Agenda Document Pack - Community and Enterprise Resources Committee - 01/09/2026
South Lanarkshire Council · 1 September 2026
Back to Community and Enterprise Resources Committee — 1 September 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Council Offices, Almada Street Hamilton, ML3 0AA Monday, 24 August 2026 Dear Councillor Community and Enterprise Resources Committee The Members listed below are requested to attend a meeting of the above Committee to be held as follows:- Date: Tuesday, 01 September 2026 Time: 14:00 Venue: Hybrid - Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA The business to be considered at the meeting is listed overleaf. Yours sincerely Paul Manning Chief Executive Members Robert Brown (Chair), John Anderson, Ralph Barker, Walter Brogan, Andy Carmichael, Gerry Convery, Andrea Cowan, Margaret Cowie, Maureen Devlin (Depute), Colin Dewar, Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Ross Gowland, Lynsey Hamilton, Graeme Horne, Cal Johnston-Dempsey, Susan Kerr, Ross Lambie, Richard Lockhart, Hugh Macdonald, Ian McAllan, Kenny McCreary, Davie McLachlan, Carol Nugent, Helen Toner, David Watson Substitutes Alex Allison, Ross Clark, Allan Falconer, Alistair Fulton, Gavin Keatt, Catherine McClymont, Elaine McDougall, Mark McGeever, Richard Nelson, Graham Scott, David Shearer 1
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BUSINESS 1 Declaration of Interests 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting Minutes of the meeting of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee held on 2 June 2026 submitted for approval as a correct record. (Copy attached) 5 - 12 Monitoring Item(s) 3 Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2025/2026 Report dated 17 July 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 13 - 24 4 Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2026/2027 Joint report dated 31 July 2026 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 25 - 34 5 Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/2026 Joint report dated 2 August 2026 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 35 - 40 6 Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2026/2027 Joint report dated 2 August 2026 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 41 - 44 7 Community and Enterprise Resources - Workforce Monitoring - April to June 2026 Joint report dated 27 July 2026 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 45 - 52 Item(s) for Decision 8 Approval of South Lanarkshire Council’s Food Service Plan for 2026/2027 Report dated 12 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 53 - 80 9 Community Benefit Funds – Renewable Energy Fund - Grant Applications Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 81 - 88 10 2026/2027 Transport to Employment Annual Investment Plan Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 89 - 94 2
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11 Culture Strategy for South Lanarkshire Report dated 13 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 95 - 100 12 Council Budget 2026/2027 – Outdoor Investment Funding Report dated 21 July 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 101 - 108 13 Fleet Strategy 2026 to 2030 Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 109 - 142 14 Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 143 - 182 Item(s) for Noting 15 Country Parks Path Infrastructure Investment Planning Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 183 - 190 16 Roads Asset Management Plan 2026 - Update Report dated 17 August 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 191 - 204 Urgent Business 17 Urgent Business Any other items of business which the Chair decides are urgent. For further information, please contact:- Clerk Name: Stuart McLeod Clerk Telephone: 07385 370 117 Clerk Email: stuart.mcleod@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 3
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COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES COMMITTEE Minutes of meeting held via Confero and in Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton on 2 June 2026 Chair: Councillor Robert Brown Councillors Present: Councillor John Anderson, Councillor Ralph Barker, Councillor Walter Brogan, Councillor Andy Carmichael, Councillor Andrea Cowan, Councillor Margaret Cowie, Councillor Maureen Devlin (Depute), Councillor Colin Dewar, Councillor Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Councillor Ross Gowland, Councillor Graeme Horne, Councillor Susan Kerr, Councillor Richard Lockhart, Councillor Hugh Macdonald, Councillor Ian McAllan, Councillor Davie McLachlan, Councillor Carol Nugent, Councillor Kirsten Robb, Councillor Helen Toner Councillors' Apologies: Councillor Gerry Convery, Councillor Cal Johnston-Dempsey, Councillor Martin Lennon, Councillor Kenny McCreary, Councillor David Watson Attending: Community and Enterprise Resources K Carr, Executive Director; A Brown, Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services; D Hashagen, Employability Manager; E Jordan, Economic Development Officer; K Lean, Programmes Manager; C Park, Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services; I Ross, Economic Development Manager Finance and Corporate Resources L Harvey, Finance Manager (Resources); S McLeod, Administration Officer; E Maxwell, HR Business Manager; A Norris, Administration Assistant 1 Declaration of Interests The following interests were declared:- Councillor(s) Item(s) Nature of Interest(s) Robb Hagshaw Energy Cluster – Extension of Economic Development Post Friend and ex colleague of postholder Anderson Community Benefit Funds – Renewable Energy Fund – Grant Applications Board Member of Routes to Work South 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting The minutes of the meeting of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee held on 17 March 2026 were submitted for approval as a correct record. The Committee decided: that the minutes be approved as a correct record. 2 5
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3 Community and Enterprise Resources - Workforce Monitoring – 1 January to 31 March 2026 A joint report dated 28 April 2026 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the following employee information for Community and Enterprise Resources for the period 1 January to 31 March 2026:- attendance statistics occupational health statistics accident/incident statistics disciplinary hearings, grievances and Dignity at Work cases analysis of leavers and exit interviews Staffing Watch as at 14 March 2026 An officer responded to a member’s questions in relation to aspects of the report. The Committee decided: that the report be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 17 March 2026 (Paragraph 5)] 4 Community and Enterprise Resource Plan – Quarter 4 Progress Report 2025/2026 A report dated 1 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report 2025/2026 for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The Resource Plan measures were rated using a traffic light system of red, amber or green as well as blue (BRAG) which indicated that an action had been completed. Details were provided on:- progress made in implementing the priority projects identified in the Resource Plan Quarter 4 2025/2026, as summarised at paragraph 5.2 and detailed at Appendix 2 to the report key achievements made by the Resource to date, as detailed at paragraph 5.3 of the report areas for improvement and associated management actions, as detailed at paragraph 5.4 of the report measures which had changed from Quarter 2 to Quarter 4, as summarised at paragraph 5.5 and detailed at Appendix 3 to the report An officer responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report and undertook to:- submit updated recycling data to this Committee in due course submit an update on the Waste Strategy Team Action Plan to this Committee or the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee later in the year The Committee decided: (1) that the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report 2025/2026, as summarised in paragraph 5.2 and attached as Appendix 2 to the report, be noted; (2) that the key achievements made by the Resource up to Quarter 4, as detailed at paragraph 5.3 of the report, be noted; 6
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(3) that areas for improvement and associated management actions, as detailed at paragraph 5.4 of the report, be noted; and (4) that the additional scrutiny of changes in measures between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, as summarised at paragraph 5.5 and detailed at Appendix 3 to the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 16 December 2025 (Paragraph 6)] 5 Community and Enterprise Resource Plan 2026/2027 A report dated 5 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan 2026/2027. Details were provided on the Resource Plan for 2026/2027, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, which outlined the:- key areas of focus for the year ahead Resource outcomes measures and actions resourcing of the Plan Following approval at individual Resource Committees, the Resource Plans for 2026/2027 would be submitted, as a pack, to the meeting of the Executive Committee to be held on 19 August 2026 for noting. The Resource had established a number of outcomes to support the delivery of the Council Plan, Connect, in 2026/2027. To support those outcomes, the Resource had developed performance measures in an action plan, detailed in Section 4 of the Resource Plan. Key or strategic measures would be included in the Council Plan progress reports 2026/2027, with the remaining measures being monitored and reported at Resource level. In line with the Council’s performance management arrangements, a mid-year progress report on measures identified in the 2026/2027 Community and Enterprise Resource Plan and an end of year report respectively, would be submitted to future meetings of the Committee. Once approved, the Resource Plan would be made available on the Council’s website. An officer responded to a member’s question on an aspect of the report and undertook to submit updates to the Committee next year in relation to the Code of Practice for Household Waste Recycling and recycling rates. The Committee decided: (1) that the Resource Plan 2026/2027, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; (2) that the Resource Plan 2026/2027 be uploaded onto the Council’s website following consideration by this Committee; (3) that it be noted that, following Committee approval, all Resource Plans would be submitted to the Executive Committee on 19 August 2026 for noting; and (4) that it be noted that progress reports on the Resource Plan 2026/2027 would be submitted, at Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, to future meetings of this Committee. 7
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6 2026/2027 Employability Annual Investment Plan A report dated 1 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted requesting approval of the 2026/2027 Employability Annual Investment Plan. The Council delivered and funded a range of employability programmes designed to help local residents who experienced barriers to employment to progress to sustainable destinations of employment or further learning. Those programmes were funded by a blend of external funding sources supported by core Council budgets. External funding for 2026/2027 included the Scottish Government’s No-one Left Behind Fund and the UK Local Growth Fund. The 2026/2027 Plan had been developed in partnership with the South Lanarkshire Local Employability Partnership (SLLEP) and set out the SLLEP’s key priority groups, keywork-based programmes and learning and training activity. The Plan had been designed around the Scottish Approach to Employability and details of the key priority groups, action plan activity and work placement and waged opportunities were provided in the report. The Employability Manager advised that, since the writing of the report, the Scottish Government had allocated an additional £517,000 of funding to support parental employability transport and a further report would be submitted to this Committee in due course regarding the use of this additional funding. The Committee decided: that the 2026/2027 Employability Annual Investment Plan be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 13 May 2025 (Paragraph 7)] 7 Hagshaw Energy Cluster – Retention of Economic Development Officer A joint report dated 18 May 2026 by the Executive Directors (Community and Enterprise Resources) and (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on the extension of 1 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Economic Development Officer within Enterprise and Sustainability Services for a further 24 months. In March 2022, the Executive Committee approved that the annual income from the Douglas West Windfarm community benefit payments, estimated at £117,000 per annum, be used to fund an Economic Development Officer post for up to 23 months, with the remaining contribution going to the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) for use in the local area. The Economic Development Officer had been appointed in June 2022 and had been successful in progressing the Hagshaw Energy Cluster Development Framework, bringing together communities, landowners and windfarm operators to progress a local vision and maximise the potential from the windfarm developments and repowering in the area. The Officer had also helped to establish the Douglas Valley Advisory Group, bringing local communities together to agree local strategic priorities and steer the use of future community benefit funds. At its meeting held on 23 April 2024, this Committee had approved the extension of the post to June 2026 and the Officer had been successful in further developing community partnerships and more ambitious projects, such as adventure tourism, rural housing, circular economy and active travel connections in the area. The income to the Douglas West Windfarm Community Benefit Fund in 2025/2026 was £152,000. It was proposed that the 1 FTE post of Economic Development Officer on Grade 3, Level 2 to 4, (£42,228 to £48,633) be extended for a further 24 months to June 2028, using funds from the Douglas West Windfarm to support the ambitions within the Hagshaw Energy Framework and local communities, as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of the report. 8
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The Committee decided: that 1 FTE Economic Development Officer post on Grade 3, Level 2 to 4 (£42,228 to £48,633) within the Enterprise and Sustainability Services’ establishment be extended to June 2028 using funds from the Douglas West Windfarm Community Benefit Fund, as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of the report. [Reference: Minutes of the Executive Committee of 2 March 2022 (Paragraph 7) and Minutes of 23 April 2024 (Paragraph 6)] Councillor Robb, having declared an interest in the above item, withdrew from the meeting during its consideration 8 Community Benefit Funds – Renewable Energy Fund – Grant Applications A report dated 6 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on 6 applications to the Renewable Energy Fund (REF). This community benefit funding, secured from windfarm developers, had been established to provide funding to suitable projects providing community benefits in eligible areas. It was proposed that, subject to the applicants providing written confirmation that all other additional funding for the projects had been secured, with the exception of the Douglas Valley Community-Led Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Tourism project which had applied for 100% funding, grants be awarded as detailed in the report. The Committee decided: that, subject to the applicants providing written confirmation that all other funding for the projects had been secured, with the exception of the Douglas Valley Community-Led Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Tourism project which had applied for 100% funding, a grant be awarded of up to a maximum of:- £65,587.58 towards eligible costs associated with the upgrade of a playpark to Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill Co-ordination Group from Cumberhead Windfarm £127,151.17 towards eligible costs associated with the purchase and construction of a men’s shed facility to Douglas Valley Men’s Shed from Galawhistle Windfarm £33,000 towards eligible costs associated with improvements to parking, including disability access, to East Kilbride United from Whitelee Windfarm £320,000 towards eligible costs associated with the re-engagement of individuals in rural South Lanarkshire who were economically inactive to Routes to Work South from Andershaw, Bank End Rig, West Brown Castle, Nutt Berry, Muirhall Stallashaw and Gallawhistle Windfarms £109,000 towards eligible costs associated with the refurbishment of Wiston Village Hall to Wiston Village Hall Association from Middle Muir Windfarm £67,650 associated with the development of the Douglas Valley Community-Led Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Tourism project to South Lanarkshire Council in consultation with Douglas Valley Advisory Group from Galawhistle Windfarm 9
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[Reference: Minutes of 17 March 2026 (Paragraph 7)] Councillor Anderson, having declared an interest in the above item, withdrew from the meeting during its consideration 9 Business Gateway Lanarkshire – 2025/2026 Performance Report A report dated 18 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the activities and performance of the Business Gateway Lanarkshire service for 2025/2026. Business Gateway was a nationally branded service which was delivered by individual local authorities to provide free, impartial advice and support to pre-start, new start and existing businesses. The service was in-sourced with effect from 1 March 2024, with North Lanarkshire Council delivering the service on behalf of both councils. North Lanarkshire Council had managed the delivery of Business Gateway services since 1 April 2008. Information was provided on:- the administration and management of the service, including South Lanarkshire Council’s representation national objectives, and local priorities and objectives for 2025/2026 performance in 2025/2026 in relation to:- enquiry performance the business start-up service the existing business service quality assurance workshops/events community engagement marketing the new Business Gateway service specification and team structure The Committee decided: (1) that the Business Gateway services being delivered in South Lanarkshire be noted; (2) that performance achieved between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 be noted; and (3) that the new Business Gateway service specification and team structure be noted [Reference: Minutes of 13 May 2025 (Paragraph 11)] 10 Community Benefit Funds – Annual Report 2025/2026 A report dated 1 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on grants awarded in 2025/2026 from the Community Benefit Funds administered by the Council’s Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services. Community Benefit Funds had been established to provide funding to suitable projects providing community benefits in eligible areas. Details of the grants awarded in 2025/2026 were provided in appendices 1 to 4 to the report. 10
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A publicity document for 2025/2026 would be prepared with the purpose of raising awareness of the Community Benefit Funds and their support of communities. This annual report would be circulated and publicised digitally, with copies made available to councillors and community groups. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report and:- undertook to submit an update to a future meeting of this Committee regarding community benefits from solar and battery projects advised that a report would be submitted to the Executive Committee regarding commercial opportunities which would refer to council/community ownership of renewables The Committee decided: that the Community Benefit Funds administered by the Council and the grants awarded under the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) and Clyde Wind Farm Fund (CWFF) in 2025/2026 be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 17 September 2024 (Paragraph 15)] 11 Community and Enterprise Resources – Notification of Contracts Awarded – 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026 A report dated 1 May 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on contracts awarded by Community and Enterprise Resources in the period 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026. In terms of Standing Order Nos 21.8 and 22.5 of the Standing Orders on Contracts, Resources were required to notify the relevant Committee of contracts awarded above the sum of £50,000. Details of the contracts awarded or extended were provided in appendices 1 and 2 to the report respectively. The Committee decided: that the details of the contracts awarded or extended, as detailed in appendices 1 and 2 to the report respectively, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 12 August 2025 (Paragraph 20)] 12 Urgent Business There were no items of urgent business. 11
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources – Revenue Budget Monitoring 2025/2026 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 for Community and Enterprise Resources 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [re (1) that the position to 31 March 2026 of an underspend of £0.347m after approved transfer to reserves as detailed in Appendix B of the report be noted; and (2) that the proposed budget virements be approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the final revenue budget monitoring report presented to the Community and Enterprise Committee for the financial year 2025/2026. 3.2. The report details the year-end position for Community and Enterprise Resources. Appendix A provides the service analysis statement, outlining key highlights by Service for the Resource and appendices B to G provides the detailed financial position with variance explanations by budget category. 3.3. This report reflects the actual spend to 31 March 2026. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. None. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As at 31 March 2026, the actual outturn position for 2025/2026 is an underspend of £0.347 million. This is the position after approved transfers to reserves of £2.209 million. This is outlined in the attached appendices with details in section 5.3. This position has been reported and approved as part of the overall Council outturn position for 2025/2026 (Executive Committee, 24 June 2026). 5.2. This net position reflects variances across various budgets and services within Community and Enterprise Resources: Underspends in employee costs, payments to other bodies and an over recovery of income support overspends in property costs, 3 13
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transport and payment to contractors. Detailed variance explanations are outlined in appendix C to G for each main service area. 5.3. At year-end, the Transfers to Reserves approved at Probable Outturn (£1.118 million) were increased to reflect the anticipated timing of spend on Front Line First (£0.046 million), contributions to the Strategic Waste Fund for planned works (£0.275 million) and works to upgrade air conditioning for Refuse Collection Vehicles (£0.065 million). In addition, new Transfers to Reserves were agreed for the increased lease costs for Waste Services Vehicles moving forward (£0.605 million) and funds to support planned IT Developments in Planning and Building Standards (£0.100m). This takes the Resource to an underspend of £0.347 million after proposed Transfers to Reserves, in line with the Probable Outturn position. 5.4. Virements are outlined to realign budgets across budget categories and with other Resources. These movements have been detailed in the appendices to this report, as appropriate. 6. 2025/2026 Investments 6.1. Other Investments Funding of £0.866 million was allocated to Community and Enterprise Resources as part of the 2025/2026 Investments. This supported Rutherglen 900, Extension to Frontline First Fund and Fighting Fly-tipping. Of this, £0.368 million has been spent with underspends being experienced in Front Line First and Fighting Fly-tipping being transferred to reserves to enable delivery in 2026/2027, as agreed at the June 2026 Executive Committee. Additionally, £1.084m of 2025/2026 investments allocated to the Resource is profiled to spend in 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 (£0.896 million and £0.188 million respectively). 6.2. Local Action Fund The budget presented in the appendices also includes amounts in relation to the Local Action Fund. The revenue allocation for Community and Enterprise Resources was £0.117 million for 2025/2026. The actual spend as outlined below was £0.067m with £0.050 million for the Local Skate Park project carried forward to 2026/2027 to reflect contract delivery timescales. Ward Project £m 5 Targeted Public Space Works 0.008 7 Road Works 0.034 11 Railings 0.003 13 Painting of Railings/Pavillion Refurbishment 0.022 0.067 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability, or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 8. Risk and Other Implications 8.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Revenue Budget is that there is an overspend. There are inflationary and budget pressures which could increase the risk of overspend, however, these are mitigated by additional funds being added to the budget. 14
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9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function, or strategy and therefore no integrated impact assessment is required. 9.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Kevin Carr Executive Director, (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 July 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References None List of Background Papers Financial Ledger and budget monitoring results to 31 March 2025 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Louise Harvey, Finance Manager Ext: 2658 (Tel: 01698 452658) Email: louise.harvey@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 15
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Appendix A Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2026 (No. 14) Revenue Budget Monitoring Report – Service Analysis Service Analysis Revised Annual Budget £m Year End Actual £m Variance £m % Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services 79,970 79,508 462 0.6% Planning and Regulatory Services 6,251 4,694 1,557 24.9% Leisure Services 20,048 20,048 0 0% Enterprise and Sustainable Development 5,523 5,531 (8) (0.1%) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services 19,833 19,288 545 2.7% Net Controllable Exp. 131,625 129,069 2,556 1.9% Transfer to Reserves 0 2,209 (2,209) - Position After Transfer to Reserves 131,625 131,278 347 - Service Explanation for significant outturn variances Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services The underspend is mainly due to turnover and staff vacancies. These were partially offset by overspends within property on cleaning and janitorial equipment, increased transport costs for leasing and purchase of plant within Grounds and Waste and costs associated with the upkeep of the crematorium. In addition, there is an under recovery within Bereavement services income. The service underspend is supporting other areas within the overall Resource budget. Planning and Regulatory Services The underspend is mainly due to turnover and staff vacancies across the service and greater income for planning and building standards applications, partially offset by overspends within Payment to Contractors for pest control and house clearances. The service underspend is supporting other areas within the overall Resource budget. Leisure Services No significant variances to report. Enterprise and Sustainable Development The underspend is mainly due to staff vacancies and turnover across the service, as well as the anticipated expenditure for Shared Prosperity Fund and Employability projects, which are offset by less than budgeted income in these areas. Spend will be incurred and claimed in future years. Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services The underspend is mainly due to increased income from capital and rechargeable works within Roads Construction. The additional income is offset by increased costs for winter, street lighting works, carriageway maintenance repairs and increased spend on sub-contractors within the Roads Service. In addition, there are overspends within the Fleet workshop for tyres, outside repairs, materials, fuel and vehicle maintenance, which is partially offset by increased income. 16
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Appendix B Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) Community and Enterprise Resources Summary Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 106,563 101,572 4,991 101,008 5,555 Under 5.2% Property Costs 9,508 10,858 (1,350) 10,166 (658) Over (6.9%) Supplies and Services 19,685 22,035 (2,350) 20,773 (1,088) Over (5.5%) Transport and Plant 23,009 24,801 (1,792) 26,705 (3,696) Over (16.1%) Administration Costs 930 1,113 (183) 1,201 (271) Over (29.1%) Payments to Other Bodies 17,131 17,685 (554) 16,277 854 Under 5.0% Payments to Contractors 37,259 41,908 (4,649) 41,839 (4,580) Over (12.3%) Transfer Payments 625 625 0 625 0 0.0% Financing Charges 191 207 (16) 453 (262) Over (137.2%) Total Controllable Exp. 214,901 220,804 (5,903) 219,047 (4,146) Over 1.9% Total Controllable Inc. (83,276) (90,645) 7,369 (89,978) 6,702 Over recovered 8.0% Net Controllable Exp. 131,625 130,159 1,466 129,069 2,556 Under 0.5% Transfer to Reserves - 1,118 (1,118) 2,209 (2,209) Position after Transfer to Reserves 131,625 131,277 348 131,278 347 Under 0.3% Variance Explanations Variance explanations are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. Budget Virements Budget virements are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. Approved Transfers to Reserves Detailed in Appendix C-G as appropriate. 17
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Appendix C Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 68,416 65,217 3,199 64,921 3,495 Under 5.1% 1,a,c Property Costs 2,450 3,278 (828) 2,669 (219) Over (8.9%) 2,a Supplies and Services 10,858 10,869 (11) 11,016 (158) Over (1.5%) 3,a,b,d Transport and Plant 8,573 9,518 (945) 10,794 (2,221) Over (25.9%) 4,a Administration Costs 249 382 (133) 403 (154) Over (61.8%) 5 Payments to Other Bodies 416 419 (3) 419 (3) Over 0.7% a,e Payments to Contractors 19,481 19,757 (276) 19,734 (253) Over (1.3%) 6,a,b Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 45 52 (7) 245 (200) Over (444.4%) Total Controllable Exp. 110,488 109,492 996 110,201 287 Under 0.3% Total Controllable Inc. (30,518) (30,284) (234) (30,693) 175 Over Recovered 0.6% 7,a Net Controllable Exp. 79,970 79,208 762 79,508 462 Under 0.6% Transfer to Reserves - 768 (768) 1,759 (1,759) i-v Position after Transfer to Reserves 79,970 79,208 (6) 81,267 (1,297) Over (1.6%) Variance Explanations 1. The variance relates to vacancies and staff turnover throughout the service and is partially offset by an overspend in overtime costs. 2. The overspend relates to costs for refuse uplifts and cleaning and janitorial equipment within Facilities. 3. The overspend is due to higher than budgeted costs of food, PPE, materials, bins, computer equipment and equipment maintenance due to higher demand and increased costs within Facilities and Waste. 4. The overspend is mainly due to higher than budgeted costs for vehicle maintenance and external hire costs within Waste and Grounds, as well as an overspend on the cost of the plant replacement programme in Grounds. 5. The overspend is mainly due to increased costs for printing for menu development and garden waste uplift licence and medical costs across all services and increased transaction fee costs within Facilities. The garden waste uplift licence is offset by income. 6. The overspend is mainly due to costs associated with the upkeep of crematorium and cemeteries and the disposal of general waste within the CA Sites. 7. The over recovery of income is partly due to increased income for garden waste uplift service and street cleansing. This over recovery is partially offset by reduced income for private care of gardens, adoptions, school meals and bereavements/burials. Budget Virements a. Realignment of budget to reflect service delivery within Grounds. Net effect £0.000m: Employee Costs (£0.370m), Property Costs £0.004m, Supplies and Services (£0.239m), Transport £0.026m, Payment to Other Bodies (£0.342m) Payment to Contractors (£0.450m), Income £1.371m. b. Carry forward of committed budget in respect of Local Action Fund and Investments. Net effect (£0.107m): Payment to contractors (£0.047m), Supplies and Services (£0.060m). c. Transfer budget from corporate items in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.272m: Employees £0.272m. d. Transfer from reserves for committed expenditure for grounds maintenance obligations at Greenhills Road. Net Effect £0.110m: Supplies and Services £0.110m e. Establish budget for non-capital spend. Net effect £0.362m: Payment to Other Bodies £0.362m. 18
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Transfer to Reserves (£1.759m): i. Strategic Waste Fund (£0.425m) ii. Air Conditioning for Refuse Collection Vehicles (£0.145m) iii. Operational IT handheld devices (£0.100m) iv. Front Line First (£0.484m) v. Waste Services RCVs (£0.605m) 19
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Appendix D Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) Planning and Regulatory Services Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 7,788 7,385 403 7,365 423 Under 5.4% 1,a Property Costs 39 23 16 50 (11) Over (28.2)% Supplies and Services 163 191 (28) 190 (27) Over (16.6%) 2 Transport and Plant 126 120 6 115 11 Under 8.7% Administration Costs 127 167 (40) 116 11 Under 8.7% Payments to Other Bodies 1,289 1,290 (1) 1,299 (10) Over (0.8%) b Payments to Contractors 757 869 (112) 852 (95) Over (12.5%) 3 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 46 36 10 54 (8) Over 23.9% Total Controllable Exp. 10,335 10,081 254 10,041 294 Under 2.8% Total Controllable Inc. (4,084) (4,841) 757 (5,347) 1,263 Over recovered 30.9% 4,b,c Net Controllable Exp. 6,251 5,240 1,011 4,694 1,557 Under 24.9% Transfer to Reserves - 100 (100) 200 (200) i, ii Position after Transfer to Reserves 6,251 5,340 911 4,359 1,357 Under 21.7% Variance Explanations 1. The underspend reflects staff vacancies and turnover experienced during the year. 2. The overspend is mainly due to IT licence costs within Planning, partially offset by reduced costs for IT Confirm system within Environmental. 3. The overspend is mainly due to increased costs for dog kennelling, pest control and house clearances within Environmental Services. 4. The over recovery is mainly due to a greater level of income from planning and building warrant applications. Budget Virements a. Transfer of budget in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.029m: Employees £0.029m. b. Establish budget for non-capital spend. Net effect £0.000m: Payment to Other Bodies £1.056m, Income (£1.056m). c. Internal resource budget realignment in relation to Community Fight Back Fund. Net effect £0.070m, Income (£0.070m). Transfer to Reserves (£0.200m): i. Local Plan (£0.100m) ii. IT Developments (£0.100m) 20
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Appendix E SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 7 7 0 7 - - n/a Property Costs 4,650 4,642 8 4,632 18 Under (0.4%) Supplies and Services 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Transport and Plant 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Administration Costs 14 14 0 15 (1) Over (7.1%) Payments to Other Bodies 80 60 20 60 20 Under 25.0% 1 Payments to Contractors 15,342 15,342 0 15,362 (20) Over 0.1% 2,a,b Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Total Controllable Exp. 20,093 20,065 28 20,076 17 Under 0.1% Total Controllable Inc. (45) (45) 0 (28) (17) Under recovered 157.1% 3 Net Controllable Exp. 20,048 20,020 28 20,048 0 - n/a Transfer to Reserves - - - - - Position after Transfer to Reserves 20,048 20,020 28 20,048 0 - n/a Variance Explanations. 1. The underspend is because annual fireworks display at Strathclyde Park did not take place in 2025. 2. The overspend relates to annual rental costs for golf courses and is offset by the underspend in property costs. 3. The under recovery represents a shortfall in budgeted rental income. Budget Virements a. Transfer between corporate items in relation to Community Fight Back Fund. Net effect (£0.112m), Payment to Contractors (£0.112m) b. Internal resource budget realignment in relation to Community Fight Back Fund. Net Effect £0.070m, Payment to Contractors £0.070m Transfer to Reserves Nil 21
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Appendix F Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) Enterprise and Sustainable Development Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 8,952 8,657 295 8,481 471 Under 5.3% 1 Property Costs 299 687 (388) 623 (324) Over 108.4% 2 Supplies and Services 178 175 21 181 (3) Over (2.8%) Transport and Plant 353 350 (1) 257 96 Under 27.2% 3 Administration Costs 114 88 30 161 (47) Over 41.2% 4 Payments to Other Bodies 9,018 9,472 (454) 8,053 965 Under 10.7% 5,a Payments to Contractors 120 160 (40) 121 (1) Over (0.8%) Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 51 66 (15) 66 (15) Over (29.4%) Total Controllable Exp. 19,085 19,655 (570) 17,943 1,142 Under 6.0% Total Controllable Inc. (13,562) (13,528) (34) (12,412) (1,150) Under recovered (8.5)% 6,b,c Net Controllable Exp. 5,523 6,127 (604) 5,531 (8) Over 0.1% Transfer to Reserves - 200 (200) 200 (200) i Position after Transfer to Reserves 5,523 6,327 (804) 5,731 (208) Over 6.8% Variance Explanations 1. The under spend is due to vacancies and staff turnover experienced across the service during the year. 2. The overspend is mainly due to additional dilapidation works at Hamilton Towers. 3. The underspend reflects reduced travel costs for users within the Employability Service and is offset by reduced income. 4. The overspend is reflects increased training costs for the Employability Service and is offset by underspends within the service. 5. The underspend is partly for Shared Prosperity Fund projects and reduced project spend within Employability. The underspend is offset by reduced income with spending ability carried forward into 2026/2027. 6. The under recovery reflects project timescales for Shared Prosperity Fund and Employability, with less income recovered in year (refer 5). Budget Virements a. Transfer of Shared Prosperity Fund budget to capital to reflect project types. Net effect (£1.168m): Payment to Other Bodies (£1.168m). b. Transfer of budget from corporate items in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.033m: Employees £0.033m. Transfer to Reserves (£0.200m): i. Local Growth Fund Transition funding (£0.200m) 22
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Appendix G Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 31 March 2026 (No.14) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Revised Annual Budget £m Forecast for Year £m Forecast Variance £m YTD Actual (£000) YTD Variance Under/ (Over) % Note Employee Costs 21,400 20,306 1,094 20,234 1,166 Under 5.4% 1,b Property Costs 2,070 2,228 (158) 2,192 (122) Over (5.9%) 2 Supplies and Services 8,486 10,800 (2,314) 9,386 (900) Over (5.6%) 3 Transport and Plant 13,957 14,813 (856) 15,539 (1,582) Over (4.7%) 4 Administration Costs 426 462 (36) 506 (80) Over (18.8%) 5 Payments to Other Bodies 6,328 6,444 (116) 6,446 (118) Over (7.8%) 6 Payments to Contractors 1,559 5,780 (4,221) 5,770 (4,211) Over (270.1%) 7,a Transfer Payments 625 625 0 625 - - - Financing Charges 49 53 (4) 88 (39) Over (79.6%) Total Controllable Exp. 54,900 61,511 (6,611) 60,786 (5,886) Over (10.7%) Total Controllable Inc. (35,067) (41,947) (6,880) (41,498) 6,431 Over recovered 18.3% a Net Controllable Exp. 19,833 19,564 269 19,288 545 Under 2.7% Transfer to Reserves - 50 (50) 50 (50) i Position after Transfer to Reserves 19,833 19,614 219 19,338 495 Under 2.5% Variance Explanations 1. The underspend is mainly due to vacancies and staff turnover experienced during the year. 2. The overspend reflects higher than budgeted costs for water and repairs and maintenance for Roads’ depots and higher cost of electrical power for the charging of electrical vehicles. 3. The overspend is due to increased materials within Roads Construction as result of additional capital and reactive maintenance works. 4. The overspend is mainly due to increased costs in Fleet for fuel, tyres, licences, outside repairs and vehicle maintenance. The overspends are partially offset by an underspend on vehicle hires within the Roads Construction Unit. Overspend on fuel is offset by additional income. 5. The overspend mainly relates to cost of medical referrals and training costs within Roads. 6. The overspend relates to payments for winter weather forecasts being greater than budget. 7. The overspend is due to increased sub-contractor costs within Roads Construction to manage workload and complete specialist works, higher than budgeted costs for winter, and additional costs for reactive maintenance of carriageways, structures and lighting and increased contract costs for traffic signal maintenance. 8. The income over recovery in Roads is partly due to higher than budgeted capital and rechargeable works within Roads Construction and additional Road permit and Inspection Fee income. These are partially offset by lower than anticipated income from external electrical vehicle power recharging. There is also a Fleet income over recovery for fuel, vehicle maintenance, Road Fund Licenses, casual hire management fee and employee recharges, and this is partially offset by an under recovery in Leasing Management Fee income and Pool Car income reflecting demand. Budget Virements a. Budget realignment to reflect revenue works completed by the Construction Unit for Roads General Services because of the change to Trading Services. Net effect £0.000m: Payment to Contractors (£15.477m), Income £15,477m. b. Transfer of budget from corporate items in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.084m: Employees £0.084m. Transfer to Reserves (£0.050m): i. Fleet Sinking Fund contribution (£0.050m) 23
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2026/2027 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April to 10 July 2026 for Community and Enterprise Resources provide a forecast for the year to 31 March 2027 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [re (1) that the forecast to 31 March 2027 of a breakeven position as detailed in Appendix A of the report be noted; and (2) that the proposed budget virements be approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the first revenue budget monitoring report presented to the Community and Enterprise Committee for the financial year 2026/2027. 3.2. The report details the financial position for Community and Enterprise Resources. Appendix A provides the service analysis statement, outlining key highlights by Service for the Resource and Appendices B to G provides the detailed financial position with variance explanations by budget category. 3.3. This report reflects the actual spend to 10 July 2026 within the Resource budget and reflects the expected outturn forecast on expenditure and income at this date. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. None. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As at 10 July 2026, the Resource’s projected outturn position for 2026/2027 is a breakeven position. This is outlined in the attached appendices. 4 25
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5.2. Virements are proposed to realign budgets across budget categories and with other Resources. These movements have been detailed in the appendices to this report, as appropriate. 6. 2026/2027 Investments 6.1. Additional funding of £2.244 million has been allocated to Community and Enterprise Resources as part of 2026/2027 investments and is included in the Resources’ permanent budgets as outlined in the appendices. This includes £1.844 million for Grounds Services and £0.400 million for the expansion of business grants. Spend will continue to be progressed throughout the year. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability, or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 8 Risk and Other Implications 8.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Revenue Budget is that there is an overspend. There are inflationary and budget pressures which could increase the risk of overspend, however, these are mitigated by additional funds being added to the budget. 8.2. The risk is managed through four weekly Budget Monitoring meetings at which any variance is analysed. In addition, the new forecasting within FUSION and work with the Resource and finance teams, ensures early warning for corrective action to be taken where appropriate. 9 Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function, or strategy and therefore no integrated impact assessment is required. 9.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Kevin Carr Executive Director, (Community and Enterprise Resources) 31 July 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Objectives Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References None List of Background Papers Financial Ledger and budget monitoring results to 10 July 2026 26
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Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Louise Harvey, Finance Manager Ext: 2658 (Tel: 01698 452658) Email: louise.harvey@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 27
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Appendix A Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period 4 Ended 10 July 2026 (No.4) Revenue Budget Monitoring Report – Service Analysis Service Analysis Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) % YTD Actual (£000) Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services 84,744 85,355 (611) -0.72% 18,544 Planning and Regulatory Services 5,925 5,397 528 8.91% 966 Leisure Services 19,658 19,658 0 0.00% 4,071 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 6,940 6,775 165 2.38% (376) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services 21,713 21,795 (82) -0.38% 7,761 Net Controllable Exp. 138,980 138,980 0 0.00% 30,966 Service Explanation for significant projected outturn variances Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services The anticipated overspend is mainly due to additional costs for cleaning & janitorial equipment, repairs and maintenance, PPE, refuse uplifts, food, IT equipment and transport costs. There is also an anticipated under recovery within income from Bereavement and garden waste permits. The overspend is partially offset by an underspend within employee costs which is due to staff turnover and vacancies. This service overspend is offset by underspends across other services. Planning and Regulatory Services The anticipated underspend is mainly due to turnover and staff vacancies across the service and greater income for planning & building standards applications. These are partially offset by small overspends on scientific services and pest control. The anticipated underspend will support other areas of the Resource budget. Leisure Services No significant variances to report. Enterprise and Sustainable Development The anticipated underspend is mainly due to turnover and staff vacancies and small underspends on printing and IT costs. Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services The anticipated overspend is mainly due to an under recovery of income in respect of electrical vehicles, additional running costs and repairs at the Roads depots and IT computer licences within Roads. There is also overspends within Fleet relating to outside repairs, tyres and fuel reflecting demand. These overspends are partially offset by turnover and staff vacancies and an over recovery of income within Fleet. 28
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Appendix B Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2026 (No.6) Community and Enterprise Resources Summary Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 121,775 118,644 3,131 Under 2.57% 29,073 Property Costs 8,413 8,755 (342) Over (4.07%) 813 Supplies & Services 18,792 19,512 (720) Over (3.83%) 3,981 Transport & Plant 22,588 23,804 (1,216) Over (5.38%) 9,124 Administration Costs 920 1,050 (130) Over (14.13%) 196 Payments to Other Bodies 11,271 11,309 (38) Over (0.34%) 3,500 Payments to Contractors 41,434 41,957 (523) Over (1.26%) 9,150 Transfer Payments 640 640 0 - 0.00% 321 Financing Charges 194 243 (49) Over (25.26%) 10 Total Controllable Exp. 226,027 225,914 113 Under 0.05% 56,168 Total Controllable Inc. (87,047) (86,934) (113) Under (0.13%) (25,202) Net Controllable Exp. 138,980 138,980 0 - 0.00% 30,966 Variance Explanations Variance explanations are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. Budget Virements Budget virements are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. 29
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Appendix C Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2026 (No.4) Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 75,959 74,180 1,779 Under 2.34% 18,820 1 Property Costs 2,273 2,555 (282) Over (12.41%) 356 2 Supplies & Services 9,242 9,640 (398) Over (4.31%) 2,328 3,a,b,c Transport & Plant 8,596 9,739 (1,143) Over (13.3%) 3,802 4 Administration Costs 283 404 (121) Over (42.76%) 57 5 Payments to Other Bodies 54 54 0 - 0.00% 38 Payments to Contractors 19,932 19,932 0 - 0.00% 3,868 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 45 45 0 - 0.00% 3 Total Controllable Exp. 116,384 116,549 (165) Over (0.14%) 29,272 Total Controllable Inc. (31,640) (31,194) (446) Under (1.41%) (10,728) 6 Net Controllable Exp. 84,744 85,355 (611) Over (0.72%) 18,544 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend reflects staff turnover and vacancies anticipated, partially offset by an overspend in overtime. 2. The forecast overspend is due to increased costs experienced on refuse uplifts, health and hygiene and cleaning and janitorial equipment within Facilities. 3. The forecast overspend is due to increased costs of food and the purchase and repair of equipment within Facilities, general materials, bins and protective clothing. 4. The forecast overspend is mainly due to increased costs incurred for vehicle maintenance, fuel and external hires. 5. The overspend forecast reflects printing costs for menu development, medicals and fees in relation to parent pay. 6. The forecast under recovery is mainly due to reduced income within the Bereavement Services and garden waste permits, partially offset by income from internal service requests within Grounds. Budget Virements a. Transfer of general revenue grant funding for Free School Meals within Facilities and Nature Restoration Fund within Amenity services. Net Effect £0.283m: Supplies and Services £0.283m. b. Transfer of budget from Enterprise & Sustainable Development, in relation to fees for the Parent Pay/Cashless System. Net Effect £0.068m: Supplies & Services £0.068m. c. Transfer from reserves in respect of investment money for Fly Tipping. Net Effect £0.060m: Supplies & Services £0.060m. 30
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Appendix D Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2026 (No.4) Planning and Regulatory Services Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 9,031 8,852 179 Under 1.98% 2,114 1 Property Costs 38 34 4 Under 10.53% 5 Supplies & Services 233 238 (5) Over (2.15%) 64 Transport & Plant 148 129 19 Under (12.84%) 28 2 Administration Costs 102 112 (10) Over (9.8%) 38 Payments to Other Bodies 233 270 (37) Over (15.88%) 32 3 Payments to Contractors 443 530 (87) Over (19.64%) 209 4 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 57 65 (8) Over (14.04%) 1 Total Controllable Exp. 10,285 10,230 55 Under 0.53% 2,491 Total Controllable Inc. (4,360) (4,833) 473 Over 10.85% (1,525) 5 Net Controllable Exp. 5,925 5,397 528 Under 8.91% 966 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend is due to staff vacancies and turnover experienced to date. 2. The forecast underspend reflects the demand for pool cars. 3. The forecast overspend is due to increased contract costs for scientific services. 4. The forecast overspend is and is due to increased demand for pest control services and increased contract costs for clinical waste and dog kennelling. 5. The forecast over recovery is mainly due to increased fees for planning applications and building warrants and income from pest control. Budget Virements There were no budget virements during this period. 31
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Appendix E SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2026 (No.4) South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 4 4 0 - 0.00% 2 Property Costs 4,115 4,115 0 - 0.00% 222 Supplies & Services 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Transport & Plant 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Administration Costs 8 8 0 - 0.00% 3 Payments to Other Bodies 80 80 0 - 0.00% (1) Payments to Contractors 15,451 15,451 0 - 0.00% 3,865 a Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Total Controllable Exp. 19,658 19,658 0 - 0.00% 4,091 Total Controllable Inc. 0 0 0 - 0.00% (20) Net Controllable Exp. 19,658 19,658 0 - 0.00% 4,071 Variance Explanations No variances to report. Budget Virements a. Transfer from corporate items for Culture Strategy Investment funding. Net effect £0.120m: Payment to Contractors £0.120m. 32
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Appendix F Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2026 (No.4) Enterprise and Sustainable Development Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 11,811 11,666 145 Under 1.23% 2,530 1,a,b,c,d Property Costs 273 265 8 Under 2.93% 3 a Supplies & Services 117 96 21 Under 17.95% 11 2,a,e Transport & Plant 298 298 0 - 0.00% 4 a Administration Costs 129 114 15 Under 11.63% 50 3,a Payments to Other Bodies 5,258 5,258 0 - 0.00% 433 a,c Payments to Contractors 0 0 0 - 0.00% 11 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 42 66 (24) Over (57.14%) 5 4,a Total Controllable Exp. 17,928 17,763 165 Under 0.92% 3,047 Total Controllable Inc. (10,988) (10,988) 0 - 0.00% (3,423) a,c Net Controllable Exp. 6,940 6,775 165 Under 2.38% (376) Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend is due to staff vacancies and turnover. 2. The forecast underspend is due to lower than budgeted costs for computer equipment. 3. The forecast underspend is in the main due to printing & stationery costs and membership fees being less than budget. 4. The forecast overspend is due to higher than budgeted costs for IT leasing across the service. Budget Virements a. Budget established to reflect income and service provision across Employability, Rural Regeneration, Inward Investment & Support Services. Net effect £0.000m: Employees £0.942m, Property £0.026m, Supplies & Services £0.041m, Transport & Plant £0.120m, Admin £0.027m, Payment to Other Bodies £4.365m, Financing (£0.013m), Income (£5.508m). b. Transfer of budget from Education in relation to Employability Service. Net effect: £0.022m: Employee costs £0.22m. c. Creation of budget in respect of Pride in Place funding. Net effect £0.000m: Employees £0.138m, Payment to Other Bodies £0.265m, Income (£0.403m). d. Transfer from corporate items in relation to investments monies for Support & Development of Local Business. Net effect £0.069m: Employee Costs £0.069m. e. Transfer of budget to Facilities, in relation to fees for the Parent Pay/Cashless System. Net Effect £0.068m: Supplies & Services £0.068m. 33
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Appendix G Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 10 July 2025 (No.4) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 24,970 23,942 1,028 Under 4.12% 5,607 1,a Property Costs 1,714 1,786 (72) Over (4.2%) 227 2 Supplies & Services 9,200 9,538 (338) Over (3.67%) 1,578 3 Transport & Plant 13,546 13,638 (92) Over (0.68%) 5,290 4,a Administration Costs 398 412 (14) Over (3.52%) 48 Payments to Other Bodies 5,646 5,647 (1) Over (0.02%) 2,998 Payments to Contractors 5,608 6,044 (436) Over (7.77%) 1,197 5,a Transfer Payments 640 640 0 - 0.00% 321 Financing Charges 50 67 (17) Over (34.0% 1 Total Controllable Exp. 61,772 61,714 58 Under 0.09% 17,267 Total Controllable Inc. (40,059) (39,919) (140) Under (0.35%) (9,506) 6 Net Controllable Exp. 21,713 21,795 (82) Over (0.38%) 7,761 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend is due to vacancies and staff turnover, partially offset by an overspend on overtime. 2. The forecast overspend is due to higher than budgeted running costs and repairs for depots and increased factoring charges in Fleet. 3. The forecast is predicting greater spend on materials due to increased levels of work on roads maintenance, along with higher than budgeted costs for computer equipment purchase and electrical power for street lighting within the Roads Service. 4. The forecast overspend is mainly due to increased costs within Fleet for outside repairs, tyres and oils & lubricants along with increased costs in vehicle maintenance within Roads partially offset by reduced costs for vehicle hires. 5. The forecast overspend is mainly due to increased sub-contractor costs within Roads Construction Unit to manage overall workload. 6. The forecast under recovery is mainly due to less than budgeted income for vehicle electrical power charging, partially offset by an over recovery in fuel income. Budget Virements a. Temporary realignment to reflect service provision within Roads, Net effect £0.000m: Employees (£1.000m), Transport & Plant (£0.500m), Payment to Contractors £1.500m. 34
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/2026 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the progress of the capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Community and Enterprise Resources’ capital programme of £55.160 million, and expenditure for the year of £46.759 million be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the final capital monitoring report presented to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee for the financial year 2025/2026. 3.2. As noted in the last report to this Committee (17 March 2026), the budget for Community and Enterprise Resources for financial year 2025/2026 was £55.160 million. This was the final budget for the year 2025/2026. 3.3. The report details the year-end position for Community and Enterprise Resources in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. 2025/2026 Capital Programme – Final Position 5.1. As detailed in Section 3.2, the total capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources for 2025/2026 was £55.160 million. Total expenditure to 31 March 2026 was £46.759 million, a difference of £8.401 million in comparison to the programme of £55.160 million. 5.2. This year-end underspend position reflects the profile of spend across a number of projects including within the multi-project and multi-year programme Leisure and Culture Transformation Fund where spend will be incurred in the new financial year. 5 35
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5.3. Overall, the programme underspend reflects the timing of spend across financial years. The main projects responsible for the overall programme underspend are detailed in Appendix B. This appendix provides a list of the continuing projects into 2026/2027, along with their estimated completion dates. 5.4. Any underspend on these projects, along with the funding, will carry forward into next financial year as required. An update on the 2026/2027 programme is detailed in a separate report to this Committee. 5.5. Accounting Adjustments While sections 5.1 to 5.3 detail the position on the Capital Programme as set, Accounting Regulations mean that adjustments are required to report spend correctly as either Capital or Revenue for the purposes of publishing our Annual Accounts. This includes where spend is in relation to assets that are not owned by the Council and where the spend must be classed as Revenue. There is no operational impact for projects from this adjustment – it is an accounting entry only. 5.6. At the year-end 2025/2026, £8.700 million of capital spend is required to be recorded as revenue spend. The transfer above means that for the purpose of publishing our Annual Accounts only, there is Capital spend of £38.059 million. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. The financial implications are detailed in section 4 of this report. 7. 2025/2026 Investments 7.1. Funding was allocated to Community and Enterprise Resources as part of the 2025/2026 Investment funding. The Community and Enterprise budget for 2025/2026 included £6.754 million of Investment funding as outlined below, with spend of £5.634 million incurred: 2025/2026 Investments 2025/2026 Budget Profile Actual Spend 2025/2026 Variance £m £m £m Roads and Infrastructure 4.000 4.000 0.000 Hamilton Town Centre 1.000 1.000 0.000 Outdoor Facilities 0.400 0.330 0.070 Overtoun Park Bandstand 0.150 0.112 0.038 Country Park Masterplans – Feasibility 0.075 0.083 (0.008) Skate Park/Bike Pump Track, Calderglen 0.300 0.042 0.258 Footpath Network, Chatelherault 0.075 0.005 0.070 Safe Routes 0.500 0.062 0.438 Local Action Fund (Play Parks) 0.254 0.000 0.254 Total 6.754 5.634 1.120 7.2. There was an in-year underspend of £1.120 million, and this will be carried forward into the 2026/2027 capital programme, reflecting the anticipated spend profile. Site start at Calderglen pump track is end of August, following the school summer break, with works to take place this calendar year. The Safe Routes works package has now been awarded with works taking place during 2026/2027. Play parks projects agreed through the Local Action Fund from part of the 2026/2027 capital programme. 36
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7.3. A further £22.000 million of 2025/2026 investments allocated to the Resource is profiled to spend in 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 (£10.650 million and £11.350 million respectively). 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 9. Risk and Other Implications 9.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Capital Programme is that there is an overspend. The risk has been assessed as low given the detailed project management plans prepared and monitored for each project. The risk of an overspend is managed through four weekly Investment Management Meetings. 10. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 10.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 10.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in the report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 2 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, Effective, Efficient and Transparent Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, 17 March 2026 Executive Committee, 24 June 2026 List of Background Papers ▪ Financial ledger to 31 March 2026 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Graham Booth, Finance Manager (Strategy) Ext: 2699 (Tel: 01698 452699) E-mail: graham.booth@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 37
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Appendix A South Lanarkshire Council Capital Expenditure 2025 - 2026 Community and Enterprise Resources Programme For Period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026 Community and Enterprise Resources Base Budget £000 Budget Adjustments £000 Slippage/ Acceleration £000 Total Budget £000 Forecast Spend £000 Forecast Variance £000 Actual Expenditure £000 Facilities, Waste and Grounds 3,124 478 (941) 2,661 2,661 - 1,622 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 24,062 8,630 (3,404) 29,288 27,538 1,750 24,252 Roads, Transport and Fleet 20,489 2,722 - 23,211 23,211 - 20,885 TOTAL 47,675 11,830 (4,345) 55,160 53,410 1,750 46,759 Accounting Adjustments Less Transfers to Revenue (8,700) 2025/26 Outturn Position (Accounting Basis Only) 38,059 38
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Appendix B Projects with Underspends in 2025/2026 which will Carry Forward into 2026/2027 Project Name Project Type Completion Date Community and Enterprise Resources East Kilbride Town Centre Regeneration Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Hamilton Junctions Improvement Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Calderglen Pump Track Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 Clyde Walkway Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 South Lanarkshire Council Industrial Infrastructure – Energy Efficiency (Cathcart Road) Regeneration September 2026 Shawfield Remediation and Development Regeneration Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Leisure and Culture Transformation Fund Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 Roads Investment Programme Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Active Travel Infrastructure Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Safe Routes Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Larkhall Leisure Centre Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond Play Parks Infrastructure Throughout 2026/27 and beyond 39
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2026/2027 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the progress of the capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources for the period 1 April to 10 July 2026 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation:- [recs] (1) that the Community and Enterprise Resources’ capital programme of £68.267 million, and forecast expenditure of £68.267 million, be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the first capital monitoring report presented to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee for the financial year 2026/2027. Further reports will follow throughout the year. 3.2. The revised budget of £68.267 million for Community and Enterprise Resources reflects the budget approved by the Executive Committee on 24 June 2026 and adjustments approved by the Executive Committee on 19 August 2026. Details are provided in Section 5. 3.3. The report details the financial position for Community and Enterprise Resources in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. 2026/2027 Budget As detailed in paragraph 3.2, the revised capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources for 2026/2027 is £68.267 million. This budget is based on the original programme of projects approved by the Council in February 2026 (£69.839 million), updated to include budget carried forward from financial year 2025/2026 and adjustments approved at Executive Committee on 24 June 2026, and 19 August 2026 as noted in paragraph 3.2. The detail of these adjustments (£11.304 million) is shown in Appendix A. 6 41
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5.2. 2026/2027 Forecast Based on current information, the budget of £68.267 million also reflects the estimated level of spend which can be achieved in 2026/2027. Appendix A shows the forecast for the financial year, and also shows for information, the actual expenditure of £5.127 million incurred to 10 July 2026. 6. 2026/2027 Investments 6.1. Funding has been allocated to Community and Enterprise Resources as part of the 2026/2027 Investment funding. The Community and Enterprise budget for 2026/2027 includes £6.660 million of Investment funding as outlined below:- 2026/2027 Investments 2026/2027 Budget Profile Forecast Spend Forecast Variance Actual Spend £m £m £m £m Investment in Environment and Infrastructure 5.000 5.000 0.000 0.642 Supporting and Developing Local Business 0.460 0.460 0.000 0.050 Country Parks 0.150 0.150 0.000 0.000 Outdoor Investment 1.050 1.050 0.000 0.000 Total 6.660 6.660 0.000 0.692 6.2. A further £19.140 million of 2026/2027 investments allocated to the Resource is profiled to spend in 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 (£8.140 million and £11.000 million respectively). 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 8. Risk and Other Implications 8.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Capital Programme is that there is an overspend. The risk has been assessed as low given the detailed project management plans prepared and monitored for each project. The risk of overspend is managed through four weekly Investment Management Meetings. 9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 9.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in the report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 2 August 2026 42
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, Effective, Efficient and Transparent Previous References South Lanarkshire Council, 25 February 2026 Executive Committee, 24 June 2026 Executive Committee, 19 August 2026 List of Background Papers Financial ledger to 10 July 2026 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Graham Booth, Finance Manager (Strategy) Ext: 2699 (Tel: 01698 452699) E-mail: graham.booth@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 43
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Appendix A South Lanarkshire Council Capital Expenditure 2026-2027 Community and Enterprise Resources Programme For Period 1 April – 10 July 2026 Community & Enterprise Base Budget £000 Budget Adjustments £000 Slippage/ Acceleration £000 Total Budget £000 Forecast Spend £000 Forecast Variance £000 Actual Expenditure £000 Facilities, Waste and Grounds 3,353 31 (23) 3,361 3,361 - 180 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 47,178 0 (12,360) 34,818 34,818 - 2,265 Roads, Transport and Fleet 29,040 1,048 0 30,088 30,088 - 2,682 TOTAL 79,571 1,079 (12,383) 68,267 68,267 - 5,127 For Information Only Budget Adjustments approved by Executive Committee (24 June 2026 and 19 August 2026): Budget Adjustments Tree Planting £0.031m People and Place Local Authority Direct Award £0.140m Road Safety Improvement Fund £0.787m Cycling Scotland Grant Award £0.121m East Kilbride Town Centre (£7.183m) Hamilton Town Centre (£3.341m) Larkhall Leisure Centre (£1.836m) Leisure & Culture Transformation: - Accessibility/Wi-Fi Accessibility £0.390m - Dollan Lifeguard Technology (£0.390m) Nature Restoration Fund (£0.023m) Total Budget Adjustments (£11.304m) 44
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources – Workforce Monitoring – 1 April to 30 June 2026 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide employment information for 1 April to 30 June 2026 relating to Community and Enterprise Resources [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the following employment information for 1 April to 30 June 2026 relating to Community and Enterprise Resources be noted:- attendance statistics. occupational health. accident/incident statistics. discipline, grievance and Dignity at Work cases. analysis of leavers and exit interviews. staffing watch as at 13 June 2026. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. As part of the Council’s performance management arrangements, regular workforce monitoring reports are submitted to Committee. This report for Community and Enterprise Resources provides information on the position for 1 April to 30 June 2026. 4. Monitoring Statistics 4.1. Attendance Statistics (Appendix 1) Information on absence statistics is analysed for the month of June 2026 for Community and Enterprise Resources. The Resource absence figure for June 2026 was 6.9% this figure has decreased by 0.7% when compared to the last month and is 1.5% higher than the Council-wide figure. When compared to June 2025, the Resource absence figure has increased by 0.1%. Based on the absence figures at June 2026 and annual trends, the projected annual average absence for the Resource for 2026/2027 is 7.3%, compared to the Council- wide average figure of 6.1%. 7 45
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Managers follow the procedures outlined in the Maximising Attendance Policy to support employees to remain at work, or to return to work after a sickness absence. There are comprehensive employee supports in place and additionally, Personnel Services work in close partnership with line managers and Resource Management Teams on a case management basis to ensure that appropriate actions are taken. 4.2. Occupational Health (Appendix 2) In terms of referrals to occupational health, 344 referrals were made this period. This is a decrease of 9 when compared with the same period last year. 4.3. Accident/Incident Statistics (Appendix 2) There were 51 accidents/incidents recorded within the Resource this period. 4.4. Discipline, Grievance and Dignity at Work (Appendix 2) During the period, 26 disciplinary hearings were held within the Resource, this figure has decreased by 7 when compared to the same period last year. Three appeals were received by the Resource, this figure has increased by 2 when compared to the same period last year. One grievance was raised within the Resource, this figure has decreased by 2 when compared to the same period last year. Three Dignity at Work complaints were raised within the Resource, this figure remains the same when compared to the same period last year. 4.5. Analysis of Leavers (Appendix 2a) There was a total of 23 leavers this period eligible to complete an exit questionnaire. The number of leavers has decreased by 10, when compared with the same period last year. During the period 3 exit questionnaires were completed, this figure has decreased by 3 when compared to the same period last year. 5. Staffing Watch (Appendix 3) 5.1. There has been an increase of 155 employees in post from 14 March 2026 to 13 June 2026. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no implications for employees arising from the information presented in this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. All financial implications are accommodated within existing budgets. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 9. Risk and Other Implications 9.1. There are no implications for sustainability or risk in terms of the information contained within this report. 10. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 10.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 10.2. There was no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. 46
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Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 27 July 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Fair, open and sustainable Ambitious, self aware and improving Excellent employer Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources – 2 June 2026 List of Background Papers Monitoring information provided by Finance and Corporate Resources Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Elaine Maxwell, HR Business Manager Ext: (Tel: 01698 454647) E-mail: Elaine.Maxwell@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 47
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2024 / 2025 2025 / 2026 2026/ 2027 2024 / 2025 2025 / 2026 2026 / 2027 2024 / 2025 2025 / 2026 2026 / 2027 2024 / 2025 2025 / 2026 2026 / 2027 % % % % % % % % % % % % April 3.5 3.5 5.0 April 6.8 7.2 7.8 April 6.3 6.6 7.3 April 5.2 5.7 5.6 May 2.6 2.6 5.4 May 6.3 7.4 8.0 May 5.9 6.6 7.6 May 5.3 5.6 5.9 June 3.6 3.6 4.7 June 6.4 7.4 7.3 June 6.0 6.8 6.9 June 5.2 5.4 5.4 July 3.6 3.6 July 4.5 5.9 July 4.4 5.5 July 4.1 4.3 August 2.5 2.5 August 6.2 6.7 August 5.7 6.1 August 4.7 4.7 September 3.5 3.5 September 7.5 8.2 September 6.9 7.4 September 6.1 6.1 October 3.3 3.3 October 7.2 8.2 October 6.7 7.4 October 6.0 6.2 November 3.3 3.3 November 8.3 8.6 November 7.6 7.7 November 6.9 7.0 December 4.6 4.6 December 8.1 9.1 December 7.4 8.4 December 7.0 7.5 January 4.1 4.1 January 7.8 8.0 January 7.2 7.4 January 6.7 6.5 February 3.6 3.6 February 8.7 9.0 February 7.9 8.1 February 7.0 6.8 March 4.8 4.8 March 8.2 8.6 March 7.4 8.0 March 6.8 6.7 Annual Average 3.6 3.6 4.0 Annual Average 7.2 7.9 8.0 Annual Average 6.6 7.2 7.3 Annual Average 5.9 6.0 6.1 Average Apr - Jun 3.6 3.6 5.0 Average Apr - Jun 7.2 7.9 7.7 Average Apr - Jun 6.6 7.2 7.3 Average Apr - Jun 5.9 6.0 5.6 605 2996 3601 15974 Resource Total No of Employees at 30 June 2026 No of Employees at 30 June 2026 No of Employees at 30 June 2026 No of Employees at 30 June 2026 Appendix 1 Absence Trends - 2024/2025, 2025/2026 & 2026/ 2027 Community and Enterprise Resources APT&C Council WideManual Workers 48
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April to June April to June 2025 2026 MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS Number of Employees Attending EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING SERVICE Total Number of Referrals PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE Total Number of Referrals REFERRALS TO EMPLOYEE SUPPORT OFFICER 98 104 REFERRALS TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY 5 0 TOTAL 353 344 April to June April to June 2025 2026 Specified Injuries* 3 2 Over 7 day absences 0 2 Over 3 day absences** 0 0 Minor 27 21 Near Miss *** 6 6 Violent Incident: Physical**** 15 15 Violent Incident: Verbal***** 4 5 Total Accidents/Incidents 55 51 April to June April to June 2025 2026 Total Number of Hearings 33 26 Total Number of Appeals 1 3 Appeals Pending 0 2 Time Taken to Convene Hearing - 1 April to 30 June 2026 0-3 Weeks 4-6 Weeks Over 6 Weeks 4 10 12 April to June April to June 2025 2026 Number of Grievances 3 1 Number Resolved at Stage 2 3 0 Still in Progress 0 1 April to June April to June 2025 2026 Number of Incidents 3 3 Number Resolved at Informal Stage 2 0 Number Resolved at Formal Stage 1 0 Still in Process 0 3 0 6 Appendix 2 COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES 133 106 RECORD OF DIGNITY AT WORK 117 128 CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS *A Specified Injury is any fracture (other than to the fingers, thumbs or toes), amputation, loss of sight, serious burns, crushing injury, scalping, loss of consciousness caused by asphyxiation/ head injury, a chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or penetrating injury as defined by the HSE. **Over 3 day / over 7day absence is an injury sustained outwith specified injury category that results in a period of absence of absence as defined by the HSE. ***Near Miss - Any unexpected, unplanned occurrence (except Dangerous Occurrences) that does not lead to injury of persons, damage to property, plant or equipment but may have done so in different ****Physical violent incidents are included in the "Specified" figures, where applicable, to provide the ****Physical violent incidents and ***** Verbal Violent Incidents are included in the "Over 3-day or Over 7- day" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Over 3-day or Over 7-day" figures. ****Physical Violent Incidents and ***** Verbal Violent Incidents are included in the "Minor" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Minor" figures. RECORD OF DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS RECORD OF GRIEVANCE HEARINGS 49
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Apr to June April to June 2025 2026 Career Advancement 3 4 Child Caring / Caring Responsibilities 4 1 Disatisfaction with terms and conditions 1 1 Further Education 2 0 Moving outwith area 2 1 Personal Reasons 9 7 Poor relationship with managers / colleagues 4 0 Other 8 9 Total Number of Leavers Eligible for Exit Interview 33 23 Number of Exit Interviews conducted 6 3 Percentage of interviews conducted 18% 13% ANALYSIS OF REASONS FOR LEAVING Appendix 2a COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES 50
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As at 13 June 2026 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 1303 366 254 1608 Chief Officer Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 4.00 1693.26 412.05 280.53 50.63 15.60 0.00 2.00 0.00 2458.07 As at 14 March 2026 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 1235 341 254 1546 Chief Officer Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 4.00 1601.75 416.42 268.73 51.63 16.60 0.00 2.00 0.00 2361.13 *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees Salary Bands MALE FEMALE TOTAL 3376 Appendix 3 JOINT STAFFING WATCH RETURN COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees Salary Bands 3531 MALE FEMALE TOTAL 51
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Approval of South Lanarkshire Council’s Food Service Plan for 2026/2027 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval for the Food Service Plan 2026/2027 developed for South Lanarkshire Council in accordance with, and as required by, The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019, and the draft Administration and Service Planning – Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2020 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Food Service Plan 2026/2027, attached as Appendix 1 to this report, be approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Local Authorities have a statutory duty to enforce legislation relating to food. This is achieved by carrying out ‘official controls’ in food establishments within their area. 3.2. Official controls comprise of inspections, audits, monitoring, surveillance, or sampling. The legislation is supported by Codes of Practice issued under Section 40 of the Food Safety Act 1990, Regulation 24 of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and Regulation 6 of the Official Feed and Food Controls (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Food Authorities are required to have regard to these Codes when discharging their duties. 3.3. Statutory obligations in the Food Safety Act 1990 and associated legislation apply to the delivery of official controls by Local Authorities to ensure:- the effectiveness and appropriateness of official controls controls are applied at an appropriate risk-based frequency a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced competent staff and adequate facilities and equipment to carry out our duties properly are provided staff are free from conflicts of interest there is access to an adequate laboratory capacity and capability for testing 3.4. The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 instructs Food Authorities to ensure these statutory obligations are brought to the attention of their local authority officials and or elected member bodies responsible for agreeing budgets or other service arrangements relevant to the delivery of official controls. 8 53
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3.5. The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 further instructs each Food Authority to complete an annual Service Plan which details the interventions programme for the coming year. They should ensure the programme is adequately resourced, and the overall plan is subject to approval at the appropriate governance level within the local authority. 4. The Food Service Plan 2026/2027 4.1. A copy of The Food Service Plan for 2026/2027 is included at Appendix 1. 4.2. The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019, and the draft Administration and Service Planning – Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2020 stipulate Food Service Plans should be drawn up, documented and implemented in accordance with the Codes of Practice, and include a template to ensure that all official controls covered by the Codes are included in the Plan, whilst allowing scope for locally defined objectives. 4.3. The Food Service Plan should include a statement in relation to the Food Authority’s approach or policy on interventions, enforcement and service delivery. It should include the food business establishment profile, the number of interventions programmed, and estimate of the number of revisits to be made and an estimation of the resources required. The Service Plan should incorporate a performance review carried out by the Food Authority at least once a year. 4.4. The Food Service Plan 2026/2027 has been developed in accordance with the requirements of The Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019, and the draft Administration and Service Planning – Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2020. 4.5. The Food Service Plan 2026/2027 was completed in June 2026 and reflects the staffing resources available at that time. The Food Service Plan will be reported on an annual basis to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee. 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There is no employee implications associated with this report. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. There are no financial implications associated with this report. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications associated with this report. 8. Risk and Other Implications 8.1. Sections 3 and 6 of the Food Service Plan outline the impact of changes introduced to the food business inspection programmes by Food Standards Scotland. Highlighting that these changes create an unachievable interventions target. 8.2. Interventions are therefore prioritised to ensure resources are directed at the highest risk areas in order to safeguard consumers and in the interests of public health. 9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 54
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9.2. There is no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Kevin Carr Executive Director ( Community and Enterprise Resources) 12 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving We will work to recover, progress and improve People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References Community Resources Committee Report 7 November 2023 Community Resources Committee Report 17 September 2024 Community Resources Committee Report 12 August 2025 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Karen Wardrope, Divisional Environmental Health Officer Tel: 07585 404775 E-mail: karen.wardrope@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 55
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South Lanarkshire Council Food Service Plan 2026/2027 8 57
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1. Service Aims and Objectives 1.1 Interventions at Food Business Establishments The role of Environmental Services is to protect the public health of residents and visitors to South Lanarkshire. Public health can be defined as “the science and art of preventing disease”, prolonging life and improving the quality of life through organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations, communities and individuals. In this respect the overall aim of our Food and Business Regulation Team is to ensure the safety, quality and authenticity of food produced and sold by food businesses based in South Lanarkshire. As a Statutory Food Authority under the Food Safety Act 1990 and Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2017/625 the steps we will take to achieve our aim include: • implementing a planned programme of food law inspections of food businesses; • responding to complaints; • investigating incidences of food borne illness; • sampling foods to ensure they are fit for human consumption and meet all quality, compositional, and authenticity requirements; and • providing advice and guidance to food businesses. 1.2 Links to corporate objectives and plans The aims and objectives of this Service Plan align with South Lanarkshire Council’s overall Connect Plan 2022-2027 where the Council’s ‘Vision’ is to ‘Improve the lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire’. One of the Council’s stated priorities is to ‘put people first’, with the outcome we are seeking to deliver in terms of ‘health and wellbeing’ being to ensure that ‘people live the healthiest lives possible’. Environmental Services will monitor our performance against the overall Council Plan, as well as at Resource/Service level. The measure currently reported by the Food and Business Regulation Team is the % of businesses inspected within South Lanarkshire Council who are broadly compliant with Food Law requirements. The target set for this measure is currently 85% of all businesses inspected. 2. Background 2.1 Profile of the Local Authority South Lanarkshire has a population of around 334,030 and is one of the largest and most diverse areas in Scotland. The Council covers around 180,000 hectares of land stretching from the outskirts of Glasgow to near the Scottish Borders. The Local Authority area consists of a mix of urban and rural environments, with almost 80% of the area classed as agricultural whilst 70% of the population live in the major urban settlements in the north. 58
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There are four towns in South Lanarkshire with a population of over 20,000 (East Kilbride, Hamilton, Rutherglen and Cambuslang) and a further 23 towns and settlements with a population of more than 1000. 2.2 Organisational Structure The following organisation chart for South Lanarkshire Council shows where our food service sits within the structure of the Council. Chief Executive - South Lanarkshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Director of Community & Enterprise Resources Head of Planning & Regulatory Services Service Delivery Plan approver Divisional Environmental Services Officer x 1 Lead Officer Hygiene & Standards Environmental Services Manager Most Senior EHO, manages all facets of Environmental Health and Trading Standards - Food Budget Holder Enforcement Staff with responsibility for Food Law EHO’s FTE 8.85 Food Safety Officers FTE 4.6 Sampling Officer FTE 1 Students – 1 Environmental Health Team Leaders x 1.8 59
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Our Laboratory Services are contracted out to Edinburgh Scientific Services, who also provide our appointed Public Analysts and Food Examiners. 2.3 Scope of the Food Service The Food Service within South Lanarkshire Council is provided by the Food and Business Regulation team, led by the Council’s appointed Lead Food Officer (Divisional Environmental Health Officer) and assisted by one full time and one part time Team Leaders. The team is one of 4 teams that operate under the direction of the Environmental Services Manager and consists of 7 full time Environmental Health Officers (one of whom works term-time only), 3 part time Environmental Health Officers, 4 full time Food safety Officers (designated Technical Officers), 1 part time Food Safety Officer and 1 Sampling Officer (designated Technical Assistant). The broad areas of responsibility for the team include: • Food Safety and Food Standards Enforcement; • Occupational Health and Safety Enforcement; • Infectious disease investigation; and • Caravan Site Licensing. A more detailed list of responsibilities include: • Carrying out Food Law interventions in food businesses that fall within the remit of the Food Law Rating Scheme; • Carrying out food hygiene/food standards interventions in food primary production establishments, for example dairy farms and fruit/vegetable producers; • Approving and carrying out official control interventions in Approved food establishments; • Carrying our food standards interventions in Food Standards Scotland Approved food establishments; • Investigating complaints regarding the hygiene of food establishments, for example complaints regarding cleanliness or the way in which food is being handled; • Investigating food complaints including those relating to: allergen/point of sale and labelling information, chemical/compositional standards and microbiological and foreign body contamination, for example wrong allergy information provided, mouldy food, or hair in food; • Investigating incidents of potential food fraud/crime; • Responding to food incidents/withdrawals/recalls; • Providing advice to food businesses in relation to food hygiene and standards; • Issuing export health certificates and attestations; • Providing Section 50 certificates to food businesses who wish to be granted a licence to sell alcohol; • Providing certificates of compliance to street traders who require a licence to trade; • Sampling foods to ensure they are fit for human consumption and meet all quality, compositional, and authenticity requirements and investigating sample failures, such 60
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as the presence of food poisoning organisms in food, or excessive levels of additives including colours in foods; • Investigating incidences of foodborne illness, for example E. coli or Salmonella; • Issuing venison dealers licences; • Responding to complaints regarding commercial waste/odours; • Responding to building control and general licensing consultations, for example occasional licences for the sale of alcohol, or late hours catering licences; • Responding to consultations and carrying out inspections to premises who require to be licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, eg, tattooists, skin piercers and sunbed establishments. In addition, South Lanarkshire Council now licence swimming pools, soft play centres and trampoline parks. We inspect and consult on the licencing of these establishments, as well as on other public entertainment events such as fireworks displays; • Issuing caravan site licences for residential and holiday/tourer sites; • Carrying out inspections of premises to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974; • Investigation of workplace accidents, for example slips, trips and falls, or falls from height; • Investigating health and safety related complaints, such as lack of welfare facilities or excessive workplace temperatures; and • Providing advice to businesses on health and safety requirements. 2.4 Demands on Food Service The profile of food businesses within South Lanarkshire, as found on our food premises database at April 2026, consists of 3207 *registered and 30 *approved premises (2 of which are currently conditionally approved and are working towards full approval). A further 1 business has submitted an application for approval which is pending. *All food business operators require to register their establishment with the relevant Local Authority before food operations commence under Assimilated Regulation (EC) 852/2004, however a small number of businesses handling products of animal origin and supplying these to other businesses require instead to apply and be granted approval from the Local Authority before commencing operations under Assimilated Regulation (EC) 853/2004. A unique reference number will be allocated by the Local Authority to each establishment that is granted approval. The profile of food businesses in South Lanarkshire can be further broken down as follows: Approved Premises: Dairy Products Establishments: 8 Meat Products Establishments: 4 Fishery Products Establishments: 3 (1 premises also approved for meat products) 61
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Live Bivalve Molluscs Establishments: 1 (also approved for fishery products) Meat Preparations Establishments: 2 Stand Alone Cold Stores: 8 Egg Packers: 4 Registered Premises: South Lanarkshire Council is home to 50 non-approved manufacturers including; both large and small bakery/confectionery manufacturers; bottling plants and small distillers of alcohol; sandwich manufacturers; soft drinks manufacturers; a producer of bottled water, and in addition a natural mineral water producer. In addition, we have producers of salt or smoked salt-based products, a honey manufacturer, a biltong producer and non-approved dairy products premises. The breakdown of non-manufacturing registered food businesses, excluding primary producers and Food Standards Scotland Approved Premises is set out in the following table: Premises Type Number of premises Restaurant/Café/Snack bar/Canteen 456 Takeaway 336 Pubs Providing Food 57 Pubs not serving Food 89 School kitchens 148 Domestic premises/food business 402 Childminders 117 Childcare Premises 133 Homes/Institutional Kitchens 106 Mobile vehicles – catering 122 Other Caterers 355 Butcher 36 Baker 44 Fishmonger 8 Supermarket 84 Newsagent/General Store 194 Mobile Vehicles – retail 34 Chemists/Pharmacies 73 Off Licences 24 Other Retailers 272 Distribution/warehousing 46 62
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Primary Producers/Dairy Farms South Lanarkshire Council has 81 dairy farms, one of which produces milk for the production of unpasteurised dairy products. We also have 10 additional registered primary producers, 3 game dealers/deer larders, 3 businesses slaughtering poultry on farm, 2 fruit/vegetable packers and 2 non-approved egg producers/packers. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Approved Premises South Lanarkshire Council register and inspect 7 premises for food standards, with the hygiene interventions in such premises being undertaken by FSS. Export Health Certificates/Attestations South Lanarkshire Council provide Export Health certificates and premises endorsements to food businesses who require these in order to export the food products they manufacture to third countries. During 25/26 we issued export health certificates/premises endorsements to 5 businesses within South Lanarkshire. 2 were exporting bakery products/confectionary; one a low salt product; one was exporting alcohol (spirits); and the final one was for the export of fishery products. 77 certificates in total were issued in 25/26, the vast majority of these being issued in respect of bakery products/confectionery. South Lanarkshire Council is the location of one of three Approved Stand Alone Cold Stores in Scotland that operate as export hubs to allow food businesses to export fishery products to the EU. Food businesses wishing to export their products via this and other hubs require attestations from their local Environmental Health Officer in order to facilitate signing of the certificates at the hubs by veterinarians. South Lanarkshire have one fishery products manufacturer who require these attestations every 6 months to allow them to export their products to the EU via the hubs. The food and business regulation team provide these certificates to this food businesses twice a year as and when required. Environmental Services operate from a single location, based in Hamilton. Our offices are open to the public from 8.45am until 4.45pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am until 4.15pm on a Friday. Staff within Environmental Services Food and Business Regulation Team work within flexitime bands, with the normal bandwidth for flexible working being between 8am and 7pm. Out with these hours of work additional flexitime, toil or overtime is available to officers when agreed by their line manager, and in the case of paid overtime in addition to this by the Environmental Services Manager. Environmental Services have an out of hours contact number for emergencies that arise out with our normal service delivery times. 63
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2.5 Enforcement Policy The Food and Business Regulation Team refer to and implement South Lanarkshire Council’s ‘Environmental Services Enforcement Policy’, when conducting our statutory functions in respect of food law enforcement. The current version of this policy was published on South Lanarkshire Council’s website in 2016 and the link can be found here: https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/251/environmental_services_enforcem ent_policy_and_guidance We seek to adopt a graduated approach to enforcement as set out in the above Enforcement Policy, whilst aligning with Food Standard’s Scotland’s Strategic aim of ensuring responsible businesses flourish, and the Scottish Government’s approach to better regulation as set out in the Scottish Regulators’ Strategic Code of Practice. Enforcement action will be reserved for incidences where the seriousness of a situation warrants such action, or in cases where adopting a graduated approach to enforcement has been unsuccessful. 3. Service Delivery 3.1 Interventions at Food Business Establishments Background South Lanarkshire Council implemented a 4-year intervention programme incorporating all food establishments which required to be inspected from 1st September 2021 until 31st August 2025. The first 6 months of this programme focussed on conducting interventions in the highest risk food establishments, including those previously ‘unrated’, ie – businesses who had registered with South Lanarkshire Council but had yet to receive their first food law intervention, and in around half of our Approved establishments. The following 12 months focussed on completing inspections of all our approved establishments, continuing to focus on the highest risk food establishments, including higher risk ‘unrated’ food businesses, whilst bringing in some of the medium risk premises. Overall, during the first 18 months of this programme 87.5% of all planned interventions were conducted within this timeframe, in addition to visits to approved establishments; visits regenerated following initial FLRS inspections; and interventions conducted in new high-risk unrated establishments. During the final months of 22/23 and throughout 23/24, 24/25 and 25/26 the level of regenerated visits due; coupled with the planned intervention programme, interventions in approved establishments, and interventions in new high-risk unrated establishments meant that the number of interventions due exceeded the available resources to conduct such interventions. Interventions were therefore prioritised in line with the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 Service Plans; and will continue to be prioritised in this manner during 2026/27, as outlined below. 64
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Interventions Due in 2026/2027 The Food & Business Regulation team will select and prioritise interventions at food business establishments primarily based on frequencies outlined in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019. For approved establishments interventions will be spread out over a year in line with FSS’s Official Control Verification (OCV) implementation guide, and for primary production establishments intervention frequencies will be based on those outlined in the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019, Annex 5. New food businesses who register with South Lanarkshire Council will be inspected and prioritised on a ‘risk based’ basis taking account of groups set out in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 with Group 1 & 2 premises being prioritised, but also on the basis of risk associated with that premises type. For example, caterers handing raw and ready to eat foods will be prioritised over caterers providing low risk foods, or where the risk of cross contamination is negligible. We aim to inspect all high-risk unrated premises within 3 months of them registering with South Lanarkshire Council. In the event that we are unable to complete all interventions planned for the year due to the increase in numbers of interventions due annually as a result of the move to the ‘Food Law Rating Scheme’, sickness absence or due to dealing with a serious incident, high risk unrated food establishments will be prioritised over lower risk planned interventions. We sought, during 2023/2024 to incorporate Group 2B businesses not yet inspected due to previous high standard of compliance, but who serve vulnerable populations, such as care homes for the elderly and pre-school nurseries into our inspection programme. We inspected a number of these during 2023/24 and continued to incorporate any outstanding establishments during 2024/2025, along with prioritising the inspection of almost all primary and secondary schools operating in South Lanarkshire. The few remaining schools not inspected in 2024/25 were inspected in 2025/26. We will seek to incorporate any outstanding Group 2 businesses serving vulnerable groups during 26/27. Currently, planned inspections due in 26/27, including a breakdown of groups and bands are as follows: Group Band Number or Premises to be Inspected in 25/26 Group 1 A 32 B 21 C 26 D 6 E 0 UNRATE 3 Group 2 A 3 B 220 65
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C 472 D 53 E 0 UNRATE 22 Group 3 A 1 B 3 C 10 D 3 E 0 The above planned inspections/recovery visits will make up a proportion of the interventions being conducted in 26/27, along with interventions in high-risk premises generated further to inspections carried out during 26/27, and unrated premises. For 26/27, as in 25/26, inspections of approved establishments are included in the figures contained in the above table. In addition, due to previous prioritisation exercises undertaken since March 2023, 323 Group 2 or 3 A, B & C risk establishments inspected since the restart of official controls and found to be broadly compliant with food law have been temporarily removed from the intervention programme to accommodate higher risk establishments. These too will be prioritised in line with the criteria set out above, along with the 802 premises that were due to receive an intervention prior to the end of August 2025 as part of our recovery programme but have yet to receive one. This list consists of 190 Group 2 establishments, 1 of which is Band A and 125 of which are B indicating high levels of compliance, 62 of which are band C, and 2 unrated establishments; and a further 612 of which are low risk Group 3 establishments. Intervention lists are generated on a monthly basis to allow for high-risk unrated premises to be incorporated as and when required, while at the same time affording an opportunity to incorporate missed recovery visits and previously inspected higher risk broadly compliant premises where resources allow. Unrated premises will be given a nominal date of 1/1/40 to allow them to be located easily and prioritised monthly, based initially on risk and thereafter on the date they first registered with the Council, with those who registered first being prioritised and inspected first. The average number of revisits expected to be conducted in 26/27 will be around 100-150, based on the number carried out in the first four years of implementing the Food Law Rating Scheme. In addition, it is anticipated that an additional 85-120 revisits will be conducted specifically in relation to the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS). South Lanarkshire Council currently employ 12.67 full-time equivalent (FTE) Environmental Health/Food Safety Officer’s to conduct food law tasks including interventions, revisits, complaint investigations, sampling and other food law service demands. Officer’s conducting interventions undertake a minimum of 10 hours CPD per annum and in the past 5/6 years all but three officers within the Food and Business Regulation team have completed Official Control Verification (OCV) training provided by Food Standards Scotland. 66
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In addition, 8 Officers have successfully completed Level 4 HACCP training, and training is also sought and provided for officers required to inspect specialised processes. We currently have 3 officers with specialist training in cheesemaking and a further 3 who have attended specialist training on Bivalve Shellfish Hygiene and Verification. 3.2 Food Complaints South Lanarkshire Council will investigate food complaints taking action proportionate to risk whilst following our ‘Food Safety Enforcement & Inspection Guidelines’. We aim to respond to all food complaints within 2 working days. On average the Food & Business regulation team receive and respond to around 78 food complaints a year relating to; foreign body contamination of foods; microbiological and chemical contamination of foods, and; complaints relating to labelling, allergens and point of sale information. A further 82 complaints a year relating to the hygiene of premises are also received and responded to by officers of the Council’s Food & Business regulation team. Complaints are responded to utilising existing resources. Service Demand Type 2022 Figure 2023 Figure 2024 Figure 2025 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on average in previous years Food Hygiene complaints 92 94 80 60 82 Food complaints incorporating allergens/POS, labelling, chemical/composition, micro and foreign body 70 75 80 87 78 3.3 Home Authority, Originating Authority, and Primary Authority South Lanarkshire Council recognise and support the Home Authority principle (whereby the Local Authority where the relevant decision-making base of a business is located agrees to provide advice, guidance, and where required liaison between the business and other Local Authorities for consistency of enforcement) and will have regard to any information and advice received from Home and/or Originating Authorities. Whilst no formal Home Authority agreement exists in relation to food businesses within South Lanarkshire, we are the Originating Authority for a number of large manufacturers. As the Originating Authority we will provide advice to these businesses on legal compliance where required. 67
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In addition, we will liaise with the Home and/or Originating Authorities of multi-site businesses following interventions, on receipt of complaints or in the event of sample failures where issues noted are or may be associated with the business’s centrally defined policies and procedures. In all cases we will seek to notify that authority of the outcome of our investigations. Primary Authorities are relevant only in England and Wales, however where such partnerships have been established in respect of multi-site businesses the Home Authority principle will continue to be applied by South Lanarkshire Council. 3.4 Advice to Businesses The Food & Business Regulation team, as part of our graduated approach to enforcement, provide advice to businesses as required at all routine interventions. From time to time, for example following the introduction of new legislation proactive communications will be send out to relevant sectors. Relevant reference materials will be provided to businesses where required, in particular where new businesses seek advice prior to opening. Links will be provided to online reference materials such as ‘Cooksafe’, MyHACCP and free allergen training, and visits prior to opening may be conducted where necessary. The provision of all such advice benefits the business by assisting them to comply, and the Local Authority by potentially averting time-consuming enforcement action, which could have been avoided by the provision of advice at the outset. In addition, consumers will benefit from businesses who have a greater knowledge of food safety requirements, and who in turn produce safer food as a result. An estimate of the number of requests for advice the team can expect to receive and respond to on a reactive basis during 26/27 can be gleaned from looking at the number of requests submitted in previous years: Service Demand Type 2022 Figure 2023 Figure 2024 Figure 2025 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on average in previous years Food Hygiene Advice 118 90 85 59 88 Food Standards Advice 126 87 77 92 96 On average South Lanarkshire Council receive around 88 requests for food hygiene advice each year, with a further 96 requests for advice being received in relation to food standards. We aim to respond to all requests for advice within 2 working days. Requests are responded to utilising existing resources. 68
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3.5 Food Sampling South Lanarkshire Council undertakes food sampling in accordance with current approved codes of practice, regulations, and guidance. Our food sampling policy is published on the Council’s website, and a sampling programme detailing an estimate of the number of samples to be taken is produced annually. The programme is discussed with the Council’s Public Analyst and is informed by guidance from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC), who produce an annual report detailing suggested National sampling priorities. As well as the published national priorities the Council prioritises our own routine sampling based on three broad categories: Priority 1 – Samples required to meet statutory obligations: including complaint samples or samples that require to be taken to investigate food related outbreaks and incidents. Priority 2 – Samples required for effective food safety enforcement: including microbiological samples taken from high-risk premises, and chemical samples from producers, packers or importers sending food outwith South Lanarkshire Council Priority 3 – Samples which give added value or which support local initiatives and projects: including surveys and sampling to support local initiatives. When undertaking sampling on the basis of the above priorities, where possible we will always seek to integrate national priorities into our sampling activity. This is achieved by collecting the types of products outlined in FSS’s list of National Priorities when we sample from our high-risk premises and local manufacturers. The frequency of sampling of individual food businesses based in South Lanarkshire is determined by employing a rating scheme which takes into account a business’s food law risk rating and combines this with the type of operations they carry out. The rating scheme is designed to ensure that businesses such as approved premises (not egg packers or cold stores/re-wrapping establishments) and manufacturers of high-risk foods within South Lanarkshire Council are sampled more frequently than local lower risk establishments. The sampling programme for 2026/27 sets an annual target of around 517 routine samples per annum, to be procured by the Council’s food sampling officer. Complaint/Incident related samples are taken in addition to this routine sampling and in the event of large-scale incidents these samples will take priority over routine sampling activities. The Food & Business regulation team aim to take part in Food Standards Scotland and West of Scotland Food Liaison group surveys wherever possible, and where resources allow. South Lanarkshire Council have appointed Edinburgh Scientific Services, who are a designated ‘Official Control Laboratory’, to provide Public Analyst and Food Examiner services. The contract for such services was awarded in 2021 for 4 years, with the option to extend it in June 2025 for a further year to June 2026. The option to extend this contract was taken, and at the time of writing this Service Plan, a procurement exercise is underway to contract and 69
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appoint an ‘Official Control Laboratory’ to provide laboratory and analyst services from June 2026 onwards. Routine sampling is carried out by a dedicated food sampling officer (Technical Assistant), who is training concurrently to become an Environmental Health Officer. Complaint and incident related samples will be procured and submitted by all suitably Authorised Officers of the Service, as and when sampling is deemed necessary to investigate potential contraventions of food law. 3.6 Control and Investigation of Outbreaks and Food Related Infectious Disease South Lanarkshire Council investigate food poisoning notifications in line with a ‘Policy for the routine investigation of foodborne infections’ developed and agreed with NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council in May 2018. An appendix contained within this policy details the types of cases that require epidemiological investigation. These include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, such as E coli 0157 and other Shiga toxin- producing E coli (STEC), Salmonella species, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum, Shigella species, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio cholera, Hepatitis A, Giardia and Cryptosporidiosis; and in addition, toxic forms of foodborne disease including scombroid. Surveillance of Campylobacter (the bacteria which results in the highest number of cases of reported foodborne infection year on year) is conducted, however epidemiological interviews are only undertaken where a case originates from a suspected outbreak. Public Health Scotland (PHS) publish data annually on the incidence rate per 100,000 population of many of these organisms per health board area. The most recent report from 2024, published in November 2025, shows that in 2024 as in previous years, Lanarkshire was above the Scotland wide average for cases of Campylobacter, and for Salmonella. For all other bacteria, viruses and parasites reported on, including E coli 0157, STEC, Shigella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia and norovirus Lanarkshire was below the Scottish national average. The following table details the number of notifications received by South Lanarkshire Council from 2021-2025. The number of notifications received reduced significantly during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, however in an average year the number of notifications received would be expected to be in the region of 98 notifications per annum, all of which are investigated by the Food & Business regulation team using existing resources. Service Demand Type 2021 Figure 2022 Figure 2023 Figure 2024 Figure 2025 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on previous years (excluding Covid in 2021) Infection Disease Notifications 50 85 104 109 93 98 South Lanarkshire Council prioritise the investigation of outbreaks as and when we become aware of them, or when they are notified to us. Outbreak investigations are conducted in 70
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accordance with the ‘Public Health Incident Plan’ developed by NHS Lanarkshire to deal with such incidents, and where an outbreak is food related in accordance with the ‘Guidance on the management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in Scotland’, published by Food Standards Scotland and the Scottish Health Protection Network in February 2024. South Lanarkshire Council have in addition worked in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council to produce a Joint Health Protection Plan for the Lanarkshire area. This is an important document which acts as a reference point for assisting in the investigation and control of public health outbreaks and incidents. 3.7 Food Law Incidents South Lanarkshire Council will respond to food law incidents and food alerts in accordance with the processes outlined in Section 2 of the Food Law Code of Practice Scotland 2019. This includes categorising incidents and notifying FSS and other relevant agencies of all serious localised and non-localised hazardous incidents by the quickest available means. In practice this will take the form of an initial telephone call followed up by submission of an incident report form and subsequently updating any information or actions required on FSS’s incident database ‘CLIO’. All incidents will be investigated as a matter of priority. Out of hours contact details for South Lanarkshire Council’s Environmental Services Team have been provided to FSS. In relation to food alerts, again these will be responded to in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice Scotland 2019, with food alerts for action being responded to and actioned without undue delay. Product recall information notices and allergy alerts are logged and circulated to all officers within the Food & Business regulation team for information and awareness purposes. Only 10 food alerts for action have been issued by FSS since 2018 therefore demand for such actions is not expected to be high. In respect of incidents/withdrawals/recalls South Lanarkshire Council estimate that we may be involved in 3-4 incidents per annum, that each will take around 2 days of officer time. This estimate does not include serious incidents, major investigations or reports to the procurator fiscal as these events can involve a number of officers, can run for months or years and are therefore not able to be accurately quantified. 3.8 Liaison with Other Organisations To facilitate efficient, effective and consistent enforcement with neighbouring Local Authorities, South Lanarkshire Council attend and participate in the West of Scotland Food Liaison Group (WSFLG). South Lanarkshire Council currently chair this group which includes representatives from a total of 13 Local Authorities based in the southwest of Scotland, a Public Analyst representing Glasgow Scientific Services, and representatives from Food Standards Scotland. The group provides a forum for the discussion of relevant topics, sharing best practice guidance, initiating surveys or projects and co-ordinating specific investigations. 71
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This local liaison group, along with other similar groups in the North, East and in Lothian & Borders support the work of the national Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC). The Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee supports the work of FSS by providing information and expert advice in relation to food law enforcement. SFELC contributes to the development and implementation of FSS strategies and policies. As the chair of the WSFLG South Lanarkshire Council are represented on SFELC. We previously chaired one of the SFELC task groups on Specialist Cheese and following the easing of restrictions during the pandemic, in addition chaired a subgroup of a SFELC working group looking at Local Authority Food Law recovery. Currently we are represented on the Mobile Food Traders Task Group, and more recently have been appointed to represent the WSFLG on a newly formed Food Law Professional Technical Advisory Group, which is part of FSS’s SAFER programme to reform food law delivery in Scotland. South Lanarkshire Council liaise with NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council and have produced a Joint Health Protection Plan for the Lanarkshire area (2013-2015), as well as agreeing procedures to be followed in the investigation of infectious diseases and in the investigation and control of public health outbreaks and incidents. We are represented on the Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN) STEC subgroup, which consists of members including Health Protection Scotland, the Scottish E.coli Reference laboratory, Consultants in Public Health Medicine from health boards, Food Standards Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive, Microbiologists from diagnostic laboratories and Scottish Government health protection colleagues. This group is tasked with overseeing the completion of outstanding recommendations contained in Scotland’s VTEC/E coli 0157 action plan. In addition, we liaise with our own Public Analyst, Edinburgh Scientific Services regarding our annual sampling programme, and with Food Standards Scotland in relation to the sampling of bottled water and other routine sampling surveys. Internally the Food & Business regulation team review applications and consult with planning and building standards on the structural requirements required to meet Food Law requirements for new food businesses. We consult with our Licensing colleagues in relation to issuing certificates of compliance to street traders and Section 50 food hygiene certificates to persons submitting applications for a premises licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. We also consult with licensing in respect of small-scale local events where food may be provided and are represented on the Council’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) which coordinates and considers larger scale event applications to South Lanarkshire Council. Larger events in 2025 included a music festival and a fireworks event. All liaison is conducted using existing resources. 3.9 Food Law promotional work, and other non-Official Controls interventions South Lanarkshire Council have for some years now utilised the option in the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 to alternate between Official Control and non-Official Control 72
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interventions for primary production establishments D rated in accordance with Annex 5 of the Code, specifically in relation to food hygiene interventions conducted at dairy farms. Due to the low-risk nature of these activities versus the higher risk recovery visits planned for 2026/27 these establishments will not feature in our interventions programme this year. South Lanarkshire Council are however represented on a working group chaired by Food Standards Scotland looking at the future of interventions at dairy farms and previously piloted remote interventions in such establishments as part of this project. Officers within Food & Business regulation will continue during 2026/27 to offer advice to new and existing food business operators in response to enquiries and during routine interactions. We use, promote and provide copies of Cooksafe as well as directing businesses to other online resources, including free allergen training, as and when required. In addition, advice is provided to all low-risk food businesses who register with us but who will not receive a proactive intervention as set out in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019. In particular this information contains advice on the requirements for allergens to specifically target businesses producing low risk foods based from a domestic dwelling. South Lanarkshire Council will continue to support and promote Food Standards Scotland’s ‘Eatsafe’ Award Scheme. Currently 144 food business establishments hold this award within South Lanarkshire, many of which are schools. All non-official control activities will be undertaken using existing resources. 3.10 Food Crime and Fraudulent activities Food fraud and/or food crime is defined in the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019 as ‘serious dishonesty that impacts detrimentally on either the safety or the authenticity of food’. Where food fraud and/or food crime is detected by officers of South Lanarkshire Council in the course of our duties our policy as set out in the Code is that we will contact Food Standard’s Scotland’s ‘Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit’ at the earliest opportunity in order that where necessary a joint investigation can be instigated. In addition, where officers of South Lanarkshire Council obtain or gather evidence that may be used to support wider investigations relating to food fraud and/or food crime we will report this information via the shared intelligence database known as ‘CLUE’. It is difficult to estimate the resources required to deal with food crime, however where a serious risk to public health exists any such situation will be awarded the highest priority utilising all available resources. 73
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4. Resources 4.1 Staffing Allocation South Lanarkshire Council’s Food & Business regulation team carries out functions including food safety, occupational health and safety, infectious disease investigations and caravan site licensing. Approximately 87% of Environmental Health Officer time is currently spent on our food safety function, with this increasing to 95% for Food Safety Officers. The team is overseen by the Environmental Services Manager who is the budget holder and is a qualified Environmental Health Officer (EHO). The day-to-day management of the team is the responsibility of a Divisional Environmental Health Officer who is also the Lead Food Officer, and who is assisted by 1.8 Environmental Health Team Leaders, all of whom are fully qualified EHO’s. The team currently have an establishment of 14.45 full time equivalent (FTE) front line Environmental Health Officers/Food Safety Officers/Sampling Officers to carry out tasks including food safety tasks required by the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019. The breakdown of FTE posts in terms of the number of staff working on the delivery of food Official and Non-Official controls and including vacant posts is as follows: Job Title Qualification Authorisation Level FTE allocated to Food Law Code of Practice Tasks Environmental Services Manager Fully qualified EHO with over 2 years experience Fully authorised to conduct all Food Law Code of Practice Tasks 0.2 Divisional Environmental Health Officer (Lead Food Officer) Fully qualified EHO with over 2 years experience Fully authorised to conduct all Food Law Code of Practice Tasks 0.8 Environmental Health Team Leaders x 2 (1 full time and 1 part time) Fully qualified EHO’s with over 2 years experience Fully authorised to conduct all Food Law Code of Practice Tasks 1.35 Environmental Health Officers (7 full time and 3 part time) All fully qualified EHO’s with over 2 years experience. Fully authorised to conduct all Food Law Code of Practice Tasks. 7.70 74
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Food Safety Officers x5 (4 full time and 1 part time) Fully qualified Holders of the Higher Certificate in Food Hygiene and Food Standards Inspection. One full time officer has less than 2 years experience Authorised to conduct all Official Controls with the exception of the seizure and detention of food. Officer with less than 2 years experience will not inspect complex processes or issue RAN’s or HEPN’s 4.37 Technical Assistant (Sampling Officer) x 1 Student EHO, no Food Law Code of Practice Official Control qualifications held Authorised to conduct Non-Official Controls only under the supervision of Fully Authorised EHO’s/FSO’s 0.6 4.3 Staff Development Plan All staff within South Lanarkshire Council undergo an annual Performance Appraisal, which as well as assessing performance during the previous year also assesses future training needs. Environmental Services produce an annual learning and development priorities matrix which details training which the Service will seek to provide to staff each year. For Food & Business Regulation staff this includes standing items such as 10 hours of Food safety related CPD, Level 4 HACCP and OCV training. Other new and/or emerging issues are added as required, along with any sector specific training in complex processes. Training is identified annually and if this cannot be conducted in house external training will be sought. All officer’s conducting Official control interventions undertake a minimum of 10 hours CPD per annum and in the past 4-5 years all but three officers within the Food and Business Regulation team have completed Official Control Verification (OCV) training provided by Food Standards Scotland. In addition, 8 Officers have successfully completed Level 4 HACCP training, and training has been sought and provided for officers required to inspect specialised processes. We currently have 3 officers with specialist training in cheesemaking and a further 3 who have attended specialist training on Bivalve Shellfish Hygiene and Verification. South Lanarkshire Council will continue our programme of training during 26/27, ensuring all newly qualified officer’s undertake Level 4 HACCP and OCV training (where available) and that any additional specialist training is provided for officer’s where necessary. Student EHO’s have an appointed training officer within South Lanarkshire Council who ensures they are provided with the training they require to competently progress to sitting their professional examinations. During this time, they will be included in much of the training offered to qualified officer’s as well as any additional training specific to their needs. Newly 75
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qualified officers will be supervised and mentored until the Lead Food Officer deems them competent to inspect all types of food establishment. Upon qualification they will be supervised for at least 3 months and will not initially be tasked with inspecting approved premises or high-risk manufacturers but may be appointed as 2nd officers for such establishments. This will allow them to gain on the job experience, training and mentoring, such that once they have completed Level 4 HACCP and OCV, together with on-the-job training and mentoring they may then be deemed competent to inspect these types of establishments. 4.4 Estimate of Resources The number of officers allocated to food law enforcement is the minimum required to deliver effective food official controls. There is no capacity to accommodate prolonged absences, and this may require available resources to be reprioritised during 2026/27, as in previous years. 5. Monitoring 5.1 Quality assessment and internal monitoring Monthly checks have been conducted since September 2021 to check that all high-risk establishments are inspected within the timescales indicated in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland); to ensure that inspections are not overdue or missed; and to check that high risk establishments are being prioritised by officer’s for inspection. In addition, accompanied inspections are regularly carried out by the Service’s two team leaders to provide mentoring and assistance with complex cases, and all notices issued are reviewed and approved by the Divisional Environmental Health Officer or Team Leaders prior to being served. During 26/27 this will be supplemented with completion of a quality monitoring checklist, which was updated in 23/24 and is designed to assess: • Adherence to our planned intervention programme; • Compliance with Codes of Practice and FSS guidance; • The consistent assessment of intervention ratings; • Appropriate use of relevant inspection documentation; • Compliance with internal procedures, policies and the Food Authority’s enforcement policy; • That action taken following interventions is consistent with FSS and/or SFELC guidance; and • That Authorised Officer’s are aware of and have access to Industry Codes of Practice, and have due regard to published UK or EU guides to good practice. 76
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The Food and Business Regulation team report quarterly, through South Lanarkshire Council’s own internal monitoring systems, the % of businesses inspected within South Lanarkshire Council who are broadly compliant with Food Law requirements. The target set for this measure is currently 85% of all businesses inspected, however since the implementation of the Food Law Rating Scheme in 2019 this service has seen a notable increase in the percentage of premises reaching this target. Currently the number of premises broadly compliant with Food Law requirements is in the region of 95%. 6. Review 6.1 Review against the Service Plan for 2025/26 This Service Plan is reviewed annually by the Divisional Environmental Health Officer and includes information on performance against the previous years’ service plan, a review of performance targets or of targeted outcomes set. In previous years up to and including 2025/26 this comprised a review of how the Service performed against the priorities and intervention timescales detailed in the Local Authority Recovery Project Report issued by Food Standards Scotland on 16th October 2020; as well as the timescales set out in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) for businesses which have been inspected at least once since the re-start of inspections in September 2021. As our recovery plan was completed during 2025/26, our performance in 2026/27 will revert to being assessed in respect of the original timescales set out in the Interventions Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) for all businesses. The % of businesses inspected within South Lanarkshire Council who are broadly compliant with Food Law requirements will continue to be reported via the Council’s internal monitoring system on a quarterly basis. The review of our performance during 25/26, can be summarised as follows: During 25/26 South Lanarkshire Council, when combining interventions due in respect of intervention timescales detailed in the Local Authority Recovery Project Report issued by Food Standards Scotland on 16th October 2020 with those interventions due as a result of visits regenerated following initial FLRS inspections (including approved establishments), were due to conduct interventions in 858 food establishments. This figure was not inclusive of additional interventions to be conducted throughout the year including; visits regenerated during the year following initial FLRS inspections; interventions conducted in high-risk unrated establishments that were incorporated during this timeframe and; interventions missed in previous years that were incorporated back into the inspection programme. The level of interventions required in 25/26 far exceeded the available resources to deliver the food safety service plan and as such interventions required to be prioritised, as outlined in the ’Service Delivery’ section above. During 25/26 a total of 1107 interventions were conducted, with a further 86 premises due an intervention at the start of the year noted to have closed in this same period. Interventions 77
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conducted included all approved establishments and all high-risk Group 1 and Band D & E rated establishments, including those regenerated throughout the year. In addition, interventions planned at the start of the year were conducted in a total of 306 Group 2, Band C rated establishments with a further 48 of these noted to have closed; and in 70 Group 2, Band B rated establishments with a further 8 of these noted to have closed. In addition, interventions were conducted in 18 Group 2 unrated establishments incorporated at the start of the year. Finally, a total of 18 interventions were conducted in Group 3, Band B, Band C, and Band D establishments. Interventions in addition to those outlined above were of high- risk unrated establishments incorporated during this timeframe; and any remaining schools and caring establishments located in South Lanarkshire Council area, that due to being broadly compliant establishments were not incorporated in previous years inspection programmes as originally planned. Inspections not carried out in 25/26 consisted of Group 2 Band A, B & C rated establishments and Group 3 Band A, B & C rated establishments. Visits not undertaken consisted of establishments contained in our original recovery programme but deemed to be low risk and/or have historically demonstrated high standards of food law compliance; or generally compliant or very compliant establishments which had been inspected since the re-start of our food law programme in September 2021. These scheduled interventions were moved to later in the programme to accommodate; higher risk visits regenerated following previous inspections; high-risk unrated establishments; and medium risk recovery visits missed since the start of our recovery programme. A total of 114 Group 3 Bands B & C rated recovery visits were moved to later in the programme during 25/26 to accommodate higher risk interventions. In addition, 34 Group 2, Band C; 42 Group 2, Band B; 3 Group 2, Band A; and 27 Group 3, Bands B & C rated establishments, inspected at least once since September 2021 and found to be broadly complaint with food safety requirements, were moved to later in the programme during 25/26 to accommodate higher risk interventions. This reprioritisation is in line with the process outlined in the ’Service Delivery’ section above. We will continue to prioritise our interventions schedule in this manner in 2026/27 to reflect available resources throughout the year. In summary, (excluding closed premises) 71% of interventions scheduled for 25/26 were carried out with 10% of interventions due overall, not able to be conducted as the establishments had closed. In addition, a further 558 unscheduled interventions were completed. Many of these unscheduled interventions related to high-risk establishments with approximately 185 of them being conducted as a result of regenerated Band D and E rated establishments throughout 25/26. These inspections are time consuming due to the nature of the risk and complexities involved. In some cases, these interventions resulted in the need for formal action, which requires corroboration. A new resource pressure emerged in the final quarter of 23/24, and continued during 24/25 and 25/26, when a change to the inspection system for approved establishments 78
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commenced. The changes introduced by Food Standards Scotland for these businesses, resulted in more resources being diverted to approved establishments than would have been the case in previous years. The performance of the Food & Business Regulation team during 25/26 has been commendable, and has increased from that seen in 24/25, largely due to an increase in staff resource, coupled with less staff absence due to maternity leave or sickness absence. The overall performance of the team would have been stronger throughout 25/26 if the introduction of the Food Law Rating Scheme, and the resultant 1/3 uplift on the number of interventions required annually; coupled with the change in the inspection system for approved establishments, had been accompanied by additional resources to match the additional intervention burden. Overall, the resourcing pressures facing the team are similar to the situation in the majority of councils across Scotland. FSS has estimated an addition 180 FTE officers would be required across Scotland to deliver official food controls as set out in the Code of Practice and deliver the changes they have introduced to the food safety inspection programmes. Recognising the position Councils are in, FSS has initiated a project to review food safety delivery systems in Scotland, so they are more realistically aligned with available resources. As mentioned earlier in this plan South Lanarkshire Council have two representatives at both Lead Food Officer and Team Leader level on a Technical Advisory Group, set up to help deliver on the objectives of this project, which is called SAFER. Whilst this is not initially expected to divert resources away from front line staff conducting interventions, and therefore impact on service performance, a large amount of management input is anticipated. An impact may be seen on front line services during the current financial year if resources require to be diverted to allow officers to take part in initiatives or to pilot ideas and concepts required to assist with the development of the SAFER project going forward. 6.2 Areas of Improvement Areas identified as requiring action following on from the review and quality assessment/internal monitoring processes will be addressed by the Food & Business Regulation extended management team. The Service have taken steps over the past two financial years to ensure that going forward we can maximise the resources who can devote to food law interventions. We took steps in the final quarter of 24/25 to recruit a recently qualified Food Safety Officer, who had been working as our sampling officer to a Food Safety Officer’s post. This meant initially, during much of 25/26 that we had to redistribute sampling duties between this officer and 3 of our other Food Safety Officers; in turn reducing each officer’s capacity for conducting food law interventions slightly, however it resulted in an overall increase in the number of interventions we are able to carry out that year. In the final quarter of 25/26, we recruited a replacement food sampling officer, which has already resulted, and 79
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will continue to deliver a further increase in our capacity to carry out food law interventions, as it will free up more Food Safety Officer time. South Lanarkshire Council were last audited by Food Standards Scotland in February 2023. Areas for improvement were detailed in an action plan, which the Food & Business Regulation team worked during 23/24 to address. All issues raised were actioned, the audit action plan signed off by Food Standards Scotland and the final audit report published. A link to the report can be found here: Audit and monitoring | Food Standards Scotland 80
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community Benefit Funds – Renewable Energy Fund - Grant Applications 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to seek approval of grant applications to the Renewable Energy Fund from:- [purpose] Friends of Strathaven Castle Hollandbush Golf Club Soul of the Junction SCIO The Royal Burgh of Lanark Museum Trust [1purp] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that a grant be awarded to Friends of Strathaven Castle of up to £392,581.90 from the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) to stabilise the monument and make safe the site; (2) that a grant be awarded to Hollandbush Golf Club of up to £103,180.50 from the REF to install solar panels, battery storage and implement a water storage system; (3) that a grant be awarded to Soul of the Junction SCIO of up to £74,999.43 from the REF to refurbish Carstairs Junction Community Hall; and (4) that a grant be awarded to The Royal Burgh of Lanark Museum Trust of up to £40,000 from the Renewable Energy Fund to purchase 31 High Street in Lanark. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Since 2004, the Council has collected and administered Community Benefit funding through the Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service. The Service is responsible for securing the contributions from windfarm developers, advising potential applicants, assessing applications and monitoring projects to ensure that the community benefits associated with each project are delivered. Processes are continuously reviewed to ensure best practice in grant provision and monitoring is undertaken to ensure the necessary support is delivered to eligible communities. 3.2. Grant awards above £20,000 require approval from this Committee. Awards below this level are approved by the Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development under delegated authority. All grants awarded are reported annually to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee. 9 81
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3.3. Several changes were made to the REF criteria at the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee of 6 February 2024 including supporting revenue funding, increases to intervention levels including up to 100% in high funding areas and aiming to deliver larger more strategically impactful projects. 4. Grant Recommendation 4.1. Application Number 1488 Friends of Strathaven Castle – project value £422,581.95 Proposed Grant award £392,581.90 intervention rate of 93% The proposed grant of £392,581.90 will be funded from Calder Water windfarm which contributes into the REF 4.2. Friends of Strathaven Castle (FOSC) is a charity with its purpose being:- To protect the castle structure and repair and enhance the surrounding area, with the long-term planning for the development of the monument to become a visitor destination which will support the local economy. 4.3. FOSC has a seven-member management committee, seven regular volunteers. FOSC aims to secure sustainable repairs to Strathaven Castle, working with South Lanarkshire Council, and reopen the monument safely to the public. Formed via Facebook in January 2023, the group quickly grew to more than 1,000 members, showing strong local concern for the castle’s future. It has since become a charity. The group’s immediate priority is to stabilise the structure, protect its long-term future, and develop the castle as a small visitor attraction benefiting Strathaven and the local community economy. 4.4. Strathaven Castle is the town’s key historic landmark. The structure dates from the 15th century and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument The grant will allow FOSC to work in collaboration with Historic Environment Scotland and the site owner South Lanarkshire Council to secure and protect the walls from further deterioration. The project will be managed, tendered and procured by South Lanarkshire Council Housing and Technical Services. 4.5. The project requires capital funding for the conservation of the building including professional fees to conduct a further condition survey, the consolidation of all decay damage and the extensive mortar repairs associated with the works and vegetation removal. 4.6. The project links with REF priorities supporting Stronger Communities, Prosperous Communities. 4.7. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 32 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £392,581.90 totalling 93% of eligible costs. 4.8. All REF awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured as set out below:- Funder Stage Value Kype Muir Community Fund To be confirmed £30,000 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (93%) Calder Water. For approval £392,581.90 Total project value £422,581.90 82
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4.9. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2026 and be complete by September 2028. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales and allow officers to confirm Kype Muir Community funds have been secured. 5. Grant Recommendation 5.1 Application Number 1497 Hollandbush Golf Club – project value £139,930 Proposed Grant award £103,108.50 intervention rate of 74% The proposed grant of £103,108.50 will be funded from Douglas West Windfarm which contribute to the REF. 5.2. Hollandbush Golf Club SCIO (HGC) is a charity with its purpose being: - The long-term vision for Hollandbush Golf Club (SCIO) is to provide an improved golfing and social experience for Hollandbush Golf Course members and the local community. The purpose of community ownership of this asset is to allow the community to determine the strategic direction for future development. 5.3. HGC management committee has nine members, 100 regular volunteers, five full-time staff, two part-time staff and 430 members. 5.4. The grant will allow HGC to safeguard the future of HGC and secure continued access to golf for the local community, preserve a valuable green space, support physical and social wellbeing across all age groups, safeguard and create future jobs opportunities. HGC will stimulate socio-economic activity and potentially increase tourism activities. 5.5. The project requires capital funding to purchase and install solar panels and battery storage to reduce energy costs associated with running the facility. The installation of a water capture system will also reduce ongoing water bills associated with the golf course irrigation, while reducing the organisations carbon footprint. SLC Planning and SEPA have been consulted regarding the project. 5.6. The project links with REF priorities supporting Stronger Communities, Prosperous Communities and Healthy Active Communities. 5.7. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 29.5 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £103,180.50 totalling 74% of eligible costs. 5.8. All REF awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured as set out below:- Funder Stage Value Kype Muir Community Fund To be confirmed £20,000 Hagshaw Fund To be confirmed £15,749.50 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (74%) Douglas West For approval £103,180.50 Total project value £139,930 5.9. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2026 and be complete by May 2027. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales and allow officers to confirm Kype Muir Fund and Hagshaw funds have been secured. 83
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6 Grant Recommendation 6.1. Application Number 1526 Soul of the Junction – project value £101,627.43 Proposed Grant award £74,999.43 intervention rate of 74% The proposed grant of £74,999.43 will be funded from Muirhall Stallashaw which contributed to the REF. 6.2. Soul of the Junction (SOTJ) is a charity with its purpose being:- To improving health, wellbeing, community resilience and opportunities for people living across Carstairs Junction and the wider South Lanarkshire area. 6.3. SOTJ has a three-member management committee with 35 members and 22 regular volunteers 6.4. The grant will allow SOTJ to complete essential repairs and upgrades to the fabric of Carstairs Junction Community Hall, transforming an ageing asset into a resilient, energy-efficient and inclusive community hub. 6.5. The project requires capital funding to complete repairs and refurbishment work which will include external envelope improvements, structural repairs, insulation, energy- efficiency measures and weatherproofing of the frame to secure the long-term future of the building. 6.6. This project builds on significant progress already achieved through community fundraising, donations, initiatives and external investment. When complete the facility will host educational, climate, family wellbeing, and inclusive programmes for residents across Carstairs Junction and surrounding rural communities. 6.7. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 29.5 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £74,999.43 totalling 74% of eligible costs. 6.8. All REF awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured as set out below:- Funder Stage Value Garfield Weston Foundation Confirmed £15,000 Local Energy Scotland CARES Confirmed £10,000 In kind materials Confirmed £1,628 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (74%) Muirhall Stallashaw For approval £74,999.43 Total project value £101,627.43 6.9. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2026 and be complete by September 2027. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales. All other external funding has been secured. 7. Grant Recommendation 7.1. Application Number 1522 The Royal Burgh of Lanark Museum Trust – project value £111,515 Proposed grant award £40,000 intervention rate of 36% The proposed REF grant of £40,000 will be funded from Blacklaw windfarm which contributes into the Renewable Energy Fund 84
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7.2. The Royal Burgh of Lanark Museum Trust (TRBLMT) is a Trust with its purpose being:- To develop and maintain a museum for the benefit of the citizens of Lanark and its environs, and visitors to the area. It is an Accredited Museum. An annual exhibition open to all at no charge is accessible between April and September 7.3. TRBLMT has a 10-member management committee, 20 regular volunteers and 77 members. 7.4. The grant will allow TRBLMT to purchase 31 High Street Lanark, currently a vacant shop unit, as a suitable venue after adaptation, with a view to provide TRBLMT with suitable accommodation and storage while improving the exhibition space and allow for educational visits/talks in a dedicated space in the heart of Lanark Town Centre. 7.5. The Trust has consulted with the community and third sector organisations within the area who support the project. 7.6. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 32 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £40,000 totalling 36% of eligible costs. 7.7. All REF awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured as set out below:- Funder Stage Value TRBLMT reserve funds Confirmed £71,515 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (36%) Blacklaw For approval £40,000 Total project value £111,515 7.8. The purchase and associated works will be complete by September 2027. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales. 8. Employee Implications 8.1. There are no employee implications arising from this report. 9. Financial Implications 9.1. The awards will come from Calder Water, Douglas West, Muirhall Stallashaw and Blacklaw Windfarms which contribute to the Renewable Energy Fund. The Funds have sufficient resources to meet the proposed grant awards commitment detailed in this report. 9.2. REF funding awards are subject to all other funding being secured and due diligence checks being undertaken. 10. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 10.1. HGC project will install solar photovoltaic panels and battery storage systems to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. In addition, a rainwater harvesting system will be installed to capture and reuse water, helping to conserve natural resources and deliver further environmental benefits. 11. Risk and Other Implications 11.1. The risks associated with the projects are focused on the potential for cost overruns, delays to the projects or match funding not being secured. Work will continue with the applicants to help ensure match funding is secured and that projects are delivered broadly on time and within budget. 85
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12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 12.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 12.2. Community Consultation is a requirement for all REF grants. Consultation can be referenced through community action plans, independent consultation and social media platforms. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient, and transparent Ambitious, self-aware, and improving Fair, open and sustainable We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress, and improve Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Inspiring learners, transforming learning, strengthening partnerships Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee - 6 February 2024 Renewable Energy Fund - Strengthening Links to Rural Priorities List of Background Papers Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1488 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1488 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1497 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1497 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1526 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1526 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1522 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1522 86
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Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Colin McFarlane Project Development Officer Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services E-mail:- colin.mcfarlane@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 87
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: 2026/2027 Transport to Employment Annual Investment Plan 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval of the 2026/2027 Transport to Employment Annual Investment Plan [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the 2026/2027 Transport to Employment Annual Investment Plan be approved. 3. Background 3.1. The Scottish Government has provided the Council with additional funding of £517,496 through the No One Left Behind (NOLB) programme to deliver a new Transport to Employment Offer for Parents during 2026/2027. 3.2. The funding forms part of the Scottish Government's wider Tackling Child Poverty agenda and is intended to support parents experiencing transport barriers which prevent them from entering, sustaining or progressing within employment. 3.3. As a condition of grant funding, local authorities are required to submit an Annual Investment Plan (AIP) setting out how funding will be utilised to support parents to access employment, employment-related training and progression opportunities. 3.4. The Transport to Employment funding is intended to provide targeted, time-limited support and must be clearly linked to employability outcomes. The funding is designed to complement existing NOLB parental employability provision and support parents participating in employability programmes to overcome practical transport barriers. 4. Annual Investment Plan Funding 4.1. South Lanarkshire Council has been allocated £517,496 for 2026/2027. Table 1 – Transport to Employment Funding 2026/2027 Funding Stream Value Transport to Employment (Scottish Government) £517,496 10 89
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4.2. The Transport to Employment funding will be integrated within the Council's wider employability offer and aligned to existing parental employability services including Supporting Families, Aim 2 Achieve and Demonstrator programmes. 4.3. The funding will be delivered through a combination of direct Council provision and commissioned activity delivered by third sector organisations, employers, training providers and Routes to Work South. 5. Annual Investment Plan 5.1. Transport has consistently been identified through employability services, Child Poverty Action Plan activity, participant feedback and partner engagement as one of the most significant barriers preventing parents from accessing and sustaining employment. Whilst South Lanarkshire benefits from an extensive public transport network, many parents continue to face challenges relating to affordability, availability of services, rural connectivity, shift patterns and access to childcare. 5.2. The Transport to Employment funding forms part of the Scottish Government's wider Tackling Child Poverty agenda and is intended to complement the Council's existing NOLB parental employability provision. The funding will support unemployed parents to enter employment, assist low-paid parents to increase earnings and hours, and support parents to sustain employment. 5.3. The Investment Plan has been developed through the South Lanarkshire Local Employability Partnership and has been designed to support the priorities contained within the South Lanarkshire Child Poverty Action Plan and NOLB Annual Investment Plan. The programme will focus on removing practical transport barriers that prevent parents from engaging in employability support, training, education and employment opportunities. 5.4. The programme will primarily support parents participating in the Council's parental employability programmes, including Supporting Families, Aim 2 Achieve and Demonstrator. Participants accessing support through these programmes will undertake an assessment with a dedicated keyworker who will identify transport- related barriers as part of their individual action planning process. Transport support will then be tailored to individual circumstances and employment goals. 5.5. Consistent with Scottish Government guidance, support will be targeted, proportionate and linked to employability outcomes. Assistance will be provided on a time-limited basis and will focus on supporting participants to access employment opportunities, undertake employment-related training, progress within employment and sustain employment during transition periods. The funding is not intended to provide ongoing travel subsidies and participants will normally be expected to meet transport costs independently once established in employment. Table 2 – Transport to Employment Activity 2026/2027 Intervention Description Delivery Partner Value Flexible Parent and Family Fund Flexible support to assist parents accessing employability activity, training and employment. Support may include public transport passes, taxis, bicycles, fuel costs, parking costs and related essential items. Support will continue for a transitional period South Lanarkshire Council £50,000 90
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where participants move into employment. Driving Lessons Driving lessons and associated costs including provisional licence applications and theory/practical tests where a clear employability rationale exists. Priority will be given to rural participants, disabled parents and those requiring a licence to obtain employment. South Lanarkshire Council and Local Driving Instructors £20,000 Community Transport Challenge Fund Grant programme supporting community-led transport solutions which improve access to employment, training and support services, particularly within rural and semi-rural communities. VASLan and Third Sector Organisations £250,000 College Transport for Parents Funding to support transport links enabling parents to access learning opportunities at South Lanarkshire College and associated skills programmes. South Lanarkshire College / Climate Action Strathaven £50,000 Flexible Employer Transport Fund Funding for employers to develop innovative transport solutions that remove barriers to recruitment, retention and progression for parents. Local Employers £50,000 Certified Training Fund – Driver Qualifications Support for participants to gain vocational driving-related qualifications including CPC, LGV, HGV and Forklift certifications through Sector Based Work Academies. Routes to Work South £97,496 Total £517,496 5.6. The Flexible Parent and Family Fund will provide an immediate response to transport barriers experienced by parents accessing employability support. Funding will be allocated on a needs-led basis and will enable keyworkers to quickly respond to transport issues that might otherwise result in participants disengaging from training, support or employment opportunities. 5.7. A specific allocation has been included for driving lessons and associated costs. Whilst driving lessons are not typically funded through employability programmes, Scottish Government guidance permits support where there is a clear and evidenced link to employment outcomes. Priority will be given to participants living in rural communities, participants with disabilities, and participants where possession of a driving licence is a requirement of a specific job opportunity. 5.8. The Community Transport Challenge Fund represents the largest area of investment and reflects feedback received from local communities and employability participants regarding the limited availability of transport in some rural and semi-rural areas of South Lanarkshire. The Council will work with Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire and community transport operators to develop locally designed solutions capable of supporting parental employment outcomes. VASLan have submitted an application to 91
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Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s (SPT) Transport for Employment Fund to support driver costs associated with the challenge fund. 5.9. The College Transport for Parents initiative will seek to improve access to learning and skills development opportunities by addressing transport barriers that prevent parents from engaging with further education. This intervention is intended to strengthen progression routes from employability support into accredited learning and ultimately employment. 5.10. The Flexible Employer Transport Fund will encourage employers to explore innovative approaches to supporting parental recruitment and retention. This may include employer-operated transport arrangements, shift-based transport solutions or other initiatives designed to improve access to employment opportunities where public transport provision is insufficient. 5.11. The Certified Training Fund will support participants to gain vocational driving qualifications linked to sectors experiencing recruitment challenges, including logistics, transport, warehousing and distribution. These qualifications provide parents with access to higher-value employment opportunities and support progression into sectors offering sustainable career pathways. 5.12. The Council will continue to work closely with Regional Transport Partners, employers, training providers, third sector organisations and community planning partners to ensure that activity funded through the programme complements wider transport and economic development priorities. 5.13. Through the delivery of the Investment Plan, it is anticipated that approximately 750 parents will receive support during 2026/2027, resulting in increased participation in employability programmes, improved access to training and qualifications, greater entry into employment and enhanced opportunities for career progression and increased earnings. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. Delivery of the Transport to Employment programme will be undertaken through existing employability staffing resources within Community and Enterprise Resources and Routes to Work South. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. The Council has received grant funding of £517,496 from the Scottish Government to deliver the Transport to Employment programme during 2026/2027. 7.2. All expenditure incurred through the AIP will be fully funded through the grant allocation. 7.3. The funding agreement requires all expenditure to be incurred and reported within the 2026/2027 financial year. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained within this report. 9. Risks and Other Implications 9.1. There are no risks or other implications arising from this report. 92
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10. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 10.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 10.2. The Annual Investment Plan has been developed in consultation with the South Lanarkshire Local Employability Partnership, Routes to Work South and relevant stakeholders involved in the delivery of parental employability support. Kevin Carr Executive Director ( Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Fair, open and sustainable We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work to recover, progress and improve Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Previous References None List of Background Papers 2025/2026 Annual Investment Plan Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Douglas Hashagen – Employability Manager Tel: 0141 584 2915 Email: Douglas.Hashagen@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 93
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Culture Strategy for South Lanarkshire 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an overview of the proposals for to develop a new Culture Strategy for South Lanarkshire 2. Recommendation 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the key workstreams and timelines outlined within this report, be noted; and (2) that the community initiatives proposals identified for year one, as detailed in Appendix 1, be approved. 3. Background 3.1. £0.800 million was identified within the Council Budget in February 2026 for the development of a Culture Strategy for South Lanarkshire. The funding covers a three- year period (2026/2027, 2027/2028 and 2028/2029). 3.2. South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC), as the sole provider of leisure and culture services for the Council, will lead on the development of the strategy and the associated workstreams with input from the Council. 3.3. The statement from the Council’s Budget is detailed below:- “We recognise that each town and village in South Lanarkshire has its own identity. This funding will provide for local community led activities and events sharing and celebrating heritage, local history, arts and culture. This work will facilitate the development of a place based, culture strategy which also recognises the role of libraries and museums in our communities”. 4. Culture Strategy Workstreams 4.1. An investment plan for this funding over the next three years has been developed in partnership with colleagues in SLLC. 4.2. This includes the recruitment of a new temporary Cultural Development Officer within SLLC to:- Support and assist in delivering locality focused cultural programmes across our arts, museum and library services, to the residents of the four localities of South Lanarkshire. 11 95
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Work in partnership with other professionals, organisations and communities to enable target populations to engage in cultural programmes and, interventions. Deliver a locality focused approach to addressing need and tackling inequalities for the residents of those localities. 4.3. Funding has also been identified for temporary administrative assistance to support the key workstreams, particularly around community grants. 4.4. The funding has thereafter been broken down into three key workstreams:- 4.5. Local Community Initiatives / Events / Activities 4.5.1. £0.320 million over the three-year period to build on existing community initiatives and deliver key SLLC led initiatives that have been identified within the existing arts, libraries and museum development plans. New initiatives will also be identified through community consultation and will include local cultural festivals. 4.5.2. The specific proposals for spend in year 1 (£50k) are detailed in Appendix 1. 4.5.3. Further priorities for spend in year 2 (£150k) and year 3 (£120k) will be developed following extensive community consultation and aligned to the priorities identified through the strategy development work. 4.6. Strategy Development 4.6.1. £0.030 million for strategy development work including workshops, marketing, consultation material. 4.6.2. The target timeline for completion of the new Culture Strategy is December 2027. This will follow the approval of the new Council Plan (2027 to 2032) and SLLC Strategy (2027 to 2032) in Summer/early Autumn 2027. 4.6.3. The strategy will align with both local and national policy objectives, with the aim of bringing:- Enhanced community engagement – by fostering a sense of belonging and connection among residents, leading to increased participation in cultural activities and events. Improved social and economic outcomes – by aligning cultural initiatives with community needs, we can create a more equitable and inclusive economy, benefiting diverse talent and fostering entrepreneurship. Increased inward investment – by attracting more investment, for example from Creative Scotland, as we demonstrate a strategic commitment to culture. Positive impact on health and wellbeing – by contributing to improved mental and physical health, enhancing overall quality of life for residents. Influence beyond local boundaries – a sustainably cultural strategy can gain influence beyond the local area, potentially leading to increased inward investment, tourism and trade. 4.7. Community Grants 4.7.1 £0.200 million in community grants issued directly to community groups to support local community led activities and events which share and celebrate heritage, local history, arts and culture. 4.7.2 This funding will be split £25k per geographical area (Rutherglen/ Cambuslang, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Clydesdale) per year over two years (2027/2028 and 2028/2029). 96
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4.7.3 The focus in year one (2026/2027) will be to develop the grant terms and conditions and establish a robust grants management and monitoring framework. 5. Project Management and Monitoring Arrangements 5.1. A Project Board has been established with officers from across SLLC and the Council to oversee the development of the Culture Strategy and the associated workstreams. This will be chaired by the Head of Strategy and Governance (SLLC). 5.2. Working groups have also been established to progress each workstream and identified lead officers will report to the Project Board as required. 5.3. Progress updates will be presented to the Council’s Corporate Management Team on a regular basis in line with the 2026/2027 investment proposal monitoring arrangements. Updates will also be shared with this Committee and the SLLC Board as appropriate. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. A new temporary Cultural Development Officer has been appointed within SLLC to support these workstreams and to deliver locality focused cultural programmes across arts, museum and library services. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. £0.800 million was identified within the Council Budget in February 2026. Spend will be monitored in line with the Council’s overall investment monitoring arrangements. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1 This report has no climate change, sustainability or environmental considerations. 9. Risk and Other Implications 9.1. There are no risks or other implications in terms of risk and sustainability. 10. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 10.1. There is no requirement to carry out an impact assessment or consultation in terms of the proposals contained within this report, however, detailed consultation will be carried out with key stakeholders as part of the strategy development work, and to help identify future priorities for spend. An integrated impact assessment will also be carried out on the draft strategy. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 13 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Fair, open and sustainable We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work to progress and improve We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places People live the healthiest lives possible Caring, connected, sustainable communities 97
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Previous References None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers, if any, or want further information, please contact:- Morag MacPherson, Partner Liaison Manager Email: Morag.MacPherson@southlanarkshire.gov.uk Gillian Simpson, Head of Strategy and Governance E-mail: Gillian.Simpson2@southlanarkshireleisure.co.uk 98
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Appendix 1 Year 1 Community Initiative Proposals Proposal Summary Estimated Timescales Approx Cost Cultural Roadshows A programme of cultural roadshows, coordinated by SLLC in conjunction with local community groups. SLLC would use these events to promote existing cultural services, identify key stakeholders, build relationships and develop partnerships. The roadshows will provide key consultation opportunities for the development of the future strategy and help to identify gaps/barriers to current provision, as well as priorities for spend in years 2 and 3. Communities can use these roadshows to showcase their own unique heritage, traditions and identity. Understanding local intangible cultural heritage will be key to helping shape the new strategy. As well as these specific Roadshows, the team will look to link in with existing local events, for example Rutherglen 900. Various dates TBC £20,000 New Bookbug Costumes The purchase of two new Bookbug costumes to support the ongoing and extremely popular programme of Bookbug events and activities, as well as increase the opportunity for more nurseries, schools and community organisations across the South Lanarkshire area to make use of this vital resource, helping extend the reach of the library service. Oct 2026 £10,000 Museum on Film South Lanarkshire's museum service has its own film collection, which relates to various areas of South Lanarkshire. At the moment this collection is mostly inaccessible as, due to copyright issues and IT support, it cannot be included as part of the online offering. The collection is diverse, but it consists of films of past community events, local school videos and snippets of past everyday life of the people of South Lanarkshire. This initiative proposes the purchase and installation of screens in various SLLC libraries/halls/venues and have them play curated playlists of these films, ideally corresponding to each area (as much as the collection allows for it) with some accompanying interpretation. Dec 2026 £5,000 99
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Proposal Summary Estimated Timescales Approx Cost This would help to bring an aspect of the museum closer to the people of South Lanarkshire. This could create an opportunity for the museum service to carry out consultations on this collection and help the service find additional external funding in the future to digitise the parts of the collection that are on outdated technological formats, which could then also be shared through these new screens. Memory Match This initiative would pilot the development of themed memory boxes (e.g. football and nature) filled with tactile items and prompts to spark memories and conversation. It aims to support wellbeing, reduce isolation, and encourage social connection through shared experiences. The initiative would provide easy-to-use, low- cost resources for homes, libraries, and care settings. It would support lifelong learning and cultural participation through themed, interactive materials. £3,000 Community Film Making ‘Who do we think we are’ We are seeking agreement in principle to explore opportunities and mechanisms for creating video content to help local communities document and share their culture, heritage, traditions and identity through the medium of film. We will engage initially with local colleges/universities to scope the potential engagement of media students. Alternatively, we may look to engage a freelance film maker and editor (subject to costs). The intention would be to start to capture the spirit/essence of people and place as part of the Cultural Roadshows (above). Subject to the success of this year 1 initiative, there may be potential for a follow-up proposal in year 2 or 3, for a film festival which could be toured around geographical locations and hosted online. Furthermore, there is potential to link the content into the existing local film archive held in the museum collection. Throughout 2026/27 £12,000* *costs still TBC dependant on scope. Project may require some additional funding from the year 2 allocation. Total proposals for Spend in Year 1: £50,000 100
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Council Budget 2026/2027 – Outdoor Investment Funding 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide an update on the allocation of the Outdoor Investment monies and seek approval for the allocation of remaining funding [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the update, as provided within the report, be noted; (2) that the proposed allocation of funding, as set out in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the report, be approved; and (3) that it be approved that delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) in respect of allocating the contingency funding, as set out in paragraph 5.4. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The 2026/2027 Budget, agreed at the full South Lanarkshire Council meeting on 26 February 2026, represents a significant and welcome level of investment for our communities, which specifically identified £4.000 million investment for outdoor and recreational enhancements. 3.2. A report was presented to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee on 17 March 2026 which provided further details on the budget investments across Community and Enterprise Resources and included initial proposals for the outdoor and recreational enhancements for Multi Use Games Area (MUGAs) upgrades, upgrade of community assets and bringing underutilised spaces back into community use. This paper provides an update on each category and sets out recommendations for funding. 4. Multi Use Games Areas Upgrades 4.1. £1.000 million was allocated within the budget to accelerate the refurbishment of MUGA’s, including those within school estates, to improve opportunities for sport and play while reducing maintenance issues associated with ageing surfaces. 4.2. Housing and Technical Resources has undertaken a survey of the MUGA estate and have prioritised investment. Design work has been completed, and the works are currently being procured. 12 101
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4.3. The following MUGAs have been identified for an upgrade:- School Location Halfmerke/West Mains Primary School East Kilbride Park View Cambuslang James Aiton Primary School Cambuslang St Leonards Primary School East Kilbride Hunter Primary School East Kilbride Auchinraith Primary School Blantyre David Livingstone Memorial Primary School Blantyre Maxwelton/Greenburn Primary School East Kilbride Bankhead Primary School Rutherglen Muiredge Primary School Uddingston Lanark Primary School Lanark Robert Smillie Primary School Lanark Dalserf Primary School Ashgill Kirkton Primary School Carluke St Peters Primary School Hamilton Forth Primary School Forth Biggar Primary School Biggar Braidwood Primary School Braidwood Libberton Primary School Quothquan Machanhill Primary School Larkhall 4.4. Housing and Technical Resources is leading on the delivery of this aspect of the investment, in consultation with Education Resources. Works are anticipated to start at the end of September 2026 and be completed late February 2027. 4.5. In addition to the above, two pitches are also being refurbished through lifecycle funding, these being at Hareleeshill Primary School, Larkhall and St Vincent’s Primary Schools, East Kilbride. These works are being tendered separately and are due to commence in October and be completed in December 2026. 5. Investment in Community Assets 5.1. Our communities also have a number of other assets which would welcome investment such as former tennis courts, 5 aside pitches, features within parks as well as general enhancements such as pathway improvements, new lighting, to make recreational spaces safer and more inclusive, particularly for children, older adults, and those with mobility challenges. An allocation of £2,000 million was identified within the budget and the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, in March 2026 approved an initial allocation to Overtoun Park Bandstand in Rutherglen (£80,000) and Bothwell Road Park Bandstand in Hamilton (£140,000). 5.2. Restoration works of the Overtoun Park Bandstand is currently on site with works due to complete on 16 October 2026. A contractor has also been appointed for the Bothwell Road Park Bandstand in Hamilton with works due to complete in Spring 2027. 5.3. In consultation with a number of Resources, eligible projects were identified, and an allocation is recommended based on deliverability and geographical distribution, as set out in Appendix 1. 102
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5.4. The balance of funding (£140k) is recommended to be retained as contingency for projects. Smaller scale projects could also be brought forward for consideration which is recommended to be delegated for authority to Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). 6. Investment in Underutilised Spaces to bring back to Community Use 6.1. The intention to bring unused or underutilised spaces back into community use has the potential to revitalise neighbourhoods, unlock local volunteering and community involvement. A £1.000 million allocation has been made to support community groups upgrade outdoor spaces and pitches which will also unlock external funding opportunities and support Community Asset Transfers (CATs). 6.2. Initial community projects approved by the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee in March were Eddlewood Football Club in Hamilton (£150k) and Larkhall Thistle Football Club (£250k) to support funding bids to the Scottish Football Associated (SFA) for the development of improved facilities. Unfortunately, these bids were unsuccessful, however, both clubs have been advised that they are on the reserve list for funding in 2026/2027 should other projects fall through. It is recommended that these awards remain in place to support the reserve position or funding bids to the SFA’s 2027/2028 programme. 6.3. In consultation with a number of Resources, eligible projects were identified, and an allocation is recommended based on deliverability and geographical distribution as set out in Appendix 2. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. To support the delivery of these projects 1 FTE is currently being recruited on a temporary basis (up to 23 months). The cost of this post will me met from this budget which, dependent on grade and commencement of officer could be up to £140k for the period. 8. Financial Implications 8.1. A summary of the financial commitments is set out below against each investment. Investment Budget Commitment MUGAs £1,000,000 £1,000,000 Community Assets £2,000,000 £2,000,000 Community Use £1,000,000 £1,000,000 Total £4,000,000 £4,000,000 9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. Officers will seek to encourage community groups to give consideration to sustainability measures within projects. 10. Risks and Other Implications 10.1. Many of the recommended projects are reliant on delivery by community groups/third parties and in some instances are also reliant on external funding. There is a risk that projects are delayed, or external funding is not realised, and alternative projects require to be brought forward. In this instance further reports will be brought back to the Committee for approval. 11. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 11.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 103
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11.2. Consultation was undertaken with a number of Council Resources. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 21 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee – 17 March 2026 – Infrastructure and Service Investment 2026/2027 and beyond. List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Alison Brown, Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development Tel; 01698 - 454700 Email; alison.brown@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 104
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Appendix 1 – Investment in Community Assets Project Location Description Project Cost Investment Secured Funding Request Comment Overtoun Park Bandstand Rutherglen Replacement of Bandstand following fire damage 442,000 362,000 80,000 Previously approved by the Community and Enterprise Resources (CER) Committee. Works on site and due for completion in October Bothwell Road Park Bandstand Hamilton Replacement of Bandstand 190,000 50,000 140,000 Previously approved by CER Committee. Contractor appointed. Greenhall Footbridge Blantyre Replacement of Footbridge 350,000 0 350,000 Friends of the River Calder involved in the project Murray Tennis Courts East Kilbride Upgrade tennis courts/convert to paddle 350,000 0 350,000 Potential match funding from Tennis Scotland Hamilton Palace Sports Ground Hamilton 2 x tennis/padel courts with canopy in place of existing bowling green. 350,000 0 350,000 Potential match funding from Tennis Scotland Smyllum MUGA Clydesdale Upgrade of MUGA 100,000 0 100,000 Adjacent to play park which is being upgraded, however, concerns remain about condition of MUGA Infrastructure and Path Repairs Clydesdale Infrastructure and Path Repairs at various locations 200,000 0 200,000 Chatelherault Café Roof Hamilton Upgrade to Café roof 150,000 0 150,000 Works required to protect current investment in café. Project Officer Costs All Recruitment underway 140,000 0 140,000 Contingency/smaller scale projects All 140,000 0 140,000 Total £2,412,000 £412,000 £2,000,000 105
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Appendix 2 - Investment in Underutilised Spaces to bring back to Community Use Project Location Description Project Cost Investment Secured Funding Request Comments Eddlewood FC Hamilton New 3G Pitch 1,120,000 250,000 150,000 £250k contributions identified from Developer Contribution. Project on SFA reserve list for 2026/2027, failing which new application will be submitted to SFA for £720k for 2027/2028. Larkhall Thistle FC Larkhall Redevelopment of changing village/community hub 1,000,000 £0 250,000 Project on SFA reserve list for 2026/27, failing which new application will be submitted to SFA for £750k for 2027/2028. Uddingston Sports Club Uddingston Phase 1 of larger project to create a community hub 2,000,000 0 200,000 Private sector funding being secured Biggar Park Biggar Contribution to running costs including golf course, caravan park and boating pond for an initial 18-month period. 200,000 200,000 Community Asset Transfer (CAT) in progress to support the transfer for the Park. Sea Cadet Equipment East Kilbride Equipment at James Hamilton Heritage Park 10,000 0 10,000 Peter Brownlie Pitches Cambuslang Feasibility study to upgrade the pitches from ash to playable surface 30,000 30,000 Community group working on project for 2 years Strathaven Tennis Courts Strathaven Upgrade of tennis courts 100,000 70,000 30,000 Court last upgraded 11 years ago. Group has charitable status and are applying for Renewable Energy Funding (REF) funding. Craighead Park Lesmahagow Feasibility study to develop a Changing Places toilet 80,000 80,000 Stonefield Pitches Blantyre Feasibility study to redevelop site, 2 pitches and pavilion. 30,000 0 30,000 Contingency All 20,000 0 20,000 106
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Project Location Description Project Cost Investment Secured Funding Request Comments Total £4,590,000 £320,000 £1,000,000 107
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Fleet Strategy 2026 to 2030 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- seek approval of the Fleet Strategy 2026 to 2030 to Community and Enterprise Resource Committee for approval 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the contents of the report, be noted; (2) that the Fleet Strategy 2026 to 2030 and the associated framework, be approved; and (3) that the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) be authorised to make any amendments arising from the finalisation and publication process. 3. Background 3.1. South Lanarkshire Council relies on a large and varied fleet to deliver services across the Council area. This includes the vehicles and plant used every day for waste collection, roads maintenance, grounds services, housing repairs, passenger transport, winter response and other frontline operations. The fleet is a core operational asset which directly affects service continuity, public safety and the Council’s ability to meet its statutory responsibilities. 3.2. The Council’s fleet must be safe, legally compliant, reliable and affordable. This is becoming more challenging as the fleet ages and as services face increasing pressure from replacement costs, maintenance demand, supply chain delays, hire costs, fuel price volatility and the need to move towards lower carbon technologies. These pressures require a clear corporate approach rather than decisions being taken only at individual service level. 3.3. Fleet operations also carry important legal and regulatory responsibilities. These include roadworthiness, Operator Licence compliance, drivers’ hours, health and safety, procurement, insurance and environmental performance. A clear Fleet Strategy is, therefore, required to support consistent decision-making, strengthen governance and provide a transparent basis for future investment and service engagement. 13 109
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3.4. In terms of our baseline, the Council operates 1,357 vehicles as of February 2026, across a wide range of services, supported by more than 170 mobile plant assets. These assets collectively support around 10.7 million business miles each year, which illustrates both the scale of the Council’s operational dependency on fleet and the importance of managing it as a corporate asset. 3.5. As report previously the vehicle replacement programme fell significantly behind during and after the Covid period. Supply chain issues and extended vehicle lead-in times disrupted delivery, while the prolonged absence of the previous Fleet Manager, and changing Service demands further affected programme management and progression. 3.6. Recovery is now underway, with greater organisational stability, a much strengthened and better-resourced team, and a more focused approach to vehicle replacement, although a backlog remains and will take time to clear. Fleet Services is also introducing a vehicle repair framework to provide additional capacity during peak periods. 4. Strategic Intent 4.1. The Fleet Strategy, attached at Appendix 1, sets out how the Council intends to manage and modernise its fleet between 2026 and 2030. It provides the corporate framework for making fleet decisions consistently across the Council, from how vehicles are planned and used, through to how they are maintained, replaced and transitioned to lower-emission alternatives. It also supports a risk-based and evidence- led approach to how vehicles are specified, maintained, used, replaced and, where appropriate, transitioned to zero or lower emission alternatives. 4.2. The strategic intent of the Strategy is:- “South Lanarkshire Council will operate a safe, compliant, reliable and financially sustainable fleet which supports essential public services, reduces unnecessary vehicle demand, uses data to make better decisions, improves asset condition, and makes zero and lower emission vehicles the default replacement choice wherever they are operationally viable, infrastructure-ready and affordable.” 4.3. The Strategy recognises that fleet change must be deliverable. The move to zero and lower-emission vehicles is a clear priority, but it must be matched to suitable vehicles, charging infrastructure, affordability and operational resilience. This approach allows the Council to reduce emissions while protecting the essential services that rely on the fleet. 4.4. The Strategy also recognises that the Council must continue to provide reliable vehicles and equipment for essential services while responding to financial pressures and climate change commitments. It does not assume that every vehicle can be replaced on a like-for-like basis, or that every duty cycle is immediately suitable for electric vehicle operation. Decisions will need to take account of operational need, vehicle suitability, charging access, affordability and service resilience. 5. Measuring Success 5.1. The Fleet Strategy sets out what the Council needs its fleet to deliver over the period to 2030. The aim is to have a fleet that is the right size for service need, properly used, safe, compliant, reliable and affordable, while supporting the Council’s move towards lower-emission vehicles where this can be delivered in practice. Success will be measured in delivering this Strategy when:- 110
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The fleet is appropriately sized and underused assets are reduced Vehicles are available, reliable and aligned to operational demand The Council can demonstrate robust compliance across roadworthiness, maintenance, inspections, MOT, defects and driver controls Fleet costs are managed on a whole-life basis, and vehicle removal, renewal and replacement decisions are evidence-led, time-bound and governed through a clear replacement hierarchy Fleet-related emissions reduce in line with Council and national expectations Grey fleet use is limited, controlled and supported by auditable risk-based controls 5.2. We will achieve this by strengthening governance, using better management information, improving utilisation, maintaining clear standards, and planning fleet removal, replacement and decarbonisation in a disciplined, time-bound and affordable way. 5.3. The Strategy recognises that this will not be achieved by replacing vehicles alone. It requires stronger control over how vehicles are requested, allocated, used, retained and replaced. It also requires better information, clearer decision-making and closer engagement between Fleet Services and the services that rely on vehicles and plant to deliver frontline work. 5.4. The Strategy is built around six themes/outcomes, which together describe the fleet operating model the Council is working towards. These outcomes are:- a right-sized, fit-for-purpose fleet safe, compliant and reliable operations efficient, user-centered fleet service reduced Environmental impact best whole-life value travel hierarchy and controlled grey fleet 5.5. A 14-point action plan has been developed with clear ownership, baselines, sequencing and target dates defined. Progress will be tracked through a monitoring framework in the Strategy and defined measures. This will allow the Council to see whether the fleet is becoming better used, more reliable, more affordable to operate and lower in emissions over time. It will also help identify where further action is needed, particularly where vehicles are underused, retained beyond review point, or creating pressure through downtime, hire, fuel use or incident cost. 5.6. The Fleet Asset Management Plan, discussed as a later item today, will support this by providing the more detailed annual view of fleet condition, performance, risk and improvement. 6. Lower Emission Fleet 6.1. The Fleet Strategy sets out the following phased approach to reducing emissions from the Council’s road fleet. The direction is clear: zero and lower-emission vehicles will be considered as the default replacement choice wherever they are suitable for the work required, supported by the necessary infrastructure and affordable on a whole- life basis. 111
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Phase 1 - 2026 to 2027: replacement cars and suitable light and medium vans to be assessed for battery electric as the default replacement outcome, prioritising depot-based charging and predictable duty cycles, where charging infrastructure, range, payload, access, service impact and affordability are viable, unless an approved exception is made through the Council’s fleet replacement decision hierarchy Phase 2 - 2027 to 2030: expanded light commercial coverage, targeted specialist conversions and early adoption options for heavier assets where viable Longer-term pathway: broader heavy fleet and specialist transition as technology, infrastructure and funding mature beyond the current strategy period 6.2. The Strategy does not propose a simple like-for-like replacement programme, or a blanket move to electric vehicles regardless of operational impact. Each replacement decision will be tested through the fleet replacement decision hierarchy. This means first considering whether the vehicle is still required, then whether demand can be met differently, before assessing battery electric or other lower-emission options. Petrol or diesel vehicles in the short / medium term will only continue to be selected where there is a clear and recorded operational reason. 6.3. As noted earlier, the early focus will be on the parts of the fleet where transition is most deliverable. Cars, pool vehicles and suitable light vans offer the clearest opportunities, particularly where journeys are predictable and charging can be provided at depots or regular parking locations. These areas allow the Council to make progress while limiting the risk to frontline service delivery. 6.4. The transition for heavy, specialist and high-demand operational vehicles is more complex. For these assets, the Strategy recognises that vehicle availability, payload, range, charging time, depot capacity, service resilience and cost can all affect whether a zero-emission option is currently viable. 6.5. During the strategy period, these areas will, therefore, be progressed through trials, market testing, infrastructure planning and business cases where suitable options emerge, recognising that there is not currently a fully deliverable route map for large- scale heavy fleet decarbonisation within existing budget. 6.6. Charging infrastructure is central to delivery. The Strategy makes clear that fleet decarbonisation cannot be delivered by vehicle replacement alone. It will require a credible charging and depot energy roadmap, including site assessments, electricity network engagement, power upgrade planning, charging standards, resilience arrangements and phased investment decisions. 6.7. The Strategy also recognises the financial reality of transition. Existing fleet replacement budgets are intended to renew vehicles, but they do not by themselves provide the full enabling investment needed for most expensive vehicles, charging infrastructure, depot works, electrical upgrades, trials, training and wider operational change. Delivery will, therefore, need to be phased and supported by approved business cases, capital investment and external funding opportunities where available. 6.8. This approach is intended to maintain ambition while remaining deliverable. It allows the Council to reduce emissions where there is a sound operational and financial case, while protecting safety, compliance, service continuity and value for money. 112
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7. Governance, Decision Gateways and Policy Map 7.1. The Fleet Strategy strengthens governance by making clear that fleet decisions should be taken through a consistent strategic process, rather than through isolated service requests. This is particularly important for replacement planning, vehicle retention, decarbonisation, charging infrastructure and any decisions which may affect cost, compliance or service resilience. 7.2. A central part of this approach is the introduction of decision gateways. These will require key fleet decisions to be supported by evidence before they are approved. In practice, this means that replacement requests will need to consider continued service need, utilisation, vehicle condition, whole-life cost and lower-emission options. It also means that vehicle specification and any expanded use of telematics or fleet data will be subject to clearer scrutiny and governance before implementation. 7.3. The replacement gateway is particularly important. Services will need to engage with Fleet Services within defined timescales, and any request to retain a vehicle beyond its review point, or to replace it with a petrol or diesel vehicle, will need to be justified and recorded. Support will also be required from corporate functions to progress financial evaluation and procurement stages of replacement programme. 7.4. Delivery will be supported by governance arrangements involving Fleet Services, operational services and relevant corporate functions. This will allow fleet demand, replacement priorities, infrastructure requirements, cost pressures and delivery risks to be reviewed in a more structured and transparent way. 7.5. The Strategy will also be supported by a policy map, bringing the following related fleet policies and procedures into a clearer framework. This will help ensure that supporting controls remain aligned with the Strategy and are reviewed consistently as fleet operations, technology and service requirements change. Fleet management policy and procedures, including establishment, replacement hierarchy, review timescales, extension controls and procurement approvals Driver licence, authorisation and competence controls Vehicle defect reporting and stop-use arrangements Telematics and data governance arrangements Grey fleet policy and minimum standards Charging and infrastructure arrangements Accident and incident reporting procedures 7.6. Further engagement will continue through the development of Operational Fleet User Group, Decarbonisation and Infrastructure Group, a new Heads of Service Strategic Fleet Forum, service demand meetings and replacement planning discussions. Feedback received has already informed the Strategy’s focus on operational viability, affordability, compliance, service resilience, charging infrastructure, workshop capacity, utilisation and whole-life cost. 7.7. Overall, these arrangements are intended to provide stronger accountability and better visibility of the decisions required to deliver the Strategy. 8. Consultation and Engagement 8.1. The Fleet Strategy has been developed through internal review of fleet data, operational requirements, asset condition, replacement planning, compliance performance, maintenance pressures, hire demand, fuel use, decarbonisation requirements and service feedback. 113
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8.2. Engagement has taken place with relevant Council services and support functions to understand operational requirements, replacement priorities, affordability, charging constraints, procurement requirements and the practical implications of fleet transition. 8.3. As the Strategy relates to Council fleet assets and operational service delivery, consultation has focused on internal services and key stakeholders rather than public consultation. This approach is appropriate because the Strategy provides an operational framework for Council vehicles and plant rather than introducing public- facing transport schemes. 8.4. The Strategy has also been informed by the wider consultation and engagement undertaken for the Local Transport Strategy, particularly in relation to sustainable transport, low emission vehicles, asset management, road safety, technology and the need to balance future ambition with available resources. 9. Employee Implications 9.1. Delivering the Fleet Strategy will require continued input from employees across Fleet Services and wider Council services. This includes workshop employees, fleet compliance staff, passenger transport staff, procurement and finance officers, operational managers, drivers, support services, and employees involved in charging infrastructure, health and safety and service planning. 9.2. The transition to new vehicle technologies, including battery electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure, will require ongoing training, skills development and safe systems of work. This will be particularly important for workshop employees, drivers, supervisors and services operating specialist vehicles. 9.3. The Strategy also recognises the importance of workshop capacity and workforce resilience. Any ongoing shortage of skilled mechanics or technical resources may affect vehicle availability, maintenance performance and the Council's ability to respond to an ageing fleet. 9.4. There are no immediate changes to employee terms and conditions arising directly from the approval and publication of this Strategy. However, individual projects or service changes developed under the Strategy will be subject to appropriate engagement, consultation and governance where required. 9.5. The Strategy supports the Council's wider workforce priorities by recognising the need for appropriate skills, safe working practices, employee engagement and clear communication as fleet technology, data use and service delivery requirements continue to change. 10. Financial Implications 10.1. The Fleet Strategy does not in itself commit the Council to additional expenditure. However, delivery of the Strategy will require consideration of capital and revenue implications planning over the strategy period. 10.2. A key action set out in the action plan is to strengthen our approach to whole-life cost modelling by vehicle class and use it to support replacement planning and the development of a phased/structured financial plan. 114
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10.3. The Strategy does, however, set out the scale of the financial pressure associated with operating and maintaining the Council’s fleet. In 2025/2026, identified direct fleet- related expenditure was approximately £16.84 million. This included £7.42 million on vehicle leasing, £3.4 million on maintenance and repairs, £3.54 million on fuel and energy, £1.67 million on casual hire, £0.70 million on accident damage and insurance- related costs, and around £0.10 million on end-of-life and lease return costs. 10.4. Appendix 2 provides representative examples across 13 replacement vehicle types demonstrating the scale of movement across and range of elements including leasing and maintenance costs. 10.5. These costs show why fleet decisions cannot be considered only in terms of the purchase or lease cost of a vehicle. A vehicle that is retained for too long may avoid immediate replacement cost, but it can also increase maintenance demand, downtime, hire reliance, fuel use and end-of-life costs. Equally, a lower-emission vehicle may support the Council’s environmental objectives, but it must be considered alongside charging infrastructure, operational suitability and whole-life affordability. 10.6. Fleet decisions need to be made on a whole-life basis rather than by looking only at the purchase or lease cost of a vehicle. Replacement, retention, hire, maintenance, fuel, infrastructure and service impact all need to be considered together if the Council is to manage fleet cost, risk and service resilience effectively. 10.7. A key aim of the Strategy is to strengthen financial control by ensuring that decisions on vehicle retention, replacement, hire, specification and infrastructure are supported by evidence. The Strategy, therefore, supports a more balanced approach, based on service need, affordability, operational risk and whole-life value. 10.8. The Strategy also recognises that delaying replacement generally reduce short-term expenditure but can increase whole-life cost, maintenance demand, vehicle downtime, hire reliance, emissions and compliance risk. A balanced and risk-based approach to investment is, therefore, required. 10.9. External funding and partnership opportunities will be considered where available, particularly in relation to low emission vehicles, charging infrastructure and innovation. However, these funding streams are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for delivery. However, managing fleet financial pressures within individual Service budgets is becoming no longer sustainable and as part of the overall Council’s budget, these costs will require to be considered. 11. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 11.1. The Fleet Strategy supports the Council's wider climate change, sustainability and transport objectives by setting out a structured approach to reducing emissions from Council fleet operations. 11.2. Battery electric vehicles will initially be the default consideration where suitable, but decisions will also take account of operational viability, charging infrastructure, including range, payload, towing requirements, charging access, service time, resilience, whole-life cost and affordability. 11.3. The Strategy also recognises that charging infrastructure is a key dependency. Fleet decarbonisation cannot be delivered by vehicle replacement alone and will require reliable, accessible and resilient charging arrangements across operational sites. 115
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11.4. The Strategy supports reductions in fuel use and emissions through improved utilisation, route planning, driver behaviour, vehicle specification, replacement planning and better data reporting. 12. Risk and Other Implications 12.1. The key risks associated with the Strategy relate to funding availability, fleet age, vehicle supply, charging infrastructure, workshop capacity, technology suitability, compliance requirements and operational service demand. 12.2. There is a real risk that insufficient investment in fleet replacement and maintenance will increase vehicle downtime, hire costs, emissions, compliance risk and pressure on frontline service delivery. 12.3. There is also a risk that decarbonisation targets cannot be achieved at the required pace if suitable vehicles, charging infrastructure, grid capacity, funding or operational conditions are not available. The Strategy, therefore, adopts an evidence-led approach which prioritises battery electric vehicles where viable, while allowing clear operational justification where alternative solutions are required 12.4. There are no specific legal implications arising directly from the approval to publish the Strategy. However, the Strategy supports compliance with relevant fleet, roadworthiness, procurement, health and safety, drivers' hours, operator licensing and environmental requirements. 13. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation requirements 13.1. The Fleet Strategy will be subject to the Council's Integrated Impact Assessment process prior to final publication. The assessment will consider relevant equalities, human rights, children's rights, Fairer Scotland, health inequalities, sustainability and socio-economic considerations. 13.2. The Strategy is primarily an operational asset and service support strategy. However, it has wider relevance because fleet assets support essential services relied upon by residents, service users, employees and communities across South Lanarkshire. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient, and transparent Ambitious, self-aware, and improving Fair, open and sustainable Excellent employer We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress and improve Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Inspiring learners, transforming learning, strengthening partnerships 116
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Previous References Note of Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Agenda of 31 March 2020 – Delegated Decisions taken by the Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders – Fleet Strategy 2020 to 2025 List of Background Papers Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 Draft Fleet Strategy 2026 - 2030 Corporate Asset Management Plan Council Plan 2022 - 2027 Community Plan 2022 - 2032 Local Transport Strategy 2026 - 2036 Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Colin Park, Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Ext: 4484 (Tel: 01698 454484) E-mail: Colin.Park@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 117
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Appendix 1 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL FLEET STRATEGY 2026-2030 NEW STRATEGY VERSION - WORKING DRAFT Prepared by Ian Mulholland, Team Leader – Fleet Management, Fleet Services Version 2.1 - redrafted working copy Status For internal review and refinement Date July 2026 Strategic intent South Lanarkshire Council will operate a safe, compliant, reliable and financially sustainable fleet which supports essential public services, reduces unnecessary vehicle demand, uses data to make better decisions, improves asset condition, and makes zero and lower emission vehicles the default replacement choice wherever they are operationally viable, infrastructure-ready and affordable DOCUMENT CONTROL Document title South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 Document owner Fleet Services Purpose Strategic framework for fleet planning, compliance, service delivery, utilisation, replacement and decarbonisation Related documents Fleet Asset Management Plan, fleet policies, driver authorisation and competence controls, defect reporting procedures, telematics governance, grey fleet controls, charging and infrastructure arrangements 13 119
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft FOREWORD Fleet Services is pleased to introduce South Lanarkshire Council's Fleet Strategy 2026-2030. The Council's fleet is a critical corporate asset. It enables essential services, supports frontline operations, protects employees and the public, and represents the Council in communities across South Lanarkshire every day. It must therefore be safe, reliable, efficient and fit for purpose. This Strategy sets out how the Council will manage and modernise its fleet over the period to 2030. It establishes a clear direction for fleet size, vehicle replacement, compliance, service performance, environmental improvement and whole-life value. Safety will remain the priority. A safe fleet is also a reliable and efficient fleet. Through stronger governance, better use of data, improved utilisation, disciplined replacement planning and a measured transition to lower-emission vehicles, the Council will improve assurance while supporting frontline service delivery. In a challenging financial and operational environment, the Council must ensure that it has the right vehicles, in the right numbers, used effectively, maintained to a high standard, and removed or replaced only where there is a clear operational and financial case. This Strategy therefore sets a clear, time-bound framework for fleet review and replacement. It makes clear that retention beyond planned review or replacement point is not the default position, and that replacement decisions must follow the Council’s fleet replacement decision hierarchy. PURPOSE OF THE FLEET STRATEGY The purpose of this Strategy is to provide a clear corporate framework for managing and modernising South Lanarkshire Council's fleet between 2026 and 2030. The Council operates a large and diverse fleet that supports a wide range of essential services, including refuse collection, cleansing, winter maintenance, passenger transport, operational supervision and mobile response, together with associated plant and equipment. This fleet must continue to meet operational needs while also responding to financial pressures, compliance expectations and environmental commitments. This Strategy brings together the Council's approach to fleet establishment, procurement, replacement, maintenance, compliance, data and technology, and decarbonisation into one integrated document. It is intended to support evidence-based decision making, provide a stronger basis for corporate oversight, ensure that fleet resources are planned and managed consistently across the organisation, and make clear that fleet review and replacement decisions are subject to defined governance and timescales. Current baseline The Council’s fleet represents a significant and recurring area of expenditure across vehicle lease, maintenance, fuel, hired vehicles, accident damage, external repairs, tyres, parts, infrastructure and end-of-life costs. A clearer understanding of these costs is essential to support whole-life value decisions, replacement planning, right-sizing and decarbonisation. Fleet size 1,357 vehicles as at February 2026, across 40 plus vehicle types Mobile plant More than 170 assets Business mileage Approximately 10.7 million business miles in financial year 2025/26 120
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Identified Direct Fleet-Related Expenditure 2025/2026 Cost area Expenditure Commentary Vehicle lease £7,422,907 Gross vehicle leasing expenditure across the Council fleet. Maintenance and repairs £3,401,208 Internal and external maintenance and repair spend required to keep vehicles safe, compliant and available for service delivery. Fuel and energy £3,538,612 Includes fuel, electricity and gas costs associated with fleet operations. Casual hire £1,673,310 Short-term hire supporting service delivery, including vehicle off-road (VOR), replacement delays and additional operational demand. Accident damage and insurance-related costs £703,564 Costs associated with accident damage and related fleet insurance claims. End-of-life and lease return costs £99,635 Costs linked to vehicle condition, disposal and lease return. TOTAL £16.84 million - Scope • Council owned and leased vehicles, including cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs), Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCVs), Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and specialist bodies. • Mobile plant and equipment where managed within Fleet Services scope. • Fleet operations including procurement, maintenance, compliance, fuelling, charging and disposal. • Fleet-related systems including fleet management, fuel management and telematics. • Grey fleet use (private vehicles used for Council business) and hired vehicles are included where the Council sets or relies on governance, assurance or standards to deliver services This Strategy does not replace operational service plans. It sets corporate requirements and provides a delivery framework that services must work within. National Policy & Legislative Context This Strategy has been developed in the context of current Scottish Government policy, relevant statutory duties and the Council’s wider corporate responsibilities. It provides a practical framework for managing and modernising South Lanarkshire Council’s fleet between 2026 and 2030, while allowing detailed delivery plans, investment decisions and non-statutory targets to be confirmed through the Council’s governance arrangements. At a national level, this Strategy aligns with Scotland’s National Transport Strategy 2 (NTS2), which remains the long- term framework for transport policy and continues to be supported through active delivery planning. For the Council, this supports a more disciplined approach to travel demand, better use of pooled and shared assets, reduced unnecessary mileage, and clearer application of the travel hierarchy where remote working, public transport or other alternatives are suitable. This Strategy also reflects the Council’s duties as a Scottish public body under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and associated statutory guidance. The Just Transition Principles set out in section 35C of the 2009 Act establish expectations for emissions reduction to be pursued in a way that supports fair work, sustainable jobs, low- carbon investment, and social consensus. For South Lanarkshire Council, this supports a phased and evidence-led 121
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft transition which takes account of service need, affordability, infrastructure readiness, workforce readiness and operational risk. This also aligns with Scotland’s statutory commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2045 and the continuing national policy direction for public sector fleet decarbonisation. The Council recognises the direction of travel set out in emerging Scottish Government fleet decarbonisation planning, while noting that delivery at local level must remain subject to confirmed funding, infrastructure readiness, operational viability and service resilience. The Strategy is also informed by Scotland’s circular economy framework, including the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030. For fleet, this strengthens the case for whole-life value, standardisation, repairability, refurbishment, economic life extension where justified, and more robust consideration of reuse, remanufacture and end-of-life arrangements in procurement and replacement planning. Safety remains the first principle of this Strategy. In that respect, the Council’s approach aligns with Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030, which remains active and is supported through ongoing progress reporting and delivery planning. This supports the Council’s emphasis on safe vehicles, clear driver standards, data-led intervention, reduction of avoidable collisions, and the use of telematics and management information to strengthen assurance and improve behaviour. The Council is also an active member of the Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA), supporting shared learning and consistent good practice in managing occupational road risk aligned to the Framework. The Council is represented on the ScORSA Steering Group, helping to shape and apply best practice across the sector. In relation to data and technology, the Council will continue to develop telematics, reporting and digital fleet management tools in a controlled and proportionate way. Where predictive analytics or AI-enabled tools are considered, these will be adopted only where there are a clear operational use case, appropriate governance, transparency, data protection assessment, human oversight and measurable benefit. In this respect, the Scottish AI Playbook is a useful supporting reference for responsible adoption, but it is not in itself a target or delivery commitment. Accordingly, this Strategy sets a direction of travel rather than fixed non-statutory commitments. Decisions on the timing, scale and funding of fleet change will remain subject to operational need, affordability, market maturity, infrastructure availability, safety considerations and corporate approval. Funding and investment approach Delivery budgets cover normal vehicle and plant replacement where the operational need is unchanged and the best value option is confirmed through appraisal. Where decarbonisation requires additional infrastructure, depot power upgrades, trials, or any material change to how the service operates, this will be progressed as a separate business case through the Council’s approval process. There is currently no budget for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Moving forward and recognising competing pressures across a range of priority Council areas, charging infrastructure will require to be funded through a combination of capital allocation, targeted reallocation within existing budgets, and external grant funding where available. Grant opportunities and other schemes will be actively pursued to accelerate delivery. Where match funding or upfront contributions are required, the business case will set out the Council contribution, proposed funding source, and benefits, and will not proceed without confirmed affordability and approval. 122
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Approval and accountability: • Service (Resource) initiates request for an additional vehicle and/or replacement, confirming the operational requirement, duty cycle, location, and any constraints. • Fleet Manager develops the appraisal and business case; services confirm operational need; • Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services approves Corporate prioritisation and any redistribution; • Finance confirms affordability and capital programme alignment; • Procurement, Legal and Estates support delivery route, compliance and site works. Delivery reality and phased transition The Council’s ambition is to reduce fleet emissions and move towards a lower-emission fleet wherever this is operationally viable, affordable and supported by the necessary infrastructure. However, the transition to a fully zero-emission fleet cannot be delivered through existing fleet replacement budgets alone. Vehicle replacement funding supports the renewal of assets, but it does not currently provide the full enabling investment required for depot charging infrastructure, electrical upgrades, heavy fleet trials, specialist vehicle transition, training and wider operational change. The position is therefore clear: without additional capital funding, external grant support, or approved redistribution of relevant investment delivery of a fully zero-emission fleet by 2030 will be challenging. This is particularly the case for heavy and specialist vehicles. At this stage, there is no fully deliverable route map for large-scale heavy fleet decarbonisation within existing budgets, due to technology maturity, infrastructure requirements, payload, duty cycle, resilience and whole-life cost challenges. During this strategy period, the Council will therefore focus on trials, market testing, infrastructure planning and business cases where viable options emerge. The cost challenge is also most significant in heavy and specialist fleet. Light electric vans are moving closer to diesel price parity, although published UK fleet examples still show an upfront electric premium of several thousand pounds after grant support. For heavy fleet, the gap is materially greater. Published council procurement examples show conventional refuse collection vehicles costing around £250,000 per vehicle, while an electric refuse collection vehicle trial vehicle was reported at £423,000, before wider infrastructure implications are considered. Published HGV analysis also indicates that battery electric HGV total cost of ownership can remain around 11% to 33% higher than diesel depending on assumptions. Service-level transition assessments will consider not only vehicle suitability and infrastructure availability, but also the operational impact on services, including charging time, travel to and from charging locations, out-of-hours access and safety, range, payload, resilience, staff productivity and any additional service cost This Strategy therefore takes a phased and evidence-led approach over the 2026 to 2030 period. The Council will prioritise the areas where change is most achievable first, including cars, light commercial vehicles, pool vehicles and assets with predictable duty cycles. Heavy and specialist fleet transition will be progressed through trials, market testing, infrastructure planning and business cases where operational viability and affordability can be demonstrated. Where lower-emission transition creates indirect or service-level costs, these will be captured within the appraisal and business case so that decisions reflect the full operational impact and not vehicle cost alone This approach is not a reduction in ambition. It is a practical delivery position. It recognises that fleet decarbonisation must be planned, funded and sequenced properly if it is to protect service delivery, maintain statutory compliance and avoid creating avoidable operational risk. Heavy and specialist zero-emission options will therefore require separate business cases, external funding where available, and phased implementation so that capital cost, depot infrastructure, operational suitability and service resilience are properly understood before large- 123
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft scale commitment. Progress will depend on clear governance, confirmed investment routes, external funding opportunities and annual review of what is technically and financially deliverable. OUR FLEET STRATEGY GOALS South Lanarkshire Council will be successful in delivering this Strategy when: • The fleet is appropriately sized and underused assets are reduced. • Vehicles are available, reliable and aligned to operational demand. • The Council can demonstrate robust compliance across roadworthiness, maintenance, inspections, MOT, defects and driver controls. • Fleet costs are managed on a whole-life basis, and vehicle removal, renewal and replacement decisions are evidence-led, time-bound and governed through a clear replacement hierarchy. • Fleet-related emissions reduce in line with Council and national expectations. • Grey fleet use is limited, controlled and supported by auditable risk-based controls. We will achieve this by strengthening governance, using better management information, improving utilisation, maintaining clear standards, and planning fleet removal, replacement and decarbonisation in a disciplined, time- bound and affordable way. HOW TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS The Council will deliver this Strategy through six connected themes: demand management and right-sizing; safe and compliant operations; efficient fleet service delivery; whole-life value; transition to lower-emission technologies; and travel hierarchy with controlled grey fleet. The period covered by this Strategy is not a steady-state replacement cycle. The Council is managing a concentration of vehicles that are due or overdue for review/replacement, and must therefore operate a controlled multi-year replacement recovery programme. This recovery approach will prioritise safety, compliance, service criticality, operational need, whole-life value and decarbonisation opportunity, so that historic slippage is addressed in a planned and affordable way rather than through reactive extension, casual hire or unplanned revenue pressure. Vehicles will be procured, removed and replaced through a structured approach that considers operational suitability, safety, environmental performance, warranty and support arrangements, standardisation opportunities, and whole-life cost rather than headline acquisition cost alone. Where vehicles reach planned review or replacement point, services will be required to engage within defined timescales so that vehicle decisions are not delayed by default. Method of delivery • Use national and regional frameworks where suitable, alongside compliant local procurement arrangements, to secure value and support standardisation. • Use whole-life cost assessment and operational evaluation of vehicles and technologies before large-scale adoption. • Operate a rolling replacement programme informed by age criteria, condition, maintenance history, utilisation and whole-life value, with formal review points for removal, renewal or replacement. • Apply time-bound utilisation and replacement controls so that non-replacement remains the default unless continuing service need is evidenced, and any delay, extension or exception is formally justified and approved. 124
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft • Develop fleet management and vehicle tracking systems to improve management information, utilisation insight and driver behaviour visibility. ENSURING A FIT-FOR-PURPOSE FLEET Strategic outcomes describe what the Council expects the fleet to deliver. Each outcome has practical priorities, measures and governance so that progress remains visible and controllable. Outcome 1: Right-sized, fit-for-purpose fleet The Council will maintain a right-sized fleet with the right vehicles in the right locations to support effective service delivery. Fleet assets will be kept under review to ensure that provision reflects operational need, utilisation and value for money. When vehicles reach planned review or replacement point, services will be required to confirm need within defined timescales so that underused, surplus or no longer viable assets are removed or replaced on a controlled basis. Key delivery priorities • Apply utilisation standards by vehicle class and service type, supported by telematics and fleet system reporting. • Introduce a formal, time-bound replacement decision gateway that requires all vehicle removals, renewals and replacements to pass through the Council’s fleet replacement decision hierarchy before approval. • Increase pooling and shared assets where duty cycles allow, including short-term hire or pay-as-you-go options where appropriate. • Use telematics and fleet data as active management tools to inform utilisation decisions, identify inefficient deployment, support replacement evidence, reduce idling and improve driver behaviour, within agreed governance and privacy controls. Outcome 2: Safe, compliant and reliable operations The Council will maintain a safe, compliant and reliable fleet that meets legal duties, protects employees and the public, and provides clear assurance to senior management. Compliance is a core strategic requirement, not a secondary consequence of fleet activity. For Operator-Licensed and safety-critical assets, roadworthiness assurance, inspection quality, MOT performance, defect rectification and regulatory readiness must be treated as matters of corporate control as well as operational delivery. Key delivery priorities • Maintain robust servicing, inspection and MOT compliance with clear escalation and stop-use controls. • Maintain a formal roadworthiness assurance approach for operator-licensed and safety-critical assets, including pre-test quality controls, repeat defect analysis, compliance reporting and escalation of material trends. • Strengthen defect reporting and rectification with measurable closure times and accountability. • Maintain driver licence checking and driver competence controls proportionate to risk, with evidence retained. • Use telematics and vehicle data to identify safety risks, support interventions and reduce collisions. • Maintain appropriate vehicle standards for safety, including specification controls for new vehicles. 125
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Outcome 3: Efficient, user-centred fleet service The Council will provide a fleet service that is responsive, efficient and aligned to operational requirements. Fleet Services will work with service users to improve communication, reduce avoidable downtime and support service continuity. Delivery of a safe, reliable and lower-emission fleet depends not only on vehicle replacement but also on sufficient workshop capacity, depot readiness, technical competence and workforce sustainability. The Council’s fleet ambitions must therefore be supported by a resilient maintenance function, realistic capacity planning and timely action where labour market conditions or infrastructure constraints threaten delivery. Key delivery priorities • Agree service standards for Fleet Services, including availability, turnaround and defect response times and customer communication. • Optimise the workshop delivery model and capacity planning to improve productivity and vehicle availability. • Maintain workforce and depot capability plans that address workshop capacity, recruitment pressures, technical training, maintenance readiness and operational resilience. • Continue to use planned maintenance scheduling to minimise service disruption. • Develop agreed service standards, escalation routes and quality assurance arrangements for the use of approved external repair providers, to support faster return to service while maintaining compliance control. • Standardise specifications where possible to reduce parts variety, improve familiarity and lower whole-life costs. Outcome 4: Reduced environmental impact The Council will reduce the environmental impact of its fleet through lower-emission vehicles, cleaner operations and reduced unnecessary demand. Carbon reduction depends not only on cleaner vehicles but also on having fewer vehicles and fewer avoidable miles. The Council will also seek to ensure that fleet decarbonisation is delivered in a way that is practical, aligned to depot and local network constraints, and fair. Where infrastructure investment is being considered, priority should be given to locations where operational benefit, network readiness, air quality improvement, access and wider community value can be demonstrated together. This may include joint working with Housing, Property and other local partners where shared infrastructure opportunities would improve delivery, resilience or value. Key delivery priorities • Adopt battery electric as the default replacement option for cars and suitable vans where operationally viable, subject to assessment of charging infrastructure, range, payload, access to chargers, service delivery impact, resilience and affordability. Any departure from battery electric replacement will require a documented exception and approval through the replacement decision hierarchy. • Develop action plan for transition of heavy fleet and specialist assets as technology/infrastructure options mature. • Reduce idling and inefficient driving behaviours using policy, training and telematics reporting. • Benchmark carbon reduction performance with other local authorities and report progress consistently. • Use fleet decarbonisation projects to support wider place benefit where this aligns with operational need, including joint planning with Housing, Property and relevant partners on locations where charging infrastructure could support both council operations and local access. • Prioritise charging and lower-emission interventions in locations where fleet demand, infrastructure readiness, air quality and community impact are strongest. 126
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft • Review underused pool and shared-use assets to determine whether demand would be better met through lower-cost shared mobility, short-term hire or on-demand low-emission vehicle provision. • Apply a proportionate place and community impact assessment to major fleet decarbonisation proposals so that decisions consider operational need, affordability, access, resilience and wider local benefit. Outcome 5: Best whole-life value The Council will secure best whole-life value from fleet assets by balancing cost, reliability, operational need, risk and sustainability. Best whole-life value also requires the Council to reduce avoidable revenue leakage arising from delayed replacement, excessive downtime, casual hire, incident damage and ageing-asset maintenance pressure. These costs should be managed as part of the fleet value equation, rather than treated as separate operational issues. Replacement cycles will be reviewed against evidence, with retention beyond planned review or replacement point requiring formal approval, a documented justification and a time-limited extension. Economic life extension must only be considered when it does not undermine safety, serviceability, resilience or overall value. Key delivery priorities • Maintain and improve whole-life cost modelling by vehicle class, including lease, maintenance, fuel or energy, downtime and residual risk. • Use evidence-based and time-bound replacement decisions, with extensions beyond planned review point permitted only where justified, approved and subject to recorded review. • Reduce avoidable end-of-lease charges through condition standards, driver accountability and timely repairs. • Reduce avoidable revenue pressure from casual hire, unplanned downtime, incident damage and ageing-asset maintenance exposure through tighter monitoring, challenge and earlier intervention. • Continue to review costs across the fleet, including external repair spend and parts procurement. Outcome 6: Travel hierarchy and controlled grey fleet The Council will reduce unnecessary travel and strengthen control of grey fleet through a clear travel hierarchy and a risk-based exception process. Grey fleet should be treated as an exception rather than a default. Consideration should also be given to whether the journey is necessary, effective and productive, including whether the same outcome could be achieved through remote contact, route planning, shared travel, a Council vehicle or another more efficient option. This is important not only for compliance and insurance assurance, but also for consistency of control, visibility of business mileage, management of road risk and support for wider fleet and emissions objectives. Key delivery priorities • Apply a travel hierarchy: avoid travel where possible, use remote options, use public transport where suitable, use Council vehicles and only then consider grey fleet. • Implement a risk-based grey fleet control process covering licence, insurance, MOT and vehicle serviceability, with exceptions justified and auditable. • Where grey fleet is permitted, set minimum vehicle standards and record evidence within a controlled system. • Require business justification and management approval before grey fleet is used, with evidence that the travel hierarchy has been applied. • Maintain visibility of grey fleet usage, mileage and exception volumes so that trends, repeat use and areas of avoidable demand can be identified and challenged. • Keep grey fleet controls aligned with wider driver, safety, travel and emissions arrangements so that grey fleet is not operating outside normal fleet governance. 127
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS The Council’s fleet cost allocation, approval and replacement arrangements should support timely evidence-based decision making and should not incentivise retention of overdue assets where this increases whole-life cost, compliance risk or service disruption. Proposed governance structure Fleet Strategy Board - quarterly: senior sponsor plus Fleet Services, Finance, Procurement, Health and Safety, and key service representatives. Operational Fleet User Group - four-weekly: Fleet Services and service managers to review establishment, utilisation, replacement pipeline and performance issues. Decarbonisation and Infrastructure Group – four-weekly: Fleet, Property, Roads, Sustainability and other relevant partners to coordinate charging and depot energy delivery. Decision gateways Replacement gateway: evidence of service need, utilisation, condition, whole-life cost, alternatives, replacement hierarchy assessment, required response times and any approved exception or extension. Specification gateway: standardisation, safety requirements, operational evaluation and whole-life cost sign-off. Telematics and data gateway: data governance, privacy assessment, union engagement and clearly defined use cases before roll-out. Fleet replacement decision hierarchy and review timescales All vehicle removals, renewals and replacements shall follow a mandatory fleet replacement decision hierarchy. This is intended to ensure that vehicle decisions are consistent, evidence-led, financially responsible and aligned to the Council’s environmental objectives. When a vehicle reaches its planned review point, replacement point or approved economic life, the Service must work with Fleet Services to determine the appropriate outcome. Retention of a vehicle beyond that point will not be treated as the default position. The decision hierarchy is as follows: 1. Remove from use / do not replace The first question is whether the vehicle is still required. Services must demonstrate continued operational need, supported by utilisation, service demand and consideration of alternatives such as pooling, sharing, hire or changed methods of delivery. 2. Replace with battery electric vehicle where viable Where a replacement vehicle is required, battery electric shall be treated as the default option for cars and suitable vans where it is operationally viable. Assessment should consider duty cycle, payload, range, towing requirement, charging access, site infrastructure, resilience and whole-life cost. 3. Consider other lower-emission or alternative fuel options Where battery electric is not currently viable, the next step is to assess whether another lower-emission vehicle or technology is suitable and represents a justified operational and environmental improvement. 128
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft 4. Internal combustion engine (ICE) by exception only An ICE vehicle may only be approved where the service can evidence that options 1 to 3 have been properly assessed and discounted on operational, technical, infrastructure, financial or resilience grounds. Any such approval must be recorded as a formal exception. Fleet Services will issue a replacement review notice in advance of the planned review or replacement point. Services will be required to respond within the stated period and confirm whether the vehicle is to be removed, replaced with a battery electric vehicle, replaced with another lower-emission option, or exceptionally replaced with an ICE vehicle. Where a service seeks an outcome other than removal from use or battery electric replacement, it must submit a documented business case within the required timescale. The business case must set out the operational, technical, infrastructure, financial or resilience reasons why the higher-ranked options are not suitable. Where no response or business case is received within the required timescale, Fleet Services will proceed on the default approved basis. This will be either removal from use where continued need has not been evidenced, or replacement in accordance with the fleet replacement decision hierarchy. Any request to retain a vehicle beyond its planned review or replacement point must be formally justified, approved and time limited. Extension of vehicle life should only be agreed where it represents a sound whole-life value decision and does not undermine safety, reliability, serviceability or wider strategic objectives. For the purposes of this Strategy, the standard review timescale will be: • Replacement review notice issued 9 to 12 months before planned replacement or review date • Service response required within 20 working days • Full business case required within 30 working days where an exception is sought • Any approved extension beyond planned review date to be time-limited and subject to recorded review Detailed replacement cycles, review criteria, extension rules and approval requirements will be set out in Appendix 2 and supporting fleet management procedures. Roles and responsibilities Clear accountability is required if the Council’s fleet governance arrangements are to operate effectively. Services are responsible for evidencing operational needs, responding within defined review timescales, justifying requested exceptions and supporting efficient utilisation of allocated vehicles. Fleet Services is responsible for technical assurance, application of the replacement decision hierarchy, fleet standards, compliance monitoring, replacement planning, utilisation challenge and performance reporting. Finance and Procurement support affordability assessment, funding assumptions, compliant procurement routes and whole-life value evaluation. Corporate Management oversight is required for major exceptions, replacement recovery priorities, workforce stabilisation issues, significant compliance risks and strategic decarbonisation decisions. Personnel provide continuing support for recruitment and workforce planning activities. 129
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft HOW THE COUNCIL WILL BECOME A LOWER-EMISSION ROAD FLEET Decarbonisation requires a planned delivery programme, supported by clear governance, funding and infrastructure. Transition will be in phases, prioritising duty cycles where technology is proven and operational risk is manageable. This transition will be underpinned by the Council’s fleet replacement decision hierarchy, so lower- emission replacement is considered through defined and auditable processes rather than by exception or delay. The Council will not pursue blanket vehicle substitution where operational fit, infrastructure readiness, resilience or affordability are not yet evidenced. Decarbonisation decisions will be phased, evidence-led and technology- appropriate, so that lower-emission transition strengthens service delivery rather than undermining it. A credible charging and depot energy roadmap will be central to delivery. Site assessments, Distribution Network Operator engagement, power upgrade planning, charging standards, resilience arrangements and phased investment planning will all be required to turn ambition into delivery. The Council should also take a partnership-based approach where this improves deliverability or value. This may include coordinated planning with Housing, Property, community planning partners and, where appropriate, external organisations to identify locations where charging infrastructure, shared assets or local access needs overlap. Such opportunities should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and progressed only where they support service delivery, affordability and operational resilience. Phased approach Phase 1 - 2026 to 2027: replacement cars and suitable light and medium vans to be assessed for battery electric as the default replacement outcome, prioritising depot-based charging and predictable duty cycles, where charging infrastructure, range, payload, access, service impact and affordability are viable, unless an approved exception is made through the Council’s fleet replacement decision hierarchy. Phase 2 - 2027 to 2030: expanded light commercial coverage, targeted specialist conversions and early adoption options for heavier assets where viable. Longer-term pathway: broader heavy fleet and specialist transition as technology, infrastructure and funding mature beyond the current strategy period. Charging and energy priorities • Complete site assessments for operational depots and key parking locations. • Engage the Distribution Network Operator early to confirm capacity, upgrade requirements and timescales. • Define charging standards covering hardware, software, access control, reporting and maintenance. • Agree resilience arrangements for critical services, including contingency vehicles, alternative arrangements and backup plans. • Identify locations where fleet charging investment may also support wider council or community benefit, subject to operational priority, governance and affordability. • Consider opportunities for joint delivery or shared use with Housing or other partners where this improves utilisation, resilience or value. • Use site prioritisation criteria that consider operational demand, power availability, resilience, air quality and local access factors alongside cost. Constraints and risks The priorities above are subject to the practical constraints set out below. 130
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft National funding and delivery gap National policy direction expects continued public sector fleet decarbonisation, including movement towards a fully zero-emission public sector fleet over the longer term. However, these expectations are not currently matched by a confirmed funding route sufficient to meet the full cost of fleet replacement, depot charging infrastructure, electrical upgrades and associated service change. This creates a material delivery risk for the Council and reinforces the need for phased implementation, external funding, clear business cases and annual review of what is technically and financially deliverable. Electricity network capacity and DNO lead times Depot and workplace charging requires connection to the electricity network and, where local capacity is insufficient, network reinforcement or upgrades may be required. National guidance recognises that grid connections and energisation processes can be a constraint on the pace of chargepoint deployment, with timescales influenced by factors such as reinforcement works, wayleaves, civils and sequencing across multiple parties. DNO lead times vary by location, capacity and complexity and cannot be guaranteed in advance. The Council will manage this by engaging the DNO early, phasing delivery by priority sites, and avoiding over commitment to dates that cannot be controlled by the Council alone. Depot power upgrades and estate constraints Even where grid connection is available, depots may require internal power upgrades, switchgear, load management and enabling civils. These works can be disruptive, may require planned outages, and must be sequenced alongside operational constraints and site safety requirements. Depot charging must also be coordinated with wider estate planning and site access controls to avoid stranded infrastructure or under utilised assets. Workshop capacity, skills and recruitment Fleet availability is dependent on workshop capacity and the ability to recruit and retain skilled staff. During transition, workshop demand may temporarily increase due to mixed fleet complexity, new inspection regimes and training requirements. If capacity is constrained, the risks are increased VOR, slower defect turnaround and reduced service resilience. The Council will mitigate this through forward planning of workload, prioritisation of safety critical work, targeted training, and the option to supplement in house capacity through approved external support where this represents best value and does not weaken compliance control. Heavy and specialist vehicle market readiness For parts of the heavy and specialist fleet, zero emission options remain limited, duty cycle suitability is not always proven, and lead times and costs can be volatile. The risk is that premature adoption creates operational failure, poor availability or poor whole-life value. The Council will manage this through staged trials, evidence based duty cycle assessment, and a technology neutral approach where safety, compliance and service continuity remain the first tests. Short term cost premium and availability risk during transition In the short to medium term, electrification and supporting infrastructure may carry a cost premium and procurement lead times may be longer than for conventional replacements. Combined with infrastructure constraints and market availability, this creates a risk to fleet availability if change is not sequenced and funded properly. The Council will mitigate this by prioritising the most suitable vehicle segments first, using phased roll out plans, and building realistic contingency into replacement planning to avoid avoidable downtime. 131
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft How these risks will be managed These constraints will be actively monitored through the Fleet Strategy governance arrangements. Key mitigations include early DNO engagement, phased depot delivery, prioritised site selection based on operational need, staged trials for heavy and specialist assets, workforce planning for workshop resilience, and business case discipline so that investment decisions remain affordable, evidence led and deliverable. Where a constraint cannot be removed within the strategy period, the Council will be explicit about interim operating arrangements rather than overpromising delivery. ACTION PLAN The action plan below provides the Council’s draft strategic delivery framework. Ownership, baselines, funding, sequencing and final target dates should be confirmed through the governance arrangements set out in this Strategy. No Action Outcome Lead Services Due 1 Complete fleet establishment review 1 Fleet Services / All Services Sept 2026 2 Implement a mandatory, time-bound replacement review process and decision gateway for all vehicle removals, renewals and replacement requests. 1, 5 Fleet Services Oct 2026 3 Baseline vehicle downtime and availability. 2, 3 Fleet Services Jan 2027 4 Review defect reporting, rectification controls and escalation triggers. 2 Fleet Services Jan 2027 5 Review driver licence checking and supporting driver compliance arrangements. 2 Fleet Services / Personnel / Insurance & Risk Dec 2026 6 Define telematics governance and priority use cases for safety, utilisation and emissions reporting. 2, 4, 5 Fleet Services / Information Governance / Steering Group Aug 2027 7 Produce a charging and depot energy roadmap, including site assessments and infrastructure priorities. 4 Fleet / Property / Sustainability / All Resources Sept 2027 7a Develop a prioritisation method for charging and lower-emission fleet investment which considers operational demand, infrastructure readiness, resilience, air quality impact. 4 Fleet / Property / Sustainability / Finance Jun 2027 7b Review opportunities for joint planning or coordinated delivery of charging infrastructure with Housing, Roads and other relevant partners where this supports fleet operations and improves value. 4 Fleet / Property / Sustainability June 2027 132
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft 7c Review underused pool and shared-use assets to identify where demand could be met more efficiently through shared mobility, short-term hire or on-demand low-emission options. 1, 4, 5 Fleet Services / All Services April 2027 8 Embed battery electric as the default replacement assessment for cars and suitable vans, subject to operational viability, infrastructure readiness, affordability and formal exception controls. 4, 5 Fleet Services / Procurement Aug 2026 9 Develop a heavy fleet and specialist asset transition plan linked to market readiness. 4 Fleet Services June 2028 10 Strengthen whole-life cost modelling by vehicle class and use it to support replacement planning and the development of a phased / structured financial plan. 5 Fleet Services / Finance Apr 2027 11 Implement controlled grey fleet standards and a travel hierarchy. 6 Fleet Services / All Services Sept 2027 12 Review the fleet policies and align review cycles for supporting procedures. All Fleet Services March 2027 13 Maintain an annual review of fleet-related legislation, Scottish Government policy, market readiness and funding opportunities. All Fleet Services Aug 2027 14 Assess workforce, depot and service readiness for lower-emission fleet transition - training, maintenance capability and operational resilience. 2, 3, 4 Fleet Services Mar 2028 MONITORING FRAMEWORK Progress should be monitored through a compact set of strategic and operational measures. Baselines and targets should be confirmed once the baseline pack is complete. Measure Baseline Target / direction Frequency Lead Services Fleet size and establishment 1357 Right-sized / reduced surplus Quarterly Fleet Services Number and proportion of low- emission vehicles in the fleet 16% Improving trend Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services Utilisation by vehicle class / resource 85% of working days Improving trend Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services Availability / VOR TBC Improve return-to-service performance, with routine repairs managed against the 2 working day service standard Quarterly Fleet Services OCRS MOT compliance 87% 95% First Time MOT Pass Monthly Fleet Services Collisions and incidents cost £518 per vehicle Reducing trend Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services 133
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Fuel efficiency 3.07m ltrs Reducing trend Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services Carbon emissions 7800 tonnes Decreasing Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services Grey fleet miles TBC Reducing trend Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services / Personnel Vehicles beyond planned replacement review date 10% Reducing trend / exceptions controlled Quarterly Fleet Services / All Services Pool/shared assets utilisation 62.7% Increasing usage Quarterly Fleet Services 134
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft POLICY MAP AND INTERDEPENDENCIES This Strategy is supported by a suite of related policies and procedures that govern driver authorisation, vehicle safety, defect reporting, telematics, grey fleet, charging infrastructure, incident reporting and fleet replacement. These documents should be reviewed alongside this Strategy and aligned to a consistent governance and review cycle. • Fleet management policy and procedures, including establishment, replacement hierarchy, review timescales, extension controls and procurement approvals. • Driver licence, authorisation and competence controls. • Vehicle defect reporting and stop-use arrangements. • Telematics and data governance arrangements. • Grey fleet policy and minimum standards. • Charging and infrastructure arrangements. • Accident and incident reporting procedures. KEY MILESTONES Indicative milestones are set out below. These should be confirmed once baselines, ownership and funding are agreed. 2026 - baseline pack completed and utilisation standards agreed. 2026 - replacement decision hierarchy, review timescales and extension controls implemented and embedded. 2026 - compliance dashboard operational with agreed escalation triggers. 2026 - annual policy and legislative review process established. 2027 - charging and depot energy roadmap approved with phased delivery. 2027 - workforce and depot readiness assessment completed for lower-emission fleet transition. 2027 - majority of suitable car replacements delivered as BEV where operationally viable, exceptions recorded through governance. 2027 - Heavy fleet / specialist asset transition plan completed. 2028 - telematics coverage expanded for agreed all vehicles with governance in place. 2030 - strategy outcomes reviewed and next planning period prepared. CHANGE LOG V1.0 - Original draft and working structure. V2.1 – Redesigned working draft - layout, sequencing and new framework/action plan. 135
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Appendix 1 – Fleet Inventory Vehicles by Resource as of February 2026 C&E COR EDU HOU SOC TRU TOTAL 01 Small Car Derived Van 25 73 15 113 02 Medium Car Derived Van 49 73 76 5 203 04 Panel Van 6 260 1 267 05 Luton Box Van 2 19 1 22 06 EV Small Van 4 1 28 1 34 09 Mobile Workshop/Library Van 3500-7499 Kg 1 1 10 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle 15 1 16 11 Tipper 3500-7499 Kg 3 3 12 Tipper 7500-10000 Kg 17 3 20 13 Tipper 18 Ton 3 Way 0 14 Tipper up to 3500 Kg 12 12 15 Tipper 18000 Kg GVW 0 16 Tipper 26000 Kg GVW 0 18 Platform 7500-Max GVM 2 2 19 Platform/Hiab 7500-Max GVM 1 1 20 EV Bus up to 17 Seats 1 1 22 Bus 2090-3500 Kg (Below 17 Seats) 31 6 1 38 23 Bus 3500-6577 Kg (Over 17 Seats) 25 25 24 Low Carbon Vehicle 91 3 20 34 8 156 25 People Carrier 1 15 2 1 19 26 Motor Cars 21 2 1 15 63 102 27 Gully 7500-26000 Kgs 4 4 28 12 Tonne Chassis + Multispread Body 7 7 29 Walking Floor Vehicle 18-32 Ton 0 30 Road Sweeper 7500-Max GVM 6 6 31 Tractive Unit Over 16000 Kg GCM 1 1 32 Semi-Trailer 1 1 35 Crewcab Tipper up to 3500 Kg 80 3 83 36 Crewcab Tipper 7500 -Max Kg GVM 6 6 37 Crewcab Tipper 3500-7500 Kg 35 35 38 Refuse Side Loader 5 5 39 Hooklift 7.5 Ton To 18 Ton GVW 2 2 40 Tower Wagon - Hyd. Platform Under 7500 Kg 8 8 46 Refuse Vehicle 7500-24000 Kg 12 12 48 Refuse Vehicle 26001-27000 Kg 48 48 60 Refrigerated Vehicle 0 65 Hooklift Vehicle 18 Ton To Max 8 8 82 Mess Utility Vehicle < 3500 Kg 1 3 4 83 Plant Maintenance Vehicle 4 4 88 PMG’s 0 90 18 Ton Unibody 6 6 93 Electric Sweeper 0 94 Precinct Sweepers 20 20 96 Dropside Small up to 3500 Kg 3 42 45 97 Dropside Crewcab up to 3500 Kg 10 4 14 98 Chassis With IB System 12500-Max GVW 3 3 TOTAL 559 3 26 538 213 18 1,357 Correct as of February 2026 136
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Appendix 2 – South Lanarkshire Council Vehicle Replacement Cycle Replacement cycles below were established previously under the Council’s previous Fleet Strategy and will generally continue to be used as the initial trigger for a formal vehicle replacement review. Timescales for minibuses have been changed from 5 years to 7 years reflecting the change in the type of vehicles and expected increased reliability. Approaching these replacement cycles, Fleet Services will review whether the vehicle remains fit for purpose and offers value for money, taking account of its condition, reliability, running costs, operational needs and the practicality of replacing it. Where continued operation remains safe, compliant, reliable, operationally suitable and financially justified, the vehicle may remain in service for an agreed extension period. Any extension will be documented, time-limited and subject to an agreed further review date. Vehicles may also be considered for earlier replacement where condition, maintenance cost, operational risk, legislative change, service requirements or other evidence demonstrate that continued operation no longer represents an acceptable or cost-effective option. Vehicle Type Years Refuse Collection Vehicle 5 Minibuses 7 Vans, trucks and tippers (3,501 to 7,500 kg) 5 Cars and car-derived vans 4 137
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Appendix 3 – Transport Manager Declaration 138
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Appendix 4 – Data sources / links for information South Lanarkshire Council strategies and plans • Connect – Council Plan 2022–2027 • Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy 2022–2027 • Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy document • Draft Local Transport Strategy 2025–2035 • Current Local Transport Strategy webpage • Corporate Asset Management Plan • Procurement Strategy • Digital Strategy 2022–2027 • Air Quality Action Plan 2024–2029 • South Lanarkshire Council plans and policies Legislation • Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 – section 44, public bodies’ duties • Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 – section 35C, Just Transition Principles • Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2024 • Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 • Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 • Road Traffic Act 1988 • Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 • Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 • Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 • Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 • Data Protection Act 2018 • Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 – Best Value duty • Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 – sustainable procurement duty • Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 • Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016 Regulatory and industry guidance • DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness • DVSA Earned Recognition vehicle-operator standards • DVSA Earned Recognition HGV audit standards • Goods vehicle operator licensing guide • HSE Driving and Riding Safely for Work • HSE guidance on maintaining vehicles used for work • ICO guidance on monitoring workers and vehicle tracking • Section 19 and 22 permit guidance • ScORSA – Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance 139
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South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Strategy 2026-2030 - Draft Scottish and UK Government policy and guidance • National Transport Strategy 2 • Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 • Public bodies’ climate change duties: statutory guidance • Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026–2040 • Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 • Draft Transport Just Transition Plan • Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026–2031 • UK Government greenhouse-gas conversion factors • 2026 greenhouse-gas conversion factors • UK Government guidance on electricity-grid connections for EV charging • SP Energy Networks guidance on connecting an EV fleet 140
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Appendix 2 – Cost Variances 13 141
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- seek approval of the Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 and associated improvement plan 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the contents of the report, be noted (2) that the Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027, and the associated Improvement Plan, be approved; and (3) that the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) be authorised to make any amendments arising from the finalisation and publication process. 3. Background 3.1. South Lanarkshire Council operates a large and diverse fleet which supports the delivery of essential public services across the Council area. Fleet assets support waste, roads, winter maintenance, passenger transport, social care, housing, grounds, environmental services and other operational activities where vehicle availability directly affects service continuity, public safety and statutory compliance. 3.2. The Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027, attached at Appendix 1, sets out the Council’s current fleet asset position, principal risks, performance pressures and priorities for action. It should be read alongside the Fleet Strategy, Council Plan, Resource and Service Plans, Corporate Asset Management Plan, Local Transport Strategy, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy, Digital Strategy and Procurement Strategy. 3.3. The Plan provides the annual asset management view beneath the longer-term Fleet Strategy. It translates strategic direction into a current-position document covering asset age, replacement need, roadworthiness, workshop capacity, utilisation, financial pressures, decarbonisation and governance. 14 143
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3.4. The Council’s Corporate Asset Management Plan recognises that effective management of Council assets supports current and future service requirements and assists in prioritising future investment and rationalisation decisions. It also identifies the need for good management of the Council’s fleet to ensure services are supported and vehicle use is cost effective and sustainable. 3.5. As of February 2026, the Council fleet comprises 1,357 vehicles across more than 40 vehicle types. This includes 172 vehicles above 3.5 tonnes which are managed within statutory Operator’s Licence requirements. The fleet is, therefore, operationally diverse, compliance-sensitive and critical to a wide range of frontline Council services. 3.6. The most significant strategic pressure is the age and replacement profile of the fleet. As of February 2026, 75.8% of vehicles are over five years old and 82.61% of the fleet, equivalent to 1,121 vehicles, is recorded as reaching or having passed their planned replacement review point in 2026 following slippage in recent years. 3.7. Continued deferment of replacement creates a risk that planned capital pressure is displaced into unplanned revenue cost, vehicle downtime, maintenance demand, casual hire and service disruption. The Plan, therefore, proposes that replacement should be managed through a multi-year recovery approach based on safety, compliance, service criticality, condition, utilisation and whole-life cost. 3.8. Roadworthiness performance requires targeted management action. The latest 12- month MOT analysis records 185 HGV MOT tests and 36 fail or pass-with-rectification (PRS) outcomes, equivalent to 19.5% of tests. Lighting and visibility defects account for 63.9% of negative outcomes, with brake-related items accounting for a further 27.8%. 3.9. Workshop resilience is also a material pressure. The service is currently operating four mechanics below establishment and recent recruitment activity has not produced suitable candidates. This creates risk around inspection throughput, pre-test preparation, defect rectification times, maintenance recovery and vehicle turnaround. 3.10. Revenue pressures remain significant, with identified direct fleet-related expenditure totalling £16.84 million in 2025/2026. Lease costs are increasing as overdue vehicles are replaced, but this should be considered alongside the potential reduction in maintenance demand, downtime, casual hire and compliance exposure achieved through timely replacement. A fuller breakdown of current costs are outlined below in Section 9. 3.11. There are also strong foundations for improvement. Telematics is installed on 1,242 assets, representing 91% coverage of the fleet. Decarbonisation has progressed through 216 fully electric/low emission vehicles and a reported 25% reduction in fuel- related carbon emissions since the 2005/2006 baseline. 3.12. The central requirement for 2026/2027 is to translate these foundations into stronger corporate oversight of replacement, compliance and utilisation, alongside improved oversight of fleet revenue pressures and continued delivery of operationally viable decarbonisation. 4. Asset Management Approach 4.1. Fleet asset management is the structured approach through which the Council determines the most appropriate use of fleet resources across their whole life cycle. This includes asset planning, specification, procurement, maintenance, utilisation, replacement, supporting infrastructure, compliance assurance and disposal. 144
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4.2. The objective of the Plan is to allocate finite resources in a way that protects legal compliance, service reliability, best value and long-term sustainability. 4.3. The Plan adopts a risk-based approach to fleet management. Age remains an important planning indicator, but replacement decisions should not be based on age alone. Decisions must also take account of vehicle condition, maintenance history, reliability, downtime, compliance exposure, service criticality, utilisation, emissions profile, infrastructure dependency and whole-life cost. 4.4. The Plan also underpins the Fleet Strategy by ensuring that fleet decisions are evidence-led, operationally viable, affordable and capable of supporting essential service delivery. 5. Current Asset Position and Principal Risks 5.1. The current asset position highlights five principal risk areas requiring active management during 2026/2027: Risk area Current position Required response Replacement and asset age 1,121 vehicles, equivalent to 82.61% of the fleet, are recorded as due for replacement in 2026. Agree and govern a multi-year replacement recovery approach based on risk, compliance, service criticality and whole-life cost. Roadworthiness and regulatory compliance 185 HGV MOT tests produced 36 fail or PRS outcomes over the latest 12- month analysis. Implement assurance reporting on MOT performance, PRS trends, repeat defect categories and operator-licensed fleet exposure. Workshop resilience Four mechanic vacancies are creating pressure on inspection throughput, preparation and defect rectification. Support workforce stabilisation, recruitment review and benchmarking. Adopt new Light and Heavy Repairs Framework Contract and exploring further internal / external delivery options to strengthen maintenance resilience. Revenue and market cost Vehicle lease, casual hire, incident repair and fuel exposure remain significant and recurring pressures. Strengthen period reporting and management oversight of lease expenditure, with targeted action on avoidable hire, damage and fuel use. Decarbonisation delivery Fleet transition depends on replacement capacity, charging infrastructure, operational suitability and affordability. Progress a phased transition based on duty cycle, infrastructure readiness, service need and whole-life cost. 5.2. These risks should be considered collectively. For example, an ageing fleet can increase workshop demand, extend downtime, increase hire use, contribute to poorer MOT performance and delay decarbonisation. The Plan, therefore, treats fleet asset management as a corporate risk and service resilience matter rather than a narrow operational issue for Fleet Services alone. 145
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5.3. The risk scoring included within the Plan identifies replacement and asset age, workshop capacity and workforce sustainability, and revenue and market cost as red- rated risks requiring active management. Roadworthiness and regulatory compliance, and decarbonisation delivery, are currently rated amber. 6. Action Plan 6.1. The Plan establishes the need for balanced fleet performance reporting across compliance, workshop delivery, replacement, telematics, casual hire, fuel and decarbonisation. 6.2. Key measures include first-time MOT pass rate and PRS trend, preventative maintenance inspection completion, vehicles due or overdue for replacement, telematics coverage, lease expenditure and trend, hire days and spend, fuel cost and consumption trend, EV adoption and emissions trend. 6.3. The improvement plan for 2026/2027 focuses on the following priority actions:- Priority action Intended outcome Governance requirement Replacement programme A deliverable / timely multi- year replacement plan, prioritised by risk and service need. Senior management approval of prioritisation approach and governance model. Compliance and roadworthiness recovery plan Improved MOT and PRS performance and reduced regulatory exposure. Routine reporting to Head of Service and escalation where performance is outside tolerance. Workshop resilience and workforce plan Improved maintenance capacity and reduced vacancy risk. Support for recruitment review, benchmarking and temporary resilience options. Revenue pressure reporting Improved corporate visibility of vehicle lease, casual hire, damage and fuel pressures. Period reporting of lease expenditure, casual hire costs, incident repair and fuel and cost drivers where costs are rising or recurring. Decarbonisation delivery plan Fleet transition aligned to operational fit, infrastructure readiness and affordability. Confirmed delivery assumptions, investment dependencies and infrastructure milestones. 6.4 Compliance, roadworthiness, workshop resilience, downtime and major revenue pressures should be reviewed monthly. Replacement progress, utilisation review and decarbonisation milestones should be reviewed at least quarterly. 6.5. Reporting should distinguish between routine service variation and material exceptions requiring senior management intervention. This is particularly important where apparent stability in one area may be masking displacement of cost elsewhere, such as through increased casual hire or reactive maintenance. 7. Consultation 7.1. The Fleet Asset Management Plan has been developed through internal review of fleet data, fleet profile and age, roadworthiness performance, workshop pressures, revenue costs, fuel use, telematics coverage, utilisation and decarbonisation progress. 146
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7.2. Engagement has taken place with Fleet Services, workshop management, senior management and relevant Service areas through the development and review of the Plan. 7.3. As the Plan is an operational asset management document relating to Council vehicles and supporting fleet systems, public consultation has not been undertaken. The Plan supports wider Council strategies which have been subject to their own governance and engagement arrangements. 7.4. Further engagement will continue through the service replacement planning meetings, utilisation review, fleet governance, budget monitoring, compliance reporting and the annual review cycle for the Plan. 8. Employee Implications 8.1. There are no immediate changes to employee terms and conditions arising directly from approval of the Plan. 8.2. Delivery of the Plan will require continued input from Fleet Services, workshop employees, compliance staff, passenger transport staff, operational service managers, Finance, Procurement, Sustainability, Property and IT. 8.3. Workshop capacity is a key risk. The current mechanic vacancy position affects resilience and may impact inspection throughput, pre-test preparation, defect rectification times and vehicle availability. Recruitment and retention will require active review and senior management support. 8.4. The transition to new vehicle technologies, including electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, will require ongoing training, safe systems of work and appropriate support for workshop employees, drivers, supervisors and operational managers. 8.5. Greater use of telematics, Power BI reporting and fleet data will also require clear management expectations and appropriate communication with services and employees. 9. Financial Implications 9.1. Approval of the Fleet Asset Management Plan does not in itself commit the Council to additional expenditure. Any specific investment decisions will continue to be considered through the appropriate capital planning, revenue budget, procurement and Resource and Service Plan processes. 9.2. The Council currently identifies £16.839 million of direct fleet-related expenditure for 2025/2026. This excludes overheads and the individual areas breakdown are shown below:- Cost area 2025/2026 expenditure Vehicle lease £7,422,906 Maintenance and repairs £3,401,207 Fuel and energy £3,538,612 Casual hire £1,673,310 Accident damage and insurance-related costs £703,563 End-of-life and lease return costs £99,635 Total identified direct expenditure £16,839,233 147
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9.3. Lease expenditure is increasing as overdue vehicles are replaced, and the fleet moves towards a more sustainable age profile. This should not be considered in isolation, as continued retention of older vehicles may reduce lease costs in the short term while increasing maintenance demand, downtime, casual hire, service disruption and compliance risk. Fleet investment decisions will, therefore, be considered on a whole- life-cost basis. 9.4. The Plan will strengthen routine reporting across lease expenditure, maintenance and repairs, casual hire, fuel and energy, accident damage and end-of-life costs. Material or recurring pressures will be reviewed by service, vehicle type and underlying cause so that avoidable expenditure can be identified and replacement or management action targeted appropriately. 10. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 10.1. The Plan supports the Council’s wider climate change and sustainability objectives by embedding decarbonisation within fleet lifecycle planning. 10.2. Progress has already been made through the deployment of 216 fully electric/low emission vehicles and a reported 25% reduction in fuel-related carbon emissions since the 2005/2006 baseline. 10.3. The next phase of fleet decarbonisation must remain evidence-led and operationally viable. Battery electric vehicles should be the default consideration where suitable, but decisions must take account of range, payload, towing, access, charging infrastructure, service time, resilience, whole-life cost and affordability. 10.4. Charging infrastructure is a key dependency. Fleet decarbonisation cannot be delivered by vehicle replacement alone and will require reliable, accessible and resilient charging arrangements across operational sites. 10.5. The Plan also supports reduced environmental impact through better utilisation, fuel management, driver behaviour monitoring, right-sizing, replacement planning and improved use of telematics data. 11. Risk and Other Implications 11.1. The main implications relate to risk management, regulatory compliance, service resilience, data use and governance. 11.2. The operator-licensed fleet is a critical compliance subset. Any deterioration in roadworthiness performance may increase the risk of Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) deterioration, DVSA scrutiny, reputational impact and service disruption. 11.3. The Plan supports improved governance by setting out clear ownership for the Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services, Fleet Manager, Workshop Manager, Finance, service managers and relevant Sustainability, Resources and Property leads. 11.4. The Plan supports the Council’s Digital Strategy through greater use of telematics, business intelligence, Power BI reporting and data-led management of utilisation, cost, compliance and replacement priorities. 148
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11.5. The Plan should be reviewed annually, with interim updates where there is a material change in fleet position, financial assumptions, compliance risk or replacement programme. 12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 12.1. The Fleet Asset Management Plan will be subject to the Council’s Integrated Impact Assessment process prior to final publication or as part of the final approval process where required. The assessment will consider relevant equalities, human rights, children’s rights, Fairer Scotland, health inequalities, sustainability and socio- economic considerations. 12.2. The Plan is primarily an operational asset management document. However, it has wider relevance because fleet assets support essential services relied upon by residents, service users, employees and communities across South Lanarkshire. 12.3. The Plan supports positive outcomes by seeking to improve safety, compliance, service resilience, environmental performance, value for money and the reliability of vehicles used to deliver public services. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Fair, open and sustainable Excellent employer We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress and improve Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Inspiring learners, transforming learning, strengthening partnerships Previous References Note of Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Agenda of 31 March 2020 – Delegated Decisions taken by the Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders – Fleet Strategy 2020 to 2025 149
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List of Background Papers Draft Fleet Strategy 2026 – 2030 Corporate Asset Management Plan Council Plan 2022 to 2027 Community Plan 2022 to 2032 Local Transport Strategy 2026 to 2036 Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Colin Park, Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Ext: 4484 (Tel: 01698 454484) E-mail: Colin.Park@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 150
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL FLEET ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN 2026/27 NEW VERSION - WORKING DRAFT Prepared by Ian Mulholland, Team Leader – Fleet Management, Fleet Services Version 2.1 - redrafted working copy Status For internal review and refinement Date July 2026 Strategic intent South Lanarkshire Council will operate a safe, compliant, reliable and financially sustainable fleet which supports essential public services, reduces unnecessary vehicle demand, uses data to make better decisions, improves asset condition, and makes zero and lower emission vehicles the default replacement choice wherever they are operationally viable, infrastructure-ready and affordable DOCUMENT CONTROL DOCUMENT CONTROL Document title South Lanarkshire Council Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/27 Document owner Fleet Services Purpose To provide an annual assessment of the Council’s fleet and set out the actions needed to manage risk, support service delivery and guide future investment. Related documents Fleet Strategy, fleet policies, driver authorisation and competence controls, defect reporting procedures, telematics governance, grey fleet controls, charging and infrastructure arrangements 14 151
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Contents Executive summary Corporate Management Team decisions required 1. Introduction 2. Asset description 3. Community requirements 4. Future demands 5. Levels of service 6. Lifecycle planning 7. Financial summary 8. Risk management 9. Improvement plan 10. Management and control of the Plan Appendices 152
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Executive summary This Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/27 sets out the Council’s current fleet position, principal risks and priorities for action. The Council operates 1,357 vehicles across more than 40 vehicle types, including 172 heavy goods vehicles (HGV) above 3.5 tonnes managed within statutory Operator’s Licence requirements. Fleet assets therefore support both frontline service delivery and the Council’s legal, financial and reputational responsibilities. The most significant strategic pressure is the age and replacement profile of the fleet. As of February 2026, 75.8% of vehicles are over 5 years old and 82.61% of the fleet, equivalent to 1,121 vehicles, is recorded as due for replacement in 2026 following slippage in recent years. The previous Fleet Strategy set indicative replacement ages, but these have not been consistently achieved. The Council must now manage replacement on a risk, compliance, service criticality and whole-life-cost basis rather than by historic age thresholds alone. Current revenue pressures remain material. Casual hire continues to be used to protect service delivery where downtime, delayed replacement or peak demand cannot otherwise be absorbed. Incident and accident repair costs remain significant, and fuel continues to expose the Council to cost volatility through its own-pump operating model. Fuel duty changes, wholesale market movement and wider geopolitical instability increase the risk of upward pressure on fleet running costs even where consumption is controlled. Roadworthiness performance now requires targeted management action. The latest 12-month MOT item analysis records 185 HGV MOT tests and 36 fail or PRS outcomes, equivalent to 19.5% of tests. Lighting and visibility defects account for 63.9% of negative events, with brake-related items accounting for a further 27.8%. For the operator-licensed fleet, continued adverse test performance has the potential to contribute to OCRS deterioration and increased DVSA scrutiny. The compliance position is compounded by workforce and workshop pressures. The service is currently operating four mechanics below establishment and recent recruitment activity has not produced suitable candidates. This creates a resilience risk around inspection throughput, pre-test preparation, defect rectification times and overall maintenance recovery. Recruitment challenges may also indicate that the current pay offer is not sufficiently competitive in the wider automotive and commercial maintenance labour market. The Council has strong foundations for improvement. Telematics is installed on 1,242 assets, representing 91% coverage of the fleet, and decarbonisation continues, including 216 fully electric/low emission vehicles and a reported 25% reduction in fuel-related carbon emissions since the 2005/06 baseline. The central requirement for 2026/2027 is to translate those foundations into tighter corporate control over replacement, compliance, utilisation, avoidable revenue pressure and operationally viable decarbonisation. 153
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Corporate Management Team decisions required The following decisions and areas of sponsorship are required to manage the fleet position as a corporate asset and risk issue rather than as an operational pressure to be absorbed within Fleet Services alone. Decision / support required Why this is required Required outcome Approve a multi-year fleet replacement recovery approach A high concentration of vehicles is now due or overdue for replacement. Continued deferment transfers pressure from planned capital into unplanned revenue, downtime and service disruption. Replacement priorities agreed on the basis of safety, compliance, service criticality, condition, utilisation and whole-life cost. Require compliance and workshop resilience recovery MOT and PRS performance, OCRS exposure and workshop capacity pressures require tighter assurance and active intervention. Recovery plan owned by Fleet Manager and Workshop Manager with routine reporting to senior management. Strengthen corporate visibility of fleet revenue pressures Vehicle lease expenditure, casual hire, incident repair costs and fuel exposure remain significant controllable pressures on the fleet revenue position. Routine period reporting of casual hire, incident repair and fuel costs, including material changes and recurring drivers Confirm the delivery approach for telematics and decarbonisation Telematics coverage and fleet transition will only realise value if they are used as active management tools linked to utilisation, driver behaviour, replacement and cost control. Agreed expectation that telematics and decarbonisation decisions will be evidence-led, operationally viable and affordable. 1. Introduction 1.1 The Council and Fleet Services South Lanarkshire Council delivers a broad range of frontline and support services across a large and mixed urban and rural area. Fleet assets are integral to that delivery. The fleet supports waste, roads, winter maintenance, passenger transport, social care, housing, grounds, environmental services and other operational activities where vehicle availability directly affects service continuity, public safety and statutory compliance. 1.2 Corporate planning and strategic alignment This Plan should be read alongside the Council Plan, relevant Resource and Service Plans, the Fleet Strategy, health and safety obligations, climate and sustainability priorities and the Council’s wider asset management arrangements. Its role is to translate strategic direction into an asset-based view of the current fleet position, the principal risks arising from that position and the priorities for investment, control and recovery. 1.3 Asset management context Fleet asset management is concerned with the effective management, operation, maintenance, replacement and improvement of the Council’s vehicle and supporting fleet assets. The objective is 154
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft to allocate resources in a way that protects legal compliance, service reliability, best value and long- term sustainability. 1.4 Purpose and scope of the Plan The purpose of this Plan is to provide a single corporate view of the fleet asset base and to support decisions on safe, compliant, cost-effective and sustainable fleet operations. It covers owned fleet assets, relevant supporting systems and infrastructure, and the principal operational and financial pressures that affect them. Data in this draft reflects the fleet position as at February 2026 unless otherwise stated. 1.5 Definition of fleet asset management For the purposes of this Plan, fleet asset management is the structured approach through which the Council determines the most appropriate use of fleet resources across their whole life cycle. This includes asset planning, specification, procurement, maintenance, utilisation, replacement, supporting infrastructure, compliance assurance and disposal. 1.6 Drivers for fleet asset management There are several drivers for a structured Fleet Asset Management Plan. These include the need to evidence long-term planning; to demonstrate a fair and reasonable allocation of limited resources; to protect statutory compliance; to support best value; to manage the transition to lower-emission vehicles where operationally suitable; and to provide a clear basis for senior management decisions on replacement, investment and risk. 2. Asset description 2.1 Overview of the fleet As at February 2026 the Council fleet comprises 1,357 vehicles across more than 40 vehicle types. This includes 172 vehicles above 3.5 tonnes which operate within statutory Operator’s Licence requirements. The fleet is therefore both operationally diverse and compliance-sensitive. 2.2 Fleet by asset class The fleet includes cars, pool cars, vans, light commercial vehicles, operator-licensed heavy vehicles, minibuses, passenger transport vehicles, plant and other specialist operational assets. The fleet profile by Resource is shown below, with further detail provided at Appendix 1. 2.3 Fleet by service / resource Fleet assets are distributed across multiple services and resources. The principal areas of dependence include waste and environmental services, roads and winter maintenance, housing, passenger transport, social care, grounds and other field-based operational functions (Appendix 1). 2.4 Operator-licensed fleet The Council operates a substantial heavy fleet under Operator’s Licence requirements. This places direct obligations on the Council in relation to maintenance arrangements, inspection frequency, roadworthiness, defect management, record keeping and overall compliance assurance. The operator-licensed fleet should therefore be treated as a critical risk subset within the wider asset base. 155
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 2.5 Supporting fleet assets and systems Fleet delivery is supported by a wider set of enabling assets and systems, including in-house workshop capacity, external repair frameworks, the Council’s own-pump fuel infrastructure, pool car arrangements, EV charging provision and the telematics platform. These supporting assets are essential to overall fleet performance and should be recognised within the Plan rather than treated as separate operational issues. Telematics is installed on 1,242 vehicles, representing 91% coverage of the vehicle fleet. This provides a strong platform for utilisation review, driver behaviour monitoring, idling reduction, route analysis and more effective management intervention. 2.6 Assets not covered by the Plan This Plan is focused on the Council’s managed fleet assets and associated supporting systems. It does not provide detailed policy treatment of grey fleet, contractor-owned fleets or wider transport issues that sit outside Fleet Services unless those matters create a direct asset, cost or compliance consequence for the Council. 2.7 Asset growth, reduction and change The overall fleet size has reduced by 28 vehicles compared with February 2025. Fleet reduction is positive where it reflects planned service change, genuine rationalisation or improved utilisation. Uncontrolled reduction can instead shift cost into casual hire, lower resilience and increased downtime. Future fleet growth or reduction should therefore be driven by service evidence, utilisation data and corporate planning rather than by short-term vacancy management or deferred replacement alone. Resource 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26 Community & Enterprise 749 641 604 575 559 Corporate 3 4 3 3 3 Education 29 28 27 27 26 Housing & Technical 572 551 545 544 538 SLLCT 20 18 18 18 18 Social Work 167 222 213 218 213 Total 1540 1464 1410 1385 1357 Year On Year Variance -6% -5% -4% -2% -2% 156
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 3. Community requirements 3.1 Service requirements and service criticality The primary requirement of the fleet is to enable safe and dependable service delivery. For a number of Council services, vehicle failure or lack of availability has a direct and immediate operational consequence. This is especially relevant where the fleet supports statutory service delivery, time- sensitive work, vulnerable service users or emergency and standby arrangements. 157
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 3.2 Compliance and statutory requirements Fleet services must operate within a robust compliance framework. This includes Operator’s Licence obligations for the heavy fleet, roadworthiness standards, inspection and maintenance regimes, MOT preparation and defect rectification controls, health and safety duties and wider governance responsibilities associated with managing vehicles for work. 3.3 Customer and stakeholder expectations Internal customers and service managers require vehicles to be available, suitable and dependable. Members of the public expect the Council’s fleet to operate safely, professionally and without avoidable disruption to service. Regulators expect the Council to maintain effective compliance arrangements. These requirements together inform the levels of service set out later in this Plan. 3.4 Council and corporate requirements In addition to direct service need, the fleet must support wider corporate requirements. These include best value, efficiency, sustainability, sound financial management, resilience planning and the Council’s public reputation. Fleet planning therefore requires a balance between asset condition, service dependency, legal compliance, affordability and corporate priorities. 3.5 Climate, sustainability and decarbonisation requirements Decarbonisation remains a strategic requirement for the Council. Progress has already been made, including 216 fully electric/low emission vehicles and a reported 25% reduction in fuel-related carbon emissions since the 2005/06 baseline. The next phase of fleet transition must however remain aligned to operational suitability, charging readiness, affordability and replacement timing rather than relying on blanket substitution assumptions. 3.6 Workforce and operational delivery requirements The fleet service is dependent not only on vehicles but also on the capacity and capability required to maintain them. Workshop staffing, technical competence, supervisory oversight, management use of telematics, fuel governance and procurement support are all core components of the asset management system. Workforce sustainability must therefore be integral to and treated as part of Service requirements rather than as a separate employee / workforce matter. 158
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 4. Future demands 4.1 Service demand and resilience Future fleet demand will be shaped by the changing needs of operational services, expected resilience requirements and the Council’s ability to rationalise or redesign vehicle use. Where demand is stable or rising, the fleet must remain reliable enough to prevent routine dependence on casual hire or service disruption. 4.2 Replacement backlog and ageing fleet The most immediate demand pressure on the fleet arises from the concentration of vehicles now due or overdue for replacement. As at February 2026, 75.8% of vehicles are over 5 years old and 82.61% of the fleet, equivalent to 1,121 vehicles, is recorded as due for replacement in 2026 because of slippage in recent years. This backlog increases the likelihood of downtime, reactive maintenance, service interruption and avoidable revenue cost. 4.3 Workshop capacity and labour market pressures Future performance will also be influenced by workshop capacity. The service is currently operating four mechanics below establishment and recent recruitment activity has not attracted suitable candidates. This creates a risk that inspection throughput, pre-test preparation, maintenance recovery and vehicle turnaround will not keep pace with the demands created by an ageing fleet. 4.4 Data, telematics and management expectations The future operating model for fleet should make better use of data-led management. Mileage alone is not a sufficient utilisation measure. Telematics can support a shift from passive reporting to action-based management of utilisation, idle time, route efficiency, driver behaviour, damage reduction and replacement planning. The future demand is therefore not only for more data, but for better management response to that data. 4.5 Fuel cost and market volatility The Council supplies fuel mainly through its own pumps with some local fuelling stations being available for resilience. The fleet is therefore directly exposed to changes in wholesale fuel prices, duty rates and overall consumption. Fuel duty changes through 2026/2027 and continuing oil market instability increase the risk of cost volatility. 4.6 Decarbonisation, infrastructure readiness and future taxation Future fleet transition will depend on charging infrastructure, duty cycle suitability, replacement timing and affordability. Electric vehicle taxation is also changing and future whole-life cost assumptions should not rely on EV operation remaining indefinitely tax-advantaged. The next phase of fleet decarbonisation must therefore continue on a managed, evidence-led basis. 4.7 Legislative and regulatory change The fleet service must also anticipate changes in regulation, compliance expectations, environmental requirements and transport taxation. Future plans should therefore retain sufficient flexibility to respond to changes in vehicle standards, tax treatment, reporting expectations and any evolving DVSA or wider regulatory focus. 160
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Asset Age 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26 0 – 5 Years 1175 1172 967 539 328 Older than 5 Years 365 292 443 846 1029 Total 1540 1464 1410 1385 1357 161
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 5. Levels of service 5.1 Introduction This section sets out the current and target levels of service that should apply to the Council’s fleet assets. It explains how service levels are determined, measured, reported and reviewed. For fleet, levels of service must reflect legal compliance, operational availability, suitability for purpose, affordability and the capacity to support frontline delivery. 5.2 Establishment of levels of service Levels of service are informed by statutory obligations, service criticality, corporate priorities, historic performance, risk exposure, operational standards, available resources and the practical requirement to maintain service continuity. The Council should avoid setting service standards that depend on sustained informal workarounds such as routine hire substitution or excessive reactive maintenance effort. 5.3 Measurement Fleet performance should be measured through a balanced set of indicators that reflect compliance, availability, utilisation, cost and transition progress. This should include both current operational measures and forward-looking indicators that show emerging risk. Area Measure Current position Target / tolerance Reporting route Roadworthiness First-time MOT pass rate / PRS trend 185 HGV MOT tests; 36 fail or PRS outcomes over latest 12 months 95% DVSA Monthly Fleet management report Workshop delivery Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMI) completion on time TBC 100% 4 weekly report Replacement Vehicles due or overdue for replacement 1,121 vehicles due in 2026 Reduce through multi-year recovery plan Service Demand 4 weekly reviews Telematics Fitment of all assets 1,242 assets; 91% coverage 100% Quarterly performance review Casual hire Hire spend £1.67m Reduce 4 weekly review Fuel Fuel cost variance and consumption trend 3.076m litres annually Reduce Quarterly review Decarbonisation EV adoption and emissions trend 216 fully electric and low emission vehicles Increase Adoption / Reduce Emissions Quarterly sustainability and fleet review 163
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 5.4 Reporting Fleet performance should be reported routinely through Fleet management arrangements, Corporate Management review and any agreed corporate management route where risks exceed tolerance. Reporting should distinguish between normal service variation and material exceptions requiring intervention. 5.5 Performance review Performance should be reviewed alongside budget, workshop capacity, replacement delivery and service impact rather than in isolation. This is particularly important where individual indicators may appear stable only because cost is being displaced elsewhere, for example through increased casual hire or deferred preventative maintenance. 5.6 Current level of service The current level of service is mixed. Compliance arrangements and telematics coverage provide a strong base, but service resilience is under pressure from the age profile of the fleet, workshop vacancies, roadworthiness performance and continued reliance on hire to absorb downtime or replacement delay. 5.7 Target levels of service Target service levels should focus on measurable improvement in roadworthiness, workshop throughput, replacement recovery, utilisation control and avoidable cost reduction. 6. Lifecycle planning 6.1 Introduction Lifecycle planning is at the core of effective fleet asset management. It provides the link between asset condition, operational suitability, replacement timing, whole-life cost, compliance exposure and long-term service resilience. 6.2 Purpose of lifecycle planning The purpose of lifecycle planning is to determine how each class of fleet asset should be maintained, used, replaced and, where necessary, rationalised over time. It also provides a structured basis for capturing operational knowledge, making replacement decisions more transparent and avoiding repeated deferment of risk. 6.3 Fleet lifecycle planning approach Fleet lifecycle decisions should be informed by a combination of factors rather than by age alone. These include vehicle age, condition, maintenance history, reliability, downtime, compliance exposure, service criticality, utilisation, emissions profile, infrastructure dependency and whole-life cost. 6.4 Replacement planning principles The previous Fleet Strategy set indicative replacement ages but these have not been consistently achieved. This Plan therefore adopts a risk-based approach to replacement. Priority should be determined by safety, compliance, service criticality, maintenance exposure, operational suitability, utilisation and the cost of continued deferment. 164
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Asset class Current position Principal lifecycle pressure Management response Cars and pool cars A significant proportion of the light fleet is ageing, although EV transition is most advanced in this class. Replacement slippage, utilisation visibility and balancing EV suitability with charging access. Prioritise rationalisation and replacement through utilisation evidence and whole-life cost assessment. Vans and light commercial vehicles Used across a wide range of frontline services with varied duty cycles. Reliability, downtime and replacement sequencing where older assets remain in daily operational use. Use service criticality, maintenance history and route or duty cycle suitability to prioritise replacement. Operator- licensed HGV fleet Compliance-sensitive asset group with direct roadworthiness and OCRS implications. MOT or PRS performance, inspection throughput and maintenance resilience. Prioritise roadworthiness assurance, pre-test quality control and replacement of high- risk units. Passenger transport and minibuses High service sensitivity where vehicle failure can directly affect vulnerable users or timetabled services. Availability and suitability for specialist service delivery. Maintain strong availability controls and prioritise replacement where service impact is highest. Plant and specialist vehicles Smaller in number but often critical to specific operational tasks. Lead times, specialist repair requirement and limited substitution options. Review individually through condition, downtime, service criticality and procurement timing. 6.5 Forward replacement programme The Council should treat fleet replacement as a managed multi-year recovery programme rather than a single-year aspiration. The forward programme should categorise replacement need by urgency, service criticality, compliance exposure and whole-life-cost case. 6.6 Fleet growth, reduction and rationalisation Lifecycle planning should also test whether assets remain genuinely required. Where vehicles are underutilised or duplicated across services, rationalisation may release resource. Equally, where vehicle numbers have reduced without service redesign, the effect may simply be masked by increased hire or lower resilience. These outcomes should be tested through telematics, service review and demand evidence. 6.7 Decarbonisation within lifecycle planning Decarbonisation should be embedded within fleet replacement decisions, but must be applied in a way that remains operationally deliverable. The Council should continue to default to lower- emission and zero-emission options where the duty cycle, payload, range, charging infrastructure and service requirements allow. The existing replacement programme is based on indicative age cycles, with refuse-collection vehicles, vans, trucks and tippers generally scheduled over a five-year cycle, and cars and car- derived vans over a four-year cycle. Timescales for minibuses have been changed from 5 years to 7 years reflecting the change in the type of vehicles and expected increased reliability. 165
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft This provides a useful planning baseline and should continue to support budget forecasting, replacement planning and service engagement. However, age alone should not determine replacement priority. The replacement cycle may require review to ensure it reflects the actual risk, condition and operational profile of different asset types. Replacement decisions should also consider maintenance history, reliability, downtime, utilisation, compliance exposure, service criticality, whole-life cost, emissions impact and infrastructure dependency. This is particularly important for decarbonisation. A vehicle may be due for replacement by age, but a zero-emission option may not yet be operationally suitable due to range, payload, charging access or service delivery constraints. Equally, some assets may need prioritised replacement earlier than the standard cycle where they present higher maintenance cost, poor availability, excessive emissions or operational risk. The Council should therefore continue to use the existing replacement cycle as the working baseline, while applying a lifecycle planning review to test whether each replacement remains appropriate. Where a zero-emission replacement is viable, it should be the preferred option. Where it is not viable, the decision should be clearly justified, with alternative low-emission options, interim solutions or future transition points identified. Current Vehicle Replacement Cycles Vehicle Type Years Refuse Collection Vehicle 5 Minibuses 7 Vans, trucks and tippers (3,501 to 7,500 kg) 5 Cars and car-derived vans 4 Replacement Due Dates Based On Current Replacement Cycle Replacement Due Dates No of Vehicles % of Total Fleet Due Replacement in 2026 1121 vehicles 82.61% Due Replacement in 2027 0 vehicles 0.00% Due Replacement after 2027 236 vehicles 17.39% Total 1357 vehicles 100% 166
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 7. Financial summary 7.1 Financial context Fleet assets operate within a mixed financial context of revenue-funded maintenance, repair and running costs, alongside capital-funded replacement and supporting investment. Effective asset management requires the Council to understand how underinvestment in replacement can transfer pressure into higher revenue cost, rather than reducing the overall cost to the organisation. 7.2 Identified direct fleet-related expenditure Cost area 2025/2026 expenditure Vehicle lease £7,422,906 Maintenance and repairs £3,401,207 Fuel and energy £3,538,612 Casual hire £1,673,310 Accident damage and insurance-related costs £703,563 End-of-life and lease return costs £99,635 Total identified direct expenditure £16,839,235 This figure represents the principal direct fleet cost lines currently available. 7.3 Vehicle lease expenditure The Council’s fleet replacement model results in ongoing vehicle lease expenditure, which totalled £7,422,906.53 in 2025/2026. Lease costs are expected to rise as overdue vehicles are replaced, and the fleet moves towards a more sustainable age profile. Increased lease expenditure should not be viewed in isolation. Timely replacement has the potential to reduce maintenance demand, downtime, casual hire, service disruption, emissions exposure and compliance risk. Lease costs should therefore be considered as part of the Council’s overall whole- life-cost position. 7.4 Revenue cost pressures The main controllable revenue pressures currently affecting the fleet are casual hire, incident and accident repair, fuel, downtime-related cost and the effect of maintaining an ageing asset base. These pressures reduce the Council’s ability to redirect spend towards planned improvement if they are not actively challenged. 7.5 Casual hire Casual hire provides necessary resilience, but it is also an indicator of where fleet capacity, vehicle availability or replacement planning is under pressure. In the fiscal year 2025/26, the Council hired 241 vehicles for various durations. The total cost of short-to-mid-term hires was £1,673,310, an increase of £447,291 compared to the same period last year. 7.6 Incident and accident repair costs Incident and accident repair costs remain material and should be treated as both a cost pressure and management signal. In 2025/26, repair costs totalled £703,564, compared with £483,128 in 2021/22. This represents an increase of £220,436, or 45.6%, over the five-year period. 168
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft This increase has occurred despite the overall fleet reducing from 1,540 vehicles to 1,357 vehicles over the same period. As a result, the indicative repair cost per vehicle has increased from approximately £314 per vehicle in 2021/22 to approximately £518 per vehicle in 2025/26. This suggests that repair spending is rising faster than the fleet is reducing. The trend should be considered alongside the wider fleet age profile, vehicle availability pressures and casual hire spend. Increasing repair costs may indicate higher levels of vehicle damage, greater utilisation pressure, ageing assets, longer vehicle downtime, or assets being retained beyond their optimal replacement point. 7.7 Fuel and energy cost position Fuel remains a major operating cost. Because the Council largely fuels through its own pumps, the organisation is exposed directly to wholesale market movement and duty changes. 7.8 Whole-life cost and capital planning Fleet decisions should be made on a whole-life-cost basis rather than by considering the initial purchase price or lease cost alone. This includes vehicle acquisition or lease expenditure, maintenance, downtime, casual hire, fuel or energy, supporting infrastructure, tax implications, residual serviceability and the cost of continued deferment. 169
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 8. Risk management 8.1 Context Fleet risk should be treated as a corporate risk management issue because it affects legal compliance, service continuity, budget pressure, health and safety, reputation and delivery of wider corporate priorities. The role of this section is to summarise the main fleet-specific risks arising from the current asset position and the controls and actions required to manage them. 8.2 Risk management methodology Fleet risks should be assessed using the Council’s standard 5 by 5 methodology, considering both likelihood and impact. Risks should be scored with regard to the current control position and should identify the further action required where residual exposure remains high. 8.3 Fleet corporate risks The current FAMP identifies five principal corporate fleet risks requiring active management: replacement and asset age risk; roadworthiness and regulatory compliance risk; workshop capacity and workforce sustainability risk; revenue and market cost risk; and decarbonisation delivery risk. 8.4 Risk controls currently in place Current controls include the in-house workshop and maintenance process, Operator’s Licence arrangements, telematics coverage, fuel governance, fleet management oversight, the use of hire for service resilience and the existing replacement planning process. These controls provide a platform for recovery but do not remove the underlying pressure created by the current fleet profile. 8.5 Corporate Management escalation points Where performance or risk worsens beyond tolerance, the escalation route should move from Fleet Services to the Head of Service and, where required, to Corporate Management Team. Escalation triggers should include significant deterioration in MOT or PRS performance, increasing downtime affecting critical services, routine use of high-value casual hire, or the inability to progress replacement priorities through the capital planning route. Likelihood 5 Almost Certain 5 10 15 20 25 4 Likely 4 8 12 16 20 3 Possible 3 6 9 12 15 2 Unlikely 2 4 6 8 10 1 Rare 1 2 3 4 5 1 Negligible 2 Minor 3 Moderate 4 Major 5 Catastrophic Impact 172
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Corporate risk Risk statement Likelihood Impact Score RAG Current controls Action required Owner Replacement and asset age risk A high concentration of vehicles due or overdue for replacement, combined with an ageing fleet profile, increases the risk of breakdown, downtime, service disruption, higher maintenance cost and continued reliance on casual hire. 4 4 16 Red Fleet replacement planning, workshop maintenance, hire provision for resilience, telematics coverage Approve and govern a multi-year replacement recovery programme based on safety, compliance, service criticality and cost exposure Fleet Services Roadworthiness and regulatory compliance risk Recent MOT and PRS performance indicates a material roadworthiness risk. For operator-licensed vehicles this may increase regulatory exposure, including OCRS deterioration, DVSA intervention and wider reputational risk. 3 3 9 Amber In-house workshop, MOT preparation process, Operator’s Licence controls, defect rectification arrangements Assurance reporting on MOT performance, PRS trends and roadworthiness controls Fleet Services Workshop capacity and workforce sustainability risk A shortfall in workshop staffing reduces maintenance resilience and creates risk to inspection throughput, pre-test readiness, defect rectification times and service continuity. 4 4 16 Red Existing workshop resource, current recruitment activity, use of external support where needed Support urgent workforce stabilisation measures, including benchmarking, recruitment review and temporary resilience options where required Fleet Services Revenue and market cost risk High casual hire costs, incident repair costs and exposure to fuel price volatility create continued pressure on the revenue budget and limit the ability to redirect spend into fleet renewal. 4 4 16 Red Budget monitoring, hire controls, repairs oversight, telematics, own- pump fuel management Strengthen oversight of controllable spend and require targeted action on avoidable hire, damage cost and fuel exposure Fleet Services / All Services Decarbonisation delivery risk Decarbonisation remains a strategic requirement but delivery depends on replacement capacity, infrastructure readiness, vehicle suitability and whole-life affordability. 3 3 9 Amber Existing EV fleet, telematics coverage, emissions tracking, charging infrastructure development Phased delivery based on operational fit, infrastructure readiness and affordability rather than blanket substitution Fleet Services / All Services / Sustainability 173
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 9. Improvement plan 9.1 Improvement priorities For 2026/2027 the main priorities are to stabilise the replacement programme; improve roadworthiness performance and protect Operator’s Licence compliance; strengthen workshop resilience; reduce avoidable revenue pressure; and progress decarbonisation where operationally viable, infrastructure-ready and affordable. 9.2 Milestones No. Action / milestone Target date Leads 1 Agree multi-year replacement recovery and priority categories Dec 2026 Fleet Services / All Services 2 Produce compliance reports and workshop resilience recovery plan March 2027 Fleet Services – Workshop / Fleet Management 3 Establish period reporting for hire, fuel, repair and lease pressure lines. March 2027 Fleet Services / Support 4 Develop service-by-service utilisation review using telematics outputs March 2027 Fleet Services 5 Confirm 2026/2027 decarbonisation delivery assumptions and supporting infrastructure milestones March 2027 Fleet Services / Sustainability / All Services 9.3 Action Plan 2026/2027 Action Outcome Owner Measure Support Replacement recovery programme Multi-year replacement plan agreed. Fleet Services / Finance / All Services Replacement delivery cycle; downtime; age profile trend. Approve prioritisation approach and governance model. Compliance and roadworthiness recovery plan Improved MOT or PRS performance and reduced regulatory exposure. Fleet Manager / Workshop Manager First-time MOT pass rate; PRS or fail trend; repeat defect categories. Monthly reporting to Head of Service/CMT and review when performance stabilises. Workshop resilience and workforce plan Improved maintenance capacity and reduced vacancy risk. Fleet Services with Personnel Vacancy level; recruitment outcomes; downtime awaiting workshop action. Support benchmarking, recruitment review and targeted temporary measures. Revenue pressure reporting Improved corporate visibility of casual hire, incident repair and fuel pressures. Fleet Services with Finance and All Services Lease expenditure and trend; hire spend and hire days; incident repair cost; fuel variance. Receive period reporting on lease expenditure, casual hire, incident repair and fuel costs, with service-led action where material or 174
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft recurring pressures are identified. Decarbonisation delivery plan Transition pathway aligned to Net Zero policy, operational fit and affordability. Fleet Services with Sustainability and Resources EV adoption; emissions trend; infrastructure delivery milestones. Confirm delivery approach and investment assumptions. 9.4 Progress reporting Progress against the improvement plan should be reported at a frequency proportionate to risk. Compliance, roadworthiness, workshop resilience, downtime and major revenue pressures should be reviewed monthly. Replacement progress, telematics-led utilisation work and decarbonisation milestones should be reviewed at least quarterly. 10. Management and control of the Plan 10.1 Introduction This section sets out responsibility for ownership, maintenance, updating and reporting of the Fleet Asset Management Plan. 10.2 Roles and responsibilities Role Primary responsibility Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Overall sponsorship of the Plan; approval of priorities; escalation of major risks and support for corporate decision-making. Fleet Manager Operational ownership of the Plan, fleet performance reporting, replacement planning and delivery of the action plan. Workshop Team Leader Workshop performance, inspection throughput, pre-test readiness, defect rectification and delivery of the compliance recovery actions. Fleet Management Team Leader Co-ordination of the strategy / plan, monitoring progress and fleet performance, oversight of operator’s licence compliance, passenger services and replacement vehicle programme. Finance and Procurement Budget reporting and analysis of key revenue pressure lines. Supporting affordability assessment, funding assumptions, compliant procurement routes and whole-life value evaluation. Personnel Provide continuing support for recruitment and workforce planning activities. Service managers using fleet Operational challenge, utilisation review, support for replacement prioritisation and delivery of local controls where required. Sustainability / Resources / Property leads Support for decarbonisation planning, charging infrastructure and associated enabling actions. 175
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft 10.3 Updating the Fleet Asset Management Plan The Plan should be reviewed annually, with interim updates where there is a material change in the fleet position, financial assumptions, compliance risk or replacement programme. Supporting data tables and appendices should be refreshed in line with the agreed annual review cycle. 10.4 Control of the Plan The Plan should be held as a controlled document with clear version history, ownership and approval status. Supporting datasets, risk tables and appendix material should be subject to normal governance controls so that management decisions are based on current and verified information. 10.5 Reporting the Fleet Asset Management Plan The FAMP should be reported through the Head of Service and Corporate Management route, with any wider corporate or committee reporting confirmed through the final approval process. Progress against the Plan should form part of routine fleet management reporting rather than sitting separately as an annual narrative exercise. 10.6 Relationship to the Fleet Strategy and annual planning The FAMP is the current-position and delivery management document that should sit beneath the longer-term Fleet Strategy. It should inform annual business planning, replacement prioritisation, risk reporting, budget discussion and service challenge throughout the year. 176
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Appendix 1 – Fleet by Resource and asset type Vehicles by Resource as of February 2026 Vehicle Code Classification COM & ENT COR EDU HOU SOC TRU TOTAL 01 Small Car Derived Van 25 73 15 113 02 Medium Car Derived Van 49 73 76 5 203 04 Panel Van 6 260 1 267 05 Luton Box Van 2 19 1 22 06 EV Small Van 4 1 28 1 34 09 Mobile Workshop/Library Van 3500-7499 Kg 1 1 10 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle 15 1 16 11 Tipper 3500-7499 Kg 3 3 12 Tipper 7500-10000 Kg 17 3 20 13 Tipper 18 Ton 3 Way 0 14 Tipper up to 3500 Kg 12 12 15 Tipper 18000 Kg GVW 0 16 Tipper 26000 Kg GVW 0 18 Platform 7500-Max GVM 2 2 19 Platform/Hiab 7500-Max GVM 1 1 20 EV Bus up to 17 Seats 1 1 22 Bus 2090-3500 Kg (Below 17 Seats) 31 6 1 38 23 Bus 3500-6577 Kg (Over 17 Seats) 25 25 24 Low Carbon Vehicle 91 3 20 34 8 156 25 People Carrier 1 15 2 1 19 26 Motor Cars 21 2 1 15 63 102 27 Gully 7500-26000 Kgs 4 4 28 12 Tonne Chassis + Multispread Body 7 7 29 Walking Floor Vehicle 18-32 Ton 0 30 Road Sweeper 7500-Max GVM 6 6 31 Tractive Unit Over 16000 Kg GCM 1 1 32 Semi-Trailer 1 1 35 Crewcab Tipper up to 3500 Kg 80 3 83 36 Crewcab Tipper 7500 -Max Kg GVM 6 6 37 Crewcab Tipper 3500-7500 Kg 35 35 38 Refuse Side Loader 5 5 39 Hooklift 7.5 Ton To 18 Ton GVW 2 2 40 Tower Wagon - Hyd. Platform Under 7500 Kg 8 8 46 Refuse Vehicle 7500-24000 Kg 12 12 48 Refuse Vehicle 26001-27000 Kg 48 48 60 Refrigerated Vehicle 0 65 Hooklift Vehicle 18 Ton To Max 8 8 82 Mess Utility Vehicle < 3500 Kg 1 3 4 83 Plant Maintenance Vehicle 4 4 88 PMG’s 0 90 18 Ton Unibody 6 6 93 Electric Sweeper 0 94 Precinct Sweepers 20 20 96 Dropside Small up to 3500 Kg 3 42 45 97 Dropside Crewcab up to 3500 Kg 10 4 14 98 Chassis With IB System 12500-Max GVW 3 3 TOTAL 559 3 26 538 213 18 1,357 177
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Appendix 2 – Fleet Age Profile Vehicles by Resource as of February 2026 Vehicle Code Classification 1 2 3 4 5 >5 Years TOTAL 01 Small Car Derived Van 113 113 02 Medium Car Derived Van 1 202 203 04 Panel Van 5 71 13 178 267 05 Luton Box Van 6 1 2 7 6 22 06 EV Small Van 34 34 09 Mobile Workshop/Library Van 3500-7499 Kg 1 1 10 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle 16 16 11 Tipper 3500-7499 Kg 1 1 1 3 12 Tipper 7500-10000 Kg 9 1 2 8 20 13 Tipper 18 Ton 3 Way 0 14 Tipper up to 3500 Kg 12 12 15 Tipper 18000 Kg GVW 0 16 Tipper 26000 Kg GVW 0 18 Platform 7500-Max GVM 2 2 19 Platform/Hiab 7500-Max GVM 1 1 20 EV Bus up to 17 Seats 1 1 22 Bus 2090-3500 Kg (Below 17 Seats) 14 1 23 38 23 Bus 3500-6577 Kg (Over 17 Seats) 25 25 24 Low Carbon Vehicle 156 156 25 People Carrier 19 19 26 Motor Cars 2 100 102 27 Gully 7500-26000 Kgs 1 3 4 28 12 Tonne Chassis + Multispread Body 5 2 7 29 Walking Floor Vehicle 18-32 Ton 0 30 Road Sweeper 7500-Max GVM 4 2 6 31 Tractive Unit Over 16000 Kg GCM 1 1 32 Semi-Trailer 1 1 35 Crewcab Tipper up to 3500 Kg 23 9 51 83 36 Crewcab Tipper 7500 -Max Kg GVM 3 3 6 37 Crewcab Tipper 3500-7500 Kg 5 4 1 2 9 14 35 38 Refuse Side Loader 5 5 39 Hooklift 7.5 Ton To 18 Ton GVW 2 2 40 Tower Wagon - Hyd. Platform Under 7500 Kg 1 6 1 8 46 Refuse Vehicle 7500-24000 Kg 12 12 48 Refuse Vehicle 26001-27000 Kg 6 23 8 11 48 60 Refrigerated Vehicle 0 65 Hooklift Vehicle 18 Ton To Max 2 4 1 1 8 82 Mess Utility Vehicle < 3500 Kg 4 4 83 Plant Maintenance Vehicle 4 4 88 PMG’s 0 90 18 Ton Unibody 4 2 6 93 Electric Sweeper 0 94 Precinct Sweepers 1 1 8 10 20 96 Dropside Small up to 3500 Kg 2 4 39 45 97 Dropside Crewcab up to 3500 Kg 6 1 7 14 98 Chassis With IB System 12500-Max GVW 3 3 TOTAL 38 100 42 55 93 1,029 1,357 178
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Appendix 3 – Fleet Mileage Last Odo Reading Vehicle Code & Classification TOTAL 2024/2025 Annual Mileage 2024/2025 TOTAL 2025/2026 Annual Mileage 2025/2026 01 Small Car Derived Van 117 766,699 113 701,239 02 Medium Car Derived Van 204 2,089,454 203 1,829,315 04 Panel Van 267 2,383,187 267 2,266,610 05 Luton Box Van 22 199,797 22 192,138 06 EV Small Van 34 157,161 34 187,111 09 Mobile Workshop/Library Van 3500-7499 Kg 1 - 1 115 10 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle 18 360,763 16 252,623 11 Tipper 3500-7499 Kg 3 23,912 3 24,297 12 Tipper 7500-10000 Kg 15 80,289 20 80,400 13 Tipper 18 Ton 3 Way 0 - 0 - 14 Tipper up to 3500 Kg 12 122,287 12 114,656 15 Tipper 18000 Kg GVW 0 - 0 - 16 Tipper 26000 Kg GVW 0 - 0 - 18 Platform 7500-Max GVM 2 6,010 2 5,736 19 Platform/Hiab 7500-Max GVM 1 4,419 1 6,897 20 EV Bus up to 17 Seats 1 9,535 1 8,589 22 Bus 2090-3500 Kg (Below 17 Seats) 37 380,873 38 292,673 23 Bus 3500-6577 Kg (Over 17 Seats) 25 304,572 25 290,431 24 Low Carbon Car 161 740,166 156 813,203 25 People Carrier 20 206,539 19 173,950 26 Motor Cars 116 901,454 102 703,558 27 Gully 7500-26000 Kgs 4 27,213 4 31,957 28 12 Tonne Chassis + Multispread Body 7 50,520 7 62,948 29 Walking Floor Vehicle 18-32 Ton 2 13,417 0 - 30 Road Sweeper 7500-Max GVM 6 41,441 6 33,426 31 Tractive Unit Over 16000 Kg GCM 1 11,273 1 7,360 32 Semi-Trailer 1 - 1 - 35 Crewcab Tipper up to 3500 Kg 86 849,771 83 730,631 36 Crewcab Tipper 7500 -Max Kg GVM 6 34,826 6 37,440 37 Crewcab Tipper 3500-7500 Kg 34 204,092 35 226,181 38 Refuse Side Loader 5 44,897 5 53,257 39 Hooklift 7.5 Ton To 18 Ton GVW 2 39,119 2 7,760 40 Tower Wagon - Hyd. Platform Under 7500 Kg 7 80,891 8 59,242 46 Refuse Vehicle 7500-24000 Kg 12 175,454 12 139,471 48 Refuse Vehicle 26001-27000 Kg 48 623,768 48 564,859 60 Refrigerated Vehicle 2 11,924 0 - 65 Hooklift Vehicle 18 Ton To Max 9 103,460 8 85,170 82 Mess Utility Vehicle < 3500 Kg 4 23,625 4 32,171 83 Plant Maintenance Vehicle 4 27,673 4 24,435 88 PMG’s 0 - 0 - 90 18 Ton Unibody 6 58,993 6 69,656 93 Electric Sweeper 0 - 0 - 94 Precinct Sweepers 21 115,442 20 36,287 96 Dropside Small up to 3500 Kg 45 378,745 45 416,058 97 Dropside Crewcab up to 3500 Kg 14 132,505 14 126,582 98 Chassis With IB System 12500-Max GVW 3 10,380 3 12,915 TOTAL 1,385 11,796,545 1,357 10,701,349 179
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Appendix 4 – MOT / PRS Analysis 180
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Fleet Asset Management Plan 2026/2027 - working draft Appendix 5 – Operator Licence Undertakings (Declaration) 181
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Country Parks Path Infrastructure Investment Planning 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an update on the current position in relation to path infrastructure investment within Calderglen and Chatelherault Country Parks provide an update on the wider Country Parks Masterplan priority projects and associated phases note the proposed approach to developing costed and prioritised path infrastructure investment plans for both parks 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s): - (1) that the completion of the initial path condition surveys for Calderglen and Chatelherault Country Parks be noted; (2) that the appointment of Housing and Technical Resources Consultancy Services (HTRCS) to develop costed and prioritised path infrastructure investment plans be noted; (3) that the inclusion of a specific assessment of the Glen Tanner landslip area within the Calderglen commission be noted; (4) that the position in relation to the Chatelherault White Bridge funding reallocation be noted; and (5) that officers continue to progress the investment plans to support future funding, prioritisation and delivery decisions. 3. Background 3.1. As set out in the report to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee on 7 October 2025, Chatelherault and Calderglen Country Parks Masterplans and Associated Phase 1 Projects, have been prepared for Calderglen and Chatelherault Country Parks. The masterplans set out a long-term strategic approach to investment within both parks and identify a series of priority projects aimed at improving visitor facilities, access, connectivity, inclusion, environmental quality and the overall visitor experience. 3.2. The masterplans and supporting documents were developed following consultation with the Council, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) and wider stakeholders. This included workshops with Council and SLLC colleagues, engagement with elected members, SLLC Board, Historic Environment Scotland, local residents and sports clubs, and public consultation events held within both parks. 15 183
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3.3. A summary of the priority projects identified through the Country Parks Masterplan process, and their current phase/status, is attached at Appendix 1. This includes Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects which are either underway or being developed, including the Calderglen Pump Track, Colonsay Field and Active Travel Route, Chatelherault Play Area, and the reallocation of White Bridge funding to adjacent footpaths, steps, signage and interpretation works. 3.4. Path infrastructure has been identified as a key cross cutting priority across both parks. The path networks support everyday visitor access, links to key facilities and attractions, inclusive access, health and wellbeing, and the ability to deliver wider investment within the parks. Further work is, therefore, required to develop a costed, prioritised and deliverable approach to future path infrastructure investment. 4. Current Position 4.1. Initial path condition surveys were completed by external consultants, CBRE, for Chatelherault and Calderglen Country Parks in February 2026. 4.2. The initial path surveys provide a useful baseline for considering the current condition of the path networks within both parks. They help inform the identification of areas requiring repair, upgrading or further technical assessment, and provide a starting point for developing a more detailed and prioritised investment programme. 4.3. Housing and Technical Resources Consultancy Services (HTRCS) have been commissioned to take forward the next stage of path infrastructure investment planning for Calderglen and Chatelherault Country Parks. The commission will build on the survey information, together with operational input and stakeholder knowledge, to develop costed and prioritised investment plans for each park. 4.4. The commission will include a review of the completed path condition survey outputs, consultation and engagement with relevant stakeholders, identification of priority interventions, indicative costing, phasing, delivery risks, accessibility considerations and alignment with wider Country Parks Masterplan priorities. The work is expected to conclude by March 2027 and is being funded from Enterprise and Sustainable Development’s existing Country Parks budget allocations. 4.5. The anticipated output is an investment plan for each park, setting out agreed priority interventions, proposed works, indicative costs, delivery phasing, risks and recommended next steps. This will support comparison of priorities and selection of preferred packages of works for future delivery. 5. Calderglen Country Park 5.1. The Calderglen Path Condition Survey provides an evidence base for understanding the current condition of the Calderglen path network and supports a more structured approach to future investment. It helps identify where path infrastructure requires repair, upgrading or further technical consideration, and provides a baseline against which priority routes, visitor access, safety, accessibility and deliverability can be assessed. 5.2. HTRCS will use the condition survey to inform the development of a costed and prioritised investment plan which will consider issues including path condition, drainage, erosion, accessibility, gradients, surfacing, steps, handrails, signage, visitor safety, operational requirements and links to key visitor facilities and destinations. It will help establish which works could be progressed as routine path improvements and which would require more complex design, funding or technical input. 184
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5.3. In addition, the Calderglen commission includes a specific review of the Glen Tanner landslip area. The route has been affected by historic slope instability, including path loss following a 2016 landslip, diversion works undertaken in 2018, and a further landslip in December 2020. The commission will, therefore, consider the current condition of the area, public access risk, ground conditions and the feasibility of reinstating a path through or around the affected area. 5.4. The assessment may conclude that reinstatement of a path in this location is not technically feasible, deliverable or proportionate, particularly if there is an ongoing risk of further landslip activity. In that event, alternative access, diversion or route management options will be considered. The assessment will also identify any requirement for geotechnical, civil, drainage, structural, environmental or other specialist input to inform decision making. 6. Chatelherault Country Park 6.1. As with Calderglen, the Chatelherault Path Condition Survey provides the baseline information in relation to the condition of the park’s path network. This will inform the development of a costed and prioritised investment plan for Chatelherault’s path infrastructure. 6.2. The Council’s approved budget for 2025/2026 included an allocation of £1.350 million towards the delivery of the Country Parks Masterplan Phase 1 projects, including the proposed reinstatement of the White Bridge at Chatelherault. 6.3. As design work progressed, it became clear that reinstating the White Bridge would be significantly more complex and costly than initially anticipated. The work identified that a new superstructure would be required, rather than the reuse of the existing abutments. Further constraints included restricted construction access, limited contractor interest, the potential need for specialist machinery, emergency access constraints and environmental restrictions limiting the period during which works could take place. 6.4. The reallocation of the White Bridge funding was subsequently approved through the Council's 2026/2027 Capital Programme Update and Future Capital Investment Strategy on 25 February 2026. It was agreed that the original £1 million allocation would be reallocated to upgrade the footpaths, steps, signage and interpretation in the vicinity of the White Bridge. While this will not reinstate a crossing over the River Avon, it will support investment in an existing, well used route where repair and improvement are required. 6.5. The Chatelherault commission will, therefore, consider the scope, cost, phasing, risks and deliverability of the White Bridge reallocation works, while also identifying wider path infrastructure priorities across the park. This will ensure that the confirmed allocation is progressed in a way that aligns with the wider Country Parks Masterplan priorities and future investment planning. 7. Timeline of Activity 7.1. The anticipated timeline is set out below:- Activity Anticipated Timescale HTRCS commission established and initial information review July 2026 Review of CBRE condition survey information, operational input and priority routes August - September 2026 185
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Activity Anticipated Timescale Consultation and engagement with relevant stakeholders, alongside development of priority interventions, outline costs, risks and phasing October 2026 - February 2027 Completion of Calderglen and Chatelherault path infrastructure investment plans March 2027 Chatelherault - further development and delivery of White Bridge reallocation works, including footpath, stair, signage and interpretation improvements Commencing 2027/2028 Calderglen - further design, procurement and delivery of prioritised path infrastructure works Subject to future approval, budget availability and procurement requirements 8. Employee Implications 8.1. There are no direct employee implications arising from this report. Officer time will be required to support the HTRCS commission and to provide operational and stakeholder input as the investment plans are developed. 9. Financial Implications 9.1. The path infrastructure investment planning commission is being funded from existing Enterprise and Sustainable Development Country Parks budget allocations. 9.2. A confirmed capital allocation of approximately £1 million for Chatelherault White Bridge has been reallocated to support footpath and step repairs in the vicinity of the White Bridge, together with replacement signage and interpretation (as outlined in paragraphs 6.3 and 6.4). 9.3. The investment plans will provide indicative costs and delivery phasing for future consideration. At this stage, funding has not been identified to deliver the wider path investment programme that may be recommended through this work. Any future capital works or funding commitments will be subject to separate approval, budget availability and procurement requirements. 10. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 10.1. The commission will consider path infrastructure in the context of long-term sustainability, visitor access, environmental constraints and climate resilience. This will include drainage, erosion, slope stability, biodiversity, watercourse constraints and appropriate materials or design standards where relevant. 11. Risk and Other Implications 11.1. Key risks and dependencies to be considered through the commission include path condition, public safety, accessibility constraints, drainage, erosion, landslip issues, geotechnical or structural constraints, statutory consent requirements, operational disruption, cost escalation and availability of capital funding. 11.2. The Glen Tanner landslip area is expected to require technical consideration due to slope stability, ground conditions and public access risks. 11.3. In relation to Chatelherault, the White Bridge reallocation works will require careful consideration of scope, cost, deliverability, statutory constraints, visitor access and programme requirements to ensure that the confirmed allocation can be progressed effectively. 186
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12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 12.1. Integrated Impact Assessments will be required in due course as the investment planning develops and preferred packages of works are identified. 12.2. Engagement with relevant Council Services and SLLC is ongoing and will continue as the investment planning work progresses. This engagement will inform the identification of priority interventions, deliverability, operational requirements and future consultation needs. 12.3. The consultation strategy will be developed as the scope of the investment plans becomes clearer. It will be informed by the learning and feedback gathered through the Country Parks Masterplan consultation undertaken to date, to ensure that future engagement is proportionate, targeted and focused on the issues most relevant to each park and the proposed works. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Fair, open and sustainable Planet - we will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Previous References South Lanarkshire Council's 2026/2027 Capital Programme Update and Future Capital Investment Strategy, 25 February 2026 Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, 7 October 2025, Chatelherault and Calderglen Country Parks Masterplans and Associated Phase 1 Projects List of Background Papers Calderglen Country Park Path Condition Survey Chatelherault Country Park Path Condition Survey Calderglen Paths Infrastructure Investment Priorities PID Chatelherault Paths Infrastructure Investment Priorities PID Country Parks Masterplan priority project information 187
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Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Pauline Crisp, Development Officer E-mail: pauline.crisp@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 188
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Appendix 1 Country Parks Masterplan Priority Projects - Current Position Calderglen Country Park Ref Priority Project and Investment Proposal Phase Brief Update CG1 New Gateway Centre and Walled Garden transformation with arrival plaza Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CG2 Historic Courtyard Buildings transformation Phase 3 Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated December 2026 and will be used to support external funding bids as opportunities arise. CG3 New Nature Conservation and Animal Rehabilitation Centre Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CG4 New active travel route into park from Colonsay Field, including footbridge Phase 2 Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated March 2027. Construction anticipated to commence early 2027/28. CG5 Enhanced roads, wayfinding and lighting, including partial surfacing of Colonsay Field Phase 2 Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated March 2027. Construction anticipated to commence early 2027/28. CG6 Enhanced play opportunities, including bike pump track Phase 1 Site start anticipated August 2026 with completion November 2026. CG7 Power, water and Wi-Fi infrastructure distributed around the park for events Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. 189
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Chatelherault Country Park Ref Priority Project and Investment Proposal Phase Brief Update CH1 Transformation of cafe, exhibition, conference and arrival space with new rooftop orangery Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CH2 Repairs and upgrades to A Listed Hunting Lodge buildings Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CH3 Expand adventure playground Phase 2 Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated March 2027. Construction anticipated to commence early 2027/28. CH4 Reconfigure and expand car park by up to 50 spaces, including expanded electric vehicle charging offer Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CH5 Enhance paths and landscape immediately around historic buildings for better flexibility for events Future phase Further development will be subject to available funding. CH6 Footpath and stair repairs in the vicinity of the White Bridge, together with replacement signage and interpretation Phase 1 Revised Scope. Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated March 2027. Construction anticipated to commence early 2027/28. CH7 Infrastructure to support events in front field and other areas, including power, hardstanding, food, sound, lighting and gatehouse for markets/events Phase 3 Detailed designs to RIBA 4 anticipated December 2026 and will be used to support external funding bids as opportunities arise. 190
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 1 September 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Roads Asset Management Plan 2026 - Update 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an update on the Roads Asset Management Plan (RAMP) and outline the condition of roads and related infrastructure assets 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s): - (1) that the contents of the report be noted. 3. Background 3.1. The Road Asset Management Plan (RAMP) is a strategic framework that outlines the key principles and practices for the effective management, maintenance, and enhancement of our road network and related infrastructure. The development of RAMPs across Scotland is an excellent example of collaborative working across all 32 councils. 3.2. The 5 key principles of an effective RAMP are: 1. Lifecycle Approach: Manage assets from planning and design through to maintenance, operation, and disposal, ensuring optimal performance, cost efficiency, and service delivery over the asset's entire life. Ensure a sound knowledge of the extent and condition of our main asset groups. 2. Prioritisation Based on Risk: Assess and manage risks related to safety, performance, and financial impact. Prioritising road asset investment based on risk and condition ensures critical assets are maintained to prevent failures and service disruptions. 3. Informed Decision Making: Utilise accurate, up-to-date data on road condition, traffic volumes, and performance trends to inform maintenance schedules and investment decisions. Using local knowledge and understand where any knowledge gaps exist and consider how these might be addressed. 4. Cost-Effectiveness: Focus on achieving the best possible value from investments, balancing the need for immediate repairs with long-term sustainability. This involves considering both short-term maintenance needs and long-term capital investment in infrastructure. 16 191
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5. Sustainability and Resilience: Integrate sustainability by minimising environmental impacts, promoting resource efficiency, and ensuring roads are resilient to climate change and extreme weather events. This ensures that road networks remain reliable and adaptable in the face of future challenges. 3.3. The roads asset consists of the following main groups. Asset Type Asset Description and Components Carriageway The part of the road used by vehicles. This asset group includes drainage systems, lay-bys, bus lanes, traffic calming, and verges. Footways, Footpaths and Cycleways Footways – used by pedestrians adjacent to the carriageway. Footpaths – used by pedestrians remote from the carriageway. Cycleways – used by cyclists and in some cases pedestrians. Pedestrianised Areas – located in town centres. Structures Primarily bridges and culverts with a span greater than 0.9 metres and retaining walls with minimum retained height of 1.35 metres. Street Lighting Includes lamps, columns, ducts, cabling, control pillars, illuminated road signs and bollards and festive lighting Traffic Management Systems Signalised junctions and pedestrian crossings, detection equipment, ducts, and cabling Street Furniture Vehicle restraint systems (safety fence) 4. Carriageway Asset 4.1. The Council is responsible for approximately 2,295 kilometres (1,426 miles) of carriageway. The Council’s carriageway network is divided into 4 classifications A, B, C and Unclassified. 4.2. Inventory records are accurate for the lengths of road; however, the widths of the road are estimated based on classification of the road. Over time, these widths will be collected and added into our network management system and will aid with quantification and refinement of the valuation of the carriageway asset. 4.3. The Gross Replacement Cost (GRC) of the recorded carriageway asset for South Lanarkshire Council is £2.263 billion. A revised GRC is expected to have increased significantly given the inflationary pressures discussed later in this report. 4.4. Safety inspections are carried out in accordance with the Guidance Document for Road Safety Inspections and Defect Categorisations. This manual takes cognisance of the guidance contained within Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice. These safety inspections are carried out on a monthly, three monthly or annual basis depending on the hierarchy of the carriageway. 4.5. In addition to these inspections, regulatory inspections to deliver our obligations under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) and the Transport Scotland Act 2019 are also carried out. 192
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4.6. Annually, the Scottish Roads Maintenance Condition Survey (SRMCS) is undertaken on our road network by SCOTS nominated contractor WDM Ltd. This survey tackles 100% of our A class carriageways in one direction, with the other direction being surveyed the following year. 50% of our B and C class roads are surveyed with the whole of the B and C class network being surveyed over a four-year period. Only 10% of our unclassified road network is completed each year. 4.7. This survey produces our Road Condition Index (RCI) based on the percentages above and applied to the whole of the network. The survey identifies for each 10-metre section of road whether it falls into the red category (requires maintenance) amber (should be considered for maintenance) or green (serviceable). The RCI is published each year as a national performance indicator. 4.8. In 2023, the backlog for carriageway maintenance across Scotland was recalculated by WDM Ltd, based on the latest SRMCS survey data at the time. The backlog calculation for the South Lanarkshire Council road network is £106.494 million, up from the previous figure of £90.420 million. This is the sum of money that would be required to be invested in a single year to bring our road network back to a serviceable standard. 4.9. The increased backlog figure is mostly due to a notable regression in the condition of our road network and continuing inflationary cost pressures in the construction industry most in relation to plant and material costs. 4.10. The overall condition of all our carriageway network has marginally improved following the recent survey as outlined in the table below. The latest RCI data indicates that 31.8% of our network needs maintenance treatment which is a decrease of 0.7% on the previous year. The RCI is the combined value of the red and amber categories referenced at paragraph 4.6, noting that a lower figure is better. 4.11. Full trend charts showing the Road Condition Index for A, B, C and Unclassified roads are shown in Appendix A. Improvements can be seen across A, B and C categories. 37.5 37.5 38 37.5 36.8 35.9 33.8 33.5 33.1 31.8 31.2 30.3 30.6 29.7 30.8 31.9 32.5 31.8 20 25 30 35 40 South Lanarkshire Network RCI 193
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4.12. Notwithstanding, this condition improvement our position in Scotland in terms of RCI ranking has declined as shown below from our highest ranking of 7th reported over the period 2018 to 2020 to position 17 over the most recent survey period 2024 to 2026. 4.13. The steady state is the amount of investment required to maintain the road network in its current condition. Based on the network condition in 2023, the steady state figure is £16.525 million per annum. 4.14. It should be borne in mind that the figure is an estimate, based on a range of survey data, and increases due to assumptions around increases in prices, rather than an actual figure and reflects the significant price increases across the sector. The steady state figure is intended to be an indication of the magnitude of potential investment needed in South Lanarkshire and is used across Scotland. It is important to note that the need to improve the condition of the road network is prioritised on an individual basis to support and justify expenditure. The steady state figure is, therefore, indicative and could increase or decrease based on actual condition of our network or the level of indexation applied. 4.15. In recent years, the Council has significantly increased capital investment in this area, with further funding already committed for 2026/2027 onwards. This enhanced investment will support broader improvements across our road infrastructure, helping us to slow and stabilise the decline in network condition and, in some locations, begin to deliver overall improvements. 4.16. During this financial year 2026/2027, approximately £15.300 million in capital is being directed towards carriageway improvements and a further £5.000 million towards other wider asset groups. This additional funding will play a key role in slowing the rate of network deterioration, provide some stability and begin to support long-term asset resilience and improvement. 5. Footway Asset 5.1. The Council is responsible for a total of approximately 2,425 kilometres (1,506 miles) of footway. It should be noted that this figure represents adopted footways/footpaths only and there are other footpaths that are maintained by other parts of the Council or third parties. Most of the adopted footway network is contained within the urban area. 19 16 17 18 19 19 13 14 13 10 9 7 8 10 12 12 14 17 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 South Lanarkshire Network (out of 32 RA's) 194
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5.2. The length of footway network is an estimated length based on there being two footways on each length of carriageway within the urban area. All the footways have been estimated as having a 2-metre width. The Gross Replacement Cost (GRC) of the recorded footway asset is presently estimated at £612.7 million; like carriageways a revised GRC is expected imminently, however it is also expected to have increased significantly. 5.3. Inspection arrangements and maintenance categories are similar to those for carriageways in terms of the nature of inspections, but the frequencies can vary depending on the hierarchy. 5.4. There is no national condition survey for footways like that which is undertaken for carriageways. Instead, priorities for resurfacing are established via the local knowledge of our officers considering the condition of a footway and its level of use. 5.5. A sample survey of 59.2% of our estimated footway length was undertaken in calendar years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 which indicated that 16.2% of our footways should be considered for maintenance purposes. This figure is likely to have increased since the sample survey. As advised previously to the Committee, updating this figure is very resource intensive, and it is not presently considered viable to do so. 5.6. During this financial year 2026/2027, approximately £1.500 million is being directed towards footway improvements. An internal assessment of the steady state figure for footway maintenance has been calculated as £1.500 million. The recent additional investment allocation has allowed us to continue to fund at this level. 6. Lighting Asset 6.1. The Council has 65,639 lighting columns, 67,793 luminaires, 2,347 Control Pillars and an estimated 2,297 kilometres (1427 miles) of cabling. Inventory records for lighting columns, luminaires and control pillars are accurate, however, inventory of the cabling network and knowledge of its condition is limited as most of it is underground. 6.2. The percentage of lighting columns exceeding their design life is, 43% giving the Council the fifth oldest lighting column stock in Scotland. The cost to replace all these columns at current rates would be £82.7 million. The cost to maintain the lighting asset in its current condition (steady state) is £2.500 million. and the existing capital and revenue funding for 2026/2027 of approximately £1.200 million. 6.3. The trend in columns beyond their design life improved in the last year, from 46% to 43% in part due to the adoption of new street lighting and the replacement of old columns as part of the column replacement programme. Current investment is focusing on targeting columns based on their structural condition noting we replaced 195 columns in 2025/2026. 7. Structures Asset 7.1. The Council is responsible for a total of 778 structures which includes road bridges, footbridges, culverts, and underpasses together with a currently unquantified number of road related retaining walls. 7.2. Good records are held for most of these assets, however, there are currently limited records held by the Council in respect of road related retaining walls. 195
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7.3. The current Gross Replacement Cost of the Structures asset is estimated at £639.6 million, up from £625.9 million. This figure does not include the replacement cost of any road related retaining walls. 7.4. Bridge inspections are carried out in accordance with the guidance and recommendations of the “Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice” published by the UK Roads Liaison Group. This published Code encourages the use of a risk-based approach toward identifying bridge inspection intervals. At present, General Inspections are carried out every two years and Principal Inspections every six years on all structures with a span more than 0.9m. More frequent inspections are carried out on structures where more specific monitoring of condition is appropriate (for example, where assessments have indicated potential capacity issues). 7.5. Routine repairs that are identified during the bridge inspection process are prioritised considering the severity and extent of the defect which has been observed. 7.6. There are 102 steel bridges across the structures asset. Properly specified and applied protective paint systems are expensive but serve to prolong the life span of steel structures and can extend intervals between maintenance and repair operations. The introduction of a formalised maintenance painting regime for our steel bridges would be of significant benefit; however, this work is tackled on a needs basis as funding permits. 7.7. Investment during 2025/2026 on bridge maintenance and renewal was £1.446 million. The cost to maintain the structures asset in its current condition (steady state) is £7.100 million up from £6.880 million and, excluding any major capital projects, investment across capital and revenue during 2026/2027 is expected to be around £1.650 million. 7.8. In addition to the inspection process discussed above, a national assessment programme, carried out to determine the suitability (that is, strength) of the bridge assets for the introduction of 40/44 tonne vehicles onto the road network, revealed 123 bridges to have a load bearing capacity below current standard. A comprehensive bridge strengthening programme has, in recent years, seen excellent progress in addressing the Council’s weak bridges. Of the 123 bridges which failed the assessment, only 16 remain to be addressed. These are subject to an enhanced monitoring and inspection regime. 7.9. The bridge assessment process included a risk analysis of vehicle containment characteristics at each bridge location. The results of the analysis revealed that, in terms of risk and containment, parapets on 8% of the Council’s bridge stock require to be upgraded. A programme to improve vehicle containment capability at these structures has been initiated. Due to competing priorities, there were no further containment upgrades undertaken in 2025/2026 and 52 structures remain outstanding as a priority for the implementation of improvement measures. 7.10. If current funding levels continue and depending on the nature and priority afforded to other commitments arising, it is expected that we will be able to complete several containment improvement schemes per year in future years; noting however that none are able to be prioritised for 2026/2027. Again, in terms of risk and containment, the need for upgrading works at the remaining 92% of bridges is currently considered low. It should be recognised that some of these parapets do have containment issues, but the level of risk is low given the site characteristics. 196
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7.11. The condition of all highway structures is determined following a General or Principal Inspection and rated in accordance with the ADEPT Bridge Condition Index (BCI) Guidance. BCI values are generated from ratings apportioned to the severity and extent of defects recorded during a bridge inspection and can be interpreted broadly as the percentage condition score of a bridge or a group of bridges. Separate BCI figures are derived to account for the condition of all structural elements of a bridge (BCIav) and for the condition of those elements defined as being of very high importance (BCIcrit). The condition indicators for the entire bridge stock as a single group over the past 6 years are as follows, noting the higher figure indicates better condition. Year BCIav BCIcrit 2020/2021 81.87 68.76 2021/2022 81.21 68.48 2022/2023 81.22 68.53 2023/2024 81.20 68.50 2024/2025 80.84 68.33 2025/2026 81.50 68.50 7.12. It may be observed from the second and third columns in the above table that BCIav and BCIcrit values for the entire asset fluctuate slightly over time but have remained within the range of “good condition” (BCI value 80-90) and “fair condition” (BCI value 65-80) respectively throughout the last 6 years. A minimal increase in the value of both condition indicators was recorded in 2025/2026 indicating a level of stability rather than an improving position. 7.13. The assembly of a register of road related retaining walls within South Lanarkshire commenced in 2014/2015 and we now have 199 walls recorded. The retaining wall asset will be of significant magnitude and the formation of the database which will contain several thousand items is a long- term commitment for the Council. The code of practice suggests that all road related retaining walls should be subject to the same type of inspection regime as is currently carried out on bridges and culverts. 8. Traffic Signals 8.1. The Council is responsible for 242 sets of traffic signals and controlled pedestrian crossings. The numbers and distinct types of installations are listed below:- 118 Traffic Signals 59 Puffins 4 Pelicans 61 Toucans 8.2. South Lanarkshire has an ageing traffic signal and pedestrian crossing asset base, with many utilising older and energy inefficient technology. In recent years, the Council has initiated a programme to replace older traffic signals and pedestrian crossings with modern ones. The replacement of an average traffic signal junction costs in the region of £0.320 million and a pedestrian crossing around £0.110 million. The existing level of funding allows for the renewal of one traffic signal junction per year or 3 pedestrian crossings to be upgraded. 8.3. External funding does allow other infrastructure to be renewed but this is a changing situation as it is dependent on the availability of funding and our ability for a project to meet grant conditions. These new installations both maximise the safety benefits to all 197
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road users and improve the flow of traffic using modern computer control systems such as Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation (MOVA) and Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) and FUSION. The council has also introduced Bus Priority into several junctions to assist in improving bus journeys. 8.4. Typically, the Service receives and respond to approximately 1,500 traffic signal faults annually. In 2025/2026 the is number of faults were 1,484. This can be explained by addition of more fault monitoring within the various systems in operation and an increase in incandescent lamp faults due to there only being one manufacturer and the quality of their product. 8.5. The gross replacement value of all traffic signal apparatus is currently estimated at a value of £54.700 million, up from £48.800 million. The cost to maintain the traffic signal asset in its current condition (steady state) is £2.930 million. 8.6. In 2026/2027, internal and external funding of around £0.700m is being directed towards investment in traffic signal infrastructure. 8.7. The Service continues to try and adopt a 15-year lifecycle plan, although the replacement of each asset is still assessed on an individual need’s basis. Any plan extending beyond this period would lead to reliability issues and, in recent years, some installations have failed, requiring emergency replacement works. The Council currently has 47 sets of traffic signals and 55 pedestrian crossings (representing 42% of our assets) that are 15 years old or older. This is an overall increase of 5% for both traffic signals and pedestrian crossings compared to the previous year. 8.8. It should also be noted that there is now a limited supply of incandescent lamps due to a change in legislation prohibiting their use and with the reducing demand, lighting manufactures ceasing their manufacture. The Council currently has supply for 9 sets of traffic signals and 7 pedestrian crossings that use these incandescent lamps. 8.9. The age of the equipment is increasing quicker than replacement equipment is being installed, therefore, the trend for the overall condition of the asset continues to regress most year. While these older installations continue to operate, the risk of them failing is higher than at other locations with potentially greater impact if they fail during a busy period of the year. 9. Street Furniture - Vehicle Restraint Systems 9.1. There are currently 515 vehicle restraint systems, totalling 43.3 Km. Our last assessment indicated approximately 20% of the systems had reached the end of their serviceable life (life expired) due to having timber posts suffering from rot as opposed to steel posts. Some systems have also suffered from extensive corrosion. 9.2. Approximately 10% of existing systems are damaged, and an estimated 95% of the systems surveyed would not comply with current design standards, although there is no need to retrospectively replace older installations unless they have suffered considerable damage and need replacement. Repairs are prioritised in line with available funding. 9.3. The estimated gross replacement cost of the vehicle restraint systems which would bring the systems up to current standards is £25.050 million, up from £12.970 million. The estimated cost to replace older systems is £8.6 million. The estimated annual cost to maintain the asset in its current condition (steady state) is £0.400 million and in 2026/2027 a budget of £0.200 million has been allocated to target those restraint systems in poorest condition. 198
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10. Conclusions and Summary 10.1. Roads and related infrastructure keep our communities and businesses connected. Businesses use it to deliver goods and services, buses travel along it, people use it to travel to work and communities to access shopping, learning, healthcare, and active travel priorities. 10.2. This paper sets out the overall condition of this infrastructure and important matters to note are as follows:- Carriageways: The condition of our carriageways overall has improved as shown in the recent survey results. Although there has been an improvement for this set of results, we need to be mindful of the overall regressive trend; this will be closely monitored when future survey information is available. Footways/Footpaths: At least 16.2% of our network requires to be considered for maintenance; continuing investment as noted in this report should see some stability in condition beginning to emerge. Structures: Bridge condition is good to fair. The previous trend has been one of slow deterioration, but recent results slow some level of stability emerging. Timely progress has been made in dealing with bridges assessed as being inadequate for current loading standard, however, greater investment is required in the maintenance of the bridge stock. It should be noted that while funding is allocated for 2026/2027, we can expect further deterioration of this asset. Street Lighting: Recent investment has reduced energy use by half and replaced 7,448 of the oldest lighting columns representing considerable progress. The current percentage of lighting columns exceeding their design life is 43%. Traffic Management Systems: The overall condition of traffic signal equipment is deteriorating as the current replacement programme is not sufficient to upgrade the number of installations that are greater than 15 years in age. With the current levels of funding, we can expect further deterioration of this asset. Street Furniture: The condition of vehicle restraint systems is such that a significant number are beyond their design life and require to be improved. A prioritised programme of sustained investment is required, and this year has seen a modest amount of funding directed to this asst group. 11. Employee Implications 11.1. There is no current employee implications associated with this report, noting and welcoming the additional temporary posts associated with the recent increased investment announcement. 11.2. The current backlog of repairs continues to increase demand on our engineering and technical employee resources. The current increase in the backlog is increasing the levels of complaints, road defects and public liability claims, and an appropriate level of resource is required to manage this workload. 199
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12. Financial Implications 12.1. Since the long-term Roads Investment Programme was completed in March 2019, the Council has continued to invest funding, to maintain the condition of our network. In recent years significant financial challenges, as well as construction inflation has been encountered which reduced the amount of works we could carry out for the budget we have available. 12.2. Sustained investment in roads and related infrastructure is essential to preserve the benefits of previous significant funding and to avoid higher costs in the future. Increased capital investment in this area, with a further £12.000 million funding already committed for 2026/2027 and onwards will play a key role in slowing the rate of network deterioration and supporting long-term asset resilience. It is anticipated that the combination of increased investment and effective asset management will lead to stabilisation of our road network, with a modest yet steady improvement achievable in the years ahead. 12.3. In addition, our road network remains extremely vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather, climate change, and utility openings. Severe weather continues to directly impact our roads and assets which further increases the pressure on our finite resources available to maintain the condition of our network. Utility openings are increasing as providers seek to maintain their critical infrastructure the majority of which is reaching the end of its serviceable life. 12.4. It is acknowledged that both capital and revenue investment opportunities must be considered alongside a wide range of competing priorities across the Council. Striking the right balance remains a significant and ongoing challenge. Maintaining funding at a steady-state level offers a more sustainable long-term outlook. This approach helps mitigate the risk of further deterioration in the road network, which would otherwise require even greater investment in the future - potentially at a level that is less affordable than committing to steady-state funding today. 12.5 Opportunities will continue to be taken to secure and lever in new sources of funding including external partner funding where possible. Success has already been achieved in securing external funding for traffic signal and active travel investment; this has also allowed us to tackle wider corridor maintenance priorities. 13. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 13.1. Sustained investment in the road network is required to improve resilience to more frequent and severe rainfall, flooding, storms, and temperature extremes. Timely maintenance, improved drainage, and the use of durable, lower-carbon materials can extend asset life, reduce emergency repairs, and minimise waste and whole-life carbon emissions. 13.2. A safe and reliable network also supports public transport, active travel and the efficient movement of people and goods, helping to deliver wider sustainability and environmental objectives. 14. Risk and Other Implications 14.1. There are no other implications or risk in relation to the information contained within this report. 200
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15. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 15.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function, or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 15.2. The Plan is primarily an operational asset management document and therefore no consultation is required other than internal discussions between service teams. Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 17 August 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient, and transparent Ambitious, self-aware, and improving Fair, open and sustainable We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress and improve Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee – 7 October 2025 List of Background Papers Roads Asset Management Plan – 2026 Update Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Colin Park, Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Tel: 07795 090 494 E-mail: colin.park@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 201
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Appendix A RCI Charts for A, B, C and Unclassified Roads 30.2 28.9 28 27.2 25.9 22.7 21 22.2 23 22.9 23.3 23.2 23.9 24 23.9 24.9 27.7 26.6 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 RCI Value South Lanarkshire A Class 32.3 29.7 30.1 31.8 30.4 25.0 22.7 23.7 24.1 24.5 25.0 25.3 26.2 25.6 26.1 27.8 29.6 27.5 20.0 22.0 24.0 26.0 28.0 30.0 32.0 34.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire B Class 202
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44.1 41.4 41.5 44.6 41.1 40.0 38.9 36.9 37.9 37.1 36.7 37.7 37.6 34.9 35.6 36.5 37.4 34.5 33.0 35.0 37.0 39.0 41.0 43.0 45.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire C Class 37.8 39.5 40.5 38.7 39.0 39.5 37.0 36.8 35.5 33.4 32.3 30.3 30.5 29.9 31.6 32.6 32.4 32.9 28.0 30.0 32.0 34.0 36.0 38.0 40.0 42.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire Unclassified 203
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