Erratum Notice
West Dunbartonshire Council · 20 December 2023
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 20 December 2023 and its agenda
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Erratum Notice West Dunbartonshire Council Date: Wednesday, 20 December 2023 Time: 16:00 Venue: Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton Contact: Email: carol-ann.burns@west-dunbarton.gov.uk committee.admin@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Dear Member I refer to the papers for the above meeting which were issued on 7 December and enclose a revised version of the agenda which contains omitted motions for Item 20 (b), (c) and (d). Please substitute this version for the one previously issued. I apologise for any inconvenience caused. Yours faithfully ALAN DOUGLAS Chief Officer – Regulatory & Regeneration
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Distribution:- Provost Douglas McAllister Councillor Michelle McGinty Councillor James Bollan Councillor June McKay Councillor Karen Murray Conaghan Councillor John Millar Councillor Ian Dickson Councillor Lawrence O’Neill Councillor Diane Docherty Councillor Lauren Oxley Councillor Craig Edward Councillor Chris Pollock Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal Councillor Martin Rooney Councillor Daniel Lennie Councillor Gordon Scanlan Councillor David McBride Councillor Hazel Sorrell Councillor Jonathan McColl Councillor Clare Steel Councillor James McElhill Councillor Sophie Traynor Chief Executive Chief Officers Date of issue: 8 December 2023 Audio Streaming Audio recordings of the meeting (including the attendance or contribution of any party participating or making a contribution) will be published on the Council’s website and the Council’s host’s webcast/audio stream platform. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation. Data collected during this audio stream will be retained in accordance with the Council’s Privacy Notice* and Retention Schedules including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site.
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2023 AGENDA 1 STATEMENT BY CHAIR 2 APOLOGIES 3 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are invited to declare if they have an interest in any of the items of business on the agenda and the reasons for such declarations. 4 RECORDING OF VOTES The Council is asked to agree that all votes taken during the meeting will be done by roll call vote to ensure an accurate record. 5 MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS Submit for approval, as correct records, the undernoted Minutes of Meetings of West Dunbartonshire Council:- (a) 25 October 2023 – ordinary meeting; 9 – 13 (b) 8 November 2023 – requisitioned meeting; and 15 – 17 (c) 29 November 2023 – requisitioned meeting. 19 – 21 6 INVERCLYDE COUNCIL AND WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE 23 – 31 COUNCIL SHARED SERVICES JOINT COMMITTEE (a) Report by Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration Submit report by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration in relation to the future of shared services arrangements between Inverclyde Council and West Dunbartonshire Council and seeking endorsement of the decision of the Shared Services Joint Committee taken on 23 November 2023 to wind up the joint committee and to pursue a different model of joint working. (b)/
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(b) Minutes of Meeting Submit for information, and where necessary ratification, the Minutes of Meeting of the Shared Services Joint Committee held on 23 November 2023. 7 OPEN FORUM The following Open Forum questions have been submitted:- (a) Question from Drew McEoghainn On WDC's recent cuts consultation, why wasn't there an option for people to tick that they wanted a needs based budget? (b) Question from David Smith, UNISON Should West Dunbartonshire elected councillors set a NO CUTS budget, what would happen? (c) Questions from Cara Thom (i) Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) - have published information on Data Poverty and Digital exclusion. They state that reliance on digital increased exponentially during significant national lockdowns and libraries are at the centre of the collaborative effort to ensure no one is left behind in the new digital landscape as envisioned in A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World (2021). 1 in 7 people across Scotland experience data poverty, rising to 1 in 4 in lower income households. 1 in 5 of those experiencing data poverty depended on libraries for access pre-pandemic. Public libraries will continue to offer vital access and ongoing digital support that embrace both the challenges and the opportunities that the digital world presents. Balloch Library was heralded as the best equipped computer suite offering free Wi-Fi outside Glasgow following the £100,000 investment made to the library in 2017. My question is: - Please explain to the community why, in this area of high deprivation, the Council has made the decision to increase Data Poverty and Digital Exclusion by reducing the number of computers available at Balloch Library, once heralded as the best equipped Computer suite outside Glasgow, from 8 to 3? (ii) At present, Balloch Library has a footprint of 270 square metres, but the plans for Balloch School Campus show that the new library will be roughly 50 square metres (not including toilets) formed from the head teacher’s office, part
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of the nursery teachers' staffroom and the printer room, all of which are necessary to the running of the school/nursery. With a reduction of around 80%, this is a tiny amount of space, totally inadequate for a library. We refer to your public service provision policy and say that the council need to demonstrate that such a percentage decrease is justifiable. We believe that there will be a limit to the number of people who can be in the new library space at the same time, which will affect critical community services, like Bookbug, which is not just for a child's early year's development, but social interaction for children and caregivers. My question is:-Regarding Policy PS 1 - Public Service Provision Section 11.4, do you have data on the number of library users and when they attend? (iii) The letter from the Council in October told parents that all renovations would be completed by the beginning of 2024. They were told the library will open early that year. We the community are very worried about the risk to both children and library users. Our concerns include the following: Scottish Government policy gives guidance on the purpose of Spare Capacity within a School. It is there NOT for the purpose of establishing a public facility like a library within a school estate. It is there to ensure that a school has the capacity to fulfil future rises in population, e.g., new housing like the flats being built on the grounds of The Stables Restaurant. The Chief Officer: Citizen, Culture and Facilities quoted Balloch Primary school at the council meeting on the 8 November as operating at 69% capacity. The current number of pupils in Balloch Primary is 301. This equates to an 81% capacity. My question is: - Can you please investigate, and re-assess, the Chief Officer: Citizen, Culture and Facilities' figure of 69% which we believe is based on data from the previous school year and is now out-of-date. 8 CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER ANNUAL REPORT 33 – 84 2022-23 Submit report by the Head of Children’s Health, Care and Justice Services, (Chief Social Work Officer) providing the Chief Social Work Officer (CSWO) Annual Report for 2022-23 which provides information on the statutory work undertaken on the Council’s behalf, including a summary of governance arrangements, service delivery, resources and workforce. 9/
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9 REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING 85 – 142 PLACES 2023 Submit report by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration advising of the response to the consultation on the review of polling districts and polling places and seeking approval of the final polling scheme. 10 GLASGOW CITY REGION CITY DEAL UPDATE AND 143 – 147 EXXON SITE PROJECT Submit report by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration seeking approval for the construction agreements with Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd and Network Rail for the Exxon site infrastructure project, and advising of the progress being made on delivering the projects, and the implementation of the Glasgow City Region programme. 11 FINANCIAL UPDATE 149 – 275 (a) Deputation – Cuts to Services The Council is requested to consider whether or not it wishes to receive deputations from UNISON and EIS in connection with the above. (b) Report by Chief Officer – Resources Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources providing an update on the financial challenges facing the Council, the estimated 2024/25 – 2028/29 revenue budget gaps and presenting the first tranche of saving options for Members’ consideration to help the Council deliver a balanced 2024/25 budget. 12 GENERAL SERVICES BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT 277 – 341 TO 31 OCTOBER 2023 (PERIOD 7) Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources providing an update on the General Services revenue budget and the approved capital programme to 31 October 2023. 13/
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13 HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGETARY CONTROL 343 – 362 REPORT TO 31 OCTOBER 2023 (PERIOD 7) Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources providing members with an update on the financial performance to 31 October 2023 (Period 7) of the HRA revenue and capital budgets for 2023/24. 14 LONG TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 363 – 387 Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources updating the Council’s long term financial strategy which was last updated in October 2021. 15 TREASURY MANAGEMENT MID-YEAR REPORT 389 – 403 2023/24 Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources providing Members with an update on Treasury Management to 30 September 2023. 16 TREASURY MANAGEMENT ANNUAL REPORT 405 – 419 2022/23 Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources providing an update on Treasury Management during 2022/23. 17 NON-DOMESTIC RATES EMPTY PROPERTY 421 – 430 RELIEF POLICY Submit report by the Chief Officer – Resources seeking approval of the amended West Dunbartonshire Council Non-Domestic Rates Empty Property Relief Policy. 18 EXTERNAL AUDIT REPORT: ‘BEST VALUE THEMATIC 431 – 465 WORK IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL 2022/23’ Submit report by the Chief Executive advising of the outcome of the External Auditor’s Best Value Thematic Review for 2022/23 and providing a summary of the key points arising. 19 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE HSCP ANNUAL PERFORMANCE 467 – 551 REPORT 2022/23 Submit report by the Head of Strategy and Transformation, West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) providing an overview of the HSCPs performance in planning and carrying out integrated functions, including a
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complaints management overview for the year 2022/23. 20 NOTICE OF MOTIONS (a) Motion by Councillor Sophie Traynor – Adoption Leave Policy Council recognises the importance of the role that adoptive parents play within West Dunbartonshire. Very few of the children and young people being placed for adoption come from uncomplicated backgrounds. Local authorities have a duty to provide adequate support to adopters to ensure the best possible outcome for both the parents and the young people involved. As a Council we should be leading the way on this and ensuring we are doing everything possible to make this easier for them. Council notes that aspects of the current Adoption Leave Policy for employees is not sufficient enough for prospective adopters. Therefore, Council requests that a report be brought forward to assess the options we can take to make it easier for West Dunbartonshire Council employees during the adoption process. (b) Motion by Councillor Iain Dickson – Substandard road A813 between Lionsgate Roundabout and Strathleven Drive Council recognises that the A813, between Lionsgate Roundabout, and Strathleven Drive in its current condition is second-rate. Despite regular patching and resurfacing work, the gutter area of the road is often visibly subsiding and crumbling. In parts, the pavement is barely a couple of feet wide, such that a wheelchair user, a cyclist, or someone pushing a pram would find they hang out into the 40 mph A-road. This section of road is unlit, and in the shadow of mature trees, intensifying the already severe risk to life should there be a collision between traffic on this narrow road and a pedestrian or a cyclist. This pavement is the only realistic walking route to access OLSP High School in Bellsmyre from Bonhill. Council notes there were plans until recently to widen this dangerous stretch of road and to optimally upgrade the current sliver of pavement to a full three metre wide shared footway and cycle path. Given the current dangers posed to vulnerable road users,
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Council asks that this project be put back into the capital plan as close to its original delivery timescales as possible. Costs associated with this should be included in the budget report and capital plans that will be presented to elected members at the 2024/25 budget setting meeting. (c) Motion by Councillor Iain Dickson – Mandatory 20 MPH speed limits near schools Council notes that the safety of children and young people travelling to, from and around our schools and early education centres is an issue that concerns everyone. West Dunbartonshire Council encourages active travel options, such as cycling and walking, and so road safety in the vicinity of schools should be of utmost importance. With this in mind, and the well-understood link between vehicle speed and the severity of injury and survivability, Council reaffirms its commitment to enact mandatory 20mph speed limits at our education campuses, in line with existing and emerging regulation and guidance, and with a particular focus on new campus locations, such as those on Howatshaws Road in Bellsmyre. Costs associated with this should be included in the budget report and capital plans that will be presented to elected members at the 2024/25 budget setting meeting, with associated works commencing as soon as possible in the 2024/25 financial year. (d) Motion by Councillor Iain Dickson – Stopping the stink in the Vale of Leven. Council notes that on 12th October 2022, the Planning Committee heard application DC20/253 – A request to extend the time of the approved landfilling operation by 15 years at Auchencarroch Landfill Site, in Jamestown, Balloch. The extension was only granted until June 30th 2024, not the 15 years originally requested by Barr Environmental. With annual hikes in landfill tax and long-standing Scottish Government zero waste targets focused on waste reduction, re-use, enhanced recycling, and recovering renewable energy from what remains, this Council should be making progress towards a nearly zero-landfill option. Councils across the country were tasked with a commitment to send only 5% of waste to landfill by 2025. Regretfully, this Council appears to be well away from meeting this aspiration.
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With all of our residual waste being landfilled at Auchencarroch, as well as that of neighbouring authorities, West Dunbartonshire Council urgently requires alternative options to landfill. Given that it is currently only permitted to operate for just over 6 months, Council urgently requests a report, detailing alternative options for disposing of West Dunbartonshire’s residual waste. Of particular interest are opportunities for meeting the energy reclamation element of the waste cycle for materials that cannot be reused or recycled, as we have nothing in place at present.