existing leisure and hospitality businesses. Ease of movement to and from these uses will encourage people to access the town centre for leisure activities and sustain and develop the nighttime economy and footfall. In meeting this aim, the Town Action Plan for Airdrie aims to promote active travel routes and transport options to support access to Economic Prosperity & Stability town centre facilities and build footfall that will help these sectors to grow. 21 Page 56 of 312
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Image: Former Broomknoll Parish Church 22 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 57 of 312
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New Build Encouraging more people to live in town centres is a key policy aspiration for the Council underpinning priorities around sustainability, net zero, inclusion and wellbeing. More people living in town centres means more support for local businesses. It means keeping bus routes active, a safer place thanks to passive policing and greater local interest in the town centre environment. These all make a town more attractive to people living here. Admittedly, developers looking to offer housing options within town centres find that they are typically more expensive, riskier, and take longer than other housebuilding options. Town centre projects also tend to be smaller, providing less financial return. However, the Council is of the view that the overall gains outweigh risks and costs if we take into account the wider societal benefits such as improved wellbeing and a reduction in carbon footprint. Key to helping to deliver this is identifying how the Council de-risks and enables such development through, for example, providing development support (e.g. via the Council’s Invest in North Lanarkshire’s Programme of Work) or promoting development opportunity through agreeing upfront to buy off-the-shelf housing being proposed by the private sector (or an agreed percentage of the proposed housing) in order to gaurantee sales. Town Centre Living For example, the former Orr’s Department store development is seen as an approach which could set the tone for future housing developments within the town centre.This is a private sector investment where the Council has agreed to purchase the new flats being developed on the site of this former store for long-term affordable housing. This type of joint venture between the Council and the private sector is seen as a key model for delivery of town centre living across North Lanarkshire including in Airdrie. The Council hopes that by taking the lead in the delivery of town centre living, we can make the case that there is a latent demand for good quality town centre houses and encourage the private sector to invest. Private sector investment and development is important to ensure both tenure and design diversity so that we can, over time, improve the townscape and character of the town centre. Image: Former Orr’s Department Store 23 Page 58 of 312
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Refurbishment The Council is also actively seeking to replace redundant and in some cases derelict properties within the town centre to residential development to ensure that we respond to issues of vacancy and dereliction in order to maintain the character of the town centre and to promote its place function. It is hoped that private owner occupiers and landlords will recognise both the environmental and financial benefits of the refurbishment of existing properties over the long-term. Improving the thermal efficiency of existing properties is in most cases easier than demolition and new build where ownerships are complex. It can be argued that refurbishment as opposed to demolition and new build is more sustainable in terms of the carbon footprint, but more importantly, it retains the character of the townscape as it preserves the urban grain of the streetscape and gives a unique sense of place to each town centre. The Council itself has also identified a number of existing properties within Airdrie Town Centre that are in need of refurbishment due to long term vacancy or neglect. Where the building design contributes to the townscape we will endeavour to retain and refurbish the building towards a mixed use, with retail on the ground floor and residential uses on the upper floors (within the retail core area) and exclusively residential outwith the core retail areas. Heritage Refurbishment The communities’ perception of ‘Place’ is informed by the quality of the public realm and key heritage buildings. Airdrie Town Centre has a number of heritage properties which are functionally obsolete but of good quality and whose external appearance contributes to the character and history of Airdrie. Key buildings on the Main Street include, for example, the former Royal Bank of Scotland and the Treasury Bar both of which are seeking a new purpose and function. Such buildings make a significant contribution to the townscape and it could be argued that the Main Street would be poorer if they are not repurposed as they could fall into disrepair leading to demolition. We would encourage the owners of listed buildings who are considering the future of their building(s) to approach the Council to discuss ways in which the properties can contribute to the vision of a mixed-use town centre. The Council has recent experience in working with external organisations such as Historic Environment Scotland and RSL Partners to refurbish such buildings towards a viable future use. This includes, for example, the former Broomknoll Church in Airdrie where the Council provided financial support to allow this historic building to be repurposed for housing by Clyde Valley Housing Association. Tower Reprovisioning North Lanarkshire’s Towers Reprovisioning Programme is seeking to demolish all high-rise towers and selected low-rise block properties across North Lanarkshire and replace them with quality flatted, terraced and semi-detached housing to meet the needs of the local community. In the first phase of these works, the low-rise properties at Northburn and Holehills in Airdrie have been replaced whilst the second phase of works (to be delivered over the next 3-5 years) will include the replacement of low-rise blocks at Kennedy Drive (4 blocks), Kippen Street (7 blocks) and Glencraig Street (1-19). Whilst the footprint of these low-rise blocks will provide housing for some former tenants, the reprovisioning of existing properties and construction of new residential development within the town centre offers an opportunity to rehouse those tenants, helping to repopulate the centre and bring them closer to key facilities and services which our communities require. 24 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 59 of 312
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Image: Exemplars of modern residential flatted development 25 Page 60 of 312
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Movement & Active Travel 26 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 61 of 312
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Public Transport Town centres are hubs for transport interchanges with Airdrie having strong rail network and bus service links. Developing the points of interchange, making public transport more accessible, appealing and environmentally responsive are key considerations within the Airdrie Town Action Plan. As already highlighted, Airdrie rail station is one of the three busiest passenger train stations in North Lanarkshire. The council will enter into discussions with Scotrail and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to consider the options for the development of an improved transport interchange around the rail station, potentially enhancing transitions between rail and bus and increasing car parking capacity to promote a switch from private car travel to public transport as part of our commitment to a low carbon future. Securing net zero and developing a carbon neutral economy will require the need to travel to be reduced. Radical solutions are required based on reduced car travel, the development of stronger active travel infrastructure and piloting new initiatives around 20-minute neighbourhoods. Active Travel Active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) has many environmental benefits, as well as improved health and wellbeing, and is a core part of rebalancing the transport modes within our town centres. The town centre as a focus for active travel activity needs to be driven by connecting the town to facilities and services as well as the surrounding area. As such, developing active travel routes between Airdrie and other nearby towns and communities as well as other key facilities and locations, such as the proposed town hub, local schools and greenspace (e.g. Brownsburn Park), are seen as a central priority of the Action Plan. Movement & Active Travel Prioritising Sustainable Transport Walking and wheeling Cycling Public Transport Taxis & Shared transport Private Car 27 Page 62 of 312
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Built Heritage & Place From Top Left: Airdrie Townhouse, Airdrie Health Centre, Cairnhill Parish Church, Former Broomknoll Parish Church, One Wellwynd, Airdrie Library & Observatory 28 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 63 of 312
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Built Heritage Airdrie is a historic market town which has made important contributions to banking, culture and industry. The legacy of this rich history can also be seen in Airdrie’s built environment, with its town centre a designated conservation area boasting numerous listed and other historic buildings. External funding opportunities for built heritage in town centres has recently been made available through two complementary funding programmes run by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). NLC submitted development phase applications to these funders for a project entitled ‘Rediscovering Airdrie: the heritage-led regeneration of Airdrie Town Centre’. In 2023 it was announced that NLC’s development phase application had been successful with a full project bid now being worked up for submission in 2024. Rediscovering Airdrie aims to rediscover and celebrate the history of Airdrie and use it and the town’s historic built environment as a catalyst for physical, social and economic regeneration, connecting people with their heritage and establishing Airdrie as a vibrant centre of creativity, culture, enterprise and learning. It will do so through two inter-related programmes • a series of physical interventions aimed at restoring and repurposing heritage assets and improving the townscape and ‘Built Heritage & Place’. Built Heritage & Place • a series of heritage activities aimed at engaging with a wide range of residents and visitors alike, connecting them with Airdrie’s heritage, bringing interest and investment into the town and improving educational, health and wellbeing and economic outcomes. Proposed physical interventions (subject to funding approval) include the repurposing of Airdrie Town House to establish a new centre for culture and studio space aimed at the creative sector businesses, works to improve the rooftop observatory at Airdrie Library and the refitting of One Wellwynd to support the piloting of a Women’s Business Centre. The Council also proposes to establish and administer funds to support owners to improve shopfronts within the core retail area of the town and to repair and maintain tenement housing. Place When we speak of place we are talking about the character and quality of the townscape which is a key asset of our towns and comprises all publicly accessible space (streets, squares and greenspace) for people to come together and engage as a community. We are seeking to promote a more inclusive place promoting longer dwell time and increased town centre footfall. Public use of town centres and increased activity supports civic presence and improved security. Actively used, thriving public space is both safer, and more welcoming than unused space. In helping to improve space within our town centres, and in direct response to the requirement’s of Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4, the Council is currently preparing an Open Spaces Strategy for North Lanarkshire. This strategy will assess existing open space and green networks and help guide how we manage and meet the need for openspace in town centres such as Airdrie in the future. Future reviews of the Action Plan will give cognisance to the findings of this emerging strategy and help guide how we shape our openspace going forward. Airdrie Townhouse 29 Page 64 of 312
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Carbon Reduction Town Centres have a key role in supporting a sustainable future and contributing to the essential adaptation necessary to address climate change and our commitment to net zero. Place shaping can help contribute to climate change targets through the repurposing of buildings; developing 20-minute neighbourhoods, reducing the need to travel and supporting flood mitigation. Key measures within the vision for supporting carbon reduction in Airdrie will include: • property upgrading, retrofit and re-purposing (making these more energy efficient); • developing active travel infrastructure; • greening activity; • extending EV Charging infrastructure; and • planning for compact urban centres and accessible services. The carbon cost of demolishing existing buildings and then developing new buildings is also in most cases higher than the carbon cost of refurbishment and adaption of buildings to new uses. The Council will, where possible, advocate and take forward the adaption and reuse of buildings within the town centre, rather than replacement, making them more energy efficient and extending their viable use. This both reduces our collective carbon footprint and retains the heritage and character of the town. Buildings in scope for such an approach to redevelopment include, for example, Airdrie Town House and Coats House. Transition to Net Zero Green Blue Infrastructure Planning needs to support local measures to minimise the impact of intense rainfall events and to mitigate flood risk while also designing-in flood resilient places. Area wide measures may include, for example, green corridors for storm water flows linked to new habitat management measures and our active travel networks. EV Charging Infrastructure The Scottish Government’s requirement to phase out the need for petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 will impact on our centres with charging and fast charging points becoming part of the urban fabric. From 5 June 2023, regulations also requires electric vehicle charging to be installed for new buildings and those subject to major renovation. This includes one EV charge point socket to be provided for all new housing and flats and in 10% of parking spaces for non-domestic buildings where these have 10 car parking spaces or more. Added to this, in order to encourage and enable the use of our towns, the council needs to take forward the installation of EV charging points within our town centres for general public use. At the moment work is ongoing through the Glasgow City Region team on behalf of all local authorities with a view to engaging a provider to install and operate our EV charging going forward. As part of this, the intention would be for the provider to agree proposed sites with the Council, located at key points that will meet future demand and need of town centre users. The Council will adopt the guidance set out in the revised Building Regulations regarding EV charging points within new developments. The council will also investigate the roll out of EV charging within public car parks and public facilities. 31 Page 66 of 312
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Other Considerations Finance & External Funding It has been well publicised that over the next three years, North Lanarkshire Council (along with other public services across Scotland) face significant budget cuts. As such, investment made through the Town Action Plan has to ensure that ongoing future revenue or operational costs associated with any works is minimal and, where possible, additional revenue generated through, for example, increased rents or business rates. Moreover, to reduce the burden on the Council’s available capital, the Council will look to fund such works by alternative means through: promoting and seeking private sector investment; use of North Lanarkshire’s Housing Revenue Account; and sourcing funding through Scottish Government Programmes (such as the Place Based Investment Programme and Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Programme), the UK Government (with funding recently received for Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Town Centres through their Levelling Up Fund and Town Fund programmes respectively) or other funders (such as the National Heritage Lotter Fund). Community Wealth Building The Town Action Plan for Airdrie has been developed in consultation with local communities to help identify the key actions which we want to take forward to help improve and regenerate Airdrie Town Centre. However, in order to drive and sustain real change, it is critical that local communities buy in to and take ownership of these plans. Community Wealth Building is designed to harness the economic leverage of local ‘anchor’ organisations to tackle long-term systematic challenges within local communities and help to change the way we manage and provide local services through, for example, community-owned assets, a focus on local supply chains and local job creation – key goals which need to be embedded as part of the delivery of the Action Plan. Communications Plan It has been identified that the Action Plan affects four key stakeholder groups: • local communities and residents living in the town centre (with the viability of the centre dependent upon being able to attract local people to use the town and sustain local spend); • local businesses and shops (with retailers particularly interested in opportunities which may be brought forward through the plan, how change will affect their business and how works may disturb trade); • potential visitors to Airdrie and people who live outwith Airdrie but work within the town centre (both of whom will contribute to spend and the local economy); and • the council and other public bodies (who will lead on and contribute to the delivery of the plan). Raising awareness of our plans for Airdrie is essential to keeping these stakeholders engaged in the process of transforming the town centre and securing their buy in to the works being proposed. To ensure these groups are fully informed, a detailed Communications Plan will be developed for Airdrie Town Centre to make sure proposals are shared and stakeholders kept updated on progress made. As part of this Communications Plan, the Council aim to host a bespoke ‘Town’s Page’ for each of the main towns across North Lanarkshire on its website. This will incorporate news and information for each town including copies of the Town Visions and Action Plans and progress being made on the delivery of Action Plan proposals. 32 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 67 of 312
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Project Proposal Timescales* Economic Prosperity & Stability Shopfronts Implement a shopfront improvements grant scheme for core retail areas within the town centre as part of the Rediscovering Airdrie Project Short-term Orrs Develop two commercial units as part of the Orrs development floorplate Short-term Town Centre Audit & Demand Analysis – Vacant Office Space Undertake an Audit and Demand Analysis for vacant office space within Airdrie Town Centre to help develop a strategy for the repurposing of this space Short-term One Wellwynd The refitting of One Wellwynd to support the piloting of a Women’s Business Centre as part of the Rediscovering Airdrie Project Medium-term Town Centre Living Orrs The development of 20 residential units through the private sector (to be purchased by NLC by their ‘Pathfinder’ scheme) Short-term Hogg Street The development of 36 residential units to be taken forward by Trust Housing Assoc. Short-term Mill Loan The development of 16 residential units to be taken forward by Clyde Valley Housing Assoc. Short-term Coats House Feasibility & Design works to assess potential residential conversion (with particular focus on provision for older people give proximity to Airdrie Health Centre) Short-term Airdrie Police Station Liaison with Police Scotland to determine future requirement for building/potential residential conversion Short-term Tenement Improvements Implement a grants scheme for repairs and improvement to historic tenement properties as part of the delivery of the Rediscovering Airdrie Project Short-term Buy-Backs Continuation of the Council’s ‘buy-back’ scheme to offer affordable housing within Airdrie Town Centre Ongoing Town Action Plan Proposals Project Proposal Timescales* Movement & Active Travel Active Travel The development of a design and costing study, aligned to North Lanarkshire’s Active Travel Strategy, to map out potential Active Travel Networks across Airdrie Town Centre. At the same time, work will also be undertake to source external funding to support the delivery of this infrastructure Short-term Airdrie Transport Interchange Initial engagement with Scotrail and Strathclyde Passenger Transport as part of the Local Transport Strategy to explore the options for the development of an improved transport interchange around the rail station to improve transitions between rail and bus and increase car parking capacity Short-term Built Heritage & Place Airdrie Town House The potential repurposing of Airdrie Town House to establish a new centre for culture and studio space aimed at the creative sector businesses Medium-Term Airdrie Library & Observatory Explore works to improve and create a viewing platform for the rooftop observatory at Airdrie Library as part of the Rediscovering Airdrie Project Medium-Term Transition to Net Zero EV Charging Site Investigations of NLC’s carparks across Airdrie Town Centre to assess suitability/infrastructure needs for EV Charging Installation as part of the delivery proposals currently being developed through Glasgow City Region Long-Term Town & Community Hubs Airdrie Town Hub The development of Airdrie Town Hub (with the preferred location identified at St. Margaret’s High School/Airdrie Sports Centre) Long-term 34 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 69 of 312
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The Action Plan Proposals Map G G G G PT PT Core Retail Area Area of Change G Potential New Public Sector Housing Potential New Private Sector Housing Recent Housing Developments Potential Active Travel Route Enhanced Public Transport Hub Heritage assets New Gateway Feature (Town Centre Boundary) Potential Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (Public Car Parks) ONE WELLWYND ORR’S DEPT. STORE LIBRARY AND OBSERVATORY POLICE STATION COATS HOUSE THE TOWNHOUSE 35 Page 70 of 312
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3D Proposals Map MAP TO FOLLOW 36 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 71 of 312
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Strategic Alignment The Town Action Plan for Airdrie is aligned with The Plan for North Lanarkshire and other key strategies, policies and plans. ACTIVITIES ECONOMIC REGENERATION DELIVERY PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN LOCAL HOUSING STRATEGY DIGITAL AND IT STRATEGY TACKLING POVERTY STRATEGY ACTIVE TRAVEL STRATEGY THE PLAN FOR NORTH LANARKSHIRE SHARED AMBITION Together this strategic policy framework ensures that work is aligned with our priorities and enables the required resources and working practices needed to facilitate delivery of the shared ambition. Airdrie Town Action Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis, not only to ensure that it remains aligned to any new or emerging strategies developed by the Council and its partners, but also to make sure that any new opportunities can be incorporated within the plan proposals and any new issues arising within the town centre addressed. 37 Page 72 of 312
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Notes 38 Town Action Plan Airdrie Page 73 of 312
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This document can be made available in a range of languages and formats, including large print, braille, audio, electronic and accessible formats. To make a request, please contact Corporate Communications at: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk ’S urrainn dhuinn an sgrìobhaidh seo a chur ann an diofar chànanan agus chruthan, a’ gabhail a-steach clò mòr, braille, cruth claisneachd agus cruthan dealanach agus ruigsinneach. Gus iarrtas a dhèanamh, cuir fios gu Conaltradh Corporra aig: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk Niniejszy dokument można otrzymać w wielu różnych językach i formatach, w tym również dużym drukiem, alfabetem Braille’a, w wersji dźwiękowej, elektronicznej i w innych dostępnych formatach. Prośby należy składać na ręce zespołu ds. komunikacji drogą elektroniczną na adres: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk 此文件可以多种不同语言和格式提供，包括大字体、点字、音频、电子和易读格式。 如想提出请求，请联系企业传讯部：corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk CC_2023_00011 Produced by NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Growth Team Place Civic Centre Motherwell ML1 4AB e. growthteam@northlan.gov.uk NORTHLANARKSHIRE.GOV.UKPage 75 of 312
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Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 76 of 312
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Written, designed and produced by Corporate Communications, North Lanarkshire Council. Design concepts provided by: Ironside Farrar Ltd, Environmental Consultants - Town Vision design concepts Norr, Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Design - Town and community hub design concepts MAST Architects, - Town Centre Living concepts All statistics and information correct at date of print: November 2023. Page 77 of 312
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Contents Introduction .............................................................................. 5 SECTION 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends .......... 7 SECTION 2: Key Considerations for Motherwell ......................... 13 A High Street for Everyone ......................................................... 14 A Vision for our Towns .............................................................. 15 The Vision for Motherwell .......................................................... 17 Town and Community Hubs ..................................................... 19 Economic Prosperity & Stability ................................................ 21 Town Centre Living ................................................................... 23 Movement & Active Travel ......................................................... 26 Built Heritage & Place ............................................................... 28 Transition to Net Zero ............................................................... 31 Other Considerations ................................................................ 32 SECTION 3: Motherwell Town Action Plan ................................ 33 Town Action Plan Proposals ..................................................... 34 The Town Action Plan Proposals Map ....................................... 35 3D Proposals Map .................................................................... 36 Strategic Alignment .................................................................. 37 Page 78 of 312
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Introduction This is North Lanarkshire. This is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit. This is our vision. We have come a long way. One of the fastest growing economies in Scotland. The most ambitious council housebuilding programme in the country. Record levels of infrastructure investment and dozens of new schools. These are just a few examples. The Plan for North Lanarkshire, approved in 2019, offered a clear way forward. It offered a shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all and we are delivering on that ambition. We’re making huge progress, with investment and development happening in all our towns and communities. But what comes next? How do we deal with the undoubted challenges that remain, like unacceptably high levels of deprivation and child poverty, in-work poverty and areas of inequality across communities? How do we become the agents of change for towns and communities to ensure they have a sustainable future in the face of declining revenue budgets? This vision for North Lanarkshire, as the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit is reflected in the Town Action Plan for Motherwell which seeks to identify site specific proposals to deliver the concepts set out in the vision. The Town Action Plans been divided into three sections as follows: Section 1: The scale of the challenge facing North Lanarkshire and the key trends which are impacting on North Lanarkshire’s Town Centres. Section 2: The key issues and opportunities which have helped formulate proposals outlined in the Town Action Plan for Motherwell. Section 3: The Town Action Plan Proposals. 5 Page 80 of 312
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Section 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends 7 Page 82 of 312
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Key Trends The following highlights the potential impact of economic, demographic, technological and social trends on our towns. RETAILING Demand for UK retail space on our high street is now at its lowest since 2007, with a move toward online retail as well as prime mixed-use locations (such as Silverburn and Braehead) offering retail, leisure, entertainment and amenities, whilst serving vibrant night-time economies. Our town centres are highly vulnerable to weak footfall with a decline in retail sales across Scotland of 6.2% since 2021 alone (following year on year drops over the last decade). The inevitable reality is that fewer physical stores will be present on the high streets of the future and that the role of those remaining stores will need to evolve. On its current trajectory, it is estimated that physical retail sales across our towns will fall by a further 35% over the next five years with a growing reliance on convenience and discount retailers paying lower rents. We will see consumers with lower disposable income and limited access to higher end retail. North Lanarkshire in particular will be highly susceptible to this trend where our towns are competing with bigger centres such as Glasgow and Edinburgh for footfall and retail spending. Both large and small scale operators also continue to struggle to adapt to the growth in online shopping. UK consumers spend more online than any other European country – accounting for 18% of all retail sales. It is projected that 35% of sales within the next few years will be online.. Store-based profit margins have more than halved over the last decade as consecutive rises in business rates, the national living wage, the national minimum wage and relative occupancy costs spiral upwards. 8 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 83 of 312
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LIVING North Lanarkshire is home to over 341,000 people living in more than 154,000 homes. The Council is Scotland’s largest local authority landlord, owning and managing more than 36,000 homes with a further 5,000 new affordable homes by 2035. Forecasts predict that the number of households will rise by 1.5% (2,300) between now and 2028. However, the local development plan promotes sufficient land for more than 21,000 homes across North Lanarkshire. Of our 154,000 homes, only circa. 1,500 - or just under 1% - are located within town centres with over half of these built before 1919 and likely to require significant future repair and maintenance. There is, however, significant opportunity for residential development to replace the contraction in retail. This is a key way of helping to develop footfall within our town centres and, in turn, creating a more viable (although reduced) retail and commercial offer. POPULATION North Lanarkshire is currently home to around 6.3% of Scotland’s total population. However, the number of deaths has exceeded the number of births over the last three years although it is forecast that North Lanarkshire’s total population will increase by 0.3% between 2018- 28 due primarily as a result of net inward migration. In contrast, the population of Scotland over the same time period is anticipated to grow by 1.8%, demonstrating that North Lanarkshire is still failing in attracting people to come and live here. It is well established that economic growth is closely linked to population growth. As such, to help make North Lanarkshire a more prosperous place, it is essential that we provide the right type of housing and environment that will make this a place where people already living in, or moving to or within Scotland, want to relocate. DEMOGRAPHICS Children and young people aged 0-15 make up almost one fifth of North Lanarkshire’s population (18%) and this is forecast to decrease to almost 16% by 2028. Almost two thirds (64%) of North Lanarkshire’s population are of working age (16-64 year olds). This is forecast to continue to decline in the long-term. The older adult population (aged 65+) accounts for 18% of North Lanarkshire’s total population. This is expected to increase so that, by 2028, one in five (20%) of people living in North Lanarkshire will be aged 65+. This demographic change will have an impact. Tax income is likely to fall because there will be fewer people of working age, and care responsibilities will increase. It is essential that towns are designed to ensure that people are able to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, homes are adaptable and flexible and local services accessible. 9 Page 84 of 312
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CONNECTIVITY We need to put transport and digital infrastructure in place to ensure residents can access employment and leisure as well as online opportunities and services. 13.2% of Scotland’s motorway network is located in North Lanarkshire, a place which has excellent rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as three of Scotland’s busiest passenger train stations (Motherwell, Croy and Airdrie). While transport links in and out of North Lanarkshire are excellent, there are relatively poor transport connections within the local authority area. The development of the Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor linking the M80, M8 and M74 will in part address this issue, but the visions need to ensure that our towns are designed as accessible and well- connected places. Road and rail use has grown significantly over recent years but the number of bus journeys has declined by approximately 23% which is significantly higher than the Scottish average of a 5% decline. Given that only 37% of households earning less than £10,000 can access a private car compared to 97% of those who earn more than £40,000, public transport is a key issue for the people of North Lanarkshire. Whilst a national conversation about the shape of future public transport is required, particularly in terms of cost, ticketing, coverage and responsiveness, the Council needs to work with partners to identify local gaps and how they can be filled through, for example, community transportation and active travel. This was a key recommendation of the North Lanarkshire Fairness Commission and will be subject to discussion as part of the development of the emerging Local Transport Strategy for North Lanarkshire. The ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars after 2030, and a requirement for them to be off the road by 2040, will also require significant investment in infrastructure to support a shift in how we fuel our private vehicles e.g. electric vehicle charging points within car park’s and on streets and the development of EV Hubs (fast charge sites) along key transport corridors and within town centres. DIGITAL ECONOMY 86% of UK households use the internet on a daily basis and it is anticipated that this use will continue to grow and drive demand for faster and better quality access. It is clear that good quality internet access will be essential for future business development and will underpin many areas of employment. Whilst 98% of homes have access to superfast broadband, the uptake of this is relatively low due to the cost of access. The Council has secured a digital partner, Commsworld, to take this investment further, expand opportunity for full-fibre and ultra-fast broadband and develop more affordable access for all. This will include delivery of these digital connections as part of the planned development and regeneration works across North Lanarkshire’s town centres. 10 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 85 of 312
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THE LOW CARBON AGENDA A Scottish target of net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions has been set for 2045. However, in recognition of the importance of climate change, the council declared a climate emergency in 2019, committing it to reduce council carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. In particular, new zero carbon policy and legislation will inform the way we design and build new housing, or refurbish existing housing stock, towards zero carbon. This includes: INFRASTRUCTURE New development within our town centres could in part be constrained by existing infrastructure such as energy, water and sewerage. There is a need for early engagement with utility providers to identify issues of capacity within existing networks to ensure that the infrastructure to support development within our town centres is available at the right time and the right cost. • ensuring all new housing uses renewable or low carbon heating systems from 2024; • ensuring all private rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band C or above by 2030; • ensuring all socially rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band B or above by 2032; and • developing an undertaking, where financially and technically viable, to ensure all housing is net zero carbon by 2045. 11 Page 86 of 312
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22 Wishaw Rebalancing RepopulatingRepositioning Repurposing Airdrie A High Street for Everyone A People Centred Approach Our high streets offer a rich and authentic environment that for generations has been the backdrop to the ceremonies and memorable events of our community. Furthermore, the health of our town centre reflect the health of our wider community or society. An energised town centre that is open to all and where there is opportunity for improvement, will help enrich the lives of our residents. It is critical that we achieve a perception shift in our communities and stakeholders and reposition the High Street at the heart of the community. In doing so we are seeking to develop a better town centre where the requirements of all, regardless of age, ability or wealth, are accommodated. The following section outlines the key issues and opportunities which have helped drive forward the development of the Town Action Plan for Motherwell. These key drivers have been identified from: • the findings which were outlined in The Town Centre Visions and Town & Community Hub plans which were approved by Council in 2021 (as part of the Council’s ‘The Place: The Vision’ strategy) following an extensive programme of public consultation; • desktop research to assess the key challenges, issues and opportunities which need to be addressed or taken forward to help support the transformational change of Motherwell Town Centre; • and the workshops and consultation work (including community board briefings, on-line plans and questionnaire and a 6-week exhibition held within Motherwell library which also incorporated opportunity for one-to-one drop-in sessions) that has allowed local communities to comment on plans and bring forward proposals for change. The general feedback from this consultation was as follows: • it was recognised that given current retail trends, alternative options need to be developed for our town centres; • general support was given for the Council’s goals to promote and enable town centre living; • the importance of the heritage fabric of our towns was highlighted and a demand to, where possible, repurpose and reuse historic buildings rather than replace these; and • good transport and access links to our town centres was seen as vital to success of our towns. It should be noted that as part of the consultation process, there was limited input received from retailers, the business community in general. It is, however, intended that the Council will undertake further consultation on the Town Action Plans with local communities and stakeholders (including targeting local businesses) as part of future reviews and updates of these plans. 14 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 89 of 312
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A Vision for our Towns Some of our town centres face difficulties. Built around a twentieth century model of primary retail, they have been challenged by the rise of online and out-of-town shopping. A key strategy among larger retailers and banks is to reduce their high street presence. How do towns survive as retail gradually moves away and how can the council reimagine our towns? The answer is to reposition town centres as mixed-use spaces. Only by shifting the focus from retail-driven town centres to a broader mix of investment, and promoting town centre living, can our towns have a sustainable future. The council can bring about this change by positioning local services in towns and communities. By doing so, local people can have more direct access to services they need and staff can be closer to the communities they work in. This is about more than niche retail, developing the evening economy or increasing leisure opportunities. These must be living towns, with a much stronger focus on new- build housing, residential conversion and refurbishment that will address the decline of the built environment. 15 Page 90 of 312
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Crucially, the Town Visions join together with Town and Community Hubs and our Country Parks for the Future programmes to create a coherent, vibrant and sustainable future for North Lanarkshire. The Town Visions which follow are concepts, highlighting proposals for each town and how each town could function in the future. These recognise that one size does not fit all. Each of the towns in North Lanarkshire has its own challenges and opportunities and its own history and heritage. A number of common themes have emerged in the development of these prospectuses. For example, there is a need for residential development which uses land no longer required for traditional retailing. Improving town centre access and active travel, and examining the needs of an older population living longer, are key considerations. The council can’t do this alone. The Town Vision for Motherwell contained within is just that: A Vision. To become a reality, the vision needs to be shaped through extensive consultation and engagement with community planning partners, landowners, retailers, residents, councillors and other agencies (via the development of the Town Action Plan). The Vision should inform both public and private sector investment. The Town Vision represents a long-term strategy for transformation over a 20-year period. It works alongside town centre projects that are planned for the short, medium and long-term including regeneration projects, the acquisition of prominent vacant and derelict buildings and sites, new council house construction and infrastructure and access developments. 16 Town Action Plan Motherwell 16 Page 91 of 312
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The Vision for Motherwell 17 Page 92 of 312
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The Vision for Motherwell Motherwell is Lanarkshire’s best-connected town. It has a major opportunity to develop around its role within the City Region as a key transport hub with excellent connections to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scotland’s Central Belt and the rest of the UK. Connectivity has been identified a key 21st century driver for growth. High quality connections both physical and digital are increasingly recognized as essential requirements of commercially vibrant, low carbon sustainable places. With its rail, road and active travel networks, Motherwell is a key investment location for commercial, residential and regional services. The investment in the new Town Hub, the improved Transport Interchange around the rail station, the potential redevelopment of the town centre to include new civic space and the improved visitor experience at Strathclyde Country Park will be transformational to Motherwell’s appeal and sense of place. The outcomes for the community will be a centre which is more attractive, safer, easier to get around and offers wider choices meeting diverse and local needs. New homes, new jobs and better connections will drive additional demand for services and sustain a more vibrant and active town centre. Motherwell’s connections, street pattern and greenspace make for a town that can build resilience and adaption to climate change, strengthen community life and support health and wellbeing and low-carbon living. Sustainable and SMART urban systems (Waste/ Drainage/5G-Wifi/Transport) will with other facilities make Motherwell a place of choice. Motherwell Opportunities Town centres are facing a range of opportunities and challenges as community needs and the way we use our centres change. Motherwell needs to adapt and strengthen its role as an appealing and liveable centre based on quality of place, enterprise, community assets, heritage and low carbon living. The core projects incorporated within Motherwell Town Vision include: • developing a new Town Hub for the delivery of public services including education, leisure and health uses; • focusing investment in the town centre around the Cross, Merry Street and Brandon Parade South with clear connections to the improved transport interchange; • the creation of new active travel routes to link the town centre to major community assets such as the Town Hub, Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell Train Station and Ravenscraig; • sustaining a sense of place by securing long term futures for heritage assets such as the former Town Hall, the Masonic Hall and Motherwell Train Station; and • promoting lifestyle appeal based on town centre living adjacent to services and places of interest. 18 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 93 of 312
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Town & Community Hubs As part of the Council’s ambition for North Lanarkshire, all schools constructed pre-1996 have been identified for improvement or replacement. So that they can be sustainable, we need to reduce the number of building assets across North Lanarkshire, working with communities and partners. As such, our town and community hubs will in some places be merged, co- located or combined and integrated with other community and partnership assets. For example, there may be a single campus for 2-18 year olds where early learning, primary and secondary education is delivered alongside other Council and community services. To design this model, we will use six guiding principles: • Inclusive, universal provision: a hub must serve the whole community and offer universal provision of services as a default. • Sense of community ownership: central to the model is learning and teaching, but the hub must be an asset for the whole community. • Maximum availability and usage: hubs will operate from early in the morning until late in the evening. They must be multi-functional and must be able to be used throughout the day. • Designed with the community: options for design should be shared as early as possible in the process so that people in communities have ownership. • Tailored, bespoke, representative: each hub will be unique to ensure it meets specific community needs. • Maximise services on offer: services available within the hub should complement rather than compete with services already serving the same community. TOWN HUBS COMMUNITY HUBS SMALL COMMUNITY HUBS EARLY YEARS FACILITIES (council or partnership run) PRIMARY PROVISION SECONDARY PROVISION ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS (ASN) PROVISION COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAY OLDER ADULTS CAFÉ GREENSPACE RETAIL/ COMMERCIAL/ START-UP OFFICES FAMILY COUNCIL AND PARTNER STAFF LEISURE HEALTH SERVICES EMPLOYABILITY / TRAINING LIBRARY SPORT (INDOOR AND/ OR OUTDOOR) TRANSPORT Hubs will have a form and facilities based on the need of the local community. Zones which could be included are numerous and could be some or all of the following: We envisage three types of hub: Town hubs are likely to include primary and secondary education and an early years facility. Other services on offer in town hubs will be larger in scale, such as more comprehensive sport and leisure offerings, more significant outdoor sport provision and a wider range of services. Community hubs are likely to include at least one learning establishment and may include other zones such as sport and leisure. Small community hubs may exist in areas where there is no requirement for new education facilities but where there is a need to replace older facilities such as libraries, community centres or health facilities. 19 Page 94 of 312
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Motherwell Town Hub Following a consultation the general public chose Ravenscraig as the preferred site for the development of the Town Hub for Motherwell. This site was selected as it has sufficient land to accommodate the footprint of the Town Hub campus and is easily accessible The Council is currently seeking to secure the funding to proceed with the design development of the Town Hub, the purchase of the site from Ravenscraig Ltd. and the associated statutory public consultation around education provision. No formal decision has been taken as to which schools will be incorporated into the town hub campus. Community Hubs Community Hub’s will be designed to be open and accessible to the whole community, with predominately school access during the day and the wider community able to access many areas within the hub outwith school hours. The design of the recent Newmains community Hub is seen as an exemplar for the development of future Community Hubs in terms of its energy efficiency, accessibility, quality of internal and external learning environments and play facilities. The Council will continue to review the physical condition of its education estate to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the wider community. 2299 20 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 95 of 312
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Retail While the ambition for all of our town centres is to move towards a more mixed use offering to improve resilience and recognize the shift in how we use our town centres, the Council wants to retain and support the retail sector and assist it’s recovery from the double impacts of an economic downturn and the Covid Pandemic. Research has shown that the independent retail sector is more resilient to change than larger national multiples and that these, in most cases local businesses, will prevail if sufficient infrastructure and interest is in place. We will therefore seek to support the retail sector in Motherwell by encouraging the town centre owners to refurbish larger vacant units into smaller units to provide space for entrepreneurs and established businesses to find the optimum premises for their business. Added to this, and given the fact that the retail sector in the town centre is primarily under a single ownership, the Council aim to work with the Motherwell Town Centre owner to support the repurposing of vacant units (including, where appropriate the demolition of existing properties and redevelopment for alternative use) and potential conversion of upper floor commercial space to residential use, in order to help create a more mixed-use centre. These discussions with the town centre owner have already started and are actively ongoing. Funding constraints and legal issues do, however, constrain the level of support which the Council can provide. However, we are working with partners to identify potential funding streams to promote business investment and the regeneration of the key retail areas within Motherwell. Commercial The collapse in the demand for commercial premises such as offices in town centre locations echoes wider structural changes in the economy and the growth of digital connectivity. The impacts of the covid pandemic demonstrated the benefits and ease of remote working across the public and private sector and led to an exponential growth in homeworking with a resulting impact on footfall within the town centre. This needs to be recognised in how we change the structure of Motherwell Town Centre and make best use of the vacant premises which occur as a result of lower demand and need for town centre office space. In addition, moving forward, the commercial space which remains also needs to be more accessible and energy efficient to compete with out-of-town locations (with consideration given to how we measure the scale of this challenge and take forward the repurposing of vacant office space). Although located just outwith the town centre, Motherwell does also have a number of small industrial sites within easy walking distance such as the Orbiston Street and Braidhurst Industrial Estates. The Council has recognised the importance of such provision for local jobs and the economy and as such have invested in the recent development of 14 new industrial units at Orbiston Street and are about to start on the £7M refurbishment and upgrade of Braidhurst Industrial Estate (including the construction of 10 new start-up units at this site and refurbishment of 6 existing units owned and managed by North Lanarkshire Properties) Economic Prosperity & Stability Leisure & Hospitality The leisure and hospitality sector is a key component of the move towards a more mixed-use town centre. The importance of ‘Place’ in terms of the public’s perception of character and safety is very important in attracting people to use existing leisure and hospitality businesses. Ease of movement to and from the town centre will encourage people to access leisure activities and sustain and develop the night-time economy and footfall. In meeting this aim, the Town Action Plan for Motherwell aims to promote and sustain active travel routes and transport options to support access to town centre facilities and build footfall that will help the leisure and hospitality sectors in Motherwell to grow. 21 Page 96 of 312
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Town Centre Living 88 Refurbishment of the former Motherwell YMCA and New Build Flatted Blocks on Brandon Street (under construction) 22 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 97 of 312
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New Build Encouraging more people to live in town centres is a key policy aspiration for the Council underpinning priorities around sustainability, net zero, inclusion and wellbeing. More people living in town centres means more support for local businesses. It means keeping bus routes active, a safer place thanks to passive policing and greater local interest in the town centre environment. These all make a town more attractive to people living here. Admittedly, developers looking to offer housing options within town centres find that they are typically more expensive, riskier, and take longer than other housebuilding options. Town centre projects also tend to be smaller, providing less financial return. However, the Council is of the view that the overall gains outweigh risks and costs if we take into account the wider societal benefits such as improved wellbeing and a reduction in carbon footprint. Key to helping to deliver this is identifying how the Council de-risks and enables such development through, for example, providing development support (e.g. via the Council’s Invest in North Lanarkshire’s Programme of Work) or promoting development opportunity through agreeing up front to buy ‘off-the-shelf’ housing being proposed by the private sector in order to guarantee sales. This type of model has been used to promote private sector housing investment elsewhere across North Lanarkshire and has proved successful. As such, it is very much viewed as a potential model which could be used to support the delivery of town centre living across the local authority area and its towns. Town Centre Living There are a number of new housing developments currently being taken forward by the Council in Motherwell Town Centre (including, for example, Old Motherwell Town Hall and the former YMCA on Brandon Street) However, the Council also work closely with Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to bring forward new affordable housing within town centres through the provision of Housing Grant. Nevertheless, quite often, the level of Housing Grant is not sufficient to meet the higher costs associated with smaller town centre developments. As such, the Council has previously supported RSL’s to address this ‘cost-gap’ by providing funding through programmes such as the Council’s ‘Placed Based Investment Programme’ and this is still very much seen as another possible route for helping to enable the development of new build housing within Town Centres. Lastly, the Council hopes that by taking a leading role in the delivery of town centre living, we can make the case that there is a latent demand for good quality town centre housing and encourage the private sector to invest. Development by the private sector is particularly important to ensuring that both tenure and design diversity, over time, can improve the townscape and character of the town centre. Brandon Court 23 Page 98 of 312
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Refurbishment The Council is actively seeking to replace redundant properties within the town centre with residential development to ensure that we respond to issues of vacancy and dereliction. It also recognises that, in many cases, the refurbishment of existing buildings within the town, rather than demolition and replacement, can not only reduce the carbon footprint of development but also retain the character of the townscape and help preserve a centre’s unique ‘sense of place’. The Council has identified a number of existing properties within Motherwell Town Centre that are in need of refurbishment due to long-term vacancy or neglect. Where the building design contributes to the townscape we will endeavour to retain and refurbish the building towards a mixed use, with retail on the ground floor and residential uses on the upper floors (within the retail core area) and exclusively residential outwith the core retail areas. As already stated, we would hope that the private sector will take the lead in reinvesting in its own stock and we will aim to work closely with them in order to support this. Heritage Refurbishment The communities’ perception of ‘Place’ is informed by the quality of the public realm and key heritage buildings. Motherwell Town Centre has a number of heritage properties which are functionally obsolete but of good quality and whose external appearance contributes to the character and history of the town. Key heritage buildings within the town centre include the Old Town Hall on Hamilton Road, the former Masonic Hall on Hope Street and the former YMCA on Brandon Street all of which have been acquired by the Council in recent years to be repurposed for residential development (with works already started on the former YMCA building). These buildings make a significant contribution to the townscape. Motherwell as a place would be architecturally poorer if these were not refurbished and subsequently fell into disrepair. Where the Council do not own heritage buildings, we will support the owners in their endeavours to secure a future for these buildings by assisting in sourcing external grants and funding. As such, we would encourage the owners of listed buildings who are considering the future of their building(s) to approach the Council to discuss ways in which the properties can contribute to the vision of a mixed-use town centre. The Council has recent experience of working with organisations such as Historic Environment Scotland, external funders such as the National Heritage Lottery Fund and delivery partners to help take forward the regeneration of such properties. Town Centre Living Tower Reprovisiong North Lanarkshire’s Towers Reprovisioning Programme is seeking to demolish all high-rise towers and selected low-rise blocks across North Lanarkshire and replace them with quality flatted, terraced and semi-detached housing to meet the needs of the local community. In the first phase of these works, the demolition of Coursington Tower in Motherwell is now well underway. The second phase of the Towers Programme will include the demolition of seven high-rise towers in Motherwell (Anderson Tower, Oakfield Tower, Albion Tower, Airbles Tower, Whamond Tower, Glen Tower and Woodside Tower) and one low-rise block (1- 56 McClurg Court) and their replacement with new housing (with this phase of works to be delivered over the next 3-5 years). Whilst the footprint of these towers will provide housing for some former tenants, the reprovisioning of existing properties and construction of new residential development within the town centre offers an opportunity to rehouse those tenants who have to relocate, helping to repopulate the centre and bringing tenants closer to the key facilities and services which they need. 24 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 99 of 312
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Exemplars of modern residential flatted development. 25 Page 100 of 312
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Movement & Active Travel 26 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 101 of 312
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Public Transport Town centres are hubs for transport interchanges with Motherwell having strong rail network and bus service links which have been massively improved following the recent upgrade of the Train Station entrance and forecourt, the construction of improved bus and taxi access and improved park and ride provision. It is essential that Motherwell Town Centre builds on this strength, with the Council working with Scotrail and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to ensure good and co-ordinated public transport connectivity to this interchange, potential ‘SMART’ ticketing and well- maintained park and ride facilities. Active Travel Active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) has many environmental benefits, as well as improved health and wellbeing, and is a core part of rebalancing the transport modes within our town centres. The town centre as a focus for active travel activity needs to be driven by connecting the town to facilities and services as well as the surrounding area. In particular, the Motherwell Transport Interchange needs to act as a key spoke for the town’s active travel routes, connecting people with facilities and locations such as Ravenscraig (including New College Lanarkshire, Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre and the proposed Town Hub), Wishaw General Hospital, Strathclyde Country Park (including the Watersport’s Centre and Bellshill Cycle Gateway and Pump Track) and local business locations (such as Orbiston Street and Braidhurst Industrial Estates – with a new route from St. Vincent Place Park and Ride to Braidhurst Industrial Estate already in place). Lastly, the Council has recently installed a modular Active Travel Hub at the Bellshill Cycle Gateway in Strathclyde Country Park and are actively looking to develop a further hub within the town centre (location still to be identified) that will help improve access to and from the Train Station as well as enhance links to the Cycle Hub and facilities within the park. Movement & Active Travel 27 Page 102 of 312
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Built Heritage & Place 33 From the top left, Old Motherwell Town Hall, Brandon Paradfe South, Merry Street, The Masonic Hall, Art Deco building on Merry Street, Brandon Court Tower 28 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 103 of 312
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Built Heritage & Place Built Heritage North Lanarkshire’s towns have character. Distinctive in form and heritage, the town centres are a reminder of a positive and defining economic past (coal, iron, steel, mills, quarrying) with many notable buildings. The vision for Motherwell seeks to build on the distinctive character and quality of place using this legacy to reinforce urban form and repurpose heritage buildings for new uses. This includes a number of heritage buildings In Motherwell Town Centre (Motherwell Old Town Hall, the former YMCA and the former Masonic Hall) which the Council has recently purchased for residential development (with works already on site at the former YMCA and due to start at Motherwell Old Town Hall in 2024). However, as previously highlighted, the Council also work with the private sector and partners such as RSL’s to support the delivery of housing projects (including for heritage projects with successful partnership development previously supported for key historic town centre buildings such as for the Carnegie Library in Airdrie and Bromknol Church in Airdrie). To replicate such activity in Motherwell, as part of the delivery of Motherwell Town Action Plan, the Council will identify other key vacant or underused heritage properties in the town centre and work with owners and partners to identify and help secure funding for the repurposing of such buildings for housing, community or other viable uses. Place When we speak of place we are talking about the character and quality of the townscape which is a key asset of our towns and comprises all publicly accessible space (streets, squares and greenspace) for people to come together and engage as a community. We are seeking to promote Motherwell as a more inclusive place, promoting longer dwell-time and increased town centre footfall. Public use of town centres and increased activity supports civic presence and improved security. Actively used, thriving public space is both safer, and more welcoming, than unused space. In helping to improve space within our town centres, and in direct response to the requirement’s of Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4, the Council is currently preparing an Open Spaces Strategy for North Lanarkshire. This strategy will assess existing open space and green networks and help guide how we manage and meet the need for openspace in town centres such as Motherwell. As such, future reviews of the Action Plan will give cognisance to the findings of this emerging strategy and help guide how we shape our openspace going forward. However, the Vision for Motherwell Town Centre already identifies a need for improved ‘gateways’ to the town centre, improving the aesthetical quality of streetscape and creating ‘place quality’. These identified gateways are at Motherwell Library, Brandon Street and at Menteith Road with these to be improved as part of the TAP proposals in the short-medium term. Tenements at corner of Muir Street The former Co-op Building on corner of Dalziel Street 29 Page 104 of 312
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Carbon Reduction Town Centres have a key role in supporting a sustainable future and contributing to the essential adaptation necessary to address climate change and our commitment to net zero. Place shaping can help contribute to climate change targets through the repurposing of buildings; developing 20-minute neighbourhoods, reducing the need to travel and supporting flood mitigation. Key measures within the vision for supporting carbon reduction in Airdrie will include: • property upgrading, retrofit and re-purposing (making these more energy efficient); • developing active travel infrastructure; • greening activity; • extending EV Charging infrastructure; and • planning for compact urban centres and accessible services. The carbon cost of demolishing existing buildings and then developing new buildings is also in most cases higher than the carbon cost of refurbishment and adaption of buildings to new uses. In recognition of this, key buildings within Motherwell such as the Old Town Hall and former YMCA are to be refurbished rather than demolished with works making them more energy efficient and extending their viable use. This both reduces our collective carbon footprint and retains the heritage and character of the town. Transition to Net Zero Green Blue Infrastructure Planning needs to support local measures to minimise the impact of intense rainfall events and to mitigate flood risk while also designing flood resilient places. Area wide measures may include, for example, green corridors for storm water flows linked to new habitat management measures and our active travel networks. The Council is also currently working with Scottish Water to develop a pilot study on a vacant and derelict land site in Motherwell. This study is focusing on ways to manage surface water infrastructure so that additional pressures are not placed upon the existing combined sewer network within our town centres. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging The Scottish Government’s requirement to phase out the need for petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 will impact on our centres with charging and fast charging points becoming part of the urban fabric. From 5 June 2023, the regulations also requires electric vehicle charging to be installed for new buildings and those subject to major renovation. This includes one EV charge point socket to be provided for all new housing and flats and in 10% of parking spaces for non-domestic buildings where these have 10 car parking spaces or more. Added to this, in order to encourage and enable the use of our towns, the Council needs to take forward the installation of EV charging points within our town centres for general public use. At the moment, work is ongoing through the Glasgow City Region team on behalf of all local authorities with a view to engaging a provider to install and operate our EV charging going forward. The intention would be for the provider to agree proposed sites with the Council and install and manage the EV charging provision on the Councils behalf. As part of the delivery of Motherwell Town Action Plan, the Council will also investigate the suitability of our public car parks and facilities for EV Charging and their capacity to meet future demand and need for EV charging within our town centres. 31 Page 106 of 312
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Other Considerations Finance & External Funding It has been well publicised that over the next three years, North Lanarkshire Council (along with other public services across Scotland) face significant budget cuts. As such, investment made through the Town Action Plan has to ensure that ongoing future revenue or operational costs associated with any works is minimal and, where possible, additional revenue generated through, for example, increased rents or business rates. Moreover, to reduce the burden on the Council’s available capital, the Council will look to fund such works by alternative means through: promoting and seeking private sector investment; use of North Lanarkshire’s Housing Revenue Account; and sourcing funding through Scottish Government Programmes (such as the Place Based Investment Programme and Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Programme), the UK Government (with funding recently received for Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Town Centres through their Levelling Up Fund and Town Fund programmes respectively) or other funders (such as the National Heritage Lotter Fund). Community Wealth Building The Town Action Plan for Airdrie has been developed in consultation with local communities to help identify the key actions which we want to take forward to help improve and regenerate Airdrie Town Centre. However, in order to drive and sustain real change, it is critical that local communities buy in to and take ownership of these plans. Community Wealth Building is designed to harness the economic leverage of local ‘anchor’ organisations to tackle long-term systematic challenges within local communities and help to change the way we manage and provide local services through, for example, community-owned assets, a focus on local supply chains and local job creation – key goals which need to be embedded as part of the delivery of the Action Plan. Communications Plan It has been identified that the Action Plan affects four key stakeholder groups: • local communities and residents living in the town centre (with the viability of the centre dependent upon being able to attract local people to use the town and sustain local spend); • local businesses and shops (with retailers particularly interested in opportunities which may be brought forward through the plan, how change will affect their business and how works may disturb trade); • potential visitors to Airdrie and people who live outwith Airdrie but work within the town centre (both of whom will contribute to spend and the local economy); and • the council and other public bodies (who will lead on and contribute to the delivery of the plan). Raising awareness of our plans for Airdrie is essential to keeping these stakeholders engaged in the process of transforming the town centre and securing their buy in to the works being proposed. To ensure these groups are fully informed, a detailed Communications Plan will be developed for Airdrie Town Centre to make sure proposals are shared and stakeholders kept updated on progress made. As part of this Communications Plan, the Council aim to host a bespoke ‘Town’s Page’ for each of the main towns across North Lanarkshire on its website. This will incorporate news and information for each town including copies of the Town Visions and Action Plans and progress being made on the delivery of Action Plan proposals. 32 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 107 of 312
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Section 3: Motherwell Town Action Plan 33 Page 108 of 312
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Project Proposal Timescales* Economic Prosperity & Stability Braidhust Industrial Estate Take forward the £7M regeneration of Braidhurst Industrial Estate (including the construction of 10 new start-up units and the refurbishment of 6 existing NLP units). Short-term Town Centre Audit & Demand Analysis – Vacant Office Space Undertake an Audit and Demand Analysis for vacant office space within Motherwell Town Centre to help develop a strategy for the repurposing of this space. Short-term Town Centre Living Former YMCA/ Brandon Street The refurbishment of the former YMCA (to incorporate 6 new residential units) and the development of 43 additional residential units on adjacent land to be taken forward by NLC. Short-term Masonic Hall The redevelopment of the former Masonic Hall as a façade retention, and the construction of 11 new residential units to be taken forward by NLC. Medium-term Motherwell Old Town Hall The refurbishment of the Motherwell Old Town Hall (to incorporate 20 new residential units) to be taken forward by NLC. Short-term Coursington & Draffen Street The development of 60 residential units to be taken forward by NLC. Medium- term Leslie Street The development of 13 residential units to be taken forward by Clyde Valley Housing Assoc. Short-term Buy-Backs Continuation of the Council’s ‘buy-back’ scheme to offer affordable housing within Airdrie Town Centre. Ongoing Movement & Active Travel Active Travel Works Take forward planned investment in Motherwell’s Active Travel Network to include new routes from/to: • Braidhurst Industrial Estate to Bellshill Cycling Hub (Strathclyde Country Park) • Hamilton road between Motherwell Town centre and Strathclyde Country Park • Hope Street/Muir Street to Milton Street and Pollock Street • Motherwell Town Centre to Carfin (via Merry Street) • West Hamilton Street to Camp Street • Windmillhill Streetbetween Camp Street and Airbles Road Town Action Plan Proposals Project Proposal Timescales* Active Travel Study The development of a design and costing study, aligned to North Lanarkshire’s Active Travel Strategy, to map out potential Active Travel Networks across Motherwell Town Centre. This will focus on identifying ‘gaps’ within the existing and planned network. At the same time, work will also undertake to source external funding to suppport the delivery of this infrastructure. Short-term Active Travel Hub The development of a Town Centre Active Travel (location to be identified) including potential charghing points for e-bikes. Built Heritage & Place Heritage Buildings Take forward the refurbishment and conversion of the former Masonic Hall (façade retention only), the former YMCA and Motherwell Old Town Hall for affordable housing. Short to medium- term Heritage Buildings Identify key heritage buildings within town centre that are vacant, underused or in poor condition and enter/continue discussion with owners to identify roue for safeguarding, improving or repurposing properties. This will include helping to source funding for these regeneration initiatives. Medium- term Motherwell Library, Brandon Street and Menteith Road Undertake feasibility works to assess viability and costs for the development of town gateway features. Short-term Transition to Net Zero EV Charging Site Investigations of NLC’s carparks across Motherwell Town Centre to assess suitability/infrastructure needs for EV Charging Installation as part of the delivery proposals currently being developed through Glasgow City Region. Long-term Town & Community Hubs Motherwell Town Hub The development of Motherwell Town Hub. Long-term *Short-term: 1-3 Years *Medium-term: 3-7 years *Long-term: 7+ years 34 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 109 of 312
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The Action Plan Proposals Map G G G G PT PT Core Retail Area Area of Change G Potential New Public Sector Housing Potential New Private Sector Housing Recent Housing Developments Potential Active Travel Route Enhanced Public Transport Hub Heritage assets New Gateway Feature (Town Centre Boundary) Potential Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (Public Car Parks) 35 Page 110 of 312
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3D Proposals Map MAP TO FOLLOW 36 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 111 of 312
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Strategic Alignment The Town Action Plan for Motherwell is aligned with The Plan for North Lanarkshire and other key strategies, policies and plans. Together this strategic policy framework ensures that work is aligned with our priorities and enables the required resources and working practices needed to facilitate delivery of the shared ambition. Motherwell Town Action Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis, not only to ensure that it remains aligned to any new or emerging strategies developed by the Council and its partners, but also to make sure that any new opportunities can be incorporated within the plan proposals and any new issues arising within the town centre addressed. ACTIVITIES ECONOMIC REGENERATION DELIVERY PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN LOCAL HOUSING STRATEGY DIGITAL AND IT STRATEGY TACKLING POVERTY STRATEGY ACTIVE TRAVEL STRATEGY THE PLAN FOR NORTH LANARKSHIRE SHARED AMBITION 37 Page 112 of 312
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Notes 38 Town Action Plan Motherwell Page 113 of 312
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Notes 39 Page 114 of 312
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This document can be made available in a range of languages and formats, including large print, braille, audio, electronic and accessible formats. To make a request, please contact Corporate Communications at: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk ’S urrainn dhuinn an sgrìobhaidh seo a chur ann an diofar chànanan agus chruthan, a’ gabhail a-steach clò mòr, braille, cruth claisneachd agus cruthan dealanach agus ruigsinneach. Gus iarrtas a dhèanamh, cuir fios gu Conaltradh Corporra aig: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk Niniejszy dokument można otrzymać w wielu różnych językach i formatach, w tym również dużym drukiem, alfabetem Braille’a, w wersji dźwiękowej, elektronicznej i w innych dostępnych formatach. Prośby należy składać na ręce zespołu ds. komunikacji drogą elektroniczną na adres: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk 此文件可以多种不同语言和格式提供，包括大字体、点字、音频、电子和易读格式。 如想提出请求，请联系企业传讯部：corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk CC_2023_00011 Produced by NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Growth Team Place Civic Centre Motherwell Ml1 4AB e. growthteam@northlan.gov.uk NORTHLANARKSHIRE.GOV.UKPage 115 of 312
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Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 116 of 312
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Written, designed and produced by Corporate Communications, North Lanarkshire Council. Design concepts provided by: Ironside Farrar Ltd, Environmental Consultants - Town Vision design concepts Norr, Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Design - Town and community hub design concepts MAST Architecture - Town Living design concepts All statistics and information correct at date of print: November 2023. Page 117 of 312
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Contents Introduction .............................................................................. 5 SECTION 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends .......... 7 SECTION 2: Key Considerations for Wishaw ............................ 13 A High Street for Everyone ......................................................... 14 A Vision for our Towns .............................................................. 15 The Vision for Wishaw .............................................................. 15 Town and Community Hubs ..................................................... 19 Economic Prosperity & Stability ................................................ 21 Town Centre Living ................................................................... 23 Movement & Active Travel ......................................................... 26 Built Heritage & Place ............................................................... 28 Transition to Net Zero ............................................................... 31 Other Considerations ................................................................ 32 SECTION 3: Airdrie Town Action Plan ....................................... 33 Town Action Plan Proposals ..................................................... 34 The Town Action Plan Proposals Map ....................................... 35 3D Proposal Map ..................................................................... 36 Strategic Alignment .................................................................. 37 Page 118 of 312
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Introduction This is North Lanarkshire. This is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit. This is our vision. We have come a long way. One of the fastest growing economies in Scotland. The most ambitious council housebuilding programme in the country. Record levels of infrastructure investment and dozens of new schools. These are just a few examples. The Plan for North Lanarkshire, approved in 2019, offered a clear way forward. It offered a shared ambition for inclusive growth and prosperity for all and we are delivering on that ambition. We’re making huge progress, with investment and development happening in all our towns and communities. But what comes next? How do we deal with the undoubted challenges that remain, like unacceptably high levels of deprivation and child poverty, in-work poverty and areas of inequality across communities? How do we become the agents of change for towns and communities to ensure they have a sustainable future in the face of declining revenue budgets? This vision for North Lanarkshire, as the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest and Visit is reflected in the Town Action Plan for Wishaw which seeks to identify site specific proposals to deliver the concepts set out in the vision. The Town Action Plans been divided into three sections as follows: Section 1: The scale of the challenge facing North Lanarkshire and the key trends which are impacting on North Lanarkshire’s Town Centres. Section 2: The key issues and opportunities which have helped formulate proposals outlined in the Town Action Plan for Wishaw. Section 3: The Town Action Plan Proposals. 5 Page 120 of 312
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Section 1: The Scale of the Challenge and Key Trends Page 122 of 312
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Key Trends The following highlights the potential impact of economic, demographic, technological and social trends on our towns. RETAILING Demand for UK retail space on our high street is now at its lowest since 2007, with a move toward online retail as well as prime mixed-use locations (such as Silverburn and Braehead) offering retail, leisure, entertainment and amenities, whilst serving vibrant night-time economies. Our town centres are highly vulnerable to weak footfall with a decline in retail sales across Scotland of 6.2% since 2021 alone (following year on year drops over the last decade). The inevitable reality is that fewer physical stores will be present on the high streets of the future and that the role of those remaining stores will need to evolve. On its current trajectory, it is estimated that physical retail sales across our towns will fall by a further 35% over the next five years with a growing reliance on convenience and discount retailers paying lower rents. We will see consumers with lower disposable income and limited access to higher end retail. North Lanarkshire in particular will be highly susceptible to this trend where our towns are competing with bigger centres such as Glasgow and Edinburgh for footfall and retail spending. Both large and small scale operators also continue to struggle to adapt to the growth in online shopping. UK consumers spend more online than any other European country – accounting for 18% of all retail sales. It is projected that 35% of sales within the next few years will be online.. Store-based profit margins have more than halved over the last decade as consecutive rises in business rates, the national living wage, the national minimum wage and relative occupancy costs spiral upwards. 8 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 123 of 312
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LIVING North Lanarkshire is home to over 341,000 people living in more than 154,000 homes. The Council is Scotland’s largest local authority landlord, owning and managing more than 36,000 homes with a further 5,000 new affordable homes by 2035. Forecasts predict that the number of households will rise by 1.5% (2,300) between now and 2028. However, the local development plan promotes sufficient land for more than 21,000 homes across North Lanarkshire. Of our 154,000 homes, only circa. 1,500 - or just under 1% - are located within town centres with over half of these built before 1919 and likely to require significant future repair and maintenance. There is, however, significant opportunity for residential development to replace the contraction in retail. This is a key way of helping to develop footfall within our town centres and, in turn, creating a more viable (although reduced) retail and commercial offer. POPULATION North Lanarkshire is currently home to around 6.3% of Scotland’s total population. However, the number of deaths has exceeded the number of births over the last three years although it is forecast that North Lanarkshire’s total population will increase by 0.3% between 2018- 28 due primarily as a result of net inward migration. In contrast, the population of Scotland over the same time period is anticipated to grow by 1.8%, demonstrating that North Lanarkshire is still failing in attracting people to come and live here. It is well established that economic growth is closely linked to population growth. As such, to help make North Lanarkshire a more prosperous place, it is essential that we provide the right type of housing and environment that will make this a place where people already living in, or moving to or within Scotland, want to relocate. DEMOGRAPHICS Children and young people aged 0-15 make up almost one fifth of North Lanarkshire’s population (18%) and this is forecast to decrease to almost 16% by 2028. Almost two thirds (64%) of North Lanarkshire’s population are of working age (16-64 year olds). This is forecast to continue to decline in the long-term. The older adult population (aged 65+) accounts for 18% of North Lanarkshire’s total population. This is expected to increase so that, by 2028, one in five (20%) of people living in North Lanarkshire will be aged 65+. This demographic change will have an impact. Tax income is likely to fall because there will be fewer people of working age, and care responsibilities will increase. It is essential that towns are designed to ensure that people are able to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, homes are adaptable and flexible and local services accessible. 9 Page 124 of 312
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CONNECTIVITY We need to put transport and digital infrastructure in place to ensure residents can access employment and leisure as well as online opportunities and services. 13.2% of Scotland’s motorway network is located in North Lanarkshire, a place which has excellent rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as three of Scotland’s busiest passenger train stations (Motherwell, Croy and Airdrie). While transport links in and out of North Lanarkshire are excellent, there are relatively poor transport connections within the local authority area. The development of the Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor linking the M80, M8 and M74 will in part address this issue, but the visions need to ensure that our towns are designed as accessible and well- connected places. Road and rail use has grown significantly over recent years but the number of bus journeys has declined by approximately 23% which is significantly higher than the Scottish average of a 5% decline. Given that only 37% of households earning less than £10,000 can access a private car compared to 97% of those who earn more than £40,000, public transport is a key issue for the people of North Lanarkshire. Whilst a national conversation about the shape of future public transport is required, particularly in terms of cost, ticketing, coverage and responsiveness, the Council needs to work with partners to identify local gaps and how they can be filled through, for example, community transportation and active travel. This was a key recommendation of the North Lanarkshire Fairness Commission and will be subject to discussion as part of the development of the emerging Local Transport Strategy for North Lanarkshire. The ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars after 2030, and a requirement for them to be off the road by 2040, will also require significant investment in infrastructure to support a shift in how we fuel our private vehicles e.g. electric vehicle charging points within car park’s and on streets and the development of EV Hubs (fast charge sites) along key transport corridors and within town centres. DIGITAL ECONOMY 86% of UK households use the internet on a daily basis and it is anticipated that this use will continue to grow and drive demand for faster and better quality access. It is clear that good quality internet access will be essential for future business development and will underpin many areas of employment. Whilst 98% of homes have access to superfast broadband, the uptake of this is relatively low due to the cost of access. The Council has secured a digital partner, Commsworld, to take this investment further, expand opportunity for full-fibre and ultra-fast broadband and develop more affordable access for all. This will include delivery of these digital connections as part of the planned development and regeneration works across North Lanarkshire’s town centres. 10 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 125 of 312
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THE LOW CARBON AGENDA A Scottish target of net zero emissions of all greenhouse gas has been set for 2045. However, in recognition of the importance of climate change, the council declared a climate emergency in 2019, committing it to reduce council carbon emissions to zero by 2030. New legislation across a number of sectors including transportation and housing will inform the way we design new housing and the refurbishment of our existing housing stock towards zero carbon through legislative and policy requirements such as: INFRASTRUCTURE New development within our town centres could in part be constrained by existing infrastructure such as energy, water and sewerage. There is a need for early engagement with utility providers to identify issues of capacity and networks to ensure that the infrastructure to support the development of houses within our town centres is available at the right time and the right cost. - ensuring all new housing uses renewable or low carbon heating systems from 2024; - ensuring all private rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band C or above by 2030; - ensuring all socially rented housing achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rating of Band B or above by 2032; and - developing an undertaking, where financially and technically viable, to ensure all housing is net zero carbon by 2045. 11 Page 126 of 312
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12 Town Action Plan Aidrie Page 127 of 312
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Section 2: Key Considerations for Wishaw Page 128 of 312
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22 Wishaw Rebalancing RepopulatingRepositioning Repurposing Airdrie A High Street for Everyone A People Centred Approach Our high streets offer a rich and authentic environment that for generations has been the backdrop to the ceremonies and memorable events of our community. Furthermore, the health of our town centre reflect the health of our wider community or society. An energised town centre that is open to all and where there is opportunity for improvement, will help enrich the lives of our residents. It is critical that we achieve a perception shift in our communities and stakeholders and reposition the High Street at the heart of the community. In doing so we are seeking to develop a better town centre where the requirements of all, regardless of age, ability or wealth, are accommodated. The following section outlines the key issues and opportunities which have helped drive forward the development of the Town Action Plan for Airdrie. These key drivers have been identified from: • the findings which were outlined in The Town Centre Visions and Town & Community Hub plans which were approved by Council in 2021 (as part of the Council’s ‘The Place: The Vision’ strategy) following an extensive programme of public consultation; • desktop research to assess the key challenges, issues and opportunities which need to be addressed or taken forward to help support the transformational change of Airdrie Town Centre; • and the workshops and consultation work (including community board briefings, on-line plans and questionnaire and a 6-week exhibition held within Wishaw library which also incorporated opportunity for one-to-one drop-in sessions) that has allowed local communities to comment on plans and bring forward proposals for change. The general feedback from this consultation was as follows: • it was recognised that given current retail trends, alternative options need to be developed for our town centres; • general support was given for the Council’s goals to promote and enable town centre living; • the importance of the heritage fabric of our towns was highlighted and a demand to, where possible, repurpose and reuse historic buildings rather than replace these; and • good transport and access links to our town centres was seen as vital to success of our towns. It should be noted that as part of the consultation process, there was limited input received from retailers, the business community in general. It is, however, intended that the Council will undertake further consultation on the Town Action Plans with local communities and stakeholders (including targeting local businesses) as part of future reviews and updates of these plans. 14 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 129 of 312
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A Vision for our Towns Some of our town centres face difficulties. Built around a twentieth century model of primary retail, they have been challenged by the rise of online and out-of-town shopping. A key strategy among larger retailers and banks is to reduce their high street presence. How do towns survive as retail gradually moves away and how can the council reimagine our towns? The answer is to reposition town centres as mixed-use spaces. Only by shifting the focus from retail-driven town centres to a broader mix of investment, and promoting town centre living, can our towns have a sustainable future. The council can bring about this change by positioning local services in towns and communities. By doing so, local people can have more direct access to services they need and staff can be closer to the communities they work in. This is about more than niche retail, developing the evening economy or increasing leisure opportunities. These must be living towns, with a much stronger focus on new- build housing, residential conversion and refurbishment that will address the decline of the built environment. 15 Page 130 of 312
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Crucially, the Town Visions join together with Town and Community Hubs and our Country Parks for the Future programmes to create a coherent, vibrant and sustainable future for North Lanarkshire. The Town Visions which follow are concepts, highlighting proposals for each town and how each town could function in the future. These recognise that one size does not fit all. Each of the towns in North Lanarkshire has its own challenges and opportunities and its own history and heritage. A number of common themes have emerged in the development of these prospectuses. For example, there is a need for residential development which uses land no longer required for traditional retailing. Improving town centre access and active travel, and examining the needs of an older population living longer, are key considerations. The council can’t do this alone. The Town Visions contained here are just that: visions. To become a reality, these visions need to be shaped through extensive consultation and engagement with community planning partners, landowners, retailers, residents, councillors and other agencies. These visions should inform both public and private sector investment. The Town Visions represent a long-term strategy for transformation over a 15-20 year period. They work alongside town centre projects already planned for the short and medium term including regeneration projects, the acquisition of prominent vacant and derelict buildings and sites, new council house construction, and infrastructure and access developments. 16 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 131 of 312
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The Vision for Wishaw 17 Page 132 of 312
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The Vision for Wishaw Wishaw is an enterprising well-connected town and it is around these core values that the town’s future is based. The vision seeks to build on this quality of place creating a new compact and livable centre that connects the Cross, the Houldsworth Centre, the rail station, the proposed Town Hub, green areas and pedestrian routes. The vision is built around ‘town livability’ strengthening Wishaw’s place quality and supporting community wealth and civic value within an enterprising and inclusive economy. New town centre living will be provided for within a mix of affordable, amenity and open market energy efficient homes which will support growth and sustain a vibrant town centre. Wishaw is a great place to live and work offering both enterprise opportunities for home office and home working units alongside a strong small business base. Research has shown that the small independent retail sector is more resilient to change during times of economic stress and it is these local businesses that the Council is seeking to secure moving forward. Equally the centre is well connected with good public transport links to Glasgow and other centres and can be a quality commuter town offering accessible living with good connections to employment in the city region and beyond. The proposed Town Hub together with the Houldsworth Centre alongside easy access to regional health, sports and educational facilities (Wishaw General Hospital, Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre, New College Lanarkshire) make Wishaw and enviable destination. Development of walking and cycling routes and ‘greenways’ will further connect regional facilties and adjacent centres creating an attractive green circular network through the Clyde and Calder valleys. Wishaw’s compactness, its connections, street pattern and greenspace make for a town that can build resilience and adaption to climate change, strengthen community life, support health and wellbeing and low- carbon living. Sustainable and SMART urban systems (Waste/Drainage/5G-Wifi/Transport) will with other facilities make Wishaw a place of choice. Wishaw Opportunities Town centres are facing a range of opportunities and challenges as community needs and the way we use our centres change. Wishaw needs to adapt and strengthen its role as an appealing and liveable centre based on quality of place, enterprise, community assets, heritage and low carbon living. The core projects involve: • Developing a new Town Hub for the delivery of public services including education and leisure uses • Focusing investment in the town centre around the Cross, Kirk Road and connections to the rail station. • The creation of new active routes to link the town centre to major community assets such as the Town Hub, Wishaw General Hospital, Ravenscraig etc. • Promoting a sense of place by securing long term futures for heritage assets. • Promoting lifestyle appeal based on town centre living adjacent to services and places of interest. 55 18 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 133 of 312
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Town & Community Hubs As part of the Council’s ambition for North Lanarkshire, all schools constructed pre-1996 have been identified for improvement or replacement. So that they can be sustainable, we need to reduce the number of building assets across North Lanarkshire, working with communities and partners. As such, our town and community hubs will in some places, be merged, co-located or combined and integrated with other community and partnership assets. For example, there may be a single campus for 2-18 year olds where early learning, primary and secondary education is delivered alongside other council and community services. To design this model, we will use six guiding principles: • Inclusive, universal provision: a hub must serve the whole community and offer universal provision of services as a default. • Sense of community ownership: central to the model is learning and teaching, but the hub must be an asset for the whole community. • Maximum availability and usage: hubs will operate from early in the morning until late in the evening. They must be multi-functional and must be able to be used throughout the day. • Designed with the community: options for design should be shared as early as possible in the process so that people in communities have ownership. • Tailored, bespoke, representative: each hub will be unique to ensure it meets specific community needs. • Maximise services on offer: services available within the hub should complement rather than compete with services already serving the same community. TOWN HUBS COMMUNITY HUBS SMALL COMMUNITY HUBS EARLY YEARS FACILITIES (council or partnership run) PRIMARY PROVISION SECONDARY PROVISION ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS (ASN) PROVISION COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAY OLDER ADULTS CAFÉ GREENSPACE RETAIL/ COMMERCIAL/ START-UP OFFICES FAMILY COUNCIL AND PARTNER STAFF LEISURE HEALTH SERVICES EMPLOYABILITY / TRAINING LIBRARY SPORT (INDOOR AND/ OR OUTDOOR) TRANSPORT Hubs will have a form and facilities based on the need of the local community. Zones which could be included are numerous and could be some or all of the following: We envisage three types of hub: Town hubs are likely to include primary and secondary education and an early years facility. Other services on offer in town hubs will be larger in scale, such as more comprehensive sport and leisure offerings, more significant outdoor sport provision and a wider range of services. Community hubs are likely to include at least one learning establishment and may include other zones such as sport and leisure. Small community hubs may exist in areas where there is no requirement for new education facilities but where there is a need to replace older facilities such as libraries, community centres or health facilities. 19 Page 134 of 312
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Wishaw Town Hub The Council has identified the land in and around Wishaw Sports Centre and Beltane Park off Alexander Street as the preferred site (following a public vote) for the development of the Town Hub for Wishaw. This site was presented as one of two location options, as it is owned by the Council, has sufficient land to accommodate the footprint of the Town Hub campus and is centrally located within Wishaw in close proximity to the Town Centre, the mainline Rail Station and Wishaw & district General Hospital. The Council is currently seeking to secure the funding to proceed with the design development of the Town Hub and associated statutory public consultation. The hub would provide new state of the art facilities for St Aiden’s HS, St Thomas PS plus ASN and an early years nursery. Community Hubs The Newmains and St Brigid’s Community Hub was opened in January 2023. The hub accommodates Newmains PS, St Brigid’s PS and the Newmains Family Learning Centre. This facility has been designed to be open and accessible to the whole community, with predominately school access during the day and the wider community able to access many areas within the hub outwith school hours. The building design is seen as an exemplar for the development of future Community Hubs in terms of its energy efficiency, accessibility, quality of internal and external learning environments and play facilities. The Council will continue to review the physical condition of its education estate to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the wider community. 11 20 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 135 of 312
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Retail While the ambition for all of our town centres is to move towards a more mixed use offering to improve resilience and recognize the shift in how we use our town centres the Council wants to retain and support the retail sector and assist it’s recovery from the double impacts of an economic downturn and the Covid Pandemic. Research has shown that the independent retail sector is more resilient to change than larger national multiples and that these, in most cases, local businesses, will prevail if sufficient infrastructure and interest is in place. We will therefore seek to support the retail sector by encouraging existing landlords to refurbish larger vacant units into smaller units to provide space for entrepreneurs and established businesses to find the optimum premises for their business. There are fiscal and legal reasons why the Council cant get involved in direct subsidies to the private sector, however, we are working with partners to identify potential funding streams to promote business investment and regeneration of the high street. Where vacancy occurs we will encourage businesses to concentrate around key nodes with less accessible premises being promoted for conversion to residential use in an effort to sustain existing footfall within the town centre. Commercial The collapse in the demand for commercial premises such as offices in town centre locations echoes wider structural changes in the economy and the growth of digital connectivity. The impacts of the Covid pandemic demonstrated the benefits and ease of remote working across the public and private sector and led to an exponential growth in homeworking with a resulting impact on footfall within the town centre. Moving forward commercial space needs to be accessible and energy efficient to compete with out of town locations. Given that existing commercial uses are at first floor level their conversion into residential use should be easier that the refurbishment of ground floor premises. Leisure& Hospitality The leisure and hospitality sector is a key component of the move towards a more mixed use town centre. The importance of Place in terms of the public perception of character and safety is very important in attracting people to use existing businesses. Ease of movement to and from these uses will encourage people to access the town centre for leisure activities to sustain and develop the nightime economy and footfall. The Council’s role will be to promote active travel routes, investment in public transport and the cleanliness and safety of the public realm. Economic Prosperity & Stability 21 Page 136 of 312
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88 Image: Proposed residential flatted development on Main Street (former Anvil Block) 22 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 137 of 312
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New Build Admittedly, developers looking to offer housing options within town centres find that they are typically more expensive, riskier, and take longer than other housebuilding options. Town centre projects also tend to be smaller, providing less financial return. However, the Council is of the view that the overall gains outweigh risks and costs if we take into account the wider societal benefits such as improved wellbeing and a reduction in carbon footprint. Key to helping to deliver this is identifying how the Council de-risks and enables such development through, for example, providing development support (e.g. via the Council’s Invest in North Lanarkshire’s Programme of Work) or promoting development opportunity through agreeing up front to buy ‘off-the-shelf’ housing being proposed by the private sector in order to guarantee sales. This type of model has been used to promote private sector housing investment has been employed elsewhere across North Lanarkshire and has proved successful. As such, it is very much viewed as a potential model which could be used to support the delivery of town centre living across the local authority area and its towns. There are a number of new housing developments currently being taken forward by the Council in Wishaw Town Centre (including, for example, the former Kingshouse office site on the corner of Graham Street and Campbell Street and the former Methodist Church site on Caledonian Road). However, there are also likely to be opportunity for private sector development with, for example, plans for LIDL to relocate to Heathery Town Centre Living Road in Wishaw and their existing site expected to be brought to the market for residential development. The Council hopes that by taking the lead in the delivery of town centre living, we can make the case that there is a latent demand for good quality town centre houses and encourage the private sector to invest. Private sector investment and development is important to ensure both tenure and design diversity so that we can, over time, improve the townscape and character of the town centre. 23 Page 138 of 312
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Refurbishment The Council is actively seeking to replace redundant and in some cases derelict properties within the town centre to residential development to ensure that we respond to issues of vacancy and dereliction. However, it also recognises that in many cases the refurbishment of existing buildings within the town, rather than demolition and replacement, can not only reduce the carbon footprint of development but also retain the character of the townscape and help preserve a centre’s unique sense of place. Since the launch of the Town Visions, the Council has entered into conversation with private and third sector property owners within Wishaw, who are potentially looking to refurbish key buildings within the town centre, in order to identify how we can lend support for their plans. Although none of these proposals are as yet at an advanced stage, the Council remains very much committed to, where possible, safeguarding and refurbishing buildings within the town centre (either directly if under Council ownership or by working with property owners when not) where these add value to the quality of this environment. Heritage Refurbishment The communities’ perception of ‘Place’ is informed by the quality of the public realm and key heritage buildings. Wishaw Town Centre has a number of heritage properties which are functionally obsolete but of good quality and whose external appearance contributes to the character and history of the town. Heritage buildings on the Main Street include, for example, the YMCA and the Church of Scotland. Such buildings make a significant contribution to the townscape and it could be argued that the Main Street would be poorer if they are not improved and/or repurposed as they could fall into disrepair eventually resulting in demolition. We would encourage the owners of listed buildings who are considering the future of their building(s) to approach the Council to discuss ways in which the properties can contribute to the vision of a mixed- use town centre. The Council has recent experience of working with organisations such as Historic Environment Scotland, external funders such as the National Heritage Lottery Fund and delivery partners (including Registered Social Landlords) to help take forward the regeneration of such properties. Tower Reprovisioning North Lanarkshire’s Towers Reprovisioning Programme is seeking to demolish all high-rise towers and selected low-rise block properties across North Lanarkshire and replace them with quality flatted, terraced and semi-detached housing to meet the needs of the local community. In the first phase of these works, the replacement of the low-rise properties at Gowkthrapple and Allershaw are in progress and at design stage respectively whilst the second phase of works (to be delivered over the next 3-5 years) will include the replacement of low- rise blocks at Greenfield Drive (4 blocks), Glasgow Road (3 blocks) and the Anvil Block on Main Street. Whilst the footprint of these low-rise blocks will provide housing for some former tenants, the reprovisioning of existing properties and construction of new residential development within the town centre offers an opportunity to rehouse these tenants, helping to repopulate the centre and bring them closer to key facilities and services which our communities require. 24 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 139 of 312
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88 88 Images: The top two images are exemplars of modern residential flatted development, the bottom two images are sketch proposals for the replacement for the Anvill Block on Main Street. 25 Page 140 of 312
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Movement & Active Travel 26 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 141 of 312
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Movement & Active Travel Public Transport Town centres are hubs for transport interchanges with Wishaw having strong rail network and bus service links. Developing the points of interchange, making public transport more accessible, appealing and environmentally responsive are key considerations within the Wishaw Town Action Plan. Wishaw Train Station, located on the Lanark to Glasgow mainline, offers excellent transport links. To help to try to take advantage of this, the Council will enter into discussions with Scotrail and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to consider the options for the development of an improved transport interchange around the rail station, supporting improved active travel routes, enhancing transitions between rail and bus and improving the quality of the environment around existing park and ride facilities to promote a switch from private car travel to public transport as part of our commitment to a low carbon future. Securing net zero and developing a carbon neutral economy will require the need to travel to be reduced. Radical solutions are required based on reduced car travel, the development of stronger active travel infrastructure and piloting new initiatives around 20-minute neighbourhoods. Active Travel Active travel (walking and cycling including e-bikes) Active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) has many environmental benefits, as well as improved health and wellbeing, and is a core part of rebalancing the transport modes within our town centres. The town centre as a focus for active travel activity needs to be driven by connecting the town to facilities and services as well as the surrounding area. As such, developing active travel routes between Wishaw and nearby towns and communities as well as other key facilities and locations, such as the proposed Town Hub, the Houldsworth Centre, Wishaw General Hospital, local schools and local greenspace (e.g. Belhaven Park and Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park) are seen as a central priority of the Action Plan. Prioritising Sustainable Transport Walking and wheeling Cycling Public Transport Taxis & Shared transport Private Car 27 Page 142 of 312
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44 Built Heritage & Place Images from top left: Wishaw Main Street looking south west, The former Greens Cinema/Mecca Bingo Hall, The Houldsworth Centre, The Century Bar and the Waverly Bar. 28 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 143 of 312
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Built Heritage & Place Built Heritage North Lanarkshire’s towns have character. Distinctive in form and heritage, the town centres are a reminder of a positive and defining economic past (coal, iron, steel, mills, quarrying) with many notable buildings. Wishaw like many towns has suffered from the loss of key buildings and there is a need to consolidate remaining historic buildings in the town centre and sustain its heritage infrastructure. The vision for Wishaw seeks to build on the distinctive character and quality of place using this legacy to reinforce urban form and repurpose heritage buildings with new uses, creating new civic facilities, residential homes and mixed-use premises. Within Wishaw, the council has supported Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to address the ‘cost-gap’ associated with new build town centre housing sites (e.g. by providing Vacant and Derelict Land Fund monies for land remediation works at the former Tesco site on Main Street) to help create a viable development – this is very much seen as a possible route for enabling the development of new build housing within Wishaw Town Centre. However, this approach has also been used to help regenerate and repurpose buildings in other town centres which contribute to the architectural and heritage value of these towns. This includes, for example, the former Carnagie Library in Coatbridge (where the council was able to secure heritage lottery funding to support the award-winning conversion of this building for housing) and Bromknol Church in Airdrie (where the council allocated capital to enable the successful redevelopment of this historic building). To replicate such activity in Wishaw, the Council will identify potential vacant or underused heritage properties in the town centre and work with owners and key partners to identify and help secure funding for the repurposing of such buildings for housing, community or other viable uses. Place When we speak of place we are talking about the character and quality of the townscape which is a key asset of our towns and comprises all publicly accessible space (streets, squares and greenspace) for people to come together and engage as a community. We are seeking to promote a more inclusive place promoting longer dwell time and increased town centre footfall. Public use of town centres and increased activity supports civic presence and improved security. Actively used, thriving public space is both safer, and more welcoming than unused space. In helping to improve space within our town centres, and in direct response to the requirement’s of Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4, the Council is currently preparing an Open Spaces Strategy for North Lanarkshire. This strategy will assess existing open space and green networks and help guide how we manage and meet the need for openspace in town centres such as Wishaw in the future. As such, future reviews of the Action Plan will give cognisance to the findings of this emerging strategy and help guide how we shape our openspace going forward. However, the Vision for Wishaw Town Centre already identifies a need for improved ‘gateways’ to the main street, improving the aesthetical quality of streetscape and creating ‘place quality’. In doing so, work has already started on securing ownership and permissions needed to address eyesores on entry to Wishaw at Glasgow Road and at the former Stag Hotel site on Main Street. In line with the Vision, new improved entry points to the town also need to be developed on Caledonian Road, Kennilworth Road and Stewarton Street. Lastly, vacant and derelict buildings within the town centre continue to have a detrimental impact on the quality of place and action needs to be taken to reverse this (including, for example, the acquisition and repurposing of buildings such as the former derelict Sherlock’s public house). 29 Page 144 of 312
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Carbon Reduction Town Centres have a key role in supporting a sustainable future and contributing to the essential adaptation necessary to address climate change and our commitment to net zero. Place shaping can help contribute to climate change targets through the repurposing of buildings; developing 20-minute neighbourhoods, reducing the need to travel and supporting flood mitigation. Key measures within the vision for supporting carbon reduction in Airdrie will include: • property upgrading, retrofit and re-purposing (making these more energy efficient); • developing active travel infrastructure; • greening activity; • extending EV Charging infrastructure; and • planning for compact urban centres and accessible services. The carbon cost of demolishing existing buildings and then developing new buildings is also in most cases higher than the carbon cost of refurbishment and adaption of buildings to new uses. To date, the projects which the Council are taking place in Wishaw have focused on the demolition of building and replacement of new build due primarily to the quality of building and/or suitability of design of properties for conversion to alternative use. However, where possible, the council will advocate and take forward the adaption and reuse of buildings within Transition to Net Zero the town centre, rather than replacement, making them more energy efficient and extending their viable use. This both reduces our collective carbon footprint and retains the heritage and character of the town. Green Blue Infrastructure Planning needs to support local measures to minimise the impact of intense rainfall events and to mitigate flood risk while also designing-in flood resilient places. Area wide measures may include, for example, green corridors for storm water flows linked to new habitat management measures and our active travel networks. EV Charging Infrastructure The Scottish Government’s requirement to phase out the need for petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 will impact on our centres with charging and fast charging points becoming part of the urban fabric. From 5 June 2023, the regulations also requires electric vehicle charging to be installed for new buildings and those subject to major renovation. This includes one EV charge point socket to be provided for all new housing and flats and in 10% of parking spaces for non-domestic buildings where these have 10 car parking spaces or more. Added to this, in order to encourage and enable the use of our towns, the council needs to take forward the installation of EV charging points within our town centres for general public use. At the moment work is ongoing through the Glasgow City Region team on behalf of all local authorities with a view to engaging a provider to install and operate our EV charging going forward. As part of this, the intention would be for the provider to agree proposed sites with the council, located at key points that will meet future demand and need of town centre users. The Council will adopt the guidance set out in the revised Building Regulations regarding EV charging points within new developments. The Council will also investigate the roll out of EV charging within public car parks and public facilities. Moreover, the Council has also recently purchased the area of derelict land on the corner of Steel Street and Caledonian Road and will use this to extend the existing town centre car park and create a potential EV Charging hub at this site. 31 Page 146 of 312
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Other Considerations Finance & External Funding It has been well publicised that over the next three years, North Lanarkshire Council (along with other public services across Scotland) face significant budget cuts. As such, investment made through the Town Action Plan has to ensure that ongoing future revenue or operational costs associated with any works is minimal and, where possible, additional revenue generated through, for example, increased rents or business rates. Moreover, to reduce the burden on the Council’s available capital, the Council will look to fund such works by alternative means through: promoting and seeking private sector investment; use of North Lanarkshire’s Housing Revenue Account; and sourcing funding through Scottish Government Programmes (such as the Place Based Investment Programme and Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Programme), the UK Government (with funding recently received for Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Town Centres through their Levelling Up Fund and Town Fund programmes respectively) or other funders (such as the National Heritage Lotter Fund). Community Wealth Building The Town Action Plan for Wishaw has been developed in consultation with local communities to help identify the key actions which we want to take forward to help improve and regenerate Wishaw Town Centre. However, in order to drive and sustain real change, it is critical that local communities buy in to and take ownership of these plans. Community Wealth Building is designed to harness the economic leverage of local ‘anchor’ organisations to tackle long-term systematic challenges within local communities and help to change the way we manage and provide local services through, for example, community-owned assets, a focus on local supply chains and local job creation – key goals which need to be embedded as part of the delivery of the Action Plan. Communications Plan It has been identified that the Action Plan affects four key stakeholder groups: • local communities and residents living in the town centre (with the viability of the centre dependent upon being able to attract local people to use the town and sustain local spend); • local businesses and shops (with retailers particularly interested in opportunities which may be brought forward through the plan, how change will affect their business and how works may disturb trade); • potential visitors to Wishaw and people who live outwith Wishaw but work within the town centre (both of whom will contribute to spend and the local economy); and • the council and other public bodies (who will lead on and contribute to the delivery of the plan). Raising awareness of our plans for Wishaw is essential to keeping these stakeholders engaged in the process of transforming the town centre and securing their buy in to the works being proposed. To ensure these groups are fully informed, a detailed Communications Plan will be developed for Wishaw Town Centre to make sure proposals are shared and stakeholders kept updated on progress made. As part of this Communications Plan, the Council aim to host a bespoke ‘Town’s Page’ for each of the main towns across North Lanarkshire on its website. This will incorporate news and information for each town including copies of the Town Visions and Action Plans and progress being made on the delivery of Action Plan proposals. 32 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 147 of 312
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Section 3: Wishaw Town Action Plan Page 148 of 312
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Town Action Plan Proposals Project Proposal Timescales* Economic Prosperity & Stability Sherlocks Pursue the acquisition, demolition and redevelopment of the former Sherlock’s Public House on Caledonian Road including a new commercial floor plate next to the Cross to offer opportunity for business relocation to the core retail area of the town centre Short-term Town Centre Audit & Demand Analysis - Vacant Office Space Undertake an Audit and Demand Analysis for vacant office space within Wishaw Town Centre to help develop a strategy for the repurposing of this space Short-term Town Centre Living Sherlocks The potential acquisition, demolition and redevelopment of the former Sherlock’s Public House on Caledonian Road including new residential accommodation above a new commercial floor plate Medium-term The Anvil Block (Main Street) The demolition of the Anvil Block and replacement with new flatted development as part of NLC’s reprovisioning programme Medium-term Caledonian Road (Former Methodist Church & Thornlie Parish Church Hall sites) The development of 15 residential units to be taken forward by NLC Short-term Former Kingshouse Offices The development of 20 residential units to be taken forward by NLC Short-term King Street The development of 5 residential units to be taken forward by NLC Short-term Caledonian Road/ Lomond Drive (V&DL Site) The development of 21 residential units to be taken forward by Link Housing Assoc. Short-term Buy-Backs Continuation of the Council’s ‘buy-back’ scheme to offer affordable housing within Wishaw Town Centre Ongoing Project Proposal Timescales* Movement & Active Travel Active Travel The development of a design and costing study, aligned to North Lanarkshire’s Active Travel Strategy, to map out potential Active Travel Networks across Wishaw Town Centre. This will focus on access to key facilities and locations including the proposed Town Hub, Wishaw Train Station, the Houldsworth Centre, Wishaw General Hospital, Ravenscraig and New College Lanarkshire Short-trem Wishaw Transport Interchange Initial engagement with Scotrail and Strathclyde Passenger Transport to consider as part of the Local Transport Strategy options for the development of an improved transport interchange around the rail station to improve transitions between rail and bus and increase car parking capacity Short-term Built heritage & Place Heritage Buildings Identify key heritage buildings within town centre that are vacant, underused or in poor condition and enter/continue discussion with owners to identify roue for safeguarding, improving or repurposing properties. This will include helping to source funding for these regeneration initiatives. Medium-Term Glasgow Road & Former Stag Hotel Sites Explore the potential to acquire the former Stag Hotel site and take forward the regeneration of these key Town Centre Gateways through the development of new green/civic space Short-term Caledonian Road, Kennilworth Road & Stewarton Street Undertake feasibility works to assess viability and costs for the development of new town gateways Short-term Transition to Net Zero EV Charging Site Investigations of NLC’s carparks across Wishaw Town Centre to assess suitability/infrastructure needs for EV Charging Installation as part of the delivery proposals currently being developed through Glasgow City Region Long-term Caledonain Road Car Park Explore the potential to extend the Car Park within V&DL site off Steel Street to include additional parking and EV Charging Hub Town & Community Hubs Wishaw Town Hub The development of Wishw Town Hub (with the preferred location identified at Wishaw Sports Centre/Beltane Park) Long-term *Short-term: 1-3 Years / *Medium-term: 3-7 years / *Long-term: 7+ years 34 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 149 of 312
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The Action Plan Proposals Map G G G G TH PTT PT Core Retail Area Area of Change G Potential New Public Sector Housing Potential New Private Sector Housing Recent Housing Developments Potential Active Travel Route Enhanced Public Transport Hub Heritage assets New Gateway Feature (Town Centre Boundary) Potential Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (Public Car Parks) 35 Page 150 of 312
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3D Proposals Map MAP TO FOLLOW 36 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 151 of 312
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Strategic Alignment The Town Action Plan for Wishaw is aligned with The Plan for North Lanarkshire and other key strategies, policies and plans. ACTIVITIES ECONOMIC REGENERATION DELIVERY PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN LOCAL HOUSING STRATEGY DIGITAL AND IT STRATEGY TACKLING POVERTY STRATEGY ACTIVE TRAVEL STRATEGY THE PLAN FOR NORTH LANARKSHIRE SHARED AMBITION Together this strategic policy framework ensures that work is aligned with our priorities and enables the required resources and working practices needed to facilitate delivery of the shared ambition. Wishaw Town Action Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis, not only to ensure that it remains aligned to any new or emerging strategies developed by the Council and its partners, but also to make sure that any new opportunities can be incorporated within the plan proposals and any new issues arising within the town centre addressed. 37 Page 152 of 312
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Notes 38 Town Action Plan Wishaw Page 153 of 312
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This document can be made available in a range of languages and formats, including large print, braille, audio, electronic and accessible formats. To make a request, please contact Corporate Communications at: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk ’S urrainn dhuinn an sgrìobhaidh seo a chur ann an diofar chànanan agus chruthan, a’ gabhail a-steach clò mòr, braille, cruth claisneachd agus cruthan dealanach agus ruigsinneach. Gus iarrtas a dhèanamh, cuir fios gu Conaltradh Corporra aig: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk Niniejszy dokument można otrzymać w wielu różnych językach i formatach, w tym również dużym drukiem, alfabetem Braille’a, w wersji dźwiękowej, elektronicznej i w innych dostępnych formatach. Prośby należy składać na ręce zespołu ds. komunikacji drogą elektroniczną na adres: corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk 此文件可以多种不同语言和格式提供，包括大字体、点字、音频、电子和易读格式。 如想提出请求，请联系企业传讯部：corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk corporatecommunications@northlan.gov.uk CC_2023_00011 Produced by NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Growth Team Place Civic Centre Motherwell Ml1 4AB e. growthteam@northlan.gov.uk NORTHLANARKSHIRE.GOV.UKPage 155 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref FT/YW/AR Date 17/11/23 Renewal of Fair Trade Zone/Community Status for North Lanarkshire From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail weiry@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07508 001238 1. Background 1.1 On 4 April 2019, North Lanarkshire Council agreed a Motion to develop and support a strategy to facilitate the promotion of foods with a Fairtrade Mark, actively supporting marginalised producers achieve a fair price for their products and aim to be recognised by the residents and business community of North Lanarkshire, suppliers, employees and other Local Authorities, as a Council that actively supports and promotes Fairtrade. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to inform the committee of the activities of the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone and associated Steering Group since its approval in February 2020, and the intention to apply to renew the Fair Trade Zone status for North Lanarkshire before 1st January 2024. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1) Acknowledge the activities of the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group and enable the work to continue through supporting the proposal to apply to renew the Fair Trade Zone status for North Lanarkshire with the Fairtrade Foundation; and 2) Endorse the continued provision of Fairtrade coffee, tea and other products within Council cafes, leisure and community facilities, and at Council hosted events. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (5) Grow and improve the sustainability and diversity of North Lanarkshire's economy Programme of Work Sustainable Futures Item 4 Page 157 of 312
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1.2 North Lanarkshire Council has contributed to achieving Fairtrade status for North Lanarkshire by promoting the Fairtrade Mark using Fairtrade products in refreshment areas and by promoting the Fairtrade Towns initiative in internal and external communications. This includes the engagement in Fairtrade Fortnight, the national campaign held to promote the sales of products with the Fairtrade Mark. 1.3 North Lanarkshire Council pledged to support the International Fair Trade Charter in October 2019. The Charter‘s role is to address challenges including inequality, gender rights, climate change and many of the topics of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Charter was initiated by the two largest international Fair Trade organisations – Fair Trade International and the World Fair Trade Organisation and was also supported by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. The Fair Trade movement was established to ensure producers are paid a fair price and offered opportunities to participate in global markets without exploitation. The Charter has three main aims: • to raise awareness among consumers and citizens of the importance and impact of Fair Trade; • to connect Fair Trade Organisations’ specific missions and strategies with the common philosophy of the movement; and • to enable others who work with Fair Trade Organisations to recognise the values and approaches that unite the global movement The Charter details the positive impact that Fair Trade has on the lives of farmers, other workers and artisans and illustrates how inclusive economic growth and improved working conditions can be achieved, whilst empowering women and ensuring opportunities for the next generation. Through signing the Charter, the council was asked to recognise the Charter as a reference document for the global Fair Trade movement and to reflect approaches within the charter when engaging in Fair Trade issues. The Charter does not endow the council with any Fair Trade status. 1.4 North Lanarkshire Council is also a member of the Scottish Fairtrade Forum which is an independent membership body that was established by a group of Fair Trade campaigners, Scotland-based non-governmental organisations and the Scottish Government. The Forum promotes the cause of Fair Trade in Scotland and helped secure Fair Trade Nation status for Scotland in 2013. 1.5 In order for North Lanarkshire to achieve Fair Trade Zone status in 2020, 5 goals required to be achieved: • Council Resolution: The Council had to pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade and agreeing for example, to serve Fairtrade tea and coffee at its meetings and in its offices and cafes. • Fairtrade Products Available Locally: A range of at least 4 Fairtrade products needed to be readily available in a minimum of 26 of North Lanarkshire’s retail outlets (shops, supermarkets, newsagents, petrol stations) and served in at least 13 local catering outlets (cafes, restaurants, pubs). A baseline audit was undertaken to demonstrate this requirement had been met. • Fairtrade in local work places and organisations: This included workplaces, community organisations (churches, schools) of significance to the zone if possible. This also needed to include a flagship employer, who was large, local and influential workplace that uses Fairtrade products and promotes Fairtrade to its staff, clients and contacts. Brakes Ltd as a key council supplier and local business agreed to become the local flagship employer. Page 158 of 312
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• Establishment of a Steering Committee: This was essential to ensuring continued commitment to Fairtrade Status. The North Lanarkshire Steering Group was established with its inaugural meeting on 30 October 2018. The group includes 4 elected members, council officers from a range of services supported by the Enterprise Team, local Fair Trade campaigners, staff from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, members of local Fair Trade groups and people from education, community and faith groups. The Steering Committee had responsibility for submitting the area’s Fairtrade Zone Status application. • Attract media coverage and popular support: To achieve Zone status, North Lanarkshire needed to show that there had been a range of activities and events throughout the Zone to promote Fair Trade and achieved press coverage for them. This also included using social medial for the Zone to link with other groups and amplify the Fairtrade message is a key apart of reaching and retaining Zone status. 1.6 An application to achieve Fair Trade Zone status was submitted to the Fairtrade Foundation on 9 January 2020. The Zone status was approved in February 2020 with a launch event held at Brakes Ltd on 6 March 2020. 2. Report 2.1 The following sections of the report highlight the wide range of Fair Trade Zone Activity that has taken place across North Lanarkshire to support the current Zone status, and details of the new process for the renewal of Zone status. North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group 2.2 Since its inception, the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group has met regularly every 6 to 12 weeks. The Steering Group is chaired by a local resident with the Council actively supporting meetings and the ongoing development and activities of the Steering Group. Activity of Local Fair Trade Groups 2.3 The North Lanarkshire Zone has three towns which have gained Fair Trade Town status through their group activities namely Motherwell, Airdrie and Wishaw. Representation from each group presents and updates at each meeting. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, activities were significantly curtailed within the communities, preventing face to face events and interactions where Fairtrade produce would normally be promoted and purchased. The Council was advised on 7 June 2023 that the Airdrie Fairtrade Group intended to dissolve their group. If North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Status is renewed, the intention would be to raise awareness of Fair Trade in the Airdrie community and look to engage new champions to represent this area. In contrast, there is considerable activity ongoing in the Croy and Kilsyth area, both within the community and schools, with an intention of working towards Fair Trade status for these areas. Fair Trade Activity in North Lanarkshire Education Establishments. 2.4 New College Lanarkshire have incorporated themes of Fair Trade and Just Transition into their Global Citizenship studies for their special needs students. They also run a shop on the Motherwell campus that sells products such as gift boxes and gift bags that include Fairtrade products or baked products incorporating Fairtrade ingredients. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Scotland a Fair Trade Nation, students at New College Lanarkshire designed a bespoke banner depicting highlights of that decade stitched using fabric from recycled Fairtrade cotton T-shirts. Page 159 of 312
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2.5 Schools throughout North Lanarkshire have shown engagement with Fair Trade themes and activities peak during Fair Trade fortnight during February/March. Schools post their activities on social media and these are shared on Fairtrade North Lanarkshire Twitter page @FairtradeNLan. Schools can draw down resources from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and Fairtrade Foundation websites which have resources for schools. North Lanarkshire Council staff have also set up a bespoke online education platform with Fairtrade resources to support teachers educating primary school pupils. The Wishaw Group involved primary school children from Newmains by promoting Fairtrade in the community and learning about Fairtrade products in shops. In the Kilsyth area, volunteers supported secondary pupils to learn about Fairtrade to foster global citizenship as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. North Lanarkshire Council’s Support for Fair Trade 2.6 North Lanarkshire Council coordinates the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group meetings ensuring that papers are sent out in a timely manner and minutes prepared are filed. Four elected members sit within the Steering Group ensuring that there is cross party representation. 2.7 Awareness was raised during Fair Trade fortnight through the design and distribution of posters across North Lanarkshire Council and NL Leisure buildings and cafés to highlight our commitment to Fair Trade by the procurement of Fairtrade tea, coffee and products. Fairtrade posters were available on our website for download by any member of our community supporting and campaigning for Fairtrade. Following Fair Trade fortnight posters were redesigned and are available on our website for more general use. 2.8 North Lanarkshire Council showed its firm commitment to Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight by flying a Fairtrade flag outside our Council Buildings in Motherwell. The raising of the flag by our Provost was witnessed by elected members, members of the Fair Trade Zone Steering Group and a representative from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. This act of commitment was reported across social media, local and national press. 2.9 The Council continues to supply Fairtrade coffee, tea and sugar plus other products in its cafes, cultural and leisure facilities. 2.10 Staff from the Enterprise Team regularly represent North Lanarkshire Council at local and national events. Scotland A Fair Trade Nation - 10 years 2.11 A number of activities were undertaken to mark 10 years of Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation including members of the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group attending a parliamentary event and a Glasgow based event on behalf of North Lanarkshire. 2.12 The Scottish Fair Trade Forum funded and commissioned five films to be made to represent communities engaged in Fair Trade across Scotland. One of the films launched on 15 June 2023 showcased North Lanarkshire through the work of supported learning students at New College Lanarkshire in conjunction with the Motherwell and Wishaw Fair Trade groups. The video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/36q78Nc967A This highlighted at a national level the commitment of our community to support Fairtrade. Page 160 of 312
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Renewal of Fair Trade Zone Status 2.13 The attendance of staff from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum at the North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone Steering Group has ensured that the group have been kept informed of directives from the Fairtrade Foundation. North Lanarkshire was due to renew its Fair Trade Zone status in 2022, but due to the pandemic and the inability of communities to organise in person activities across the UK, coupled with lower engagement levels of the UK population with Fair Trade, the Fairtrade Foundation developed new criteria for applications which were released in July 2023 (Appendix A). As part of the new criteria, North Lanarkshire Fair Trade Zone requires to submit an online application by the deadline of 1st January 2024 for its status to be retained. 2.14 Fairtrade status has been revised into several categories: - Fairtrade Communities (Towns, Cities, Villages, Islands, Boroughs, Counties and Zones - Fairtrade Places of Worship - Fairtrade Schools - Fairtrade Universities and Colleges 2.15 Fairtrade campaigners are encouraged to learn about key Fairtrade issues online, take action on campaigns, and join Fairtrade webinars. The Fairtrade Foundation has outlined 5 Action areas which communities can engage in: • Action Area 1: Boosting Fairtrade. Encouraging the community to purchase and use Fairtrade products. • Action Area 2: Connecting Fairtrade. Recognising the power of a collective voice, bringing the social justice movement together, networking and partnering with other individuals and groups in Fairtrade. • Action Area 3: Fairtrade Changemakers. Growing political support for Fairtrade locally. Working with local council or government representatives to help create changes needed to make trade fairer. • Action Area 4: Fairtrade Ambassadors. Deepening one's own and others’ understanding of how fairer trade supports wider social change such as climate justice and social justice. • Action Area 5: Fairtrade Influencers. Growing support for fairer trade in the digital space and deepening the understanding your social media network has of how fair trade supports wider social change. 2.16 The support of North Lanarkshire Council to agree for the Council to continue its work and lend its support towards the renewal of Fair Trade Zone status for North Lanarkshire, along with the ongoing support of the Council to continue to provide Fairtrade tea, coffee and produce for our cafes and events and show support for the Fairtrade, will enable the Steering Group to prepare a case for the renewal deadline of 1 January 2024. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Formal recognition through the renewal process of North Lanarkshire as a Fair Trade Community by the Fairtrade Foundation. Page 161 of 312
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3.2 Raising awareness of Fair Trade across the North Lanarkshire area, including within the Council. 3.3 Survival of existing Fair Trade Groups, successful renewal of Fair Trade Town status by existing groups and new areas gaining Fair Trade status. 3.4 Engagement of our schools and youth groups to establish an understanding of the importance of Fair Trade in the wider context of Climate Change and Just Transition as part of education in Global Citizenship. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Fairtrade Campaign Action Guide 2023 Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 162 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Annual renewal of membership of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum is currently £250. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 163 of 312
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 164 of 312
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FAIRTRADE CAMPAIGN ACTION GUIDE Image: Fairtrade Guernsey community event, Community group Photo credit: The Drone Ranger.Page 165 of 312
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3 Welcome! 4 What is trade justice? 6 How Fairtrade works 8 Why we need you more than ever 10 Becoming a Fairtrade campaigner 17 Action area 1: Boosting Fairtrade 19 Action area 2: Connecting Fairtrade 21 Action area 3: Fair trade Changemakers 23 Action area 4: Fairtrade Ambassadors 25 Action area 5: Fairtrade Influencers 27 Thank you CONTENTS Fairtrade Foundation | 2 | Campaign Action Guide Page 166 of 312
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Thank you for finding out more about campaigning for Fairtrade. This guide is for anyone who is looking for a greater understanding of what it means to be part of the Fairtrade movement and how to take action for trade justice. Fairtrade campaigners and activists who have been with us for many years may also find this guide helpful for a fresh approach on how to actively engage in the movement. Fairtrade campaigners are a diverse and energetic global movement taking action across the UK, whether they are passionate individuals or campaigning with others in Fairtrade Communities, Schools, Colleges, Universities or Places of Worship. Fairtrade campaigners stand up for fairer trade every day. That could be through organising local events, influencing councils and businesses, or calling on the government for change. Campaigners may be convincing their workplaces to support Fairtrade or simply encouraging friends and family to start choosing Fairtrade when they go shopping. Whatever action they take, it all adds up. The reality is that a world where trade is fair needs action from different groups of people – not just campaigners. This includes progressive businesses spearheading fair and sustainable practices and being vocal advocates in their industries. It also needs policymakers and political leadership in governments and institutions, along with informed consumers demanding change. We know that together we are stronger. And it is together that we can change modern trade structures that have grown out of centuries of exploitation. As an African proverb says… Fairtrade Foundation | 3 | Campaign Action Guide WELCOME! 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.' Page 167 of 312
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WHAT IS TRADE JUSTICE? Trade justice is the fight to change unfair global trade and challenge the deep-rooted power imbalances within it. The unfair and exploitative global trade system we live with today is a direct result of our colonial and imperial past. Former colonising nations of Europe, and many of the companies based there, have continued to hold an unfair advantage in modern trade structures. As a result, far too many people living in formerly colonised nations are simply unable to earn enough for the essentials, no matter how hard they work. From the foods we eat to the clothes we wear and so many other everyday products, there continues to be a huge power imbalance in global trade. One that leaves millions unable to afford essentials like decent food, access to clean water, medical treatment and education for their children. Take cocoa, the plant we use to make chocolate, as an example. It may be hard to swallow but behind the sweet delight of chocolate still lies the bitter taste of exploitation. Cocoa was first grown on a large scale in Africa by slaves in the 19th century as a colonial cash crop. Today in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which account for 60 percent of the world’s cocoa production, a typical cocoa farmer lives on less than £1 a day while the chocolate industry is worth billions. Fairtrade Foundation | 4 | Campaign Action Guide i i, Antonie Fountain & Friedel Huetz-Adams, Cocoa Barometer 2018, http:// www.cocoabarometer.org Page 168 of 312
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Unfair trade and low pay contributes to many adverse impacts on the human rights of farmers and workers. Common human rights violations in agricultural supply chains include: low living standards resulting in poor health; hunger and lack of education; child labour; discrimination against women, who are underrepresented in decision-making, and often face violence and harassment; and safety hazards, such as exposure to agrochemicals. If that wasn’t enough to cope with, the climate crisis is wreaking havoc on global food production. Farmers are battling less predictable seasons, more plant diseases and weather extremes. They are struggling to harvest their cocoa and working longer hours, for lower prices. Earning enough to live a dignified life is something we all deserve. As Article 23 (c) of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights says: ‘Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.’ Fighting for trade justice and changing the deeply unjust way trade is conducted today is the only way we can ensure that all people and our planet will have a sustainable future. Image: Ebrottie Tanoh Florentin, cocoa farmer from Côte d ’Ivoire. Photo credit: Peter Caton. Fairtrade Foundation | 5 | Campaign Action Guide Page 169 of 312
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HOW FAIRTRADE WORKS Fairtrade means farmers and workers in the currently unfair trading system can earn more income, develop knowledge networks, access support and have a greater say in their future. More than 2 million Fairtrade farmers and workers in over 1,800 producer organisations are part of the global Fairtrade system. These farmers and workers are located across Africa, South America, and Asia and the Pacific. In each of these regions, a dedicated Fairtrade Producer Network allows farmers and workers to share knowledge, access expert support and feedback on how to improve Fairtrade further. Some 47 percent of all Fairtrade farmers produce coffee, but there are also a huge number of other Fairtrade products ranging from the well-known bananas, chocolate and cotton to Fairtrade gold, flowers and shea butter. Dozens of Fairtrade organisations based in countries across the world are part of our global effort. And Fairtrade International ties all of our work together, setting social, economic and environmental standards for the farmers, workers and companies involved in a product’s supply chain. It is the job of FLOCERT, an independent organisation, to check that the Fairtrade Standards have been met. To reassure shoppers this has happened, we license the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products and packaging. The benefits of Fairtrade have stretched across the world. The extra income generated by Fairtrade sales has seen families sending children to secondary schools and universities for the first time, maternity clinics being built in areas that previously had none and farmers investing in sustainable organic methods. But so much of this simply wouldn’t have happened without the campaigning work that’s helped make Fairtrade an Awarded Superbrand and a fixture on supermarket shelves in the UK and around the world. If we keep growing and strengthening demand for Fairtrade, we can do even more. Fairtrade Foundation | 6 | Campaign Action Guide Page 170 of 312
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'We experienced very difficult times when we weren’t in Fairtrade. It was very worrying to have children and know you couldn’t provide the opportunity for the life they deserve.' Foncho Cantillo, banana farmer, Colombia Image: Foncho Cantillo, banana farmer, Colombia. Photo credit: Chris Terry. Fairtrade Foundation | 7 | Campaign Action Guide Page 171 of 312
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WHY WE NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER So much has changed since Fairtrade arrived in the UK. Businesses now know they have a part to play in creating a more sustainable future and customer demand has forced companies to take sustainability seriously. Fairtrade campaigners and local grassroots actions have raised awareness of unfair trade and realised incredible achievements nationally and internationally. Their activities have boosted the growth in Fairtrade product sales and awareness, and influenced shopping habits across the UK. But for every success, there is a challenge, and a need to evolve. Climate change has accelerated the challenges for farmers and workers, as it disproportionately hits small- scale farmers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, even though they have done the least to cause the climate crisis. The climate crisis was caused by centuries of exploitation of people and planet by the world’s wealthiest. The highest-earning 10 percent of people are responsible for 50 percent of global missions. But it’s the communities already facing extreme hardship due to unfair trade who are feeling the worst effects of climate change and do not have the income to cope with the challenges it brings. We’ve seen a welcome shift in focus for world governments, with billions of pounds being promised to tackle climate change. But without addressing trade policy and tackling the structural issues in supply chains that deny farmers and workers their human rights, no approach can really be sustainable. Businesses have changed too. Corporations have grown across the globe, and the technological revolution means we’re more connected to those in other nations than ever. Businesses are also now more connected to their supply chains and more aware of the impacts of how they do business than ever before – but as consumers and citizens, we need to make sure their actions match their words. Fairtrade Foundation | 8 | Campaign Action Guide ii ii, Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/contributed-most- global-co2 Page 172 of 312
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Being a Fairtrade campaigner is a powerful action. Together we can raise awareness of the issues of unfair trade, and demand fairer trade deals for the farmers who supply us with so much of our food. We can ask the public to choose Fairtrade to support farmers and workers right now and raise their voices as they speak out for climate justice. Together we can hold companies and governments to account, making sure they deliver on their responsibilities, and convince more people to choose Fairtrade so more farmers and workers can drive positive change in their communities. 'Over the years, the UK-wide network of Fairtrade campaigners and the astonishing power of their collective action has made the invisible exploitation of farmers and workers visible. 'Every single social media post, petition signature, local event, school presentation and media story helps weave the values of fair trade into our society and influence decision- makers to step up and drive the change that is needed. 'With the urgent challenges of food security, the cost of living crisis and the climate emergency, the power and voice of Fairtrade campaigners is needed now more than ever.’ Michael Gidney, Chief Executive, Fairtrade Foundation Fairtrade Foundation | 9 | Campaign Action Guide Page 173 of 312
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BECOMING A FAIRTRADE CAMPAIGNER There are lots of ways to get involved as a Fairtrade campaigner, whether that means joining a group or taking action on your own. Image: Ebrottie Tanoh Florentin, cocoa farmer from Côte d ’Ivoire. Photo credit: Peter Caton. Fairtrade Foundation | 10 | Campaign Action Guide Page 174 of 312
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HOW TO SIGN UP Visit our Fairtrade Communities webpage for more information about becoming a campaigner in our Fairtrade Community scheme. You can sign up and log in as a Fairtrade Community member on the Community Space online platform. In April 2000 the people of Garstang declared their small market town in Lancashire the world’s first Fairtrade Town. Garstang has since inspired more than 650 Fairtrade Towns, Cities, Villages, Islands, Boroughs, Counties and Zones throughout the UK that have committed to becoming Fairtrade Communities. Being a part of the Fairtrade Communities scheme involves teaming up with a group of at least three people to support each other and keep up momentum while organising local activities. There may already be an existing community group local to you, or you can create a new group that wants to take up the cause of fair trade locally. Once you have gathered your fellow campaigners, you can commit to being a Fairtrade Community by filling in our online Commitment form, telling us what you’ve already been up to and what you’ve got planned. Fairtrade Communities can also earn special digital badges for their local activities by logging on to our online Community Space and telling us about what they are doing in specific 'Action Areas'. More on this below! Fairtrade Communities help put a commitment to a fairer future at the heart of their local communities. When Fairtrade Communities around the UK come together, organise and take action, they create spaces where support for trade justice can grow so loud that it cannot be ignored. Fairtrade Communities Fairtrade Foundation | 11 | Campaign Action Guide Page 175 of 312
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Fairtrade Places of Worship Faith groups and agencies were some of the earliest supporters of the fair trade movement as it grew in the 1960s. They joined producers in actively working towards a new form of trade to replace exploitative practices and poverty in colonised and formerly colonised nations. Today, churches, mosques, synagogues and other Places of Worship across the UK remain at the heart of Fairtrade’s success. By using and promoting Fairtrade products and encouraging public conversation about trade justice, so many Places of Worship have put their faith into action. Fairtrade Places of Worship use Fairtrade products wherever possible and spread the word on trade justice within their wider congregation and community. Operating at a local level within their religious communities, these groups work together to drive support for trade justice. HOW TO SIGN UP Visit our Fairtrade Places of Worship webpage for more information about becoming a campaigner in this area. You can sign up and log on to the Places of Worship online platform, where you can download your certificate to display with pride. Fairtrade Foundation | 12 | Campaign Action Guide Page 176 of 312
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HOW TO SIGN UP Visit our Fairtrade Schools website for more information about becoming a campaigner in this community. You can sign up and log in as a Fairtrade Schools member on the Fairtrade Schools Award online platform to complete your Fairtrade award and to gain your Fairtrade FairAware, FairActive and FairAchiever Awards and certificates. Fairtrade Schools support learning about fair trade and global issues at all key stages and levels, from nursery through to secondary school. Schools can work their way through three award stages: FairAware, FairActive and FairAchiever. As they move through the levels, schools are supported by a wealth of online teaching resources that fit different curriculum areas – especially Geography, Citizenship and PSHE. Each award criteria includes a number of different audits which show us how you’ve integrated Fairtrade into your school, as well as the chance to take part in learning challenges. Once schools have achieved an award, it is valid for two years. Our Fairtrade Schools Awards encourage students to explore their understanding of the social and environmental impacts of their decisions, giving them the opportunity to take real action for local and global change throughout their education. Fairtrade Schools Fairtrade Foundation | 13 | Campaign Action Guide Page 177 of 312
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Since the launch of our scheme in 2017, over 50 UK colleges and universities have taken part and become Fairtrade-awarded institutions! The Fairtrade University and College Award is conducted in partnership with Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK). SOS-UK is a charity that support students and wider society to learn, act and lead for environmental justice. Together, our partnership works with cohorts of institutions for two years at a time to complete an award. Accreditations are then awarded and remain valid for two years, until the next audit date. With their passion for change, creative ideas and drive for innovation, students enrolled in the Fairtrade Universities and Colleges scheme are an integral part of our campaigns. By working together to support Fairtrade, students and institutional leaders (such as lecturers, student unions, senior management, and procurement and environmental leads) can have a hugely positive impact by highlighting the inequalities of the global trade system to thousands of their educational peers each year. HOW TO SIGN UP Visit our Fairtrade Universities and Colleges webpage for more information about becoming a campaigner in this community. You can sign up and log in as a Fairtrade University and College member on the SOS-UK website between September and January each year. Fairtrade Universities and Colleges Fairtrade Foundation | 14 | Campaign Action Guide Page 178 of 312
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There’s so much you can do as an individual campaigner, whether that’s learning about key Fairtrade issues online, taking action on the latest campaigns or joining in with our campaign webinars. INDIVIDUAL ACTION THAT BACKS OUR FAIRTRADE CAMPAIGNING For example, in 2022, our network of campaigners made sure every single MP in the UK heard that their local community cares about Fairtrade and climate justice. Showing politicians there is deep-rooted support for a fairer future across the whole of the UK is key to convincing them to take real action. HOW TO SIGN UP Get our ‘latest news’ email, or follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to hear about opportunities to sign petitions, contact your local politicians and spread the word online and offline. Fairtrade Foundation | 15 | Campaign Action Guide Page 179 of 312
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As you can see, there are many ways to use your power as a student, consumer, activist or community member to support Fairtrade. And we love to hear about Fairtrade campaigners getting creative. To make it as simple as possible to get started, check out our 5 Action Areas. Each Action Area is a crucial part in our joint effort to build a fairer future for trade and a potential way your group can get involved with Fairtrade campaign. We’ve included ideas under each Action Area that you can try out for yourselves. Fairtrade Communities can earn special community badges for any campaigning linked to a particular Action Area. Log in to the Community Space to find out more and start collecting badges for your community. Ready to get stuck in? Check out our five Fairtrade Action Areas… INTRODUCING THE FAIRTRADE ACTION AREAS Fairtrade Foundation | 16 | Campaign Action Guide Page 180 of 312
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Farmers and workers are often not even able to earn a living income or living wage – because the price they receive for their produce is far too low. But people choosing Fairtrade products is a proven way of driving up incomes. To contribute to this Action Area, you can encourage local retailers, businesses and shoppers or your own local social network to buy, stock or use Fairtrade products. For example, it could mean you are taking part in ongoing actions or campaigns led by the Fairtrade Foundation to drive awareness and purchase of specific Fairtrade commodities where we know that farmers and workers need more Fairtrade sales. For Fairtrade campaigners, this could be achieved by increasing access to Fairtrade products locally by holding a regular Fairtrade stall at a local market, church or event. Action Area 1: Boosting Fairtrade This area is all about consumer action. That is, encouraging the purchase and use of Fairtrade products. This action is at the core of Fairtrade and many grassroots campaigners will be well versed in campaigning this way. Fairtrade inspiration 'My plea is that we all buy Fairtrade cocoa. So we cocoa farmers, no matter where we come from, can earn a fair share.' Lucy Iwenewaq, Fairtrade cocoa farmer, Ghana. Photo credit: Chris Terry. Fairtrade Foundation | 17 | Campaign Action Guide Page 181 of 312
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Action Area 1: Boosting Fairtrade Set up a stall at your local farmers’ market or craft fair to sell Fairtrade items. Use and stock Fairtrade in your local community hall and meetings. Encourage local schools, places of worship, colleges and universities to use and stock Fairtrade. Encourage a local business to stock and use Fairtrade for their staff and customers. Explore some of our lesser-known products. For example, do your local florists and jewellers know about Fairtrade flowers and Fairtrade gold? Create a directory of local stores your community can buy Fairtrade from. Encourage your social networks to choose Fairtrade. Check out the Current Campaigns webpages for the latest actions for Boosting Fairtrade. Check out the Boosting Fairtrade stories on our webpages to see what other campaigners have been doing. Ideas for Boosting Fairtrade Image: Lucy Iwenewaq, Fairtrade cocoa farmer, from Ghana. Photo credit: Chris Terry. Fairtrade Foundation | 18 | Campaign Action Guide Page 182 of 312
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Action Area 2: Connecting Fairtrade Working collectively makes us more powerful and makes our voices harder for those who can drive change to ignore. More than ever, we need to bring the social justice movement together. And so this Action Area is about expanding your impact and shaping the wider movement by networking and partnering with other individuals and groups in Fairtrade and beyond. Fairtrade farmers often work together in co-operatives, making decisions together and supporting each other. Campaigners can also come together to connect and work collectively. To contribute to this Action Area, campaigners can actively connect with other groups across the Fairtrade grassroots network, sharing your ideas, successes and learnings from your own campaigning. This might mean working with the National Campaigner Committee to share ideas and strengthen Fairtrade campaigning in the UK. It could also mean you are networking with other groups, individuals and partnerships outside Fairtrade to take action together on issues such as climate change and broader social justice. Many campaigners have had lots of success encouraging other groups such as local schools, universities, colleges and churches to join the Fairtrade movement. Or you could join up with other social justice groups such as local food projects or environmental movements to show how trade justice fits into the wider social justice space. Fairtrade inspiration Mauro da Silva, Fairtrade coffee farmer from Brazil. Photo credit: Rodrigo Santus/ Matthew Algie. Fairtrade Foundation | 19 | Campaign Action Guide Page 183 of 312
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The Fairtrade Foundation | 21 | Campaigner Action Guide Action Area 2: Connect with local schools, places of worship, colleges, universities and Fairtrade communities to make your group even stronger or support new groups to become Fairtrade. Connect with other campaigners in your area who have similar values, for example eco and trade justice groups, to share ideas, learn from each other and campaign together. Look out for any large local manufacturing companies, plus football or sports clubs in your area that you could connect with. Check out the Current Campaigns webpages for the latest actions for Connecting Fairtrade. Check out the Connecting Fairtrade stories on our webpages to see what other campaigners have been doing. Ideas for Connecting Fairtrade 'I love working with coffee, and I see a lot of future, yes. There have always been setbacks. Inputs, climate change, everything. But together we will learn to overcome these difficulties.' Mauro da Silva, Fairtrade coffee farmer from Brazil Photo credit: Rodrigo Santus/ Matthew Algie. Connecting Fairtrade Page 184 of 312
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Action Area 3: Fair trade Changemakers This Action Area is about growing political support for fair trade locally. We know that the government and decision-makers are often driven to action not by big organisations, but by the demands of their local constituents and community members. Fairtrade farmers have already shown their expertise by taking steps to tackle climate change – for instance by planting trees and moving to greener farming methods. However, all this costs money: they urgently need the financial support promised by richer, higher polluting nations. To contribute to this Action Area, you could be working with your local council or government representative to help create the structural changes needed to make trade fairer. This might include seeking local authority support through a council resolution to support Fairtrade procurement, and scoping opportunities for further local procurement work through building a relationship with them. It can also mean your campaign group is developing a relationship with your local parliamentary representative (e.g. your MP, MSP, MLA or MS, or councillors). You could invite them to meetings or events and encourage them to join any relevant Fairtrade groups or committees such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fairtrade. You might also be campaigning to convince local politicians to back specific policy change. This could involve sharing advocacy actions started by the Fairtrade Foundation or other relevant organisations. Fairtrade inspiration Fairtrade Foundation | 21 | Campaign Action Guide Page 185 of 312
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Invite your local representative to an event that you are hosting to engage them in local Fairtrade activity. Connect with your local council representatives about passing a council resolution that supports Fairtrade in your area. Connect with your local MP and suggest that they join the Fairtrade APPG. Make sure you’re signed up to Fairtrade’s ‘latest news’ email, to keep up to date with petitions and political lobbying activity. Check out the Current Campaigns webpages for the latest actions for Fair trade Changemakers. Check out the Fair trade Changemaker stories on our webpages to see what other campaigners have been doing. Ideas for Fair trade Changemakers 'What we are looking for is climate justice. As producers, we know we produce the least greenhouse gases, but we also get the least profit from those processes. So, the companies who go on to emit much more gases should understand this. They should not be exploiting us.' Andrés González, Fairtrade sugar farmer, from Paraguay, speaking at the COP26 UN Climate Summit. Photo credit: Fairtrade Foundation Action Area 3: Fair trade Changemakers Fairtrade Foundation | 22 | Campaign Action Guide Page 186 of 312
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Action Area 4: Fairtrade Ambassadors Being a Fairtrade Ambassador is about deepening your own and others' understanding of how fairer trade supports wider social change such as climate justice and global power balance. To achieve climate justice, we need to address the global power imbalance. Richer nations bear a historic responsibility for carbon emissions: the poorest half of the global population are responsible for only around 10 percent of total global emissions, while 50 percent of these emissions can be attributed to the richest 10 percent of people. To contribute to this Action Area, you could be learning individually or together in your group about the history of trade and our role within it, as well as how this links to the climate crisis and other global and social issues. When you’re ready to, you might want to host presentations and talks locally or run other events focused on trade and/or climate justice. This might include running your own knowledge-sharing events about why fairer trade is a vital part of building social justice and how it fits into this bigger dynamic. ii Fairtrade inspiration You might also be offering your knowledge at other local events or in churches, schools or workplaces. You can do this virtually or in person. Being a Fairtrade Ambassador can also mean that you are talking to your local media for interviews or coverage on these topics, inviting them to events that you are hosting . Image: Ebrottie Tanoh Florentin, cocoa farmer from Côte d ’Ivoire. Photo credit: Peter Caton. Fairtrade Foundation | 23 | Campaign Action Guide Page 187 of 312
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Action Area 4: Fairtrade Ambassadors Learn more about some of our key campaign areas, such as: living income and climate justice. Speak to your local community by holding an informational stall at your local farmers’ market or craft fair. Organise events and talks in your local community by using PowerPoints from the Resource Library. Speak to your local newspaper or radio station to get publicity. Check out the Current Campaigns webpages for the latest actions for Fairtrade Ambassadors. Check out the Fairtrade Ambassador stories on our webpages to see what other campaigners have been doing. Ideas for Fairtrade Ambassadors 'Climate change is a problem. It's not only happening on a global scale. We, the farmers, have to live with it every day.' Ebrottie Tanoh Florentin, cocoa farmer from Côte d ’Ivoire. Photo credit: Peter Caton. Fairtrade Foundation | 24 | Campaign Action Guide Page 188 of 312
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Action Area 5: Fairtrade Influencers Fairtrade coffee has been the backdrop to Hugo Guerrero’s life. Hugo, who has followed in the footsteps of his Fairtrade farmer parents to grow the crop for our cups in Peru, went on to university after school, his higher education partly paid for from Fairtrade Premium. He’s now using his knowledge to help his fellow farmers. To contribute to this Action Area, you could be using your own social media account or a dedicated channel to create and share information that helps others to understand how important trade is in the wider issues of social and climate justice. This could include amplifying actions and petitions, sharing Fairtrade products and stories, or sharing short films and messages from farmers, particularly during times like Fairtrade Fortnight or Great Big Green Week. It can also mean using social media to connect with others and work together to share the Fairtrade message. This final Action Area is about growing support for fairer trade in the digital space and deepening the understanding your social media network has of how fair trade supports wider social change. Fairtrade inspiration 'Within the university I learnt many things that I can replicate and put into practice in the countryside... And in this way I have the power to improve production within my community.' Hugo Guerrero Nevaca, coffee farmer from Peru. Fairtrade Foundation | 25 | Campaign Action Guide Page 189 of 312
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Action Area 5: Fairtrade Influencers Set up a social media page or website for your group. Share Fairtrade-themed social media posts and messages online. If you are a campaigner group involved in the Fairtrade Communities Scheme, opt in to feature on our Fairtrade Community Map, so others can find you. Check out the online Digital and Social Media Guide. Check out the Current Campaigns webpages for the latest actions for Fairtrade Influencers. Check out the Fairtrade Influencers stories on our webpages to see what other campaigners have been doing. Ideas for Fairtrade Influencers Image: Hugo Guerrero Nevaca, coffee farmer from Peru. Photo credit: Eduardo Martino. Fairtrade Foundation | 26 | Campaign Action Guide Page 190 of 312
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Fairtrade Foundation, Unit 5.07, The Loom, 14 Gower’s Walk, London, E1 8PY fairtrade.org.uk We’re so grateful to the Fairtrade campaigners who keep the movement going and continue to advocate for a fairer trade system. We couldn’t do it without you. You help to make sure that the future is fair. If you have any more questions about campaigning with Fairtrade, please check out our campaigner FAQ webpage, and if your question isn’t answered there, please email hello@fairtrade.org.uk. We’d love to hear from you. Registered charity no. 1043886 A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 02733136 THANK YOU Fairtrade Foundation | 27 | Campaign Action Guide Page 191 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref PH/DG Date 17/11/23 Environmental Key Fund (EKF) Update From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer of Place E-mail Greerd@northlan.gov.uk Telephone David Greer, Growth Programme Manager Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide committee with an update on the Environmental Key Fund (EKF) and its delivery of the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund which is received from Scottish Power Renewables Ltd. These funds are provided to local communities surrounding the Blacklaw Windfarm area, such as Shotts, Hartwood, Allanton and Bonkle. North Lanarkshire Council acts as a conduit of the funding and supports the EKF Board which is comprised of representatives from various public and third sector organisations operating within the area. A number of projects and community groups have benefited from the fund, including the Springhill Community Hall in Shotts which was recently completed. The council will continue to work with the EKF Board to promote the fund, ensure that the fund’s aims and objectives are fit for purpose and maximise benefit to the eligible local communities that this fund is intended to support. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1) Acknowledge the performance report detailing the delivery of the Environmental Key Fund and the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund. 2) Endorse plans to increase board membership to promote more local representation. 3) Support proposals to review grant schemes and criteria and relaunch the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund in Spring 2024. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (16) Transform our natural environment to support wellbeing and inward investment and enhance it for current and future generations Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 5 Page 193 of 312
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1. Background 1.1 To offset adverse community impacts caused by the construction of the Blacklaw Windfarm, the Council receive windfarm payments from Scottish Power Renewables (UK) Ltd. to distribute to the community. 1.2 The Council entered into an agreement with Scottish Power Renewables (UK) Ltd in 2006 to act as fund administrator. 1.3 Annual payment transfers were agreed at the outset between Scottish Power Renewables and North Lanarkshire Council as follows: • £1,000 per annum, per megawatt generated from Blacklaw Phase 1 • £2,500 per annum, per megawatt generated from Blacklaw Phase 1b • £5,000 per annum, per megawatt generated from Blacklaw Stage 2 1.4 Because of the phasing of the works, limited funding was received over the first number of years of this agreement and no funding was distributed. 1.5 As more funding became available, and to ensure transparency of community grant award decisions, it was decided that the Environmental Key Fund (EKF), an established grant award organisation in North Lanarkshire, should act as fund administrator. The EKF was established in 2004 to distribute Landfill Community Funding, although this funding no longer exists and now only distribute Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Funding, and is a fully independent organisation. 1.6 In 2016, a tri-party agreement was set up between Scottish Power Renewables (UK) Ltd, the Council and the EKF whereby the Council would reallocate all Blacklaw Windfarm funding they receive to the EKF. 1.7 Following this, the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund was established to award grant funding to community-based projects within an agreed eligible grant area. 1.8 Communities such as Shotts, Hartwood, Allanton and Bonkle are within the eligible grant application zone. A map illustrating the eligible area is provided within Appendix 1 of this report. 1.9 The Council also has an administrative role for the EKF which includes, providing secretarial assistance to the independent board of directors, overseeing grant applications submitted via the EKF website and supporting community groups who intend to submit grant applications or wish to discuss potential future projects. 1.10 All website elements and board meetings are arranged/managed through the Council along with the EKF bank account. All grant payments are arranged by the Council but are signed off by at least two board directors (maximum of one from any one organisation) for final payment. At present, there are five board directors although the EKF Articles of Association allow a maximum of seven. 1.11 There are currently three EKF grants available to eligible community organisations: • Community Grant – provides support of up to £1,000 per project • Small Grant Fund – provides support of up to £10,000 per project • Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund – provides support of up to £50,000 per project Page 194 of 312
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1.12 The EKF Community Grant is available for projects which either: • provide or improve a public space; • encourages positive use of public green space; • remove litter and waste from public green space; • provides or improves biodiversity in public spaces; and/or • encourages environmental education and engagement. 1.13 The EKF Small Grant Fund is designed to deliver projects which either: • help to develop or improve a public park or other public amenity for leisure or recreational purposes; • conserves or improves biodiversity; • improves or restores a place of worship or listed building or structure; • improves energy efficiency; and/or • reduces fuel poverty 1.14 Applicants to the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund can apply for up to £50,000 funding for projects (which can be increased in exceptional circumstances) which meet one of the following five objectives: • Objective 1 - providing, maintaining or improving a public park or other community facility (at a single identifiable site) for leisure or recreational purposes. • Objective 2 - protecting or improving the conservation of identified species or habitats (at a single identifiable site) that are recognised in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) or Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). • Objective 3 - maintaining, repairing or restoring a place of religious worship or a building or structure that has architectural or historical significance. • Objective 4 - encouraging the more efficient use of energy. • Objective 5 - reducing fuel poverty. 2. Report 2.1 EKF Governance/Processes 2.1.1 The EKF Board is currently made up of five members – representatives from Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL), Green Action Trust (GAT), Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT) and two (one elected member and one senior officer) from North Lanarkshire Council. 2.1.2 It is intended to invite applications for new board members to increase this membership to seven and promote greater representation of local groups. 2.1.3 The board aim to meet quarterly to discuss, score and approve/reject grant applications (although it has the ability to fast-track smaller grant applications outwith planned meetings) and work with the Council to promote and encourage grant applications. 2.1.4 Applications to this fund are made online (via EKF’s website) and support can be provided to help eligible organisations apply. Page 195 of 312
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2.2 Finance 2.2.1 A summary of the income and expenditure of the EKF over the last 5 years is shown below: Year Opening Balance (£) Income (£) Expenditure (£) Closing Balance (£) 2018 361,370 162,122 132,615 390,877 2019 390,877 166,103 68,463 488,517 2020 488,517 170,355 168,091 490,761 2021 490,761 172,680 98,498 564,943 2022 564,943 174,888 34,644 705,167 2.2.2 As of September 30th 2023, the EKF had a bank account balance of £658,626 with current liabilities of £193,059 and a windfarm payment due of £190,252. As such, the EKF currently has £682,829 Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit funding available to distribute to community projects. 2.3 Grants and Projects 2.3.1 The Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund grants awarded over the last two years (and drawdown of grant to 30th September 2023) are as follows: EKF Project Grant Award (£) Drawdown to 30th September (£) Springhill Community Hub 200,000 200,000 Shotts Nature Park 42,134 0 Hartwood Greenspace Play Project 69,800 0 Stane Primary 997 997 Shotts Family Learning Centre 990 990 Shotts Galaday 10,000 10,000 Shotts EU Church 10,000 0 Warm & Healthy – Fuel Poverty 40,500 0 Total 374,421 211,987 2.3.2 Of particular recognition, £200,000 was awarded (as a ‘one-time grant’) to support the development of Springhill Community Hall – a major £1.5M regeneration project aimed at providing a much-needed facility in Springhill, Shotts, that will support a range of services and leisure opportunity for the local community. This project had received almost £1.2M funding from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and was formally opened in September 2023. 2.4 Future Delivery 2.4.1 As well as increasing the board membership to allow for greater local representation, it was agreed at a board meeting of the EKF directors held on the 26th of September that a community workshop would be held towards the end of 2023 to review and update the programmes offered by the EKF as well as use this as an opportunity to promote the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund and identify potential projects. 2.4.2 In doing so, the EKF will work with the Council’s Community Matters Team to invite all local groups and organisations to this event to consider various aspects of this scheme such as: Page 196 of 312
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• the scale of current grant awards and whether these should be increased, particularly given rising costs; • an appraisal of grant scheme criteria and whether the objectives of these should be expanded to include a wider range of opportunities; and • consideration as to whether a large-scale grant should be created to support a one- off ‘legacy’ project (particularly given the significant funding which the EKF has available). 2.4.3 Following this, it is intended that the revised Blacklaw Windfarm Grant Fund would be relaunched in Spring 2024 (although would remain open to applications in its current format until then). 2.4.4 Added to this, it is also intended to develop and implement a communications plan for the EKF to continue to improve PR and promote funding opportunities. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Continue to promote this fund and support eligible grant applications by local community groups and organisations. 3.2 Undertake a full review of current grant schemes, amend these accordingly and relaunch the Blacklaw Windfarm Grant Fund by Spring 2024. 4. Supporting documentation Appendix 1 Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund – Eligible Grant Area Map Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 197 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The EKF delivers projects that support community well-being, providing funds to local communities to improve their environment and develop community assets which promote and encourage a fairer society. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 198 of 312
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5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund funding provided through the EKF supports a range of environmental and asset improvement projects which are owned and maintained by local communities. A recent example of this is Springhill Community Hall where funding was used to replace a rundown community hut with a bespoke community hub and outdoor leisure facilities. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The EKF will make use of the council’s communications platforms to both promote the Blacklaw Community Benefit Fund and the proposed workshop which will be delivered to help renew and relaunch this fund. A communications plan will be specifically developed to support the ongoing delivery of this fund. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? This report has no direct risk impact for the Council as the EKF is an entirely independent body which has autonomy over the delivery of the Blacklaw Windfarm Community Benefit Fund. However, a Risk Assessment is currently being developed by the EKF to help ensure the future effective delivery of future funding programmes and the management of this organisation. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Page 199 of 312
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Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 200 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref JO’N/ PK Date 17/11/23 North Lanarkshire Industries From Janie O’Neill, Chief Officer (Education, South) E-mail ONeillJa@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07790 894444 1. Background 1.1 NLI is a Supported Business established by North Lanarkshire Council in 2014 and is an example of both commercial success and social responsibility. A Supported Business is defined as one whose main aim is to integrate disabled or disadvantaged people socially and professionally. Their workforce must be at least 30% disabled or disadvantaged. NLI has 31 staff in total of whom 25 (81%) have a range of significant Executive Summary North Lanarkshire Industries (NLI) is a supported business and a discrete part of Employability Services within Education, Children and Families and all staff are North Lanarkshire Council employees. NLI has Council and external contracts to fulfil on an annual basis and is supported in securing new contracts by the Council’s Asset and Procurement Solutions team as well as through its own network of contacts in the commercial and public sectors. The report outlines the impact of the pandemic on the capacity of NLI, the actions it took during that period and its strong recovery to deliver its current range of services and contracts. The report also highlights future action proposed to ensure income streams continue to be developed and maintained. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1) Approve the content of this report and consider the range of services and contracts delivered by North Lanarkshire Industries 2) Approve the development of an Action Plan for the period 2023-2026. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (11) Increase economic opportunities for adults by understanding, identifying, and addressing the causes of poverty and deprivation and barriers to financial inclusion Programme of Work Brighter Futures Item 6 Page 203 of 312
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disabilities. Based in Wishaw, the facility is equipped with the latest production machinery combined with a highly skilled, flexible workforce operating to BS EN ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance. The supported business has a strong culture of employee engagement, with open communication and active business development, with employees being the key drivers in shaping its ethos and focus. 1.2 For other Council services they deliver on a range of contracts, and these include: - manufacturing and upholstering furniture (beds, sofas and seating areas) - soft furnishings (bedding and curtains) - furniture storage service for displaced tenants - document storage service - Council fire equipment maintenance Each of these contracts is negotiated and delivered within the terms of a contract agreed with each customer. In terms of the benefits secured by our communities through NLI delivering services on behalf of the Council these are at the heart of the supported business. NLI uses its Supported Business status to maintain its place on the Scottish Government National Framework for Supported Businesses 1.3 In the past NLI has worked with Edinburgh City Council designers on furniture and furnishings on their Nurseries and Schools 21 programmes as well as supplying NLC Education and Families contracts. In the last few months NLI worked with Tier 1 contractor Morrisons to supply furniture and soft furnishings for the New Cortonvale Prison. 2. Report Impact of Covid 2.1 A Business Plan for the period 2015-2020, outlining NLI’s plans, provided the basis for the commercial strategy of the business in that period. However, the impact of covid restrictions, as well as having an impact on the business, also delayed the development of a new business plan as NLI focused on adapting its business model to meet existing contracts and services. 2.2 Covid restrictions placed an increased burden on NLI in a variety of ways. The majority of the workforce, due to their disabilities, were in the shielded group and it was only when the national vaccination programme got underway that they were able to return. While regular contact was maintained with the staff, many within the workforce required support in returning to work after long periods of social isolation. On a commercial basis, orders were no longer being placed or were being delayed and supply chains for materials were also affected with either long delays to supplies or sharply increased prices for materials. 2.3 The remaining staff reacted positively to these challenges and established new income streams as a result of the pandemic restrictions. They set up a delivery service for NHS Lanarkshire during the first lockdown for community pharmacies and a longer term service for the sorting and delivery of PPE to Health and Social Care staff across North Lanarkshire. Page 204 of 312
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2.4 In the last 12 months stability has returned to the workforce and to income streams from contracts and services and there is now a focus on future sustainability with a new Action Plan currently being developed for the period 2023-2026. 2.5 While receiving the rewards and benefits due to all NLC employees those NLI staff with disabilities also receive ongoing support from the management team at NLI on a range of issues. These include training and support within the workplace in all employment skills such as team working, communication, health and safety at work and specific vocational skills related to their role. In addition, staff are supported by the management team on a range of subjects not directly related to employment, but which are either a concern for individuals or are an issue that requires additional support because of their disability. These are wide and varied subjects but include signposting employees to support with housing, money management, benefits and health challenges and, at times, acting as their advocate in such matters. Therefore, the social return on this investment by various NLC departments in contracting services with NLI is that 25 people with significant disabilities are employed in a real working environment with all the rewards that having a job brings. These are not only the financial rewards of employment; the psychological benefits of work also promote positive physical and mental health and research tells us that those in work see their GP less often than people who are unemployed. There is also a contribution to every community of having residents in work and the financial security combined with a sense of pride and purpose, that this offers employees and their families. Current Position 2.5 As a Supported Business, NLI benefits from the work of the Assets and Procurement Solutions team through their commitment to ensuring that for all Regulated Procurement, the Council’s General Contract Standing Orders and procurement toolkit ensure that pre-tender consideration is given to contracting opportunities that are suited to the offerings available from Supported Businesses, including NLI. The Council’s Annual Procurement Report (APR) for 2022/23 shows that through the NLC contracted services with NLI the combined value of these arrangements amounted to a total spend of £969,473 during the APR reporting period. Next Steps 2.6 As stated above, NLI is developing its next stage Action Plan with a focus on both income and on ensuring opportunities are available for disabled residents to be supported in its workforce. Alongside this there are several other actions planned for 2023: - Fulfilment and consolidation of current contracts within NLC - Continued work with the Asset & Procurement Solutions team to identify opportunities - Awareness raising with NLC services of NLI products and goods - Highlighting the sustainable procurement benefits to other public sector providers within North Lanarkshire and Glasgow City Region of the benefits of working with a local supported business - Attendance at Scotland Excell trade conferences to exhibit goods and commercial services available 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success include: Page 205 of 312
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• The implementation and mobilisation of new work streams, coupled with continuous expansion and business growth, ensures NLI is well placed to deliver against future business plan objectives and its commitment to support disabled persons across North Lanarkshire. • NLI continues to offer residents with disabilities the opportunity to enter the labour market whilst ensuring social, environmental and economic value for money for all stakeholders. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Not applicable. Chief Officer (Education, South) 5. Impacts Page 206 of 312
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5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 207 of 312
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Managing and monitoring service performance supports the ongoing monitoring of the service’s risk register. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 208 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref JO’N/ PK Date 17/11/23 Routes to Work Ltd - Appointment of Category B Directors From Janie O’Neill, Chief Officer (Education, South) E-mail oneillja@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07790 894444 Executive Summary This report requests approval for the appointment of three new Category B directors to Routes to Work Limited (RTW) which accompany a change to its Articles of Association approved at its AGM of 21 September 2023. The change to the Articles of Association relates to the maximum number of Category B (independent) Directors that can be appointed to the Board and does not have any impact on the Council’s Category A Directors or their position of authority in the governance of the organisation. The change to the Articles of Association proposes increasing the maximum number of Category B Directors from eight to ten. The reason for this is to provide capacity within the governance subgroups operated by the Board on issues such as Finance, HR and Governance. In addition, two long standing members had given notice in June 2023 of their intention to stand down at the company AGM on 21 September 2023. A recruitment exercise was undertaken as a matter of priority to identify up to three potential new appointees to the Board to ensure that corporate governance arrangements could continue to be fulfilled in accordance with the obligations and high standards of good practice required and the three candidates for Board membership are presented to Committee for approval. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise & Fair Work Committee: 1) Approve change to Articles of Association increasing maximum number of Category B Directors from eight to ten. 2) Approve the appointment of the three Category B directors, referred to in section 2.1.2, to the Board of Directors of Routes to Work Limited. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (11) Increase economic opportunities for adults by understanding, identifying, and addressing the causes of poverty and deprivation and barriers to financial inclusion Item 7 Page 209 of 312
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1. Background 1.1 Routes to Work’s Board of Directors has consisted of up to ten members – two are Category A members appointed by North Lanarkshire Council (one is an elected member, and one is a senior Council officer) and up to eight Category B directors, who bring specialist expertise to the company and are selected through a formal nominations procedure. 1.2 The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that Routes to Work’s services are delivered in accordance with approved Service Level Agreements and charitable objectives. The Board meets quarterly to fulfil its governance responsibilities which include operational delivery and management, staffing, financial control and reporting, health and safety, performance monitoring and reporting and risk management. There are three formal sub-groups of the Board that meet regularly: Governance, HR, and Finance. 2. Report 2.1 Provisions of Articles of Association 2.1.1 The Articles of Association of Routes to Work Limited include the following provisions in respect of the composition of the Board of Directors and the appointment of Independent Directors: 60.2 a maximum of eight directors shall be Category B Directors, who shall be appointed (after due consideration of the views of the board of directors) on the basis that: 60.2.1 they are representative of the community within the local authority area of the Council; and/or 60.2.2 they have specialist skills or expertise which would be of assistance to the board. It was approved at the Routes to Work AGM held on 21 September 2023 that the maximum number of Category B Directors be increased to ten given members standing down and to ensure ongoing capacity to cover all aspects of the governance of the organisation. 2.1.2 Under the terms of Article 65.1 the Council may appoint any Category B Director (other than an officer, elected member or employee of the Council) in writing and signed by an appropriate officer with the guidance of the company’s nominations sub- committee. A recruitment process was undertaken by the nominations committee of Routes to Work Ltd which included advertising via social media and through SCVO Good Moves recruitment page. At its AGM of 21 September 2023, the Routes to Work Board accepted the recommendation of its nominations committee to approve the submission of the three candidates below, for approval by North Lanarkshire Council: (i) Alan Hughes (ii) Phillip Kinnell Programme of Work Brighter Futures Page 210 of 312
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(iii) David Strain 2.1.3 The independent directors proposed for appointment have clear expertise within areas that can support Routes to Work Ltd. A short profile of the proposed independent directors is included in Appendix 1. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Routes to Work Limited continues to utilise the experience and support of its independent directors. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 - Profile of Category B Directors Proposed for Re-appointment to Routes to Work Limited Board. Janie O’Neill Chief Officer (Education - South) Page 211 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 212 of 312
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 213 of 312
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APPENDIX 1 Profile of Category B Director Proposed for Appointment to Routes to Work Limited Board: Alan Hughes Over the course of his career in education and economic development, Alan has worked on both policy development and operational delivery, enabling him to understand the intricate dynamics of program implementation and its alignment with broader strategic goals. He began his professional journey as an enterprise development officer in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, where he spearheaded initiatives to establish community businesses and coordinated transnational projects, empowering young individuals with essential work-related skills. Alan has spent the largest proportion of his working life in Lanarkshire with the Lanarkshire Development Agency and Scottish Enterprise and with the college mergers and has seen first-hand what a difference Routes to Work has made over the years and is keen to make sure that success continues. Throughout his career, Alan has maintained an unwavering passion for creating opportunities for individuals to access the job market, opening doors for their personal and professional growth. His commitment to this cause has only deepened over the years. Recently, while working at Fluido, Alan has been actively exploring ways to collaborate with voluntary sector agencies to provide valuable training and employment prospects through the innovative use of Salesforce technology. In addition to his experience in education and economic development, Alan possesses a strong grasp of governance principles having established the Joint Skills Committee for the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland. Current and recently held positions: • Graduate Mentor for Edinburgh Napier University • GDPR and PCER champion University of Edinburgh • Member of CRM Higher Education Group • Advisor Larbert High Schools STEM Academy • Member of the Scottish Governments Skills Utilisation Advisory Group • Member of Chemicals Science Scotland Skills Group; • Advisory to John Cunningham Chair of MA Implementation Group(MAiG) • Advisory board member of the Lothian New Deal Partnership; Phillip Kinnell Phil is an expert procurement professional who has recently taken up a senior role with Scotland Excell, having previously worked with BIP Solutions Limited for over 20 years in a variety of procurement roles, including a secondment to the Scottish Government where he delivered a research study to review existing approaches to public procurement remedies in the UK and internationally (covering over 180 countries), with recommendations made for the future development of procurement remedies in Scotland. It was during his time at BIP Solutions when Phil first came into contact with Routes to Work Ltd when he led on the project in 2016 to establish our public procurement function, including analysis of the legal and practical aspects, delivery of a Procurement Manual and Knowledge Transfer Workshops for the wider management team and connected stakeholders. Since this commission in 2016, Phil has provided both commissioned and pro-bono support to the management team at RTW around various procurement matters and stated in his application that he has “long admired Routes to Works's role in securing sustained employment and changing many thousands of lives for the better. Working with an organisation with such a great reputation and the opportunity to make a positive socioeconomic impact is something I know I’d find fulfilling”. Page 214 of 312
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Having recently left the organisation that had a commercial relationship with Routes to Work Ltd, Phil is now free to join the Board with the support of his new employer. David Strain David is a highly accomplished business leader/ mentor offering a wealth of expertise from start-ups and charities to senior roles in blue-chip corporations. He has extensive experience across a diverse range of industries, including consumer electronics, industrial products, biotechnology, aerospace and oil and gas to tech start-ups and social enterprises. Consistently driving company developments, ensuring impressive improvements in profitability and efficiency, David is skilled in leading highly complex change management. A strategic thinker with keen problem-solving abilities, David draws on over 25 years’ experience, bringing invaluable insight and intrinsic worth to the Board room. David was born and brought up in North Lanarkshire and spent the largest slice of his career working for Honeywell, probably the largest private sector employer in NL, where he started as an apprentice and progressed to senior global roles. In the last few years since moving into semi-retirement, David has built up a portfolio of start-up investments which has allowed him to work and support ‘young entrepreneurs’ on their journey to start and grow small businesses. This plus involvement in third sector roles has enabled David to participate in several mentoring, advisory board and Non-Executive Director roles which he believes could provide valuable experience for the RTW Board. Page 215 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref KH/JL Date 17/11/23 Fusion Assets Limited – Proposed Revisions to Articles of Association From Katrina Hassell, Chief Officer (Business and Digital) E-mail hassellk@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07903 096121 Executive Summary Fusion Assets Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of North Lanarkshire Council in 2008. The Arm’s Length External Organisation (ALEO) provides economic regeneration, physical development and infrastructure projects on behalf of the Council, with a particular focus on commercial development and land reclamation in areas where there is little speculative development by the private sector. Fusion Assets is able to maximise the value and impact of Vacant and Derelict Land Funding awarded to the Council by the Scottish Government, other grant award funding and its own reserves by levering in additional funding from the private sector through joint venture partnerships for individual projects. Six monthly operational and financial performance reports on Fusion Assets are submitted by the Chief Officer (Place) to this Committee and Fusion Assets is consolidated within the Council’s Group Accounts as a subsidiary company. This report focuses on proposed revisions to the company’s Articles of Association which have been recommended by the company’s Board of Directors to strengthen governance arrangements, reflect the requirement for meetings to be conducted remotely during the pandemic and ensure that the Articles remain sufficiently robust, fit for purpose and support the company in delivering its business objectives including economic regeneration, investment and financial growth. The proposed changes to the Articles of Association introduce: i. Greater flexibility and parity of esteem between Partner and Co-opted Directors in determining the quorum for meetings of the Fusion Assets’ Board of Directors; ii. Provision for meetings to be held remotely if required; iii. Strengthened governance arrangements including those that relate to the appointment of Alternate Directors; and, iv. Introduction of a new provision for Substitute Representatives to be nominated by Partner Directors. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: (1) Approves proposed revisions to the Articles of Association for Fusion Assets Limited as summarised in this report and included in the updated Draft Articles of Association attached as Appendix 1; Item 8 Page 217 of 312
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1. Background 1.1. Fusion Assets is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Council. It focuses on delivering physical regeneration projects across North Lanarkshire and in particular the redevelopment of vacant and derelict land and brownfield sites – a market where there is currently limited speculative development. 1.2. Fusion Assets utilises grant funding from the Council’s annual Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) allocation from the Scottish Government as enabling investment for the acquisition and redevelopment of vacant and derelict land sites. Fusion’s development model harnesses the value of these remediated land sites, plus loan finance and/or Fusion’s reserves, to provide equity in the establishment of joint venture private sector partnerships that subsequently fund and manage the commercial redevelopment of the sites. Once the sites are complete, with any industrial units that have been constructed either fully or partially let, the sites are sold1 to a private sector investor with returns used to pay off loan funding and re- invested in future regeneration projects. 1.3. Fusion Assets is one of the Council’s longest established ALEOs having been initially set up as a joint venture urban regeneration company between the Council and Scottish Enterprise in 2006 following the closure of the Boots factory in Airdrie. The company was restructured in 2008 when it became wholly owned by the Council following Scottish Enterprise’s withdrawal from the joint venture and the existing Articles of Association were updated at that time to reflect the change in ownership. 1 In some instances the terms and conditions of specific grant funding may restrict onward sale for a fixed period and in these cases the asset is retained by Fusion Assets Ltd. (2) Agrees that the appointment of Alternate Directors is remitted to the meeting of the Council on 21 December 2023 with a recommendation that four Alternate Directors are appointed comprising two officer and two elected member appointments; (3) Further recommends to Council that the officer appointments will comprise a Senior Manager within the Place Service and a Business Finance Manager within the Finance Service; (4) Recognises that the appointment of two elected members as Alternate Directors will be considered by full Council at its meeting on 21 December 2023 via existing processes; and, (5) Acknowledges that a Special Resolution to give effect to the changes will require to be prepared and agreed between Fusion Assets and the Council and agrees that the Chief Officer (Legal and Democratic) is authorised to finalise and sign the Special Resolution on behalf of the Council. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (3) Maximise the use of our marketable land and assets through improved development in business and industrial infrastructure Programme of Work Invest in North Lanarkshire Statutory / corporate / service requirement Page 218 of 312
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2. Report Existing Articles of Association 2.1. As the incorporation governance document, Fusion Assets’ Articles of Association outline the purpose of the company, the rights and responsibilities of its members and directors and the way in which the company must operate as a whole. 2.2. The existing Articles of Association were approved in June 2008 when, following the withdrawal of Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, Fusion Assets was restructured as a wholly owned subsidiary company of North Lanarkshire Council with responsibility for promoting industrial and commercial regeneration and encouraging economic development in areas of established market failure where there is little speculative development by the private sector. 2.3. As sole shareholder the Council is responsible for appointing Directors to serve on Fusion Assets’ Board of Directors and the Articles of Association make provision for up to eight directors comprising five Council directors (Partner Directors) and up to three Co-opted Directors drawn from the private sector who bring expertise, skills, and business specialisms to the company. 2.4. The Partner Director roles comprise three elected members and the positions of Chief Officer (Finance) and Chief Officer (Place). 2.5. The existing Articles of Association stipulate that the quorum for Board meetings of Fusion Assets is four Partner Directors – the Co-opted Directors are not included in constituting the quorum. This requirement has on a number of occasions over the years resulted in Fusion Assets’ Board meetings being inquorate with business having to be deferred. 2.6. In response the Board of Directors agreed at their meeting on 24 November 2022 to review the Articles of Association to address the limitations imposed by the current quorum clause and also to conduct a wider review and update of the Articles to ensure that they remain robust, fit for purpose and reflect the role of digital technology to support virtual and hybrid meetings, as experienced during the pandemic. 2.7. This review has been undertaken in conjunction with the Council’s Legal and Democratic Service and the solicitors Burness Paull acting for Fusion Assets. The proposed amendments have been examined by colleagues from Legal and Democratic and are accepted as reasonable revisions. 2.8. At its meeting on 18 September 2023, the Board of Fusion Assets agreed the final revised version of the Articles of Association and further agreed that these should be submitted to the Council, as the sole member of the company, for consideration. 2.9. A copy of the revised Draft Articles of Association, with a note of the Articles that have been updated or introduced, are attached as Appendix 1. The main changes that have been agreed by Fusion’s Board of Directors and duly assessed as acceptable by officers within the Legal and Democratic Service are as follows. Remote and Hybrid Meetings 2.10. New Articles are introduced to permit General Meetings and meetings of the Fusion Assets’ Board of Directors to be held either completely remotely or as a hybrid Page 219 of 312
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meeting, with one or more Directors dialling in. Fusion Assets’ Directors met remotely during the pandemic although the Board meetings have generally reverted to being held in person from February 2022 onwards. New Articles have also been drafted to make onward provision should any future public health restrictions make it unadvisable for meetings to be held in person. Quorum 2.11. The quorate provisions have been amended so that any four directors present at Board meetings form a quorum, provided that at least two of the four directors present must be Partner Directors from the Council. This introduces greater flexibility and provides parity of esteem for the Co-opted Directors who are all long- standing members of the Board and bring wider business and commercial expertise. Alternate Directors 2.12. The existing Articles of Association allow a Partner Director to appoint any other Director, or an officer or elected member from the Council, to serve as an Alternate Director should he or she be unable to attend a meeting. The existing Article is less clear on the duration of any such appointment noting that unless the Partner Director specifies the particular meeting(s) that the appointment relates to, the appointment will remain in place until it is formally revoked. This arrangement also places responsibility for identifying an appropriate Alternate Director on the Partner Director and does not reflect the role of the Council in considering and appointing Directors. 2.13. The revised Articles of Association now allow the Council to nominate two or more additional Council officers and/or elected members to act as Alternate Directors. It is recommended that a maximum of four Alternate Directors – comprising two senior officers and two elected members are appointed. This composition and balance prevent the procedure from becoming overly cumbersome or bureaucratic and provides scope to reflect particular specialisms. 2.14. An existing Partner Director, who is unable to attend a Board Meeting, will be required to nominate and advise Fusion Assets of their Alternate Director in advance of the scheduled meeting. Thereafter, the Alternate Director(s) will need to be registered with Companies House in the same manner as a full Director of the company, although this can be done within 14 days of the relevant Board meeting. As an Alternate Director is only appointed for one meeting (see paragraph 2.21 below) the Alternate Director will resign as Director after the relevant meeting. This resignation will be registered at Companies House. Fusion Assets will be responsible for notifying Companies House of these appointments and resignations. 2.15. The Alternate Directors will be included in constituting that a meeting is quorate and will also have voting rights as referenced further at 2.18 below. Council Appointment of Alternate Directors 2.16. Referring first to the senior officer nominations, it is recommended that the appointments reflect relevant posts rather than named individuals and are also sufficiently flexible to accommodate instances of leave or other unavailability. To this end, and reflecting Fusion Assets’ business objectives, the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee is requested to recommend the appointment of ‘a Senior Manager from within the Place Service’ and ‘a Business Finance Manager from within the Finance Service’ as Alternate Directors and to remit this to full Council on 21 December Page 220 of 312
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2023. These appointments maintain the emphasis on financial and economic regeneration expertise being available to the Fusion Board. 2.17. The appointment of an additional two elected members to serve as Alternate Directors on the Fusion Board will also be considered at the above Council meeting through the established, report, ‘Membership of Committees, Sub Committees, Panels, Working Groups and Other Bodies’ which is a standing item of business on the Council’s agenda. Fusion Assets - Voting Rights 2.18. Each Partner Director or Alternate Director will have one vote each at any given Fusion Board meeting and will no longer have the ability to allocate their vote to another Partner Director if they cannot attend. While this is a change to the existing Articles of Association, the existing provision and arrangement has never been used in practise. Substitute Representatives 2.19. The revised Articles of Association make explicit reference to the Partner Directors now also being able to appoint a Substitute Representative at Board meetings. Substitute Representatives would not have any formal voting rights and would not count towards a quorum being in place at Board meetings. 2.20. The intention behind the introduction of Substitute Representatives, who must either be an officer or elected member of the Council, is to maintain the opportunities for a Partner Director who cannot attend a Board meeting to ask an officer or elected member to attend the board meeting which the Partner Director is unable to attend without recourse to the formality of appointing and subsequently registering an Alternate Director. Duration of Alternate and Substitute Nominations 2.21. It should be noted that the revised Articles of Association, restrict the nomination of an Alternate Director or Substitute Representative to a specific meeting. This means that if a Partner Director was not able to attend a meeting, they would need to appoint an Alternate Director or Substitute Representative for each occasion they were unable to attend. Governance 2.22. Finally a small number of new and/or updated Articles are introduced to strengthen and/or re-state more explicitly governance, oversight and procedural matters within Fusion Assets. These incorporate the following. • Stipulating that a Director shall vacate office if he or she becomes an employee for the company. • Introducing the entitlement for a Director, who is to be removed from office under Section 168 of the Companie Act 2006, to be given reasonable prior written notice of the proposed resolution and the opportunity to address the Directors’ meeting where such resolution is proposed, and the requirement that at least two-thirds of the Directors must vote in favour of the resolution. • Articulating the responsibility on Directors to take decisions in good faith that will be most likely to promote the success of the company and to comply with the Page 221 of 312
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Code of Conduct, including rules on Conflict of Interest, that may be prescribed by the Fusion Assets’ Board at any time. • Removing the stated obligation on Fusion Assets to appoint a company secretary and the requirement for physical signing of Directors’ minutes. Next Steps 2.23. The approval and implementation process for the proposed revisions is by way of a Special Resolution that captures and narrates the amended and new Articles. It is recommended that the Head of Legal and Democratic Solutions is authorised to agree and sign the Special Resolution on behalf of the Council. Thereafter, Fusion Assets will submit the newly adopted Articles of Association to Companies House. 3. Measures of success 3.1. The following measures of success are identified: • Appointment of two senior officers and two elected members as Alternate Directors supporting existing Partner Directors to undertake their duties and responsibilities as company directors; and, • Timeous filing of the Special Resolution changing the Articles of Association with Companies House. 3.2. The ultimate objective in revising the Articles of Association is to ensure that Fusion Assets Limited has robust governance arrangements in place with effective leadership, direction, and oversight by the Board of Directors and that the Articles of Association make adequate provision for Fusion to operate efficiently and adhere to statutory duties and company law. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1. Appendix 1: Fusion Assets Limited – Updated Draft Articles of Association Katrina Hassell Chief Officer (Business and Digital) Page 222 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the Council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Solicitors within the Commercial and Compliance team in Legal and Democratic have been involved from the outset in considering proposed changes to Fusion Assets’ Articles of Association. This has included providing comments on early drafts and confirming that the proposed revisions to the Articles of Association, as approved by Fusion Assets’ Board of Directors on 18 September 2023, are acceptable for consideration by the Council. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 223 of 312
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If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the Council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? The proposed revisions to Fusion Assets’ Articles of Association will help to mitigate risks in relation to Board meetings being inquorate and ensure that the company’s governance arrangements, conduct of meetings and business transactions are completed efficiently and effectively. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any Council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 224 of 312
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 225 of 312
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APPENDIX 1 FSUION ASSETS LIMITED NOTE OF REVISED AND UPDATED ARTICLES CONTAINIED WITHIN THE DRAFT ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATIONN ATTACHED AS APPENDIX 1A ARTICLE(S) SECTION CATEGORY / SUMMARY 31, 32, Notice of General Meetings Provision for meetings to be held remotely by audio and/or audio-visual link, including where public health restrictions make in- person meetings unadvisable. 36, 37, 38, 39, 41 Proceedings at General Meetings 54 Technical Objections to Remote Participation in General Meetings 86, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 107 Proceedings of Directors 88, 89, 90.2 Proceedings of Directors • Increasing Quorum flexibility to recognise Co-opted Directors; • Requirement for at least 2 Partner Directors rather than existing requirement of 4 Partner Directors to constitute a quorum; and, • Conduct of business if a quorum is not present. 108, 109, 110, 113, 114 Alternate Directors • Nomination of Alternate Directors by North Lanarkshire Council; • Appointment of Alternate Directors by Partner Directors; and, • Duration and voting rights of appointment. 119 to 128 Substitutes (non-Voting) • Appointment of Substitutes by Partner Directors; • Duration of appointment; and, • Non-voting and excluded from quorum 68.8, 69.1 Disqualification and Removal of Directors A series of new and/or updated Articles designed to strengthen and/or re-state governance arrangements more explicitly. 77, 78 Conduct of Directors 132, 133 Secretary and Minutes Page 226 of 312
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THE COMPANIES ACT 2006 COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND NOT HAVING A SHARE CAPITAL DRAFT ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF FUSION ASSETS LIMITED APPENDIX 1A Page 227 of 312
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THE COMPANIES ACT 2006 COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND NOT HAVING A SHARE CAPITAL ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION of FUSION ASSETS LIMITED CONSTITUTION OF COMPANY 1. The model articles of association as prescribed in Schedule 1 to The Companies (Model Articles) Regulations 2008 are excluded in respect of this company. Definitions 2. In these articles “the Act” means (subject to article 3) the Companies Act 2006; “conflict of interest” includes a conflict of interest and duty, and a conflict of duties; “Conflict Situation” means any situation or matter (other than one which cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest) in which any director has or could have a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly might conflict, with the interests of the company including (without limitation) any such situation or matter which relates to the exploitation of any property, information or opportunity (irrespective of whether the company could take advantage of the property, information or opportunity); “electronic form” has the meaning given in section 1168 of the Act; “property” means any property, heritable or moveable, real or personal, wherever situated; “Secretary” means the secretary of the company or any other person appointed to perform the duties of the secretary of the company, including a joint, assistant or deputy secretary; “subsidiary” has the meaning given in section 1159 of the Act. 3. Any reference in these articles to a statutory provision (including, for the avoidance of doubt, a provision contained within a statutory instrument) shall be deemed to include any modification or re-enactment of that provision in force from time to time. Page 228 of 312
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4. Any reference to a provision of any legislation (including any statutory instrument) shall include any statutory modification or re-enactment of that provision in force from time to time. 5. References in these articles to the singular shall be deemed to include the plural. Objects 6. The company’s objects are: - To promote urban regeneration and economic development within North Lanarkshire (“the Operating Area”), focussing on property-based projects in areas of established market failure and with a view to contributing towards sustainable area-wide regeneration and long-term economic benefits in a manner which is in alignment with the wider strategies for the Operating Area developed from time to time through the community planning process; and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of those aims) to implement (directly and/or through a subsidiary or joint venture company or companies) such projects (which may include, without limitation, town centre renewal and the reuse of derelict land and buildings) as the board of directors may consider appropriate from time to time by reference to furtherance of the preceding aims, applying and/or reinvesting (whether directly or via payments to any charitable company or to any other body) the net proceeds (if any) of any such project in projects, initiatives or other interventions which further the preceding aims. 7. The company’s objects are restricted to those set out in article 6, but subject to article 8. 8. The company may add to, remove, or alter the statement of the company’s objects in article 6; on any occasion when it does so, it must give notice to the registrar of companies and the amendment will not be effective until that notice is registered on the register of companies. Powers 9. In pursuance of the objects listed in article 6 (but not otherwise) the company shall have the following powers: - 9.1 In implementing any project of the nature referred to above, to acquire appropriate property interests in respect of the relevant sites, make appropriate contributions to support roads and/or other infrastructure for the sites, obtain planning permission and other necessary consents, secure the necessary funding, carry through the remediation of the sites, carry out the construction or installation of roads, footpaths, services and other works to produce serviced sites, landscaped areas, car parking, Page 229 of 312
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public amenities and other facilities and/or construct buildings and other structures, secure appropriate lettings, manage all or part of the completed development and generally take all such other steps associated with the development of such sites (which may include the grant of further leases and other rights of occupation or use from time to time and/or disposal of the whole or any part of the development, whether as a serviced site or following completion) as the board of directors may consider appropriate from time to time; and such that, for the avoidance of doubt, the company may carry out any of such steps directly and/or through a subsidiary or joint venture company or companies. 9.2 To initiate, promote, conduct, participate in (whether via a joint venture company or companies or otherwise), co-ordinate, monitor and/or assist (whether financially or otherwise), other projects, initiatives and schemes of all kinds which further any of the objects of the company. 9.3 To advise in relation to, prepare, organise, conduct and/or support conferences, seminars and workshops, and educational and training events, courses and programmes of all kinds. 9.4 To commission and/or conduct research, and to publish and promote the results of such research. 9.5 To design, prepare, publish and/or distribute information packs, leaflets, books, newsletters, magazines, posters and other publications, audio and video recordings, multimedia products and display materials, and to create and maintain a database or databases. 9.6 To provide information, advisory, support and/or consultancy services which further the objects and aims of the company. 9.7 To liaise with European, UK, Scottish and local government authorities and agencies, local enterprise companies, local economic development companies, voluntary sector bodies and others, all with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the company in pursuing its objectives. 9.8 To carry on any other activity which may be appropriately carried on in connection with any of the objects of the company. 9.9 To establish and/or participate in joint ventures and to promote companies whose activities may further one or more of the above objects or may generate income to Page 230 of 312
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support the activities of the company, acquire and hold shares, stocks, debentures and other interests in such companies and carry out in relation to any such company which is a subsidiary of the company, all such functions as may be associated with a holding company. 9.10 To acquire and take over the whole or any part of the undertaking and liabilities of any person entitled to any property or rights suitable for any of the objects of the company. 9.11 To purchase, take on lease, hire, take in exchange, and otherwise acquire any property and rights which may be advantageous for the purposes of the activities of the company. 9.12 To improve, manage, enhance, develop, turn to account and otherwise deal with all or any part of the undertaking, property and rights of the company. 9.13 To sell, let, hire, license, give in exchange and otherwise dispose of all or any part of the undertaking, property and rights of the company. 9.14 To lend money and give credit to any person, with or without security, and to grant guarantees and contracts of indemnity on behalf of any person. 9.15 To borrow money and give security for the payment of money by, or the performance of other obligations of, the company or any other person. 9.16 To draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, negotiate, execute and issue cheques and other negotiable or transferable instruments. 9.17 To remunerate any individual in the employment of the company and to establish, maintain and contribute to any pension or superannuation fund for the benefit of, and to give or procure the giving of any donation, pension, allowance or remuneration to, and to make any payment for or towards the insurance of, any individual who is or was at any time in the employment of the company and the spouse, widow/er, relatives and dependants of any such individual; to establish, subsidise and subscribe to any institution, association, club and fund which may benefit any such person. 9.18 To oppose or object to any application or proceedings which may prejudice the company’s interests. Page 231 of 312
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9.19 To enter into any arrangement with any organisation, government or authority which may be advantageous for the purposes of the activities of the company and to obtain from any such organisation, government or authority any right, privilege or concession. 9.20 To enter into any arrangement for co-operation or mutual assistance with any body, whether incorporated or unincorporated. 9.21 To effect insurance against risks of all kinds. 9.22 To invest funds not immediately required for the purposes of the company’s activities in such investments and securities (including land in any part of the world) and that in such manner as may from time to time be considered advantageous, and to dispose of and vary such investments and securities. 9.23 To establish and support any association or other unincorporated body having objects altogether or in part similar to those of the company and to promote any company or other incorporated body formed for the purpose of carrying on any activity which the company is authorised to carry on. 9.24 To subscribe and make contributions to or otherwise support charitable bodies, whether incorporated or unincorporated, and to make donations for any charitable purpose connected with the activities of the company or with the furtherance of its objects. 9.25 To accept subscriptions, grants, donations, gifts, legacies and endowments of all kinds, either absolutely or conditionally or in trust, for any of the objects of the company. 9.26 To take such steps (by way of personal or written appeals, public meetings or otherwise) as may be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the company, whether by way of subscriptions, grants, loans, donations or otherwise. 9.27 To carry out any of these objects in any part of the world as principal, agent, contractor, trustee or in any other capacity and through an agent, contractor, sub- contractor, trustee or any person acting in any other capacity and either alone or in conjunction with others. 9.28 To do anything which may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the objects of the company. Page 232 of 312
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Restrictions on use of the company’s assets 10. The income and property of the company shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objects (as set out in article 6). 11. No part of the income or property of the company shall be paid or transferred (directly or indirectly) to the members of the company by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise. 12. No benefit (whether in money or in kind) shall be given by the company to any director (other than a Co-opted Director drawn from the private sector) except 12.1 repayment of out-of-pocket expenses; 12.2 reasonable payment in return for particular services (not being of a management nature) actually rendered to the company; or 12.3 reasonable remuneration paid or provided to a Director drawn from the private sector for services provided as a director of the company. 13. No director of the company shall be appointed as a paid employee of the company, no director (other than a Co-opted Director drawn from the private sector) shall hold any office under the company for which a salary or fee is payable. Liability of members 14. The liability of the members is limited. 15. Each member of the company undertakes to contribute such amount as may be required (not exceeding £1) to the company’s assets if it should be wound up while it is a member or within one year after it ceases to be a member, to be applied towards: 15.1 payment of the company’s debts and liabilities contracted before it ceases to be a member; 15.2 payment of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up; and 15.3 adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves. General Structure 16. The structure of the company consists of:- Page 233 of 312
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16.1 The MEMBERS – who have the right to participate in the annual general meeting (and any other general meeting) and have important powers under the articles of association and the Companies Act; in particular the members elect people to serve as directors and take decisions in relation to changes to the articles of association; 16.2 The DIRECTORS – who hold regular meetings during the period between annual general meetings, and generally control and supervise the activities of the company; in particular, the directors are responsible for monitoring the financial position of the company. Qualifications for membership 17. Membership shall be open only to North Lanarkshire Council. Application for membership 18. Any incorporated body eligible for membership under article 17 (other than a subscriber to the memorandum of association) which wishes to become a member shall lodge with the company a written application for membership (in such form as the directors require); the application for membership shall be signed on the relevant body’s behalf by an authorised officer of that body. 19. A body eligible for membership under article 17 shall automatically constitute a member of the company immediately upon receipt by the company of the application for membership, duly signed in accordance with article 18. Withdrawal from membership 20. Any body which wishes to withdraw from membership shall lodge with the company a written notice of retiral (in such form as the directors require), signed on its behalf by an authorised officer of that body; on receipt of the notice by the company, it shall cease to be a member. Register of members 21. The directors shall procure that a register of members is maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Act and shall ensure that the appropriate entries in the register of members are made immediately after any change in the membership of the company occurs. General meetings 22. All general meetings other than annual general meetings are to be called general meetings. Page 234 of 312
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23. The directors shall convene an annual general meeting in each calendar year; not more than 15 months shall elapse between one annual general meeting and the next. 24. The directors must convene a meeting if there is a valid requisition by members (under section 303 of the Act) or a requisition by a resigning auditor (under section 518 of the Act). 25. Subject to the provisions of articles 23 and 24, the directors may convene general meetings whenever they think fit. Notice of general meetings 26. At least 14 clear days’ notice of each general meeting (including an annual general meeting) must be given to all the members and directors, and (if auditors are in office at the time) to the auditors. 27. The reference to “clear days” in article 26 shall be taken to mean that, in calculating the period of notice, the day after the notice is posted, and also the day of the meeting, should be excluded. 28. A notice calling a meeting shall specify the time, date and place of the meeting; it shall (a) indicate the general nature of any business to be dealt with at the meeting; (b) if a special resolution (see article 33) (or a resolution requiring special notice under the Companies Acts) is to be proposed, also state that fact, giving the exact terms of the resolution; and (c) contain a statement informing members of their right to appoint a proxy. 29. A notice convening an annual general meeting shall specify that the meeting is to be an annual general meeting. 30. Notice of every general meeting shall be given in writing, and shall be: - 30.1 sent by post to the member, at the address last notified by them to the company; or 30.2 sent by email to the member, at the email address last notified by them to the company in hard copy form. 31. If members and directors are to be permitted to participate in a general meeting by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s) (see article 36), the notice (or notes accompanying the notice) must: 31.1 set out details of how to connect and participate via that link or links; and Page 235 of 312
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31.2 (particularly for the benefit of those members who may have difficulties in using a computer or laptop for this purpose) draw members' attention to the following options: 31.2.1 participating in the meeting via an audio link accessed by phone, using dial-in details (if that forms part of the arrangements); 31.2.2 appointing the chairperson of the meeting as proxy, and directing the chairperson on how they should use that proxy vote in relation to each resolution to be proposed at the meeting; 31.2.3 (where attendance in person is to be permitted, either on an open basis or with a restriction on the total number who will be permitted to attend) attending and voting in person at the meeting. 32. If participation in the meeting is to be by way of audio and/or audio-visual links - with no intention for the meeting to involve attendance in person by two or more members in any particular location - the place of the meeting shall, for the purposes of the notice calling the meeting, be taken to be the place where the anticipated chairperson of the meeting is expected to be, as at the time fixed for the commencement of the meeting; and, if it transpires that the chairperson of the meeting is at some other place as at the commencement of the meeting, the meeting shall be taken to have been validly adjourned to that other place. Special resolutions and ordinary resolutions 33. For the purposes of these articles, a “special resolution” means a resolution of the members, which is either: - 33.1 passed by 75% or more of the votes cast on the resolution at a general meeting, providing proper notice of the meeting and of the intention to propose the resolution has been given in accordance with articles 26 to 32; for the avoidance of doubt, the reference to a 75% majority relates only to the number of votes cast in favour of the resolution as compared with the number of votes cast against the resolution, and accordingly no account shall be taken of abstentions or members absent from the meeting; or 33.2 passed by members representing not less than 75% of the total voting rights of eligible members when passed by way of a written resolution, in accordance with articles 55 to 58. Page 236 of 312
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34. In addition to the matters expressly referred to elsewhere in these articles, the provisions of the Companies Acts allow the company, by special resolution 34.1 to alter its name 34.2 to alter any provision of these articles or adopt new articles of association. 35. For the purposes of these articles, an “ordinary resolution” means a resolution of the members, which is either: - 35.1 passed by majority vote (taking account only of those votes cast in favour as compared with those votes cast against) at a general meeting, providing proper notice of the meeting has been given in accordance with articles 26 to 32; or 35.2 passed by members representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of eligible members when passed by way of a written resolution in accordance with articles 55 to 58. Proceedings at general meetings 36. The board may if they consider appropriate (and must, if that is required under article 37) make arrangements for members and directors to participate in general meetings by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s) which allow them to hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting, providing: 36.1 the means by which members and directors can participate via those link(s) are not subject to technical complexities, significant costs or other factors which are likely to represent - for all or a significant proportion of the membership - a barrier to participation; 36.2 the notice calling the meeting (or notes accompanying the notice) contains the information required under article 31; and 36.3 the manner in which the meeting is conducted ensures, so far as reasonably possible, that those members and directors who participate via an audio or audio-visual link are not disadvantaged with regard to their ability to contribute to discussions at the meeting, as compared with those members and directors (if any) who are attending in person (and vice versa). 37. If restrictions arising from public health legislation or guidance are likely to mean that attendance in person at a proposed general meeting would not be possible or advisable for all Page 237 of 312
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or a significant proportion of the membership, the board must make arrangements for members and directors to participate in that general meeting by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s) which allow them to hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting; and on the basis that the requirements set out in articles 36.1, 36.2 and 36.3 will apply. 38. A general meeting may involve two or more members or directors participating via attendance in person while other members and/or directors participate via audio and/or audio-visual links; or it may involve participation solely via audio and/or audio-visual links. 39. References in articles 31 and 32 and articles 36 to 38 to members should be taken to include proxies for members and authorised representatives of members. 40. No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present; one member, represented by an authorised representative or by proxy, shall be a quorum. 41. An individual participating in a general meeting via an audio or audio-visual link which allows them to hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting will be deemed to be present in person (or, if they are not a member or the authorised representative of a member, will be deemed to be in attendance) at the meeting. 42. If the quorum required under article 40 is not present within half an hour after the time appointed for the meeting, or if during a meeting such a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to such time and place as may be fixed by the chairperson of the meeting. 43. The Chair shall (if present and willing to act) preside as chairperson of the meeting; if the Chair is not present and willing to act as chairperson of the meeting within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the Vice Chair shall act as chairperson of the meeting. 44. If neither the Chair nor the Vice Chair is present and willing to act as chairperson of the meeting within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the directors present shall elect one of their number to act as chairperson of the meeting or, if there is only one director present and willing to act, he/she shall be chairperson of the meeting. 45. Each of the directors shall, notwithstanding that he/she is not a member, be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting. 46. The chairperson of the meeting may, with the consent of the meeting at which a quorum is present (and must, if the meeting requests him/her to do so), adjourn the meeting but not for a period in excess of thirty days; no notice need be given of an adjourned meeting. Page 238 of 312
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Votes of members 47. Every member shall have one vote, which may be given either via its duly authorised representative present at the meeting or by proxy. 48. A member which wishes to appoint a proxy to vote on its behalf at any meeting (or adjourned meeting) 48.1 shall lodge with the company, at the company’s registered office, a written instrument of proxy (in such form as the directors require), signed by an appropriate officer of that member; or 48.2 shall send by electronic means to the company at such electronic address as may have been notified to the members by the company for that purpose, an instrument of proxy (in such form as the directors require) providing (in either case) the instrument of proxy is received by the company at the relevant address not less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting (or as the case may be, adjourned meeting); for the avoidance of doubt, in calculating the 48 hour period referring to in the preceding provisions of this article 47, no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day. 49. An instrument of proxy or electronic communication containing the appointment of a proxy, which does not conform with the provisions of article 47, or which is not lodged or sent in accordance with such provisions, shall be invalid. 50. A proxy appointed to attend and vote at any meeting instead of a member shall have the same right as the member which appointed him/her to speak at the meeting and need not be a member of the company. 51. A member which is an incorporated body may authorise an individual to act as its representative at any general meeting of the company, providing particulars of the individual so authorised and of the body which he/she is to represent are received by the company prior to the commencement of the general meeting; the individual so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the member which he/she represents as that incorporated body could exercise if it were an individual member. 52. The chairperson of a meeting shall not be entitled to a casting vote if an equality of votes arises in relation to any resolution. Page 239 of 312
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53. A vote given by proxy or by the duly authorised representative of a member which is an incorporated body shall be valid notwithstanding that the authority of the person voting had terminated prior to the giving of such vote unless notice of such termination was received by the company at the company’s registered office before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote was given. Technical objections to remote participation in general meetings 54. These articles impose certain requirements regarding the use of audio and/or audio-visual links as a means of participation and voting at general meetings; providing the arrangements made by the board in relation to a given general meeting (and the manner in which the general meeting is conducted) are consistent with those requirements: 54.1 a member cannot insist on participating in the general meeting, or voting at the general meeting, by any particular means; 54.2 the general meeting need not be held in any particular place; 54.3 the general meeting may be held without any particular number of those participating in the meeting being present in person at the same place (but notwithstanding that, the quorum requirements - taking account of those participating via audio and/or audio-visual links - must still be met); 54.4 the general meeting may be held by any means which permits those participating in the meeting to hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting; 54.5 a member will be able to exercise the right to vote at the general meeting (including where a secret ballot is to be held) by such means as is determined by the chairperson of the meeting (consistent with the arrangements made by the board) and which permits that member's vote to be taken into account in determining whether or not a resolution is passed. Written resolutions 55. A written resolution can be passed by the members of the company (having been proposed by either the members or the directors in accordance with the procedures detailed in Chapter 2 of Part 13 of the Act) and will have effect as if passed by the members of the company in general meeting; a written resolution is passed when the required majority of eligible members have signified their agreement to it by sending to the company (in hard copy or electronic form) an authenticated document which identifies the resolution to which it relates and which indicates the member’s agreement to it. Page 240 of 312
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56. For the purposes of the preceding article:- 56.1 the reference to “eligible members” is to those members who would have been entitled to vote on the resolution on the circulation date of the resolution (which is either (a) the date on which copies of the written resolution are sent or submitted to the members in accordance with the procedures detailed in Chapter 2 of Part 13 of the Act; or (b) if copies are sent or submitted to members on different days, the first of those dates); 56.2 the reference to “required majority” is to the majority required to pass an ordinary or a special resolution under the Act, as follows:- 56.2.1 in order to pass an ordinary resolution by way of written resolution, it must be passed (in accordance with article 55) by members representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of eligible members; 56.2.2 in order to pass a special resolution by way of written resolution, it must be passed (in accordance with article 55) by members representing not less than 75% of the total voting rights of eligible members and the resolution must specifically state that it was proposed as a special resolution. 57. For the avoidance of doubt, a resolution to remove a director (under section 168 of the Act) or a resolution to remove an auditor (under section 510 of the Act) cannot be proposed as a written resolution under article 55. 58. For the purposes of article 55, a proposed written resolution will lapse if it is not passed before the end of a period of 28 days beginning with the circulation date (as defined in article 56), and the agreement of any member to a written resolution will be ineffective if signified after the expiry of that period. Categories of director 59. For the purposes of these articles “Partner Director” means a director appointed or re-appointed under articles 61 to 64 “Co-opted Director” means a director appointed or re-appointed under articles 65 to 67. Page 241 of 312
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Number of directors 60. The maximum number of directors (excluding for this purpose alternate directors) shall be 8; out of that number no more than 5 shall be Partner Directors and no more than 3 shall be Co- opted Directors. Appointment, removal, retirement, etc: Partner Directors 61. Subject to article 63, North Lanarkshire Council, so long as it remains a member of the company, may by notice in writing, signed on its behalf by an appropriate officer and given to the company 61.1 appoint any person (other than an employee of the company) who is willing so to act to be a director (a “Partner Director”); or 61.2 remove any Partner Director appointed by that member from office as a director. 62. Any appointment or removal of a director under article 61 shall have effect from the date on which the relevant notice is given to the company. 63. The powers conferred by article 61 shall be deemed to be limited such that the number of individuals appointed by North Lanarkshire Council who may hold office as a director at any given time shall not exceed five. 64. Each of the Partner Directors shall vacate office with effect from the conclusion of each annual general meeting, but shall then be eligible for re-appointment under article 61; if the notice re- appointing him/her as a director is received by the company prior to the conclusion of the annual general meeting, he/she shall continue in office as a director without interruption. Appointment, vacating of office, re-appointment: Co-opted Directors 65. Subject to article 60, the directors may at any time appoint any individual (other than an employee of the company) to be a director (a “Co-opted Director”) providing (a) he/she is willing so to act and (b) they have obtained the prior approval in writing of the members in respect of each such appointee. 66. At the conclusion of each annual general meeting, all of the Co-opted Directors shall vacate office. 67. Immediately following each annual general meeting, the directors may (with the prior approval in writing of the members) reappoint any Co-opted Director who vacated office under the preceding article at the conclusion of the annual general meeting; the directors may Page 242 of 312
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alternatively appoint someone in his/her place (providing they have obtained the prior approval in writing of the members in respect of the appointee) or resolve not to fill the vacancy. Disqualification and removal of directors 68. A director shall vacate office if: 68.1 he/she ceases to be a director by virtue of any provision of the Act or becomes prohibited by law from being a director; 68.2 he/she is sequestrated; 68.3 he/she becomes incapable for medical reasons of fulfilling the duties of his/her office and such incapacity has continued, or is expected to continue, for a period of more than six months; 68.4 in the case of a Partner Director, the body which appointed him/her ceases to be a member of the company; 68.5 he/she resigns office by notice to the company; 68.6 he/she is absent (without permission of the directors) for more than three consecutive meetings of directors and the directors resolve to remove him/her from office; 68.7 he/she is removed from office by ordinary resolution (special notice having been given) in pursuance of section 168 of the Act. 68.8 he/she becomes an employee of the company 69. A resolution under article 68.7 shall be valid only if: - 69.1 the director who is the subject of the resolution is given reasonable prior written notice by the directors of the grounds upon which the resolution for his/her removal is to be proposed; 69.2 the director concerned is given the opportunity to address the meeting of directors at which the resolution is proposed, prior to the resolution being put to the vote; and 69.3 at least two thirds (to the nearest round number) of the directors then in office vote in favour of the resolution. Page 243 of 312
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Appointments to office 70. Directors shall be appointed to hold the offices of Chair and Vice Chair, an office carrying special responsibility for monitoring the financial affairs of the company, and any other offices which the directors may consider appropriate. 71. The appointments under the article 70 shall be made at meetings of directors. 72. Each office shall be held (subject to article 73) until the conclusion of the annual general meeting which next follows; a director whose period of office expires under this article may be re-appointed to that office under article 70 (providing that he/she is willing to act). 73. The appointment of any director to an office under article 70 shall terminate if he/she ceases to be a director or if he/she resigns from that office by notice to the company. 74. If the appointment of a director to any office under article 70 terminates, the directors shall appoint another director to hold the office in his/her place. Directors’ interests 75. Subject to the provisions of the Act and of articles 10 to 12 and provided that he/she has disclosed to the directors the nature and extent of any personal interest which he/she has (unless immaterial), a director (notwithstanding his/her office): 75.1 may be a party to, or have some other personal interest in, any transaction or arrangement with the company or any associated company; 75.2 may be a party to, or have some other personal interest in, any transaction or arrangement in which the company or any associated company has an interest; 75.3 may be a director or secretary of, or employed by, or have some other personal interest in, any associated company; and 75.4 shall not, because of his/her office, be accountable to the company for any benefit which he/she derives from any such office or employment or from any such transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any such company; and no such transaction or arrangement shall be liable to be treated as void on the ground of any such interest or benefit. 76. For the purposes of the preceding article: Page 244 of 312
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76.1 an interest of which a director has no knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him/her to have knowledge shall not be treated as an interest of his/hers; 76.2 the references to “associated company” shall be interpreted as references to any subsidiary of the company or any other company in which the company has a direct or indirect interest. Conduct of directors 77. It is the duty of each director of the company to take decisions (and exercise his/her other powers and responsibilities as a director) in such a way as he/she considers, in good faith, will be most likely to promote the success of the company in achieving its objects (as set out in article 6) and irrespective of any office, post, engagement or other connection which he/she may have with any other body which may have an interest in the matter in question. 78. Each of the directors shall comply with the code of conduct (incorporating detailed rules on conflict of interest) prescribed by the board of directors from time to time; for the avoidance of doubt, the code of conduct shall be supplemental to the provisions relating to the conduct of directors contained in these articles, and the relevant provisions of these articles shall be interpreted and applied in accordance with the provisions of the code of conduct in force from time to time. Directors’ remuneration and expenses 79. No director (other than a Co-opted Director) shall be entitled to any remuneration, whether in respect of his/her office as director or as holder of any office under article 70; a Co-opted Director drawn from the private sector may be remunerated for carrying his/her ordinary duties as a director. 80. The directors may be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of directors, general meetings, meetings of committees of directors or otherwise in connection with the carrying-out of their duties. Powers of directors 81. Subject to the provisions of the Act and of these articles, and to any directions given by special resolution, the business of the company shall be managed by the directors who may exercise all the powers of the company; no alteration of these articles and no direction given by special resolution shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. Page 245 of 312
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82. The powers conferred by article 81 shall not be limited by any special power conferred on the directors by these articles. 83. A meeting of directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the directors. Proceedings of directors 84. Subject to the provisions of these articles, the directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. 85. Any director may call a meeting of the directors or request the secretary (if there is a secretary in office at the time) to call a meeting of the directors. 86. If directors are to be permitted to participate in a meeting of the directors by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s), the directors must, in advance of the meeting, be provided with details of how to connect and participate via that link or links; and (particularly for the benefit of those directors who may have difficulties in using a computer or laptop for this purpose) the directors' attention should be drawn to the following options: 86.1 participating in the meeting via an audio link accessed by phone, using dial-in details (if that forms part of the arrangements); 86.2 (where attendance in person is to be permitted, either on an open basis or subject to a restriction on the total number who will be permitted to attend) the ability to attend the meeting in person. 87. Questions arising at any meeting of directors shall be decided by a majority of votes; the chairperson of a meeting of directors shall have a second or casting vote. 88. The quorum for the transaction of business of the directors shall (subject to articles 89 and 90) be four, of whom not less than two must be Partner Directors. 89. A person acting as alternate director, shall, if his/her appointer is not present, be counted in the quorum. 90. If the quorum required under article 88 is not present within half an hour after the time appointed for the meeting, or if during a meeting such a quorum ceases to be present, 90.1 the meeting shall stand adjourned to such time and place as may be fixed by the chairperson of the meeting; or Page 246 of 312
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90.2 the chairperson of the meeting may decide that any resolutions which were to be proposed at the inquorate meeting shall, instead, be circulated for approval by the directors in accordance with the written resolution procedure under article 100. 91. The continuing directors or a sole continuing director may act notwithstanding vacancies, but if the number of remaining directors is less than the number fixed as the quorum, they or he/she may act only for the purpose of filling of vacancies or of calling a general meeting. 92. Unless he/she is unwilling to do so, the Chair shall preside as chairperson at every meeting of directors at which he/she is present; if the Chair is unwilling to act as chairperson or is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the Vice Chair shall preside as chairperson. 93. If neither the Chair nor the Vice Chair is present and willing to act as chairperson at a meeting of directors within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the directors present shall appoint one of their number to be chairperson of the meeting. 94. The board may, if they consider appropriate (and must, if this is required under article 95) allow directors to participate in a meeting of directors by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s) which allow them to hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting, providing: 94.1 the means by which directors can participate in this manner are not subject to technical complexities, significant costs or other factors which are likely to represent - for all, or a significant proportion, of the directors - a barrier to participation; and 94.2 the manner in which the meeting is conducted ensures, so far as reasonably possible, that those directors who participate via an audio or audio-visual link are not disadvantaged with regard to their ability to contribute to discussions at the meeting, as compared with those directors (if any) who are attending in person (and vice versa). 95. If restrictions arising from public health legislation or guidance are likely to mean that attendance in person at a proposed board meeting would not be possible or advisable for one or more of the directors, the board must make arrangements for directors to participate in that board meeting by way of audio and/or audio-visual link(s); and on the basis that: 95.1 the requirements set out in articles 94.1 and 94.2 will apply; and 95.2 the board must use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that all directors have access to one or more means by which they may hear and contribute to discussions at the meeting. Page 247 of 312
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96. A meeting of directors may involve two or more directors participating via attendance in person while other directors participate via audio and/or audio-visual links; or it may involve participation solely via audio and/or audio-visual links. 97. Where a director or directors are participating in a meeting of directors via an audio or audio- visual link, they may cast their vote on any resolution orally, or by way of some form of visual indication, or by use of a voting button or similar, or by way of a message sent electronically. 98. The directors shall be entitled to allow any person to attend (whether in person or by way of an audio or audio-visual link) and speak (but not vote) at any meeting of the directors; a person invited to attend a meeting of the directors under the preceding provisions of this article shall not be entitled to exercise any of the powers of a director, and shall not be deemed to constitute a director for the purposes of the Act, or any provision of these articles. 99. All acts done by a meeting of directors or by a meeting of a committee of directors or by a person acting as a director shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was a defect in the appointment of any director or that any of them was disqualified from holding office or had vacated office or was not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified and had continued to be a director and had been entitled to vote. 100. A resolution in writing signed by all the directors entitled to receive notice of a meeting of directors or of a committee of directors shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of directors or (as the case may be) a committee of directors duly convened and held; it may consist of several documents in the same form each signed by one or more directors. 101. A resolution signed by an alternate director need not also be signed by his/her appointer; a resolution signed by a director who has appointed an alternate director need not be signed by the alternate director in that capacity. 102. A director shall not vote at a meeting of directors or at a meeting of a committee of directors on any resolution concerning a matter in which he/she has, directly or indirectly, a personal interest or duty (unless immaterial) which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the company. 103. For the purposes of the preceding article:- 103.1 an interest of a person who is taken to be connected with a director for any purpose of the Act shall be treated as a personal interest of the director; Page 248 of 312
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103.2 an interest of the appointer of an alternate director shall be treated as a personal interest of the alternate director; 103.3 a director shall (subject to article 103.4) be deemed to have a personal interest in relation to a particular matter if a body in relation to which he/she is an employee, director, member of the management committee, officer or elected representative has an interest in that matter; 103.4 a Partner Director shall not be deemed to have a personal interest in relation to a particular matter by reason only of the fact that he/she is an employee, officer or elected representative of North Lanarkshire Council. 104. A director shall not be counted in the quorum present at a meeting in relation to a resolution on which he/she is not entitled to vote. 105. The company may by ordinary resolution suspend or relax to any extent, either generally or in relation to any particular matter, the provisions of articles 102 to 104 106. If a question arises at a meeting of directors or at a meeting of a committee of directors as to the right of a director to vote, the question may, before the conclusion of the meeting, be referred to the chairperson of the meeting; his/her ruling in relation to any director other than himself/herself shall be final and conclusive. 107. The principles set out in article 54 (technical objections to remote participation) shall apply in relation to remote participation and voting at a meeting of directors, as if each reference in that article to a member were a reference to a director and each reference in that article to a general meeting were a reference to a meeting of directors. Alternate directors 108. North Lanarkshire Council may, from time to time, nominate (by notice to the company) one or more senior officers and one or more elected members of North Lanarkshire Council who shall each be available for appointment as an alternate director under article 109, and may withdraw the nomination (by notice to the company) of any individual so nominated by it. 109. Any Partner Director may (subject to article 110) appoint one of the individuals nominated by North Lanarkshire Council under article 108, to be an alternate director and may remove from office an alternate director so appointed by him/her. Page 249 of 312
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110. A Partner Director may not appoint as an alternate director any individual who has already been appointed as an alternate director by another Partner Director in respect of the same meeting. 111. A Co-opted Director shall not be entitled to appoint an alternate director. 112. Any appointment or removal of an alternate director may be effected by notice to the company signed by the Partner Director making or revoking the appointment or may be effected in any other manner approved by the directors. 113. A notice appointing an alternate director must include details of not more than one particular meeting that the appointment is to relate to; the alternate director appointment will only be valid to the extent of the meeting specified within the notice of appointment; without prejudice to article 116, an alternate director shall cease to be an alternate director on conclusion of the meeting specified in the notice of appointment. 114. An alternate director shall, subject to the terms of the notice of appointment, only be entitled to be given notice of the relevant meeting of directors or of the relevant meeting of committees of directors of which his/her appointer is a member, to attend and vote at any such meeting at which the director who appointed him/her is not personally present. 115. An alternate director shall not be entitled to receive any remuneration from the company for his/her services as an alternate director. 116. An alternate director shall, subject to the following article, cease to be an alternate director if his/her appointer ceases to be a director. 117. An alternate director shall alone be responsible for his/her own acts and defaults; an alternate director shall not be deemed to be the agent of the director appointing him/her. 118. References in these articles to directors shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as including alternate directors. Substitutes (non-voting) 119. Any Partner Director may (subject to article 120) appoint any individual, who is willing to act, to be a substitute and may remove a substitute so appointed by him/her. 120. An individual may only be appointed as a substitute under article 119 if he/she is an officer or elected member of North Lanarkshire Council. 121. A Co-opted Director shall not be entitled to appoint a substitute. Page 250 of 312
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122. Any appointment or removal of a substitute may be effected by notice to the company signed by the Partner Director making or revoking the appointment or may be effected in any other manner approved by the directors. 123. A notice appointing a substitute must include details of not more than one particular meeting that the appointment is to relate to; the substitute appointment will only be valid to the extent of the meeting specified within the notice of appointment; without prejudice to article 126, a substitute shall cease to be a substitute on conclusion of the meeting specified in the notice of appointment. 124. A substitute may, subject to the terms of the notice of appointment, attend (whether in person or by way of an audio or audio-visual link) and speak (but not vote) at the relevant meeting of directors or of the relevant meeting of committees of directors of which his/her appointer is a member and at which her/his appointor is not present. 125. A substitute shall not be entitled to receive any remuneration from the company for his/her services as a substitute. 126. A substitute shall, subject to the following article, cease to be a substitute if his/her appointer ceases to be a director. 127. A substitute shall alone be responsible for his/her own acts and defaults; a substitute shall not be deemed to be the agent of the director appointing him/her. 128. A substitute shall not be entitled to exercise any of the powers of a director and shall not be deemed to constitute a director for the purposes of the Act, or any provision of these articles. Delegation to committees of directors and holders of offices 129. The directors may resolve to delegate any of their powers to any committee of directors consisting of two or more directors; they may also delegate to the Chair or a director holding any other office such of their powers as they consider appropriate. 130. Any delegation of powers under the preceding article may be made subject to such conditions as the directors may impose and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers, and may be revoked or altered. 131. Subject to any condition imposed in pursuance of the preceding article, the proceedings of a committee consisting of two or more directors shall be governed by the articles regulating the proceedings of meetings of directors so far as they are capable of applying. Page 251 of 312
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Secretary 132. The directors may (notwithstanding the provisions of the Act) appoint a company secretary, and on the basis that, if they do so, the term of office, remuneration (if any) and other terms and conditions attaching to the appointment of the company secretary shall be as determined by the directors; any company secretary may be removed by the directors at any time. Minutes 133. The directors shall ensure that minutes are made (in books kept for the purpose) of all proceedings at general meetings, meetings of the directors and meetings of committees of directors; a minute of a meeting of directors or of a committee of directors shall include the names of the directors present. Accounts 134. Accounting records shall be kept in accordance with all applicable statutory requirements and such accounting records shall, in particular, contain entries from day to day of all sums of money received and expended by the company and the matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure take place and a record of the assets and liabilities of the company; such accounting records shall be open to inspection at all times by any director of the company. Notices 135. Any notice to be given in pursuance of these articles shall be given either in writing or by way of electronic means. 136. The company may give any notice to a member either personally or by sending it by post in a pre-paid envelope addressed to the member at its registered address or by leaving it at that address; in the case of a member who has notified the company of an electronic address to be used for this purpose, the company may give any notice to that member by electronic means. 137. A member may give any notice to the company either by sending it by post in a pre-paid envelope addressed to the company at its registered office or by leaving it, addressed to the company secretary, at the company’s registered office or (where the company has notified the member of an electronic address to be used for this purpose) by way of electronic means. 138. Any notice, if sent by post, shall be deemed to have been given at the expiry of 24 hours after posting; for the purpose of proving that any notice was given, it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the notice was properly addressed and posted. Page 252 of 312
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139. Any notice sent by electronic means shall be deemed to have been given at the expiry of 24 hours after it is sent; for the purpose of proving that any notice sent by electronic means was indeed sent, it shall be sufficient to provide any of the evidence referred to in the relevant guidance issued from time to time by the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators. 140. A member present or represented at any meeting of the company shall be deemed to have received notice of the meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which it was called. Winding-up 141. If the company is wound up, the liquidator shall give effect to the provisions of article 15. 142. If on the winding-up of the company any property remains after satisfaction of all the company’s debts and liabilities, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the company but shall be transferred to some other body or bodies (whether incorporated or unincorporated) operating for the benefit of the Operating Area whose objects are altogether or in part similar to the objects of the company and whose constitution restricts the distribution of income and assets among members to an extent at least as great as does articles 10,11 and 12. 143. The body or bodies to which property is transferred under article 142 shall be determined by the members of the company at or before the time of dissolution or, failing such determination, by such court as may have or may acquire jurisdiction. 144. To the extent that effect cannot be given to the provisions of articles 142 and 143, the relevant property shall be applied to some similar object or objects. Indemnity 145. Every director or other officer or auditor of the company shall be indemnified (to the extent permitted by sections 232, 234, 235, 532 and 533 of the Act) out of the assets of the company against any loss or liability which he/she may sustain or incur in connection with the execution of the duties of his/her office including, without prejudice to that generality (but only to the extent permitted by those sections of the Act), any liability incurred by him/her in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in which judgement is given in his/her favour or in which he/she is acquitted or in connection with any application in which relief is granted to him/her by the court from liability for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the affairs of the company. 146. For the avoidance of doubt, the company shall be entitled to purchase and maintain for any director insurance against any loss or liability which any director or other officer of the Page 253 of 312
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company may sustain or incur in connection with the execution of the duties of his/her office, and such insurance may extend to liabilities of the nature referred to in section 232(2) of the Act (negligence etc. of a director). Page 254 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref JO’N/ PK Date 17/11/23 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Employability From Janie O’Neill, Chief Officer (Education, South) E-mail ONeillJa@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07790 894444 1. Background 1.1 There are six inter-related strategic frameworks which are key to assessing the success of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and monitoring delivery towards achieving the overall Executive Summary Driving up the employment rate in North Lanarkshire is a cornerstone of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and ensuring employability support is available to all is recognised as a major contributor to both local economic development and tackling poverty. Supporting unemployed and underemployed residents into fair and sustained employment and supporting all young people into a positive destination remain the priorities within Education, Children and Families. The Strategic Performance Framework enables progress against strategic priorities and day to day operations to be regularly reported to service committees. This allows Elected Members to monitor, assess, and scrutinise performance to identify areas requiring improvement and inform future decision making. The report highlights the number of residents supported into employment in Q1 2023/24 as well as detailing the current employability issues and challenges within our communities. Alongside this the annually measured indicators are available to offer context on performance across a range of indicators. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: (1) Review the high-level performance overview presented in Appendix 1, and the supporting data contained within the linked Excel spreadsheet, and identify where further information is required to understand or investigate performance further. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 9 Page 255 of 312
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vision by ensuring each stage is appropriately aligned, planned, guided, implemented, and governed. 1.2 The six frameworks focus on ensuring a corporate one council approach in respect of Policy, Governance, Performance, Self-Evaluation, Project Management, and Demonstrating Improved Outcomes for Communities. 1.3 The Strategic Performance Framework comprises performance measurement at three levels (as per the diagram on the right). This aims to collectively provide an overview of performance to help understand the impact of Council activities on improving services and outcomes for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire. The measures in this Framework allow for day to day activities, and progress towards achieving the long- term vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire, to be regularly monitored, reported, assessed, and scrutinised. 1.4 The Strategic Performance Framework is aligned to the Accounts Commission statutory direction which places a requirement on councils to report a range of information in terms of (1) improving local services and outcomes, and (2) demonstrating Best Value. Key points of note in this respect are that the Accounts Commission also expect to see: (a) A balance in reporting areas of improvement that have been achieved and not achieved. (b) Reporting that is undertaken in a timely manner. (c) Easy access to performance information for all citizens and communities. 1.5 A Performance Reporting Schedule supports the timely submission of a range of performance information that facilitates Elected Members and senior management to undertake regular performance reviews that inform scrutiny, challenge, and decision making processes. This Schedule, endorsed by the Audit and Scrutiny Panel in February 2023, includes Chief Officer’s individual six monthly Performance Reviews at Service Committees in line with the Strategic Performance Framework. 1.6 This report therefore presents the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee with the latest performance results for a range of Employability measures for Members’ further review and scrutiny. 2. Strategic Performance Framework Enterprise and Fair Work Committee responsibilities 2.1 In line with the terms of reference outlined in the Scheme of Administration, the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance information for the following Ambition Statements from The Plan for North Lanarkshire: 5. Grow and improve the sustainability and diversity of North Lanarkshire’s economy. 6. Raise attainment and skills for learning, life, and work to enhance opportunities and choices. 2.2 The high-level performance overview in Appendix 1 presents Members with a summary of the latest results for each performance indicator within the remit of the Chief Officer Page 256 of 312
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(Education, South) relating to a range of Employability measures. 2.3 The information in Appendix 1 comprises the following: • An ideal direction arrow - this indicates whether a higher or lower figure is the preferred direction of travel. • Measurement unit - for example whether the result is a %, a number, a unit cost (in £), or a ratio. • Performance results for the last five financial years (depending on availability of data) along with the latest year’s target and corresponding RAG status (for indicators where it is appropriate to set targets). • The most recent monthly or quarterly results, along with the corresponding target and RAG status. Note the inclusion of this information is dependent on the measurement frequency of the indicator and availability of data as at the time of reporting. • A trend graph - this captures the direction of travel achieved over the five financial years and includes the most recent monthly or quarterly results where available. • Comments - narrative summarising the current position and providing an explanation for any significant variations in performance. Where applicable, this narrative also highlights the effect of the pandemic on service delivery, e.g. any increase or decrease in the volume of transactions or enquiries processed. 2.4 A large volume of data supports the high-level performance overview in Appendix 1. This is outlined in the latest performance results for Employability Excel spreadsheet which is available through the following link for Members to carry out a deep dive and review and scrutinise each performance indicator further. The Menu on the second tab of the spreadsheet contains built in hyperlinks that automatically take the user to a tab for each performance indicator and therefore provides a useful navigation aid to review the contents of the file. • Latest performance results for Employability.xlsx Current context 2.5 The labour market in North Lanarkshire has significantly changed in the post pandemic period with several positive trends emerging. These include low unemployment, increases in average pay and sustained levels of participation in the labour market for young people. The key challenge that has emerged in the wake of the pandemic is the increase in economic inactivity, particularly in the numbers classified as long-term sick in North Lanarkshire which has risen from 16,500 in March 2020 to 25,400 in March 2023, though this has reduced from 28,400 in September 2022. A combination of these factors has also led to some local employers and sectors finding it difficult to recruit and retain employees. Also within the context of employability is the challenge of persuading unemployed and economically inactive residents that they can be better off in work and the current cost of living crisis has intensified that challenge. A marketing campaign under the banner of North Lanarkshire’s Working, designed in conjunction with Corporate Communications, has recently been launched and has seen an immediate increase in self-referrals for employment support. In addition, the existing cross service work with the Tackling Poverty team and other services continues to be A higher figure is better A lower figure is better Key to RAG status Green Performance is on target and/or within acceptable thresholds Red Performance does not meet target and is outwith acceptable thresholds Blue Performance surpasses the target and exceeds expectations Page 257 of 312
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integral to the work of the employability team. North Lanarkshire Council funded employability programmes have always been adept at aligning any sources of external funding available to Council plans and strategies and to increase their scale and reach. The current external funding environment has been considerably bolstered in recent years by additional resources from the Scottish Government to support their No One Left Behind policy and Young Person’s Guarantee to alleviate the impact of the pandemic restrictions on the labour market. These sources have been used alongside the long term support the Council has gained from the European Social Fund. The external funding environment has now changed with the end of EU funding and the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. In parallel to this change, there is the introduction by the Scottish Government of significant funding in 2023/24 for local employability services to support parents into employment and several initiatives and programmes targeting parents for support are now underway. Recent performance highlights 2.6 With respect to the numbers of unemployed residents accessing Council support these have grown in tandem with the increased external funding that was available in recent times. All Council funded programmes are targeted at people who are not only unemployed, but who have additional barriers to getting a job. Alongside this the numbers supported into employment in Quarter 1 2023/24 have been above target with the conversion from engagement to job entry remaining consistent, despite the fast- changing labour market. Most importantly, the percentage of people supported into employment that have sustained employment is 70% or over. This performance has consistently benchmarked North Lanarkshire Council programmes of support above the national and family group of similar councils. The change in investment from EU funds to Shared Prosperity Funds has taken place fully in July 2023 with no interruption to the service to residents. In relation to support targeting parents early successes have been in joint work with the NLC Recruitment team and with NHS Lanarkshire to provide fully funded work placements for parents on low incomes for up to 6 months with support to apply for vacancies within both organisations. In terms of the work to close the disability employment gap in North Lanarkshire, the Supported Employment team continued to work with over 200 disabled people every year using their person-centred model of support, with consistently higher rates of employment sustainability at 6 months after job entry than mainstream programmes. Alongside their work with adults, they continue the work piloted using the Young Person’s Guarantee in 2021/22 in supporting the transition from school of young people who have additional support needs or who are care experienced, into long term work placements leading to employment in a range of sectors. Areas of performance requiring improvement 2.7 The number of economically inactive residents, particularly those with long term health conditions, remains high and programmes are being adapted to support this group towards employment or training. Therefore, together with the continued delivery of large-scale employability support to all unemployed and underemployed residents, more targeted approaches for specific groups are being developed and launched which address the local labour market priorities. Within employability programmes for 2023/24 there are specific initiatives which focus on youth employment, long term unemployment and parental unemployment as part of the drive to reduce child poverty. The current demand for labour for some sectors and employers will not be met without additional measures. Therefore, a challenge fund which offers sector specific training Page 258 of 312
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is being developed for use within the Shared Prosperity Fund for early 2024 and will aim to meet the needs of local employers. Next steps 2.8 As noted in paragraph 1.5, the Strategic Performance Framework is supported by a Performance Reporting Schedule. This sets out the arrangements for service, statutory, and Strategic Performance Framework reporting to committee. In this respect the relevant Committee can expect to receive the following in respect of Employability areas of work during 2023/24. Report Description Committee Committee cycle Routes to Work Routes to Work, established in 2002, is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status which is wholly owned by the council. The organisation provides a range of free employability services to North Lanarkshire residents and specialises in providing case worker support to unemployed residents as well as support with accessing vocational training and the short-term costs associated with moving from benefits to employment, such as childcare and travel. • Latest report in May 2023: https://mars.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/egenda/image s/att100587.pdf Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Cycles 2 and 4 in 2023 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success include: • Regular oversight and monitoring of performance across the organisation to gain assurances in terms of governance and accountability. • Regular review and challenge processes to scrutinise the performance of the council to ensure effective use of resources and that resources are directed in accordance with agreed policy and according to priorities, while ensuring sound decision making and clear accountability for the use of resources in achieving improved outcomes for service users and the local community. • Performance monitoring, management, and reporting arrangements that support the demonstration of improved performance in local services and outcomes, and the delivery of Best Value. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 - High-level performance overview - Employability Chief Officer (Education, South) Page 259 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 260 of 312
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Managing and monitoring service performance supports the ongoing monitoring of the service’s risk register. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 261 of 312
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Appendix 1 Employability High-level performance overview - as at September 2023 Page 262 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref PH Date 17/11/23 Strategic Performance Framework - latest performance results for Place From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer (Place) E-mail HumphriesP@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 280710 1. Background 1.1 There are six inter-related strategic frameworks which are key to assessing the success of The Plan for North Lanarkshire and monitoring delivery towards achieving the overall vision by ensuring each stage is appropriately aligned, planned, guided, implemented, and governed. 1.2 The six frameworks focus on ensuring a corporate one council approach in respect of Policy, Governance, Performance, Self-Evaluation, Project Management, and Demonstrating Improved Outcomes for Communities. 1.3 The Strategic Performance Framework comprises performance measurement at three levels (as per the diagram on the right). This aims to collectively provide an overview of performance to help Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to highlight the 2022/23 year end performance and the 2023/24 year to date performance of the Place Service in relation to the performance indicators detailed at Appendix 1 for economic regeneration and growth. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: (1) Review the high-level performance overview presented in Appendix 1, and the supporting data contained within the linked Excel spreadsheet, and identify where further information is required to understand or investigate performance further. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 10 Page 265 of 312
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understand the impact of council activities on improving services and outcomes for the people and communities of North Lanarkshire. The measures in this Framework allow for day to day activities, and progress towards achieving the long-term vision set out in The Plan for North Lanarkshire, to be regularly monitored, reported, assessed, and scrutinised. 1.4 The Strategic Performance Framework is aligned to the Accounts Commission statutory direction which places a requirement on councils to report a range of information in terms of (1) improving local services and outcomes, and (2) demonstrating Best Value. Key points of note in this respect are that the Accounts Commission also expect to see: (a) A balance in reporting areas of improvement that have been achieved and not achieved. (b) Reporting that is undertaken in a timely manner. (c) Easy access to performance information for all citizens and communities. 1.5 A Performance Reporting Schedule supports the timely submission of a range of performance information that facilitates Elected Members and senior management to undertake regular performance reviews that inform scrutiny, challenge, and decision making processes. This Schedule, endorsed by the Audit and Scrutiny Panel in February 2023, includes Chief Officer’s individual six monthly Performance Reviews at Service Committees in line with the Strategic Performance Framework. 1.6 This report therefore presents the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee with the latest performance results for Place for Members’ further review and scrutiny. 2. Strategic Performance Framework Enterprise and Fair Work Committee responsibilities 2.1 In line with the terms of reference outlined in the Scheme of Administration, the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance information for the following Ambition Statements from The Plan for North Lanarkshire: 1. Ensure a housing mix that supports social inclusion and economic growth. 2. Refocus our town centres and communities to be multi-functional connected places which maximise social, economic, and environmental opportunities. 3. Maximise the use of our marketable land and assets through improved development in business and industrial infrastructure. 4. Market and promote North Lanarkshire as the place to live, learn, work, invest, and visit. 5. Grow and improve the sustainability and diversity of North Lanarkshire’s economy. 2.2 The high-level performance overview in Appendix 1 presents Members with a summary of the latest results for each performance indicator within the remit of the Chief Officer (Place). Page 266 of 312
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2.3 The information in Appendix 1 comprises the following: • An ideal direction arrow - this indicates whether a higher or lower figure is the preferred direction of travel. • Measurement unit - for example whether the result is a %, a number, a unit cost (in £), or a ratio. • Performance results for the last five financial years (depending on availability of data) along with the latest year’s target and corresponding RAG status (for indicators where it is appropriate to set targets). • The most recent monthly or quarterly results, along with the corresponding target and RAG status. Note the inclusion of this information is dependent on the measurement frequency of the indicator and availability of data as at the time of reporting. • A trend graph - this captures the direction of travel achieved over the five financial years and includes the most recent monthly or quarterly results where available. • Comments - narrative summarising the current position and providing an explanation for any significant variations in performance. Where applicable, this narrative also highlights the effect of the pandemic on service delivery, e.g. any increase or decrease in the volume of transactions or enquiries processed. 2.4 A large volume of data supports the high-level performance overview in Appendix 1. This is outlined in the latest performance results for Place - economic regeneration and growth Excel spreadsheet which is available through the following link for Members to carry out a deep dive and review and scrutinise each performance indicator further. The Menu on the second tab of the spreadsheet contains built in hyperlinks that automatically take the user to a tab for each performance indicator and therefore provides a useful navigation aid to review the contents of the file. • Latest performance results for Place - economic regeneration and growth.xlsx Current context 2.5 Despite on-going economic challenges, including inflationary and labour market pressures, North Lanarkshire’s economy is continuing to grow and attract new inward investment and job growth. The gross weekly pay for North Lanarkshire’s residents is now higher than the average earnings for both Scotland and the UK for the first time ever and North Lanarkshire has attracted over £100m of international investment over the last two years, more than any other local authority in Scotland. The council, through the implementation of its Economic Regeneration Delivery Plan and range of business support and employability activities continued to proactively support sustainable growth to help improve economic outcomes for its residents. Recent Performance highlights 2.6 Despite the challenging economic climate, the council and Business Gateway supported 492 new businesses in 2022/23, which was slightly below the target of 500. In terms of number of new businesses supported per 10,000 population North Lanarkshire is on par with the national average and family group. A higher figure is better A lower figure is better Key to RAG status Green Performance is on target and/or within acceptable thresholds Red Performance does not meet target and is outwith acceptable thresholds Blue Performance surpasses the target and exceeds expectations Page 267 of 312
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The Economic Regeneration Delivery Plan (ERDP) seeks to co-ordinate and maximise the economic impact of the council’s place-based investment in housing, town centres, infrastructure and industrial developments. In addition to the direct benefits that these programmes bring to local communities and the wider economy, the council’s investment also provides construction employment opportunities. As at the end of 2022/23, 1,445 construction jobs had been created as a result of ERDP related investment across North Lanarkshire by the council and the council's arms length external organisations. In addition 7.7 ha of vacant and derelict land has been remediated and 13.46 kilometres of new or enhanced active travel routes which link communities, arterial routes and transport hubs with town centres and key business have been created since 2019. Areas of performance requiring improvement 2.7 Town vacancy rates remains higher than the national and family group averages. However, this is a short-term measure that can only be impacted upon by long-term activities and the council already has in place a large-scale transformation programme for North Lanarkshire’s town centres, including, for example, ambitious plans to re- develop Cumbernauld town centre. The most recent update in this respect was reported through the ERDP performance framework annual progress report in September 2023. The ERDP aims to create vibrant mixed-use towns where people live, work, shop, eat, and access local services. As such, recognition needs to be given to the fact that vacancies may temporarily increase where vacant possession of redundant retail centres or land assembly is required to enable transformative change. Next steps 2.8 As noted in paragraph 1.5, the Strategic Performance Framework is supported by a Performance Reporting Schedule. This sets out the arrangements for service, statutory, and Strategic Performance Framework reporting to committee. In this respect the relevant Committee can expect to receive the following in respect of Place areas of work during 2023/24. Report Description Committee Committee cycle Planning performance framework This report updates on the Scottish Government’s feedback on the performance of the planning and place service for the latest year based on the Planning Performance Framework (PPF) submitted each year. Planning Committee Cycle 4 in 2023 Economic Regeneration Delivery Plan (ERDP) Performance Framework The ERDP Performance Framework was approved by Committee in February 2021. This comprises a group of performance indicators at three levels. These indicators aim to collectively provide an overview of how the North Lanarkshire economy is performing as well as help to understand the impact that the delivery of the ERDP is having on improving economic opportunities and outcomes for all. • Latest report in September 2023: https://mars.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/egenda/imag es/att101194.pdf Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Cycle 3 in 2023 Fusion Assets Fusion Assets is a wholly owned subsidiary of the council. It focuses on Enterprise and Fair Cycles 2 and 4 in 2023 Page 268 of 312
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delivering physical economic regeneration projects across North Lanarkshire and in particular industrial development - a market where there is currently limited speculative development. Unlike more traditional council owned property companies, Fusion Assets is more similar to an urban regeneration company whose role is focused on the redevelopment of vacant and derelict land and brownfield sites rather than commercial property management. • Latest report in May 2023: https://mars.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/egenda/imag es/att100591.pdf Work Committee New supply programme update on progress This report aims to provide an update regarding progress with the delivery of the new supply programme which aims to deliver 5,000 new homes by 2035. Housing Committee Cycle 4 in 2023 2.9 Development work is underway to further enhance recording, monitoring, and reporting of the extent of the council’s business support and engagement; new indicators in this respect will be introduced into Strategic Performance Framework reporting for 2024/25. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Measures of success include: • Regular oversight and monitoring of performance across the organisation to gain assurances in terms of governance and accountability. • Regular review and challenge processes to scrutinise the performance of the council to ensure effective use of resources and that resources are directed in accordance with agreed policy and according to priorities, while ensuring sound decision making and clear accountability for the use of resources in achieving improved outcomes for service users and the local community. • Performance monitoring, management, and reporting arrangements that support the demonstration of improved performance in local services and outcomes, and the delivery of Best Value. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 - High-level performance overview Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 269 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 270 of 312
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Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Managing and monitoring service performance supports the ongoing monitoring of the service’s risk register. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 271 of 312
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Appendix 1 Place High-level performance overview - as at September 2023 Note, the figures for vacant and derelict land, kilometres of active travel routes, and estimated jobs created are cumulative and therefore the 2022/23 figures in the table below refer to the period from 2019/20 to 2022/23. Page 272 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref JO’N/PK Date 17/11/23 Routes to Work Ltd – Performance & Finance Report From Janie O’Neill, Chief Officer (Education -South) E-mail oneillja@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07790 894444 Executive Summary Routes to Work Ltd.’s performance was previously considered by the former ALEOs and External Bodies Monitoring Sub Committee. Following changes to North Lanarkshire Council’s Scheme of Administration, responsibility for oversight of service delivery by arm’s length bodies now rests with the relevant service committee. The functions delivered by Routes to Work on behalf of the Council fall within the Terms of Reference of the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee and a performance report is submitted in line with the Strategic Performance Framework considered by members in November 2019. This report outlines Routes to Work Ltd.’s performance against its charitable objectives and Council priorities for Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24. This report also provides commentary in respect of the charity’s governance arrangements to provide assurance that Council obligations are being satisfied. The financial performance of Routes to Work Ltd. for Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24 and overall financial standing is also included within this report. Future reports will be submitted on a 6 monthly basis to committee. Recommendations It is recommended that Committee: 1) Note Routes to Work operational performance and finance for Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24, along with wider achievements during that period. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (11) Increase economic opportunities for adults by understanding, identifying, and addressing the causes of poverty and deprivation and barriers to financial inclusion Programme of Work Brighter Futures Item 11 Page 275 of 312
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1. Background 1.1 Routes to Work, established in 2002, is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status which is owned by North Lanarkshire Council. The organisation provides a range of free employability services to North Lanarkshire residents and specialises in providing case worker support to unemployed residents as well as support with accessing vocational training and the short-term costs associated with moving from benefits to employment, such as childcare and travel. They also provide in-work support for up to 6 months for those participants that require it. 1.2 In 2017 the company amended its Memorandum and Articles of Association to extend its area of operation into other local authority areas thereby enabling Routes to Work to bid to deliver national employability programmes in these areas. This is intended to support the long-term sustainability of the company. While joint delivery of the Council’s EU funded and Shared Prosperity Fund programme has been and is currently the major source of income for Routes to Work, in the past the organisation has delivered a wide range of other programmes on behalf of the Council or in conjunction with the Council’s Employability team. 1.3 Routes to Work’s Board of Directors currently consists of up to ten members – two are Category A members appointed by North Lanarkshire Council (one an elected member, and one a senior Council officer) and up to eight Category B directors, who bring specialist expertise to the company and are selected through a formal nominations procedure. The Board currently has independent directors with interests and/or experience in local community development and engagement, lifelong learning and skills, business development and support, HR and Law. The Board of Directors has responsibility for ensuring that Routes to Work’s services are delivered in accordance with approved Service Level Agreements and charitable objectives and meets quarterly to fulfil these duties. Council funded activities delivered by Routes to Work are also aligned to The Plan for North Lanarkshire and Council Programme of Work areas. 1.4 Finally, Routes to Work were comprehensively reviewed in 2019 with the outcomes from the review considered by the Policy and Strategy Committee at its meeting in September 2019, where it was noted that the charity is performing well and delivering on its key objectives. The options appraisal confirmed that retaining Routes to Work as an arm’s length provider remained the best option for the council. In addition to contractual performance monitoring by this committee, the Audit and Scrutiny Panel is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of each entity’s governance arrangements, including financial governance. The Policy and Strategy Committee retains responsibility for considering the outputs from reviews by the council into its arm’s length delivery arrangements, including recommendations in relation to Best Value and potential future delivery options. 2. Report Operational Performance Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24 2.1 The operational performance overview for employability initiatives delivered by Routes to Work in the reporting period are attached at Appendix 1. The following points are service delivery highlights which are not included within the performance measures. Page 276 of 312
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Service Delivery Highlights 2.2 Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) – Social Value Framework Routes to Work completed a key output of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, a Social Value Evaluation forecast report; this report outlines, in academic terms, the social value benefits of Routes to Work’s employability support activities. Once the report was concluded it was submitted to Social Value UK and secured that body’s quality assurance award. This work is now being built upon to embed social value throughout the organisation’s decisions, culture and services. With this progress and the organisational membership of Social Value UK, Routes to Work can better understand and improve their services to enable the most impactful employability interventions. Within the report, the comprehensive SROI (Social Return on Investment) calculations, guided by the principles of Social Value International, demonstrates the impact that their programmes and services create and tells a story of empowerment, equity, and evolution. A key outcome of the work is the monetary value calculated on social value investment at Routes to Work Ltd. This shows that every pound invested in Routes to Work results in £6.89 worth of social value across other services. This ratio underlines the significance of their contribution to the lives of their clients, stakeholders, and the broader community. 2.3 New Programmes During the reporting period the company designed and implemented the Coatbridge Community Engagement Project which is funded from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund utilising the learnings from the Community Renewal Fund pilot which ended in December 2022. The project began in January 2023 and delivered a place-based engagement service to people who are unemployed or economically inactive who reside in Ward 7 – Coatbridge North. The project supported the local community through piloting a new approach of concentrated and intense engagement, pre- employability and personal development activities, on their doorstep. The project demonstrated innovative practice and was aligned with the ‘people and skills’ investment priority. The project will continue to March 2025 and intends on engaging with a further three local communities in North Lanarkshire. 2.4 Activities with Schools Routes to Work Ltd continues to support in the delivery of an alternative Curriculum Pathways to North Lanarkshire secondary and ASN schools. During Q1 of 2023/24 we have been engaging with several schools to discuss delivery for the new academic year with six schools confirmed for delivery in the current academic year, across 8 different types of interventions and others considering specific proposals that were requested. In addition to this, Routes to Work will also be delivering a 4-week cluster approach Future Friday Enrichment programme which all 23 secondary schools in North Lanarkshire will have access to. In the reporting period Routes to Work also delivered five Construction Routeways courses to 28 school pupils who were undertaking their Foundation Apprenticeship. 2.5 NHS Demonstrator Programme Further to the success of the first pilot in 2022/23 the organisation have once again worked in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council Page 277 of 312
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Employability Team to provide an opportunity for unemployed parents and parents on low incomes to access a 6 month paid work placement within various NHS roles. Initially it was agreed that 20 paid placements would be made available however due to the success of the first programme and the volume of interest that up to 26 placements would be offered. There are currently 17 parents who been offered opportunities to commence in October 2023 with a further round of interviews taking place to fill the remaining placements. 2.6 Strategic Growth The appointment of a Strategic Growth Manager in the latter part of 2022 was the starting point for progressing RTW’s growth ambitions as outlined in their Business Plan 2021-2024 and their Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). In the period, the following strategic growth priorities were identified: • Positive Destinations – for young people, improve levels of positive destinations and those sustaining those positive destinations • KTP & Enterprise – Use the evidential base to demonstrate RTW’s impact on clients, the economy and communities and consider how RTW and support Social Enterprise Frameworks • Procurement & Commissioning – Securing opportunities outwith North Lanarkshire to meet Regional and National priorities • National funding streams – Raising the profile of RTW, highlighting success and evaluate new models of funding • Child Poverty – Delivery of new parental employability projects in early education settings and integration of funding streams • Place based Approach – Meeting the ongoing challenges of engagement with hardest to reach clients replicating effectiveness of the Airdrie Central Community Engagement Project • Upskilling and In-work progression – Respond to ongoing challenges in relation to unemployment post covid and economic & labour market changes • Focused delivery – strategic approach to targeted groups via statutory services such as Housing, Justice & Health. Financial Performance Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24 Public Accountability Obligations 2.7 To satisfy the Council’s duty to ensure the organisation delivering employment and training services on its behalf is financially sound, the Council’s Section 95 Officer maintains appropriate and proportionate processes and procedures for scrutinising Routes to Work’s financial performance. 2.8 The Council’s Legal Agreements with Routes to Work specify the financial information which must be submitted to the Council including an annual business plan, quarterly management accounts, audited financial statements etc. to enable Financial Solutions to assess and report any financial risk likely to arise as a result of the Council using Routes to Work to deliver these services. 2.9 The Council expends revenue resources annually with Routes to Work to deliver services which assist the Council in achieving its priority outcomes therefore has a duty to ensure this money is being properly used to deliver both the Council’s and Routes to Work objectives. Page 278 of 312
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2.10 Financial Outturn to 31st March 2023 The 2022/23 Annual Accounts approved by the Board at the AGM on 21 September 2023 reported a Net Movement in Funds of £1.561m, which included a significant uplift in the annual valuation of FRS102 pension costs of £1.686m. Therefore, the operational Net Movement in Funds was a deficit of £0.125m resulting in a further drawdown from reserves of £0.014m against budget. Further details on the Financial Outturn to 31 March 2023 is outlined in Appendix 2. 2.11 Balance Sheet at 31st March 2023 Key balances are set out in Appendix 3 to provide members with an update on the overall financial standing of the company, as at 30 June 2023, along with the comparator figures as at 31 March 2023. Council representatives are asked to note: • The company has net assets, excluding pension fund assets, of £0.927m. Therefore, Members can be assured that the company has sufficient resources to meet its current obligations. 2.12 Forecast Financial Performance to 31 March 2024 For financial year 2023/24, income approved from the Council is £1.698m which represents 36% of the organisations total budgeted income of £4.774m. The balance of income of £3.076m will primarily be generated from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The outturn to 31 March 2024 is projected to be on budget at an operational deficit of £0.065m. A detailed comparison of projected outturn to the 2023/24 Budget are provided in Appendix 4. 2.13 Balance Sheet at 30 June 2023 Key balances are set out in Appendix 5 to provide members with an update on the overall financial standing of the company, as at 30 June 2023, along with the comparator figures as at 31 March 2023. Council representatives are asked to note: • The company has net assets, excluding pension fund assets, of £0.956m which is a £0.028m favourable movement on the 31 March position. This is predominantly due to favourable movements in cash and prepayments partially offset by increased creditors. Therefore, members can continue to have assurance in the company’s resources. 2.14 Projected Cash flow to 31st March 2024 The cashflow for the year projected at 30th June 2023 to 31st March 2024 is attached per Appendix 6. Cash balances vary from a high of £1.164m to a low of £0.351m throughout the year. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Routes to Work Ltd. continue to provide an effective employability service on behalf of the Council to support unemployed and underemployed residents of North Lanarkshire. Page 279 of 312
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4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 Routes to Work – Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24 Operational Performance 4.2 Appendices 2 - 6 Routes to Work – Q4 2022/23 to Q1 2023/24 Financial Performance Janie O’Neill Chief Officer for Education (South) Page 280 of 312
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The financial performance of Routes to Work is closely monitored by the council’s Section 95 Officer and the financial performance as detailed above, along with other key financial information presented in the report. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Page 281 of 312
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Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Routes to Work maintain a detailed risk register which is presented to each Board meeting. In terms of the Council, the risk of Routes to Work and the wider employability programmes being deemed non-compliant with external funders is present. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. Within all Council employability programmes veterans are immediately eligible for support alongside other priority groups. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Page 282 of 312
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If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☒ Page 283 of 312
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APPENDIX 1 Routes to Work – 2022/23 Q4 Operational Performance Employability Programme Indicator Target Outcome/Purpose 2022/23 Q4 Target 2022/23 Q4 Actual Blue Red Amber Green Comments North Lanarkshire’s Working Employability Pipeline (European Social Fund) The number of job entries Job entries secured 197 160 R This is the Council’s main EU funded employability programme which from September 2018 became an all-age programme. This programme also supports the Education and Families Pathways Programme to September 2022. Sustainment in Employment In work 26 weeks after starting employment 70% 75% B Employability Fund (Skills Development Scotland Qualifications Accredited qualification 12 5 R The contract was awarded by SDS for coverage across 2 Local Authority areas. Most Training Providers closed their operations for many months due to Covid, therefore training was extremely limited, this affected the full delivery of the contract. Job Starts Entered employment – 4 weeks 9 13 B Sustainment Sustained in work at 26 weeks 10 27 B No one Left Behind (NOLB) Number of starts Engaged on programme 39 28 R This funding from Scottish Government. Delivery is available to enhance support to specific groups and this service is for people aged 50+, the BAME community and people a mental health issue. Number of Job Entries Job Entries secured 17 7 R 26-week sustainment Jobs sustained at 26 weeks 76% 80% B Parental Employment Support Fund Number of starts Engaged on programme 20 29 B Funding from the Scottish Government to support employed and underemployed parents who may be at risk of poverty. Number of Job Entries Job Entries secured 15 19 B 26-week sustainment Jobs sustained at 26 weeks 70% 74% B Achieved qualification Accredited qualification 14 24 B Funding from the Scottish Government to protect young people aged 16 -24 years from Page 284 of 312
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Young Persons Guarantee Programme (YPG) Entered FE/HE/Training Moved into full time education or training programme 3 10 B the economic impact of COVID -19 by offering them the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering. Targeting particularly excluded groups of 16-24 yr olds. This programme also supports the Education and Families Pathways Programme from October 2022. Job entries (including MA’s) Job entries secured 26 50 B Commenced Volunteering Moved onto a volunteering programme 3 2 R Sustainment Post destination sustained at 26 weeks 70% 76% B Community Renewal Fund Registration Engaged on programme 66 60 R Funding from the UK Government to help local areas prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The aim was to support project proposals that align with long-term strategic plans for local growth, target people most in need and support community renewal. Achieved Qualification Accredited qualification 18 15 R Entered FE/HE/Training Moved into full time education or training programme 6 3 R Job Searching Engaged in job searching activities 18 12 R Life Skills Improved life skills 20 18 R Job Entries Job entries secured 12 13 B Tailored Training Solutions (NOLB Grant Funding Programme) Registration Engaged on programme 42 42 G Funded from Scottish Government the North Lanarkshire Employability Grant Programme aims to support unemployed people to move towards and into work. It is a new initiative which recognises that to help local people to develop the skills and confidence employers are looking for we all need to work together at a local level to provide the best possible services to those who need them most Qualifications Accredited qualification 12 10 R Job Starts Entered employment – 4 weeks 20 1 R Page 285 of 312
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Routes to Work – 2023/24 Q1 Operational Performance Employability Programme Indicator Target Outcome/Purpose 2023/24 Q1 Target 2023/24 Q1 Actual Blue Red Amber Green Comments North Lanarkshire’s Working Employability Pipeline (European Social Fund) The number of job entries Job entries secured 195 210 B This is the Council’s main EU funded employability programme which from September 2018 became an all-age programme. This programme also supports the Education and Families Pathways Programme to September 2022. Sustainment in Employment In work 26 weeks after starting employment 70% 73% G No one Left Behind (NOLB) Number of starts Engaged on programme 41 41 G This funding from Scottish Government. Delivery is available to enhance support to specific groups and this service is for people aged 50+, the BAME community and people a mental health issue. Number of Job Entries Job Entries secured 17 18 B 26-week sustainment Jobs sustained at 26 weeks 70% 74% B Parental Employment Support Fund Number of starts Engaged on programme 27 30 B Funding from the Scottish Government to support employed and underemployed parents who may be at risk of poverty. Number of Job Entries Job Entries secured 18 24 B 26-week sustainment Jobs sustained at 26 weeks 80% 83% G Young Persons Guarantee Programme (YPG) Achieved qualification Accredited qualification 25 27 B Funding from the Scottish Government to protect young people aged 16 -24 years from the economic impact of COVID -19 by offering them the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering. Targeting particularly excluded groups of 16-24 yr olds. This programme also supports the Education and Families Pathways Programme from October 2022. Entered FE/HE/Training Moved into full time education or training programme 0 0 - Job entries (including MA’s) Job entries secured 33 40 B Commenced Volunteering Moved onto a volunteering programme 0 1 G Page 286 of 312
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Sustainment Post destination sustained at 26 weeks 70% 77% B UK Shared Prosperity Fund Registration Engaged on programme 71 47 R Funding from the UK Government to help local areas. The aim was to support project proposals that align with long-term strategic plans for local growth, target people most in need and support community renewal. Achieved Qualification Accredited qualification 25 17 R Entered FE/HE/Training Moved into full time education or training programme 7 12 B Job Searching Engaged in job searching activities 12 3 R Life Skills Improved life skills 20 14 R Job Entries Job entries secured 12 17 B Tailored Training Solutions (NOLB Grant Funding Programme) Registration Engaged on programme 8 7 A Funded from Scottish Government the North Lanarkshire Employability Grant Programme aims to support unemployed people to move towards and into work. It is a new initiative which recognises that to help local people to develop the skills and confidence employers are looking for we all need to work together at a local level to provide the best possible services to those who need them most Qualifications Accredited qualification 24 14 R Job Starts Entered employment – 4 weeks 25 15 R Key: - B - Blue (above threshold) ≥5% of target G - Green (within threshold and on target) = to or + 5% of target A - Amber (within threshold but below target) R - Red (below threshold) ≤ 5% of target Page 287 of 312
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Appendix 2 Routes to Work Limited Outturn to 31 March 2023 Income & expenditure 2022/23 2022/23 2022/23 Commentary Revised Annual Budget Outturn to 31 March 2023 Revised Budget vrs Outturn £'000 £'000 £'000 Income from NLC ESF Pipeline 2,886 2,473 413 No one left behind 188 168 20 Prospects for Parents 208 168 40 National Training Transition Fund (NTTF) 0 0 Youth Enhanced Care Worker 407 387 20 CRF 291 361 (70) 0 0 0 Total Income from NLC 3,980 3,557 423 Skills Development Scotland 14 22 (8) DWP Kickstart 60 56 4 Development Income 12 18 (6) Other Income 183 222 (39) Total Incoming Resources 4,249 3,875 374 Predominantely as a result of a reduction in SLA income in the ESF project offset by corresponding underspends within expenditure. Expenditure: Charitable Activities (4,360) (4,000) (360) Total Resources Expended (4,360) (4,000) (360) The underspend in expenditure was a result of decreased uptake in the major ESF project against pre pandemic levels. This was predominantly offset by a corresponding under-recovery in income. Operational surplus / (deficit) (111) (125) 14 Page 288 of 312
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Appendix 3 Routes to Work Limited Overall Financial Standing - Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2023 Balances/ Indicator 31 March 2022 31 March 2023 Variance Commentary £ £ £ Fixed Assets 4,566 560 4,006 Net Book Value of ICT equipment has reduced since 31st March 2022 due to end of life of assets. Current Assets: Trade Debtors 63,087 126,793 (63,706) Debtors balance has increased due to a previous payment on demand arrangement no longer in place Prepayments 486,492 548,315 (61,823) Increase primarily relates to adjusted income claims to NLC at year end Bank / Cash 870,693 507,976 362,717 Lower balance at 2023 but mostly offset by increases in debtors, prepayments and liabilites 1,420,272 1,183,084 241,194 Current Liabilities: Creditors inc. Advanced payments, VAT & other taxes (371,930) (256,224) (115,706) Reduced balance mostly relates to deferred income in 2022 from an advanced payment for the CRF programme. This ended in 2022. (371,930) (256,224) (115,706) Defined scheme pensions liabilities 16,000 1,702,000 (1,686,000) FRS102 actuarial valuation Net Asset / (Liabilities) 1,068,908 2,629,420 (1,560,512) Financed by Reserves:- Designated Reserves 350,380 298,951 51,429 Reduction in reserves is due to the utilisation of the following funds: Future Development, Knowledge Transfer Partnership ,Office Dilapidations and Strategic Growth. Unrestricted funds 803,308 749,655 53,653 Unrestricted Pension Fund 16,000 1,702,000 (1,686,000) FRS102 actuarial valuation Restricted Funds (100,780) (121,186) 20,406 Movement relates to a timing issue with the claims. Total Reserves 1,068,908 2,629,420 (1,560,512) Page 289 of 312
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Appendix 4 Routes to Work Limited Projected Outturn to 31 March 2024 Income & expenditure 2023/24 2023/24 Year to date 2023/24 2023/24 Commentary Variance Budget vrs Projected Outturn Budget Budget Actual Variance Projected Outturn to 31 March 2024 Variance Budget vrs Projected Outturn £'000 £ £ £ £'000 £'000 Income from NLC ESF Pipeline 743 743 601 (141) 743 0 No one left behind 452 58 42 (16) 452 0 Prospects for Parents 353 52 40 (12) 353 0 Youth Enhanced Care Worker 111 111 102 (9) 111 0 CRF 0 0 0 0 0 0 TTS 39 39 28 (11) 39 0 Total Income from NLC 1,698 1,003 814 (189) 1,698 0 0 0 UKSPF 2,945 94 73 (21) 2,945 0 Development Income 27 9 12 3 27 0 Other Income 104 18 19 1 104 0 Total Incoming Resources 4,774 1,124 919 (205) 4,774 0 Under recovery relates to SLA income which is matched by a decrease in expenditure below Expenditure: Charitable Activities (4,839) (1,156) (891) 265 (4,839) 0 Underspend relates to budgeted pay award not yet implemented and lower than anticipated headcount relating to benficiary costs. Total Resources Expended (4,839) (1,156) (891) 265 (4,839) 0 Operational surplus / (deficit) (65) (32) 28 60 (65) 0 Page 290 of 312
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Appendix 5 Routes to Work Limited Overall Financial Standing - Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2023 Balances/ Indicator 31 March 2023 30 June 2023 Variance Commentary £ £ £ Fixed Assets 560 189 371 Net Book Value of ICT equipment has reduced since 31st March 2023 due to end of life of assets. Current Assets: Trade Debtors 126,793 64,933 61,860 Balance at 30 June relates to April/May claim for UKSPF and First Bus/Tesco vouchers held for clients Prepayments 548,315 886,270 (337,955) Movement is a result of increased income adjustments to include Q1 claims. Bank / Cash 507,976 947,148 (439,172) Advanced payment from UKSPF resulting in a higher cash balance with partially offsetting inrease to current liabilities below 1,183,084 1,898,351 (714,896) Current Liabilities: Creditors inc. Advanced payments, VAT & other taxes (256,224) (942,818) 686,594 Increase within creditors balances as a result of the UKSPF advanced payment of £757K reflected by an increased bank/cash balance above. (256,224) (942,818) 686,594 Defined scheme pensions liabilities 1,702,000 1,702,000 0 FRS102 actuarial valuation Net Asset / (Liabilities) 2,629,420 2,657,722 (28,302) Financed by Reserves:- Designated Reserves 298,951 280,252 18,699 Reduction in reserves is due to the utilisation of the following funds: Future Development, Knowledge Transfer Partnership ,Office Dilapidations and Strategic Growth. Unrestricted funds 749,655 749,903 (248) Unrestricted Pension Fund 1,702,000 1,702,000 0 FRS102 actuarial valuation Restricted Funds (121,186) (74,432) (46,754) Total Reserves 2,629,420 2,657,723 (28,303) Page 291 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref PH/DG Date 17/11/23 Fusion Assets Limited – Performance Monitoring Report to 30th September 2023 and Financial Performance to 30th June 2023 From Pamela Humphries, Chief Officer of Place E-mail Greerd@northlan.gov.uk Telephone David Greer, Growth Programme Manager: 07583 059 816 1. Background Executive Summary This report provides details of the operational performance of Fusion Assets Ltd. (Fusion Assets) during 2023/24 (up to 30th September 2023), outlines a range of economic outputs and outcomes being delivered through this Arms Length Organisation (ALEO) and details key highlights achieved during 2023/24 (Q1&2) The report also details the financial performance of Fusion Assets up to 30th June 2023, their overall current financial standing and future financial projections. Recommendations The Enterprise and Fair Work Committee is requested to: 1) Note the content of this report and the operational targets set for Fusion Assets during 2023/24 and performance against these to 30th September (as outlined in Appendix 1); 2) Note the financial performance of Fusion Assets (up to 30th June 2023), their overall current financial standing and future financial projections as detailed in 2.3 onwards; 3) Endorse the key highlights achieved during 2023/24; and 4) Note proposed amendments to Fusion Assets’ Articles of Association and that revisions to these will be reported separately to Council. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Ambition statement (3) Maximise the use of our marketable land and assets through improved development in business and industrial infrastructure Programme of Work Transforming Places Item 12 Page 293 of 312
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1.1. Fusion Assets is a wholly owned subsidiary of the council. It focuses on delivering physical economic regeneration projects across North Lanarkshire and in particular industrial development – a market where there is currently limited speculative development. Unlike more traditional council owned property companies, Fusion Assets is more similar to an urban regeneration company whose role is focused on the redevelopment of vacant and derelict land and brownfield sites rather than commercial property management. 1.2. It should be noted that Fusion Assets does not receive an on-going or recurring management fee from the council for the delivery of services but rather uses grant funding from the council’s annual Vacant & Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) allocation from the Scottish Government as enabling investment for the acquisition and redevelopment of vacant and derelict land sites. In taking this forward, Fusion Assets has developed a unique and innovative development model where the value of acquired/remediated land sites, together with other loan funding and Fusion’s reserves, is used as equity to set up joint venture partnerships with the private sector that will fund and manage the commercial redevelopment of sites for industrial use. Once industrial units are complete and let/partially let, unless restricted by the terms and conditions of any grant funding, this asset is sold to a private sector investor with returns used to pay off loan funding and re-invested in future regeneration projects. 1.3. Fusion Assets’ operational and financial performance was previously considered by the former ALEOs and External Bodies Monitoring Sub Committee. Following changes to the council’s Scheme of Administration, responsibility for oversight of service delivery by arm’s length bodies now rests with the relevant service committee. The functions delivered by Fusion Assets on behalf of the council fall within the Terms of Reference of the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee. 1.4. In addition to performance monitoring by service committees, the Audit and Scrutiny Panel holds responsibility for ensuring the effectiveness of the administrative and financial governance of all of the council’s ALEOs (including Fusion Assets) whilst the Policy and Strategy Committee retains responsibility for considering the outputs from reviews by the council into its arm’s length delivery arrangements, including recommendations in relation to Best Value and potential future delivery options. 2. Report 2.1 Operational Performance Indicators 2.1.1 Fusion Assets’ 2023/24 annual targets and performance indicators are shown in Appendix 1. These indicators have been developed to show this company’s contribution to North Lanarkshire’s wider economy as well as the council’s strategic priorities. 2.1.2 Appendix 1 also details the external funding leverage secured by this company in relation to completed industrial developments. 2.2 Financial Performance 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 2.2.1 The company’s draft audited annual accounts to 31 March 2023 reports a projected net deficit of £0.012m. In respect of the underlying operational performance, this was a net deficit of £0.156m, which is an adverse variance of £0.021m on a net operating expenditure budget of £0.135m. Accounting adjustments resulted in a favourable Page 294 of 312
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movement £0.144m, primarily due to impacts of updated land valuations. A summary is provided at Appendix 2 along with previous year comparator outturn position. 2.3 Overall Financial Standing as of 30th June 2023 2.3.1 Appendix 3 gives an update on the overall financial standing of the company as of 30th June 2023, together with further information and previous year’s comparator figures which shows that the company at this point had cumulative net assets of £4.864m predominately as a result of investments, work in progress and cash balances offset by deferred income. 2.4 Financial Performance 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2023 2.4.1 The company has approved a 2023/24 operating budget with projected net operating cost of £0.229m. This results in an increase on the utilisation of reserves of £0.094m from 2022/23 and is mainly the result of increased costs in relation to professional services (these have risen significantly post covid) and the creation of a distinct project management budget. For 2023/24 the company has also been successful in securing a VDLF grant via the Council of £1.841m. 2.4.2 Based on their financial statements to 30th June 2023, Fusion Assets is currently projecting a small surplus on the operational budget of £0.003m. A summary of the 2023/24 financial performance is provided at Appendix 4 along with previous year comparator outturn position. 2.4 Capital Development Expenditure/Projection as of 30th June 2023 2.4.1 Reflecting the long-term regeneration and project-based nature of Fusion Assets, the company’s project (capital) development expenditure is monitored cumulatively with spend on all projects fully tracked back to each project’s inception. The summary financial position of the projects is outlined in table 1 below. Table 1 – Capital Development Expenditure, Income & Projection Budget (£) Actual (£) Projection (£) Variance – Budget v Projection (£) Expenditure (VDLF & Non VDLF) (23,401,430) (19,249,670) (23,613,631) (212,202) Income (VDLF & Non VDLF) 26,538,598 18,777,524 27,189,474 650,876 Net (Cost)/Surplus 3,137,168 (472,147) 3,575,843 438,674 2.4.2 As outlined above, cumulative expenditure of £23.401m has been approved by Fusion Asset’s board, which will be met from budgeted income of £26.539m; a combination of VDLF grant, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) funding, anticipated capital receipts and Fusion Assets’ own resources. An overall surplus of £3.576m is currently projected, which is a decrease of £1.307m from what was previously reported in April 2023. These are estimates reflecting current valuations of land transfers and receipts from onward sales, which may fluctuate, impacting the surplus projected. 2.4.3 As of 30 June 2023, net deficits of £0.472m are reported (due to timing of VDLF grant receipts), with a projected £4.364m of expenditure to be incurred on pre-development and building works. Further receipts of £8.412m are still anticipated, mainly from the onward sale of developments and VDLF funding. Page 295 of 312
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2.4.4 However, it should also be noted that the total investment required for the development of the current portfolio of land owned by Fusion/Fusion Joint Ventures is in the order of £54m, which predominantly rests with the joint venture companies and excludes some £13.5m of pre-development works funded through VDLF grants. Fusion Assets’ share of total development costs will be in the order of £9m and will consist of a mixture of land, cash contributions and recycled receipts. 2.5 Cash Flow Forecast to March 2025 2.5.1 Fusion Assets requires effective cash management to support its development programme and therefore the cash position is closely monitored. The cash balance as at 30th June 2023 totalled £3.807m. The cash flow forecast to March 2025 is illustrated within Appendix 5. Based on estimated expenditure and receipts, the forecast demonstrates that there is sufficient funding available to carry out the proposed development programme. The lowest cash balance is forecast at £2.484m in March 2025, with the balance reaching a high of £3.807m in June 2023. 2.6 Key Achievements & Highlights 2023/24 (Q1&2) 2.6.1 Between 2020 and 2022, Gartcosh Estates LLP (a joint venture between Fusion Assets and J Smart & Co.) completed the construction of three industrial units (totalling 60,000 sqft in size) which formed the first phase at Gartcosh Business Interchange. All three units have now been let. This will allow the investment sale of these units to proceed in early 2024 and in turn the second phase of development to be taken forward at Gartcosh. 2.6.2 Fusion Assets have now completed the acquisition of Plot 1 within the employment zone at Ravenscraig land with contractors now on site to undertake enabling works. This will allow the future development of this 2.5ha site and represents the first development works to proceed as part of the wider regeneration of the large-scale business site. 2.6.3 Fusion Assets are currently in the process of constructing a net zero enabled commercial unit at Link Park which is scheduled for completion at the end of November 2023. The 16,000 sqft unit is being built on a speculative basis but is attracting interest from a number of potential occupiers, prior to construction being completed. 2.7 Revisions to Articles of Association 2.7.1 As the incorporation governance document, Fusion Assets’ Articles of Association outline the purpose of the company, the rights and responsibilities of its members and directors and the way in which the company must operate as a whole. 2.7.2 The existing Articles of Association were approved in June 2008 when, following the withdrawal of Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, Fusion Assets was restructured as a wholly owned subsidiary company of North Lanarkshire Council with responsibility for promoting industrial and commercial regeneration and encouraging economic development in areas of established market failure where there is little speculative development by the private sector. 2.7.3 A separate report is being submitted to Council to seek amendment of the Articles of Association in order to address the limitations imposed by the current quorum clause within the Articles. Page 296 of 312
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3 Measures of success 3.1 Fusion Assets’ measures of success are reflected in the level of physical regeneration works which they deliver together with economic outcomes achieved from investment made. For 2023/24 this includes: • the investment sale of the units at Gartcosh Business Park; • the completion of initial enabling works at Plot 1 Ravenscraig Industrial Park (2.5 ha) to allow its future redevelopment for industrial use; • the completion of the second planned industrial unit at Plot A1, Link Park (Newhouse Industrial Estate); and • the completion of enabling works at Condor Park to allow its future redevelopment for industrial use. 4 Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1: Fusion Assets Ltd - 2023/24 Operational Performance Measures, Targets and Outcomes 4.2 Appendix 2: Fusion Assets Ltd - Financial Performance as at 31st March 2023 4.3 Appendix 3: Fusion Assets Ltd - Overall Financial Standing as at 30 June 2023 4.4 Appendix 2: Fusion Assets Ltd - Financial Performance as at 31st March 2023 4.5 Appendix 5: Fusion Assets Ltd - Cashflow Forecast up to 31st March 2025 Pamela Humphries Chief Officer (Place) Page 297 of 312
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5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Promoting inclusive growth sits at the heart of the council’s Ambition Programme. Fusion Assets will contribute towards this goal through the delivery of activity that supports the council to meet its Fairer Scotland Duty and address socio-economic disadvantage by promoting and enabling investment that will create and improve access to new and better employment opportunity; and Fusion Assets also aim to ensure that any potential adverse equalities impacts as a result of policy and/or plans developed are minimised or negated where possible. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Fusion Assets does not receive an on-going or recurring management fee from the council for the delivery of services but rather uses grant funding from the council’s Vacant & Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) allocation as enabling investment for the acquisition and redevelopment of vacant and derelict land sites. The council awarded Fusion Assets £1.938M through the 2022/23 VDLF Programme and £1.841M from its 2023/24 Programme for a variety of industrial development projects. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☒ No ☐ Page 298 of 312
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If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Legal and Democratic Services provide Fusion Assets with third party Vacant & Derelict Land Fund grant agreements and have supported the revision and update of the companies’ Articles of Association. 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Fusion Assets’ risk register review has been uploaded to the council’s Fig Tree Risk Register and is reviewed annually. 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Page 299 of 312
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Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 300 of 312
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Appendix 1 Fusion Assets Ltd - 2023/24 Operational Performance Measures, Targets and Outcomes Area of Activity Performance Indicator 2023/24 Target Outcome Outcome Achieved Comments Cumulative Total (Since 2011) Improve economic opportunities and outcomes Support development of strategic investment sites, Enterprise Areas and Industrial arks Number of infrastructure works to support strategic industrial sites 3 2 The infrastructure works at Link Park Plot A1 (building 2/3) are due to be completed in December 2023 and building 2 is currently under construction Contract works are currently on site at Ravencraig Plot 1 and due to be finished by the end of December 2023. Works at Condor Park, Eurocentral, are due to start on site in January 2024 10 Area of Activity Performance Indicator 2023/24 Businesses Accommodated by site as at 30 Sept 2023 Comments Cumulative Total (Since 2011) Support businesses in expansion and development Number of new gross businesses re-located T A R G E T Dundyvan Enterprise Park N/A A C T U A L Dundyvan Enterprise Park N/A Dundyvan was sold in early 2018 and Western Campus in October 2019. Businesses accommodated at these sites have not been counted from after the date of sale. Link Park : The 47,500sqft building for Co-Op on Plot A2 is complete. Building 1 on Plot A1 is fully let and building 2 is expected to be completed by December 2023 Gartcosh – all three units in Phase 1 are now let. 13 Western Campus N/A Western Campus N/A 12 Drumpellier N/A Drumpellier N/A 4 Link Park 1 Link Park 1 4 Gartcosh (Phase 1) 2 Gartcosh (Phase 1) 2 3 Total Number of businesses accommodated when properties under ownership of Fusion Assets/Fusion Assets JV. 36 Page 301 of 312
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Area of Activity Performance Indicator 2023/24 Number of Gross Jobs Created by Site as at 30 September 2023 Comments Cumulative Total (Since 2011) Enhance the number of direct, indirect and induced jobs Number of new direct gross jobs created (FTE) TARGETS ACTUAL Dundyvan Enterprise Park N/A Dundyvan Enterprise Park N/A Dundyvan sold in 2018 and Western Campus in 2019. Jobs created since date of sale have not been included. Drumpellier fully let prior to 1st April 2023 Co-Op still to take occupation of A2 building, Building 2 on Plot A1 still to complete. 119 Western Campus N/A Western Campus N/A 166 Drumpellier N/A Drumpellier N/A 53 Link Park (A2) Building 2 (A1) 50 20 Link Park 0 0 63 Gartcosh (Phase 1) 55 Gartcosh Phase 1 (Buildings 2 & 3 ) 60 85 Total Number of gross jobs created when properties under ownership of Fusion Assets/Fusion Assets JV. 486 Area of Activity Performance Indicator 2023/24 Target Outcome (ha) Actual Outcomes as at 30th September Comments Cumulative Total - ha (Since 2011) Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Improve brownfield and vacant & derelict land Total of vacant and derelict land improved (ha) 2.55 0 New V&DL land is currently being improved at Ravenscraig (further enabling works also taking place at 2 existing Fusion sites – Link Park and Condor Park) 15.8 Page 302 of 312
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Vacant & derelict land sites removed from register Total of vacant and derelict land taken off register (ha) 0 0 Previous land removed to date includes from Dundyvan Enterprise Park, Western Campus, Link Park (part), Drumpellier Business Park (part) and Gartcosh Phase 1 (part). Remainder of Gartcosh Plot 1 to be removed from register in 2023/24 4.8 V&DL acquired for commercial development V&DL acquired (ha) 2.55 2.55 Ravenscraig Plot 1 acquired in 2023/24 18.09 Area of Activity External Funding Leverage by Fusion Assets (Completed Projects) Comments Cumulative Total (Since 2011) Improve North Lanarkshire’s Resource Base Leverage on Council Investment Project Dundyvan Western Campus Gartcosh Phase 1 Drumpellier Link Park – has been excluded until full development completed/ financed Gartcosh Phase 1: Excludes VDLF investment made in Phase 2, 3 and 4 as this not currently financed. Total Total Project Spend £2,985,993 £4,209,915 £5,541,621 £1,646,596 £14,384,125 VDLF £162,917 £748,564 £976,000 £300,000 £2,187,481 NLC N/A £99,351 N/A N/A £99,351 RCGF N/A N/A N/A £1,116,591 £1,116,591 Private Sector £387,750 £631,000 £857,000 £115,000 £1,990,750 Fusion £530,326 £631,000 £524,000 £115,000 £1,800,326 Loan Finance £1,905,000 £2,100,000 £3,184,621 N/A £7,189,621 Ratio of Leverage achieved from NLC investment (inc. VDLF Funding) 18:1 5:1 6:1 5:1 6:1 Page 303 of 312
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Forecast GVA & Employment Impact of Projects Completed to Date Development Name Construction Spend *1 Construction Jobs (PYE) Construction Impact – GVA (£) *2 Employment By 2030*3 GVA Impact By 2030 *3 Local Economy Value Dundyvan Enterprise Park £2,823,000 18.8 £983,860 312 jobs + 0.5% £37M Western Campus £3,362,000 22.4 £1,172,259 357 jobs + 0.7% £50M Gartcosh Industrial Park Ph 1 (Building 1) £1,310,000 8.7 £455,297 175 jobs + 0.1% £7M Gartcosh Industrial Park Ph1 (Buildings 2 & 3) £3,091,076 20.5 £1,074,318 413 jobs +0.2% £16M Enterprise House, Drumpellier Business Park £1,046,000 7.0 £366,331 65 jobs + 0.02% £2M Link Park, Newhouse (Building 1) £1,100,000 7.3 £382,030 156 jobs + 0.1% £8M TOTAL £9,641,000 72.9 £4,434,095 + 1478 jobs + 1.62% £120M *1 Excludes site acquisition and remediation costs *2 Person Year Equivalent (PYE) construction impacts are reported as gross impacts and as such do not take account of displacement or leakage to the local economy. Source: Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2019 *3 Employment and GVA impacts take in to account direct impacts (changes in employment and GVA as a direct result of these commercial developments), indirect impacts (impacts on supply chains) and induced impacts (household spending as a result of wages earned both via direct and indirect impacts). The uplifts in GVA and employment figures are based on a number of assumptions around the occupancy rates and types of businesses occupying these premises as well as macro-economic factors such as Brexit. The model on which 10 year Employment and GVA forecasts were produced was developed before the Covid-19 global pandemic and therefore may prove optimistic. Source: NLC oxford Economics Model 2019 Page 304 of 312
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Fusion Assets Limited Appendix 2 Financial Performance as at 31st March 2023 Income & expenditure 2021/22 Commentary Budget Final Outturn Variance Final Outturn £ £ £ £ Rental Income 161,707 116,420 (45,287) 134,275 Under-recovery in income at Newhouse Building due to lease agreements (rent free periods) Bank Interest 700 7,807 7,107 1,537 Increase in interest due to market impacts Investments 0 0 0 207,200 No reciepts from Development sales in 2022/23 Misc 0 1,565 1,565 0 Total Income 162,407 125,792 (36,614) 343,011 Expenditure: Staff costs (182,570) (183,420) (850) (167,294) Board Costs (15,000) (15,000) 0 (15,000) Premise Costs (9,250) (7,971) 1,279 0 Operating Costs (79,000) (66,290) 12,710 (78,608) Decreased expenditure in development and land management fees Running Costs (12,000) (8,983) 3,017 (21,837) Decrease expenditure in Insurance due to increase in letting Total Expenditure (297,820) (281,664) 16,156 (282,739) Net Surplus/Deficit (135,414) (155,872) (20,458) 60,273 Accounting adjustments: Release of deferred grant income 0 1,638,735 1,638,735 873,049 Unrealised gain/(loss) on investment property 0 193,175 193,175 (5,905) Impairment 0 (1,638,735) (1,638,735) (251,185) Tax provision 0 (49,575) (49,575) (165,945) Increase / (Utilisation) of Reserves (135,414) (12,272) 123,142 510,286 2022/23 Page 305 of 312
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Fusion Assets Appendix 3 Overall Financial Standing - Balance Sheet as at 30 June 2023 Balances/ Indicator as at 30 June 2023 as at 31 March 2023 Movement Commentary £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed Assets: Investments 1,040 1,040 0 Gartcosh Estates LLP Investment Property 2,195 2,195 0 Newhouse Building 1 3,235 3,235 0 Current Assets: Stocks 3,939 3,191 748 Work in progress Trade Debtors 414 1,170 (756) Debtors, VAT recoverable, deferred taxation, accrued income, prepayments Bank 3,807 2,716 1,091 Increase largely due to reciept of profit share element in relation to sale of part of the Newhouse development Short-Term Investments 0 0 0 8,160 7,077 1,083 Current Liabilities: Other Creditors inc. VAT & other taxes (4,064) (3,776) (288) Deferred income (VDLF), accruals, tax (4,064) (3,776) (288) Net current Assets/(liabilities) 4,096 3,301 795 Creditors: Amounts falling due over 1 year (2,467) (2,467) 0 Deferred income (Boots) Net Asset / (Liabilities) 4,864 4,069 795 Page 306 of 312
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Fusion Assets Limited Appendix 4 Financial Performance as at 30th June 2023 Income & expenditure 2022/23 Commentary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Variance Final Outturn £ £ £ £ Rental Income 150,865 150,865 0 116,420 Bank Interest 1,000 7,000 6,000 7,807 Investments 0 0 0 0 Misc 0 0 0 1,565 Total Income 151,865 157,865 6,000 125,792 Expenditure: Staff costs (188,950) (188,950) 0 (183,420) Board Costs (15,000) (15,000) 0 (15,000) Premises Costs (9,420) (12,170) (2,750) (7,971) Operating Costs (153,500) (153,500) 0 (66,290) Running Costs (14,000) (14,000) 0 (8,983) 0 0 0 0 Total Expenditure (380,870) (383,620) (2,750) (281,664) Net Surplus/Deficit (229,005) (225,755) 3,250 (155,872) Accounting adjustments: Release of deferred grant income 0 0 0 1,638,735 Unrealised gain/(loss) on investment property 0 0 0 193,175 Impairment 0 0 0 (1,638,735) Tax provision 0 0 0 (49,575) Increase / (Utilisation) of Reserves (229,005) (225,755) 3,250 (12,272) 2023/24 Page 307 of 312
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Appendix 5 0.000 0.500 1.000 1.500 2.000 2.500 3.000 3.500 4.000 Apr- 23 May- 23 Jun- 23 Jul-23 Aug- 23 Sep- 23 Oct- 23 Nov- 23 Dec- 23 Jan- 24 Feb- 24 Mar- 24 Apr- 24 May- 24 Jun- 24 Jul-24 Aug- 24 Sep- 24 Oct- 24 Nov- 24 Dec- 24 Jan- 25 Feb- 25 Mar- 25 balance 2.829 2.804 3.807 3.204 2.500 2.532 2.817 2.899 2.888 3.063 2.890 2.563 2.594 2.626 2.621 2.627 2.660 2.650 2.576 2.585 2.575 2.529 2.566 2.484 Forecast Cash Balances to 31st March 2025 Page 308 of 312
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Enterprise and Fair Work Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref JMcK Date 17/11/23 Contracts awarded below Committee approval threshold From James McKinstry - Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) E-mail McKinstryJ@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 281 102 1. Background 1.1 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 require local authorities to make standing orders with respect to the making of contracts for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works. 1.2 The Council’s General Contract Standing Orders (“GCSOs”) set out the council’s specific procurement procedures and responsibilities at all spend levels, and include the reporting requirements of procurement activity, including contracts awards, to committee for either approval or acknowledgement. Executive Summary In accordance with the Council’s General Contract Standing Orders (“GCSOs”), GSCO 21.10 requires a summary report be presented to members with details of contracts awarded since last committee, specifically for the spend range: • over £50,000 but below £500,000 for supplies or services; and, • over £500,000 but below £2,000,000 for works. Recommendations It is recommended that the Enterprise and Fair Work Committee: 1) Acknowledge the contract awards made since last committee reporting cycle. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement All ambition statements Programme of Work Statutory / corporate / service requirement Item 13 Page 309 of 312
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2. Report 2.1 In accordance with GSCO 21.10, this report summarises the contract awards since last committee, specifically for the spend range: • over £50,000 but below £500,000 for supplies or services; and, • over £500,000 but below £2,000,000 for works. 2.2 If you require further information regards the contract awards reported, please refer to the lead service area / chief officer detailed in the appendix. 3. Measures of success 3.1 All requirements contracted contribute to either the council’s programme of work and/or fulfil a statutory requirement. 3.2 All contract awards secure best value for the council in accordance with their evaluation criteria. 3.3 All necessary diligence has been undertaken in the evaluation and appointment of contractors. 3.4 All contract awards are logged in the council’s contract register. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 – Summary of contracts awarded. James McKinstry Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) 5. Impacts 5.1 Impacts considered as part of the contract award procedures are recorded in the individual contract award reports held by the lead service area. Page 310 of 312
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Appendix 1 – Summary of Contracts Awarded Contract Ref NLC-SLP-23-069 Title Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure South- pre-works site security Classification Services - Standard Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Place / Pamela Humphries Competition Governance by Value Lower Threshold Regulations Procurement Route Framework Call-off, Direct Award No. of Framework Contractors 14 No. of Bids Received 1 Award Criteria Framework, Best Value Assessment Evaluation Scores Successful *Not applicable Others *Not applicable Comments *No further evaluation scores recorded; Contractor awarded is ranked 1st on the Framework Award Details Value £145,000 Contract Duration 13 months Contractor Name Securigroup Limited Contractor Size Large Contractor Location Glasgow Status - Payment of Living Wage? Yes Status - Living Wage Accredited? No Impacts this section highlights which impacts were considered for this contract award procedure Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty ☒ HR Policy Impact ☐ Data Protection Impact ☐ Environment / Carbon Impact ☐ Risk Impact ☒ Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact ☐ Financial Impact ☒ Legal Impact ☐ Technology / Digital Impact ☐ Communications Impact ☐ Armed Forces Covenant Duty ☐ Further details regarding these impacts can be obtained from the Lead Service Area / Chief Officer Page 311 of 312
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