Agenda Contents
Renfrewshire Council · 14 December 2023
Back to Council — 14 December 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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07/12/2023 Notice of Meeting and Agenda Council Date Time Venue Thursday, 14 December 2023 09:30 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Membership Provost Lorraine Cameron (Convener): Councillor Iain Nicolson (Leader): Councillor Cathy McEwan (Depute Convener): Councillor Jacqueline Cameron (Depute Leader): Councillor Jennifer Adam: Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson: Councillor Alison Ann-Dowling: Councillor Stephen Burns: Councillor Michelle Campbell: Councillor Graeme Clark: Councillor Carolann Davidson: Councillor Eddie Devine: Councillor Andy Doig: Councillor Audrey Doig: Councillor Chris Gilmour: Councillor Edward Grady: Councillor Gillian Graham: Councillor Neill Graham: Councillor John Gray: Councillor Anne Hannigan: Councillor John Hood: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes: Councillor Robert Innes: Councillor Alec Leishman: Councillor Bruce MacFarlane: Councillor James MacLaren: Councillor Kenny MacLaren: Councillor Mags MacLaren: Councillor Colin McCulloch: Councillor Janis McDonald: Councillor David McGonigle: Councillor Jamie McGuire: Councillor Marie McGurk: Councillor Iain McMillan: Councillor John McNaughtan: Councillor Kevin Montgomery: Councillor Sam Mullin: Councillor Will Mylet: Councillor Jim Paterson: Councillor Emma Rodden: Councillor John Shaw: Councillor Ben Smith: Councillor Andy Steel: Hybrid Meeting Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers. However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish. MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance
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07/12/2023 Further Information This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk Members of the Press and Public Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting. Webcasting of Council Meeting This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site – at the start of the meeting the Provost will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. Generally the public seating areas will not be filmed. The cameras focus on the main participants. If you have any queries regarding this please contact Committee Services on democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk. To find the webcast please navigate to: https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home and select the meeting from the calendar.
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07/12/2023 Items of business Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements Members are asked to declare an interest or make a transparency statement in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest or the transparency statement. 1 Minutes of Meetings of Council, Boards and Panels Council – 28 September 2023, pages 1003 - 1022 Communities and Housing Policy Board - 31 October 2023, pages 1023 - 1038 Regulatory Functions Board – 1 November 2023, pages 1039 - 1046 Education and Children’s Services – 2 November 2023, pages 1047 - 1056 Audit Risk and Scrutiny – 6 November 2023, pages 1057 - 1064 Economy and Regeneration Policy Board – 7 November 2023, pages 1065 - 1070 Planning and Climate Change Policy Board – 7 November 2023, pages 1071 - 1078 Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board – 8 November 2023, pages 1079 - 1090 Special Council – 16 November 2023, pages 1091 - 1094 Regulatory Functions Board – 16 November 2023, pages 1095 - 1104 Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board 23 November 2023, pages 1105 - 1124 Leadership Board – 6 December 2023, pages 1125 - 1138 2 Provost's Update Hear from Provost 3 General Fund Financial Update Report by Director of Finance & Resources 9 - 26 4 Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators Mid-year Review 2023/24 Report by Director of Finance & Resources 27 - 44 5 Governance Arrangements Report by Director of Finance & Resources 45 - 46 6 Audit, Risk & Scrutiny Board Review of Charges for Bulk Items Uplift for the Elderly 47 - 64
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07/12/2023 Report by Lead Officer 7 Statutory Review of Polling Places and Polling Districts Report by Director of Finance & Resources 65 - 108 8 Notice of Motion 1 by Councillors Devine and Hood "Brown Bin Permit / Garden Waste Charge Council agrees that the £40 charge for a domestic garden waste permit should be scrapped and the collection of garden waste should revert to a service provided by the Council free of charge." 9 Notice of Motion 2 by Councillors Nicolson and Hughes "Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Council condemns the attack on Israel by Hamas which targeted civilians and resulted in the killing of over 1,400 civilians and the decades long suppression of Palestinians in the operation of an apartheid regime by the Israeli Government which only serves to continue the conflict. Council also condemns the rise in Islamophobia and Antisemitism in all their forms and recognises the anxiety experienced by these global communities at this time. Renfrewshire Council expresses its horror at the conflict and the resulting ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The failure of effective diplomacy and the deployment of battlefield weaponry and tactics in a dense urban environment has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of people, the majority of whom are children, fleeing devastating conditions, left without food, shelter or basic amenities contrary to the basic principles of International Law. This Council adds its voice to calls for a ceasefire to those of the United Nations, Scottish Government and many civic leaders in the UK who have shown leadership and humanity in trying to bring an end to the bloodshed. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister calling on him to support calls for a ceasefire." 10 Notice of Motion 3 by Provost L Cameron and Councillor McEwan “Council notes Save the Children’s Gaza Emergency Appeal responding to the needs of children impacted by the ongoing conflict, and agrees to make a donation of £10,000 to fund its UK-based activities in recognition of the considerable strain which this appeal has placed on its resources.”
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07/12/2023 11 Notice of Motion 4 by Councillors Gilmour and Ann- Dowling "Better Buses for Strathclyde This Council notes:- • The ‘Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy and Delivery Plan: Case for Change’ report presented to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s Board on 29 September 2023. • That this evidence-based report has found that bus use is in ‘sustained, long-term decline’ in Strathclyde, with bus patronage, the size of bus networks, bus service frequency and network coverage all falling. • That despite decline in bus networks, bus fares continue to rise in Strathclyde at a higher rate than inflation and at a higher rate than the cost of travelling by other modes of transport. • That the current model of bus service has failed to deliver integrated ticketing or an integrated approach to public transport planning. • That in 2021/22 public sector support represented 56 per cent of bus operator revenues in Scotland. • That publicly funded revenue has been boosted by free bus travel for under 22s resulting in 84 million journeys to education, work and leisure, where services are available to use. • The announcement in the 22/23 Programme for Government that the Scottish Government will work with third sector and local authorities to provide free bus travel to asylum seekers and refugees including displaced people from Ukraine. This Council believes:- • The current deregulated model of bus provision is inadequate and that there is now a compelling case for changing the model of bus provision across Strathclyde. • A new model of bus provision will enable bus services and public transport across Strathclyde to contribute more towards a healthier environment, inclusive economic growth and an improved quality of life for the people and communities of Strathclyde. • A new model of bus provision will enable bus routes, timetables, ticketing, fares and integration with other modes to be designed by identifying and addressing communities’ needs in urban and in suburban and rural areas where there is little or no current service. This Council agrees to write to SPT and the Scottish Government to communicate its view that:- • As part of ongoing work developing the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy, SPT must develop a new model of bus provision for
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07/12/2023 Strathclyde (on behalf of its 12 constituent local authorities) that is fully- integrated with other transport modes, affordable, reliable, easy to use, and democratically accountable. • SPT can deliver this most effectively by taking forward the franchising and municipal ownership powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (and not through ‘Bus Service Improvement Partnerships’, which are not suitable for delivering transformational change). • This new model of bus provision will help achieve the Regional Transport Strategy objectives and policies set out by SPT by ensuring that bus provision is designed through identifying and addressing communities’ needs. • The Scottish Government must support SPT (and Scotland’s other Regional Transport Partnerships) seeking to replace deregulated bus models with models of regulation or common ownership, with fair funding and regulation that respects the autonomy and democratic wishes of Scotland’s communities and regions. A democratically accountable Strathclyde-wide bus franchising system should be progressed to improve bus services across the region and realise the ambitions of the Regional Transport Strategy. • The Scottish Government must support SPT in reforming transport governance, over a 10 year period, as set out in the recent Centre for Cities report.” In addition: Officers should continue to collaborate with other local authorities and SPT to progress the use of the franchising and municipal ownership powers, in line with this motion." 12 Notice of Motion 5 by Councillors Burns and M MacLaren "Council instructs the Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Council to contact the Chief Executive of Scottish Water to request that they prioritise Ferguslie main road (A761) at Linwood toll to be on the highest priority list for flood prevention works as a matter of urgency." 13 Notice of Motion 6 by Councillors McGonigle and Gray "Support for the Wave Trust's 70/30 campaign That Council notes and supports the ethos of the Wave Trust's 70/30 campaign to reduce child abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) by at least 70% by the year 2030. The Wave Trust campaign already has wide cross-party support and plays an important part in the entrenchment of intergenerational health and income inequalities. Council asks officers to bring a report on progress to a future meeting. This report will provide an update on how Renfrewshire Council and wider partners are progressing the ambition to reduce childhood abuse and trauma in our local communities and to embed a trauma-informed approach across services. Council: • Notes and recognises the wide preventative work already being carried out by Renfrewshire Council and acknowledges that there is a wide understanding of ACE’s across services, and the positive impact this
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07/12/2023 can have on children as well as adults. • Notes the ambitions of the national campaign to make Scotland the first Adverse Child Experiences (ACE) aware Nation. • Notes that Renfrewshire Council cannot achieve these ambitions alone, and there is a wider responsibility and multi-agenda approach required in addition to the support of our wider communities. • Notes that supporting an early intervention approach to investment in promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments can have a positive impact on a broad range of challenges, and on the development of skills that will help children and young people reach their full potential. • Continues to support and promote a trauma-informed, ACE awareness ethos to have a positive impact on both individuals and society as a whole. • Continues to support all front-line staff across the Council and partners to be encouraged to take up opportunities for continued professional learning sessions on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). • Acknowledges that Adverse Childhood Experiences can and do impact on learning, attainment and future prospects for children and young people. • Seeks assurance that Trauma Informed learning is taking place across our early years and school settings to support children and young people." 14 Notice of Motion 7 by Councillors N Graham and Leishman "International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Council agreed on 28/02/19 to the following motion below. (In Bold) “As part of Renfrewshire Council's ongoing equalities work we resolve to join with the UK and Scottish Governments and the major political parties in the UK in signing up to the internationally recognised International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) guidelines on antisemitism which defines antisemitism thus: Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non- Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish Community Institutions and religious facilities. The guidelines highlight manifestations as including: 1. Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extreme view of religion. 2. Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonizing or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world
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07/12/2023 Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other social institutions. 3. Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews. 4. Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust). 5. Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. Accusing Jewish citizens as being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations. 6. Denying the Jewish people their right to self determination, e.g. by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour. 7. Applying double standards by requiring of it behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. 8. Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis. 9. Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. 10. Holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel. Council resolves to: Restate its condemnation of all forms of racism in all its manifestations and adopts the IHRA definition of antisemitism as the working model for challenging and confronting incidents of this form of racism." In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and a rise in antisemitism across the world including the United Kingdom this council reaffirms its commitment to the above motion."