Agenda Document Pack - Community and Enterprise Resources Committee - 17/09/2024
South Lanarkshire Council · 17 September 2024
Back to Community and Enterprise Resources Committee — 17 September 2024 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, 09 September 2024 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, 17 September 2024 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), Maureen Devlin (Depute Chair), Joe Fagan (ex officio), John Anderson, Ralph Barker, Walter Brogan, Andy Carmichael, Gerry Convery, Poppy Corbett, Andrea Cowan, Margaret Cowie, Colin Dewar, Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Ross Gowland, Graeme Horne, Cal Johnston-Dempsey, Susan Kerr, Martin Lennon, Richard Lockhart, Hugh Macdonald, Ian McAllan, Kenny McCreary, Davie McLachlan, Carol Nugent, Helen Toner, David Watson Substitutes Alex Allison, Ross Clark, Margaret Cooper, Allan Falconer, Alistair Fulton, Lynsey Hamilton, Ross Lambie, Lesley McDonald, 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 18 June 2024 submitted for approval as a correct record. (Copy attached) 5 - 20 Monitoring Item(s) 3 Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2023/2024 Joint report dated 20 August 2024 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 21 - 30 4 Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2024/2025 Joint report dated 20 August 2024 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 31 - 40 5 Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2023/2024 Joint report dated 21 August 2024 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 41 - 44 6 Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2024/2025 Joint report dated 21 August 2024 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 45 - 48 7 Community and Enterprise Resources – Workforce Monitoring – April to June 2024 Joint report dated 8 August 2024 by the Executive Directors (Finance and Corporate Resources) and (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 49 - 56 Item(s) for Decision 8 Employability Services Joint report dated 23 August by the Executive Directors (Community and Enterprise Resources) and (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 57 - 78 9 Community Benefit Funds - Renewable Energy Fund - Grant Applications Report dated 23 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 79 - 84 2
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10 UK Shared Prosperity Fund - Grant Application Report dated 26 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 85 - 90 11 South Lanarkshire Council's Food Service Plan for 2024/2025 Report dated 23 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 91 - 120 12 Ash Dieback Disease (ADD) Report dated 30 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 121 - 144 Item(s) for Noting 13 Air Quality Management Activity Report dated 19 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 145 - 148 14 Sale of Nicotine Vapour Products Enforcement Report dated 23 August by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 149 - 152 15 Community Benefit Funds - Annual Report Report dated 23 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 153 - 168 16 Roads Asset Management Plan 2024 - Update Report dated 28 August 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 169 - 184 Urgent Business 17 Urgent Business Any other items of business which the Chair decides are urgent. For further information, please contact:- Clerk Name: Tracy Slater Clerk Telephone: 07385 370089 Clerk Email: tracy.slater@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 3
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COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES COMMITTEE Minutes of meeting held via Confero and in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton on 18 June 2024 Chair: Councillor Robert Brown Councillors Present: Councillor John Anderson, Councillor Walter Brogan, Councillor Gerry Convery, Councillor Poppy Corbett, Councillor Andrea Cowan, Councillor Margaret Cowie, Councillor Maureen Devlin (Depute), Councillor Colin Dewar, Councillor Allan Falconer (substitute for Councillor Andy Carmichael), Councillor Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Councillor Ross Gowland, Councillor Graeme Horne, Councillor Cal Johnston-Dempsey, Councillor Susan Kerr, Councillor Richard Lockhart, Councillor Hugh Macdonald, Councillor Ian McAllan, Councillor Kenny McCreary, Councillor Davie McLachlan, Councillor Carol Nugent, Councillor Helen Toner, Councillor David Watson Councillors' Apologies: Councillor Ralph Barker, Councillor Andy Carmichael, Councillor Joe Fagan (ex officio), Councillor Martin Lennon Attending: Community and Enterprise Resources D Booth, Executive Director; A Brown, Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services; F Carlin, Head of Planning and Regulatory Services; K Carr, Head of Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services; K Lean, Economic Development Manager (Funding and Rural); K McGuire, Waste Services Manager; C Park, Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services; C Reid, Grounds Manager Finance and Corporate Resources J Davitt, Public Relations Team Leader; N Docherty, Administration Assistant; E-A McGonigle, Administration Adviser; E Maxwell, HR Business Manager; M Zabir, Finance Adviser 1 Declaration of Interests No interests were declared. 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting The minutes of the meeting of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee held on 23 April 2024 were submitted for approval as a correct record. The Committee decided: that the minutes be approved as a correct record. 3 Community and Enterprise Resources - Workforce Monitoring – March and April 2024 A joint report dated 10 May 2024 by the Executive Directors (Community and Enterprise Resources) and (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on the following employee information for Community and Enterprise Resources for the period March and April 2024:- attendance statistics occupational health statistics accident/incident statistics disciplinary hearings, grievances and Dignity at Work cases 2 5
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analysis of leavers and exit interviews staffing watch as at 9 March 2024 The Committee decided: that the report be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 23 April 2024 (Paragraph 5)] 4 Community and Enterprise Resource Plan – Quarter 4 Progress Report 2023/2024 A report dated 28 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report 2023/2024 for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. 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 2023/2024, as detailed in Section 5.2 and attached as Appendix 2 to the report key achievements made by the Resource to date, as detailed in Section 5.3 of the report areas for improvement and associated management actions, as detailed in Section 5.4 of the report additional scrutiny of changes in BRAG status between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, as summarised at paragraph 5.5 and detailed at Appendix 3 to the report The Committee decided: (1) that the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report 2023/2024, 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; (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 BRAG status between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, as summarised at paragraph 5.5 and detailed at Appendix 3 of the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 6 February 2024 (Paragraph 7)] 5 Community and Enterprise Resource Plan 2024/2025 A report dated 23 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan 2024/2025. Details were provided on the Resource Plan for 2024/2025, 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 6
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Following approval at individual Resource Committees, the Resource Plans for 2023/2024 would be submitted, as a pack, to the meeting of the Executive Committee to be held on 26 June 2024 for noting. The Resource had established a number of outcomes to support the delivery of the Council Plan, Connect outcomes in 2024/2025. 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 2024/2025, 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 2024/2025 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. The Committee decided: (1) that the Resource Plan 2024/2025, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; (2) that the Resource Plan 2024/2025 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 26 June 2024 for noting; and (4) that it be noted that Progress Reports on the Resource Plan 2024/2025 would be submitted, at Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, to future meetings of this Committee. Councillor Toner entered the meeting during consideration of the above item of business 6 Community Benefit Funds – Renewable Energy Fund – Grant Application A report dated 23 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on 6 applications to the various Community Benefit Funds. The Community Benefit Funds 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, a grant be awarded up to a maximum of:- £223,462.32 towards eligible costs associated to create a MUGA and a skatepark with community seating and planting area to Coal-Play Trust from the Nutberry Windfarm Renewable Energy Fund (REF) £30,000 towards eligible costs associated with employment of a Development Officer to Larkhall Community Growers from the Auchrobert Windfarm REF £290,000 towards eligible costs associated with the construction of a new clubhouse and storage facilities to Leadhills Golf Club from the Middle Muir Windfarm REF £59,280 towards eligible costs associated with employing facilitators and youth workers specialising in youth mental health provision to Outreach Community Church from the Kype Muir Windfarm £181,679.15 towards eligible costs associated with the upgrade and renewal of core paths around Bellfield Road, Wallace Cave and Ponneil to the Rural Development Trust from the Middle Muir Windfarm REF 7
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£158,719.18 towards eligible costs associated with upgrading and creation of a new core footpath from Coalburn to NCN74 to the Rural Development Trust from the Middle Muir Windfarm REF The Committee decided: that, subject to the applicants providing written confirmation that all other funding for the projects had been secured, a grant be awarded of up to a maximum of:- £223,462.32 towards eligible costs associated to create a MUGA and a skatepark with community seating and planting area to Coal-Play Trust from the Nutberry Windfarm Renewable Energy Fund (REF) £30,000 towards eligible costs associated with employment of a development officer to Larkhall Community Growers from the Auchrobert Windfarm REF £290,000 towards eligible costs associated with construction of a new clubhouse and storage facilities to Leadhills Golf club from the Middle Muir Windfarm £59,280 towards associated costs of employing facilitators and youth workers specialising in youth mental health provision to Outreach Community Church from the Kype Muir Windfarm £181,719.18 towards eligible costs associated with the upgrade and renewal of core paths around Bellfield Road, Wallace Cave and Ponneil to the Rural Development Trust from the Middle Muir Windfarm REF £158,719.18 towards eligible costs associated with the upgrade and creation of a new core footpath from Coalburn to NCN74 to the Rural Development Trust from the Middle Muir Windfarm REF [Reference: Minutes of 23 April 2024 (Paragraph 7)] 7 Community Benefit Funds Kype Muir Windfarm Connect2Renewables Extension A report dated 28 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted seeking approval for the Community Benefit from Kype Muir Windfarm to continue to support the Connect2Renewables (C2R) employability programme. The Kype Muir Windfarm was operated by OnPath Energy (formerly Banks Renewables Ltd) and was located south of Strathaven, with an eligible funding area detailed in Appendix 1 to the report. The windfarm comprised of 26 turbines of 3.4KW which, in 2019, generated a Community Benefit of £442,000 per annum. The developer had agreed to apportion £1.875 per MW to the Council and £3.125 per MW to Kype Muir Community Partnership (KMCP), an independent community panel consisting of Sandford and Upper Avondale, Strathaven and Glassford, Stonehouse, Lesmahagow, Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill (including Boghead) community council areas. The allocation of 50% of the Council’s Community Benefit income per annum, to deliver the C2R employability programme, was approved by the Committee on 3 September 2019 for an initial 5 years. The remaining 50% would be administered through the Council’s Renewable Energy Fund (REF) grants programme. Banks Renewables, along with KMCP, had agreed to contribute £138,125 per annum to C2R which resulted in an annual budget of £221,000 for a 5 year period to 2024, after which it would be subject to review. 8
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The C2R employability programme provided skills development support to unemployed people and/or individuals within the eligible area of the windfarm to gain employment or study. The fund had been used for 5 categories of support, as detailed in paragraph 3.6 of the report. The C2R employability programme was funded by Middle Muir and Kype Muir Windfarms, covering different geographical areas. The Middle Muir Windfarm funding commitment had been extended for 5 years at the 6 February 2024 meeting of this Committee. Banks Renewables had commissioned a study on the outcomes of the community benefit funds and, specifically, C2R which were summarised at paragraph 4.1 of the report. The study had concluded that the initiative had been a success and had significant benefit to the target groups within the area. OnPath Energy and the Council’s Employability Service believed that the C2R Programme had delivered good results and should continue. KMCP had, however, indicated its intention to withdraw its contribution from 2024 onwards to have full control of its share of the budget to award community grants and focus on projects raised with local Community Action Plans. Following the agreement with OnPath Energy and the Council’s Employability Service, it was proposed that the Kype Muir C2R Programme be extended for a further 5 years, to the end of 2029, using only REF funding. The annual income to the Council’s Community Benefit from Kype Muir Windfarm had risen to £291,000 per annum and an allocation of 50% of this to C2R would amount to £145,500 per annum. This was a reduction in total funding in the Kype Muir area from £221,000 to £145,500 per year, which the Employability Service had agreed was manageable. The Committee decided: that the funding support of the Connect2Renewables (C2R) Employability Programme, as set out at paragraphs 4.4 and 4.5, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 3 September 2019 (Paragraph 15) and 6 February 2024 (Paragraph 9)] 8 South Lanarkshire Council Bereavement Services Strategy 2024 to 2033 A report dated 29 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted seeking endorsement of the South Lanarkshire Bereavement Services Strategy 2024 to 2033. The Council operated a Bereavement Service that provided a dignified and sensitive burial and cremation service. The key piece of legislation governing the Service was the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 which was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 22 March 2016 and received Royal Assent on 28 April 2016. The 2016 Act fulfilled the commitment of the Scottish Government to implement the recommendations made by:- The Burial and Cremation Review Group (2007) The Infant Cremation Commission (2014) The National Cremation Investigation (2016) A Working Group had been formed in July 2016 to commence regulations of the Act. Priority had been given to implementing Part 2 of the Act on Cremation and this resulted in the Cremation (Scotland) Regulation 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted and delayed progress, however, a working group was still actively working on the regulations for Part 1 (Burial) of the Act. The most recent activity had been a consultation on the regulations which was completed in November 2023. 9
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The South Lanarkshire Council Cemetery Strategy 2023 to 2024 was approved by the Committee on 30 May 2023 and had allowed the Council to implement the strategic approach to the provision of burial ground within the local authority area, as detailed in paragraph 3.4 of the report. The Bereavement Strategy incorporated the previous work undertaken in the Cemetery Strategy to include the Crematorium to deliver a long-term vision for the Council’s Bereavement Service. The Bereavement Strategy 2024 to 2033, attached as an appendix to the report, was a strategic document that would assist the Council in providing, maintaining, and managing its crematorium and cemeteries over the long term. The Strategy included all aspects of the management and operation of the Council’s Bereavement Services. The Strategy detailed:- the purpose and vision the legal context the demographic context, demand and capacity crematorium rules and areas for development cemeteries rules and areas for development infrastructure and maintenance pricing structure The key points of the Strategy were detailed in section 4 of the report and included:- crematorium services:- the demand for cremations had increased since the South Lanarkshire Crematorium opened in 2006 and that trend would continue, as detailed at paragraph 4.2 of the report the crematorium operated with 3 different options of service times. An analysis of usage was provided at paragraph 4.3 of the report a proposal to offer a new type of morning service at 8.00am and 8.15am to utilise unused capacity was detailed at paragraph 4.4 of the report. An increase of uptake of early services was anticipated and this would be monitored for 6 months the crematorium infrastructure:- the cremators were now over 17 years old and required regular repair as well as annual servicing. Recurring costs over the last 3 years were detailed in paragraph 4.5 of the report. The Service operated a financial sink fund whereby any additional income generated was set aside to re-invest in the ongoing maintenance requirements the cremators would become less efficient over time and would likely need to be fully replaced over the next 5 years. Future replacement would provide the opportunity to consider larger capacity to meet the increasing requirement for outsized coffins IT modernisation:- the current IT system had been in place since 2005, however, the Service aimed to invest in a new, cloud-based system to drive modernisation, as set out in paragraph 4.7 of the report the charging framework:- operating costs for the Service were continuing to increase, particularly for the crematorium a review of existing charges had been conducted and benchmarked against comparators. 4 activities had been identified, as detailed in paragraph 4.9 of the report, where the Council did not currently charge but proposed to introduce a charge the review had also allowed the opportunity to harmonise charging across the crematorium and cemeteries and those proposals were detailed in the table at paragraph 4.10 of the report 10
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stakeholder engagement:- the first broad consultation on the Service would be undertaken and would include members of the public, funeral directors, clergy, humanists, other celebrants, and any other interested parties The Bereavement Strategy for South Lanarkshire 2024 to 2033, including a crematorium service time pilot and introduction of new and harmonised charges, once endorsed, would be referred to the next meeting of the Executive Committee for approval. The Committee decided: (1) that the Bereavement Services Strategy for South Lanarkshire 2024 to 2033, as detailed at Appendix 1, be endorsed; (2) that the new crematorium service time pilot, as detailed in section 4.4 of the report, be endorsed; and (3) that the new and harmonised charges, as detailed in sections 4.9 and 4.10 of the report, be endorsed. The Committee recommended to the Executive Committee: that the Bereavement Strategy for South Lanarkshire 2024 to 2033, including a crematorium service time pilot and introduction of new and harmonised charges, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 30 May 2023 (Paragraph 10)] 9 Introduction of Charge for Uplift of Household Garden Waste (Burgundy) Bin A joint report dated 28 May 2024 by the Executive Directors (Community and Enterprise Resources) and (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted seeking endorsement for a proposal to introduce a charge for the uplift of burgundy bins containing garden waste. In 2015, the Council introduced a burgundy bin to collect food waste to comply with the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Those Regulations placed a statutory obligation on local authorities in Scotland to provide householders with a separate food waste collection service. Although there was no statutory requirement to provide residents with a garden waste collection service, the Council allowed residents who had been provided with a burgundy bin to deposit unbagged, compostable garden waste free of charge. Approximately 110,000 households had been provided with a burgundy bin to present commingled food and garden waste. Residents in flatted properties with no gardens had communal ‘food only’ burgundy bins. Around 5,000 rural properties, mainly in Clydesdale, were not provided with a burgundy bin and were currently unable to present food or garden waste separately at the kerbside. All South Lanarkshire Council residents, including those in rural areas, could request a garden waste uplift for unbagged compostable wate. The cost of that service was £40 for up to 10 items. As councils across the country looked for ways to reduce budgetary pressures, charges for garden waste collections had become increasingly common. Currently in Scotland:- 6 councils did not provide a kerbside garden waste collection service for residents 21 councils operated a chargeable garden waste permit scheme 5 councils currently provided a free of charge garden waste collection service 11
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The councils that operated a permit system charged residents an average of £42.16 per year. Further information of the cost of garden waste permits in Scotland was provided at Appendix 1 to the report. A proposal, which would make use of garden waste permits in South Lanarkshire to recover some of the costs associated with providing the Service, was fully detailed at section 4 of the report. Key aspects of that proposal included:- residents who used the burgundy bin solely for food waste would not require a permit the permit would cost £45 per annum and, except for a 2-week period over Christmas and New Year, the burgundy bin would be collected every 2 weeks in the financial year unlike the current food and garden waste collection service, the permit scheme would be available to residents in rural Clydesdale. The cost of the permit would include the cost of providing the burgundy bin as well as a food waste caddy. The establishment of this service would allow those residents in rural Clydesdale not currently on the service to opt in to receive a burgundy bin and caddy for food waste only the new Service would commence from 1 April 2025, however, given the scale of the project, it was anticipated that implementation work would commence on 1 July 2024 significant community engagement would be undertaken by Waste Services to ensure residents were aware of the new charges as well as alternative options. A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document was provided at Appendix 2 to the report the costs associated with the proposal, outlined at paragraphs 4.6 to 4.13 of the report, included:- the establishment of a Project Team to manage the design, implementation and roll out of the Service. This would include a specialist IT system to manage the permit process. Costs associated with establishing the Project Team, purchasing the IT system and burgundy bins were estimated at £0.170 million the vehicle fleet establishment would need to be increased by 3 refuse collection vehicles in 2025/2026. Leasing and maintenance costs were detailed at paragraph 4.8 of the report. Employee costs associated with the additional Waste Operatives required to crew those vehicles would be in the region £0.184 million in 2025/2026 and £0.330 million from 2026/2027 onwards four 14-tonne refuse collection vehicles, which had been purchased using funding from Zero Waste Scotland in 2015, would have to be replaced to ensure the Service continued to operate across South Lanarkshire. Those ‘owned’ assets were not on the vehicle replacement list and were now nearing end of life. The cost of replacing those with leased vehicles was detailed at paragraph 4.10 of the report expected income from the uptake of the Service, as outlined at paragraph 4.12 of the report The proposal to introduce a charge for the uplift of burgundy bins containing garden waste would require an overall increase in establishment, with the following posts being added to Waste Services, as detailed at paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the report:- 1 FTE Project Officer post, temporary for 21 months, on Grade 3, Level 2 to 4, SCP 63-74 (£37,866 to £43,615) 3 FTE Waste Education Assistant posts, temporary for 12 months, on Grade 2, Level 1, SCP 34-35 (£26,023 to £26,406) 4 FTE permanent Waste Operative (Loaders) posts on Grade 1, Level 3, SCP 25-27 (£25,140 to £25,729) 5 FTE permanent Waste Operative (Drivers) posts on Grade 1, Level 4, SCP 30-31 (£29,682 to £30,054) The permanent posts would be implemented on a phased basis over 2 years, as detailed at paragraph 5.4 of the report. 12
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The total costs associated with the proposal were detailed at section 6 of the report and included estimated net income after deducting the costs of the Service. The proposal, if endorsed, would be referred to the next meeting of the Executive Committee for approval. The Scottish Government was currently considering proposals to make garden waste collections mandatory. If that was to be implemented, the Council would no longer be able to charge for the collection service. It was expected that appropriate compensatory funding would be made available to local authorities in respect of the new statutory obligation. Following an extensive discussion and interchange of views, Councillor Brown, seconded by Councillor Devlin, moved that the matter be referred, without endorsement, to the Executive Committee for decision. Councillor McAllan, seconded by Councillor Johnston-Dempsey, moved as an amendment that the recommendations in the report be not endorsed and not referred to the Executive Committee. On a vote being taken using the electronic voting system, 12 members voted for the motion and 11 members voted for the amendment. The motion was declared carried. The Committee decided: that the matter be referred, without endorsement, to the Executive Committee for decision. 10 Extension of the Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) Booking System A report dated 28 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted providing an update on a proposal to extend the booking system to all Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWCRs) in South Lanarkshire. In November 2021, the Clydesdale Area Committee noted the introduction of a booking system for residents visiting the HWCR in Carluke on a trial basis. The pilot aimed to:- reduce waiting times for residents prevent queues on access roads reduce incidences of verbal and physical abuse experienced by staff prevent residents from other local authorities using the site reduce trader abuse The booking system trial in Carluke had gone live on 21 February 2022. At paragraphs 3.3 to 3.5 if the report, further details were provided on the trial and customer feedback. Since the introduction of the trial in Carluke, Waste Services no longer received complaints from residents or local businesses in the vicinity of the site. The Service did, however, continue to receive complaints related to queuing traffic at other sites,as detailed in paragraph 3.6 of the report. The Council’s new contractual arrangements for the management and operation of 5 HWRCs, namely Strathaven, Larkhall, Blantyre, East Kilbride and Rutherglen, commenced on 1 April 2024. The contract, awarded to the incumbent service provider, Biffa Ltd, contained provisions that allowed the Council to require the contractor to implement a booking system for visitors to the sites. Waste Services had notified Biffa Ltd that, following approval by the Committee, that the Council intended to invoke financial provision during the financial year 2024/2025. Biffa Ltd had confirmed its support for the booking system and noted it would enhance the ability to manage demand, plan downtime and provide a better service to site users. 13
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A breakdown of the position in terms of booking systems for HWRCs for the 32 local authorities in Scotland was provided in Appendix 1 to the report. The proposal to implement the use of booking systems at all 6 HWRCs in South Lanarkshire and the timeline for implementation were detailed in sections 4 and 5 of the report, respectively. Following an extensive discussion and interchange of views, Councillor Brown, seconded by Councillor Devlin, moved the recommendations in the report, with the addition of a further recommendation to bring an update report to the Committee, which would provide a review of how the system had worked across the 6 sites. Councillor Watson, seconded by Councillor Cowan, moved as an amendment that the booking system be trialled across all 6 HWCR sites for 12 months, following which time a report be brought back to the Committee for consideration. On a vote being taken using the electronic voting system, 12 members voted for the motion and 11 members voted for the amendment. The motion was declared carried. The Committee decided: (1) that the contents of the report be noted; (2) that the proposal to implement a booking system for visitors to the 6 Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWCRs) in South Lanarkshire be agreed, with implementation in line with the timetable provided at section 5.1 of the report; and (3) that an update report be brought to the Committee once the booking systems had been in place across all the sites for 12 months. [Reference: Minutes of Clydesdale Area Committee of 12 October 2022 (Paragraph 5)] 11 Operational and Financial Implications of Managing Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating (WUDs) Containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) A report dated 28 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted:- providing an update on the operational changes required to comply with the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulations 2007 in respect of Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating (WUDS) providing an estimate of the additional costs likely to be incurred by Waste Services and Street Cleansing due to WUDS containing POPs being collected, transported and treated in line with current legislative requirements seeking approval to increase the Waste Services’ establishment for 3 FTE Waste Operatives (Loaders) and 3 FTE Waste Operative (Drivers) on a permanent basis The Environment Agency in England had recently published a study which highlighted that the presence of POPs in WUDs was higher than the threshold limit set out in the Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulations 2007. Those regulations, which were in force throughout the UK, implemented the levels agreed in the Stockholm Convention. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) enforced those regulations in Scotland. Guidance on the management of WUDs which contained POPs was published by SEPA in October 2023. 14
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POPs were organic chemical substances which posed a risk to human health and the environment due to their persistence in the environment, bioaccumulation through the food chain and their transboundary nature. Waste containing POPs above the threshold levels had to be managed in a way that destroyed them (incineration) and the wastes could not be landfilled. The specific requirements that related to the management of POPs waste were detailed at paragraph 3.3 of the report. The specific requirements for managing POPs waste also applied to WUDS, examples of which were detailed in paragraph 3.4 of the report. Current and future arrangements for collection, transportation and treatment of waste containing WUDs were detailed at sections 4 and 5 of the report respectively. In order to comply with POPs legislation, a separate WUDS collection service was required to ensure those items were collected, transported, bulked, hauled and treated in accordance with the requirements of the legislation. Additional resources would be required, as detailed in paragraphs 5.2 to 5.5 of the report, to facilitate the separate collection of WUDS in Waste Services (bulky waste) and street cleansing (fly-tipping) and included:- the lease of three 7.5 tonne tippers to enable separate collection of WUDS from other bulky waste. The cost of those vehicles would be offset by a reduction in the refuse collection fleet, providing a saving of £0.005 million per annum an increase to the Waste Services’ establishment by 6 FTE Waste Operatives the lease of four 7.5 tonne caged tippers to facilitate the separate collection of WUDS by fly-tipping crews Future mitigation arrangements were detailed at section 6 of the report and included working with the Council’s Corporate Communications Team to promote re-use initiatives aimed at diverting WUDS from the waste stream. The proposal to collect WUDS separately would require an overall increase in establishment, with the following posts being added to Waste Services, as detailed at paragraph 7.1 of the report:- 3 FTE permanent Waste Operative (Loaders) posts on Grade 1, Level 3, SCP 25-27 (£25,140 to £25,729) 3 FTE permanent Waste Operative (Drivers) posts on Grade 1, Level 4, SCP 30-31 (£29,682 to £30,054) The total costs associated with complying with the POPs legislation was estimated to be £0.544 million per annum. This included additional employee and vehicle costs as well as budget requirements associated with the higher gate-fee for treating WUDS. COSLA recognised the additional burden this legislation placed on councils and was currently lobbying with the Scottish Government for funding to cover the additional costs of compliance. The Committee decided: (1) that the operational changes required to comply with the legislation be noted; (2) that the additional financial implications associated with compliance be noted; (3) that the increase to the Waste Services’ establishment by 6 FTE on a permanent basis, as set out in sections 5.4 and 7.1 of the report, be approved; and (4) that the increase in vehicle establishment for Grounds and Waste Services, as detailed at sections 5.3 and 5.5 of the report, be approved. 15
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12 UK Levelling Up Fund Update and Next Steps A report dated 7 June 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted:- providing an update on South Lanarkshire’s UK Levelling Up Fund (UKLUF) awards seeking approval for the next steps As reported to the Committee on 6 February 2024, the following 2 bids from South Lanarkshire had been shortlisted for an allocation from the UKLUF Round 3:- National Business District (NBD): Shawfield Remediation and Development Three Rivers Active Tourism: Clydesdale Way (joint bid developed in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders Councils) Full details of the project values, the UKLUF grant requested, and match funding requirements were detailed at paragraph 3.2 of the report. Project summaries were provided at section 4 of the report. In January 2024, the Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service (ESDS) completed validation checks for both awards which had a combined value of £21,432,600. UK Government officials had confirmed that the provisional award of funding was subject to UK Government departmental ‘sign-off’. ESDS was working closely with the UK Government officials to understand the implications the upcoming General Election would have on timescales. The next steps would involve entering into legal agreements with the UKLUF partners, as fully detailed at paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 of the report. The Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services responded to a member’s question in relation to the money spent at the Shawfield site to date and, where information was not immediately available, undertook to provide this to the relevant member. The Committee decided: (1) that South Lanarkshire Council enter into legal agreements with UK Levelling Up Fund (UKLUF) partners, namely Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) and Dumfries and Galloway Council, as required, as set out in section 5; and (2) that any implications of the upcoming General Election be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 30 May 2023 (Paragraph 11) and 6 February 2024 (Paragraph 12)] 13 Scottish Government Play Investment Programme A report dated 30 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted providing an update on the progress to date on the Scottish Government’s Play Area Investment Programme. The Scottish Government had launched a £60 million fund for the renewal of play parks in Scotland to allow children access to high quality outdoor play in their own communities. In 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, £10 million of funding was distributed across councils, with the Council’s share totalling £594,000. The Scottish Government had now confirmed the full allocation, of which South Lanarkshire would receive a total of £3.58 million up to 2025/2026. The Scottish Government had originally intended that all play areas in Scotland would be renewed and transformed, however, this would not be achievable in terms of the proposed funding package. Due to the shortfall in funding, the Scottish Government had agreed that councils could identify their own investment priorities. 16
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On 28 September 2021, the Committee approved the appointment of 2 temporary Landscape Architects for 2 years using the Scottish Government funding received to date. It had only been possible to appoint one postholder and that employee had independently assessed what was required in each play area to achieve a basic standard. The employee had since left the Council and the post had not been able to be backfilled externally. The Service had to re-profile internal resources within the landscape design team to prioritise the Investment Programme. An exercise to identify potential costs of bringing all of the Council’s play areas up to an appropriate standard, rather than full renewal, had identified a funding shortfall of approximately £0.620 million. A high-level survey, which received 6,395 responses, had been conducted on play in general. Further consultation would be undertaken with local children, families and ward members as proposals were developed. Separate to this, there was a review of planning regulations, with the Planning Service leading on the development of an Open Space Strategy which incorporated new play sufficiency requirements, albeit the exact criteria for assessing play provision and surrounding open spaces had not yet been confirmed. It was hoped that, by ensuring all play areas met a basic standard, this would help to contribute to future play sufficiency requirements. An IT solution was also being investigated to capture and maintain up to date play inspection and investment information. A breakdown of the Scottish Government Play Investment funding allocation over the years 2022/2023 to 2025/2026 was provided at paragraph 4.1 of the report. The Council would also continue to explore opportunities for external funding that would supplement the investment programme. On 13 December 2022, the Committee had approved a more strategic place-based approach to allocating specific investment that would see targeted investment in priority play areas. The approach had been developed in collaboration with the local community and ward members and built upon the earlier consultation. The following programme was agreed to focus on specific localities each year, with flexibility to bring forward or push back projects as funding and staffing resource allowed:- 2023/2024 – Larkhall, Rutherglen, Cambuslang 2024/2025 – Hamilton, Bothwell, Uddingston, Blantyre, Strathaven and surrounding areas 2025/2026 – East Kilbride 2026/2027 - Clydesdale Larkhall was the first area to receive investment and, following consultation with elected members and local primary schools, complementing the findings of the previous local authority wide survey, 6 sites had been identified for investment. Information on the programme in Larkhall was provided in paragraphs 4.5 to 4.7 of the report. Designs for the 6 sites were provided at Appendix A to the report. The same process had been followed for Cambuslang and Rutherglen and 6 sites were identified for investment. Designs were provided at Appendix A to the report and information on the programme in Cambuslang and Rutherglen was detailed at paragraphs 4.8 to 4.10 of the report. The Service had begun preparatory work on the Hamilton, Blantyre, Uddingston and Bothwell areas which would receive detailed assessment followed by consultation with elected members and local primary schools to identify the play areas to be targeted for investment. The Grounds Manager responded to a member’s question in relation to the extent to which the Council had dealt with inclusive playground equipment. 17
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The Committee decided: that the progress made to date on the 5-year Play Area Investment Programme be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 28 September 2021 (Paragraph 7) and 13 December 2022 (Paragraph 8)] 14 Biggar Public Park - Update A report dated 30 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted providing an update on the work being undertaken to secure arrangements for the long-term financial sustainability for Biggar Public Park. Biggar Park was located to the south of Biggar town and was originally set out as a traditional park which provided open space for recreation in 1906. Over the years, the park had developed to facilitate a wide variety of formal and informal recreational activities. The park was owned by the Council and was operationally managed by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC). Until March 2024, the Council had a service contract whereby the provider was responsible for the day-to-day management and operational programming of activities on the site. BCP Management Services (BCP) had provided the services at the park since at least 1996 and the details of the contract was provided at paragraph 3.2 of the report. Due to the condition of the infrastructure, as detailed in paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6 of the report, a notice to terminate the contract had been issued to BCP on 5 September 2023 and the contract ended on 31 March 2024. The park had proven to be attractive to caravan holidaymakers, with a good level of demand. The other activities at the park, including golfing and general play, also had proven demand. The facilities on site were, however, in poor condition and capital investment was required, as detailed in paragraph 3.6 of the report. The following points were detailed at paragraphs 3.7 to 3.11 of the report in relation to the current situation at the park:- the Council maintained the caravan park grounds and SLLC received the income from the golf course the Council and SLLC did not receive income from the caravan park the Council currently leased the clubhouse to the trustees, Biggar Golf Club. The Golf Club had exclusive use of the golf course on 8 occasions per year. The lease would run to 30 March 2032, with the Council receiving £1,240 in annual rent a review of titles to Biggar Park and golf course was currently being undertaken in respect of Common Good land and that could determine the way forward for future management arrangements the Council had sought specialist advice and had commissioned Savills to undertake options appraisals. The Council had also engaged Ironside Farrar to prepare outline design options for the park. Section 4 of the report provided details of the options appraisals which had been undertaken by Savills. Using information developed from Savills and options prepared by landscape consultants, Ironside Farrar, community consultation had been undertaken in January and February 2024 at drop-in sessions in Biggar. An online survey had also been available. The resultant Biggar Public Park Visitor and Stakeholder Engagement Summary report provided a wealth of information and would be made available to elected members upon request. 18
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The consultation had provided 3 design options for the future of the park and those were summarised at paragraph 4.5 of the report. The communities’ preference, which concurred with that of Savills, was the first option whereby the caravan and leisure capacity within the existing space would be retained and developed. Savills had also advised that the Council should seek third-party interest either for the caravan park or the full Park, incorporating the golf course, on a long-term arrangement. Savills had also provided advice on how to attract third party interest and this was detailed at paragraph 4.9 of the report. It was unlikely that a new caravan park would be operational prior to Easter 2025 on the basis that planning consent and site improvement works would be required for any new development, therefore, the Council and SLLC had implemented contingency plans for the provision of pay to play golf and general park management for 2024. The Council had also implemented increased security measures on the site because the former service provider was no longer there. Site wide clearance was being undertaken and grass areas were being reinstated following the removal of all caravans in March 2024. The aim of securing a new operator was to ensure the long term financial sustainability for Biggar Public Park. This could generate income for the Council, reduce operating costs and bring economic benefits to the town. The Committee decided: that the contents of the report be noted. 15 Notification of Contracts Awarded - 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024 A report dated 20 May 2024 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on contracts awarded by Community and Enterprise Resources during the period 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024. In terms of Standing Order Nos 21.8 and 22.5 of the Council’s 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 by Community and Enterprise Resources were provided in the appendix to the report. The Committee decided: that the report be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 6 February 2024 (Paragraph 13)] 16 Urgent Business There were no items of urgent business. 19
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2023/2024 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 2023 to 31 March 2024 for Community and Enterprise Resources [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the Community and Enterprise outturn position as at to 31 March 2024 of a breakeven position after approved transfers to reserves as detailed in Appendix A of the report, be noted; and (2) that the proposed budget virements as detailed in appendices B to F are approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the final revenue budget monitoring report presented to the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee for the financial year 2023/2024. 3.2. The report details the financial position for Community and Enterprise Resources in appendix A for the full financial year 23/24 compared to the probable outturn position and the individual services’ reports in appendices B to F, including variance explanation. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. None 5. Financial Implications 5.1. Year End Position as at 31 March 2024: The year end position is a reported breakeven position after approved transfers to reserves. The Resource position is detailed in Appendix A and the transfers to reserves by service area are noted in appendix B to F. 3 21
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5.2 The break-even position is in line with the reported probable outturn position. It is due to underspends in employee costs across all services, overspend within Roads, Transportation and Fleet services in relation to transport costs, depots, charging of Electric Vehicles, and an under recovery in parking income, partially offset by an over recovery in vehicle maintenance, the cost of bin replacement and waste disposal costs within the Waste service, cleaning materials in Facilities, medicals and IT costs across all services. Detailed variance explanations by service area are included in Appendices B to F. 5.3 Virements are proposed to realign budgets across budget categories and with other Resources. These movements are detailed in the appendices B to F of this report. 6. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1 There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 7. Other Implications 7.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s revenue budget is that there is an overspend. There are inflationary and budget pressures including utilities this year which increase the risk of overspend however we have mitigated this going forward by providing additional funding in the budget strategy. 8 Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1 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. 8.2 There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 20 August 2024 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 2024. 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) E-mail: louise.harvey@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 22
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Appendix A SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) Community and Enterprise Resources Summary Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 102,537 98,477 4,060 4,060 102,537 97,508 5,029 under 4.9% Property Costs 4,637 4,837 (200) (200) 4,637 5,317 (680) over (14.7%) Supplies & Services 18,977 20,091 (1,114) (1,154) 18,977 19,660 (683) over (3.6%) Transport & Plant 23,317 24,231 (914) (914) 23,317 25,278 (1,961) over (8.4%) Administration Costs 842 1,046 (204) (204) 842 984 (142) over (16.9%) Payments to Other Bodies 12,769 12,871 (102) (102) 12,769 12,940 (171) over (1.3%) Payments to Contractors 46,375 49,049 (2,674) (2,874) 46,375 48,457 (2,082) over (4.5%) Transfer Payments 617 617 0 0 617 617 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 175 220 (45) (45) 175 233 (58) over (33.1%) Total Controllable Exp. 210,246 211,439 (1,193) (1,433) 210,246 210,994 (748) over (0.4%) Total Controllable Inc. (72,056) (73,489) 1,433 1,433 (72,056) (73,471) 1,415 over recovered 2.0% Net Controllable Exp. 138,190 137,950 240 0 138,190 137,523 667 under 0.5% Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - 240 (240) - - 667 (667) - n/a Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 138,190 138,190 0 0 138,190 138,190 0 - 0.0% Variance Explanations Detailed in Appendix B to F. Budget Virements Budget virements are shown in Appendices B to F. Approved Transfers to Reserves Detailed in Appendix B to F 23
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Appendix B SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 65,654 63,794 1,860 1,860 65,654 63,286 2,368 under 3.6% 1,b,c Property Costs 1,990 2,117 (127) (127) 1,990 2,445 (455) over (22.9%) 2,b Supplies & Services 9,120 9,754 (634) (634) 9,120 9,949 (829) over (9.1%) 3,b,d Transport & Plant 9,263 9,040 223 223 9,263 9,074 189 under 2.0% 4 Administration Costs 195 253 (58) (58) 195 277 (82) over (42.1%) 5, Payments to Other Bodies 542 536 6 6 542 562 (20) over (3.7%) e Payments to Contractors 17,261 18,041 (780) (780) 17,261 17,809 (548) over (3.2%) 6,a Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 44 59 (15) (15) 44 58 (14) over (31.8%) Total Controllable Exp. 104,069 103,594 475 475 104,069 103,460 609 under 0.6% Total Controllable Inc. (21,018) (20,870) (148) (148) (21,018) (20,933) (85) under recovered (0.4%) 7,e Net Controllable Exp. 83,051 82,724 327 327 83,051 82,527 524 under 0.6% Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - - - - - 427 (427) over n/a Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 83,051 82,724 327 327 83,051 82,954 97 under 0.1% Variance Explanations 1. The variance is due to vacancies and staff turnover within all services. 2. The overspend is due to higher than anticipated spend on cleaning and hygiene materials within Facilities. 3. The overspend is mainly due to higher than anticipated expenditure on bin purchases within Waste, higher than anticipated expenditure on equipment repairs and a payment for the cashless system within Facilities. In addition, there were higher than anticipated costs for materials under Grounds and commemorative items under Bereavement services which is recovered through income. 4. The underspend mainly relates to Streets, where leasing costs were less than budget due to the timing of replacing vehicles. There is also an underspend within Grounds where there was less spend on the hire of external vehicles. 5. The overspend is mainly due to an overspend on medical costs within the service and printing costs within Facilities. 6. The overspend is mainly due to greater than budgeted disposal costs within Waste services and higher costs in relation to the upkeep of the cremators at the Crematorium within Bereavement Services. This was managed within the Resource overall. 7. The under recovery of income mainly relates to the decrease in uptake of the Care of Gardens service, less income from school meals and adoption income within Grounds, partially offset by an over recovery within Waste and Streets as a result of additional service requests from Housing and Technical Resources. Within Facilities there was greater income recovered from elections partially offset by an under recovery in service movements. Budget Virements a. Transfer to reserves in respect of the Strategic Waste Fund within Waste. Net effect (£0.380m): Payment to Contractors (0.380m). b. Realignment of budget to reflect service provision within Amenity, Waste and Facilities. Net effect £0.000m: Employees £0.325m, Property (0.140m), Supplies and Services (£0.185m). c. Transfer of budget in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.249m: Employees £0.249m. d. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.035m): Supplies and Services (£0.035m). e. Establish budget for non-capital spend. Net effect £0.000m: Payment to Other Bodies £0.487m, Income (£0.487m). Approved Transfers to Reserves (£0.427m): i. Chatelherault Play Park (£0.137m) ii. IT Modernisation (£0.290m) 24
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Appendix C SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) Planning and Regulatory Services Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 7,872 7,652 220 220 7,872 7,552 320 under 4.1% 1,a,b Property Costs 38 33 5 5 38 23 15 under 39.5% 2 Supplies & Services 177 298 (121) (121) 177 227 (50) over (28.2%) 3,a,c Transport & Plant 126 206 (80) (80) 126 213 (87) over (69.0%) 4 Administration Costs 151 167 (16) (16) 151 142 9 under 6.0% a Payments to Other Bodies 1,216 1,123 93 93 1,216 1,147 69 under 5.7% 5,a,d Payments to Contractors 1,691 2,296 (605) (605) 1,691 2,305 (614) over (36.3%) 6,a Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 46 62 (16) (16) 46 48 (2) over (4.3%) Total Controllable Exp. 11,317 11,837 (520) (520) 11,317 11,657 (340) over (3.0%) Total Controllable Inc. (5,930) (6,814) 884 884 (5,930) (6,657) 727 over recovered 12.3% 7,a,d Net Controllable Exp. 5,387 5,023 364 364 5,387 5,000 387 under 7.2% Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - - - - - - - - n/a Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 5,387 5,023 364 364 5,387 5,000 387 under 7.2% Variance Explanations 1. The variance is due to vacant posts and staff turnover within the services. 2. The variance is mainly due to less costs associated with repairs and maintenance. 3. The overspend represents greater than budgeted costs for an IT system upgrade within Planning and Building Standards. 4. The overspend mainly relates to higher demand for pool cars within Planning and Building Standards and within Environmental Projects. The latter is offset by an over recovery of income. 5. The variance is mainly due to lower spend on Scientific Services within Environmental and within Planning an underspend on the payments to other bodies budget. 6. The variance is mainly due to an increase in demand for clinical waste services, this is offset by an over recovery of income within Environmental Services. In addition, there were additional payments to contractors within Environmental Projects, offset by an over recovery of income. 7. The over recovery relates to income received for clinical waste which offsets the expenditure overspend within payment to contractors. There was also additional income recovered from the Scottish Government in respect of Environmental Projects. There is an under recovery in income from Planning and Building Standard applications, reflecting a reduction in the number of applications. Budget Virements a. Budget realignment to reflect to reflect service delivery within Planning and Building Standards, Environmental Services and Projects. Net effect £0.000m: Employees £0.001m, Supplies and Services £0.018m, Administration £0.018m, Payment to Other Bodies (£0.032m), Payment to Contractors £0.545m, Income (£0.550m). b. Transfer of budget in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.028m: Employees £0.028m. c. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.024m): Supplies and Services (£0.024m). d. Establish budget for non-capital spend. Net effect £0.000m: Payment to Other Bodies £0.973m, Income (£0.973m). 25
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Appendix D SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 4 6 (2) (2) 4 6 (2) over (50.0%) Property Costs 98 108 (10) (10) 98 136 (38) over (38.8%) 1 Supplies & Services 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Transport & Plant 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Administration Costs 8 8 0 0 8 8 0 - 0.0% Payments to Other Bodies 80 93 (13) (13) 80 92 (12) over (15.0%) 2 Payments to Contractors 23,048 22,848 200 0 23,048 22,846 202 under 0.9% 3 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Total Controllable Exp. 23,238 23,063 175 (25) 23,238 23,088 150 under 0.6% Total Controllable Inc. (11) (19) 8 8 (11) (30) 19 over recovered 172.7% 4 Net Controllable Exp. 23,227 23,044 183 (17) 23,227 23,058 169 under 0.7% Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - 200 (200) - - 200 (200) over Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 23,227 23,244 (17) (17) 23,227 23,258 (31) over (0.1%) Variance Explanations 1. The variance is mainly due to the costs associated with vacant properties. 2. The variance is due to the cost of the annual firework display, payable to North Lanarkshire Council. 3. The underspend relates to Community Led Activities Fund Investment. This is being carried forward to 2024/2025 for Community Fightback initiative. 4. The over recovery is mainly due rental income associated with halls. Budget Virements No virements Approved Transfers to Reserves (£0.200m): iii. Community Led Investments (£0.200m) 26
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Appendix E SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) Enterprise and Sustainable Development Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 5,548 5,187 361 361 5,548 5,156 392 under 7.1% 1,a,d,f Property Costs 711 710 1 1 711 660 51 under 7.2% 2,a Supplies & Services 110 113 (3) (3) 110 146 (36) over (32.7%) 3,a,g Transport & Plant 47 44 3 3 47 44 3 under 6.4% Administration Costs 90 86 4 4 90 61 29 under 32.2% 4,a Payments to Other Bodies 4,787 4,790 (3) (3) 4,787 4,822 (35) over (0.7%) 5,a,b,c,d, e Payments to Contractors 156 256 (100) (100) 156 177 (21) over (13.5%) 6,a,c,d Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - n/a Financing Charges 35 38 (3) (3) 35 67 (32) over (91.4%) 7 Total Controllable Exp. 11,484 11,224 260 260 11,484 11,133 351 under 3.1% Total Controllable Inc. (6,601) (6,650) 49 49 (6,601) (6,612) 11 over recovered 0.2% 8,a Net Controllable Exp. 4,883 4,574 309 309 4,883 4,521 362 under 7.4% Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - - - - - - - - n/a Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 4,883 4,574 309 309 4,883 4,521 362 under 7.4% Variance Explanations 1. This variance is mainly due to vacant posts and staff turnover within the services. 2. The variance is due to repairs and maintenance being less than budget within Support and less electricity costs and other property costs at the former rental units. 3. The overspend is mainly due to computer equipment purchases and IT maintenance contract charges within Support. 4. The variance is due to costs for printing & stationery, telephones and membership fees being less than budget within Support. 5. The overspend mainly relates to grant payments made to organisations within Support, this was offset by income. 6. The overspend is mainly due to repairs at car parks that require specialist contractors. 7. The overspend is due to IT leasing costs within Support. 8. The income is over recovered due to greater than budgeted rental income within Support Services and previous year's income recovered within Economic Development. Budget Virements a. Budget realignment to reflect service delivery within Economic Development. Net effect £0.000m: Employees £0.029m, Property (£0.522m), Supplies and Services £0.003m, Administration £0.001m, Payment to Other Bodies (£1.435m), Payment to Contractors £0.036m, Income £1.888m. b. Transfer of budget from capital to revenue in respect of Town Centre CCTV and Business Infrastructure. Net Effect £0.153m: Payment to Other Bodies £0.153m. c. Transfer of budget to capital from revenue in respect of Shared Prosperity. Net effect (£0.390m): Payment to Other Bodies (£0.390m). d. Transfer to reserves balance of budget associated with strategic investments in respect of Climate Investment and Food Development Officer and Get South Lanarkshire Working. Net effect (£0.525m): Payment to Other Bodies (£0.276m), Payment to Contractors (£0.249m). e. Budget realignment to Waste and Roads to support reserves contributions. Net effect (£0.199m): Employees (£0.099m), Payment to Other Bodies (£0.100m). f. Transfer of budget in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.019m: Employees £0.019m. g. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.137m): Supplies and Services (£0.137m). 27
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Appendix F SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources: Period 14 Ended 31 March 2024 (No. 14) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services Annual Budget Forecast for Year BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance BEFORE Transfers Annual Forecast Variance AFTER Transfers Budget Proportion 31/03/24 Actual BEFORE Transfers 31/03/24 Variance 31/03/24 % Variance 31/03/24 Note £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Budget Category Employee Costs 23,459 21,838 1,621 1,621 23,459 21,508 1,951 under 8.3% 1,d Property Costs 1,800 1,869 (69) (69) 1,800 2,053 (253) over (14.1%) 2 Supplies & Services 9,570 9,926 (356) (396) 9,570 9,338 232 under 2.4% 3,a,c,e Transport & Plant 13,881 14,941 (1,060) (1,060) 13,881 15,947 (2,066) over (14.9%) 4 Administration Costs 398 532 (134) (134) 398 496 (98) over (24.6%) 5 Payments to Other Bodies 6,144 6,329 (185) (185) 6,144 6,317 (173) over (2.8%) 6,c Payments to Contractors 4,219 5,608 (1,389) (1,389) 4,219 5,320 (1,101) over (26.1%) 7,b Transfer Payments 617 617 0 0 617 617 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 50 61 (11) (11) 50 60 (10) over (20.0%) Total Controllable Exp. 60,138 61,721 (1,583) (1,623) 60,138 61,656 (1,518) over (2.5%) Total Controllable Inc. (38,496) (39,136) 640 640 (38,496) (39,239) 743 over recovered 1.9% 8,b,c Net Controllable Exp. 21,642 22,585 (943) (983) 21,642 22,417 (775) over (3.6%) Transfer to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) - 40 (40) - - 40 (40) over n/a Position After Transfers to Reserves (as at 31/03/24) 21,642 22,625 (983) (983) 21,642 22,457 (815) over (3.8%) Variance Explanations 1. The variance relates to staff turnover and vacancies within Roads and Fleet. 2. The overspend is mainly due to higher than anticipated costs in the upkeep of Roads depots, security costs within the Parking Unit, and a higher level of spend on electricity costs for the charging of electric vehicles within Roads. 3. The underspend is mainly due to less spend on materials within Roads Construction, partially offset by costs associated with the Fleetplan system and increased costs for annual subscriptions for computer licences within Roads. 4. The variance is mainly due to the timing of efficiencies and greater than anticipated expenditure in the workshop within Fleet services. In addition, within the Roads Service there were greater costs in respect of an increased level of usage of pool cars and the hire of external winter plant. Within Roads Construction there were leasing charges in excess of budget, which is mainly due the increased cost of vehicles. 5. The overspend is mainly due to higher than anticipated costs for medicals and training charges passed from Corporate. 6. The overspend is mainly due to payments in respect of WoSLA for winter weather forecasts being greater than anticipated. 7. The overspend results from an increased level of sub-contractors being used within Roads Construction due to staff turnover during the year and, also the level of specialist works required. In addition, overspends within the Hamilton area and Lighting for routine maintenance and Traffic Management for the upkeep of signals. In addition, winter maintenance costs were more than budget. 8. The over recovery is the net effect of greater income within Fleet for additional vehicle maintenance and within Roads for Inspection Fees, Area income and rechargeable works in Street Lighting. These over recoveries were partially offset by lower than budgeted parking income and Roads maintenance works within the Roads Construction Unit. Budget Virements a. Budget received from corporate items in relation to funding for utilities. Net effect £0.113m: Supplies and services £0.113m. b. 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 (£1.092m), Income £1.092m. 28
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c. Budget realignment to reflect service delivery within Roads and Fleet. Net effect £0.000m: Supplies and Services £0.287m, Payment to Other Bodies £0.270m, Income (£0.557m). d. Transfer of budget in relation to apprenticeship levy. Net effect £0.082m: Employees £0.082m. e. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.049m): Supplies and Services (£0.049m). Approved Transfers to Reserves (£0.040m): iv. Fleet Sinking Fund contribution (£0.025m) v. Year 3 of 4 of Electric Vehicle Payback (£0.015m) 29
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2024/2025 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 12 July 2024 for Community and Enterprise Resources provide a forecast for the year to 31 March 2025 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [re (1) that the forecast to 31 March 2025 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 2024/2025. 3.2. The report details the financial position for Community and Enterprise Resources. Appendix A provides the new 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 12 July 2024 within the Resource budget and as part of the new reporting format within FUSION, reflects the expected outturn forecast on expenditure and income at this date. This is a new approach and allows the early monitoring of outturn for both employee and non-employee budgets. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. None. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As at 12 July 2024, the Resource’s projected outturn position for 2024/2025 is a breakeven position. This is outlined in Appendix A. The new Service analysis statement is provided in Appendix A, outlining key highlights by Service for the Resource. 4 31
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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. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability, or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 7. Other Implications 7.1. 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. 7.2. 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. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. 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. 8.2. 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) David Booth Executive Director, (Community and Enterprise Resources) 20 August 2024 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 12 July 2024 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 32
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Appendix A Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period 4 Ended 12 July 2024 (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 76,027 75,833 194 0.26% 20,543 Planning and Regulatory Services 4,659 4,614 45 0.97% 1,087 Leisure Services 21,738 21,738 0 0.00% 4,813 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 5,583 5,573 10 0.18% (465) Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services 16,586 16,835 (249) (1.50%) 5,364 Net Controllable Exp. 124,593 124,593 0 0.00% 31,342 Service Explanation for significant projected outturn variances Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services The anticipated underspend is mainly due to turnover and staff vacancies, as well as increased income for additional service requests within Street and Waste services. These underspends are partially offset by projected overspends in cleaning and general materials across the service areas. The anticipated underspend will be offset by overspends within the overall Resource. Planning and Regulatory Services The anticipated underspend is mainly due to staff vacancies and turnover within the Environmental Services and Planning & Building Standards teams, and lower than budgeted costs for Scientific Services within Environmental Services due to decreased demand. These underspends are partially offset by projected additional costs for IT system upgrades and reduced income for Planning applications and Building Warrants due to reduced demand. The anticipated underspend will support the overall Resource balanced budget position. Leisure Services No projected year-end variances to report. Enterprise and Sustainable Development It is projected the service will record a broadly balanced budget, with minor underspends within employees, administration and an over recovery of income, being partially offset by greater costs on IT equipment and leasing charges. Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services A projected overspend is anticipated across the service, mainly due to reduced income within Parking and Roads Construction Unit and increased costs associated with the upkeep of depots, IT annual subscriptions, hired plant for winter and leasing charges within Roads. These overspends are partially offset by an expected underspend within employee costs due to vacancies and staff turnover. The anticipated overspend will be managed within the overall Resource position. 33
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Appendix B Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (No.4) Community and Enterprise Resources Summary Revised Annual Budget (£000) Projected Outturn (£000) Projected Outturn Variance (£000) Over / Under % YTD Actual (£000) Notes Employee Costs 95,470 94,276 1,194 Under 1.25% 23,278 Property Costs 9,695 9,775 (80) Over (0.83%) 1,768 Supplies & Services 18,319 18,543 (224) Over (1.22%) 2,801 Transport & Plant 22,320 22,622 (302) Over (1.35%) 7,418 Administration Costs 799 790 9 Under 1.13% 184 Payments to Other Bodies 16,276 16,256 20 Under 0.12% 2,538 Payments to Contractors 38,252 38,288 (36) Over (0.09%) 9,808 Transfer Payments 617 617 0 - 0.00% 153 Financing Charges 197 214 (17) Over (8.63%) 6 Total Controllable Exp. 201,945 201,381 564 Under 0.28% 47,954 Total Controllable Inc. (77,352) (76,788) (564) Under (0.73%) (16,612) Net Controllable Exp. 124,593 124,593 0 - 0.00% 31,342 Variance Explanations Variance explanations are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. Budget Virements Budget virements are shown in Appendices C-G as appropriate. 34
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Appendix C Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (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 59,109 58,865 244 Under 0.41% 15,278 1,a,b,d Property Costs 2,104 2,144 (40) Over (1.90%) 256 2 Supplies & Services 8,571 8,649 (78) Over (0.91%) 1,716 3,e Transport & Plant 7,996 8,003 (7) Over (0.09%) 3,316 a Administration Costs 176 183 (7) Over (3.98%) 35 Payments to Other Bodies 54 54 0 - 0.00% 1 Payments to Contractors 18,010 18,046 (36) Over (0.20%) 5,423 c Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 45 45 0 - 0.00% 3 Total Controllable Exp. 96,065 95,989 76 Under 0.08% 26,028 Total Controllable Inc. (20,038) (20,156) 118 Over 0.59% (5,485) 4 Net Controllable Exp. 76,027 75,833 194 Under 0.26% 20,543 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend in Facilities and Streets & Bereavement is due to staff turnover and is partially offset by an overspend in Waste services due to overtime costs. 2. The forecast overspend is due to increased costs for cleaning and janitorial equipment within Facilities. 3. The forecast overspend is due to higher than budgeted costs for materials, litter bins and sacks within Waste and Street Cleansing services. 4. An over recovery of income is forecast mainly due to additional service requests for street cleansing and for clearances within Waste services. Budget Virements a. Transfer of outstanding pay award relating to 2023-2024 from corporate items. Net Effect £0.385m: Employee Costs £0.381m, Transport and Plant £0.004m. b. Transfer to corporate items the temporary reduction in Employer's Pension contribution. Net Effect (£4.466m): Employee Costs (£4.466m). c. Transfer from Corporate items for Waste costs associated with new homes. Net Effect £0.150m: Payment to Contractors £0.150m. d. Transfer from reserves to support overtime saving in 24/25. Net Effect £0.160m: Employees £0.160m. e. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.024m): Supplies and Services (£0.024m). 35
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Appendix D Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (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 7,091 7,020 71 Under 1.00% 1,720 1,a,b,c Property Costs 38 24 14 Under 36.84% 0 2 Supplies & Services 165 198 (33) Over (20.0%) 61 3,c,e Transport & Plant 127 130 (3) Over (2.36%) 19 Administration Costs 110 110 0 - 0.00% 81 Payments to Other Bodies 235 215 20 Under 8.51% 7 Payments to Contractors 443 443 0 - 0.00% 137 d Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 46 48 (2) Over (4.35%) 1 Total Controllable Exp. 8,255 8,188 67 Under 0.81% 2,026 Total Controllable Inc. (3,596) (3,574) (22) Under (0.61%) (939) d Net Controllable Exp. 4,659 4,614 45 Under 0.97% 1,087 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend is mainly due to staff vacancies and turnover. 2. The forecast underspend is due to reduced spend associated with repairs and maintenance within Planning. 3. The forecast overspend is due costs of an IT system upgrade within the Planning service. Budget Virements a. Transfer of outstanding pay award relating to 2023-2024 from corporate items. Net Effect £0.086m: Employee Costs £0.086m. b. Transfer to corporate items the temporary reduction in Employer's Pension contribution Net Effect (£0.753m): Employee Costs (£0.753m). c. Transfer from reserves expenditure commitments within Planning and Environmental Services. Net Effect £0.050m: Employees £0.045m, Supplies and Services £0.005m. d. Transfer of Clinical Waste contract service to Housing and Technical Resources. Net Effect £0.052m: Payment to Contractor (£0.095m), Income £0.147m. e. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.024m): Supplies and Services (£0.024m). 36
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Appendix E SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (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% 1 Property Costs 5,615 5,615 0 - 0.00% 1,042 a Supplies & Services 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Transport & Plant 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Administration Costs 8 8 0 - 0.00% 0 Payments to Other Bodies 80 80 0 - 0.00% 0 Payments to Contractors 16,031 16,031 0 - 0.00% 3,770 a Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Total Controllable Exp. 21,738 21,738 0 - 0.00% 4,813 Total Controllable Inc. 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Net Controllable Exp. 21,738 21,738 0 - 0.00% 4,813 Variance Explanations None. Budget Virements a. Budget realignment to reflect service delivery in respect of utility payments. Net Effect (£0.000m): Property costs £5.517m, Payment to Contractors (£5.517m). 37
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Appendix F Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (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 7,849 7,826 23 Under 0.29% 1,434 a,b,c,d,e Property Costs 246 249 (3) Over (1.22%) 28 c Supplies & Services 124 156 (32) Over (25.81%) 11 1,c,f Transport & Plant 179 179 0 - 0.00% 12 c Administration Costs 107 78 29 Under 27.10% 25 2,c Payments to Other Bodies 10,533 10,533 0 - 0.00% 907 c,d Payments to Contractors 0 0 0 - 0.00% 15 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 - 0.00% 0 Financing Charges 56 75 (19) Over (33.93%) 1 c Total Controllable Exp. 19,094 19,096 (2) Over (0.01%) 2,433 Total Controllable Inc. (13,511) (13,523) 12 Over 0.09% (2,898) d,e Net Controllable Exp. 5,583 5,573 10 Under 0.18% (465) Variance Explanations 1. The forecast overspend is due to increased expenditure on computer equipment purchases and IT maintenance contract charges. 2. A projected underspend is due to less costs anticipated for telephones and membership fees. Budget Virements a. Transfer of outstanding pay award relating to 23-24 from Corporate Items. Net Effect £0.057m: Employee Costs £0.057m. b. Transfer to corporate items the temporary reduction in Employer's Pension contribution. Net Effect (£0.461m): Employee Costs (£0.461m). c. Transfer from Education and Finance and Corporate Resources in respect of Employability. Net Effect £1.181m: Employees £0.863m, Property £0.026m, Supplies and Services £0.016m, Transport and Plant £0.132m, Administration £0.018m, Payment to Other Bodies £0.105m, Financing Charges £0.021m. d. Establish budget in respect of Tackling Child Poverty, Levelling Up Fund, No One Left Behind and Shared Prosperity Fund. Net Effect £0.000m: Employees £2.311, Payment to Other Bodies £10.074m, Income (£12.385m). e. Budget realignment to support posts within Economic Development. Net Effect £0.000m: Employees £0.075m, Income (£0.075m). f. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.049m): Supplies and Services (£0.049m). 38
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Appendix G Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: Period Ended 12 July 2024 (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 21,417 20,561 856 Under 4.00% 4,845 1,a,b Property Costs 1,692 1,743 (51) Over (3.01%) 442 2 Supplies & Services 9,459 9,540 (81) Over (0.86%) 1,013 3,c Transport & Plant 14,018 14,310 (292) Over (2.08%) 4,071 4,a,e Administration Costs 398 411 (13) Over (3.27%) 43 Payments to Other Bodies 5,374 5,374 0 - 0.00% 1,623 Payments to Contractors 3,768 3,768 0 - 0.00% 463 d Transfer Payments 617 617 0 - 0.00% 153 Financing Charges 50 46 4 Under 8.00% 1 Total Controllable Exp. 56,793 56,370 423 Under 0.74% 12,654 Total Controllable Inc. (40,207) (39,535) (672) Under (1.67%) (7,290) 5,a,d,e Net Controllable Exp. 16,586 16,835 (249) Over (1.50%) 5,364 Variance Explanations 1. The forecast underspend is mainly due to vacancies and staff turnover. 2. An overspend is forecast due to higher than budgeted costs for water and repairs & maintenance for Roads’ depots. 3. The forecast overspend mainly relates to increased costs for annual subscriptions for computer licences within Roads and bank charges within Parking. 4. The forecast overspend is partly due to increased costs for pool cars and anticipated increased external hire costs for winter plant. Furthermore higher than budgeted leasing costs are anticipated within Roads Construction due to the increasing price of vehicle replacement. 5. An under recovery of income is projected resulting from lower than budgeted parking income and reduced income from maintenance works within Roads Construction. Budget Virements a. Transfer of outstanding pay award relating to 23-24 from Corporate Items. Net Effect (£0.027m): Employee Costs (£0.049m), Transport and Plant (£0.025m), Income £0.047m. b. Transfer to corporate items the temporary reduction in Employer's Pension contribution. Net Effect (£2.113m): Employees Costs (£2.113m). c. Transfer of budget in relation to IT centralisation. Net effect (£0.049m): Supplies and Services (£0.049m). d. Budget realignment to reflect revenue works completed by the Construction Unit for Roads General Services as a result of the change to trading services. Net effect £0.000m: Payment to Contractor (£13.131m), Income £13.131m. e. Budget realignment to reflect service delivery within Fleet in respect of casual hire. Net Effect £0.000m: Transport and Plant £0.500m, Income (£0.500m). 39
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resource Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2023/2024 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 2023 to 31 March 2024 [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 £45.177 million, and expenditure for the year of £33.935 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 2023/2024. 3.2. As noted in the last report to this Committee (23 April 2024), the budget for Community and Enterprise Resources for financial year 2023/2024 was £45.177 million. There have been no changes to this budget allocation since that meeting. 3.3. The report details the financial position for Community and Enterprise Resources in total in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. 2023/2024 Capital Programme – Final Position 5.1. As detailed in Section 3.2, the total capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources for 2023/2024 was £45.177 million. Total expenditure to the 31 March 2024 was £33.935 million, a difference of £11.242 million in comparison to the programme of £45.177 million. 5.2. The programme underspend of £11.242 million is mainly due to the timing of project spend on a number of projects. The main projects which are responsible for the underspend are categorised under Roads, Transport and Fleet projects (£4.995 million), Enterprise and Sustainable Development projects (£4.769 million) and Facilities, Waste and Grounds projects (£1.478 million). 5 41
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5.3. Any underspend on these projects, along with the funding, will carry forward into next financial year as required. An update on the 2024/2025 programme is detailed in a separate report to this Committee. 5.4. 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. 5.5. At the year-end 2023/2024, £1.514 million of capital spend required to be recorded as revenue spend. Conversely, £0.146 million of revenue spend should be recorded as capital. The transfers above mean that for the purpose of publishing our Annual Accounts only, there is Capital spend of £32.567 million. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. The financial implications are detailed in section 4 of this report. 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. 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 an overspend is managed through four weekly Investment Management Meetings. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 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) David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 21 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent 42
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Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, 23 April 2024 Executive Committee, 26 June 2024 List of Background Papers ▪ Financial ledger to 31 March 2024 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 (Page 1) South Lanarkshire Council Capital Expenditure 2023 - 2024 Community and Enterprise Resources Programme For Period 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024 Community and Enterprise Resources Base Budget £000 Budget Adjustments £000 Slippage £000 Total Budget £000 Actual Expenditure £000 Facilities, Waste and Grounds 2,762 545 0 3,307 1,829 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 9,685 2,559 (2,265) 9,979 5,210 Roads, Transport and Fleet 25,763 9,431 (3,303) 31,891 26,896 TOTAL 38,210 12,535 (5,568) 45,177 33,935 Accounting Adjustments Less Transfers to Revenue (1,514) Add Transfers to Capital 146 2023/24 Outturn Position (Accounting Basis Only) 32,567 44
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources - Capital Budget Monitoring 2024/2025 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 12 July 2024 [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 £62.172 million, and expenditure to date of £3.378 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 2024/2025. Further reports will follow throughout the year. 3.2. The budget of £62.172 million for Community and Enterprise Resources is based on the overall Capital Programme for 2024/2025 approved by the Executive Committee on 4 September 2024. The budget includes adjustments to the programme totalling a net increase of £11.598 million. These adjustments were approved at the Executive Committee on 26 June 2024, 7 August 2024 and 4 September 2024. 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. 6 45
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5. Financial Implications 5.1. 2024/2025 Budget The total capital programme for Community and Enterprise Resources is £62.172 million, as detailed in Section 3.2. This budget is based on the original programme of projects approved by the Council in February 2024, updated to include budget carried forward from financial year 2023/2024 as well as additional funding received and used to fund expenditure incurred in 2024/2025. The budget of £62.172 million also reflects the estimated level of spend which can be achieved in 2024/2025, based on current information. 5.2. As noted in section 3.2, the 2024/2025 Capital Programme of £62.172 million also includes budget amendments, totalling a net increase of £11.598 million, which have been identified since the approval of the revised 2024/25 budget in June 2024. The details of these amendments are shown in Appendix A. 5.3. 2024/2025 Forecast In line with the move to the new Fusion IT system, the focus of capital monitoring will now be the forecast spend position for the financial year. This will routinely be compared to the annual budget and will mean that the Resource will have early warning of any in-year project overspends or slippage, and will allow corrective action to be taken when possible, either to bring spend back in on line, or to accelerate another approved project so that maximum spend can be incurred in year. 5.4. Appendix A shows a forecast for the financial year of £62.172 million. For information, actual expenditure to 12 July 2024 is £3.378m. 6. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 7. Other Implications 7.1. 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. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. 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. 8.2. 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) David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 21 August 2024 46
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Link(s) to Council Values/Ambitions/Objectives Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References South Lanarkshire Council, 21 February 2024 Executive Committee, 26 June 2024 Executive Committee, 7 August 2024 Executive Committee, 4 September 2024 List of Background Papers ▪ Financial ledger to 12 July 2024 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 47
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Appendix A South Lanarkshire Council Capital Expenditure 2024-2025 Community and Enterprise Resources Programme For Period 1 April 2024 – 12 July 2024 Education 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 2,846 0 - 2,846 2,846 - 195 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 28,558 7,408 - 35,966 35,966 - 1,304 Roads, Transport and Fleet 19,170 4,190 - 23,360 23,360 - 1,879 TOTAL 50,574 11,598 - 62,172 62,172 - 3,378 For Information Only Budget Adjustments approved by Executive Committee, 26 June 2024, 7 August 2024 and 4 September 2024: Budget Adjustments Three Rivers / Clydesdale Way Shawfield Remediation and Development Active Travel and Infrastructure Minor Adjustments Roads Carriageways and Associated Infrastructure Roads Safety Improvement Fund Roads People and Place Direct Award Hairmyres Park and Ride Total Budget Adjustments £2.000m £5.400m £0.682m £0.008m £1.800m £0.497m £0.261m £0.950m £11.598m 48
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community and Enterprise Resources – Workforce Monitoring – April to June 2024 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide employment information for April to June 2024 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 April to June 2024 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 11 June 2024 [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 April to June 2024. 4. Monitoring Statistics 4.1. Attendance Statistics (Appendix 1) Information on absence statistics is analysed for the month of June 2024 for Community and Enterprise Resources. The Resource absence figure for June 2024 was 6.0%, this figure has increased by 0.1% when compared to the previous month and is 0.8% higher than the Council- wide figure. Compared to June 2023, the Resource absence figure has increased by 0.3%. Based on the absence figures at June 2024 and annual trends, the projected annual average absence for the Resource for 2024/2025 is 6.3%, compared to a Council- wide average figure of 5.5%. 7 49
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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, which include medical examinations and physiotherapy, overall, 325 referrals were made this period. This represents an increase of 34 when compared with the same period last year. 4.3. Accident/Incident Statistics (Appendix 2) There were 48 accidents/incidents recorded within the Resource this period, an increase of 11 when compared to the same period last year. 4.4. Discipline, Grievance and Dignity at Work (Appendix 2) During the period, 24 disciplinary hearings were held within the Resource, a decrease of 3 when compared to the same period last year. During the period no appeals were heard by the Appeals Panel and no Appeals Panels were pending. No grievance hearings were raised within the Resource, this figure remains unchanged when compared to the same period last year. No Dignity at Work complaints were raised within the Resource, this figure remains unchanged when compared to the same period last year. 4.5. Analysis of Leavers (Appendix 2a) There were a total of 39 leavers in the Resource this period eligible for an exit interview. This figure remains unchanged when compared with the same period last year. 6 exit interviews were conducted in this period, this figure has decreased by 5 when compared to the same period last year. 4.6. When processing an employee termination, managers were asked to identify whether they intended to replace the employee who had left the Council. If they indicated that they did not intend to replace the employee, they were asked to select from the following options:- plan to hold for savings fill on a fixed term basis pending savings transfer budget to another post end of fixed term post 4.7. Appendix 2b provides a breakdown of vacant posts and whether these are being replaced or held for savings. In the period April to June 2024, 108 employees (61.05 FTE) in total left employment, managers indicated that 107 posts (60.83 FTE) were being replaced and 1 post (0.22 FTE) was due to the end of a fixed term contract. 5. Staffing Watch 5.1. There has been an increase of 180 in the number of employees in post from 9 March 2024 to 11 June 2024. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no implications for employees arising from the information presented in this report. 50
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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. Other Implications 9.1. There are no implications for sustainability or risk in terms of the information contained within this report. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 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. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 8 August 2024 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 – 18 June 2024 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 51
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2022 / 2023 2023 / 2024 2024 / 2025 2022 / 2023 2023 / 2024 2024 / 2025 2022 / 2023 2023 / 2024 2024 / 2025 2022 / 2023 2023 / 2024 2024 / 2025 % % % % % % % % % % % % April 4.4 3.6 3.2 April 7.3 6.3 6.8 April 6.9 6.0 6.3 April 5.6 5.1 5.2 May 3.9 3.7 3.1 May 6.8 6.3 6.3 May 6.3 5.9 5.9 May 5.4 5.1 5.3 June 3.5 4.3 4.1 June 7.2 5.9 6.4 June 6.7 5.7 6.0 June 5.3 4.7 5.2 July 3.9 2.3 July 5.9 4.6 July 5.6 4.3 July 4.6 3.8 August 3.4 3.0 August 6.6 5.2 August 6.1 4.9 August 4.4 4.1 September 3.1 2.5 September 7.9 7.1 September 7.1 6.4 September 5.4 5.3 October 5.1 2.0 October 7.5 7.0 October 7.1 6.3 October 5.8 5.1 November 4.2 2.6 November 8.3 8.1 November 7.7 7.3 November 6.5 6.2 December 3.7 3.0 December 8.8 7.5 December 8.0 6.8 December 7.0 6.6 January 2.6 3.6 January 7.4 7.4 January 6.7 6.9 January 5.8 6.1 February 3.6 4.0 February 7.4 7.8 February 6.9 7.2 February 5.9 6.4 March 3.9 3.2 March 7.9 7.9 March 7.3 7.2 March 6.4 6.3 Annual Average 3.8 3.2 3.1 Annual Average 7.4 6.8 6.8 Annual Average 6.9 6.2 6.3 Annual Average 5.7 5.4 5.5 Average Apr-Jun 4.2 3.7 3.5 Average Apr-Jun 7.1 6.3 6.5 Average Apr-Jun 6.6 6.0 6.1 Average Apr-Jun 5.5 5.1 5.2 594 2917 3511 16123 Appendix 1 Absence Trends - 2022/2023, 2023/2024 & 2024/2025 Community and Enterprise Resources APT&C Council WideManual Workers Resource Total No of Employees at 30 June 2024 No of Employees at 30 Jun 2024 No of Employees at 30 Jun 2024 No of Employees at 30 Jun 2024 52
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Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS Number of Employees Attending EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING SERVICE Total Number of Referrals PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE Total Number of Referrals REFERRALS TO EMPLOYEE SUPPORT OFFICER 97 91 REFERRALS TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY 0 1 TOTAL 291 325 Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 Specified Injuries* 1 0 Over 7 day absences** 3 5 Over 3 day absences** 0 1 Minor 24 28 Near Miss*** 5 6 Violent Incident: Physical**** 2 6 Violent Incident: Verbal***** 2 2 Total Accidents/Incidents 37 48 Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 Total Number of Hearings 27 24 Total Number of Appeals 0 0 Appeals Pending 0 0 Time Taken to Convene Hearing April - June 2024 0-3 Weeks 4-6 Weeks Over 6 Weeks 18 4 2 Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 Number of Grievances 0 0 Number Resolved at Stage 1 0 0 Number Resolved at Stage 2 0 0 Number Resolved at Stage 3 0 0 Still in Progress 0 0 Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 Number of Incidents 0 0 Number Resolved at Informal Stage 0 0 Number Resolved at Formal Stage 0 0 Number of Appeals 0 0 Appeals in Process 0 0 Still in Process 0 0 ****Physical violent incidents are included in the "Specified" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Specified" figures. ****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 RECORD OF DIGNITY AT WORK 109 130 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 circumstance. Appendix 2 85 102 0 1 COMMUNITY & ENTERPRISE RESOURCES 53
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Apr - Jun Apr - Jun 2023 2024 Career Advancement 4 4 Child Caring / Caring Responsibilities 0 1 Disatisfaction with terms and conditions 0 0 Further Education 0 0 Moving outwith area 0 0 Personal Reasons 0 0 Poor relationship with managers / colleagues 1 0 Travelling difficulties 0 0 Other 6 1 Number of Exit Interviews conducted 11 6 Total Number of Leavers Eligible for Exit Interview 39 39 Percentage of interviews conducted 28% 15% ANALYSIS OF REASONS FOR LEAVING Appendix 2a COMMUNITY & ENTERPRISE RESOURCES 54
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Analysis of Vacant Post Proposals FTE H/C FTE H/C Terminations/Leavers 61.05 108 61.05 108 Being replaced 60.83 107 60.83 107 Filling on a temporary basis 0.00 0 0.00 0 Plan to transfer this budget to another post 0.00 0 0.00 0 End of fixed term contract 0.22 1 0.22 1 Held pending service Review 0.00 0 0.00 0 Plan to remove for savings 0.00 0 0.00 0 Appendix 2b Reason Apr - Jun 2024 Financial Year 55
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As at 11 June 2024 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 1237 275 233 1428 Chief Officer Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 5.00 1531.38 382.28 258.25 46.55 16.70 0.00 5.00 0.00 2245.16 As at 9 March 2024 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 1112 273 198 1410 Chief Officer Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 5.00 1412.35 348.58 244.59 43.55 15.30 0.00 5.00 0.00 2074.37 Appendix 3 JOINT STAFFING WATCH RETURN COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees Salary Bands 3173 MALE FEMALE TOTAL *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees Salary Bands MALE FEMALE TOTAL 2993 56
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Employability Services 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide an update on activity of the Employability Service and seek approval for the 2024/2025 Annual Investment Plan seek approval for the award of the Routes to Work South Teckal contract for 2024/2025 seeks approval for the 2024/2025 Foundation Appreciation and GradU8 programmes [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Scottish Government’s grant award for No-one Left behind is noted; (2) that the 2024/2025 Annual Investment Plan is noted; (3) that the award of the Routes to Work South Teckal contract is approved; (4) that the proposal to add nine temporary posts to the Employability establishment is approved, subject to funding conformation; (5) that the proposal to develop a consortium agreement with South Lanarkshire College and New College Lanarkshire for the delivery of the 2024/2025 Foundation Apprenticeship programme is approved; and (6) that the proposal to develop partnership agreements with South Lanarkshire College, New College Lanarkshire, and Glasgow Kelvin College for the delivery of GradU8 for the 2024/2025 academic year is approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The responsibility for the delivery of Employability Services transferred from Finance and Corporate Resources and Education Resources to Community and Enterprise Resources on 1 April 2024. The new team delivers and funds a range of employability programmes to unemployed people and work-based learning opportunities to pupils in S4-S6. 8 57
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4. Employability Funding 2024/2025 4.1. The Council’s Employability programmes are reliant on a range of external funding sources supported by core Council budgets which predominantly fund education senior phase work-based learning programmes and central management costs. As part of the Scottish Government’s approach to funding employability through the No- one Left Behind (NOLB) programme, a range of employability funding streams have been devolved to Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) via local authorities. The governance requirements of Scottish Government include a greater focus on the role of LEPs in prioritising, procuring and monitoring employability activity and spend. 4.2. Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s budget for 2024/2025, local authorities were advised of indicative allocations of NOLB funding for 2024/2025 in February 2024. Due to a review of Scottish Government budgets, there was a delay in the issuing of the grant offer letter and in May 2024, the Council received a grant offer of 25% of the indicative allocation to support delivery in the first quarter. This was followed by a full grant offer in June 2024 that allocated funding for the full year. The funding break down is outlined below and includes an allocation for the delivery of all age employability support designed to support young people and adults aged 16+ and a separate budget to address child poverty by supporting parents into employment. • All-age employability support - £1,807,000 • Tackling Child Poverty - £2,337,000 • TCP Co-ordinator costs (GRG) £102,000 • Total £4,246,000 5. Annual Investment Plan 5.1. As part of the NOLB grant process, local authorities are required to submit an Annual Investment Plan which sets out the delivery plans for the LEP including NOLB funding and wider funds accessed by the Council to provide employability services. The Scottish Government required the Annual Investment Plan for 2024/2025 to be submitted in Q1 prior to the grant offer being received. Following engagement with South Lanarkshire LEP (SLLEP) the plan was submitted in May 2024. A copy of the Plan is attached in Appendix 1. 6. Routes to Work South 6.1. A significant element of the Annual Investment Plan is delivered on the Council’s behalf by Routes to Work South (RTWS), a South Lanarkshire based charity that operates as an Arms-Length External Organisation (ALEO). These programmes are managed through a contract supported by Teckal arrangements. 6.2. Standing Order 3.7 of the Council’s Standing Orders on Contracts, requires Committee authority to be obtained for the award of a contact using the ‘Teckal’ exemption. A ‘Teckal’ contract is a legal exemption to the public procurement rules where a public authority does not have to tender a public contract and the contract can be awarded directly by the Council to a separate legal entity, in this case RTWS, subject to certain requirements being met. 58
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6.3. The three requirements to justify the use of the ‘Teckal’ exemption for the award of this contract are: - • the Council exercises control over RTWS similar to that it exercises over its own departments. • RTWS carry out over 80% of their activities for the Council; and • there is no private sector ownership in RTWS. 6.4. All the relevant requirements to justify the award of this contract using the ‘Teckal’ exemptions have been met. 6.5. RTWS’ delivery is agreed on an annual basis and set out through a contract with associated output and outcome targets. The programmes to be delivered through the 2024/2025 contract form a key element of the Annual Investment Plan agreed with SLLEP and are detailed below. All activity is funded by external sources including Scottish Government No-one Left Behind / Tackling Child Poverty and UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. Programme Description Value Gateway to Employment Keyworker-based employability programmes targeted at adults with barriers to employment £943,000 Gateway to Employment (Health/intensive) Intensive support programme for adults with long-term health barriers to employment £250,000 Making it Work Keyworker based training and support targeted at parents £500,000 Reach and Impact Groupwork and employability training programme targeted at young people aged 16-19 £300,000 RISE Confidence building and personal development groupwork targeted at school pupils at risk of becoming unemployed. £200,000 EK Hub Contribution to running costs of the employability hub in East Kilbride centre. £70,000 £2,263,000 6.6. Approval is sought to award a teckal contract to RTWS for the delivery of 2024/2025 employability services. 7. In-House Delivery 7.1. The Annual Investment Plan includes a range of programmes delivered by the Employability Service on an in-house basis. This includes: - • the Aspire programme which supports young people in the last six months of school who are at risk of becoming unemployed • AspireWorks which provides keywork support and pre-employment training to young people aged 16-19 59
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• Supported Employment which focuses on supporting people with disabilities into employment • Upskilling which provides in-work support and training to parents • an employer engagement team to support the development of work experience and progression opportunities across the programmes • Connect to Renewables, which provides targeted support to unemployed people and businesses in eligible postcodes within 10 miles of windfarms at Middle Muir, Crawfordjohn and Kype Muir Strathaven 7.2. The team also delivers the GradU8 and Foundation Apprenticeship programmes to pupils in the senior phase which are not part of the scope of the Annual Investment Plan. 8. Foundation Apprenticeships 8.1. Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) are a national senior phase option, funded by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and designed to allow pupils in S5-S6 to gain valuable, real-world work experience and access to work-based learning while they are at school. Pupils attend college and work placements up to two days a week while at school and the qualification achieved is delivered at level six of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). The programme has been successful in South Lanarkshire in recent years with a high retention and positive destination rate. 8.2. South Lanarkshire’s FA programme is delivered as a partnership between the Council, South Lanarkshire College and New College Lanarkshire with the colleges delivering the learning element and the Council managing the overall programme including pupil support, compliance and work placements. 8.3. The Council plays a key role as a work placement provider with placements available in early years, social care and business skills. Young people can also access placements with local employers and partners including NHS Lanarkshire. The programme includes opportunities for young people in Health and Social Care, Early Years, Business Administration, Creative and Digital Media, Engineering, IT Software Development and Accountancy. 8.4. The programme is funded through a blend of SFC credits and the Council’s SDS contract and a consortium agreement has been in place for the academic year 2023/2024. SDS have confirmed contract levels for the academic year 2024/2025 and the Council has received a grant offer for the delivery of 244 places from August 2024. Approval is sought to develop a consortium agreement with South Lanarkshire College and New College Lanarkshire for the delivery of the 2024/2025 programme. 9. GradU8 9.1. GradU8 is a work-based learning option available to South Lanarkshire pupils in the senior phase (S4-S6) of secondary school. Delivery takes place in local colleges where pupils attend one day per week to complete a vocational qualification at SCQF level 4 or 5. There are a range of courses available that support progression pathways for young people including Foundation Apprenticeships, further or higher education or employment. 9.2. Pupils are supported in college by South Lanarkshire Council Vocational Development Workers to engage effectively on the programme and to support transition planning for any leavers following completion of the course. Around 1000 GradU8 places were made available to pupils in 2023/2024. 60
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9.3. The programme is delivered in partnership with South Lanarkshire College, New College Lanarkshire and Glasgow Kelvin College. This partnership arrangement allows colleges to make a financial contribution in the form of Scottish Funding Council credits which pay for the learning and teaching element of the programme. 9.4. Approval is sought for the development of partnership agreements with South Lanarkshire College, New College Lanarkshire, and Glasgow Kelvin College for the delivery of GradU8 for the 2024/25 academic year. 10. Employee Implications 10.1. As part of the transformational review of Employability, 74 employees transferred to Community and Enterprise Resources from Education Resources and Finance and Corporate Resources on 1 April 2024. Employees are on a blend of temporary and permanent contracts and all temporary contracts are currently due to end on 31 March 2025. 10.2. To meet the additional requirements as set out in the Annual Investment Plan, it is proposed that an additional nine temporary posts are added to the current establishment of 74 employees. The additional posts will be funded by No-one Left Behind and will add capacity, supporting the team to meet the needs of key priority groups and achieve full grant spend. 10.3. These posts will provide: Increased capacity to support the delivery of the Supported Employment programme and provide services to participants with disabilities. Increased capacity to support the expansion of the Supporting Families parental employability programme. Increased capacity to support the delivery of the Connect 2 Renewables programme (subject to agreement with Banks Renewables; and Increased capacity to monitor and evaluate externally delivered programmes Post No of posts Grade SCP range Hourly rate Annual salary Gross Costs incl on costs (30.3%) Total Cost (5 months till end March 2025) Employability Adviser 1 G4 L2 82-83 £26.91 - £27.33 £49,108 - £49,874 £63,987 - £64,986 £26,661 - £27,078 Team Leader 3 G3 L2 63-65 £20.75 - £21.21 £37,866 - £38,706 £49,340 - £50,434 £61,675 - £63,043 Vocational Development Worker 5 G2 L4 55-57 £18.52 - £19.05 £33,797 - £34,764 £44,037 - £45,297 £91,747 - £94,369 Total £180,083 - £184,490 61
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11. Financial Implications 11.1. The Council’s Employability programmes are funded by a blend of external funding and core Council budgets. In addition to the Scottish Government No-one Left Behind as outlined above, the following external funds are in place for 2024/2025, subject to full delivery and claims: Funding £m NOLB / TCP 4.24 Shared Prosperity Funds 1.67 SSE 0.20 Connect 2 Renewables 0.32 Foundation Apprenticeships 0.35 Total 6.78 12. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 12.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained within this report. 13. Other Implications 13.1. The are no other implications arising from this report. 14. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 14.1. There was no requirement for an Equality Impact Assessment in terms of the information contained in this report. 14.2. Consultation is undertaken with a wide range of stakeholders in order to develop the programmes. David Booth Executive Director ( Community and Enterprise Resources) Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 23 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Priorities We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work to recover, progress and improve Outcomes Our children and young people thrive Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres Inspiring learners, transforming learning, strengthening partnerships 62
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Previous References None List of Background Papers Executive Committee, 20 March 2024, Employability Services 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 63
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Appendix 1 South Lanarkshire Annual Investment Plan 2024.25 Delivery with NOLB Funding Target Group Rationale for Intervention Delivery Method/Description Delivery Partners Other Sources of Investment Young people age 16-19 This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and in the context of meeting Scottish Government priorities around positive school leaver destinations and the 16-19 participation measure cohort One to one keywork Individual action plans Reach/Impact Groupwork Programme Procured Vocational Tasters (Construction/Hairdressing) CSCS preparation and testing Health and Wellbeing remote programme Volunteering Pathways Programme - VASLAN Rural supported volunteering Work Placements Training allowances Money Advice Aftercare South Lanarkshire Council Routes to Work South Procured third/private sector activity Voluntary Acton South Lanarkshire NOLB - all age employability SLC Core funding Banks Renewables Adults with significant health barriers to employment This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and to meet Scottish Government priorities to support people with long term health conditions into employment opportunities One to one keywork Individual action plans Bespoke Groupwork Volunteering Pathways programme - VASLAN Training allowances Money Advice Aftercare South Lanarkshire Council Routes to Work South Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire NOLB - all age employability 64
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Target Group Rationale for Intervention Delivery Method/Description Delivery Partners Other Sources of Investment 16+ participants with additional support needs This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and to meet Scottish Government priorities to ensure specialist support is available to support participants with particular barriers and highly intensive support needs. Supported employment model One to one intensive keywork Individual action plans Bespoke Groupwork delivery Health and Wellbeing remote programme Volunteering Pathways programme - Rural supported volunteering Work Placements Simulated work environment Work adaptation Work placements Training allowance Money Advice In-work support Aftercare South Lanarkshire Council Procured third/private sector activity Voluntary Acton South Lanarkshire Employment, Higher/Further Education, Volunteering 65
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Target Group Rationale for Intervention Delivery Method/Description Delivery Partners Other Sources of Investment Parents from priority family groups This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and to meet Scottish Government priorities to reduce levels of child poverty by supporting parents to increase their income from employment. Family support key work Individual action plans Making it Work programme Supporting Families programme Childcare Flexible family support fund Money Advice Community based learning Training allowance Volunteering Pathways programme In work support and upskilling Aftercare South Lanarkshire Council NHS Lanarkshire Procured third/private sector activity Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire Clyde Gateway Routes to Work South Employment, Higher/Further Education, Volunteering 66
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Delivery with Shared Prosperity Funding Target Group Rationale for Intervention What Funding Source/Delivery Method/Description Delivery Partners Other Sources of Investment Young people in last 6 months of school This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and in the context of meeting Scottish Government priorities around positive school leaver destinations and the 16-19 participation measure cohort One to one keywork Individual action plans RISE Groupwork Programme Reach/Impact Groupwork Programme College Based Vocational Programme Procured Vocational Tasters (Construction/Hairdressing) CSCS preparation and testing Health and Wellbeing remote programme Volunteering Pathways Programme - VASLAN Rural supported volunteering Work Placements Money Advice Aftercare South Lanarkshire Council Routes to Work South Procured third/private sector activity Voluntary Acton South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire College New College Lanarkshire SLC Core funding SSE Windfarm Shared Prosperity Fund Banks Renewables Adults with Barriers to Employment This group has been identified as a key priority group by the LEP and to meet Scottish Government priorities to support people who are economically inactive or unemployed One to one keywork Individual action plans Bespoke Groupwork Volunteering Pathways programme - VASLAN Training allowances Money Advice Aftercare Routes to Work South Shared Prosperity Fund 67
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NOLB FUNDING ONLY TARGET GROUP Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS All Age Employability - Excluding Parents 120 120 120 120 480 Tackling Child Poverty - Parents 50 50 75 75 250 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS 170 170 195 195 730 Specific Target/Characteristic Groups Volume Young people age 16-19 200 Adults with significant health barriers to employment 160 16+ participants with additional support needs 120 Parents from priority family groups 250 68
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Budget Lines Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOTAL All Age Employability (SG funding) £451,750 £451,750 £451,750 £451,750 £1,807,000 All Age Employability (LG Core) £120,000 £120,000 £120,000 £120,000 £480,000 All Age Employability (UK SPF) £418,502 £418,503 £418,503 £418,503 £1,674,010 All Age Employability (Other) £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £400,000 All Age Employability Total £1,090,252 £1,090,253 £1,090,253 £1,090,253 £4,361,010 Tackling Child Poverty (SG Funding) £584,250 £584,250 £584,250 £584,250 £2,337,000 Tackling Child Poverty (LG Core) £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 Tackling Child Poverty (UK SPF) £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 Tackling Child Poverty (Other) £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 Tackling Child Poverty Total £584,250 £584,250 £584,250 £584,250 £2,337,000 69
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Service Delivery What activity do you intend to deliver within this financial year via the Local Authority, Other Public Sector Bodies, Third Sector and Private Sector… To provide flexible, person-centred support under the No One Left Behind All-Age Employability Service – broken down into specific groups identified as a local priority. How do you intend to monitor this? South Lanarkshire’s all-age employability service includes programmes funded by NOLB, Shared Prosperity Fund and SLC core funding and has been agreed to target key priority groups below. All participants engaging on LEP funded support have an identified keyworker responsible for supporting them through an individual flexible action plan. Activity included in the plan may include activity funded via the LEP or through other locally available provision and can include: • One-to one support • Confidence building • Work placements. • Vocational tasters • Volunteering • Employability groupwork Key Priority Group Keyworker service Adults with barriers to employment Gateway to Employment (RTWS) Adults with long term health barriers to employment Gateway to Employment (Intensive) RTWS Adults and young people with learning disabilities Supported Employment (SLC) Young people in the last 6 months of school Aspire (SLC) Young people aged 16-19 with barriers to employment AspireWorks (SLC) Keyworker supported participants can engage in a range of LEP funded provision. The following are planned to be available across 2024/25 with further activity identified via the LEP’s operational subgroup and procured via the SLC DPS / Framework. LEP Provision RISE (RTWS) – Employability Groupwork programme targeted at young people in the last 6 months of school. REACH / IMPACT (RTWS) – Employability Groupwork programme. 70
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Rural Academy (South Lanarkshire College) - Offers unemployed residents of Rural South Lanarkshire employability support including sector specific training and qualifications. Money / Benefits advice – dedicated money advice advisor for employability participants. They offer benefit checks, general benefit advice, assistance to make claims, assistance to challenge decisions, appeal representation along with general budgeting and money advice. 3rd Sector Employability Fund (VASLAN) – through Shared Prosperity Funding, VASLAN have awarded third sector organisations funding to delivery early- stage employability programmes in local communities. These will support local people who can then be referred into mainstream employability programmes when ready and / or to complement the action plans of participants. Flexible procurement – through the LEP operational subgroup, provision gaps and needs will be identified and a range of activity will be procured. An example of this includes the Remote Health and Wellbeing Programme supporting participants who have mental health/low confidence. Volunteering Pathway (VASLAN) – as part of the participant’s action plan they have access to volunteering opportunities through partnership working with VASLAN. Flexible training budget – Participants can access up to £3000 training where it can be clearly demonstrated that it will lead to employment. Monitoring of NOLB activity will be monitored through the LEP Operational Subgroup and the wider LEP meetings. We currently use Advice Pro which is a management information system that allows us to run reports and track participants on their employability journey. To support tackling Child Poverty using No One Left Behind funding - broken down into specific groups identified as a local priority. How do you intend to monitor this? Please provide a detailed description of the activities planned to support delivery of tackling Child Poverty. This should be broken down into specific groups and the reasons included why these groups have been prioritised. Please include a reference to the statistical evidence used to identify the relevant groups. Parental support in South Lanarkshire includes programmes funded by NOLB/TCP and has been agreed to target the key priority groups below. • Lone parents • Parents with children who have a disability • Parents with 3 more or children • Parents from a minority ethnic background 71
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• Parents with youngest child under 1 • Families with a parent under 25 • Other low-income parents All participants engaging on LEP funded support have an identified keyworker responsible for supporting them through an individual flexible action plan. Activity included in the plan may include activity funded via the LEP or through other locally available provision and can include: • One-to one support • Confidence building • Work placements • Vocational tasters • Volunteering • Employability groupwork Keyworker supported participants can engage in a range of LEP funded provision. The following are planned to be available across 2024/25 with further activity identified via the LEP’s operational subgroup and procured via the SLC DPS / Framework. LEP Provision Making it Work (RTWS) individually tailored service includes allocated key worker, action planning, access to health and wellbeing interventions, confidence building and personal development groupwork, access to training and volunteering opportunities, money and budgeting advice, employability support. RTWS are also offering groupwork through their “Cook and Learn Café” where participants can learn cooking skills, customer service and barista training. “The Pantry” is also being launched where eligible participants can access reduced price food items to allow them to go home and cook for their families. Supporting Families (SLC/Clyde Gateway) is a partnership between South Lanarkshire Council and Clyde Gateway. This programme has now expanded to include communities in Cambuslang, Rutherglen and Larkhall and Clydesdale. The SF model is a partnership approach working with local families and organisations to provide a whole package of support for the family. Taking a place-based approach; engaging families and integrating partnerships through the role of family support workers (FSW) linked to Primary and early years centres identified due to high levels of parental poverty and unemployment. Referrals are made via identified Primary Schools to ensure a targeted approach to support those families most in need. This also includes further partnership working with SL Leisure and Culture and One Parent Families Scotland to provide childcare, after school workers and wider services including physical activity, literacy and arts/culture. Each participant has a dedicated key worker who will complete a holistic needs assessment to establish realistic goals for the family with clear short-, medium- and long-term family outcomes. Many participants who are with SF then move onto the Making it Work Programme when they feel they are ready to take part in more formal employability / training activity. 72
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Aim to Achieve (South Lanarkshire Council) – This programme has been reviewed during 2023/24 (previously Upskilling). Parents who are in-work will have flexible key work support to help them achieve outcomes that may include moving to a better paid job or achieving more hours / higher pay with their current employer. Support will include access to up to training and qualifications where appropriate. Demonstrator (SLC/NHS) Following on from the success of previous years, the Demonstrator programme which provides flexible part-time paid training placements in the NHS will be delivered again. Participants are given wraparound support that includes a key worker, access to certificated vocational training and a 26-week paid work placement. The work placements are Band 2 and hosted across Acute and H&SCPs. Placements are flexible to meet the needs of the individual in relation to hours and working patterns. Key worker support is given throughout the full duration of the programme to track progress and help apply for post placement opportunities. Outcomes from the programme include gaining employment within NHS roles such as domestic, portering, catering, healthcare support and admin/clerical. In 2024/25 it is planned that the Demonstrator programme is expanded to SLC. Discussions are underway with colleagues in the council’s Facilities Service and the initial focus will be on cleaning and janitorial roles Key worker support will be given throughout the full duration of the programme to track progress and help apply for post placement opportunities. Money / Benefits advice – dedicated money advice advisor for employability participants. Support includes benefit checks, general benefit advice, assistance to make claims, assistance to challenge decisions, appeal representation along with general budgeting and money advice. 3rd Sector Employability Fund (VASLAN) – through Shared Prosperity Funding, these have awarded third sector organisations funding to delivery early- stage employability programmes in local communities. These will support local people who can then be referred into mainstream employability programmes when ready. Flexible procurement – through the LEP operational subgroup, provision gaps and needs will be identified and a range of activity will be procured. Volunteering Pathway (VASLAN) – as part of the participants action plan they have access to volunteering opportunities through partnership working with VASLAN. Flexible training budget – Parents engaging on TCP programmes can access up to £3000 training where it can be clearly demonstrated that it will lead to employment. Monitoring of NOLB activity will be monitored through the LEP Operational Subgroup and the wider LEP meetings. We currently use Advice Pro which is a management information system that allows us to run reports and track participants on their employability journey. 73
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To support disabled people South Lanarkshire’s employability programmes are designed to be flexible, keyworker based with all participants supported to complete an action plan which takes into account their individual circumstances and barriers including those related to protected characteristics. This includes experience in recent years supporting trans young people through the Aspire and Aspire Works programmes and extensive experience supporting young people with additional support needs. All keyworkers have access to CPD around additional support needs and there has been significant upskilling I recent years around ASD supports. The employability programmes are well established and referral links to programmes supporting ethnic minorities and refugee / asylum seekers are in place, for example through housing resettlement team or from the council’s ESOL provision. However, there is more work to be done to ensure all communities are aware of the support available and a short-life working group will be established through the LEP. To support minority ethnic people and others with protected characteristics. South Lanarkshire’s employability programmes are designed to be flexible, keyworker based with all participants supported to complete an action plan which takes into account their individual circumstances and barriers including those related to protected characteristics. This includes experience in recent years supporting trans young people through the Aspire and Aspire Works programmes and extensive experience supporting young people with additional support needs. All keyworkers have access to CPD around additional support needs and there has been significant upskilling I recent years around ASD supports. The employability programmes are well established and referral links to programmes supporting ethnic minorities and refugee / asylum seekers are in place, for example through housing resettlement team or from the council’s ESOL provision. However, there is more work to be done to ensure all communities are aware of the support available and a short-life working group will be established through the LEP. To address specific local priorities such as reducing inactivity. The number of adults who are economically inactive in South Lanarkshire was 39,600 in the year to September 2023, the highest figure recorded for 3 years, and the biggest single increase in economic inactivity ever recorded in the authority. The rate of economic inactivity in SLC (as a percentage of the 16-64 population) has also increased to 19.8% at September 2023, the highest level seen in the authority for 18 months. Despite the recent increase the current rate of economic inactivity in SLC (19.8%), both the number and rate recorded in September 2023 is still historically low compared to the levels 74
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recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, where rates were regularly in excess of 20%. The SLC economic inactivity rate in September 2023 (19.8%) also continues to run below the Scottish average (22.1%). Routes to Work South’s Gateway to Employment programme has in recent years had an increase in referrals from economically inactive people and these have been a mix of self-referrals through local community-based activities and marketing and referrals from key agencies including housing, social work and local community organisations. To build on this, as highlighted above the WIN programme will be launched with an initial focus on Blantyre and Rutherglen WIN will offer a wide range of holistic support that will build resilience, increase confidence and motivation, with a focus on participation, positive lifestyles, and access to progression pathways and further development opportunities. For young people aged 16-19 who are not in a positive detention the Council’s employability service is proactive in identifying young people who are economically inactive through our regular participation measure exercises where more than 1000 home visits have been carried out in the past 2 years to establish destinations and refer to keyworker provision. Please confirm the number of internal staff who will be working on delivery of NOLB and tackling Child Poverty, utilising Scottish Government funding. South Lanarkshire takes an inclusive approach to No-one Left Behind with a range of funding sources utilised to deliver our programmes. During 2023/24 28 SLC staff were directly funded by NOLB all-age and 18 through Tackling Child Poverty (this includes 5 SLC staff seconded to Clyde Gateway). SLC core funding, SPF and windfarm funding supported a further 32 employees. We plan to increase the capacity of the team, primarily to increase the support available to people with additional support needs through our Supported Employment service however this will be subject to full year grant award. NOLB All age Co-ordinators 2, Team Leaders 4, Vocational Development Workers 17, Employer Engagement 1, Compliance officer 1, Admin 3 TCP Adviser 1, Co-ordinator 2, Team Leaders 2, Vocational Development Workers 9, Employer Engagement 1, Admin 2, Money advice 1 Please describe what external provision you intend to commission in this financial year. Is this planned new commissioning or are existing providers commissioned over multiple years? The LEP has agreed the following core external provision for 2024/25: Routes to Work South - RTWS provision is agreed annually through a ‘Teckal’ Contract – the contract has been extended to June 2024 and will be extended further subject to funding. • Gateway to Employment • Gateway to Employment (Intensive) • Making it Work • Rise, Reach and Impact Groupwork programmes VASLAN - The volunteering pathways contract is in the process of being extended to June 2024 and will be extended further subject to funding. VASLAN have awarded SPF funded 3rd sector grants to local organisations for 24/25. 75
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• Volunteering Pathways • 3rd Sector challenge fund South Lanarkshire College - Rural Academy is contracted to September and will be reviewed subject to further funding Clyde Gateway - The Supporting Families programme is in place to June 2024 will be funded subject to confirmation of TCP funding. NHS Lanarkshire - Demonstrator programme – the current participants are part-way through 6month placements which are due to end in June. A new intake is planned subject to funding. Flexible procurement - Additional opportunities are planned to be delivered across the year subject to funding and will be agreed through the LEP operational subgroup and procured through the SLC employability DPS framework. No activity is commissioned beyond 1 year. What work will be undertaken to design, improve, or support referral pathways in your area? Through the LEP operational subgroup and wider LEP, discussions continue to take place to ensure all teams/programmes/partners are aware of the referral pathways available, how to refer and who the point of contact is. A one pager document has also been drawn up and shared partners that outlines “Referral Pathways”. Key partners including DWP, SDS and SLC services (Housing, education, social work) are aware of the programmes however there is an ongoing process to ensure all staff are aware. Close monitoring of all programmes also takes place at a local level between SLC, RTWS and DWP to ensure referrals are coming through and appropriate. We also work closely with Skills Development Scotland and have recently drawn up NOLB/Aspireworks guidance for referrals for Aspireworks programme for 16–19-year-olds. Please describe planned engagement with local businesses and any work towards supporting the Green Economy. An SLC employer engagement team has been established and works across all SLC in-house employability programmes to identify work placements and employment progression opportunities. The team works closely with RTWS to share information and jointly respond to meet the needs of employers. The team will work closely with the Council’s business support team to provide support to employers with a recruitment need and identify how employability participants can be upskilled to fill vacancies. The team will continue to attend local network events and will work with RTWS, local employers and SLC personnel services to hold jobs fairs in response to local demand. Work placements play a key role in the plans of many participants, particularly young people engaging on the Aspire, AspireWorks programmes and our supported employment participants. The sourcing of placements is a key role of the employer engagement team and we have established work placements guidance which sets out the process for planning and review of placements. Employability-focused employer engagement is responsive and driven by employer demand and the team and RTWS have significant experience of responding to the needs of employers to co-ordinate support to move participants into vacancies. The majority of employment progressions are into entry- level posts and to date there have been few opportunities within the green economy. The Council has a Sustainable Development and Climate Change 76
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Strategy which includes actions to support employers developing opportunities within the green economy and we are in a strong position to respond to needs from an employability point of view. Please describe the plans for the provision of ERI placements or other paid work placements. Information about plans to provide paid work placements or ERI opportunities should be included here. Please describe who these are intended to support and under which circumstances ERI's and other paid work placements will be offered. We will provide paid-work placements to parents engaging on the NHS and SLC demonstrator programmes. The Council is working under the assumption that Scottish Government Fair Work First Guidance will restrict employer eligibility for ERIs to employers who pay all staff the Scottish Living wage. During 2023/24 our use of ERIs was limited to targeted participant led ERIs where the payment could support people with barriers to employment who would not otherwise be taken on by the employer. As the majority of these employers would not meet the Fair Work First conditionality for public sector grants, we do not plan to deliver ERIs through NOLB. Please describe plans for the provision of Training Allowances. Provision of training allowances continues to be a priority to ensure young people and those not in receipt of benefits are not worse off financially than they were prior to roll out of NOLB e.g. when Employability Fund activity was available. The service has a well-established process for paying expenses and training allowances to participants engaging in activity including groupwork, training and work placements. Due to benefit conditionality the majority of TAs are delivered to young people aged 16-18 who are not accessing DWP benefits. • Young people are encouraged to use the NEC free bus travel however where this is not feasible travel expenses will be paid. • Young people accessing training / groupwork where lunch and travel is not provided receive £10 per day • Young people taking part in work placements are provided with £25 per day training allowance (max 3 days per week) All expenses and training allowances are paid through the Council’s Bankline system. 77
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 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 for grant applications to the Renewable Energy Fund from:- [purpose] Eddlewood Football Association Lowther Men's Shed Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation [1purp] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that a grant be awarded to Eddlewood Football Association of up to £40,000 from the Renewable Energy Fund to improve football pitch drainage; (2) that a grant be awarded to Lowther Men's Shed of up to £94,268.63 from the Renewable Energy Fund for a building installation and refurbishment; and (3) that a grant be awarded to Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation of up to £200,000 from the Renewable Energy Fund to refurbish a community cafe. [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 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. 3.3. Several changes were made to the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) criteria at the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee of 6 February 2024 including supporting revenue funding, increases to intervention levels and aiming to deliver larger more strategically impactful projects. 9 79
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4. Grant Recommendation 4.1. Application Number 1006 Eddlewood Football Association– project value £80,049.53 Proposed Grant award £40,000 intervention rate of 50% The proposed grant of £40,000 will be funded from Whitelee Windfarm which contributes into the Renewable Energy Fund 4.2. Eddlewood Football Association (EFA) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation with its purpose being:- to work within the community through football coaching to all school children and adults in the local area. The advancement of citizenship or community development. Any other purpose that may reasonably be regarded as analogous to any of the preceding purposes. This will allow the charity to develop as the economic landscape changes, not diverting from the club’s main purpose but allowing for sustainable development 4.3. EFA has a 10-member management committee with eight regular volunteers with over 40 years of history and a membership exceeding 200. They actively engage with the community by providing football coaching to school children and adults, promoting increased participation in sports and exercise. Recognising a shortage of quality community and outdoor sports pitches, they aim to redevelop the existing site to better serve local needs. 4.4. The grant will allow EFA to install drainage at the existing football pitch which will ensure year-round access for training and competitive matches. 4.5. EFA has submitted an Asset Management Transfer application to the Council which will be considered on 18 September 2024. 4.6. The project has been established in response to community demand. EFA dedicated 6 months to detailed planning and community consultation. This process helped identify key issues critical to the local community. Almost 500 people responded to the consultation exercise, reflecting strong community involvement and support for the project. 4.7. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 36.5 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £40,000 totalling 50% of eligible costs. 4.8. All Renewable Energy Fund awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured. The REF grant sought is 50% of the project value with the match funding as set out below. Funder Stage Value Procast (local Business) Confirmed £40,049.53 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (50%) Whitlee Windfarm For approval £40,000 Total project value £80,049.53 4.9. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2024 and be complete by March 2025. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales. 80
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5. Grant Recommendation 5.1 Application Number 1153 Lowther Men's Shed – Project value £157,114.38 Proposed grant award £94,268.63 intervention rate of 60% The proposed REF grant of £94,268.63 will be funded from Andershaw Windfarm which contributes into the Renewable Energy Fund 5.2. Lowther Men's Shed (LMS) is an established community group with its purpose being:- to provide recreational facilities and advance the social needs, health and wellbeing of men of all ages and backgrounds living in the Leadhills and surrounding areas 5.3. LMS management committee has seven committee members, 10 volunteers and 68 members. Consultation with the community has been undertaken and the project has been developed to reflect the views of the community it represents. 5.4. The grant will allow LMS to continue the re-erection work of the former ski hut building, in line with all building standards and health and safety requirements. Works will include internal refurbishment, new kitchen, solar panels and a heating system. LMS have embarked on an ambitious project and have moved the ski hut building five miles down off the Lowther hills to be based in the centre of Leadhills village. 5.5. The project requires capital funding to ensure the building is wind and watertight and fully compliant with all relevant building legislation. This funding will enable LMS to continue moving forward to the next phase and see the work start on the foundations in October 2024. 5.6. The project has been established in response to community consultation events and engagement, the project has generated a great deal of excitement within the village over the last six months. 5.7. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 36 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £94,268.63 totalling 60% of eligible costs. 5.8. All Renewable Energy Fund awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured. The REF grant sought is 60% of the project value with the match funding as set out below. Funder Stage Value SLC SSE Clyde Windfarm Fund To be confirmed £62,845.75 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (60%) Andershaw For approval £94,268.63 Total project value £157.114.38 5.9. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2024 and be complete by February 2025. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales. 5.10. The lead in time to the project start date October 2024 will allow officers to confirm match funding has been secured. 81
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6 Grant Recommendation 6.1. Application Number 1134 Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation – project value £374,118 Proposed Grant award £200,000 intervention rate of 53% The proposed grant of £200,000 will be funded from Blacklaw, Muirhall /Stallashaw and Pateshill which contributed to the REF. 6.2. Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax Improvement Foundation (WATIF) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation with its purpose being: - to advance rural regeneration and community development within the Community so that it can be a sustainable, inclusive community for all who live or work in the area. To promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment. To encourage access to open spaces and enhance recreational opportunities. To advance heritage, culture, history, arts, science and education, including lifelong learning. To establish the present needs and future ambitions of the Community and to ensure the long-term wellbeing and continuity thereof. To promote, establish, operate and/or support other similar schemes and projects of a charitable nature for the benefit of the Community 6.3. WATIF has a nine member management committee with 50 regular volunteers three full-time staff, three part-time staff and 348 members. The project is a proven community asset. The group has held two open evenings, gaining ideas and aspirations from the community in support of the project. The project has been developed to reflect the views of the community it represents. 6.4. The grant will allow WATIF to redevelop the Cowbyre at Loanhead Farm into a café bistro and revenue funding for a two-year managers post to deliver community and income generating projects. 6.5. The Cowbyre redevelopment will be managed by an architect and quantity surveyor overseen by the WATIF management committee. Works will include the installation of a heating system, insulating the building and making the building as energy efficient as possible to assist in reaching net zero targets. The design and construction of a large modern commercial kitchen will enable WATIF to increase the capacity for both community and income generating projects. Improvements will be undertaken to the entrances and exits, to ensure health and safety and building control requirements are achieved. 6.6. The managers post will be necessary to support WATIF committee to deliver this project and developing the work of WATIF to build the capacity of the organisation whilst prioritising community wealth building, rural entrepreneurial activity and inclusive growth. 6.7. The project has been established in response to community demand which will create a new community space and encourage community activities and promote inclusion. 6.8. The application has been assessed and scored an average of 37 out of 53 supporting a grant award of up to £200,000 totalling 53% of eligible costs. 82
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6.9. All Renewable Energy Fund awards are subject to suitable match funding being secured. The REF grant sought is 53% of the project value with the match funding as set out below. Funder Stage Value WATIF Funds Confirmed £44,118 Community Led Local Development Fund Confirmed £130,000 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (53%) Blacklaw, Muirhallstallashaw and Pateshill For approval £200,000 Total project value £374,118 6.10. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2024 with capital works compete in January 2025. Officers will work with the applicant to monitor progress and any impact on the timescales. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. There are no employee implications arising from this report. 8. Financial Implications 8.1. The awards will come from Whitelee, Andershaw, Blacklaw, Muirhallstallashaw and Pateshill which contributes to the Renewable Energy Fund. The Funds have sufficient resources to meet the proposed grant award commitment detailed in this report. 8.2. REF funding awards are subject to all other funding being secured. 9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. The grants will help deliver sustainability and help reduce carbon emissions in different ways. The projects will support local village facilities and reduce the requirement for transport to reach good quality community facilities. The grant to LMS will fund the reuse of the former ski hut and the installation of energy efficient PV panels, this will help to minimise future running costs for the community hall. 10. Other Implications 10.1. The risks associated with the project are focused on the potential for cost overruns, delays to the projects or match funding not being secured. Work will continue with the applicant to help ensure match funding is secured and that projects are delivered broadly on time and within budget. 11. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 11.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 11.2. Community consultation is a requirement for all REF grants awards. Consultation can be referenced through community action plans, independent consultation and social media platforms. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 23 August 2024 83
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Priorities We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places Outcomes Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 6 Feb 2024 Renewable Energy Fund - Strengthening Links to Rural Priorities. List of Background Papers Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1006 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1006 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1153 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1153 Completed REF Grant Application Form for application number 1134 Completed REF Appraisal Scoring Sheet for application number 1134 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 84
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: UK Shared Prosperity Fund – Grant Application 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] consider a grant application to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) from Larkhall Community Partnership [1purp] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that a grant be awarded to Larkhall Community Growers of up to £35,000 from the UKSPF to match fund the employment of a Development Officer and to cover the cost of participation in Community Planning Partnership Place Pilot Programme; and (2) that the progress of Community Grant Programmes being delivered under the Communities and Place Investment Priority of the UKSPF be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. As previously reported in August 2022, South Lanarkshire Council received a conditional allocation of £12,221,811 from the UK Government providing a mix of capital and revenue funding for projects which meet the UKSPF four investment themes:- communities and place support for local business people and skills multiply 3.2. The fund runs for three financial years from 2022/2023 to 2024/2025. 3.3. At the Community and Enterprise Committee meeting of 9 August 2022, committee considered a report outlining the approach in South Lanarkshire and agreed to work as part of the Glasgow City Region (GCR) with a single Investment Plan for the Region. The Investment Plan was presented and approved by Committee on 29 August 2023. 10 85
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3.4. To ensure the effective delivery of the UKSPF Programme in South Lanarkshire and minimise the risk of underspend, delegated authority to the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) is in place to approve:- quarterly and 6-monthly monitoring reports for submission to GCR and the UK Government financial changes both within interventions and between interventions changes to outputs and outcomes at intervention level as detailed guidance to challenge funds and grant programmes developed to deliver approved UKSPF activities 3.5. In June 2024, Community and Enterprise Resources Committee approved a grant award of up to £30,000 from the Renewable Energy Fund to employ a development officer to develop activity within Larkhall based on a local community survey. This award is subject to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is the subject of this approval. 4. Communities and Place Grant Making 4.1. While delegated authority is in place for various decision-making powers outlined in paragraph 3.4, grant awards taken outwith existing grant programmes delivering additional UKSP funding continue to require approval from committee. 4.2. The grant funds relevant to this paper fall under the approved business case SLCP7 Community Led Local Development (South Lanarkshire Pride of Place Fund). 4.3. SLCP7 delivers programmes within the Communities and Place Strategic Investment Priority as part of the following local budget: Investment Priority Year 1 2022/2023 (£) Year 2 2023/2024 (£) Year 3 2024/2025 (£) Total (£) Communities and Place 255,531 1,370,260 2,073,000 3,698,791 4.4. Within this Investment Priority, SLCP7 delivers on the UKSPF Intervention S9 Investment in capacity building, resilience (including climate change resilience) and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups. Investment Priority Year 1 2022/2023 (£) Year 2 2023/2024 (£) Year 3 2024/2025 (£) Total (£) S9 Investment in capacity building and resilience for local groups 75,531 310,260 400,000 785,791 4.5. To date, SLCP7 has funded two existing grant programmes that met the criteria:- Shaping Places Fund: supporting community legal and technical costs for community asset transfers. Place Based Participatory Budgeting: supporting community capacity building, resilience and infrastructure for local civil society and community groups. 86
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4.6. Grants from the following two programmes will come before committee for consideration. Both are quickly developing areas of public policy importance that will require financial support to secure community and third sector participation:- Community Led Community Development (community of place): The Community Planning Partnership is looking to work with a very local, engaged, place-based community partnership or network to participate in the development of a whole-systems place-based framework for partners, specifically to develop the role of community partners in the governance of place and its local resources. This requires a resource within the community partnership to deliver community- led, place-based community work and pilot systems and process changes with public sector partners in a learning environment. Whole systems, and place approaches to health inequity are key pillars of public sector reform and transformation taken forward to create more sustainable public services. Community-Led Food Network Development (community of shared interest): with the pending arrival of new Good Food Nation legislation and a new Good Food Plan Duty, South Lanarkshire will need a strong and organised community food sector to deliver these duties. The creation of this network is also a requirement to maintain our current Good Food Nation bronze level status. A one-off grant will fund up to £40,000 of start-up and early development costs of a community led food network. This network will incorporate all aspects of good food policy pillars, including health and wellbeing, growing, community eating, affordable food, food insecurity, food dignity, whole systems working, and education and capacity building within the community food sector. The network will participate in the Community Planning Partnership under the tackling poverty working group and will undertake public engagement on local food systems as an output of the funding. This will inform South Lanarkshire’s Good Food Plan once the duty is legislated later this year. 5. Community Led Community Development Grant: 5.1. There is only one established and functioning community partnership in South Lanarkshire that operates within a defined place that undertakes the types of activities that the Council wishes to test and evaluate in order to contribute to developing the role of community partners in place-based approaches. This is Larkhall Community Growers. 5.2. Larkhall Community Growers (LCG) is an established community group with its purpose being:- to promote and advance education, health, community development, environment and provide recreational facilities while organising leisure activities which are inclusive of all members of the community through access to community garden, tools, materials, workshops and resources to cultivate fresh produce and associated activities. Using the gardens as a place where the community can come together to work and socialise 87
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5.3. LCG management committee has three members. 20 volunteers one full-time and three part-time staff. LCGs seek support to deliver a strategic approach to regeneration in Larkhall. 5.4. The grant will allow LCG to recruit and employ a development officer to progress on what has already been achieved relying mainly on voluntary capacity, which is testimony to the drive and commitment that exists within the local community. However, funding is required to build on this momentum, as well as increasing resilience, sustainability and to move to the next stage in their development. 5.5. Additionally, the grant will contribute to learning and testing as the Community Planning Partnership place-based approach reaches the pilot stage, and to participation in that pilot as a community partner. 5.6. The project requires revenue funding to meet the cost to employ a development officer whose key priorities will be defined from the community survey to engage with the public authorities, as represented across the Community Planning Partnership and ensure opportunities for development and improvement are created and developed. 6. Grant Recommendation 6.1. It is proposed that a grant of up to £30,000 be awarded to Larkhall Community Growers as match funding for the appointment of a development worker to undertake activity in areas of Larkhall not funded by the Renewable Energy Fund. 6.2. It is also proposed that a grant of £5,000 be awarded to resource and secure Larkhall Community Growers participation in the pilot, providing time, undertaking community engagement relevant to the project and contributing written and reports of their lived experience as a co-design partner of the place project team. 6.3. A breakdown of funding is provided below:- Funder Stage Value UKSPF Communities and Place Priority For approval £35,000 SLC Renewable Energy Fund Grant (46%) Auchrobert Approved 18.06.24 £30,000 Total project value £65,000 6.4. The project is scheduled to commence in October 2024 and be completed by October 2025. Officers will work with Larkhall Community Growers to monitor progress. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. There are no employee implications arising from this report. 8. Financial Implications 8.1. UKSPF expires in March 2025. The Council will forgo any funding not incurred by that date. 8.2. Renewable Energy Fund awards are subject to all other funding being secured. 9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. The grants will help deliver sustainability and help reduce carbon emissions in different ways within the project delivery of Larkhall Community Growers. The projects will support local facilities, urban planting and reduce the requirement for transport to reach good quality community facilities. 88
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10. Other Implications 10.1. The risks associated with the project are focused on the potential for cost overruns, delays to the project delivery funding not being secured. Work will continue with the applicant to help maximise additional funding secured for projects and that projects are delivered broadly on time and within budget. 11. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 11.1 This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. Consultation has been ongoing with Larkhall Community Growers. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 26 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Priorities We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress and improve Outcomes Caring, connected, sustainable communities Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 6 Feb 2024 Renewable Energy Fund - Strengthening Links to Rural Priorities. Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 29 August 2023 UK Shared Prosperity Fund Update Community and Enterprise Committee 9 August 2022 August 2022 UK Shared Prosperity Fund List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like further information, please contact: - Jennifer Kerr Community Engagement Manager Finance and Corporate Resource E-mail:- Jennifer.kerr1@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 89
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: South Lanarkshire Council’s Food Service Plan for 2024/2025 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval for the Food Service Plan 2024/2025 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 2024/2025 attached as Appendix 1 of 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. 11 91
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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. 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 2024/2025 4.1. A copy of The Food Service Plan for 2024/2025 is included in 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 2024/2025 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 2024/2025 was completed in May 2024, 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 are 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 and environmental implications associated with this report. 8. 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. 92
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9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 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 no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 23 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Priorities We will work to recover, progress and improve Outcomes People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References Approval of South Lanarkshire Council’s Food Service Plan for 2023/2024, Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, 7 November 2023 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 93
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Appendix 1 South Lanarkshire Council Food Service Plan 2024/2025 11 95
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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 Retained 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. 96
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2. Background 2.1 Profile of the Local Authority South Lanarkshire has a population of around 316,000 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. 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 Director of Community & Enterprise Resources Head of Planning & Regulatory Services Service Delivery Plan approver Environmental Services Manager Most Senior EHO, manages all facets of Environmental Health and Trading Standards Food Budget Holder 97
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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 8 full time Environmental Health Officers, 3 part time Environmental Health Officers, 2 full time Food safety Officers (designated Technical Officers), 1 part time Food Safety Officer and a full-time sampling officer (who is also a student Food Safety Officer). 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. Divisional Environmental Services Officer x 1 Lead Officer Hygiene & Standards Enforcement Staff with responsibility for Food Law EHO’s FTE 9.97 Food Safety Officer FTE 2.6 Sampling Officer FTE 1 Environmental Health Team Leaders x 1.8 Students – 2 98
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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 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; 99
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• 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 2024, consists of 3060 *registered and 26 *approved premises. *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: 7 Meat Products Establishments: 5 Fishery Products Establishments: 3 (1 premises also approved for meat products) Live Bivalve Molluscs Establishments: 1 (also approved for fishery products) Meat Preparations Establishments: 2 Stand Alone Cold Stores: 5 Egg Packers: 3 Registered Premises: South Lanarkshire Council is home to 54 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 and 3 non approved dairy products premises. 100
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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 482 Takeaway 324 Pubs Providing Food 61 Pubs not serving Food 110 School kitchens 152 Domestic premises/food business 300 Childminders 111 Childcare Premises 126 Homes/Institutional Kitchens 108 Mobile vehicles – catering 89 Other Caterers 347 Butcher 42 Baker 52 Fishmonger 11 Supermarket 90 Newsagent/General Store 190 Mobile Vehicles – retail 36 Chemists/Pharmacies 79 Off Licences 32 Other Retailers 230 Distribution/warehousing 45 Primary Producers/Dairy Farms South Lanarkshire Council has 80 dairy farms, one of which produces milk for the production of unpasteurised dairy products. We also have 6 additional registered primary producers, two game dealers, one deer larder, one fruit/vegetable packer and two egg producers. 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 101
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to third countries. During 23/24 we issued export health certificates/premises endorsements to 3 businesses within South Lanarkshire. 2 were exporting bakery products/confectionary, and the other a low salt product. We issued an average of 200 export health certificates/premises endorsements a year in the three years prior to 22/23, however only issued 114 during 22/23. This was due to the fact that a large fishery products manufacturer and exporter, previously trading in South Lanarkshire, closed in the early part of 22/23. As such it was expected that we would issue a smaller number of export certificates again in 23/24. This has indeed been the case with only 60 certificates being issued in 23/24. 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. 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 102
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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 As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic the majority of routine food law inspections ceased between the end of March 2020 and the start of September 2021 to allow Local Authorities to undertake wider public health duties related to Covid-19, with the exception of the highest risk premises and approved premises, where remote interventions were conducted. Ahead of the restart of official control interventions in all food establishments, on 1st September 2021, South Lanarkshire Council produced a revised intervention programme incorporating all food establishments which required to be inspected over the following four-year period, until 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 month of 22/23 and throughout 23/24 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 Service Plan. Interventions will continue to be prioritised in this manner during 2024/25, as outlined below. Interventions Due in 2024/2025 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 now 103
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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 have inspected a number of these now but will seek to continue to incorporate any outstanding establishments during 2024/2025. Currently, planned/recovery inspections due in 24/25, as set out when our recovery plan was drawn up in the spring/summer of 2021, including a breakdown of groups and bands are as follows: Group Band Number or Premises to be Inspected in 23/24 Group 1 A 10 B 14 C 20 D 2 E 0 Group 2 A 9 B 95 C 430 D 62 E 2 Group 3 A 1 B 174 C 346 D 4 E 0 104
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The above planned inspections/recovery visits will make up a proportion of the interventions being conducted in 24/25, along with interventions in approved premises, high risk premises inspections generated further to inspections carried out during 24/25, and unrated premises. In addition, due to previous prioritisation exercises undertaken since March 2023, 326 Group 2 or 3 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 726 premises that were due to receive an intervention prior to the end of March 2024, but have yet to receive an intervention. This list consists of 508 Group 2 establishments, 427 of which are Band B indicating high levels of compliance, 80 of which are band C, and 1 unrated establishment which has been closed for refurbishment for some time; and a further 218 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 1/1/26 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 24/25 will be around 100- 150, based on the number carried out in the first two years of implementing the Food Law Rating Scheme. South Lanarkshire Council currently employ 11.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) Environmental Health/Food Safety Officer’s to conduct food law tasks including interventions, revisits, complaint investigations and other food law service demands. In addition to this we also employ a food sampling officer equating to an additional 0.6 FTE. Officer’s conducting interventions undertake a minimum of 10 hours CPD per annum and in the past 3/4 years all but two officers within the Food and Business Regulation team have completed Official Control Verification (OCV) training provided by Food Standards Scotland. In addition, 7 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 82 food complaints a year relating to; foreign body contamination of foods; microbiological and chemical contamination of foods, 105
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and; complaints relating to labelling, allergens and point of sale information. Complaints received during 2023 included alleged glass in a tin of salmon, a fingernail in rice and an insect in a takeaway meal. A further 87 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 2020 Figure 2021 Figure 2022 Figure 2023 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on average in previous years Food Hygiene complaints 83 77 92 94 87 Food complaints incorporating allergens/POS, labelling, chemical/composition, micro and foreign body 82 101 70 75 82 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 provides 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 manufacturer’s. As the Originating Authority we will provide advice to these businesses on legal compliance where required. 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 106
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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 24/25 can be gleaned from looking at the number of requests submitted in previous years: Service Demand Type 2020 Figure 2021 Figure 2022 Figure 2023 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on average in previous years Food Hygiene Advice 120 140 118 90 117 Food Standards Advice 112 171 126 87 124 On average South Lanarkshire Council receive around 117 requests for food hygiene advice each year, with a further 124 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. 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: 107
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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 2024/25 is still being finalised at the time of writing this Service Plan however sampling programmes in recent years set an annual target of around 450 routine samples per annum, to be procured by the Council’s food sampling officer. The level of sampling in 2024/25 is expected to remain consistent with this target. 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 Standard’s 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 for a further year to June 2026. Routine sampling is carried out by a sampling officer employed by the Council to conduct sampling 3 days per week. 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 108
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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 biennially on the incidence rate per 100,000 population of many of these organisms per health board area. The most recent report from 2020-2021 shows that Lanarkshire was above the Scotland wide average for cases of Campylobacter, and for Salmonella in 2020; however, we were slightly below average for cases of Salmonella reported in 2021. For all other bacteria, viruses and parasites reported on, including E coli 0157, STEC, Cryptosporidium and norovirus Lanarkshire was below the Scottish national average. The following table details the number of notifications received by South Lanarkshire Council from 2019-2023. 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 107 notifications per annum, all of which are investigated by the Food & Business regulation team using existing resources. Service Demand Type 2019 Figure 2020 Figure 2021 Figure 2022 Figure 2023 Figure Estimate of numbers expected per annum based on previous years (excluding Covid in 2020/2021) Infection Disease Notifications 132 36 50 85 104 107 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 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. 109
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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 officer’s within the Food & Business regulation team for information and awareness purposes. Only three 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. 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. 110
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As the chair of the WSFLG South Lanarkshire Council are represented on SFELC. We chair one of the SFELC task groups on Specialist Cheese and following the easing of restrictions during the pandemic chaired a sub group of a SFELC working group looking at Local Authority Food Law recovery. We have also been involved recently in a working group chaired by Food Standards Scotland looking at the future of interventions at dairy farms. 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 Lanarkshire’s Healthy Weight Subgroup where we liaise with colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire’s public health team. We are also 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 2023 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 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 111
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for 2024/25 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 2024/25 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 141 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. 4. Finance and Staffing 4.1 Financial Allocation 112
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Environmental Services does not have a separate cost centre for the 3 sections which operate within Environmental Health. The budget allocation for the Food and Business Regulation team has not been reduced in recent years. In relation to the establishment, the number posts in the Food and Business Regulation team remained constant since 2018/19 until it was slightly increased from September 2023 by 0.27FTE. The increase was due to a transfer of resource from the Public Health & Housing team. 4.2 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 officer time is currently spent on our food safety function. 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 13.57 full time equivalent (FTE) front line Environmental Health Officers/Food Safety Officers/Technical Assistants (sampling officers) to carry out tasks including food safety tasks required by the Food Law Code of Practice (Scotland) 2019. We had one EHO vacancy equating to approximately 0.35 of a post at the start of 2023/24. This was filled in September 2023; including an additional 0.27 FTE posts being added to the establishment at that time. 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 0.8 113
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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 (8 full time and 3 part time) All fully qualified EHO’s. One full time officer has less than 2 years experience. Fully authorised to conduct all Food Law Code of Practice Tasks. Officer with less than 2 years experience will not inspect complex processes or issue RAN’s or HEPN’s 8.7 Food Safety Officer x3 (2 full time and 1 part time) Fully qualified Holders of the Higher Certificate in Food Hygiene and Food Standards Inspection with over 2 years experience Authorised to conduct all Official Controls with the exception of the seizure and detention of food 2.47 Technical Assistant (Sampling Officer) x 1 Student FSO, 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. 114
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All officer’s conducting Official control interventions undertake a minimum of 10 hours CPD per annum and in the past 3-4 years all but two officers within the Food and Business Regulation team have completed Official Control Verification (OCV) training provided by Food Standards Scotland. In addition, 7 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 24/25, ensuring all newly qualified officer’s undertake Level 4 HACCP and OCV training 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 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 2024/25. 5. Monitoring 5.1 Quality assessment and internal monitoring Internal monitoring was not conducted in South Lanarkshire Council during the pause in food law interventions as a result of the pandemic in 20/21 and 21/22, however the desktop transfer process ahead of the restart of food law interventions in September 2021 did provide the opportunity for some internal monitoring to be conducted in terms of the accuracy of our database of food establishments, including looking at risk groups and 115
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categories, and in some cases also at officer risk scoring. This type of monitoring, along with accompanied visits continued during 22/23 and 23/24. Documented internal monitoring procedures were updated during 23/24 and South Lanarkshire Council aim to utilise these procedures to further monitor the progress, quality and consistency of interventions undertaken by the Authority during 24/25. 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 24/25 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. 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 2023/24 116
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This Service Plan is reviewed annually by the Divisional Environmental Health Officer and includes information on performance against the service plan, a review of performance targets or of targeted outcomes set. 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. Our performance was also assessed in respect of 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. These same standards will be assessed for 24/25. 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 23/24, can be summarised as follows: During 23/24 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, and in addition those missed during 22/23, were due to conduct interventions in 1574 food establishments. This figure was not inclusive of additional interventions to be conducted throughout the year including interventions in approved establishments; visits regenerated during the year following initial FLRS inspections; and interventions conducted in high-risk unrated establishment that were incorporated during this timeframe. The level of interventions due in 23/24 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 23/24 a total of 905 interventions were conducted, with a further 170 premises due an intervention noted to have closed in this same period. Interventions 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, planned interventions were conducted in a total of 234 Group 2, Band C rated establishments with a further 63 of these noted to have closed; and in 104 Group 2, Band B rated establishments with a further 46 of these noted to have closed. Band B premises inspected consisted predominantly of those serving vulnerable groups. In addition, interventions were conducted in 48 Group 2 unrated establishments incorporated at the start of the year. Finally, a total of 9 interventions were conducted in Group 3, Band B, Band C, and unrated establishments. Interventions in addition to those outlined above were of high-risk unrated establishments incorporated during this timeframe. 117
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Inspections not carried out in 23/24 consisted of Group 2 Band B & C rated establishments and Group 3 Band 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 recovery visits missed in the first 18 months of our recovery programme; higher risk visits regenerated following previous inspections; and high-risk unrated establishments. A total of 140 Group 2, Band C; 352 Group 2, Band B; 33 Group 2 unrated; and 91 Group 3 Bands B & C rated recovery visits were moved to later in the programme during 23/24 to accommodate higher risk interventions. In addition, 171 Group 2, Band C, 89 Group 2, Band B and 9 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 23/24 to accommodate higher risk interventions. This reprioritisation is in line with the process outlined in the ’Service Delivery’ section above. We will prioritise our interventions schedule in this manner in 2024/25 to reflect available resources throughout the year. In summary, 37% of scheduled interventions were carried out and 393 unscheduled interventions were completed. Many of these unscheduled interventions related to high- risk establishments with 161 of them being conducted as a result of regenerated Band D and E rated establishments throughout 23/24. 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 when a change to the inspection system for approved establishments commenced in the final quarter of 23/24. 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 overall performance of the Food & Business Regulation team during 23/24 has been commendable, particularly in the context of having 2 full time EHO’s on maternity leave, from April to September 2023, with one of these officers then commencing an additional period of maternity leave from the start of January 2024. The team has experienced resourcing pressures arising from vacancies and absence during the year. Resources were also diverted to assist with the development of the new IT system which Environmental Services has procured. The team has not experienced this level of deficit in resources previously, and it could not be foreseen when our recovery plan was developed. The performance would have been stronger throughout 23/24 if these pressures had not occurred. 118
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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. 6.2 Areas of Improvement Any 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. Action taken shall range from immediate action to inclusion in the Service Plan for future years. Many of the issues in terms of resourcing during 23/24 were out with our control, however the Service have taken steps to ensure that going forward we can maintain our establishment at full capacity, in order that we can maximise our performance. We took steps early in 23/24 to recruit to a vacant part post created due to retirement, and also to another full-time post that was due to become vacant due to retirement. Both posts are now filled. In addition, we expect our EHO currently on maternity leave to return to us in the autumn of 2024. South Lanarkshire Council were audited by Food Standards Scotland in February 2023. Areas for improvement were detailed in an action plan, which the Food & Business Regulation team has worked during 23/24 to address. All issues raised have now been actioned, the audit action plan signed off by Food Standards Scotland and the final audit report has now been published. A link to the report can be found here: Audit and monitoring | Food Standards Scotland 119
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Ash Dieback Disease (ADD) 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an update on the work undertaken regarding Ash Dieback Disease (ADD) 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Community and Enterprise Resources Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the work undertaken to date be noted; (2) that the ongoing risk, management and financial implications associated with ADD be noted; and (3) that the Ash Dieback Disease Action Plan (ADAP), as shown in Appendix 1, be agreed. 3. Background 3.1. ADD remains the most significant tree disease to affect broadleaved trees in the UK since Dutch elm disease gained prominence in the 1960s. It has spread rapidly in South Lanarkshire, with only a small fraction of trees proving resistant due to genetic factors which give them disease tolerance. This incurable disease affecting only ash species is caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenscyphus fraxineus. European data continues to suggest it will lead to decline and death of 50%-75% of ash trees in Scotland over two decades and has the potential to infect more than 75 million ash trees across the country. ADD was first recorded in the UK/South Lanarkshire in 2012. 3.2. Risks are site specific, but tree viability is questioned at +/- 50% remaining canopy (Ash Health Class 3-4) which is also the same point that climbing by arborists becomes unsafe. Tree death in under 4 growing seasons is not unknown. 3.3. This report provides an update on the work undertaken in relation to ADD over the last 18 months. 4. Progress over the last two years 4.1. To help inform the Ash Dieback Action Plan (ADAP), a 2022/2023 pilot project was completed with £100,000 additional budget. The scale and impact of the disease on high use parts of the road network from the earlier virtual survey and high use routes in high population settlements were also investigated. 12 121
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4.2. Additional funding of £500k was included in the capital program for 2023/2024 to continue the assessment and operational work on ash trees posing the highest level of risk (‘not acceptable’) for example Ash Health Class 3-4 (or other dangerous trees) in high target areas. Operational work focused on reducing the ‘not acceptable’ risks posed by Council ash trees to an ‘acceptable’ level. 4.3. The additional funding provided the opportunity to review current operational practices and incorporate ADD into the existing workload and move towards managing trees pro-actively. It has enabled the purchase of specialised plant, access machinery and procurement of contractors. It has also allowed the appointment of temporary tree assessing Officers and temporary ‘grow your own’ operational staff, targeting the recruitment of young people through employability and apprenticeships. This has allowed the service to address pre-existing recruitment challenges and will provide a level of succession planning in an aging workforce. This also goes someway to addressing market concerns as the general commercial arboricultural industry will not be able to meet the expected demand over the coming years. A further £0.200m was allocated in 2024/2025 and this has allowed this work to progress further. 4.4. In addition, there has been a broader restructure within the arboricultural service with the creation of a strategic function to focus on ADD, pro-active management and the Clyde Climate Forest; and an operational function focused on the day-to-day arbor service and tackling the current lengthy back log of reactive tree work. This has been delivered within the existing budget of the service. As the service modernizes further opportunities to commercialise and generate income are also being actively pursued. The service is trialling a timber station to store and investigate potential revenue streams associated with timber and biomass products. 4.5. A Tree Risk-Benefit Management & Assessment approach is also being developed to manage the risk from trees and branches falling, to meet the Council’s duty of care. This approach uses traffic light risk ratings and development of a proportionate and balanced ‘Tree Risk-benefit Management position statement’. An asset management approach is being applied to trees using costs, benefits, and alignment with the Council’s overall objectives. 4.6. Central to maintaining easy-to-use tree records and meeting the Council’s duty of care, is the Tree Asset Management software - Treeplotter. This is an evidence-based tool that helps accurately target and manage resources to an acceptable level of risk. It also enables a better understanding of our tree resource, impact of current/future threats, and associated ecosystem services for proportionate replacement planting. Strategic planning, working smarter and directing resources based on actual needs are progressing well along with the provision of meaningful benchmark for monitoring. 4.7. To help channel shift, customers are now directed to website guidance, illustrative guide on Obvious Tree Risk Features, general public online form, Housing online form, Frequently asked questions guide and ‘general management advice’ on Ash Dieback. Overall, the enquiry backlog is decreasing and compliments increasing. 4.8. In line with the Ash Dieback Toolkit (Scotland), an Ash Dieback Action Plan (ADAP) has been developed and is presented in Appendix 1.This plan addresses the risks presented by the impact of Ash Dieback on people and property, as well as the ecosystems ash trees are found across South Lanarkshire. It prepares for a positive recovery phase to achieve a net biodiversity gain by 2034 and landscape recovery by 2054. This planned approach will also help us retain more ash trees for longer so that we can reduce the impact of ADD and manage time and costs more effectively. 122
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4.9. With 2022/2023 Climate Emergency Funds of £100,000, an initial ADD – Recovery and adaptation project was progressed. Alongside other drivers such as Clyde Climate Forest, approximately 23,700 trees have been planted between 2022 and 2024, many with community participation. Kickstarting the ‘ADD Landscape level recovery’ gained notable community support. 4.10. The Council is an active member of the Ash Dieback Risk Group (Scotland) that advises the Scottish Government on associated policy and plans. As Chair of the Scottish Tree Officers Group (STOG), the Council hosted an ADD webinar and associated working group. This working group services practitioners from 15 Scottish Local Authorities and has developed a technical Knowledge Hub and STOG rebranding. The ‘KHub’ now connects Tree Officers digitally across Scotland, shares knowledge, and collective ways of working. 5. Current Position – South Lanarkshire 5.1. The Council’s assessments have identified approximately 124,530 (85%) Ash trees from a best estimate population of approximately 145,977 that may impact on the Council’s duties. These are trees either managed or owned by the Council, or in private ownership within falling distance of the road/public area. Below is the summary of the findings. Ash Health Class 1 Ash Health Class 2 Ash Health Class 3 Ash Health Class 4 Est. total regardless of risk category Estimated statistics of assessment areas 8,374 5,902 2,836 3,969 21,081 Estimated number of ash trees in private ownership and within falling distance of the Road 9,213 7,063 3,622 4,375 24,273 Estimated number of ash trees managed or owned by the Council that are within falling distance of either a road or public area target 40,905 28,116 13,217 18,385 100,623 Estimated number of Council owned or managed woodland/group ash trees 58,492 41,081 19,675 26,729 145,977 Figures illustrate both assessed trees, and estimated trees that have not yet been assessed 5.2. Last year’s spend focused on reducing the risk to an ‘acceptable’ level for those Council trees categorised as posing the highest level of risk (‘not acceptable’) for Ash Health Class 3-4 in high target areas such as the core road network, emergency access routes, high use parks and footpaths etc. This work continues with resources being progressed by risk rating. Roadside private ‘not acceptable’ trees will be progressed similarly, working in partnership with Roads colleagues, alongside new processes, and practices. 40.1% 28.1% 13.4% 18.4% Ash Health Class Ash Health Class 1 – 100%–76% remaining canopy (-7% from 2022) Ash Health Class 2 – 75%–51% remaining canopy (+1% from 2022) Ash Health Class 3 – 50%–26% remaining canopy (+4% from 2022) Ash Health Class 4 – 25%–0% remaining canopy (+2% from 2022) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0-5m 5-10m 10-15m 15-20m 20m+ Trees by Height Band (meters) Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 123
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5.3. The extent of the disease continues to steadily progress by tree size/age (see above). 60% of the identified ash trees have been assessed as Ash Health Class 2, 3 or 4, 32% as Ash Health Class 3 or 4, and 290 trees unaffected (100% alive). Of those individual trees and groups in Ash Health Class 3 and 4, 37% are on private land. The precise speed of decline of any individual ash tree is currently impossible to predict and will be influenced by several factors. The targeting of long-term resource at monitoring the health of ash trees and focusing on those trees with severe symptoms, including root and stem decay, in higher risk locations will require continued funding. 5.4. Financial estimates are based on the average price to remove a diseased tree with high value targets such as roads, buildings, and utility lines or a ‘woodland’ type settings with lower value targets. Following the increased survey work, estimates for worse case tree works suggest that the Council’s potential financial costs associated with dealing with 50-75% ADD mortality on land it manages or owns has now decreased from the previous estimate of £11.000m, to between £5.100m - £9.600m respectively. This estimate excludes traffic management costs and replacement planting. 5.5. Additionally, there are significant numbers of ash trees not owned by the Council within falling distance of the Road that could incur additional costs for the Council to remove if deemed dangerous and not removed by the owner. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer in terms of what is/is not a public road verge. Each case must therefore be decided on its own merits by Roads and Transportation/Legal Services and the economic impact must be mindful of these unquantified financial implications. 5.6. The delivery plan of the attached ADAP identifies the key actions required to try and address and mitigate the consequences of this issue. Given the ongoing risk, additional funding will be considered through future capital programmes to allow ongoing assessment of the spread of the disease and the removal of those trees most at risk. So far, the Scottish Government has not provided any additional funding for this work. However, the scale of the problem is such that Councils will not be able to manage ADD safely and effectively without additional financial support. Going forward, it will be important for the Council’s political leadership, through CoSLA and other forums, to apply pressure for a financial commitment from Government in support of the issue. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. Additional funding of £0.500m was allocated for 2023/2024 and this has been used to target the recruitment of young people through employability and apprenticeships (Grow our Own) and for the recruitment of two temporary assistant Arboricultural Officers. Further detail has been provided in section 4. As a direct result of the ‘grow our own’ initiative, one trainee has been permanently employed as a Council Arborist. This has also allowed the service to address succession planning concerns. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. The financial implications are set out in detail in section 5, with current estimates suggesting a potential cost of £5.100m to £9.600m over the long term to deal with ADD on Council land safely and effectively. However, as the Councils’ ADAP and developing ‘Tree Risk-benefit Management position statement’ embed, it is hoped that current estimates can reduce further over time. Additionally, there are significant numbers of ash trees not owned by the Council within falling distance of the Road that could incur further costs for the Council, as set out in section 5.5. 124
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7.2. There is no additional external funding from the Scottish Government to assist Local Authorities manage or mitigate ADD, despite this now being registered as a high risk for all Local Authorities. Scottish Forestry continue to advise that there is no statutory plant health duty to manage ash dieback and that the safe management of trees remains an existing statutory duty under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and Roads (Scotland) Act. etc. 7.3. Additional funding of £0.500m was allocated in the capital programme for 2023/2024 and £0.200m for 2024/2025. As the planned approach through the action plan will help the Council retain more ash trees for longer, it is hoped the impact of ADD can be mitigated further. Consideration to additional funding will be made through future capital programmes to allow implementation of the action plan, retention of employees for ongoing assessment of the spread of the disease and the removal of those trees at most risk. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. If not effectively managed, ADD has the clear potential to lead to long lasting changes in our landscape, tree populations and canopy cover, loss of ecosystem services and may potentially increase effects such as flooding and reduce carbon lockup. 9. Other Implications 9.1. ADD tree failures could translate into an increase in road network disruptions, the number of people harmed/killed by trees and a potential significant increase in vehicle/property claims. Failure to act could see the Council face an increase in liability claims as well as reputational damage. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 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 no requirement to undertake any consultation at this time in terms of the information contained in this report. However, as detailed proposals are developed, these will be subject to appropriate consultation arrangements. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 30 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Fair, open and sustainable Priorities We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places We will work to recover, progress and improve 125
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Outcomes 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 None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Kevin Carr (Head of Facilities, Waste and Grounds) Contact Number: 01698 845708 Email: kevin.carr@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 126
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1 South Lanarkshire Council Ash Dieback Action Plan (ADAP) 12 127
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2 Contents page 1 Summary 3 2 Introduction 4 3 Aims and objectives 4 4 Ashes and Ash Dieback 5 4.1 What is Ash Dieback? 4.2 Where is Ash Dieback? 4.3 How many ash trees are affected? 5 Potential impact of Ash Dieback on the Council 7 5.1 Summary of legal requirements 5.2 Financial impact 5.3 Incorporating Ash Dieback Disease into existing workloads. 6 Wider Impacts of Ash Dieback Disease 10 6.1 Local landowners, land managers and homeowners 6.2 Utilities and infrastructure organisations 6.3 Landscape and biodiversity. 7 The Delivery Plan 12 7.1 Resources – existing 7.2 Continues service improvement and monitoring. 7.3 Communication plan 7.4 Landscape recovery plan Appendix 1 – Action! 14 1. Summary This document lays out the Ash Dieback Action Plan (ADAP) for South Lanarkshire Council. Ash Dieback Disease (ADD) is the most significant tree disease to affect broadleaved trees in the UK since Dutch elm disease gained prominence in the 1960s. It has spread rapidly in South Lanarkshire, with only a small fraction of trees proving resistant due to genetic factors which give them disease tolerance. We plan for a scenario that it will lead to the decline and death of 50%-75% of ash trees in Scotland over two decades. 128
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3 Our trees and woodlands represent an essential element of the character of South Lanarkshire and are a fundamental part of the solution to some of the key challenges of our age, from peoples declining health and wellbeing to the climate and biodiversity emergency. To lose these wider services will mean a noticeable impact on the environment, far beyond the immediate visual change that will be observed. The landscape restoration programme (recovery) will be just as important as the felling works to reduce the risk from ash trees to acceptable levels. Compared with other parts of the country, our assessments do not indicate an overall high coverage of ash trees but a steady population with pockets of high ash coverage. The disease is now present in all areas where ash was recorded. The extent of infection, rapid decline and early mortality of some trees suggest the disease is well established and endemic in the wider treescape. Current estimates for the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ case scenario suggest that the Council’s potential financial costs over the long term associated with dealing with 50-75% ADD mortality only on land it manages or owns is estimated between £5.100m - £9.600m respectively. However, due to the unpredictability of the disease, and the very challenging and difficult questions associated with ownership, responsibility, and legal and financial liability of trees along our road network there are other unquantified financial implications. If not effectively managed, ADD has the potential to lead to an increase in road network disruptions, the number of people harmed/killed by trees and a potential significant increase in vehicle/property claims as well as reputational damage. Additionally, long lasting changes to our landscape, tree populations, with loss of ecosystem services may have effects on flooding and reduced carbon lockup. This document addresses the risks presented by the impact of ash dieback on people and property, and the ecosystems ash trees are found across South Lanarkshire. It prepares for a positive recovery phase to achieve a net biodiversity gain by 2034 and landscape recovery by 2054. It also recognises the need to work together with local landowners, land managers, homeowners, Local utilities, and infrastructure organisations. This planned approach will also help us all retain more ash trees for longer so that we can Identify individuals with genetic resistance, slow down the pace of landscape change and allow replacement trees time to grow before Ash becomes scarce. Key Recommendations and Actions: • Continued ash tree assessments and action, and the respective resources. • Knowledge exchange, comunity engagment and communication Plan. • Tree Risk-benefit position statement, bio‐security, and a recovery plan. • Evidence based systems of monitoring and recording ADD spread. • Dynamic approach to ash tree management and monitoring of the ADAP delivery and incorporating ADD into our existing workload. • Requirement for a Tree Canopy Cover Strategy to create greater resilience and ensure preparedness for future tree diseases and threats. 129
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4 2. Introduction Ash Dieback Disease has the clear potential to lead to long lasting changes in our landscape, tree populations and canopy cover, loss of ecosystem services and may potentially increase effects such as flooding and reduce carbon lockup. Not effectively managing could also translate into an increase in road network disruptions, the number of people harmed/killed by trees and a potential significant increase in vehicle/property claims. Failure to act could result in an increase in liability claims as well as reputational damage. This document addresses the risks presented by the impact of ash dieback on people and property, and the ecosystems ash trees are found across South Lanarkshire. It prepares for a positive recovery phase to achieve a net biodiversity gain by 2034 and landscape recovery by 2054. A planned approach helps us all retain more ash trees for longer so that we can: • identify individuals with genetic resistance to the disease • slow down the pace of landscape change, allowing replacement trees time to grow before Ash becomes scarce. • reduce the impact on biodiversity and associated species. • budget time and costs more effectively. 3. Ash Dieback Action Plan Aims and Objective Aim 1 - Identify the risks from ash dieback disease to people, property and biodiversity across South Lanarkshire. 1. Produce an overarching Action Plan to identify, communicate and manage the risks of Ash Dieback disease. Compatible with The Tree Council's Ash Dieback: Action Plan Toolkit for Scotland, and the collective working of the Scottish Tree Officers Group. Aim 2 - Identify management actions for South Lanarkshire Council. 2. plan for a scenario where over 50-75% of ashes die or are clearly dying within a ten- year period. 3. Identify and manage the overall risks from the disease. 4. Prioritise actions to address risks related to the Council's land holdings and statutory duties. Aim 3 - Develop a recovery plan to achieve net biodiversity gain by 2034 and landscape recovery by 2054. 5. Plan for recovery to mitigate biodiversity and landscape losses, that is both Nature Positive and aligns with the Clyde Climate Forest. 6. Promote biosecurity vigilance for potential risks to South Lanarkshire’s tree and woodland from new emerging pests and diseases. 130
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5 4. Ashes and Ash Dieback 4.1 What is Ash Dieback disease (ADD)? Ash dieback disease is incurable disease affecting only ash species that is caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenscyphus fraxineus. The fungus overwinters in leaf litter on the ground and produces small white fruiting bodes during summer months which release spores into the atmosphere. Spores are carried by the wind allowing the disease to spread quickly across large distances. Spores land on and attach to the leaves of ash trees from where the fungus can spread through the tree. The fungus blocks the water transport systems of the tree causing leaf loss, lesions in the wood and on the bark. The crown of the tree suffers from gradual dieback and Infected ash trees display crown decline resulting in deadwood/dead stems at height that may be within striking distance of a target/road. This can often be accompanied by vigorous sprouting on the trunk or branches forming in bundles creating almost ‘pom-pom’ like clumps of crowded foliage. Infected trees can become unpredictably brittle in structure, and at a later stage more problematic and hazardous, and as a result more expensive to remove. Risks are site specific, and target based, but the trees viability is questioned at +/- 50% remaining canopy which is also the same point that climbing by arborists becomes unviable/unsafe. Tree death in less than four growing seasons is not unknown. Risk based, alternative management options may include pollarding, retrenchment and natural fracture pruning rather than felling. Ash dieback disease is the most significant tree disease to affect broadleaved trees in the UK since Dutch elm disease gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. Since ADD was first recorded in the UK / South Lanarkshire in 2012, the disease has spread rapidly across South Lanarkshire. So far only a small fraction of trees appear resistant, possibly due to genetic factors giving them some disease tolerance. Data from earlier infections across Europe suggests that it will lead to decline and death of 50%-75% (5% tolerance/immunity) of ash trees in Scotland over two decades and has the potential to infect more than 75 million ash trees across the UK. Please see our frequently asked questions guide for further information and guidance on ADD. 4.2 Where is Ash Dieback? Scotland - An assessment of the potential impact of Ash Dieback Disease in Scotland (Dr Rick Worrell on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland 2013) showed that there are approximately 13,500 ha (total) of predominantly ash woodland in Scotland, although ash is a component of some 150,000 ha of native woodland. The Native Woodland Survey of Scotland (2014) showed: ash makes up 4.2% of upper canopy cover in all native woodlands; ash comprises 25% of canopy in upland mixed ashwood priority habitat which covers 12,353 ha; and 16% of canopy in lowland mixed deciduous woodland priority habitat which covers 23,189 ha. Upland mixed ashwood is commonly found across South Lanarkshire, especially in the river and burn valleys. 15 of 32 local authorities have officers attending the Scottish Tree Officer ADD working group. South Lanarkshire - In 2020, the council’s arboriculture team undertook a ‘Google Street View virtual survey’ of South Lanarkshire’s A and B roads, and sampling of U and C roads, to understand the abundance of ash trees, 131
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6 and their state of health. Compared with other parts of the country, the study area did not indicate an overall high coverage of ash trees but did indicate a wide distribution with pockets of high density i.e. East Kilbride. The disease was present in all sections of the survey area where ash was recorded. The extent of infection, rapid decline, and early mortality of some trees across the network suggested it had been well established for several years across the road network and in the wider treescape. In 2022/23, the scale and impact of the disease on high use parts of the road network from the 2020 virtual survey, and other high use routes in high population settlements, were visually assessed. The abundance of ash trees, and their state of health on the councils remaining landholdings and woodland assets were then progressed and are still currently ongoing. Ash Health Assessment System illustrating the state of health are as follows: Ash Health Class 1: 100%– 76% remaining canopy Ash Health Class 2: 75%– 51% remaining canopy Ash Health Class 3: 50%– 26% remaining canopy Ash Health Class 4: 25%– 0% remaining canopy 4.3 How many ash trees are affected? The Council’s assessments have identified approximately 124,530 (85%) Ash trees from a best estimate population of approximately 145,977 that may impact on the Council’s duties. These are trees either managed or owned by the Council, or in private ownership within falling distance of the road/public area. Below is the summary of the findings. Ash Health Class 1 Ash Health Class 2 Ash Health Class 3 Ash Health Class 4 Est. total regardless of risk category Estimated statistics of assessment areas 8,374 5,902 2,836 3,969 21,081 Estimated number of ash trees in private ownership and within falling distance of the Road 9,213 7,063 3,622 4,375 24,273 Estimated number of ash trees managed or owned by the Council that are within falling distance of either a road or public area target 40,905 28,116 13,217 18,385 100,623 Estimated number of Council owned or managed woodland/group ash trees 58,492 41,081 19,675 26,729 145,977 Figures illustrate both assessed trees, and estimated trees that have not yet been assessed 132
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7 The extent of the disease continues to steadily progress by tree size/age (see above). 60% of the identified ash trees have been assessed as Ash Health Class 2, 3 or 4, 32% as Ash Health Class 3 or 4 and 290 trees unaffected (100% alive). The precise speed of decline of any individual ash tree is currently impossible to predict and will be influenced by several factors. 5. Potential impact of Ash Dieback on the Council The impacts of dying and dangerous trees resulting from ADD are a significant risk and recognised as such on our corporate risk register. This plan to manage these risks and the impact on our statutory and non-statutory duties outlines a clear approach to manage the problems posed by ADD. A summary of some of the risks we considered include: • Health and Safety Impacts/ Environmental Impacts/Reputational Damage • Financial Impacts • Incorporating Ash Dieback Disease management into existing workloads 5.1 Summary of legal requirements - Duty of care - Under the Occupier’s Liability (Scotland) Act 1960, the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and common law. We have a duty of care to manage the risk from our trees. The duty also says we should be reasonable, proportionate, and reasonably practicable when managing the risk. That means there's a balance we need to strike between the many benefits trees provide, the risk, and the costs of managing the risk. By taking a balanced approach, we don't waste resources by reducing risk - and losing benefits - when the risk is already Acceptable or Tolerable. The council will develop a ‘Tree Risk- benefit position statement’ and systematic assessment regime. Roads (Scotland) Act* – The owner of the land on which a tree is growing is responsible for the tree. Landowners have a legal duty of care to ensure that, as far as is reasonably practical, public safety is not compromised by the failure of tree branches or the whole tree. The council has duties to have a sufficient assessment scheme for trees within falling distance of the road (and also under SLC ownership), has duties to address dangerous trees in a timely manner within falling distance of the road/land and that there may be liability if it fails to do so. The council has powers to serve a notice to landowners to remove or otherwise make safe, within 28 days, trees growing outside public roads boundaries that the council considers to be in such a condition that they are likely to cause danger by the tree, or parts of it, falling on a public road. If the danger posed by a tree is imminent, the council may dispense with the requirement to serve a notice and carry out the work. Financial liability lies with the owner of the land. *Roads and Transportation Services and Legal Services have reviewed the very challenging and difficult questions associated with ownership, responsibility, legal and financial liability, and duties associated with ADD. Unfortunately, there is no simple or straightforward answer in terms of what is/is not a public road verge. Each case must therefore be decided on its own merits by the Roads and Transportation /Legal Services and the economic impact below must be mindful of these unquantified financial implications. TPOs and Conservation Areas - ADD tree work is not exempt from the need for Tree Preservation Order (TPO) consent and Conservation Area notification. Applications/notices will therefore be submitted through the ePlanning portal in accordance with the standard procedure. Trees protected by TPO or in a Conservation Area which become infected by the disease will lead to an increase in applications and requests for advice. 133
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8 Felling permission - Many council sites/trees are exempt from the need for felling permission and the council will record this information on its asset management system. Where works are not exempt, we will consult Scottish Forestry and seek felling permission. Biodiversity - The UK Forestry Standard requires the Council to manage its woodlands and wider landscape in a way that conserves or enhances biodiversity. Under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 the Council also has a duty to consider biodiversity in all its work. This is affirmed as a priority in South Lanarkshire’s Biodiversity Action Plan, which promotes the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment. Bats, birds, and badgers are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Any tree works undertaken by the Council will proceed in accordance with this legislation to minimise disturbance of these protected species. 5.2 Financial impact Following the increased assessment work, estimates for the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ case scenario suggest that the Council’s potential financial costs associated with dealing with 50-75% ADD mortality on land it manages or owns has now decreased, to between £5.100m - £9.600m respectively. There is no simple or straightforward answer in terms of what is/is not a public road verge. Additionally, there are significant numbers of ash trees not owned by the council within falling distance of the Road that could incur additional costs for the Council to remove if deemed dangerous and not removed by the owner. Due to the unpredictability of the disease and the varying impacts on our trees, the council will adopt a more dynamic approach to ADD management and budgeting, that will be informed by on-going research, data collection and the development of the councils Tree Risk-benefit position statement. The Council has invested in recent years to allow the incorporation of ADD into the existing workload and making a step change from a reactive to pro-active service delivery. There is still no additional external funding from Scottish Government to assist local authorities manage or mitigate ADD, despite this being registered as a high risk for the local authorities. Scottish Forestry also continue to advise that there is no statutory plant health duty to manage ADD and that the safe management of trees remains an existing statutory duty under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and Roads (Scotland) Act. etc. The action plan in appendix 1 identifies the key actions required to address and mitigate the impact of ADD. 5.3 Incorporating Ash Dieback Disease into existing workloads. To help inform this Ash Dieback Action Plan, a 2022/23 pilot project was completed with £0.100m additional budget. The scale and impact of ADD on high use parts of the road network from the earlier virtual survey and high use routes in high population settlements were also investigated. Additional funding of £0.100m in 2023/24 and £0.200m in 2024/25 was included in the capital program to continue the assessment and operational work on ash trees posing the highest level of risk (‘not acceptable’) in high target areas. Operational work focuses on reducing the ‘not acceptable’ risks posed by Council ash trees to an ‘acceptable’ level with >700 removed/pruned. Other species trees posing an ‘not acceptable’ risk have also been identified as part of the process and incorporated into existing workloads. The additional funding above has provided the opportunity to review current operational practices and incorporate ADD into the existing workload and move towards managing trees pro-actively. It is enabling the purchase of specialised plant, access machinery and specialist contractors. It has also allowed the appointment of temporary Assistant Arboricultural Officers, temporary ‘grow our own’ operational staff targeting the recruitment of young people through employability and apprenticeships. This has allowed the service to address 134
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9 pre-existing recruitment challenges and will provide a level of succession planning in an aging workforce. This also goes someway to addressing market concerns as the general commercial arboricultural industry will not be able to meet the expected demand over the coming years. In addition, there has been a broader restructure within the arboricultural service with the creation of a ‘strategic’ function to focus on ADD, proactive management, Woodland Management Plans, and the Clyde Climate Forest; and an ‘operational’ function focused on the day-to-day arboricultural service and tackling the current lengthy back log of reactive tree work. This has been delivered within the existing budget of the service. As the service modernises further opportunities to commercialise and generate income are also being actively pursued. The service is trialling a timber station to store and investigate potential revenue streams associated with timber and biomass products. Tree Risk-Benefit Management & Assessment - approach is being developed to manage the risk from trees and branches falling, and to meet the Council’s overall duty of care. This approach uses traffic light risk ratings and development of a proportionate and balanced ‘Tree Risk-benefit position statement’. This asset management approach now being applied to trees uses costs, benefits, and alignment with council’s overall objectives. Knowing our tree and woodland resource - The appointment of temporary Assistant Arboricultural Officers have significantly helped to understand the abundance and health of ash trees, and begin creating a record of the current condition of the council’s wider tree and woodland resource, and identification of other pest and disease threats. The Tree Asset Management software is key to managing and implementing this plan. This is an evidence-based tool that helps us accurately target and manage resources efficiently and risk to an acceptable level. It also enables us a better understanding of the resource, impact of current/future threats, directing of resources based on actual needs along with effective contract management and monitoring. Communication and multi‐agency structure - The Council is an active member of the Ash Dieback Risk Group (Scotland) that advises Scottish Government on associated policy and plans. As current Chair of the Scottish Tree Officers Group (STOG) the council hosted an ADD webinar and associated working group. This working group services practitioners from 15 Scottish local authorities and has developed a technical Knowledge Hub and STOG rebranding. The KHub now connects Tree Officers digitally across Scotland, shares knowledge, and collective ways of working. Our customer enquires are now directed to our website guidance. This provides illustrative guide on Obvious Tree Risk Features, general public online form, Housing online form, and Frequently asked questions guide and ‘general management advice’ on ADD. This approach is more efficient in managing general enquiries and separating out specific trees needing management. Red ‘Not Acceptable’ risks will be reduced to an ‘Acceptable’ level ‘Not Tolerable’ risks will be reduced to an ‘Acceptable’ level, but with a lower priority than ‘Not Acceptable’ risks Amber ‘Tolerable’ risks will not be reduced, but may require an increased frequency of assessment than green ‘Acceptable’ risks Green ‘Acceptable’ risks will not be reduced 135
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10 Biosecurity - A short biosecurity statement is also being drafted to promote implementation and understanding of good practices to help safeguard the future of our trees from the introduction and spread of other harmful organisms and build resilience. Landscape level recovery – With 2022/23 Climate Emergency Funds of £0.100m an initial ADD – Recovery and adaptation project was progressed. Alongside other drivers such as Clyde Climate Forest (CCF), a total of approx. 23,700 trees have been planted 2022-24 on council land, many with community engagement. The kickstarting of the ‘ADD Landscape level recovery’ has gained notable and growing community support. A 3/2/1 mitigation formula is being used: outside woodlands at least 3 new trees for loss of a large tree, 2 for a medium tree and 1 tree for a small tree. In partnership with the council, in 2023 CCF undertook a high-level study that aimed initially to identify outline opportunities for tree planting on the Councils owned or controlled land. The opportunities identified involve various scales of planting, all of which could positively contribute to an increase in canopy cover. The tree planting opportunities identified will be subject to a more detailed investigation and review at a future date. This will not only help to develop a structured approach towards CCF tree and woodland planting, but also inform off site planting as part of our ADD landscape recovery plan. Across South Lanarkshire schools are beginning to use the Tree Council’s Young Tree Champions scheme. There is support from the Tree Council to develop the Tree Warden scheme across the CCF. Developing a Tree Canopy Cover Strategy – The council is developing a Tree Canopy Cover Strategy to ‘protect, enhance and manage’ a benefit-generating canopy cover. At the centre is a shared vision to build greater ecological value and resilience into its canopy cover for future generations that is in tune with their needs and aspirations and responds to the challenges of our times. Furthermore, the strategic approach will help better understand and address significant threats to our tree cover, such as ash dieback, while maximising the diverse benefits tree cover brings to our community. Whilst the developing strategy will aim to reduce the risks of new pests and diseases affecting our tree population, it equally recognises we can never eliminate them. The strategic approach will therefore provide a framework to work with a wide range of partners to ensure that South Lanarkshire’s canopy cover and economy are more resilient to the new pests that will inevitably arrive from time to time. 6. Wider Impacts of Ash Dieback Disease ADD has the clear potential to lead to long lasting changes in our landscape, tree populations and canopy cover, loss of ecosystem services and may potentially increase effects such as flooding and reduce carbon lockup. Not effectively managing could also translate into an increase in road network disruptions, the number of people harmed/killed by trees and a potential significant increase in vehicle/property claims. Failure to act could result in an increase in liability claims as well as reputational damage. 136
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11 6.1 Local landowners, land managers and homeowners We recognise that the people living and working alongside our own sites and road network will be managing the impacts of ash dieback too. Where possible we will aim to: ✓ Maximise the opportunity for appropriate tree works during road closures. ✓ Provide information to enable our neighbours to take action. ✓ Develop joint mitigation and tree planting plans where feasible. ✓ Ensure neighbours are kept informed when our project will impact on them. ✓ Respond to enquiries effectively to ensure trees that present a risk are addressed. 6.2 Utilities and infrastructure organisations We are working closely with our colleagues in other organisations and local authorities through the Ash Dieback Risk Group (Scotland) and Scottish Tree Officers Group. There are many crossovers with roads, rail, rivers, canals, wildlife sites, parks, and other properties. To manage these effectively we will: ✓ Ensure we use a consistent approach to managing our own activities. ✓ Develop our relationships to ensure we have the correct contacts in organisations. ✓ Where possible we will aim to work together to develop joint mitigation plans. ✓ Inform them when trees are identified as being under their responsibility. ✓ Respond promptly when we receive notifications from others. ✓ Monitor progress on referrals to us, and referrals from us. ✓ Use these developments to continuously improve our methods. 6.3 Landscape and biodiversity Trees are a fundamental part of the solution to some of the key challenges of our age, from declining health and wellbeing to the climate and biodiversity emergency. Ash trees form a significant proportion of old, large trees that are important for hole nesting birds and provide roosting and hibernating places for bats. Ash is important for lichens, mosses and liverworts and is also one of the most significant trees for invertebrates, supporting a rich diversity of beetles, hoverflies, and moths, including uncommon or declining species. In woodland affected by ADD, where trees don’t pose an unacceptable level of risk, a significant proportion of dead and dying trees should be left to provide alternative habitat for the specialist species. Ash trees and ash-dominated woodlands are biodiverse supporting a large number of other species. At least 955 species using ash trees has been collated, of which 45 are only known to occur on ash trees and a further 62 are highly associated with ash (being rarely found on trees other than ash). Pests and diseases like ADD pose a significant threat to Scotland’s biodiversity. Plant health issues can have a direct impact on biodiversity and nature’s ability to mitigate climate change. The loss of ash would significantly impact woodland diversity and would leave significantly impoverished native woodlands and the urban forest. Ash loses its leaves when they are green, meaning the leaf litter contains high levels of nutrients and the leaf litter breaks down quickly. The ground flora within an ash woodland is also unique as ash casts a very light shade meaning many species can grow underneath it. If ash is replaced by tree species with a darker shade / closed canopy, some ground flora species may decline, and this would have a negative effect on plant communities. Replacement species should be with less shading trees such as willows, hazel, oak, silver, and downy birch. Upland mixed ashwoods are included on the Scottish Biodiversity List. 137
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12 They are also protected under the European Habitats Directive. Woodlands are one of the six priority ecosystems within South Lanarkshire’s Biodiversity Strategy 2024-2030. The Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve is an important example of ash woodlands. Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 'Tackling the Nature Emergency' proposed vision by 2045 is that we will have restored and regenerated biodiversity across our land, freshwater and seas. Where forest/woodland management will have led to sustainable natural regeneration; greater diversity of woodland species; increased woodland cover with healthy understorey, enhanced woodland connectivity; and improved integration of trees into other land uses. 7. The Delivery Plan The plan in appendix 1 identifies the key actions required to address each of seven major issue or risk areas (see right). Risks to public safety and communication networks are considered short term risks (i.e. likely to be faced within a decade), those to the environment longer-term risks. For each action, an assessment is made of its priority relative to others. 7.1 Resources – existing Additional funding of £0.500m was allocated for 2023/24 and this has been used to target the recruitment of young people through employability and apprenticeships (Grow our Own) and for the recruitment of two temporary assistant Arboricultural Officers. As a direct result of the initiative, one outstanding trainee has been permanently employed as a Council Arborist. This has also allowed the service to address succession planning concerns. The additional funding is also enabling the purchase of specialised plant and access machinery and specialist Arboricultural contractors. As a result of funding and broader restructure within the arboricultural service, it is now modernising from a reactive ‘firefighting’ service managing circa 2.4 - 2.8m trees, to a pro- active asset managing service with a clear vision and ‘Strategic’ and ‘operational’ function. Long-term resources for monitoring the health of ash trees and will require continued funding focusing on those trees with severe symptoms, including root and stem decay, in higher risk locations. 7.2 Continues monitoring and service improvement. The Action Plan will be reviewed in 2026/27 and it is expected the plan will extend to at least 2034/35. The council will monitor implementation through regular service improvement meetings, quarterly Key Performance Indicators and reporting back to the Climate Change and Sustainability Officers Group. A vital part of the management of the disease will be tree assessments, monitoring, and preparedness for the decline of the ash trees ensuring that works and recovery are undertaken within the appropriate timeframe. The monitoring process will ensure we have successfully included all the trees we are responsible for, where they currently present an acceptable or tolerable level of harm but have the potential to Section 1: Plan delivery, communication, and strategic planning Section 2: Short term risks, to public safety and communication networks Section 3: Longer term risks, to the environment Section 4: Assessments and monitoring, and biosecurity Section 5: Training Section 6: Regulation Section 7: Wood-based businesses Strategic Arboricultural Officer (principle). Assistant Arboricultural Officer (2x temporary post)) Operational Arboricultural Officer, Assistant Arboricultural Officer, Arborists (10x) Trainee Arborists (2x temporary post) 138
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13 become an unacceptable risk of harm within the next 3 years. ‘Strategic’ monitoring of the disease will enable us to prioritise where, when, and how we need to carry out tree works. 7.3 Communication plan The removal of trees is an emotive subject for many. Public awareness of ash dieback and the actions necessary to manage its impacts are therefore important considerations. The following communication approaches will therefore be initiated: ✓ A public information campaign – social media, local press, Council website, public signage etc - will inform the public about the Council’s ash dieback action plan and will also provide advice to owners of ash trees. ✓ ADD guidance - to be circulated on social media and sent to any resident who is found to have a diseased tree. ✓ Political communications - keeping Councillors, MPs and MSPs informed of issues and progress. 7.4 Landscape recovery plan We fully recognise that the loss of so many trees of a single species will have a detrimental effect on the wildlife species which depend on ash and the benefits we receive from trees. We have already started developing and implementing a proportionate and long-term ash tree recovery plan. This plan aims to mitigate biodiversity, landscape and environmental losses, and aligns with the council’s commitment to the Clyde Climate Forest (CCF), and aims to achieve both a net biodiversity (ecosystem services) gain and landscape recovery. Progressing community involvement through the Tree councils Young Tree Champion and Tree Warden scheme can make a significant contribution to the recovery plan. The Tree Canopy Cover Strategy will help provide a framework to continue to work with a wide range of partners to ensure that South Lanarkshire’s canopy cover and economy are more resilient to the new pests that will inevitably arrive from time to time. 139
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14 Appendix 1 - Action Section 1: Plan delivery, communication, and strategic planning AA - Arboricultural Association AO/-AO(S)- Arboricultural Officer (Operational /Strategic) Section 2: Short term risks, to public safety and communication networks ADRG - Ash Dieback Risk Group (Scotland) HoS - Head of Service Section 3: Longer term risks, to the environment STOG - Scottish Tree Officers Group CCSOG Climate Change and Sustainability Officers Group Section 4: Assessments and monitoring, and biosecurity ATO - Association of Tree Officers SEA - Strategic Environmental Assessment Corporate Working Group Section 5: Training CAG – Countryside and Greenspace Section 6: Regulation CT- Communications Team Section 7: Wood-based businesses WT – Woodland Trust # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 1 Actions: Plan delivery, communication, and strategic planning Priority Lead Timescale 1 Plan delivery CCSOG, AO, Incorporate the ADAP into existing workloads High HoS, Ongoing 2 Communicati on CT, CAG, stakeholders Develop and deliver an ADD communications plan High AO(S), CT Ongoing 3 Knowledge exchange & multi-agency AO, STOG, ATO, ADRG, AA, CAG Continue to contribute to the STOG, ADRG and ATO. Develop methods that provide a long-term system improvement leaving us equipped to other large-scale environmental impacts. High AO(S), BO Ongoing 4 Working together CAG, Grounds, landowners/ managers homeowners Provide information for the Local landowners, land managers and homeowners to enable them to act. Where appropriate, work closely utilities and infrastructure organisations on ADD High Roads, CT 2025 5 Tree/woodla nd Strategy SEA, stakeholders Develop a Tree Canopy Cover Strategy that helps reduce the risks of new pests and diseases affecting our tree population. Med AO(S) Planning, SEA, CT 2025 6 Strategic planning Roads, CAG Ensure that emerging policies, strategies, and management plans consider the implications of ADD and other serious pests and diseases. Carry out an audit of existing policies and processes that may need to be reviewed. Promote the recognition of trees as benefit generating assets. Med AO(S) SEA 2024/25 7 Financial planning Finance, AO, AO(S) Secure additional funding for dealing with ADD High HoS Ongoing 8 Potential - rogue Comms Team, STOG, AA, AO, Promote guidance on how tree owners can appoint professional tree Med AO(S), Trading 2024 Key 140
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15 traders taking advantage of situation contractors and expected standards. Alert Trading Standards to any reports of rogue tree contractors linked to ADD and work to resolve/ minimise issues as appropriate Standards 9 Woodland management All stakeholders Incorporate ADD, progress good woodland management practices and the development of woodland management plans for council landholdings. Med AO(S), CAG Ongoing # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 2 Actions: Short term risks, to public safety and communication networks Priority Lead Timescale 10 Risk-benefit based approach AO, Housing, CAG, Grounds Education, Planning, Property Establish and implement a ‘Tree risk-benefit position statement’ to manage the risk from trees (including Ash) and branches falling, and to meet the Council’s overall duty of care. High AO(S), Roads, Ongoing 11 Prioritisation of tree works AO, CAG Develop, maintain, and monitor, processes to ensure that any resulting action as a result of tree assessments are untaken within an appropriate timescale. Tree removals will be undertaken using a risk-based approach to prioritisation. There may be circumstances that merit the pre-emptive felling of healthy ash trees, although this will be minimised. High AO(S), AO, Roads Ongoing 12 Tree Work framework AO(S), Contractors Develop a Tree Work contractor framework along with Contractor access to SLC tree management software Med Procurem ent 2025 13 Ash on private land adj. Roads Roads, Legal, AO, contractors Where appropriate the council will use its powers under the Roads (Scotland) Act. Council has powers to deal with private trees and enforce their removal where they pose an unacceptable level of risk to the Road network. The council will also recover reasonable costs. High Roads, AO(S), Ongoing # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 3 Actions: Longer term risks, to the environment Priority Lead Timescale 14 Community involvement The Tree Council, AO (S), stakeholders, Community team, CT, Education Create a wider stakeholder group for tree and woodlands through development of a Tree Warden scheme - The Tree Council, promotion of the existing Young Tree Champions - The Tree Council and Clyde Climate Forest. High Communit y team, Education Ongoing - 2024 15 Promote best practice to enhance biodiversity All stakeholders, SEA, Planning Liaise with owners and managers of designated wildlife sites to assess impact of ADD and assist in developing strategies to minimise. Promote the healthy, sustainable, management of hedges, woods, etc to increase their resilience to ash dieback and other diseases. Med AO(S), CAG 2024/25 141
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16 16 Ancient, Vet trees All stakeholders, CT, STOG, WT In addition to designated sites Identify veteran and ancient trees, ancient woods with ash on council land. Ancient Tree Inventory - Woodland Trust Med AO(S), CAG Ongoing 17 Tree diversity and size CAG Monitor SLC individual tree diversity using the 10-20-30 rule (suggests 10% of any one species, 20% of any one genus, or 30% of any family) and SLC individual tree size distribution using industry standard. Med AO(S), Ongoing 18 Landscape restoration programme AO, Housing, CAG, Grounds Education, Roads, Planning, Property, CCF, STOG, Scottish Forestry Favour direct replacement planting wherever felling occurs dependant on site suitability. Mitigate tree loss by the 3/2/1/ formula (minimum of at least 3 new trees for loss of a large tree, 2 for a medium tree and 1 tree for a small tree (excluding woodlands)). Develop and implement a longer-term ash tree recovery plan to mitigate biodiversity, landscape and environmental losses that aligns with the council’s commitment to the Clyde Climate Forest and aspires to a net biodiversity gain (by 2034) and landscape recovery (by 2054). Med AO(S), Roads Comms Team Ongoing – 2026 # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 4 Actions: Assessments, monitoring, and biosecurity Priority Lead Timescale 19 Establish pro-active assessments AO, Housing, Grounds, Education, Planning, Property, CAG Based on the Tree Risk-benefit position statement, establish a proportionate and balanced assessment regime to understand the abundance and health of ash and other trees the council has duty towards. High AO(S), Roads, 2024 20 Action plan delivery CCSOG, AO, Monitor ADAP’s delivery. Embed the delivery plan into monthly Arbor service improvement meetings, quarterly Roads Team meeting, report KPI’s quarterly to HoS and yearly to the CCSOG. High AO(S), HoS, 2024 21 Biosecurity SEA, Landscape team, CAG, Develop a biosecurity statement - promote implementation and understanding of good practices to help safeguard the future of our trees from the introduction and spread of other harmful organisms High AO(S), CT Ongoing # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 5 Actions: Training Priority Lead Timescale 22 Tree Risk- benefit statement AO, CAG, Grounds, Roads, Undertake Tree Risk-benefit position statement and Tree plotter training for core staff. Provide training for all relevant staff to identify ash dieback, when a tree has become a significant risk and how to report. High AO(S), Roads June/July 2024 142
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17 23 Tree Asset Management Contractors, AO, Arb chargehands Undertake training on the use of Tree plotters for ‘Contractor’ access. High AO(S), Roads 2024 # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 6 Actions: Regulation Priority Lead Timescale 24 Protected trees Planning Ensure adequate staffing for the administration of ash dieback related applications for Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Area, and Planning Conditions etc. High Planning Ongoing 25 Felling permissions AO, Contractors We will establish a process for obtaining permission for each relevant site. We will note exceptions for a felling notice on Tree Plotter, where they apply. High AO(S), AO 2024 26 Duties to tree safety AO(S), AO, CAG, Roads, Education, Planning, Housing, Grounds, Legal We will comply with our duty of care to manage the risk from our trees. We will be reasonable, proportionate, and reasonably practicable when managing the risk. We will strike a balance between the many benefits trees provide, the risk, and the costs of managing the risk. High Hos Ongoing - 2025 27 Ash on private land adjacent to Roads Roads, Legal, AO, contractors Establish a communication/serving of notice protocol, reporting, and monitoring system along with cost recovery process. Develop a process for identifying and responding to ADD on land where ownership is private or unclear. Develop a site notice specific for ash dieback with advisory information which can be attached to trees on private land adjacent to the network. Each case will be decided on its own merits by the Roads and Transportation Services. High Roads, AO(S), 2025 # Topic Key people/ bodies affected Section 7 Actions: Wood-based businesses Priority Lead Timescale 28 Explore use of products of ash felling Grounds, CAG, Investigate further opportunities to commercialise & generate income from tree arisings. Investigate the development of a timber station and revenue streams associated with timber and biomass products. Also explore outlets for wood & arising other than fuel (Biomass and firewood) which reduce the rate of loss of stored carbon. Including strategies for deadwood Med AO(S), AO 2025 143
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Air Quality Management Activity 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide Members of the Committee with a summary of projects and initiatives undertaken and proposed across 2023 to 2025 to promote improvements to air quality in South Lanarkshire update the Committee on changes to the funding source to support air quality related activities (active and sustainable travel projects) [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the contents of the report be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Local authorities have statutory local air quality management obligations in terms of the Environment Act 1995 and associated Regulations. These obligations include routine monitoring of air quality, then review and analysis of the data gathered. 3.2. When air quality parameters are exceeded the local authority is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area and develop an action plan that seeks to address and improve air quality standards. In South Lanarkshire there are currently two Air Quality Management Areas at Whirlies in East Kilbride and another covering Rutherglen. The Lanark Air Quality Management Area was revoked in February 2024. 3.3. Since 2008/2009, the Scottish Government has provided grant funding for air quality initiatives to support:- local air quality management air quality action planning roadside vehicle emission testing and anti-engine idling activities Environmental Services has been successful in bidding for air quality grants and has received over £1.5M in grants across these three streams since 2019/2020. 13 145
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3.4. Environmental Services has also bid for funding via the Paths for All ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ funding stream aimed at increasing uptake of active and sustainable travel. This funding augmented Air Quality Action Planning grant awards and almost £890,000 has been secured since 2019/2020. From 2024/2025, the Scottish Government replaced the Air Quality Action Planning fund with a fund administered by Transport Scotland to support active and sustainable travel. Bids for this funding are now submitted to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). 3.5. Projects which encourage active and sustainable travel, can have a positive impact on air quality standards by reducing the volume of cars on our roads. 4. Air Quality Activity in 2023/2024 4.1. The following table summarises the grants secured in 2023/2024 to deliver air quality projects and initiatives:- Activity Area Amount Awarded Air Quality Monitoring £72,205.51 Air Quality Action Planning £172,072 Vehicle emission testing and engine idling £26,220 Paths for All £72,620 Total Grants Secured £343,117.51 4.2. The local air quality monitoring funding enabled the delivery of monitoring programmes across South Lanarkshire, including the service and maintenance of monitoring equipment at the eight monitoring stations. The grant also covers the review of air quality data recorded. 4.3. The air quality action planning fund was utilised to support a range of projects and initiatives including:- Beat the Street has been a highlight of action planning activity in recent years and a project was carried out in the Clydesdale area. Since 2018, six Beat the Street projects have been run within South Lanarkshire covering Lanark, Rutherglen, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Blantyre, Cambuslang most recently the larger towns in Clydesdale. Community engagement has ranged from 10-17% of the local population. Over 53,000 people have participated and over 700,000 miles have been travelled sustainably. Vehicle emission testing and anti-engine idling funds were used to undertake vehicle emission testing with support from Police Scotland. The grant supported the ’30 reasons why’ and ’11 reasons why’ anti-idling marketing campaign. This campaign installed lamppost or railing banners at schools and sports centres and were rotated to across South Lanarkshire on a six-week basis. Paths for All ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ grant required match funding and funds were aligned to relevant air quality action plan projects to support behaviour change in active and sustainable travel, which contribute to improving air quality standards through traffic reduction. 146
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5. Air Quality Activity planned for 2024/2025 5.1. In March 2024, the Scottish Government advised councils at the Local Air Quality Grant Schemes meeting, the national budget for air quality management activity has been reduced from £2.5M to £1.15M for 2024/2025. Bids were made to the Scottish Government for funds to support local air quality management activities and air quality action planning, which now incorporates engine idling activities. 5.2. In addition to the two bids to the Scottish Government, a bid was made to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to access the active and sustainable travel funds now available from Transport Scotland. 5.3. The following table summarises the grants secured for 2024/2025 to deliver air quality projects and initiatives:- Activity Area Amount Awarded Air Quality Management £113,801.55 Air Quality Action Planning £82,612.50 SPT/Transport Scotland £173,500 Total Grants Secured £369,914.05 5.4. For 2024/2025, air quality management funds will allow air quality monitoring and data review activities to continue. During the year, monitoring equipment which is showing signs of disrepair will be upgraded. The action planning and anti-idling funding will be used for projects including Clean Air Day, sustainable travel marketing campaign, anti- idling campaign and the continuation of the Eco Stars schemes. 5.5. SPT ‘People and Places’ grant will fund the Beat the Street East Kilbride project and the BetterPoints – Think, Move, Breathe project for delivery in 2024/2025. 5.6. The bids by Environmental Services have manged to secure approximately 17% of the £1,150,000 grant funds made available direct from Scottish Government. This is a remarkable achievement given the total grant fund was reduced by 54% for 2024/2025. 5.7. Environmental Services will continue to bid for air quality grant funds in future years. Grant bids will be for projects which will have a positive impact on air quality and have wider community benefits in relation to public health and sustainable travel. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no employee implications. 7 Financial Implications 7.1. All previous projects have been funded by both the Scottish Government as well as Paths for All ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ funding to support active and sustainable travel behaviour change. 2024/2025 projects are funded by the Scottish Government and SPT ‘People and Places’ grant fund. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. A strategic environmental assessment screening report has been submitted for South Lanarkshire’s Air Quality Action Plan to the Scottish Government’s Gateway organisation. This report has been accepted. 147
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9. Other Implications 9.1. Air quality monitoring and action plan measures supports a number of South Lanarkshire strategies and plans including the local development plan 2, sustainable development and climate change strategy, local transport strategy, cycling strategy and the overarching council plan connect. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 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 equality impact assessment or consultation is required. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 19 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Ambitious, self-aware and improving Priorities We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places Outcomes Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References Community Resources Committee 3 June 2008 Air Quality Management Area Community Resources Committee 11 November 2008 Air Quality Management Area – Whirlies Roundabout East Kilbride Community Resources Committee 8 December 2015 Air Quality Management Area – Rutherglen Community Resources Committee 8 December 2015 Air Quality Management Area – Lanark Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 4 February 2020 - Air Quality Action Plan – Beat the Street – Lanark and Rutherglen Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 14 March 2023 Revocation of Lanark Air Quality Management Area – South Lanarkshire List of Background Papers Environment Act 1995, as amended by the Environment Act (2021) Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and Amendments Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Craig Brown, Environmental Services Manager E-mail: Craig.Brown2@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 148
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Sale of Nicotine Vapour Products Enforcement 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] update the Committee on the programme of enforcement undertaken by the Consumer and Trading Standards service in relation to the sale of nicotine vapour products [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) to note that enforcement activity by Consumer and Trading Standards continues to ensure businesses comply with the requirements of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 as amended in relation to age restricted sales. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Consumer and Trading Standards deliver the Council’s statutory duty to enforce the provisions of Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 and carry out a programme of enforcement in relation to the age restriction requirements contained in the Act. 3.2. The act creates a criminal offence for a business to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18 years. If a business sells a vape to a child, then they can be issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice which is discounted to £150 if paid within 14 days of issue. 3.3. Consumer and Trading Standards noted a significant increase in the number of complaints from members of the public, head teachers, elected members and Police Scotland relating to the sale of single use vapes to children in 2022/2023. The rapid increase in the number of complaints received, warranted including test purchase exercises in the programme of enforcement in 2023/2024. 4. Programme of Enforcement 2023/2024 4.1. Test purchasing exercises have been used for a number of years in relation to the sale of fireworks. This involves officers visiting premises with young volunteers who under supervision attempt to purchase the age restricted product. Responsible retailers should ask for proof of age and not make a sale to the young volunteer. This test planning model has been extended to cover the sale of vapes. 14 149
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4.2. During 2023/2024, officers and young volunteers visited 125 premises across South Lanarkshire to test if the retailers would comply with the age restrictions applying to the sale of vapes. The sale of vapes to the volunteers occurred on 44 occasions. 4.3. The retailers who made the underage sales were issued with a fixed penalty notice. The programme of enforcement found a 33% failure rate over the course of 2023/2024. Officers found at 11 premises, repeat underage sales took place, despite the retailer being issued with a fixed penalty notice earlier in the year. 4.4. The purpose of enforcement action is to verify compliance and encourage future compliance. The level of repeat sale of vapes to underage volunteers last year was very disappointing and would appear to reflect a disregard for the legislation by some retailers. 4.5. Consumer and Trading Standards will therefore continue to undertake test purchase exercises in the programme of enforcement in 2024/2025. If the programme of enforcement in 2024/2025 finds repeat offences are still occurring, then consideration will be given to escalating the enforcement action, including submitting a report to the Procurator Fiscal. 4.6. Many retailers hold a range of licences in relation to the goods they sell and Environmental Services are consulted on licence applications. If a business is found to persistently sell age restricted products to underage age customers, this non- compliance will be reported to the Licensing Section to consider how the continued non-compliance should be viewed in relation to the retailer’s suitability to hold the licence. 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are 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. The recycling of vapes is very difficult and therefore irresponsible disposal means they can have a detrimental impact on the local environment. 7.2. Scottish Government is proposing to ban the sale of single use vapes due to their impact on the environment and as they are difficult to recycle. The Scottish Government estimates 2.7 million vapes were littered last year. 7.3. All vapes bought through test-purchasing are disposed of through a specialist company. 8. Other Implications 8.1. There are no other implications associated with this report. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy nor recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore, no impact assessment is required. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. 150
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David Booth Executive Director ( Community and Enterprise Resources) 23 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Priorities We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places Outcomes Our children and young people thrive Thriving business, fair jobs and vibrant town centres People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- George Currie, Trading Standards Officer Tel: 07795454515 E-mail: George.currie@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 151
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Community Benefit Funds – Annual Report 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an update on the Community Benefit Funds administered by the Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service on behalf of the Council during 2023/2024 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the Community Benefit Funds administered by the Council and the grants awarded under the Renewable Energy Fund, Clyde Wind Farm Fund and Quarry Funds in 2023/2024 be noted. 3. Background 3.1. The Council has a well-established mechanism for the collection and distribution of community benefit related to wind farm developments. This was initially established following the approval of a report by the Executive Committee entitled Community Benefit (Establishment of a Renewable Energy Fund) on the 3 March 2004. 3.2. The Council administers the community benefit element of the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) for 42 wind farms within South Lanarkshire and the community benefit for Clyde Wind Farm Fund (CWFF) and five operational quarries. Operators of larger windfarm developments provide recurring annual fund contributions, formalised through legal agreements, whilst smaller developments such as single wind turbines sites, may consider providing a ‘capitalised’ one off community benefit payment. Community groups, social enterprises, trusts, public organisations and not for profit organisations within 10km of contributing wind farm provider are eligible to apply. Over the nine-year period, 2015/2016 to 2023/2024, the Council has made awards including micro grants of £12.1m from the Community Benefit Funds to 836 projects and attracted £18.7m other funding. 3.3. The agreements around the provision of community benefit oblige the Council to administer these funds using the REF mechanism. This task is undertaken by Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service who is responsible for all aspects, from securing the contributions from the developers, advising potential applicants, assessing applications and monitoring projects to ensure that the community benefits associated with each project are delivered. The Service continually seeks ways to maximise the community benefit for all eligible communities across South Lanarkshire. 15 153
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3.4. Between the various funds, £3,763,453 income has been administered in 2023/2024. Apart from one-off capitalised payments, the funds receive income for the duration of each windfarm’s operational life and, typically, recurring annual payments which rise in line with the Retail Price Index. The operation of the Council’s Community Benefit Policy, with emphasis on the renewable energy sector has proven to be a success with communities accessing funding for a diverse range of locally based projects. 3.5. Alongside these established windfarm developments and their associated Community Benefit Funds, there are several other potential wind farm developments throughout South Lanarkshire which are subject to planning approval. It is, therefore, possible that subject to appropriate agreements being put in place, the level of community benefit funding available to communities will increase over the next 10 years. If promoted and managed well, this increase will have a significant positive impact on the eligible communities. 3.6. Although the Enterprise and Sustainable Development Service lead in the delivery of Community Benefit Funds, there is a significant level of consultation and cooperation across a wide range of Council services. This ensures that applicants receive support and advice to ensure the projects being developed meet the needs and aspirations of the community, are of a high quality and are delivered efficiently and effectively. 3.7. It should be noted that there are also windfarm funds within South Lanarkshire which are administered outwith the scope of the Council’s Renewable Energy Fund. These include SSE Clyde Extension, Auchrobert Community Benefit Fund, Ventient, Galawhistle Community Benefit Fund, Ventient Glenkernie Community Benefit Fund and Kypemuir and Banks Kypemuir Community Benefit Fund. 3.8. During 2023, a review of the guidance and priorities for the REF was undertaken and amendments were approved at the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee on 6 February 2024 in the report Renewable Energy Fund - Strengthening Links to Rural Priorities. These amendments took effect immediately and applications are now progressing through the approval stages taking account of the amendments. 4. Renewable Energy Fund - Projects Approved During 2023/2024 4.1. There are currently 42 windfarm developments contributing to the REF operating across South Lanarkshire at the following locations:- Andershaw, Auchrobert, Bank End Rig, Blacklaw, Blantyre Muir, Burnbrae, Calder Water, Climpy, Couplaw, Dungavel, Dykehead, Eastertown, Gallawhistle, Garelwood, Greenwall, Greenhall View, Haspielaw, High Blackwood Yard, High Dyke, JJ’s Farm, Lampits, Letham, Millburn, Muirhall, Muirhall Extension, Middlemuir, Netherfauldhouse, Nether Kypeside, North Brackenridge, Nutberry, Pates Hill, Rench Farm, Tanhill, Upper Haywood, West Browncastle, Westtown, Whitehill, Whitelee, Woodlands, Yards Farm, Kypemuir, and Douglas West. 4.2. During 2023/2024, contributions of £2,570,100 (including interest) were received from the operating companies, incorporating both annual payments and “one off” payments. 154
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4.3. A diverse range of projects across South Lanarkshire have been supported. A total of 61 projects have been supported with total grants of £989,184 towards total project costs of £2,384,769 giving an average grant award of £16,216 towards an average project cost of £39,095 at a 41% intervention rate. A list of projects supported in the last financial year is attached at Appendix 1. 4.4. Since 2018, the REF has funded microgrants available to all community councils or similar geographically based organisations in South Lanarkshire. In 2023/2024, 26 community councils or similar organisations such as resident associations and community trusts were awarded micro grants totalling £114,876. Details of these awards are set out in Appendix 2. 4.5. Taking REF grants and the micro grants awards together a total of 87 grants were awarded during 2023/2024 with a total value of £1,104,060. This is an increase on the 73 grants and a total grant value of £699,851 reported in 2022/2023. 5. Clyde Wind Farm Fund (CWFF) Projects - 2023/2024 5.1. During 2023/2024, the CWFF received total contributions of £1,193,353 from SSE. 5.2. The Fund supported eight new projects with a combined grant award of £1,160,838 The overall value of these projects was £2,273,265 giving an average grant award of £145,104 towards an average project cost of £284,158 - a 51% intervention rate. A list of projects supported in the last year is attached at Appendix 3. 5.3. In 2017, a micro grant fund was introduced for six community councils within the area Biggar, Quothquan & Thankerton, Duneaton, Leadhills, Crawford & Elvanfoot and Symington. Community councils could apply for a £5,000 grant per annum to award to small projects within their area at a maximum of £500. 5.4. During 2023/2024, six grants were made to community councils within the area totalling £23,078. Details are provided in Appendix 4. 5.5. Taking CWFF grants and the micro grants awards together a total of 14 grants were awarded with a value of £1,183,916. This is a slight decrease on the 16 grants awarded in 2022/2023 but a significant increase on total grant value from the £271,979 reported in 2022/2023. This was due to a strong project pipeline supported by Enterprise and Sustainable Development Services and larger projects. 6. Annual Report publicity 6.1. With the purpose of raising the awareness of the Community Benefit Funds and their support of communities, a publicity document for 2023/2024 will be prepared highlighting projects funded in the year or recently completed. 6.2. This annual report will be circulated and publicised digitally, and 100 copies will be made available for councillors and groups. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. The Funds will continue to be managed within existing resources. 8. Financial Implications 8.1. There are no financial implications to the Council. No funding offers are issued without income from the respective developments being in place. 155
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9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. Environmental sustainability is one of the four priorities of the fund and is included within appraisal considerations and applicants are encouraged to consider and include good environmental practices within projects. In the current year there are several projects which have helped deliver environmental improvements or energy efficiency for groups. These include:- Rural Development Trust Sustainable Travel Auchengray Church Centre Trust Activity Shelter and Photovoltaic (PV) Panels Climate Action Strathaven E bike community hire 10. Other Implications 10.1. The risks falling on the Council in the administration of Community Benefits are reputational. Management of the funds are subject to the Council’s normal financial scrutiny and reporting arrangements. By not undertaking this work, the Council would not be acting consistently in support of its adopted policy and there would be a risk that funds would not be distributed timeously and equitably to eligible community organisations. 11. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 11.1. 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. 11.2. All necessary and appropriate consultations are undertaken within the Council, with partner organisations and community groups. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 23 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values Focused on people and their needs Priorities We will work to put people first and reduce inequality We will work towards a sustainable future in sustainable places Outcomes Our children and young people thrive Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible 156
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Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee 6 February 2024 - Renewable Energy Fund - Strengthening Links to Rural Priorities. Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Report 16 February 2021 Renewable Energy Fund - Micro Grants Fund Enterprise Services Committee Report – Community Benefits Funds Annual Report 16 May 2020 Executive Committee Report – 21 November 2018 Renewable Energy Fund Community Benefit Fund Proposed Amendments Executive Committee Report – Clyde Windfarm Community Benefit Fund – Proposed Amendments to Fund Management and Administration 8 March 2017 Executive Committee 3 March 2004 – Community Benefit and the establishment of a Renewable Energy Fund List of Background Papers List of all projects supported by the REF Community Benefit Funds List of all projects supported by the Clyde Windfarm Community Fund 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 Mobile: 07385428577 E-mail: colin.mcfarlane@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 157
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Organisation Name Wind Farm Type of Group Organisation Town Project Project Cost Grant Approved Intervention Rate % Douglasdale Recreation Environment Access and Leisure Group Andershaw Community Douglas Asset Transfer Workshop £27,000 £13,500 50 Coalburn Miners Welfare Charitable Society Andershaw Charity Coalburn Renewable Energy Project £47,465 £27,465 58 You're The Voice Group Andershaw Youth Lanark You're The Voice £16,700 £10,000 60 Crawfordjohn Public Hall Andershaw Community Crawfordjohn Hall Seating Refurbishment £7,931 £7,931 100 The Rural Development Trust Andershaw Trust Douglas Coalburn to NCN74 Design Work £47,800 £10,000 21 Rigside and Douglas Water Tenants and Residents Association Andershaw Community Rigside Community Action Plan £9,828 £9,828 100 Glespin Community Group Scio Andershaw Community Glespin Community Project Survey £3,000 £3,000 100 Crawfordjohn Hall Association Andershaw Community Crawfordjohn Defibrillator £5,946 £5,946 100 Rigside and Douglas Water Tenants and Residents Association Andershaw Community Rigside Moving the Goalposts £6,000 £6,000 100 Rigside and Douglas Water Tenants and Residents Association Andershaw Community Rigside Wellbeing Wagon £1,980 £1,680 85 Coalburn Regeneration Group Auchrobert Community Coalburn Village Green Lighting Project £78,354 £58,354 74 Hawksland Community Association Auchrobert Community Hawksland Community Garden £6,314 £6,314 100 Coalburn Brass Band Family Auchrobert Community Coalburn New Instruments £10,050 £10,000 100 Lesmahagow Development Trust Auchrobert Trust Lesmahagow Chairs And Equipment for the Fountain £29,639 £9,639 33 Lesmahagow Farmers Society Auchrobert Community Lesmahagow Health & Safety Improvements £10,188 £10,000 98 Avondale Radio Bank End Rig Community Glassford Radio Equipment £11,356 £10,000 88 Clydesdale Community Initiatives Blacklaw SCIO Lanark Lanarkshire Craft Workshops £33,707 £19,999 59 Dalserf Bowling Club Blacklaw Sport Dalserf Clubhouse Restoration £17,143 £9,993 58 Forth British Legion Blacklaw Community Forth Forth Royal British Legion Improvements £19,980 £9,500 48 St Athanasius Community Hall Blacklaw Community Carluke Going Digitally Inclusive £10,352 £10,000 97 Auchengray Church Centre Trust Blacklaw Trust Auchengray Activities Shelter and PV Panels £136,616 £57,858 42 Law Bowling Club Blacklaw Sport Law Refurbishment of Toilets £26,650 £16,650 62 Castlehill Bowling Club Blacklaw Sport Carluke Toilet Refurbishment £11,130 £10,000 90 Carstairs Junction Primary School Parent Council Blacklaw Community Carstairs PedalPals £9,179 £9,179 100 Universal Connections Carluke Mpower Users Group Blacklaw Youth Carluke Youth Activities £9,301 £9,301 100 15 159
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Organisation Name Wind Farm Type of Group Organisation Town Project Project Cost Grant Approved Intervention Rate % New Lanark Trust Blacklaw Trust New Lanark Visitor Experience - Feasibility Study £9,950 £9,950 100 2nd Lanark Scout Group Blacklaw Youth Lanark Kit for Camping £480 £480 100 Clydesdale Community Initiatives Blacklaw SCIO Lanark Lanarkshire Craft Workshops - Design Stage £3,750 £3,750 100 Forth Community Resource Centre Steering Group Blacklaw Community Forth Bridging the Gap Digitally £9,970 £9,970 100 Carluke Bowling Club Blacklaw Sport Carluke Greens Machinery £15,450 £10,000 65 Ashgill community group Blacklaw Community Ashgill Xmas Lights Ashgill £9,504 £9,504 100 The Rural Development Trust Blacklaw Trust Kirkfeildbank Kirkfieldbank Defibrillator £1,744 £1,744 100 Welcome All Hub - Carstairs Junction Blacklaw Community Carstairs Community Café Costs £11,148 £10,000 90 Larkhall Thistle F.C. Blacklaw Sport Larkhall Disabled Access £12,037 £10,000 83 Lanark Thistle Bowling Club Blacklaw Sport Lanark Design Costs £8,040 £8,040 100 Lanark Community Development Trust Blacklaw Trust Lanark Development Staff Costs £35,900 £19,999 56 East Kilbride Cricket Club Calder Water Sport East Kilbride Cricket Nets - Container - Camera £9,819 £9,819 100 Strathaven Business Association Calder Water Community Strathaven Strathaven Xmas Lights £12,558 £10,000 80 Strathaven Town Mill Arts and Heritage Calder Water Community Strathaven Strathaven Town Mill Xmas Lights £9,888 £9,888 100 Blackwood Estate Community Association Dungavel Community Blackwood Wildlife Surveys £16,548 £10,000 60 Coalburn Miners Welfare Society Gallawhistle Charity Coalburn Communications System £9,766 £9,766 100 Stonehouse Pipeband Kype Muir Community Stonehouse New Band Uniform £19,991 £10,799 54 Lesmahagow Community Council Kype Muir Community Lesmahagow McKirdy Park Regeneration £225,329 £100,689 45 Glassford Community Group Kype Muir Community Glassford Design Professional Fees £32,668 £13,158 40 Trust Jack Foundation Kype Muir Community Stonehouse Office Furniture £9,842 £9,842 100 Hope Hub Kype Muir Community Blackwood Soundproofing £7,800 £7,800 100 Climate Action Strathaven Kype Muir Community Strathaven eBike Community Hire £2,520 £2,520 100 Stonehouse Business Association Kype Muir Community Stonehouse Market Stalls £6,502 £6,002 92 Wiston Village Hall Association SCIO Middle Muir SCIO Wiston Wiston Village Hall Design Stages £163,343 £81,671 50 Glenbuck & Douglas Football Academy Middle Muir Sport Douglas Douglas Primary School Floodlights £113,657 £79,560 70 160
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Organisation Name Wind Farm Type of Group Organisation Town Project Project Cost Grant Approved Intervention Rate % Biggar and District Men's Shed Muirhall Community Biggar Consultants Fees £3,900 £3,900 100 The Little Sparta Trust Muirhill Stallashaw Community Dunsyre Project Feasibility £9,953 £9,453 95 St John's Primary School Partnership Group Nuttberry Community Lanark Cycling Playtimes £7,154 £7,154 100 East Kilbride United Whitelee Sport East Kilbride Artificial Surface Pitch £856,306 £100,000 12 Burnbank Hamilton Bowling Club Whitelee Sport Burnbank Changing Area Disabled Access £9,805 £9,805 100 East Kilbride United Whitelee Sport East Kilbride Changing Rooms £113,304 £20,000 18 EK Men’s Shed Whitelee Community East Kilbride Electrical Project £550 £550 100 Claremont Parish Church Whitelee Community East Kilbride Installation of Auto Doors £4,200 £4,200 100 East Kilbride Sports Club Whitelee Community East Kilbride Clubhouse Renovations £9,650 £9,650 100 6th East Kilbride Scouts Group Whitelee Youth East Kilbride Scout Equipment £9,979 £9,329 93 Radio Lanarkshire Whitelee Community Hamilton Publicity and Licence Costs £8,155 £8,055 99 161
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Organisation Name Windfarm Group Type Project Location Award Blackwood, Kirkmuirhill & Bogend Auchrobert Community Council Blackwood, Kirkmuirhill £4,837.00 Coalburn Miner's Welfare Society Auchrobert Welfare Society Coalburn £5,000.00 Douglas CC Auchrobert Community Council Douglas £4,840.00 Lesmahagow Auchrobert Community Council Lesmahagow £5,000.00 Sandford & Upper Avondale Auchrobert Community Council Sandford £5,000.00 Rigside & Douglas Water (Residents Assoc) Auchrobert Residents Assoc Rigside £5,000.00 Stonehouse Auchrobert Community Council Stonehouse £5,000.00 Carluke Black Law Community Council Carluke £3,850.00 Forth & District Development Trust Black Law Trust Forth £5,000.00 Lanark Black Law Community Council Lanark £5,000.00 Larkhall Black Law Community Council Larkhall £5,000.00 Tarbrax Woolford Auchengray & District CC Black Law Community Council Tarbrax £4,189.85 Burnside Blantyre Muir Community Council Burnside £3,000.00 Halfway Blantyre Muir Community Council Halfway £5,000.00 Uddingston Blantyre Muir Community Council Uddingston £5,000.00 Auldhouse & Chapelton Calder Water Community Council Auldhouse £5,000.00 Strathaven & Glassford Calder Water Community Council Strathaven £5,000.00 Black Mount Muirhall Stallashaw Community Council Black £4,960.00 Pettinain Muirhall Stallashaw Community Council Pettinain £2,000.00 Bothwell Whitelees Community Council Bothwell £5,000.00 Cambuslang Whitelees Community Council Cambuslang £5,000.00 East Mains Whitelees Community Council East £2,200.00 Blantyre Whitelees Community Council Blantyre £5,000.00 Earnock Residents Association Whitelees Residents Assoc Earnock £4,500.00 Jackton & Thortonhall Whitelees Community Council Jackton £1,000.00 Rutherglen Whitelees Community Council Rutherglen £4,500.00 15 163
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Organisation Name Windfarm Type of Group Project Location Project Details Project Cost Grant Approved Intervention Rate % Tweedsmuir,Upper Tweed & Biggar First Responders Clyde Main Fund Community Biggar Defibrillators £6,380 £6,380 100 Biggar Golf Club Clyde Main Fund Sport Biggar Junior Golf Clubs £4,000 £3,537 88 Symington Tinto Football Club Clyde Main Fund Sport Symington 3G Pitch and Facilities Development £1,060,000 £655,017 59 Biggar Youth Project SCIO Clyde Main Fund Youth Biggar Youth Project Refurbishment £878,815 £351,815 40 Wiston Village Hall Association SCIO Clyde Main Fund SCIO Wiston Hall Refurbishment £163,343 £81,671 50 Duneaton Community Council Clyde Main Fund Community Lamington Flooding Management £3,000 £2,961 99 Glenbuck & Douglas Football Academy Clyde Main Fund Sport Douglas Douglas Primary School Floodlight Installation £112,367 £34,097 39 Symington Tinto Football Club Clyde Main Fund Sport Symington Clubhouse Refurbishment to Community Hub Facility £1,397,195 £660,416 47 Lowther and District Men's Shed Clyde Main Fund Community Leadhills Build Design Costs £45,360 £25,360 56 15 165
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Organisation Name Windfarm Group Type Project Location Award Biggar CC Clyde Community Council Biggar £1,454.40 Carmichael CC Clyde Community Council Carmichael £4,999.70 Crawford & Elvanfoot CC Clyde Community Council Crawford £2,124.00 Duneaton CC Clyde Community Council Duneaton £5,000.00 Leadhills CC Clyde Community Council Leadhills £4,500.00 Quothquan & Thankerton CC Clyde Community Council Quothquan £5,000.00 15 167
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Community and Enterprise Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 17 September 2024 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: Roads Asset Management Plan 2024 - 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 this 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 five 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. 16 169
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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. 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 – generally 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 four 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, as derived in 2018 utilising the Asset Valuation tool developed by Scottish Collaboration of Transportation Specialists (SCOTS), is £2.263 billion. A revised GRC is expected imminently, but it is expected to have increased significantly given the inflationary pressures discussed later in this report. 170
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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 2005 (2019 legislation currently being implemented) are also carried out. 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. 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. 4.7. 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 £106.494m, up from the previous figure of £90.420m. 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. 4.8. 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 mostly in relation to plant and material costs. 4.9. The overall condition of all our carriageways has regressed following the recent survey as outlined in the table below. The latest RCI data indicates that 31.9 % of our network needs maintenance treatment which is an increase of 1.1% since the previous year. The RCI is the combined value of the red and amber categories referenced at 4.6 and, overall, noting that a lower figure is better. 171
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4.10. Full trend charts showing the Road Condition Index for A, B, C and Unclassified roads are shown in Appendix A. 4.11. 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 12 over the most recent survey period 2022-24. This remains static since last year’s survey and perhaps demonstrates a similarly challenging picture across Scotland. 4.12. An independent assessment was undertaken by WDM Ltd to calculate the Steady State cost for South Lanarkshire’s network in 2018. The steady state is the amount of investment required to maintain the road network in its current condition. Based on the network condition in 2018, the steady state figure, which is based upon the needs / condition of the carriageway network, was £12.500m; this has now increased to £16.525m after the revised assessment in 2023. 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 20 25 30 35 40 South Lanarkshire Network RCI 19 16 17 18 19 19 13 14 13 10 9 7 8 10 12 12 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 South Lanarkshire Network (out of 32 RA's) Network 172
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4.13. Whilst the steady state figure has increased by 33 %, 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 largely 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. In the last few years, the Council’s capital programme has reported that the level of investment in roads has continued at the prior year levels, less an adjustment for the impact of reducing capital grant. 4.14. Projects are costing much more than before, and the equivalent scale of works are not presently possible with the same level of investment. During financial year 2022/2023 we encountered increases of 23% and in 2023/2024 we have seen a further 30% increase in our costs. While we have seen a recent reduction in the level of inflation, costs do continue to increase. 4.15. During this financial year 2024/2025, approximately £8.943m in capital is being directed towards carriageway improvements and the balance of £2.604m towards other asset groups. Whilst combined with the recent inflationary increases our real term spend falls well below that required to maintain the current condition of our network (steady state). Whilst we are seeing an increase in our Capital funding for this financial year, this offsets a corresponding reduction in ongoing revenue allocation, so overall, spend levels will remain the same. 4.16. It should be noted that the cost to recover the condition of a deteriorated road network will be far higher than annual steady state funding. 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. 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 £612.7m; 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. 173
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5.4. There is no national condition survey for footways similar to 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 Committee, updating this figure is very resource intensive, and it is not presently considered viable to do so. 5.6. During this financial year 2024/2025, approximately £1.0m is being directed towards footway improvements. An internal assessment of the steady state figure for footway maintenance has been calculated as £1.300m up from £0.800m last year. Whilst combined with the recent inflationary increases our real term spend falls below that required to maintain the current condition of our footway network (steady state). 6. Lighting Asset 6.1. The Council has 60,684 lighting columns, 66,609 luminaires, 2,290 Control Pillars and an estimated 1,986 kilometres (1234 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 35.9%, giving the Council the sixth oldest lighting column stock in Scotland. The cost to replace all these columns at current rates would be £37.26 million. The cost to maintain the lighting asset in its current condition (steady state) is £0.874m. This should be considered relative to existing capital and revenue funding for 2024/2025 of approximately £0.765m. 6.3. The trend in columns beyond their design life marginally improved in the last year, from 36.0% to 35.9% because of some columns being replaced due to their structural condition. Current investment is focusing on targeting columns based on their structural condition and we replaced 307 columns in 2023/2024. 7. Structures Asset 7.1. The Council is responsible for a total of 778 structures which includes road bridges, footbridges, culverts, and subways 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. 7.3. The current Gross Replacement Cost of the Structures asset is estimated at £583.3m, up from £546.50m. This figure does not include the replacement cost of any road related retaining walls. 174
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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 recently 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 (e.g. 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 substantially 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 2023/2024 on bridge maintenance and renewal was £7.828m. It should be noted that this includes targeted investment for the replacement of Clyde Bridge where the construction phase was ongoing throughout the 2023/24 financial year. The cost to maintain the structures asset in its current condition (steady state) is £6.420m up from £6.010m and, excluding any major capital projects, investment across capital and revenue during 2024/2025 is expected to be circa £0.850m. 7.8. In addition to the inspection process discussed above, a national assessment programme, carried out to determine the suitability (i.e. 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 2023/2024 and 52 structures remain outstanding as a priority for the implementation of improvement measures. 175
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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 2024/2025. 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. 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 six years are as follows, noting the higher figure indicates better condition. Year BCIav BCIcrit 2018-19 83.68 72.11 2019-20 82.51 70.39 2020-21 81.87 68.76 2021-22 81.21 68.48 2022-23 81.22 68.53 2023-24 81.20 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 six years. A minimal decrease in the value of both condition indicators was recorded in 2023/2024. It should be noted that there has been a reduction in the value of both indicators over the past 6 years which represents an overall and ongoing deterioration in asset condition within that timescale. 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 (see section 7.4). 176
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8. Traffic Signals 8.1. The Council is responsible for 233 sets of traffic signals and controlled pedestrian crossings. The numbers and different types of installations are listed below: - 111 Traffic Signals 65 Puffins 7 Pelicans 50 Toucans 8.2. 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 £0.285m and a pedestrian crossing around £0.085m. The existing level of funding generally allows for the renewal of one traffic signal junction per year or 3 pedestrian crossings. 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 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). 8.4. Typically, the Service receives and respond to approximately 1,200 traffic signal faults annually. In 2023/2024 this increased to 1,553. 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 their 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 £47.000m, up from 45.100m. The cost to maintain the traffic signal asset in its current condition (steady state) is £1.830m. 8.6. In 2024/2025, funding of around £0.240m 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 longer than this would result in reliability issues arising and, over recent years, some installations have failed, resulting in emergency replacement works being necessary. The Council currently has 31 sets of traffic signals and 52 pedestrian crossings (representing 35% of our assets) that are 15 years old or older. This is status quo 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 14 sets of traffic signals and 19 pedestrian crossings that use these incandescent lamps. 177
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8.9. The age of the equipment is generally 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 significant 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 £25.050million, up from £12.970m. The estimated cost to replace older systems is £8.6million. The estimated annual cost to maintain the asset in its current condition (steady state) is £0.400m and at present investment in limited in this area and is only directed on a reactive basis. 10. Conclusions and Summary 10.1. Roads and related infrastructure drives our economy and keeps 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, schools, further 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 has continued to regress as shown in the recent survey results. We should expect further deterioration in the condition of our carriageway asset based on the current levels of road maintenance investment and the increasing cost of projects. Footways / Footpaths: At least 16.2% of our network requires to be considered for maintenance. Again, it should be noted while we continue to invest in this area, we can still expect further deterioration of this asset. Structures: Bridge condition is generally good to fair although the overall trend has been one of slow deterioration. Good 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 2024/205, we can expect further deterioration of this asset. 178
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Street Lighting: Recent investment has reduced energy use by approximately half and replaced 7,253 of the oldest lighting columns representing significant progress. The current percentage of lighting columns exceeding their design life is 35.9%. 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 allocated in 2024/2025, 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 will be required. 11. Employee Implications 11.1. There are no current employee implications associated with this report. 11.2. The current backlog of repairs is now increasing 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 employee resources is required to manage this workload. 12. Financial Implications 12.1. Since the long-term Roads Investment Programme was completed in March 2019, the Council has continued to invest funding, in order to maintain the condition of our network. In recent years significant financial challenges, as well as construction inflation has been encountered which has reduced the amount of works we can carry out for the budget we have available. In recent years we have tried to maintain levels of investment at consistent levels. 12.2. Appropriate investment in roads and related infrastructure is necessary to lock in and retain the benefits of the previous significant investment levels to date and to minimise greater costs in the future. 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 financial resources available to maintain the condition of our network. 12.3. It is recognised that capital and revenue investment opportunities must be considered in line with many other competing priorities across the Council and this remains an extremely challenging and difficult balance to achieve. Pressure across Council budgets is likely to impact on the level of funding that can be directed towards these infrastructure asset groups. 12.4. Opportunities will continue to be taken to secure and lever in new sources of funding including external partner funding where possible. Success has been achieved in securing external funding for traffic signal and active travel investment; this has also allowed us to tackle wider corridor maintenance priorities. However, the availability of external funding has been impacted on in recent years (e.g. SPT funding) and it is unclear if this will improve in the future. 179
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13. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 13.1. Policy and asset management directed at maintaining, improving, or making road and transport infrastructure safe and resilient is essential to support economic and sustainability priorities. 13.2. The financial challenges discussed earlier in the report will make it difficult to fund improvements that will make our road network more resilient to the impacts of climate change. 14. Other Implications 14.1. There are no other implications or risk in relation to the information contained within this report. 15. Equality Impact Arrangements and Consultation Arrangements 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. David Booth Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 28 August 2024 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Values 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 Priorities 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 Outcomes 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 180
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Previous References Community and Enterprise Resources Committee – 29 August 2023 List of Background Papers Roads Asset Management Plan – 2024 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 181
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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 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 RCI Value South Lanarkshire A Class 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 20.0 22.0 24.0 26.0 28.0 30.0 32.0 34.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire B Class B Class 182
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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 33.0 35.0 37.0 39.0 41.0 43.0 45.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire C Class 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 28.0 30.0 32.0 34.0 36.0 38.0 40.0 42.0 RCI Value South Lanarkshire Unclassified U Class 183
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