Corporate Services Committee 12 11 25 M
West Dunbartonshire Council · 12 November 2025
Back to Corporate Services Committee — 12 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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CORPORATE SERVICES COMMITTEE At a Hybrid Meeting of the Corporate Services Committee held in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 at 2.00 p.m. Present: Councillors Kevin Crawford, Ian Dickson, Fiona Hennebry, David McBride, Michelle McGinty, Lawrence O’Neill, Lauren Oxley, Chris Pollock, Martin Rooney, William Rooney, Gordon Scanlan and Clare Steel. Attending: Alan Douglas, Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration; Amanda Graham, Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities; Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer – People and Technology; Laurence Slavin, Chief Officer – Resources; Michelle Lynn, Asset Manager; Arun Menon, Business Support Manager; James Gallacher, Service Manager – ICT; Louise Hastings, Strategic People and Change Manager; Lauren Crooks, Strategic Communication, Culture and Performance Manager; Stephen Daly, Citizen and Digital Manager; Karyn Wood, Head of HR, West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership; Adrian Gray, Business Partner – Resources; Chris Anderson, Principal Solicitor (Legal Officer); and Scott Kelly, Committee Officer. Councillor William Rooney in the Chair STATEMENT BY CHAIR – AUDIO STREAMING Councillor William Rooney, Chair, advised that the meeting was being audio streamed and broadcast live to the internet and would be available for playback. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Councillor Oxley made a transparency statement in relation to the item under the heading ‘Dumbarton Common Good Grant Applications’, stating that she was a member of the Board of West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau. RECORDING OF VOTES The Committee agreed that all votes taken during the meeting would be carried out by roll call vote to ensure an accurate record.
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of Meeting of the Corporate Services Committee held on 13 August 2025 were submitted and approved as a correct record. MINUTES OF JOINT CONSULTATIVE FORUM The Minutes of Meeting of the Joint Consultative Forum held on 18 September 2025 were submitted and all decisions contained therein were approved. OPEN FORUM The Committee noted that no open forum questions had been submitted by members of the public. PROPOSAL TO COMMENCE CONSULTATION ON WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LIBRARY SERVICES A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities seeking approval to launch a public consultation and engagement exercise on West Dunbartonshire Library Services to ensure its delivery model remains the most appropriate for meeting the Council’s strategic priorities and continues to be fit for purpose, efficient, financially sustainable, and responsive to public need. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities, and the Asset Manager, in further explanation and in answer to Members’ questions, Councillor William Rooney moved:- That the Committee agrees:- (1) to approve the commencement of a stakeholder consultation to seek feedback on how Library Services are delivered now and in future; (2) to note the consultation document (Appendix 1 to the report) outlining the key themes and questions to be explored through the consultation process; and (3) to note a report would be brought back to a future meeting of the Corporate Services Committee with the consultation findings and recommendations for future service delivery options. As an amendment, Councillor Oxley moved:- Committee notes the proposals to launch a consultation on West Dunbartonshire’s library services, which will inform future service delivery.
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While this can be a useful way to gather feedback on what is working well and what could be improved, there is concern within the community that the results may be used to justify further cuts to library services. Worryingly, libraries in West Dunbartonshire have already faced significant budget cuts, service reductions, and the closure or relocation of facilities under the current Labour administration in recent years. Committee recognises that libraries are a vital part of our communities - providing free access to books, learning opportunities, digital resources, and safe public spaces that promote social inclusion, literacy, wellbeing, and lifelong learning. Committee therefore opposes this consultation being used as a justification for any further cuts, closures, or reductions to West Dunbartonshire’s library services. Councillor O’Neill then seconded Councillor William Rooney’s motion and Councillor Dickson seconded Councillor Oxley’s amendment. On a roll call vote being taken, 5 Members voted for the amendment, namely Councillors Crawford, Dickson, Oxley, Pollock and Scanlan, and 7 Members voted for the motion, namely Councillors Hennebry, McBride, McGinty, O’Neill, Martin Rooney, William Rooney and Steel. The motion was accordingly declared carried. PROPOSAL TO COMMENCE CONSULTATION ON SERVICES PROVIDED BY WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LEISURE TRUST A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities seeking approval to commence a formal consultation and engagement exercise on the services provided by West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust, providing an opportunity to review the effectiveness, accessibility, and sustainability of the Trust’s services and ensure the current delivery model remains the most appropriate for meeting the Council’s strategic priorities in leisure, health, wellbeing, and community development. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities, the Chief Officer – Resources, and the Asset Manager, in further explanation and in answer to Members’ questions, the Committee agreed:- (1) to approve the commencement of a stakeholder consultation on the current and future delivery of leisure and community services operated by West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust; (2) to note officers would prepare and implement a detailed consultation plan, setting out the scope, timeline, and engagement approach; (3) to note the consultation document (Appendix 1 to the report) outlining the key themes and questions to be explored as part of the consultation;
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(4) to approve a detailed value for money and financial resilience review being undertaken; (5) to note a report would be brought to a future meeting of the Corporate Services Committee with the consultation and review findings and recommendations for future service delivery options; and (6) to note the consultation would complement ongoing engagement with WDLT management, staff representatives, and community partners. JOB EVALUATION POLICY AND PROCEDURE A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – People and Technology providing an update on changes and seeking approval for the revisions to the Job Evaluation Policy and Procedure. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – People and Technology in further explanation and in answer to a Member’s question, the Committee agreed to approve the updated Job Evaluation Policy and Procedure. WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2018 A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – People and Technology providing details of the review and summary of changes in relation to the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2018 employer discretions. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – People and Technology, and the Chief Officer – Resources in further explanation, the Committee agreed to note the structural improvements and policy clarifications introduced in the 2025 draft and endorse the updated format for future use. CITIZEN, CULTURE AND FACILITIES DELIVERY PLAN – 2025/26 MID-YEAR PROGRESS A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities setting out the mid-year progress of the Citizen, Culture and Facilities Delivery Plan 2025/26. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities in answer to Members’ questions, the Committee agreed to note the progress achieved at mid-year.
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PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY DELIVERY PLAN 2025/26 – MID-YEAR PROGRESS A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – People and Technology setting out the mid-year progress of the People and Technology Delivery Plan 2025/26. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – People and Technology in further explanation, the Committee agreed to note the progress achieved at mid- year. REGULATORY AND REGENERATION DELIVERY PLAN 2025/26 – MID-YEAR PROGRESS A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration setting out the mid-year progress of the Regulatory and Regeneration Delivery Plan 2025/26. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration in further explanation and in answer to Members’ questions, the Committee agreed to note the progress achieved at mid-year. RESOURCES DELIVERY PLAN 2025/26 – MID-YEAR PROGRESS A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Resources setting out the mid-year progress of the Resources Delivery Plan 2025/26. The Committee agreed to note the progress achieved at mid-year. CORPORATE SERVICES REVENUE BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT TO 31 AUGUST 2025 (PERIOD 5) A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Resources providing an update on the revenue financial performance 31 August 2025 of those services under the auspices of the Corporate Services Committee. The Committee agreed to note the contents of the report which showed that the revenue account was currently projected to underspend against budget by £0.376m (0.94% of the total budget) at the year-end. CORPORATE SERVICES CAPITAL BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT TO 31 AUGUST 2025 (PERIOD 5) A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Resources providing an update on the Corporate Services capital programme to 31 August 2025. The Committee agreed:-
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(1) to note the current position of the 2025/26 capital budget for Corporate Services; (2) to note that the project life total was currently on track; and (3) to note the additional capital budget of £0.027m for data strategy (as detailed in paragraph 4.6 of the report). DUMBARTON COMMON GOOD GRANT APPLICATIONS A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Resources providing details of the Dumbarton Common Good grant applications for consideration, proposing changes to the eligibility criteria and introducing more robust safeguarding measures. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – Resources in further explanation and in answer to Members’ questions, the Committee agreed:- (1) to note that this is year one of the new three-year funding package for the Dumbarton Common Good Fund; (2) that the new approach ensures equity within each category but also prioritises the groups that were rate highest in regard to the impact they will have locally; (3) to note that the total funding available for each of the next three years was £314,000. However, the funding applications significantly exceeded the available funding; (4) that all organisations should receive a percentage share of the available funding, with 80% for those applicants assessed against the criteria as high impact; and 69% for groups assessed against the criteria as medium impact. (5) that a total of £262,607 will be available for three years of recurring grant funding for 2026/27; 2027/28; and 2028/29; and (6) that one-off funding in 2026/27 of £49,937 be shared between the four applicants. However, in subsequent years this funding will be available for new applicants seeking one-off funding; and (7) the following breakdown of awards:
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Group Priority Applied For Awarded % Awarded £ One Off / Recurring Mentor Scotland High 25,600 80% 20,480 One Off Spectrum Coffee High 15,000 80% 12,000 One Off Lomond ADHD Medium 3,800 69% 2,622 One Off Rock Community Church Medium 21,500 69% 14,835 One Off Total One Off 49,937 WD Community Foodshare High 50,000 80% 40,000 Recurring Bellsmyre Development Trust High 36,000 80% 28,800 Recurring Libraries High 10,000 80% 8,000 Recurring Tullochan Trust High 20,000 80% 16,000 Recurring Bellsmyre Digital Medium 35,600 69% 24,564 Recurring Pipe Band Championship Medium 50,000 69% 34,500 Recurring Scottish Maritime Museum Medium 49,500 69% 34,155 Recurring Council Fireworks Medium 19,000 69% 13,110 Recurring Alternatives Medium 5,000 69% 3,450 Recurring Dumbarton Senior Citizens Medium 10,000 69% 6,900 Recurring Council Christmas lighting Medium 12,000 69% 8,280 Recurring Citizens Advice Bureau Medium 40,000 69% 27,600 Recurring Alcoholics Anonymous Medium 24,997 69% 17,248 Recurring Total Recurring 262,607 Overall Total 312,544 The meeting closed at 4.05 p.m.