Minute of Meeting of Perth and Kinross Council of 29 October 2025 for Approval
Perth and Kinross Council · 10 December 2025
Back to Perth and Kinross Council — 10 December 2025 and its agenda
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Perth and Kinross Council Minute of hybrid meeting of Perth and Kinross Council held in the Council Chamber, 2 High Street, Perth on Wednesday 29 October 2025 at 10.00am. Present: Provost X McDade, Depute Provost A Parrott, Bailies C Ahern, R Brock, C McLaren and M Williamson; Councillors K Allan, H Anderson, L Barrett, P Barrett, B Brawn, S Carr, A Chan, D Cuthbert, S Donaldson, E Drysdale, J Duff, A Forbes, M Frampton, N Freshwater, K Harvey, D Illingworth, I James, N Khogali, G Laing, I MacPherson, C Mair, I Massie, S McCole, T McEwan, J Rebbeck, W Robertson, C Shiers, F Smith, C Stewart, G Stewart, A Watt, R Watters and J Welch. In Attendance: T Glen, Chief Executive; C Mailer, Depute Chief Executive; L Simpson, Strategic Lead – Legal and Governance; J Pepper, Director - Integrated Health and Social Care and Chief Officer; S Merone, Strategic Lead – Economy, Development and Planning; G Boland, Strategic Lead – Strategic Planning, People and Performance; D Macluskey; Strategic Lead – Education and Learning; J Beveridge, Strategic Lead – Property Services; E Ritchie, Strategic Lead – Housing and Communities; A Singh, Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice; C Guild, Strategic Lead – Projects and Programmes; A Seggie, N Sworowski, S MacDonald (all Economy, Development and Planning);J McCole (Housing and Communities); D Mitchell, J Menzies, Z Robertson, C Jolly (all HSCP), M Lynch (Strategic Planning, People and Performance); N Ballantine (Projects and programmes); S Hendry, A Brown and M Pasternak (all Legal and Governance), Apology for Absence: Bailie A Bailey. Provost X McDade, Presiding Provost led on Items 1-5 and 8-12 and Depute Provost led on Items 6 &7. 1. Welcome and Apologies Provost McDade welcomed all those present to the meeting, and an apology was noted as above. 2. Declarations of Interest There were no Declarations of Interest in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. 3. Minutes 3(i) Minute of Meeting of Pre-Determination Committee of 10 September for Approval The minute of the meeting of the Pre-Determination Committee of 10 September 2025 was submitted and approved as a correct record.
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3(ii) Minute of Meeting of Perth and Kinross Council of 10 September 2025 for Approval The minute of the meeting of Perth and Kinross Council of 10 September 2025 was submitted and approved as a correct record, subject to recording that Councillor F Smith left the meeting during consideration of item 5. 4. Outstanding Business Statement The Outstanding Business Statement was noted, and it was agreed to remove the completed actions. 5. Perth and Kinross Annual Performance Report 2024/25 There was submitted a report by Strategic Lead – Strategic Planning, People and Performance (25/275) providing an overview of how the Council has performed against its priorities, actions and associated key performance indicators in the period from April 2024 to March 2025, as set out within the Corporate Plan 2022-2027. Resolved: (i) The Annual Performance Report for 2024/25 be approved. (ii) The amendments/deletions of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), outlined in paragraph 4.3 (Table 1), for future Annual Performance Reports, be agreed. (iii) The proposed reporting arrangements for the Corporate Delivery and Improvement Plan and Annual Performance Report, outlined in paragraph 4.8, be agreed. 6. Local Child Poverty Action Report and Children’s Scorecard 2025 There was submitted a report by Strategic Lead – Strategic Planning, People and Performance (25/276) presenting (1) an update on actions taken during 2024/25, (2) the new Child Poverty Action Plan for 2025/26, (3) progress against the Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022–2026, and (4) the Children’s Scorecard 2025 Resolved: (i) The Local Child Poverty Action Report and Children’s Scorecard 2025 be noted; (ii) Continued commitment be confirmed to the strategic aims of the Child Poverty Strategy set out in the Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2020/21; (iii) Commitment be reaffirmed to the objectives of the Perth and Kinross Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022–2026 and work with NHS Tayside and Community Planning Partners. (There followed a short recess and the meeting reconvened at 12.05pm.)
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7. Integration Joint Board Annual Performance Report 2024-25 There was submitted a report by Director -Integrated Health and Social Care and Chief Officer (25/277) (1) setting out the performance in respect of the Core Suite of Integration Indicators and (2) providing an overview of progress against strategic priorities and describing health and social care activities undertaken in the year. Resolved: (i) The Integration Joint Board (IJB) Annual Performance Report 2024/2025 be noted. (ii) It be noted that the report had been approved by the IJB Audit and Performance Committee on 25 August 2025. (There followed a recess and the meeting reconvened at 1.30pm.) 8. Demographic and Population Change: Impact on Social Care There was submitted a report by Director- Integrated Health and Social Care and Chief Officer and the Strategic Lead – Finance and Business Support (25/278) (1) providing the Council with a comprehensive overview of how increasing demand and complexity, driven by a growing and ageing population as well as rising numbers of people with complex needs, have resulted in budget insufficiency for the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB) within 2025/26. The report also (2) set out the national context and key drivers for these unparalleled pressures, including early data on current and future demographic trends that will continue to impact demand for health and social care services. Motion by Councillors E Drysdale and S McCole To agree the recommendations in the report. Amendment by Councillor P Barrett and Bailie C McLaren In accordance with the Motion but to insert an additional recommendation 2.7: Council agrees to instruct the Leader of the Council to request an urgent meeting with the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Cabinet Secretary for Finance to seek financial support to address the in-year health and social care funding gap of £4.18m for 2025-26 and to pursue additional funding to address the demographic and financial budget pressures confronting Perth and Kinross Council in 2026/27, and the need for Scottish Government to recognise and address them through next year’s local government settlement.
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The Mover and Seconder of the Motion agreed to incorporate the Amendment into the Motion. Resolved: In accordance with the revised Motion. 9. ALEO’S Review (Options Appraisal 2025) There was submitted a report by Chief Executive (25/279) (1) setting out the key findings, conclusions and recommendations of a detailed options appraisal review undertaken to determine the best structural model in future for our arm’s length external organisations (ALEO’s), and also (2) giving an update on actions approved by full Council in December 2023 (Report No. 23/347 refers) completed and underway to contribute towards the future sustainability of ALEO’s. Resolved: (i) The findings of the full ALEO Options Appraisal Review report from EKOS Consultancy, set out in Appendix 2, be noted; (ii) The establishment of a Strategic Alliance between Perth & Kinross Council, Culture Perth & Kinross, Live Active Leisure and Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, as detailed in section 5.2 of the report, be approved. (iii) The progress of operational measures as set out in further work being carried out in relation to efficiency savings and future sustainability of ALEO’s through the Strategic Alliance model including income growth, shared services, and workforce planning, be approved; (iv) It be agreed that feedback on progress, achievements and actions from the Strategic Alliance be reported back to full Council on an annual basis from October 2026; (v) The progress made in approved actions in relation to ALEO’s through and concluding workstreams in relation to previous actions relating to ALEO’s, reported to full Council on 6 December 2023 and as set out in Appendix 1, be noted; (vi) The terms of reference for the Strategic Alliance to be submitted to Council in early 2026 for approval; (vii) It be agreed that the Strategic Alliance to carry out further work in relation to bringing library services back in-house, including detailed analysis of the Non-Domestic Rates position and with consideration to potential strategic alignment of libraries with other in-house services. This information to be brought back as part of the on-going library review to Council in early 2026. (Councillor James Left the Meeting at This Point)
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10. Committee Timetable of Meetings 2026/2027 Resolved: (i) The timetable of Committee meetings for 2026 as included within the agenda document pack be approved, subject to some further minor amendments to the meeting dates for Planning and Placemaking Committee and the Local Review Body. (ii) The indicative timetable of Committee meetings for 2027 up to the local government elections as included within the agenda document pack be approved. 10. Appointments to Committees/Outside Bodies Resolved: (i) The updated guide to political balance on committees be noted. (ii) The updated list of appointments to committees and outside bodies tabled at the meeting be approved (see appendix 1). 11. Elected Members Briefing Notes The Elected Members Briefing Notes, issued since the previous Council meeting and as set out on the agenda, be noted.