Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 14 June 2023
Back to Leadership Board — 14 June 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Minute of Meeting Leadership Board Date Time Venue Wednesday, 14 June 2023 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Present: Councillor Jacqueline Cameron, Councillor Michelle Campbell, Councillor Graeme Clark, Councillor Gillian Graham, Councillor Neill Graham, Councillor Anne Hannigan, Councillor Alec Leishman, Councillor Marie McGurk, Councillor Iain McMillan, Councillor Iain Nicolson, Councillor Jim Paterson, Councillor Emma Rodden, Councillor John Shaw, Councillor Andy Steel Chair Councillor Nicolson, Convener, presided. In Attendance A Russell, Chief Executive; S Quinn, Director of Children's Services; G McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure; L McIntyre, Head of Policy & Partnerships, L Mahon, Head of Marketing & Communications, L Adamson, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, A Armstrong-Walter, Strategic Partnership & Inequalities Manager and P Moss, Planning & Insight Manager (all Chief Executive's); K Anderson, Sustainability, Place (Assets) Manager (Environment & Infrastructure); M Boyd, Head of People & OD, D Low, Democratic Services Manager, G Dickie, Partnering & Commissioning Manager, D Pole, End User Technician and D Cunningham, Assistant Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources); V Hollows, Chief Executive, F Naylor, Finance, Governance and Business Improvement Director and J Doherty, Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Manager (both OneRen); and F Burns, Head of Strategic Planning & Health Improvement and C O'Byrne, Head of Health & Social Care (Paisley) (both Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership). Webcasting of Meeting Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council's internet site.
Page 2
Apology Councillor Ann-Dowling. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. Transparency Statements Councillor Campbell indicated that she had a connection to item 4 by reason of her being employed by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. However, she indicated that she had applied the objective test and did not consider she had an interest to declare. Councillor N Graham indicated that he had a connection to item 4 by reason of him being a volunteer with Barnardos. However, he indicated that he had applied the objective test and did not consider he had an interest to declare. 1 Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-committee There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub- committee held on 31 May 2023 which forms the Appendix to this Minute. DECIDED: That the Minute be approved. 2 Fairer Renfrewshire Update There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to work being undertaken by the Council and its partners to progress the Fairer Renfrewshire Programme. The report provided a summary of the key headline issues relating to the cost of living crisis locally and set out specific updates relative to the development of new enhanced schools advice and family advice models; the evaluation of the Winter Connections Programme; the development of the Fair Food Renfrewshire partnership and proposed further tranche of the Community Food Fund; proposals for the delivery of holiday activities during summer 2023 which would provide support to low income families; and an update on the work of Renfrewshire’s lived experience panel. The Head of Policy and Partnerships referred to the recent death of John Green, a member of the Lived Experience Panel, and members of the Board paid tribute to his contribution to the work of the Panel.
Page 3
DECIDED: (a) That the content of the report and the work being undertaken to progress the Fairer Renfrewshire programme be noted; (b) That it be agreed that work to co-ordinate and deliver a Winter Connections 2023 be progressed and that £75,000 of Fairer Renfrewshire Funding be allocated to support the delivery of the programme; (c) That the proposed summer holiday programme outlined in Section 6 be noted, with £25,000 of existing funding allocated to pilot a small grants fund to extend the programme of activities and support available across communities in Summer 2023; (d) That authority be delegated to the Head of Policy and Partnerships to award grants in line with the guidance which would be developed for both the Winter Connections and Summer Holiday Provision. An update on both schemes would be provided to Leadership Board in September 2023; and (e) That an allocation of £10,000 funding be agreed to top up the Community Food Fund, with a further application round for the fund to open following summer 2023. Transparency Statement Prior to consideration of the following item of business Councillor Campbell declared a connection relative to item 4 of the agenda. 3 Council Plan 2022/27 - six-month Progress Update There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the Council Plan 2022/2027 and the revised Community Plan 2017/2027. The report provided a summary of the progress achieved against the Council’s five strategic outcomes since the Council Plan was approved by Council in September 2022. The Community Plan 2017/2027 had been revised to incorporate the response to and recovery from the unique challenges of the last few years to align both Plans. The report outlined that each Council service prepared a Service Improvement Plan which was also themed around the Council Plan’s strategic outcomes and that the Leadership Board would receive progress reports every six months. DECIDED: (a) That the progress achieved against the strategic outcomes since the Council Plan was approved by Council in September 2022, as outlined in Appendix 1, be noted; and (b) That it be noted that progress reports would continue to be presented to the Leadership Board at six monthly intervals.
Page 4
4 Local Child Poverty Action Report 2023 There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Council’s Local Child Poverty Action Report 2023. The report intimated that the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 required that each Local Authority and each relevant Health Board had to jointly prepare and publish a Local Child Poverty Action Report annually. This report was required to describe measures taken during the reporting year within the local authority area that reduced child poverty or improved outcomes for children living in poverty. It also had to describe planned and proposed future actions. Renfrewshire's Local Child Poverty Action Report for 2022/23 was appended to the report. The report summarised the activities undertaken in Renfrewshire to reduce child poverty between April 2022 and March 2023; described planned and proposed future actions and outlined work undertaken to respond to and recover from the impacts of the pandemic and cost of living crisis to support parents and families. DECIDED: (a) That the report be noted; and (b) That the Local Child Poverty Action Report be approved for publication. Transparency Statement During consideration of the following item of business Councillor N Graham declared a connection to item 4 of the agenda. 5 Local Partnerships – next phase of development There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the development of Local Partnerships since their establishment in 2019. The report outlined that the Partnerships were crucial to the Council’s engagement with local communities in that they enabled communities to identify their own local level priorities. Local Partnerships had not been able to be fully implemented due to resources having been refocused in response to the pandemic and then to the ongoing cost of living crisis. The report intimated that a consultation and engagement exercise would commence in summer 2023 to inform the next phase of development of the Local Partnerships. Alongside this exercise a range of actions would be progressed by officers as set out at section 5 of the report. A Local Partnership co-ordinator would also be recruited to provide the required capacity to take the development of the Local Partnerships forward. An update on the consultation and engagement process, alongside any resulting proposals for development, would be submitted to the Board in autumn 2023.
Page 5
DECIDED: (a) That the summer 2023 Local Partnerships consultation and engagement exercise be noted; and (b) That it be noted that an update report would be submitted to the Leadership Board in autumn 2023. 6 Future Paisley Programme Six-monthly Progress Update There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the progress of the Future Paisley Programme since December 2022. The report provided an overview of the activity and projects which had contributed to Step Change 3 – Paisley would be recognised for its cultural innovation and Change 4 – Transform Paisley into a vibrant town centre. DECIDED: That the report be noted. 7 Future Paisley Cultural Funding Programme 2023/24 There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to cultural funding for 2023/24. The report advised that Round 13 of the Culture, Heritage and Events Fund (CHEF) and Round 4 of the Cultural Organisational Development Fund (CODF), funded through Future Paisley, would be launched at the end of June 2023. The report outlined changes to CHEF Round 13 criteria and sought delegated authority to administer the funds. DECIDED: (a) That the development and launch of funding Rounds 4 (CODF) and 13 (CHEF) for 2023/24 be noted; (b) That the changes made to the criteria for CHEF be noted; (c) That it be agreed that the Cultural Recovery and Renewal Fund Panel would review the recommended awards in the forthcoming rounds of CHEF and CODF; and (d) That authority be delegated to the Head of Marketing and Communications to determine the applications for funding in this and future rounds, based on the views of the review panel, and to distribute the agreed rewards. 8 Decant of Library Services to the New Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the request received from OneRen for the suspension and decant of library services.
Page 6
The report advised that OneRen were required to obtain the Council’s consent to suspend the provision of services under the terms of the Service Agreement with the Council. The report sought agreement for the suspension of library services for a period of around 8 weeks to enable the decant from the temporary modular Paisley Central Library site at the Lagoon Leisure Centre to the new Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub, High Street, Paisley. During this period, service users would be re- directed to alternative libraries and online resources. The decant was proposed to commence in autumn 2023 with customers and elected members being notified in advance of the specific date. DECIDED: (a) That the request from OneRen to temporarily suspend the provision of Paisley Central Library services from the modular Lagoon Leisure Centre Car Park for the period of approximately 8 weeks be agreed; and (b) That it be agreed that the decant would commence at a date to be confirmed in August 2023 with customers and elected members being notified in advance of the specific date. 9 Gaelic Language Plan Implementation Report – Annual Return 2022/23 There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Gaelic Language Plan Implementation Report – Annual Return 2022/23. Public Authorities were required, under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, to produce a Gaelic Language Plan which outlined the actions taken to promote Gaelic in their communities. The implementation of the Plans was overseen by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and local authorities were required to provide an annual progress update against their Plan's actions both to Bòrd na Gàidhlig and to elected members. The report advised that the update report on progress made during 2022/23 had been provided by the Council to Bòrd na Gàidhlig. It was proposed that the financial implications relative to the implementation of the Gaelic Language Plan in Renfrewshire be included in future reports submitted to this Board. This was agreed. DECIDED: (a) That the progress made by Renfrewshire Council in the delivery of the Gaelic Language Plan be noted; (b) That the provision of the progress update report having been provided to Bòrd na Gàidhlig be noted; (c) That it be noted that annual progress reports would be provided to Bòrd na Gàidhlig and elected members; and (d) That the financial implications relative to the implementation of the Gaelic Language Plan in Renfrewshire be included in future reports submitted to this Board.
Page 7
10 Development of Tennis in Renfrewshire Parks There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the refurbishment of tennis courts and the development of tennis in up to three Renfrewshire sites. The report intimated that, following the Council’s formal approval of support at the Leadership Board meeting held on 26 April 2023, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) had confirmed that it would offer the Council grant funding for the refurbishment of tennis courts and the development of tennis at three locations as follows: Robertson Park, Renfrew - £129,960; Brodie Park, Paisley - £18,090; and Park Road, Johnstone - £155,500. These sums excluded the Council's contributions. The Park Road, Johnstone site was included in the second tranche for funding. The funding offer at this site was subject to the Council making a contribution of £17,000 towards the project, in addition to funding repairs to a retaining wall. The proposed Heads of Terms with OneRen which included the operating model for the Courts plus the revenue and capital costs were appended to the report. DECIDED: (a) That the proposed Heads of Terms between the Council and OneRen, as attached as Appendix 1 of the report, be approved; (b) That the ongoing revenue and capital funding implications and the associated membership and court booking charges as detailed at Section 1 of the report be noted and approved; and (c) That it be noted that a report would be presented to the OneRen Board to approve the Heads of Terms Agreement with the Council on 15 June 2023.