Agenda Document Pack - Cabinet - 07/11/2023
North Ayrshire Council · 7 November 2023
Back to Cabinet — 7 November 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Cabinet A Meeting of the Cabinet of North Ayrshire Council will be held in the Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE on Tuesday, 07 November 2023 at 14:30 to consider the undernoted business. Meeting Arrangements Hybrid Meetings This meeting will be held on a predominantly physical basis but with provision, by prior notification, for remote attendance by Elected Members in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003. Where possible, the meeting will be livestreamed and available to view at https://northayrshire.publici.tv/core/portal/home . 1 Declarations of Interest Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda. 2 Minutes The accuracy of the minutes of meeting of the Cabinet held on 29 August 2023 and the Special meetings of the Cabinet held on 19 September 2023 and 3 October 2023 will be confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7 (1) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (copy enclosed). EDUCATION ITEMS FOR DECISION Reports by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) 3 Annual Participation Measure 2023 Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to update Cabinet on the Annual Participation Measure (APM) for 2023 (copy enclosed). 1
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 4 Annual Report – School and Early Learning and Childcare Inspections 202223 Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to inform Cabinet of the performance of North Ayrshire schools and early learning and childcare settings in external inspections, with a focus on those published during session 202223 (copy enclosed). 5 Education Authority Annual Plan 202324 Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to seek approval for the publication of the Education Authority Annual Plan for 202324 (copy enclosed). 6 Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to determine applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects (copy enclosed). 7 Cost of Living Crisis Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to provide a third progress report to Cabinet in relation to the North Ayrshire Council responses to the current cost of living crisis and associated investments and funds (copy enclosed). GENERAL BUSINESS FOR DECISION Reports by the Director (Health and Social Care Partnership) 8 Performance Information – Drug and Alcohol Services – April 2022 to 31 March 2023 Submit a report by the Director (Health and Social Care Partnership) to provide an update on the national and local drug and alcohol related targets and standards and performance in North Ayrshire. To provide assurance to Members of the performance, actions and service developments being progressed to address the significant challenges for our communities (copy enclosed). Reports by the Chief Executive 9 Capital Programme Performance to 31 August 2023 Submit a report by the Head of Service (Finance) to advise Cabinet of progress in delivering the Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 31 August 2023 (copy enclosed). 10 Revenue Budget 2023/24 : Financial Performance to 31 August 2023 Submit a report by the Head of Service (Finance) advise Cabinet of the financial performance for the Council at 31 August 2023 (copy enclosed). 11 Treasury Management and Investment MidYear Report 2023/24 Submit a report by the Head of Service (Finance) to provide Cabinet with a Treasury Management update for the period 1 April to 30 September 2
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 2023 (copy enclosed). 12 Year End Performance Reporting: Council Plan Year End Progress Report 202223; Annual Performance Report 202223; and Local Government Benchmarking Framework Analysis of 2023 Data Release Submit a report by the Head of Service (Democratic Services) to advise Cabinet on progress of our Council Plan priorities (copy enclosed). Reports by the Executive Director (Place) 13 Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek approval from Cabinet for the Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 (copy enclosed). 14 Scottish Government Consultations on Burials and Cremation Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek approval of the proposed responses to the Scottish Government consultations on Burials and Cremation (copy enclosed). 15 Strategic Housing Investment Plan 20242029 Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek Cabinet approval of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 (copy enclosed). 16 Former St Mary’s Primary School, Largs – SHIP Social Housing Development Proposal Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek approval for the inclusion of the former St Mary’s Primary School site, Largs as a 26unit Council social housing development in the North Ayrshire SHIP 2024 29 (copy enclosed). 17 Council House Buyback Programme to Accommodate Ukrainian Displaced People Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek Cabinet approval to purchase up to 40 properties to accommodate Ukrainian households for three years using Scottish Government grant being made available (copy enclosed). 18 National Islands Plan Review Consultation Response Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to provide an update on the Council’s engagement in the consultation on the review of the National Islands Plan by the Scottish Government and to seek approval for the proposed consultation response (copy enclosed). 19 Exclusion of the Public Para 9 Resolve in terms of Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude from the Meeting the press and the public for the following item of business on the grounds indicated in terms of Paragraph 3
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. Non Disclosure of Information In terms of Standing Order 21 (Disclosure of Information), the information contained within the following report is confidential information within the meaning of Section 50A of the 1973 Act and shall not be disclosed to any person by any Member or Officer. 20 Irvine – Montgomerie Park: Marketing & Disposal Strategy for Sites E, F and G Submit a report by the Executive Director (Place) to seek approval for the marketing and disposal of the remaining residential development sites, Sites E, F and G, at Montgomerie Park. 21 The Portal Cafe Submit a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to seek Cabinet’s approval to transfer the operation of the Portal Café to North Ayrshire Leisure Limited (NALL). 22 Urgent Items Any other items which the Chair considers to be urgent. Webcasting Please note: this meeting may be filmed/recorded/livestreamed to the Council's internet site and available to view at https://northayrshire.public i.tv/core/portal/home, where it will be capable of repeated viewing. At the start of the meeting, the Provost/Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed/recorded/livestreamed. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018. Data collected during the webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site. Generally, the press and public seating areas will not be filmed. However, by entering the Council Chambers, using the press or public seating area or (by invitation) participating remotely in this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed and consenting to the use and storage of those images and sound recordings and any information pertaining to you contained in them for webcasting or training purposes and for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available to the public. If you do not wish to participate in a recording, you should leave the meeting. This will constitute your revocation of consent. If you have any queries regarding this and, in particular, if you believe that use and/or storage of any particular information would cause, or be likely to cause, substantial damage or distress to any individual, please contact dataprotectionofficer@northayrshire.gov.uk. 4
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North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame House, Irvine KA12 8EE Cabinet Sederunt Elected Members Marie Burns (Chair) Shaun Macaulay (ViceChair) Tony Gurney Alan Hill Margaret Johnson Christina Larsen Church Representatives Mr Andrew Bruce Ms Elizabeth Turbet Rev Mark Goodman Teaching Representative Ms Jacqui MacKenzie Youth Council Representatives Chair: Apologies: Attending: 5
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Cabinet 29 August 2023 IRVINE, 29 August 2023 - At a Meeting of the Cabinet of North Ayrshire Council at 2.30 p.m. Present Marie Burns, Tony Gurney, Alan Hill, Margaret Johnson, Christina Larsen and Shaun Macaulay. Also Present Cameron Inglis and Eleanor Collier. In Attendance C. Hatton, Chief Executive, M. Boyd, Head of Service and D. Forbes, Senior Manager (Finance) (Chief Executive’s Service); A. Sutton, Executive Director and R. Leith, Head of Service (Communities) (Communities & Education); T. Reaney, Head of Service (Neighbourhood Services), N. McIlvanney, Interim Head of Service (Growth, Investment & Employability), L. Kirk, Interim Head of Service (Economic Development & Regeneration) and F. Ellis, Senior Manager (Housing & Public Protect) (Place); P. Doak, Head of Service (HSCP Finance & Transformation) (Health and Social Care Partnership); A. Craig, Head of Service, I. Hardy, Team Manager (Policy, Performance & Elections), J. Hutcheson, Senior Communications Officer (Communications), S. Wilson and H. Clancy, Committee Services Officers (Democratic Services). Chair Marie Burns in the Chair. 1. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest by Members in terms of Standing Order 11 and Section 5 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. 2. Minutes The Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on 30 May 2023 and 13 June 2023 (Special) were confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7 (1) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. 3. Exclusion of the Press and the Public Cabinet resolved in terms of Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude from the Meeting the press and the public for the following item of business on the grounds indicated in terms of Paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act. Agenda Item 2 7
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4. BUILD Project – Exempt Item Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) providing Cabinet with an update on the current status of the BUILD project. Noted. Please note – the following item was heard by the Audit & Scrutiny Committee on 12 September 2023, please refer to the minute of that Committee for the decision. 5. B714 Upgrade Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) updating Cabinet on the progress of the B714 Upgrade and seeking approval for the reallocation of funding to support project delivery. Further information on the funding reallocation proposals were attached at Appendix 1 to the report. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to: • levelling up inflationary pressures and what mitigating factors were in place to manage these; and • whether a justification had been provided to the Council on why a previously expressed commitment to fund the improvements was not being adhered to. The Cabinet agreed (a) to the submission of the updated Outline Business Case to the UK Government for approval, informed by feedback on the draft submission; and (b) to approve the reallocation of Council funding, detailed at Appendix 1, to support the delivery of the project, subject to the approval of the Final Business Case. 6. Revenue Budget 2023/24: Financial Performance to 30 June 2023 Submitted a report by the Head of Service (Finance) advising Cabinet of the financial performance for the Council at 30 June 2023. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to: • action being taken to address and reduce the overspend within the Health and Social Care Partnership; and • the cause of the overspend within Waste Services and the work being undertaken to reduce this. The Cabinet agreed (a) to approve the virements detailed at Appendix 7 to the report; and (b) to note (i) the information and financial projections outlined in the report, (ii) the latest financial projection for the Health and Social Care Partnership highlighted at section 2.6 of the report and (iii) the potential impact of the review of Strathclyde Pension Fund on future budget pressures. 8
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7. Capital Programme and Treasury Management Performance to 30 June 2023 Submitted a report by the Head of Service (Finance) advising Cabinet of progress in delivering the Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 and the associated Treasury Management performance to 30 June 2023. Members asked a question and were provided with further information in relation to the major risk, and long-term impact, of inflationary pressures. The Cabinet agreed (a) to approve the virement proposals noted within the HRA programme detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, and (b) to note (i) the revisions to budgets outlined in the report, (ii) the General Services and HRA revised budgets at 30 June 2023, (iii) the forecast expenditure to 31 March 2024, including the additional investment of £5.000m to support the B714 upgrading project as detailed at sections 2.12 and 2.13 of the report; and (iv) the estimated performance against the Prudential Indicators set out in the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy. 8. Health and Safety Annual Report 2022/23 Submitted a report by the Head of Service (Finance) providing Cabinet with an updated report on the Health and Safety performance within Council Services during 2022/23. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to the Working Group that was established and the action taken to reduce the number of Aggression and Violence incidents within the Education Service. Noted. Please note – the following item was heard by the Audit & Scrutiny Committee on 12 September 2023, please refer to the minute of that Committee for the decision. 9. Council Tax Multipliers: Scottish Government Consultation Submitted a report by the Head of Service (Finance) for Cabinet to consider the consultation response in respect of the review of the level of Council tax multipliers for Band E to Band H properties. The proposed consultation response was noted at Appendix 1 to the report. Having noted the importance of recognising that this was a consultation response, and that decisions on Council Tax setting were made at full Council as part of the annual budget setting process and that no changes were being made to the Council Tax levels currently set, the Cabinet agreed to approve the Consultation response from North Ayrshire Council included in Appendix 1 to the report, for submission to the Scottish Government by 20 September 2023. 9
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10. North Ayrshire Council Plan 2023-28: Performance Management Framework Submitted a report by the Chief Executive to consider and agree the Council Plan 2023 – 2028 Performance Management Framework. The Council Plan was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to: • engagement with partners and partnership working, both locally and nationally, for a whole system approach to wider issues; and • whether the targets set out in the report were both ambitious and realistic. The Cabinet agreed (a) to approve the Council Plan 2023-28 Performance Management Framework attached at Appendix 1 to the report; and (b) to refer the Performance Management Framework to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee for consideration. 11. Crown Estates Scotland – Memorandum of Understanding Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) seeking approval to renew a Memorandum of Understanding with Crown Estates Scotland. The Cabinet agreed that the Council continues the partnership agreement with Crown Estates Scotland, to further explore investment opportunities to support North Ayrshire Council’s regeneration and economic development priorities. Please note – the following item was heard by the Audit & Scrutiny Committee on 12 September 2023, please refer to the minute of that Committee for the decision. 12. Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) seeking approval to respond to active consultations on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill and setting out working arrangements for exploration of the potential benefit and impact of a visitor levy. The Cabinet, having welcomed the principle of having fiscal flexibility at a local level, irrespective of whether it was ultimately exercised, agreed (a) to authorise officers to respond to consultations on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report by expressing support for the introduction of a levy, subject to further exploration of costs and benefits; and to note the formation of an internal Visitor Levy Officer Working Group which would engage with the Tourism Forum, businesses and regional stakeholders to inform any future emerging proposals related to the implementation of a visitor levy. 13. Tree and Woodland Management Policy Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) seeking Cabinet approval on the proposed updated Tree and Woodland Management Policy. The updated Tree and Woodland Management Policy was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. 10
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The Cabinet agreed to approve the updated Tree and Woodland Management Policy, attached at Appendix 1 to the report. 14. Memorial benches, Plaques and Other Memorial Opportunities Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Place) providing an overview and seeking Cabinet approval of the appropriate options to be supported for memorials for members of the public to remember a loved one. In addition to the examples of the options from other organisations/charities contained in paragraphs 2.23 and 2.24 of the report, the offering from the local community charity in Arran at Arran Memorial Garden in Shiskine was highlighted. The Cabinet agreed to approve the range of memorials options set out in the report. 15. Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) on applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects. Appendices 1-3, respectively, set out applications by Arran Locality Partnership (Arran Geopark) for £79,853, The Three Towns Locality Partnership (Saltcoats Active Lifestyles Team (SALT)) for £45,600 and Kilwinning Locality Partnership (the Corra Foundation) for £36,000 across a three-year period. The Cabinet, having reviewed the submissions against the CIF criteria, agreed to approve the applications in relation to (i) Arran Geopark, (ii) Saltcoats Active Lifestyle Team (SALT) and (iii) the Corra Foundation, in the amount of £79,853, £45,600 and £36,000 (the latter across a three-year period). The meeting ended at 4:05 p.m. 11
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Special Cabinet 19 September 2023 IRVINE, 19 September 2023 - At a Special Meeting of the Cabinet of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 p.m. Present Marie Burns, Tony Gurney, Margaret Johnson, Christina Larsen and Shaun Macaulay. Also Present Eleanor Collier, Davina McTiernan and Chloé Robertson. In Attendance C. Hatton, Chief Executive, M. Boyd, Head of Service (Finance) (Chief Executive’s Service); A. Sutton, Executive Director (Communities & Education); R. McCutcheon, Executive Director (Place); F Walker, Head of Service (People & ICT); A. Craig, Head of Service, M, McColm, Senior Manager (Communications), S. Wilson and C. Stewart, Committee Services Officers (Democratic Services). Apologies Alan Hill Chair Marie Burns in the Chair. 1. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest by Members in terms of Standing Order 11 and Section 5 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. 2. Council Tax Multiplier: Scottish Government Consultation Submitted report by the Chief Executive on the recommendations of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee following a call-in request relating to the consultation response in respect of the review of the level of Council tax multipliers for Band E to Band H properties. A copy of the original report presented to Cabinet on 29 August 2023 was attached at Appendix 1 to the report while Appendices 2A and 2B provided information on the call-in requests. Appendices 3A and 3B detailed comments on the call-ins from Officers with Appendices 4 and 5 providing the Minute of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee held on 12 September 2023 and an amended consultation response reflecting the Islands Act duty. The Cabinet considered the request by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee to reconsider its earlier decision to approve the consultation response from North Ayrshire Council. Members sought further information on the requested extension to the consultation response deadline and the process to take the report to the next meeting of the Council. 12
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Accordingly, the Cabinet (a) agreed not to accept the recommendation of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee to reconsider its earlier decision to approve the consultation response from North Ayrshire Council while adapting the request to include reference to an Islands Impact Assessment within the response; and (b) noted that, in terms of Standing Order 26.7, the matter be referred to the next meeting of the Council for determination. 3. Urgent Items There were no urgent items. The meeting ended at 2.10 p.m. 13
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Cabinet 3 October 2023 IRVINE, 3 October 2023 - At a Meeting of the Cabinet of North Ayrshire Council at 2.30 p.m. Present Marie Burns, Shaun Macaulay, Alan Hill, Margaret Johnson and Christina Larsen; and Andrew Bruce and Elizabeth Turbet (Church Representatives) and Jacqui MacKenzie (Teaching Representative). In Attendance A. Sutton, Executive Director and A. McClelland, Head of Service (Education) (Communities & Education); R. McCutcheon, Executive Director, L. Kirk, Interim Head of Service (Economic Development & Regeneration) and L. Cree, Senior Manager (Property Management & Investment) (Place); C. Cameron, Director and S. Hunter, Chief Social Work Officer (Health and Social Care Partnership); F Walker, Head of Service (People & ICT); A. Craig, Head of Service (Democratic), J. Hutcheson, Senior Communications Officer (Communications), H. Clancy and D. McCaw, Committee Services Officers (Chief Executive’s Service). Chair Marie Burns in the Chair. Apologies Tony Gurney and Rev. Mark Goodman (Church Representative). 1. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest by Members in terms of Standing Order 11 and Section 5 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. 2. Ayrshire College and Irvine Royal Academy Skills Centre of Excellence Submitted report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) providing an update on the revised position in relation to the Ayrshire College Skills Centre of Excellence at Irvine Royal Academy resulting in a revised approach to delivery of Developing the Young Workforce, with a focus on the Future Skills Hub at Kilwinning Campus. The Cabinet acknowledged the improvement journey undertaken at Irvine Royal Academy by staff and young people within the community and recognised the excellent School-College Partnership developments and Future Skills Hub facility at Kilwinning Campus. The Cabinet agreed to (a) welcome the School-College Partnership developments and the Future Skills Hub approach; and (b) otherwise note the revised position in relation to the Ayrshire College Skills Centre of Excellence at Irvine Royal Academy. 14
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3. Education Service Standards and Quality Report 2022-23 Submitted a report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) on key progress towards the Education Service Improvement Priorities and the National Improvement Framework Priorities for session 2022-23. The Education Service Standards and Quality Report 2022-23 were detailed at Appendix 1 to the report, including principal improvement activities undertaken throughout the academic session 2022-23 and key performance information on learner outcomes. The Cabinet welcomed the report and acknowledged the educational challenges faced across North Ayrshire following the Covid-19 pandemic and also in terms of deprivation. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to:- • established links in terms of career pathways for pupils; • the offer from Ayrshire College to provide a ‘vocational burst’ programme to extend the range of skills and vocational activities available to young people deciding what to progress into the senior phase and beyond; • ongoing work within schools in terms of attendance levels; • the inclusion of stretch aims for improvement over the next three years; and • positive inspections across schools in North Ayrshire over the last year. The Cabinet agreed to (a) approve publication of the document set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and (b) otherwise note the content of the report. 4. Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report Submitted report by the Director (Health and Social Care Partnership) on the Chief Social Work Officer Annual Report, as required by the Scottish Government, and covering the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. The report provided information on the successes and challenges in relation to the past year and noted the positive contributions to individuals, families and communities across North Ayrshire while highlighting the key risks for 2024. The Cabinet welcomed the report and acknowledged the challenges faced, particularly in relation to care and mental health, across North Ayrshire. Members asked questions and were provided with further information in relation to:- • strengthening established care links with communities through the HSCP Locality Forums and Community Planning Locality Partnerships; and • current and future care capacity across North Ayrshire. The Cabinet agreed to note the contents of the Chief Social Worker Annual Report 2022-23. 15
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5. Lease Disposal – Additional Area at Nethermiln Playing fields, West Kilbride Submitted report by the Executive Director (Place) on the lease of the football pitch at Kirkton Glen and Nethermiln Playing Fields, West Kilbride to West Kilbride Community Sports Club for a period of 25 years, with an option to extend for a further 25 years. The lease disposal area was detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. The Appendix also set out previous areas leased and provided detail on additional areas which could be added to the lease, allowing for the full redevelopment of the sports facilities within Kirkton Glen. The Cabinet agreed (a) to approve the lease disposal of the football pitch at Kirkton Glen and Nethermiln Playing Fields to West Kilbride Sports Club for a period of 25 years, with an option to extend for a further 25 years at a nominal rent of £1 per annum, exclusive of VAT. 6. North Ayrshire Asset Management Strategy and Plans Submitted report by the Executive Director (Place) on the refreshed North Ayrshire Corporate Asset Strategy and associated Asset Management Plans. Appendix 1 to the report detailed the full Strategy and Plans which reflected updated priorities and challenges. The Cabinet acknowledged the work carried out by services in production of the comprehensive Strategy and Action Plans. The Cabinet agreed to approve the North Ayrshire Corporate Asset Strategy and Plans as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. 7. Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy 2023-2028 Submitted report by the Executive Director (Place) seeking approval of the Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy 2023-2028, detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. The Cabinet acknowledged the work carried out by the service in production of the comprehensive Strategy and Action Plans. The Cabinet agreed to approve the Vacant and Derelict Land Strategy 2023-2028 detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. 8. Local Transport and Active Travel Strategy 2023-2028 Submitted report by the Executive Director (Place) seeking approval for the Local Transport and Active Travel Strategy 2023-2028, detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. The Cabinet acknowledged the work undertaken by the service in obtaining external funding packages to encourage modifications to travel options within communities. 16
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The Cabinet agreed to approve the proposed Local Transport and Active Travel Strategy 2023-2028, detailed at Appendix 1 to the report. The meeting ended at 3.25 p.m. 17
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Annual Participation Measure 2023 Purpose: To update Cabinet on: (i) the Annual Participation Measure (APM) for 2023 Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Notes the content of the report, including the improvement in the APM for North Ayrshire for 2023; and b) Notes the improved collaboration to support this improvement. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 This report explains and summarises the Annual Participation Measure (APM) which is a measurement of the proportion of 16–19-year-olds participating in education, training or employment over a whole year (1st April-31st March). The indicator provides a measure of the status of the wider aged 16-19 cohort – not just those who have left school. 1.2 The APM has been adopted in the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework as the measure of young people’s participation. This has replaced the school leaver destination follow up as the source of the national indicator in the framework: Percentage of young adults (16–19-year-olds) participating in education, training or employment. 1.3 The current 2023 APM for North Ayrshire sits at 93.9% which is the highest on record since the APM began in 2016 and continues a positive 3-year trend from 2021. 2. Background 2.1 The APM is published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and uses the shared data set held by SDS on their Customer Support System. The headline participation status (participating, not participating and unconfirmed) is based on the classification with the highest number of days over the year. Participation is defined as: • School pupil • Further Education • Higher Education • Modern Apprenticeship • Full-Time Employment • Part-Time Employment Agenda Item 3 19
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• Self-Employed • Employability Fund Stages • Other Formal Training; Personal/ Skills Development • Voluntary Work. 2.2 The Participation Measure data set is the shared status data for young people aged 16- 19 held on the SDS customer support system. Partners who input to the shared data set are SDS, Local Authorities, Schools, Colleges, Student Awards Agency Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and Department for Work and Pensions. Central to the creation of the shared dataset is the sharing of information to allow partners to identify what young people are doing in ‘real time’ throughout their 16-19 journeys. It also allows all partners to improve service delivery and provide a more tailored offer. 2.3 The inclusion of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data, for the first time in 2023, has contributed to improved data quality and an increase in participation. Since April 2023, HMRC has shared employment data with SDS for statistical purposes only. Although the data did not cover the whole of the period of interest it led to an increase in young adults reported as participating in employment and a reduction in those with an unconfirmed status. 2.4 Although the APM publication is annual, local authorities and schools can access their own data via the SDS 16+ Data Hub at any time. The Data Hub is updated monthly by all partners and allows ongoing and specific targeting of young people to support partnership working to improve outcomes. 2.4 As Shown in Appendix 1, the 2023 APM showed that of the 5,872 16-19 year olds in North Ayrshire 93.9% were in education, employment or training and personal development. This is the highest on record since the APM started in 2016. 2.5 Within specific ages, trends are notable. Across the years on record since 2016, average APM within North Ayrshire for specific ages are; • 16yr olds- 99.1% • 17yr olds- 96.4% • 18yr olds- 92.5% • 19yr olds- 87.2% 2.5 As shown in Appendix 2, North Ayrshire has the 2nd highest level of improvement in participation for young people when compared with all local authority areas in Scotland highlighting the need for and success of targeted interventions. 2.6 As demonstrated in Appendix 3, the 2023 figure is the continuation of a positive trend demonstrated since 2016 and reflects the strong partnership working contributing to this. 2.7 In 2018, No One Left Behind outlined the need for a better aligned and integrated employability support system. A Partnership Agreement between Local Authorities and Scottish Government supported the shared ambition to deliver transformation change in Scotland’s employability services. Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) were established with responsibility for integration and alignment of local services, ensuring no one was left behind. 20
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2.8 The North Ayrshire Local Employability Partnership (LEP) includes representatives from the following organisations: • North Ayrshire Council: Employability Business Support Education Children, Families & Justice Connected Communities • DWP • Ayrshire College • Skills Development Scotland • Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, DYW Regional Lead, Ayrshire • TACT as a partner in the Third Sector Interface 2.9 Schools work with young people, families and various partners to support an initial positive destination. This includes an improved and focused partnership with SDS who have officers based within each secondary school to offer a range of holistic and targeted supports. In the latest published Insight figures, schools in North Ayrshire had recorded their highest ever initial positive destination figure of 96%. 2.10 Within each secondary school there is a now Developing Young Workforce (DYW) Principal Teacher. This post is enabled through partnership funding from Education and central government DYW grants. The DYW Principal Teacher works in close partnership with school based SDS officers and Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce who support employer engagement and a refreshed Work Experience programme. 2.11 North Ayrshire Schools benefit from a strong School-College partnership with Ayrshire College. This involves a blend of school-based courses to support attainment for young people and also support transition to full-time FE courses. 2.12 Through the LEP and the Employability Service, there are a range of interventions to engage and prepare young people for the world of work. Young people can be supported with a dedicated Keyworker throughout their journey towards and into employment. These interventions include Ambition Agreements, Modern Apprenticeships, sector specific programmes, work experience and accredited vocational qualifications all delivered as part of Your Next Move, Working North Ayrshire. The youth programme is also extended to school leavers providing support 6 months in advance of their school leaving date. 2.13 Using the Data Hub, the employability service has identified unknown and unemployed young people and commission an engagement programme delivered by Barnardos to visit young people in their homes and support them to engage in the range of services delivered across North Ayrshire. 21
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3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: a) Notes the content of the report, including the improvement in the APM for North Ayrshire for 2023; and b) Notes the improved collaboration to support this improvement. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 Targeted and specific interventions have been designed to ensure that all North Ayrshire school leavers benefit from support to ensure that they are participating in education, employment or volunteering. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 This report aligns with the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap” activities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 North Ayrshire’s work in relation to positive destinations supports North Ayrshire’s Community Wealth Building aspirations through providing high quality skilled workers who can contribute to the local economy. In addition, initiatives which contribute to this work provide a wealth of opportunities for local businesses and people seeking employment in North Ayrshire. 22
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5. Consultation 5.1 Improved collaboration with partners is illustrated in the report. Ongoing consultation takes place with young people to ensure the support being provided meets or exceeds their needs. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities and Education) For further information please contact Kevin Herron, Senior Manager, on 01294 324450. Background Papers 0 23
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APPENDIX 1a North Ayrshire Annual Participation Measure 2023 24
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APPENDIX 1b 25
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APPENDIX 2 Increase in Participation Measure by Local Authority 22-23 26
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APPENDIX 3 North Ayrshire Annual Participation Measure 2016-2023 27
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Annual Report – School and Early Learning and Childcare Inspections 2022-23 Purpose: To inform Cabinet of the performance of North Ayrshire schools and early learning and childcare settings in external inspections, with a focus on those published during session 2022-23. Recommendation: It is recommended that Cabinet: (a) Notes the contents of this report; and (b) Commends the performance of schools and ELC settings in inspections conducted by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Education Scotland published inspection reports on eight educational establishments in North Ayrshire in session 2022-23. The overall performance of our schools and centres was very positive. 1.2 The Care Inspectorate published inspection reports on seven local authority early learning and childcare establishments in North Ayrshire in session 2022-23. The performance of these establishments was positive. 1.3 Action has been taken by individual schools and early years establishments, supported by the education service, to celebrate strengths and to address areas for improvement identified in the inspection reports. 2. Background 2.1 Schools are subject to periodic external evaluation by the national inspection agency, Education Scotland. Early Learning and Childcare settings are inspected by both Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 2.2 Education Scotland reports on the quality of school and early years provision under the following quality indicators, taken from the self-evaluation framework How good is our school? (4th edition): • Leadership of change • Learning, teaching and assessment • Ensuring wellbeing, equality, and inclusion Agenda Item 4 29
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• Raising attainment and achievement (primary, secondary, ASN schools) • Securing children’s progress (Early learning & childcare settings). 2.3 In 2022, the Care Inspectorate introduced a new quality framework for daycare of children, childminding and school-aged childcare. This quality framework is structured around the following key questions: • How good is our care, play and learning? • How good is our setting? • How good is our leadership? • How good is our staff team? 2.4 All inspections focus on at least two quality indicators. In session 2022-23, Education Scotland carried out eight school inspections in North Ayrshire as part of a national sample size of 250 schools. 2.5 Education Scotland uses a six-point scale to report on the performance of the educational establishment in each of the assessed quality indicators. The categories of the six-point scale are: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, weak, and unsatisfactory. Further detail on the meaning of the six-point scale is included at Appendix 2. 2.6 In session 2022-23, the Education Scotland inspection outcomes in North Ayrshire schools were as follows: School Inspection Report Date 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement Ardeer Primary School 07/03/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Very Good Beith Primary School 28/03/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Greenwood Academy 25/04/2023 Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Auchenharvie Academy 09/05/2023 [Not assessed] Very Good [Not assessed] Very Good Glebe Primary School 16/05/2023 Very Good Very Good Excellent Very Good Skelmorlie Primary School 16/05/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good Corrie Primary School 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good Shiskine Primary School 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good 2.7 In session 2022-23, the Education Scotland inspection outcomes in North Ayrshire early years classes were as follows: School Inspection Report Date 1.3 Leadership of change 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement Ardeer Primary Early Years 07/03/2023 [Not assessed] Very Good Not assessed Very Good Beith Primary Early Years 28/03/2023 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Corrie Primary Early Years 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good 30
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Shiskine Primary Early Years 29/08/2023 [Not assessed] Good [Not assessed] Good 2.8 Since the introduction of the current inspection framework “How Good is our School? (4th edition)” in session 2016-2017, there has been a total of 26 inspections by Education Scotland across North Ayrshire’s schools and early years classes. Over that time frame, the performance of North Ayrshire schools in Education Scotland inspections has been positive overall. By way of comparison in the table below, each grade has been assigned a numerical value to show our average performance against the regional and national performance. The higher the value, the better the performance. Average grade assigned through Education Scotland inspection 2016-2023 (schools only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 4.45 3.85 3.75 Learning, teaching and assessment 4.21 3.82 3.69 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 4.45 4.00 3.92 Raising attainment and achievement 4.17 3.78 3.67 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory Average grade assigned through Education Scotland inspection 2016-2023 (early learning and childcare settings only (authority provision)): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 4.13 3.78 3.63 Learning, teaching and assessment 4.33 3.95 3.67 Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 4.25 4.10 3.96 Securing children’s progress 4.33 4.03 3.77 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory 2.9 A further indicator of quality of educational provision overall is the percentage of school/ early learning and childcare inspections by Education Scotland which resulted in an evaluation of “good” or better. Data has been analysed since the introduction of the current inspection framework in 2016-17 to the end of session 2022-23. Again, this demonstrates a strong performance in North Ayrshire: Percentage of inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23 (schools only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 82% 64% 60% Learning, teaching and assessment 88% 71% 62% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 82% 70% 69% Raising attainment and achievement 83% 70% 61% 31
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Percentage of inspections resulting in an evaluation of “good” or better 2016-23 (early learning and childcare settings only): Quality Indicator NAC 2016-23* Regional 2016-23 (SWEIC)* National 2016-23* Leadership of change 75% 66% 59% Learning, teaching and assessment 83% 72% 59% Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion 75% 73% 74% Securing children’s progress 83% 75% 65% 2.10 The Education Scotland inspection reports (at Appendix 1) highlight a number of key strengths common to several of the establishments they visited in North Ayrshire in 2022-23. Notable strengths have been identified in the following areas: • Positive professional culture and staff commitment, working well as a team. • Positive relationships • Strong leadership of senior leaders • Nurturing and inclusive learning environments • Engaged and motivated learners • Learning experiences which are meeting needs and reducing barriers to learning • Improved learning outcomes / attainment. 2.11 Areas for improvement in North Ayrshire were identified through the inspection reports. All reports always have at least one identified area for improvement. The improvement actions frequently include the wording “continue to” or “further develop”, demonstrating that establishments are already beginning to take steps to address these points. 2.12 In session 2022-23 the performance of North Ayrshire Early Learning and Childcare centres and classes in Care Inspectorate inspections was positive. Care Inspectorate reports can all be accessed via the website. A total of seven Local Authority Early Years centres and classes and seven partner nurseries were inspected, the evaluations for which are summarised in the tables below: Early Learning and Childcare Setting (NAC) Inspection Report Date KQ1: How good is our care, play and learning? KQ2: How good is our setting? KQ3: How good is our leadership? KQ4: How good is our staff team? Mayfield Primary School Nursery Class 20/09/2022 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Caledonia Primary School Nursery Class 12/10/2022 Good Very Good Good Very Good Blacklands Primary School Nursery Class 18/01/2023 Good Good Good Good St Peter’s Primary School Nursery Class 27/02/2023 Adequate Good Good Adequate St Mark’s Primary School Nursery Class 17/03/2023 Good Good Good Good St Bridget’s Primary School Nursery Class 30/03/2023 Good Very Good Good Good Winton Primary School Nursery Class 16/05/2023 Good Good Good Very Good 32
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Early Learning and Childcare Setting (partners) Inspection Report Date KQ1: How good is our care, play and learning? KQ2: How good is our setting? KQ3: How good is our leadership? KQ4: How good is our staff team? Treetops Nursery (Irvine) 26/08/2022 Good Adequate Good Adequate Bright Beginnings Early Years Centre 12/09/2022 Good Good Good Good Treetops Too (Saltcoats) 03/11/2022 Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Rainbow Childcare 23/11/2022 Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Summerlea House Nursery 21/03/2023 Good Good Good Good Burnside House Nursery 07/06/2023 Adequate Good Adequate Adequate Treetops Nursery (Irvine) 15/06/2023 Good Adequate Good Good 2.13 The Care Inspectorate have recently updated their framework of quality indicators. Nevertheless, in order to mirror the approach above (for Education Scotland inspections) to providing trend information over several years, a calculation has enabled average performances to be shown, covering the period 2016-23, both for North Ayrshire’s local authority early learning and childcare settings, as well as for the South West regional improvement collaborative. Average grade assigned through Care Inspectorate inspections in Early Learning and Childcare (NAC settings): New Quality Indicator (from 2022-23) Previous Quality Indicator (before August 2022) North Ayrshire Average Performance 2016-23* SWEIC Average Performance 2016-23* Quality of care, play and learning Quality of care and support 4.80 4.56 Quality of setting Quality of environment 4.69 4.42 Quality of leadership Quality of management and leadership 4.37 4.28 Quality of staff team Quality of staffing 4.61 4.49 * 6 = Excellent; 5 = Very Good; 4 = Good; 3 = Satisfactory; 2 = Weak; 1 = Unsatisfactory 2.14 Common strengths from the Care Inspectorate reports on early learning and childcare settings in North Ayrshire in 2022-23 are: • Children are happy, settled, confident and motivated • Children are having fun playing with their friends • The staff are kind, caring, compassionate and nurturing towards the children • Warm and welcoming environments are provided where children are supported with their learning. 2.15 Care Inspectorate reports included three areas for improvement in total for early learning and childcare establishments in North Ayrshire in 2022-23. Plans are in place to address these. Similarly, for the two areas for improvement identified through previous inspections, the Care Inspectorate confirmed that improvements had been made. 33
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2.16 As part of the service’s commitment to continuous improvement, inspection outcomes have been used alongside feedback and engagement sessions with head teachers and other senior officers, to feed into an evaluation of the service’s Quality Improvement Framework, which has been refreshed and updated for session 2023-24. There is an increased flexibility in approach, agreed at individual establishment level. The Quality Improvement Framework is designed to give establishments, the service and elected members assurance that self-evaluation is a key aspect of the work of our establishments and that this leads consistently to planned improvements, based on local contexts. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is recommended Cabinet: (a) Notes the contents of this report; and b) Commends the performance of schools and ELC settings in inspections conducted by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 Council priorities: The external inspection activity confirms the focus of the Education Service is to align with the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap” activities. 34
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Community Wealth Building 4.7 Better educational outcomes for children young people and adults, as well as increased capacity building and resilience in communities are required to underpin a strong local economy. North Ayrshire works in partnership with local early learning and childcare providers (local businesses) to ensure the provision of care is a shared endeavour. 5. Consultation 5.1 There has been no specific consultation on the contents of this report. Audrey Sutton Executive Director For further information please contact Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education), on 01294 324413. Background Papers 0 35
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1 | Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8214123 © Crown Copyright 7 March 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In December 2022, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The effective teamwork across the school and nursery to support all children to achieve the best possible outcomes in their learning. • The highly effective use of data to inform planning and measure the effectiveness of the strategies used to raise attainment in literacy and numeracy. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to support children across the school to become more independent in their learning by providing more experiences that promote curiosity, independence, and confidence. • Review the process used to plan learning across the school to enable staff to develop further creative teaching approaches. Appendix 1 36
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2 | Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8214123 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Ardeer Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment very good Securing children’s progress very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Pamela Adamson HM Inspector 37
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1 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © Crown Copyright 28 March 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In January 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Beith Primary School and Nursery Class. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • Positive relationships are a strength of the school and nursery. Staff’s passion for and commitment to children’s rights and wellbeing underpins their work. This is leading to children who are confident, secure and happy in the school and nursery. • The headteacher demonstrates strong and strategic leadership. She has created a climate of continuous improvement which is developing leadership at all levels. • Teachers and practitioners have a strong collegiate approach to professional learning. They work well together to improve children’s experiences which ensures children are motivated and eager to learn. • Senior leaders’ and staff’s effective use of data allows them to identify and plan the correct interventions for children. They deliver well-planned support which is helping children to experience success. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • In the nursery, continue to develop approaches to support children to talk about their wellbeing through the focus on children’s rights. This will support the planned work on improving children’s opportunities to explore diversity. • In the school, as planned, continue to develop approaches to assess children's learning and track their progress across all curricular areas. • In the school and nursery, continue to help children to identify and talk about the skills they are developing through the range of experiences they take part in. 38
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2 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Beith Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary stages Evaluation Leadership of change very good Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion very good Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Leadership of change very good Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion very good Securing children’s progress very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland 39
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3 | Beith Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8210829 © Crown Copyright What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Gillian Frew HM Inspector 40
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25 April 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Greenwood Academy. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The leadership of the headteacher, supported by the leadership team have worked well with staff to bring a sharper focus to school improvement and professional learning. • Approaches to monitoring and tracking young people’s progress are used well to inform school based interventions. The extended leadership team and staff are working well together to drive forward school improvement, share practice and initiate change. • Strong partnership working with the local college and local business is impacting positively on learners’ experiences, supporting strong levels of personal development and valuable qualifications. • A strengthened focus on literacy and numeracy is leading to improved attainment for young people throughout the school. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • More consistently high expectations of all young people and high-quality learning experiences are required across the school to support, motivate and engage young people. • Continue to work together with young people, parents and staff to promote positive relationships across the school. The school should also review their approaches to wellbeing, equality and inclusion to ensure that all young people feel valued, included and respected in the life and work of the school. • Improve the quality of passes in National Qualifications and support more young people to be ambitious and to achieve qualifications at the highest level. 1 | Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8215030 © Crown Copyright 41
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Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Greenwood Academy We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change good Learning, teaching and assessment satisfactory Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion satisfactory Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Teri McIntosh HM Inspector 2 | Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8215030 © Crown Copyright 42
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1 | Auchenharvie Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8216134 © Crown Copyright 9 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Auchenharvie Academy. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and young people and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. The headteacher, senior leaders and staff have very successfully developed and maintained a supportive, safe and positive environment for learning. Young people are eager participants in their learning and demonstrate high levels of engagement. Staff have a very strong understanding of the needs of all young people in their community. They promote equity successfully by having high aspirations for all young people. This has resulted in nearly all young people moving on to positive destinations, such as university, college or work. Young people are very aware of the skills they are developing and are well motivated to learn across different contexts. The headteacher and senior leaders have led effectively a positive and sustained approach to improving the attainment and achievements for all young people. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. Senior leaders and staff should continue to work together to increase further the consistency of high-quality learning and teaching across the school. Teachers should improve further their approaches to meeting the learning needs of all young people, including the most able. 43
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2 | Auchenharvie Academy, North Ayrshire Council, 8216134 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Auchenharvie Academy Quality indicators Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment very good Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale. A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Stuart Cathro HM Inspector 44
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1 | Glebe Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8211922 © Crown Copyright 16 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In February 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Glebe Primary School. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The outstanding leadership of the headteacher in driving forward improvement. She has developed successfully an aspirational learning community. She empowers children and staff to lead and make genuine and valuable contributions to the life of the school and beyond. • The significant impact of approaches to nurture, promoting positive relationships and improving wellbeing. This results in a highly supportive and inclusive learning environment where children thrive. • Articulate children who are motivated, resilient and keen to do their very best. They are confident, responsible and respectful, showing kindness, care and understanding towards each other. • The very strong approaches of all staff to meeting the needs of children who face barriers to their learning. Led very effectively by the depute headteacher, all staff are highly responsive to the needs and changing circumstances of children and their families. • The commitment and dedication of all staff in ensuring all children benefit from a broad range of quality learning experiences. This results in very strong attainment and high achievement for children. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to take forward priorities for improvement, including promoting creativity and innovation in learning, as planned. 45
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2 | Glebe Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8211922 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Glebe Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change very good Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion excellent Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Susie Smith HM Inspector 46
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1 | Skelmorlie Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8213925 © Crown Copyright 16 May 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In March 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Skelmorlie Primary School. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • Children who are confident, articulate and proud of their school. They experience positive relationships with all staff and their peers. • The effective teamwork across the school to plan and deliver targeted support. All staff work well together to support children with barriers to their learning. Children are well supported in class and make good progress. • Children benefit from learning in a range of motivating learning spaces and through increasingly relevant contexts. This supports children well to understand how their learning in the classroom links to their life beyond school. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council • Continue to develop approaches to planning learning across the curriculum. Ensure all learning builds on what children already know and is appropriately challenging. • Continue to develop approaches to tracking and monitoring children’s progress and attainment. Ensure all staff use tracking information effectively to identify next steps in learning for all children. 47
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2 | Skelmorlie Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, 8213925 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Skelmorlie Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Marion Carlton HM Inspector 48
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1 | Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200327 © Crown Copyright 29 August 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In May 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The headteacher has created a positive, nurturing and inclusive culture with a strong sense of belonging across the school and nursery. Staff support children well which is resulting in children who are motivated, engaged and confident in their learning. • In the nursery, the quality of the environments and learning experiences support children well to make choices and to lead their play. • In the school, teachers plan well activities and experiences that meet the needs of all children. This results in children making good progress in reading, listening and talking and numeracy. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • In the nursery, develop further approaches to planning and assessing children’s learning to increase levels of challenge. This should support children to make the best possible progress. • In the school, teachers should continue to improve children’s progress in writing. They should plan more regular learning opportunities for children to write at length and apply skills to a wider range of contexts and audiences. 49
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2 | Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200327 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Corrie Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Securing children’s progress good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Reports page | Inspection reports | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Gillian Frew HM Inspector 50
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1 | Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200629 © Crown Copyright 29 August 2023 Dear Parent/Carer In May 2023, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The headteacher has successfully created a professional culture where all staff learn together to improve outcomes for children. Across the school and nursery, all staff work very well together as a committed team. • The wide range of interesting experiences that children enjoy within the school, nursery and in the community. These are developing children’s confidence and social skills successfully. • The very positive, nurturing relationships between adults and children across the school and nursery. Children are confident, engaged and enthusiastic learners who are proud of their school community. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from North Ayrshire Council. • Continue to improve approaches to assessing and tracking children’s progress and achievement in the school and nursery. • As planned, continue to develop approaches to planning, learning and teaching across all curricular areas in the school and nursery. This should ensure that all children, including those requiring additional support, receive the right level of support and challenge in their learning. 51
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2 | Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class, North Ayrshire Council, 8200629 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition) and How good is our early learning and childcare?. Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Shiskine Primary School and Nursery Class Quality indicators for the primary school Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Raising attainment and achievement good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale Quality indicators for the nursery class Evaluation Learning, teaching and assessment good Securing children’s progress good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our early learning and childcare? Appendix 1: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: https://education.gov.scot/inspection-and-review/find-an-inspection-report/find-an-inspection- report/details?id=4351 What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. North Ayrshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Helen Mulholland HM Inspector 52
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How good is our school? Appendix 3: The six-point scale The six-point scale is a tool for grading the quality indicators. It is mainly used by Education Scotland, local authorities and other governing bodies for the purpose of national and/or local benchmarking across a number of establishments. It is not necessary for individual schools to measure themselves against the six-point scale although they may choose to do so. It should be noted that, when a grading is applied, it is for the whole quality indicator. Individual themes should not be graded. In education, an evaluation can be arrived at in a range of contexts. We need to bear in mind that awarding levels using a quality scale will always be more of a professional skill than a technical process. However, the following general guidelines should be consistently applied. Excellent An evaluation of excellent means that this aspect of the school’s work is outstanding and sector-leading. The experiences and achievements of all children and young people are of a very high quality. An evaluation of excellent represents an outstanding standard of provision which exemplifies very best practice, based on achieving equity and inclusion and a deep professional understanding which is being shared beyond the school to support system-wide improvement. It implies that very high levels of performance are sustainable and will be maintained. Very good An evaluation of very good means that there are major strengths in this aspect of the school’s work. There are very few areas for improvement and any that do exist do not significantly diminish learners’ experiences. An evaluation of very good represents a high standard of provision for all children and young people and is a standard that should be achievable by all. There is an expectation that the school will make continued use of self-evaluation to plan further improvements and will work towards improving provision and performance to excellent. Good An evaluation of good means that there are important strengths within the school’s work yet there remains some aspects which require improvement. The strengths have a significantly positive impact on almost all children and young people. The quality of learners’ experiences is diminished in some way by aspects in which improvement is required. It implies that the school should seek to improve further the areas of important strength, and also take action to address the areas for improvement. Satisfactory An evaluation of satisfactory means that the strengths within this aspect of the school’s work just outweigh the weaknesses. It indicates that learners have access to a basic level of provision. It represents a standard where the strengths have a positive impact on learners’ experiences. While the weaknesses are not important enough to have a substantially adverse impact, they do constrain the overall quality of learners’ experiences. The school needs to take action to address areas of weakness by building on its strengths. Weak An evaluation of weak means that there are important weaknesses within this aspect of the school’s work. While there may be some strength, the important weaknesses, either individually or collectively, are sufficient to diminish learners’ experiences in substantial ways. It implies the need for prompt, structured and planned action on the part of the school. Unsatisfactory An evaluation of unsatisfactory means there are major weaknesses within this aspect of the school’s work which require immediate remedial action. Learners’ experiences are at risk in significant respects. In almost all cases, this will require support from senior managers in planning and carrying out the necessary actions to effect improvement. This will usually involve working alongside staff in other schools or agencies. 62 6353
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 North Ayrshire Council Cabinet Title: Education Authority Annual Plan 2023-24 Purpose: To seek approval for the publication of the Education Authority Annual Plan for 2023-24. Recommendation: That Cabinet: (a) Approves the draft Education Authority annual plan for 2023- 24 as aligned to the Council Plan priorities and the National Improvement Framework priorities; and (b) Approves the publication of the plan. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Education Authority Annual Plan sets out how North Ayrshire Council will deliver the strategic priorities of the National Improvement Framework. In addition, the plan sets out the expected educational benefits of the improvement activities and how success will be measured. 1.2 The Education Authority Annual Plan primarily aligns with the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically operationalises activities to improve educational attainment and achievement and reduce the attainment gap. This plan outlines an ambitious programme for how the Education Service will deliver better outcomes for children, young people, and communities in North Ayrshire. 2. Background 2.1 The Education (Scotland) Act 2016, which amended the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000, introduced the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for education and includes a requirement on education authorities to produce annual plans and reports in pursuance of the National Improvement Framework priorities. Annual plans and reports should demonstrate progress and set out expected education benefits as well as how success will be measured. 2.2 The National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education 2023 was published in December 2022 and set out the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland’s children and young people’s progress in learning through excellence and equity. All schools and education authorities have developed annual plans which focus on delivering: Agenda Item 5 55
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2.2.1 Excellence through raising attainment and improving outcomes: ensuring that every child and young person achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy, as well as the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to shape a sustainable future as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors; and 2.2.2 Achieving equity: ensuring every child and young person has the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or shared protected characteristics, with a particular focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap. 2.3 The key priorities set out in the National Improvement Framework for 2023 are: • Placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education; • Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing; • Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people; • Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people; and • Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy. 2.4 The draft Education Authority annual plan for 2023-24, attached at Appendix 1, aligns both to the national improvement priorities and sets these in the context of North Ayrshire Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people.” 2.5 In particular, this annual plan will operationalise and support the Council Plan activities linked to “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap.” 2.6 This plan also aligns with North Ayrshire Children’s Service’s Plan and is underpinned by transformation activity within the Education Service, undertaken through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, Supporting Needs, and Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare, to improve outcomes for children and young people. 2.7 This plan contains stretch aims which articulate the service’s ambition to improve a range of learner outcomes by 2026. The requirement to include three-year stretch aims within this plan was introduced by Scottish Government in its updated Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress, published in May 2023. 2.8 Once approved, the education authority annual plan must be published. A copy has also been sent to Scottish Ministers for reference. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: (a) Approves the draft Education Authority annual plan for 2023-24 as aligned to the Council Plan priorities and the National Improvement Framework priorities; and 56
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(b) Approves the publication of the plan. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 The production of an Education Authority annual plan is a requirement under the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The Education Authority annual plan sets out specific improvement actions designed to improve educational outcomes for all, and also to reduce the impact of poverty on educational attainment. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 This Service Plan aligns with the Council Plan 2023-28 strategic aim to “transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people” and more specifically “improving educational attainment and achievement and closing the attainment gap” activities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 North Ayrshire’s Education Authority Annual Plan supports North Ayrshire’s Community Wealth Building aspirations through providing high quality skilled workers who can contribute to the local economy. In addition, initiatives outlined in the Education Authority Annual Plan provide a wealth of opportunities for local businesses and people seeking employment in North Ayrshire. 5. Consultation 5.1 The content of the Education Authority annual plan for 2023-24 has been agreed across the education service following rigorous self-evaluation in schools and across the service of the progress towards the previous year’s plan. The process of arriving at the service level priorities and strategic actions included engagement of Head Teacher and the service leadership team. At school level, priorities are identified through engagement with pupils, staff, parents/carers and key partners. 57
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Audrey Sutton Executive Director of Communities and Education For further information please contact Andrew McClelland, Head of Service (Education), on 01294324413. Background Papers 1 – Appendix 1 58
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Education Service Improvement Plan 2023-26 Action Plan: 2023-24 59
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1 Introduction from the Head of Service We have no poverty of expectation, opportunity or aspiration for our children, young people and their families. As a result, our over-riding aim is to improve the educational outcomes for all learners, particularly those most disadvantaged learners. In almost all aspects of learning there has been a consistent improving trend of achievement across the last decade in North Ayrshire. Throughout, our schools and early learning and childcare settings have had a clear focus on raising attainment and reducing the poverty-related attainment gap, in line with local and national priorities. Nevertheless, the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 brought with it significant challenges for our families and communities. National lockdowns, interrupted learning and significant changes in personal circumstances have impacted on the outcomes achieved by our children and young people. To mitigate this, we diverted significant resources. We invested in supporting our children and young people and maintaining a determination to make further progress in achievement for all learners. I am pleased to report that we are beginning to see the recovery take effect, with improvements in a range of areas last session. As part of our ongoing process of self-evaluation, we have scrutinised how well we are doing as a service in supporting recovery and further improvement and we have used this evidence to shape the content of this Education Service Improvement Plan for 2023-26. You will read in the forthcoming pages our priorities for the next three years, which are aligned to North Ayrshire’s Council Plan and the National Improvement Framework for Education. This document gives an overview of our priorities for the next three years and also summarises what we will do specifically in session 2023- 24, what we aim to improve and how we will measure success. This plan is ambitious yet achievable for our children and young people. We are confident that outcomes for our learners will continue throughout the life of this three-year plan and beyond. To demonstrate our sustained aspirations for and commitment to the children and young people we serve, we have included stretch aims for improvement over the next three years. All educational establishments have created their own improvement plans, aligned to the broad priorities and themes within this plan, and tailored to the individual contexts and needs of learners in each school community. These plans are available from individual establishments and are accessible electronically on their websites. This plan builds on the excellent teamwork across our directorate. It reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement and to delivering for the children and young people of North Ayrshire. Andrew McClelland Head of Service (Education) 60
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2 The National Context This plan is aligned to the priorities of the 2023 National Improvement Framework (NIF) and is designed to deliver the dual aims of excellence and equity in education for North Ayrshire’s children and young people. Our five priorities for the three years from 2023-26 are as follows: In the creation of this plan, we have built on a robust evaluation of our local context and the progress we have made to date in the improvement of educational outcomes for young people. We have taken account of a range of key national drivers of change which will affect education provision in North Ayrshire, including: Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Improvement in children and young people's health and wellbeing Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education The current national programme of educational reform The ongoing national review of the curriculum The ongoing national review of supporting needs The priorities and drivers of the National Improvement Framework The refreshed Attainment Scotland Fund The national Child Poverty Delivery Plan The ongoing work to embed the articles of the UNCRC The Promise and its associated delivery plan Revised Child Protection Guidelines The national Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 61
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3 The Local Context The Education Service in North Ayrshire Council is responsible for the education of 18,061 pupils across the authority’s primary, secondary and additional support needs schools. A further 2,064 children attend early learning and childcare settings in North Ayrshire. The education service is part of North Ayrshire Council’s Communities and Education Directorate, which works towards developing a society where everyone, has the same life chances to grow, prosper and have fulfilling and healthy lives. The education service has a central role in removing barriers and supporting delivery of the priority outcome to ensure North Ayrshire’s children and young people have the best start in life. Education in North Ayrshire is delivered through: primary schools 48 8 secondary schools 1 through school specialist ASN campus 41 Council-managed early learning and childcare settings 14 Partnership early learning and childcare settings 17,691 pupils 1,434 teachers early learning and childcare staff Support staff hours 387 12,700 1 62
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4 North Ayrshire Council’s current priorities are: This plan should be read in the context of these associated local plans: Improving as a Service Our commitment to continuous improvement permeates the work of the service. Our establishments work very closely together with each other and our central team in a culture of positive support and challenge. Our overarching approach can be summarised as follows: • We strive to be a learning organisation. • We support the principles of subsidiarity and empowerment of our head teachers and school communities. • We evaluate the impact of the central education team in supporting consistency of improvement across our educational establishments. • We work closely in partnership with colleagues across our Regional Improvement Collaborative and nationally • We are investing in the quality of our teachers, practitioners and support staff • We are investing in our learning environments to ensure they maximise opportunities for engagement and achievement for all • We are developing the leaders of tomorrow through our innovative leadership and facilitation programmes Our Council Plan 2023-28 (north- ayrshire.gov.uk) North Ayrshire Children Services Plan 2020/2023 (nahscp.org) North Ayrshire Child Poverty Report 2021-22 and Action Plan 2022-23 (north- ayrshire.gov.uk) SWEIC - Regional Improvement Plan 2022-23 (north- ayrshire.gov.uk) WELLBEING To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people. COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY We will have active, inclusive and resilient communities. CLIMATE CHANGE To achieve net-zero by 2030. A SUSTAINABLE COUNCIL A community wealth building council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. 63
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5 NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL EDUCATION SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2023-26 For the three years from 2023-26, the NAC Education Service Improvement Plan will focus on a stable and consistent set of priorities. Under each of the five priorities, we will undertake improvement activities grouped together under key themes. These will remain consistent across the three years. Each academic year, we will update the specific actions we will take forward during that school year in pursuit of these priorities. The high-level priorities and themes of our Education Service Improvement Plan for 2023-26 are as follows: PRIORITY 1 PRIORITY 2 PRIORITY 3 PRIORITY 4 PRIORITY 5 Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Closing the gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school- leaver destinations for all young people Improvement in children and young people s health and wellbeing Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education • High quality learning, teaching and assessment • Raising attainment and achievement • Interventions to reduce gaps • Specific focus on identified target groups, including care experienced learners • Improving skills • Partnerships to improve post-school learner outcomes • Improving attendance • Supporting mental health and wellbeing • Supporting physical health and wellbeing • Supporting social and emotional wellbeing • Supporting children s needs • Maximising learner voice and participation • Maximising parent/carer involvement and engagement Priority Area Them es The work of the Service Improvement Plan will be enhanced through a focus on STRATEGIC SUPPORT themes as follows: • Policies and operating procedures • Creating inspiring learning environments • Investing in leadership • Workforce planning 64
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6 Improving outcomes for learners – our stretch aims Below are the key core outcomes for learners we are working to improve by 2026, based on the most recently available cohort and performance information. CORE OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) Description of improvement Performance Measure 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Core Stretch Aim 1 The proportion of learners in North Ayrshire who achieve the expected levels of attainment in literacy at P1, P4 and P7 will increase. All learners 74% n/a 59% 67% 68% 75% Q1 67% n/a 49% 60% 63% 72% Q2-5 79% n/a 67% 74% 74% 80% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -12pp n/a -18pp -14pp -11pp -8pp Core Stretch Aim 2 The proportion of learners in North Ayrshire who achieve the expected levels of attainment in numeracy at P1, P4 and P7 will increase. All learners 79% n/a 67% 75% 76% 81% Q1 74% n/a 58% 69% 71% 78% Q2-5 84% n/a 75% 81% 80% 86% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -10pp n/a -17pp -12pp -9pp -8pp Core Stretch Aim 3 The proportion of school leavers who achieve 1 or more awards at SCQF level 5 or better will increase. All learners 87% 86% 90% 89% n/a 92% Q1 80% 79% 83% 82% n/a 89% Q2-5 93% 92% 95% 93% n/a 95% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -13pp -13pp -12pp -11pp n/a -6pp Core Stretch Aim 4 The proportion of school leavers who achieve 1 or more passes at SCQF level 6 (grades A-C) or better will increase. All learners 65% 67% 71% 68% n/a 74% Q1 52% 55% 61% 56% n/a 62% Q2-5 75% 76% 78% 77% n/a 80% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -23pp -21pp -17pp -21pp n/a -18pp Core Stretch Aim 5 The proportion of 16-19 year- olds who are participating in education, employment or training will increase. All learners 90.5% 90.6% 90.1% 90.8% 93.9% 95% Q1 87.8% 86.9% 85.3% 88.0% 90.6% 92.5% Q2-5 92.4% 93.5% 93.9% 93.0% 96.2% 97.5% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -4.6pp -6.6pp -8.6pp -5pp -5.6pp -5pp Core Stretch Aim 6 School attendance levels will increase. All learners 92.1% 91.6% 91.4% 89.4% 88.8% 93% Q1 90.7% 90.1% 89.9% 87.7% 86.7% 92% Q2-5 93.2% 92.8% 92.8% 90.8% 90.5% 94% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -2.5pp -2.7pp -2.9pp -3.1pp -3.8pp -2pp 65
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7 Below are the additional outcomes for learners we are working to improve by 2026. ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES FOR IMPROVEMENT Performance up to 2023 Stretch Aim (by August 2026) Actual Progress Summary (updated annually) Description of improvement Performance Measure 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Additional Stretch Aim 1 The proportion of children achieving local early learning milestones by the start of P1 will increase. All learners 78.2% n/a 72.0% 78.5% 81.4% 83% Q1 75.3% n/a 61.8% 75.6% 75.1% 79.5% Q2-5 80.7% n/a 80.8% 81.4% 86.8% 86% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -5.4pp n/a -19pp -5.8pp -11.7pp -6.5pp Additional Stretch Aim 2 The proportion of school leavers achieving literacy at SCQF Level 5 or better will increase. All learners 83.8% 81.5% 85.0% 83.8% n/a 85.5% Q1 75.0% 73.3% 78.7% 76.4% n/a 79% Q2-5 90.8% 87.5% 90.0% 89.0% n/a 90.5% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -15.8pp -14.2pp -11.3pp -12.6pp n/a -11.5pp Additional Stretch Aim 3 The proportion of school leavers achieving numeracy at SCQF Level 5 or better will increase. All learners 69.3% 70.8% 72.3% 71.4% n/a 74% Q1 58.5% 59.3% 64.0% 60.6% n/a 65% Q2-5 77.7% 79.1% 78.6% 79.1% n/a 81% Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -19.1pp -19.8pp -14.6pp -18.5pp n/a -16pp Additional Stretch Aim 4 The average “complementary tariff score” of school leavers’ best five qualifications will increase. All learners 599 643 665 643 n/a 675 Q1 465 495 539 508 n/a 570 Q2-5 703 751 765 740 n/a 775 Gap 1 (Q1 vv Q2-5) -238pts -256pts -226pts -232pts n/a -205pts Additional Stretch Aim 5 The proportion of care experienced school leavers who achieve 1 or more awards at SCQF levels 4, 5 and 6 will increase. 1+ Level 4 or better 84.7% 77.2% 86.1% 90.3% n/a 92.5% 1+ Level 5 or better 50.6% 53.2% 62.4% 67.7% n/a 69.5% 1+ Level 6 or better 27.1% 29.1% 40.6% 34.4% n/a 36.5% Additional Stretch Aim 6 The proportion of care experienced school leavers who achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications at SCQF levels 4 and 5 or better will increase. Lit L4 or better 75.5% 74.4% 71.7% 81.6% n/a 84% Lit L5 or better 39.6% 53.9% 40.0% 51.0% n/a 55% Num L4 or better 64.2% 69.2% 55.0% 79.6% n/a 84% Num L5 or better 26.4% 38.5% 33.3% 32.7% n/a 45% 66
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8 APPENDIX: Specific improvement actions for session 2023-24 PRIORITY 1: Improvement in attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy Theme 1: High quality learning, teaching and assessment What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Develop a partnership approach to our new model of professional learning to support improved quality of learning and teaching in the classroom, and include additional investment in high quality professional learning for support staff and early years practitioners. Improve consistency and quality of learning, teaching and assessment across all establishments. Quality of learning, teaching and assessment will be evaluated as good or better in all establishments. (HGIOS 2.3 / HGIOELC 2.3 / QIF / School Reviews) Extend play pedagogy in the early stages of primary following a review of the pilot programme and work in partnership to increase outdoor active play in primary school settings. Improve the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children, and support the development of early level skills required for study, work and relationships. The proportion of children achieving NAC early learning milestones by the end of ELC and early level by the end of P1 will increase. (Milestones data / ACEL / stretch aim) Review, update and implement authority-wide frameworks for learning to support high quality learning and teaching across all schools and EYCs – including: Literacy; Outdoor learning/STEM; Early learning; Health & Wellbeing Improve consistency of quality and build on and extend existing good practice. Quality of learning, teaching and assessment will be evaluated as good or better in all establishments. (HGIOS 2.3 / HGIOELC 2.3 / QIF / School Reviews) Support establishments to achieve Digital Schools status, ensuring that digital technologies are a central component of our approaches to quality learning and teaching. Improve the effective use of digital technologies to enhance learning in all establishments. The number of schools achieving Digital Schools status will increase. (Digital Schools award / QIF / HGIOS 2.3, 3.3 HGIOELC 2.3, 3.3) Theme 2: Raising attainment and achievement What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Further enhance approaches to supporting and challenging schools/EYCs to make effective use of performance data to plan for further improvements in attainment. This will be supported through the development of new data visualisation resources. Improve learner attainment and achievement at all levels. Raising attainment and achievement will be evaluated as good or better in all establishments. (HGIOS 3.2 HGIOELC 3.2 / QIF) The percentage of children and young people achieving the expected Curriculum for Excellence levels will increase (ACEL data) (stretch aims) The percentage of school leavers achieving literacy and numeracy qualifications will increase. (Insight national benchmarks L4,5,6) The overall levels of achievement of school leavers will increase. (Insight attainment for all 20/60/20 Implement further target setting arrangements to raise attainment and achievement for all Improve the quality of monitoring progress in learning and the effective use of targeted interventions. Support primary schools to raise attainment in literacy through evidence-based improvement approaches to developing aspects of listening and talking skills in the early stages of primary and writing in the middle stages of primary. Improve attainment levels in specific focus areas of literacy across a range of establishments. 67
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9 PRIORITY 2: Closing the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and young people Theme 1: Interventions to reduce gaps What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Increase coherence between SEF and PEF interventions and support schools to improve the impact of PEF investments on target groups of learners. Improve the effectiveness of targeted interventions in reducing the attainment gap. The gap between the achievement levels of the most and least disadvantaged learners will reduce. (ACEL data / Insight attainment vv deprivation) (stretch aims) With a specific focus on early learning, enhance the work of our Excellence and Equity Leads team to support the further reduction of the poverty-related achievement gap. Improve early years outcomes for all children, particularly those most disadvantaged. The gap between the early learning milestones data of the most and least disadvantaged learners will reduce. (Milestones Data) (stretch aims) Continue to work closely across North Ayrshire services and third sector partners to reduce the cost of the school day and mitigate the impact of child poverty. Improve the extent to which our schools and Early Years centres can mitigate the impact of child poverty. The number of schools demonstrating a poverty aware approach to mitigating the impact of child poverty will increase. (QIF / COSD Toolkit evaluative framework) Theme 2: Specific focus on identified target groups, including care experienced learners What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Continue to implement the strategic actions of the Promise, through: • further enhancing supports for care experienced children and young people, including mentoring services, that enable them to attain and achieve in line with their peers. • expanding MCR Pathways programme to involve all mainland secondary schools. Improve the attendance, engagement and achievement of care experienced children and young people. Attendance levels will improve and exclusion levels will reduce for all care experienced learners. (Seemis attendance/exclusion data) Achievement levels will improve for care experienced learners. (ACEL data / Insight average complementary tariff scores) The gap specifically between the achievement levels of care experienced learners and all other learners will reduce. (Milestone Data / ACEL data / Insight average complementary tariff scores) 68
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10 PRIORITY 3: Improvement in skills and sustained, positive school-leaver destinations for all young people Theme 1: Improved skills What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Commence a review of the curriculum across secondary schools. Improve the shared understanding of the purpose and design of the curriculum in order to increase opportunities to maximise the successes and achievements of all our learners. The number and quality of successful student presentations across all SCQF qualifications will increase. (Insight breadth and depth / Insight average complementary tariff scores) Increase direct links within the curriculum to the Ayrshire Growth Deal and design further opportunities for skills development in a range of contexts. Improve the articulation between curriculum and skills development through an increased knowledge and understanding of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. The number of secondary schools engaging with Ayrshire College Innovation Bursts will increase. (College participation data) The senior phase curriculum offer will be broadened to recognise the 5 key programmes within the Ayrshire Growth Deal: Aerospace and Space / Communities / Economic Infrastructure / Energy, Circular Economy, and Environment / Tourism (Qualifications data) Theme 2: Partnerships to improve learner outcomes post-school What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Through DYW co-ordinators and other partners, embed approaches to planning, supporting and tracking post-school destinations for all school leavers. Improve the levels of sustained positive destinations for our young people. The proportion of young people entering and sustaining positive destinations will increase. (Insight positive destinations data) Strengthen partnership work with the NAC Local Employability Partnership, Skills Development Scotland and Ayrshire college to support sustained, positive participation in education, training or work for all young people up to the age of 19. Improve participation levels for all young people up to the age of 19, through enhanced partnership working. The proportion of young people positively participating in education, training or work will increase. (Annual Participation Measure) 69
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11 PRIORITY 4: Improvement in children and young people’s health and wellbeing Theme 1: Supporting mental health and wellbeing What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Implement and evaluate the revised school counselling service across all schools. Improve the targeting of the counselling resource to support the mental health & wellbeing needs of identified learners. Children/young people will report increased engagement, satisfaction, and improved wellbeing following counselling and access to other wellbeing supports (CORE / SDQ / crisis counselling measures) Continue to embed whole school approaches to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, ensuring integration with community mental health and wellbeing approaches. Improve early access for children and families to a wide range of high quality universal and targeted activities that will support positive mental health and wellbeing. An increased number of children/young people will report having their mental health and wellbeing needs met. (Pupil Focus Groups, PASS, LIAM Measures, CYP CMHWB Supports and Services Reporting and Evaluations) Support establishments to develop evidence-based staff wellbeing approaches around the key themes of autonomy, agency and affiliation for staff. Improve the range of supports available to staff to support their mental health and wellbeing. The proportion of staff reporting concerns about their mental health and wellbeing will decrease. (OH reports / staff absence data / staff survey) Theme 2: Supporting social and emotional wellbeing What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Establish whole school nurturing approaches in all establishments, including the designation of whole school nurture leads, the implementation of a comprehensive training programme for staff and the establishment of benchmarks to support self-evaluation and consistency of practice. Improve the consistency of pupil experience of whole school nurturing approaches through the increased staff knowledge and application of these approaches in practice. Staff knowledge and confidence in applying whole school nurture and relationship based approaches will improve and pupil outcomes will improve. (Nurture staff survey / QIF /QI3.1 evaluations / SDQ / Exclusion data) Theme 3: Improving attendance What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Develop further universal supports to ensure improved school attendance for all, including updated processes and guidance Improve attendance through enhanced approaches to monitoring and the creation of agreed interventions to maximise engagement. Attendance levels will improve, late coming will reduce and exclusion levels will reduce for all learners. (Seemis attendance/exclusion data / PASS data) Develop targeted approaches to support improved school attendance for individuals and identified groups of children and young people, including care experienced learners. Improve access to an increased range of approaches and services to support better attendance. Attendance levels will improve, late coming will reduce and exclusion levels will reduce for specific groups of learners, including those with attendance of below 50% / between 80-90%. (Seemis attendance/exclusion data / PASS data) 70
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12 PRIORITY 5: Placing human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education Theme 1: Supporting needs What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Implement the recommendations of the Supporting Needs review including the review of governance, processes and practices to support placements, and the revised Staged Intervention policy. Improve systems and processes governing the provision of support to learners. Staff evaluations will demonstrate shared understanding of the approach to planning support in establishments. (QIF / surveys) The quality of information in referrals will be improved. The number of referrals to the Inclusion Group will reduce. Timescales between initial referral and provision of support will be reduced. (IG data) Working in partnership with other services, engage with children, young people and their families to collaborate and co-create a communication strategy around how needs are supported in North Ayrshire. Improve understanding among all stakeholders of the range of support available and ways to access support. Stakeholder evaluations will demonstrate improved knowledge and increased satisfaction. (Focus groups / surveys) Review support services and teams, including outreach services, classroom assistants and teaching support, and enhance professional learning programmes. Improve the quality, interconnectedness and flexibility of the support resources available to support learners’ needs. Learner outcomes data will improve (attainment data / stretch aims / wellbeing data) Staff evaluations will demonstrate improved skills. Refresh and redesign advice and guidance around best practice in curriculum approaches which offer flexible learning experiences for young people. Improve the flexibility of the secondary school curriculum shaped around learner needs. The number of requests for external curricular provision will reduce. (IG data) Theme 2: Maximising learner participation and voice What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Complete and implement a new Learner Participation Policy and increase opportunities for children and young people to play a meaningful role in shaping education and Council policy and practice. Improve learner participation and voice in the four arenas of participation. Learners will participate more meaningfully in all areas of school life. (QIF / HGIOURS) Theme 3: Maximising parent/carer involvement and engagement What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Implement locally the revised ‘Learning Together’ Scottish Government parental involvement and engagement action plan and use the Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at home to evaluate and plan for next steps at school and authority level. Improve the range and quality of opportunities for parental engagement and involvement. Parent/carer evaluations of their opportunities for involvement in decision making at school level will increase. (PIE survey / HGIOS 2.7 / HGIOURS 2.7) Evaluation and feedback from families and schools on a range of aspects of family learning will improve. (FL data / school impact reports) 71
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13 STRATEGIC SUPPORT Ensuring excellent educational experiences Theme 1: Policies and Operating Procedures What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Continue the programme to replace Standard Circulars with new Policies and Operating Procedures. Improve clarity of policy and consistency of implementation across establishments, leading to improved outcomes for schools and their children / young people. Policy and practice inconsistencies will reduce. (QIF / complaint records) Satisfaction levels will increase. (Annual stakeholder surveys) Theme 2: Creating inspiring learning environments What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Ensure the efficient and effective delivery of the learning estate in terms of condition, suitability and sufficiency through the delivery of key projects, including: Marress House Early Learning Centre; replacement Moorpark Primary School; Ardrossan Community Campus; New Primary School for Irvine East (Montgomerie Park); expansion of dining facilities at West Kilbride PS, Glebe PS, Loudoun-Montgomery PS. Improve learning environments to ensure we: provide creative and engaging lifelong learning and teaching opportunities; are environmentally efficient; are digitally enabled; and meet the needs of all current and future learners within North Ayrshire The strategic objectives of each project will be met. (Project objective measures / stakeholder evaluation) Theme 3: Investing in leadership What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Design programmes to support the professional development of our staff – including phase 2 of the New Heads Induction Programme, the embedding of the DHT professional learning networks, and the partnership delivery of the SWEIC leadership development programme. Improve the professional learning offer and leadership development pipeline for leaders at a range of levels across the system, leading to strengthened leadership of our establishments. The number of participants in masters level learning will increase. The quality of leadership in our establishments will be further enhanced. (Into Headship participants / QI 1.3 evaluations / applicants for leadership posts) Theme 4: Workforce Planning What we will do What we aim to improve How we will measure success Support service redesign across various education teams to ensure the efficient and effective deployment of resource to deliver high quality service. Improve the service redesign process through enhanced understanding of the service objective, people and financial implications of proposals. Service objectives will continue to be met successfully within the policy and financial context. (Budget monitoring / service self-evaluation / workforce planning data) 72
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Purpose: To determine applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects. Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP, including the conditions approved by the Locality Partnership 1. Executive Summary 1.1 1.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided a funding allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnerships Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. In June 2021, Cabinet approved a further £1m top-up for the funding, with a further £2m added in November 2021. 1.2 Locality Partnerships have subsequently continued to work on their local action plans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. This is a difficult process, and it is a testament to the dedication of the Locality Partnerships and their community partners that proposals are now emerging to provide creative approaches to addressing local challenges. 1.3 This report brings forward proposals which respond to the specific need of the local community, and which have been developed based on local circumstances and opportunities. 1.4 These proposals have been approved to be submitted to Cabinet through a process of collaboration and consensus by the Locality Partnerships. Agenda Item 6 75
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2. Background 2.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided an allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified though Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. A further £3m was added to the funding in 2021, to be distributed among Localities as follows: 2.2 It was agreed that the CIF awards range between £5,000 and £100,000 for the community organisations, as defined in the CIF guidance, in order to support proposals and projects that connect with: • The North Ayrshire Fair for All Strategy, with consideration for how applications contribute to community support for the cost-of-living crisis; • The Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; • North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives; • The Community Wealth Building and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategies; And will also: • Fulfil a compelling need and not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; Locality Value of CIF from first funding allocation (2017-18) Expenditure to date Value of CIF from second funding allocation (June 2021) Value of CIF from third funding allocation (Nov 2021) Total balance available Irvine £754 000 £558, 435 £290 000 £580 000 £1 065 565 Kilwinning £286 000 £322 190 £120 000 £240 000 £323 810 Three Towns £598 000 £907 573 £240 000 £480 000 £410,427 Garnock Valley £390 000 £341 805 £150 000 £300 000 £498 195 North Coast £468 000 £429 066 £170 000 £340 000 £548 934 Arran £104 000 £125 079 £30 000 £60 000 £68 921 TOTAL £2 600 000 £2 684 148 £1 000 000 £2 000 000 £2 915 852 76
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• Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. 2.3 The proposal development and application process has been agreed as follows: • Locality Partnerships should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. Each Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round.’ • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. 2.4 The enclosed applications have been developed by community partners and North Ayrshire Council officers and are now recommended for approval by Cabinet. The proposals are as follows: 2.5 The Irvine Locality Partnership The allocations and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Irvine Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £1,624,000 Irvine Digital Officer £84,604 Vineburgh & Fullarton Community Enablers £100,000 Irvine New Town Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Harbourside Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Youth Hub £100,000 Irvine Tennis Club £100,000 INPUT £60,000 Children's 1st £97,580 Balance £1,065,565 2.6 Proposal: CHAP (£91,534) (See Appendix 1) 2.6.1 CHAP is a non-profit, private company limited by guarantee, and a registered charity which was established in 2000. Their mission is to ensure people are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness of, access to, and information regarding their welfare rights. 2.6.2.The project which has been proposed will deliver CHAP services by establishing new advice worker outreach within local community settings throughout the Irvine area. The funding will allow for two full time advice workers to be employed for a year, and that these welfare advice posts will not duplicate any existing provision. Making these services accessible locally, in established and trusted environments, means that people will be able to gain assistance with a variety of benefits, housing, and debt 77
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issues on their doorstep. This is a model which has already proven successful in Kilwinning, Kilbirnie and the Three Towns areas. 2.6.3 The application supports the Irvine Locality Partnership priorities of Employment and Economy, Mental Health and Influence and Sense of Control. The full application is attached as Appendix 1 for consideration. 2.6.4.Irvine Locality Partnership has approved the application with the following conditions: a) The two posts for which funding is requested must be advertised and be two new positions and not a continuation of positions already held by the organisation. b) A quarterly report should be submitted to the Irvine Locality Partnership with updates on where in Irvine will the positions be based. Cabinet is asked to agree to the conditions if approval is granted for the application. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP, including the conditions approved by the Locality Partnership. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF Funding is allocated within existing resources. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purpose of Locality Planning is to reduce inequalities, increase community cohesion and advance community empowerment. Each of the CIF proposals is tested against that purpose before being presented to Cabinet. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Environmental and sustainability along with Climate Change and Carbon issues are considered in relation to each CIF application. 78
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Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals contained within the report support the North Ayrshire Council Plan strategic aims: • To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people • We will have active, inclusive and resilient communities • To achieve net-zero • A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The applications support the following pillars of community wealth building: • Advancing community enterprises; • Advancing local ownership of underused land and buildings; • Making financial power work for local places; and • Supporting local business activities and increasing the variety of ownership models. 5. Consultation 5.1 The proposals contained within this report have been developed by the Locality Partnership, through consultation with local people, including young people. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities & Education) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on (01294) 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application - CHAP 79
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Community Investment Fund Application Form: Irvine Locality The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy. o the Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities. • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible. • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council. • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project. • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Co-ordinator, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Irvine Locality Coordinator Economy and Communities Community Development Team Redburn Community Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 Support and information will be available for groups who are not successful. For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community- investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf 80
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APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Community Investment Fund 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include - [a] Legal status, e.g., voluntary organisation, public/private limited by shares or guarantee. [b] How long has organisation been in existence? [c] Aims & objectives. [d] General activities or services provided. CHAP is a non-profit, private company limited by guarantee (company number SC213344), and a registered charity (charity number SC028100) which was established in 2000. Initially established and managed by a small group of volunteers to deliver housing advocacy, it was identified that housing is very rarely a stand-alone issue, and individuals usually experienced other benefit-related issues, and were facing various debts. Therefore, CHAP has developed services over the past 23 years to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the residents of North Ayrshire. This has taken into account various socio-economic events such as the economic recession, Covid-19, and the current ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The organisation is governed by a Board of six voluntary trustees with various managerial backgrounds. Our mission is simple, yet far-reaching – we exist to ensure people are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness of, access to, and information regarding their rights. We are a positive and helpful influence providing support and hope to individuals facing housing, welfare rights, and debt issues, standing alongside our clients as they face some of life’s most difficult challenges. All the services provided by CHAP have in common an ethos which supports social inclusion and justice for all. CHAP provides support to individuals who are most in need to receive much needed information and assistance to address issues that affect their everyday lives. Our service empowers individuals to have their views and opinions heard by the decision-makers and overcome barriers of literacy and communication challenges. We provide education and advice to individuals through an early intervention and prevention approach, breaking the cycle of exclusion, and helping them to avoid financial difficulties in the future. This covers areas such as income maximisation, budgeting, responsible borrowing, using credit unions to save, etc…which will in turn instil good practice and give individuals the financial literacy and resilience needed, empowering them to make sound financial decisions and avoid problem debt. Where clients do present with issues which have already reached a stage which is causing stress, CHAP can assist by providing real, practical steps that can be taken to obtain better outcomes. 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation: Community Housing Advocacy Project (CHAP) Postal Address for Correspondence: Michael Lynch Centre for Enterprise, 71, Princes Street Ardrossan KA22 8DG Name of Contact Person: Debbie Alexander Position in Organisation: Chief Executive Officer Contact Telephone Number: E mail address 81
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Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. People can suddenly find themselves in a vulnerable situation and may not know where to turn. By accessing the CIF funding, CHAP wants to make our advice and advocacy services more readily accessible throughout the Irvine area, and in turn help as many people as possible by assisting people to build their own financial knowledge, capability, and resilience, this will help them to avoid getting into financial difficulty in the future, and in turn, avoid these issues having a negative impact on their quality of life. In the last year (ending March 2023), we helped 858 clients, as well as their families with a variety of debt, housing, and welfare rights issues. One of the main services we provide, is ensuring that our clients have access to the maximum amount of income they are entitled to. A report carried out by entitledto.co.uk showed that an estimated £15 billion in benefits goes unclaimed annually due to people being unaware of their benefit entitlement and being unfamiliar with the benefit system. By assisting with benefit applications, and challenging decisions on our clients’ behalf where required, we help to ensure that people are able to access the appropriate benefits. We also ensure that when a client does not receive a favourable decision, they have the opportunity to challenge these decisions, by submitting a reconsideration/redetermination on their behalf, and providing representation at First Tier Tribunals when required to ensure the client’s voice is heard in relation to their case. In the year April 2022 – March 2023, CHAP has achieved over £2.3m in financial gains for our clients. This has been in relation to successful benefit applications, included backdated payments, debt write-offs, sequestration (bankruptcy), and hardship payments. By helping people to maximise their income; therefore, having more money in their pockets, this not only helps the person and their families directly, but it also helps to boost the local economy, and also provides people with more options and dignity in life. Not only do we help to improve individual’s financial circumstances, but assistance provided also has a fundamental impact on other areas of their life. We have a thorough evaluation practice in place which captures the impact that our services have on our clients’ lives. In the last year, the following improvements have been made to our clients’ lives after their engaging with CHAP: • 84% said that they have experienced a reduction in stress. • 73% said that we helped to improve their finances. • 54% said that we assisted to improve their quality of life. • 46% said that we helped to increase their confidence. 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us a bit about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include where it will be held / delivered, who is your target audience, who will benefit from it and how and indicate any partners that are involved. Please include - [a] What outcomes your organisation wishes to achieve. [b] Is this a new service / project? [c] Does a new organisation need to be set up? CHAP Advice Outreach CHAP believes that advice services should be available and accessible to everyone in the community, and therefore wants to remove any barriers that may prevent individuals from reaching out for help. The project we are proposing is an extension of the existing CHAP services, to establish new outposts within local community settings throughout the Irvine area. If successful, the funding from CIF will allow for advice workers to be based within various community locations throughout Irvine. Making our services accessible locally, in established and trusted environments, means that people will be able to gain assistance with a variety of benefits, housing, and debt issues on their doorstep. This will mean they do not need to travel all the way to Ardrossan to access our services; therefore, removing any accessibility barriers. By delivering our services from these kinds of premises, which already have a lot of activities happening on a daily basis, this means that people could be attending for any number of reasons; therefore, avoiding the stigma that might be attached to attending the main CHAP office. This funding will further increase our capacity to see clients, reducing waiting times, and providing our services to people within their own communities. The proposed service will be delivered over and above the existing services that we are delivering, both from our main office in Ardrossan and via our other, existing community outreach facilities, giving people more access to advice services which are needed now more than ever. Better Off North 82
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Ayrshire is ending in June 2023, with a contract then being put in place for debt advice across North Ayrshire. The funding from CIF will allow us the opportunity to expand resources to establish more outreach opportunities, specifically within the Irvine area, and will include up to Type III advice and advocacy in relation to Welfare Rights, and Housing as well as Debt where appropriate. Since April 2022, 38% of clients referred to our services from the Irvine area have failed to engage/attend their appointment. We know that there is a further need for our services in the Irvine area, and by bringing CHAP services to where people are, closer to their home, we are confident that the engagement would increase to ensure that people are gaining the support they need. Since we launched our Kilwinning outreach service in March 2022, we experienced a 110% increase in the number of clients from Kilwinning who engaged with our service, compared with the previous year. This means that those who would never have accessed our services were able to gain assistance with the issues which were negatively impacting various areas of their life, especially their mental health. We often find that due to the stigma that unfortunately remains attached to reaching out for assistance, especially in relation to money and debt issues, people are more likely to engage with our services if they are anonymised – by accessing assistance in busy and established community facilities, it is not automatically assumed that someone would be going there for help with money-related issues, as they could be accessing the premises for various reasons. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is having an affect on everyone. We are seeing an increasing number of clients who now require our services, who never would have previously. Individuals who have never faced financial difficulties are now finding that their finances are being stretched to an unmanageable degree: mortgage and rent rates are increasing, along with the cost of everything else – gas/electricity, petrol/diesel, food, and household essentials. With so much strain being put on family budgets, along with the demands of every-day life, this can culminate in financial crisis. People may feel forced into accessing unaffordable credit, leading to further financial distress. CHAP strongly believes that education, early intervention, and prevention are key; and can offer this as part of a two-tonged approach along with crisis intervention when required. Whilst engaging with the community, and working with other services, we have often heard people lament ‘if only I had known about CHAP…’ during a difficult time in their lives, it would made things a lot easier to cope with. We never want people to feel this way. We want everyone in Irvine to know that we are there, within their local communities to support them, so that nobody ever needs to experience that feeling of needing help, and not knowing where to turn. By providing our services on an outreach basis, this will increase the number of people who hear about CHAP within their local communities, which could provide that lifeline that someone is searching for. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include - [a] How you will approach reducing inequality. [b] How this proposal fits with Irvine’s priorities of: 1. Employment and Economy 2. Mental Health 3. Traffic and Parking 4. Influence and Sense of Control Outcomes • Increased number of individuals provided with easy/affordable access to services from the Irvine area. • Increased number of people with improved financial management skills. • Increased confidence and overall better quality of life reported by individuals. • Increase in household finances through income maximisation. • Reduction in reported stress levels. • Improved mental health and wellbeing. • Improved local economy as households will have more money to spend. • Reduction in levels of debt. 83
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Irvine has an average child poverty rate of around 23% (2020 SIMD), and this ranges from the highest level of 44.87% down to the lowest level of 7.11%. This demonstrates the huge disparity that exists between residents in different areas of Irvine. This is true, even when comparing areas within the same locality, e.g., within one locality/community, there are streets that have the average child poverty area of 44.87%, compared to adjacent communities which have levels of 9.38% and 7.11%. Throughout Irvine, there are communities where the child poverty levels are consistently high, e.g., in Bourtreehill, Irvine Central, and Fullarton. These levels of child poverty and disparity have real negative impact on the mental health of those at the higher ends of the child poverty scale. Dealing with debt, housing, and benefit issues also has a negative effect on peoples’ mental health. When all these aspects are compounded, it can make life extremely difficult for individuals, and can also have a detrimental impact on the family as a whole. When comparing the unemployment levels within the same areas, there is often a clear correlation between this and levels of child poverty. People who are unemployed and facing rising debts, often feel like these issues are unsurmountable. Many are afraid to take positive steps back into employment because they know that when they do, it means that creditors will be able to take action against them to recuperate debt. By engaging with CHAP’s advisers in a trusted environment, clients can begin to remove these barriers by gaining timely and appropriate advice, which can then begin to improve their confidence, remove stress, and allow them to start thinking about making positive steps towards employment. According to entitledto.org.uk, there was over £15 billion unclaimed benefits in 2020. This includes: • Child tax credit - £2.49 billion (£3716 per year for each family missing out) • Pension credit - £1.56 billion (£1695 per year for each individual missing out) • Council Tax Support - £2.6 billion (£938 per year for each household missing out) • Housing Benefit - £2.81 billion (£3122 per year for each household missing out) These figures demonstrate that services which can help to maximise people’s income and put money directly into the pockets of individuals and their families are needed now more than ever. Since May 2022, CHAP has achieved almost £2.3 million in financial gains for our clients, of which over £368,000 was for individuals from Irvine. This could be further increased by us having a presence within local communities in the area, as it will allow us to reach disengaged individuals with various accessibility challenges. CHAP is assisting to increase the income of individuals and families throughout Irvine, which not only has a positive impact on the people themselves; it also has a larger benefit to community regeneration. If local people have more money coming into their households, this will enable them to spend more money locally, support local business, boost the economy, and improve their overall mental health and wellbeing. Improving people’s wellbeing and confidence, as well as reducing their stress levels will allow them to move forward in their lives in relation to possible employment or training opportunities, which has a long-term positive affect on their lives. We have successfully rolled out several outreach facilities in Kilwinning, Kilbirnie, and throughout the Three Towns, which has revealed the full extent of unfulfilled demand for our services, previously not met through issues of accessibility and stigma with people accessing our services within their communities. The CIF funding will allow us to replicate this model in the Irvine area, ensuring the residents have the same access to CHAP services as their counterparts in other areas of North Ayrshire. The cost-of-living crisis has meant CHAP has already experienced an increase to the demand on our services. In our operational year ending November 2022, we witnessed a 30% increase in referrals to our service, compared to the previous year. Without further funding this increase has the adverse effect of lengthening lead times to first appointment. This in turn leads to despair and to many clients failing to engage with us, something which can only worsen through the continuing cost-of-living crisis. There had previously been levels of financial support put in place by both the UK, and Scottish Governments; however, these support measures are no longer in place, and as such we are anticipating further demands on our services in the months to come. CHAP advice services will compliment all the community work that is already taking place within the Irvine area. There are various community groups and organisations who are working hard to help people through the current financial crisis, including food provision services, Friends of Redburn, Fullarton Community Hub, as well as various services relating to mental health and wellbeing. CHAP will work in partnership with established community 84
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organisations to ensure that all aspects of peoples lives are addressed, and support is put in place where appropriate. 5. Please give an overview of the engagement that has taken place in relation to the project With support from the Locality team, we conducted an online survey of community members, and of those who responded, 91% have indicated that they would be more likely to access advice services within a community setting rather than in a traditional office setting. This demonstrates that people are still worried about the stigma that surrounds accessing advice services, and that individuals would rather be seen within a trusted, familiar, and informal setting, which can be the difference between engaging and gaining help, and the individual struggling with issues alone, which often has a long-term negative impact on mental health, and overall wellbeing of individuals and families. We have been involved in ongoing community engagement in relation to this proposal. This has included attendance at various community ‘Chit Chat’ sessions, as well as the locality networking events. Through attending these sessions and speaking to members of the community, we have heard from various individuals that the provision of advice services within the community are lacking, and a lot of people do not know where to turn to for support. When asked if they are worried about the current cost-of-living crisis, 91% also indicated that this is an area of concern for them. Finally, when asked where the best place for would be for advice services to be delivered within the community, the responses were based around community centres, and libraries. 6. Please tell us how the project will be managed Please include - [a] How the finances will be managed. [b] Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities [c] If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans. [d] Is there evidence of partnership working in relation to the project within Irvine locality? Staff are responsible to the Service Manager and the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) are cascaded into staff action plans which in turn, influence personal training plans. The Service Manager reports on KPI’s to the CEO on a regular basis, who is required to report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis on the outcomes achieved across the services. There is also a Service Support Officer who oversees the setup of new initiatives, reporting and quality assurance. To successfully deliver the proposed project, CHAP has plans in place to expand our current resources if we are successful in obtaining the required funding. The staff induction and training process is aligned with the Scottish National Standards and Financial Conduct Authority requirements. There are ongoing training procedures in place, with staff having dedicated training time incorporated into their working schedule. Each staff member has an individual training plan which highlights any skills gaps and to allow appropriate training to be sourced to assist them to develop the required technical knowledge. Staff are cross trained to maximise overall staff efficiency and flexibility, reducing the potential impact of a key member of staff being absent or leaving the organisation. Our accounts are outsourced to an external company, Alexander Sloans. We have external Finance Director who is able to provide us with detailed accounts at individual project level. The management accounts produced are reviewed quarterly by the board and annually by our auditors. Procedures are in place to ensure that all elements of the services remain inside the allotted budgets. The Chief Executive and the Virtual Finance Director liaise with each other, regularly discussing said budgets. Each service has its own individual budget sheet, and each budget heading is broken down monthly. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that there is enough in the budget to cover any requests, such as staff training, etc. All company transactions are recorded by our Virtual Finance Director and a financial trail is kept for end of financial year auditing. Detailed quarterly management accounts are provided to the Board of Directors for scrutiny. 85
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Other than the board of directors who are volunteers, CHAP currently does not have volunteers involved in the delivery of services. However, this is something we are looking to develop, and we would welcome the support of volunteers in our community based work in the role of ‘peer supporters’. We have established excellent partnerships with the Irvine Locality Team which has allowed us to gain an understanding of the needs of the residents within the Irvine area, and the issues that are affecting people locally. We have excellent partnerships with Children 1st, KA Leisure, Input, and various community centres throughout the Irvine area. We work closely with the Third Sector Interface to help establish other potential partnerships with like- minded organisations. 7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of the amount of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and ‘in kind’. Amount of funding requested: £91,534 Please include detail on - [a] Breakdown of costs if available. [b] Recent quotations where appropriate When Funder Project Amount 2017-2020 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire - Digital Access £904,938 2017/18 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Shared Tenancy £2,572 2017/18 North Ayrshire Council Modern Apprenticeship Scheme £2,838 2017-2022 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice Service £511,146 2017-2022 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £285,303 2017-2022 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £638,857 2017-2022 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £380,784 2017-2020 SCVO Community Jobs Scotland £28,818 2018/19 Nationwide Community Awards £44,635 2019/20 SCVO Wellbeing Fund £14,224 2019/20 Scottish Government Benefit Uptake Fund £16,411 2019/20 Scottish Government Supporting Communities £15,220 2020/21 SVCO Employment Initiative £2,410 2020/21 North Ayrshire Council Housing + Money Advice £94,664 2020/21 North Ayrshire Council Employment Initiative £12,502 2020-2022 North Ayrshire Council New Better Off £315,955 2021/22 Ayrshire TSI Communities Mental Health + Wellbeing Fund £40,875 2021/22 North Ayrshire Council Long-term Unemployed Fund £4,382 2021/22 Other Other £1,200 2021-2023 (ended Mar 23) Scottish Legal Aid Board Debt Advice Journey £133,360 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on – [a] What monitoring, and evaluation processes are planned/in place? We have a secure, online caseload management system in place for recording and monitoring all activity within our existing services which will be utilised for any new projects. This system is password protected with a two-stage validation. This allows us to run reports to monitor our activity and report on the impact our work has on our clients and their families. 86
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This allows us to capture outcomes such as: • Number of clients referred. • % of clients engaged. • Issues clients need support with. • Successful outcomes. • Financial gains. Additionally, we have an evaluation and service user feedback process in place which allows us to capture the impact that our support has on our clients, their families, and their lives in general. By maintaining a flexible approach to this – clients can provide feedback over the phone or anonymously online – it allows us to gain more open and honest feedback from clients which allows us to make positive changes within the organisation where applicable. The evaluation captures various elements of the client journey, including: • Satisfaction with the overall service. • Did they feel at ease with their adviser. • How easy did they find it to access our services. • Was their appointment method suitable. • Has our service improved any of the following for them: Finances Health Improving confidence Quality of life Reducing stress Social circle/activities Employment Education • Any other comments regarding the service. We conduct service user focus groups in order to speak to clients, providing an open forum for our clients to give us honest feedback and suggestions around what we are doing well, and what improvements we can make. We also use this opportunity to provide information around upcoming service developments so that we can gain reactions and responses to these, ensuring we are on the right track and making changes relevant to service users, and the problems being faced in people’s day-to-day lives. By capturing this information, it allows us to demonstrate what impact the work we do has on individuals, their families, and the overall community. 87
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Cost of Living Crisis Purpose: To provide a third progress report to Cabinet in relation to the North Ayrshire Council responses to the current cost of living crisis and associated investments and funds. Recommendation: It is recommended that Cabinet: a) Notes the progress the Council has made in developing support in relation to the cost-of-living crisis; b) Agrees to discontinue reporting on those areas for which the funding has been fully expended; and c) Agrees to accept future progress reports on the investments, funds and activity associated with the cost-of-living crisis. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 North Ayrshire Council is designing and delivering a range of investments and initiatives to mitigate the impacts of the current cost-of-living crisis for its residents. 1.2 There have been two previous reports to Cabinet, (22nd November 2022 and a follow up on 30 May 2023). This third report provides a comprehensive overview of the current investments, funds, and activity relevant to the cost-of-living crisis, progress to date and next steps. This report will continue to form the basis of future six-monthly reports and progress will continue to be reported to Cabinet on a regular basis. 2. Background 2.1 The current cost-of-living crisis has resulted in a series of challenges for residents, communities, and businesses in North Ayrshire. The ongoing impact of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and economic unpredictability, compounded by the energy crisis, increased inflation and increased interest rates has resulted in higher household prices which have created hardship and financial exclusion for citizens, including North Ayrshire residents. Agenda Item 7 89
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2.2 The UK rate of inflation stayed at 6.7% in September, the same rate as August, according to the Office for National Statistics. This means prices are still rising at the same rate as the previous month. Petrol and diesel costs kept inflation up, the ONS says, but food and non-alcoholic drink prices fell for the first time since September 2022. 2.3 The International Monetary Fund forecasts the UK will have the highest inflation and slowest growth next year of any G7 economy, falling behind the US, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan. It downgraded the UK's prospects for next year, estimating the economy will grow by 0.6%, making it the slowest growing developed country in 2024 - widely predicted to be a general election year. The IMF says the UK's immediate prospects are being weighed down by the need to keep interest rates high to control inflation, which has been falling but remains stubbornly above target. It has warned Bank of England rates will peak at 6% and stay around 5% until 2028. Rates are currently 5.25%. 2.4 In 2023, North Ayrshire has the 7th lowest employment rate in Scotland (71.3%) compared to a Scottish average of 74.7%. 2.5 The North Ayrshire rate for claimants as a proportion of the working age population (aged 16-64) is 4.6%. This compares to regional figures of 4% for East Ayrshire and 3.4% for South Ayrshire and a Scottish average of 3.3%. This dataset is for March 2023 and shows the rate has remained the same compared to other areas where figures have increased. (Source: Dataset Selection - Query - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (nomisweb.co.uk)) 2.6 North Ayrshire’s vulnerability to the current economic crisis provides the context for the updates to Cabinet in relation to current national and local interventions. UK Government Response 2.7 The Energy Bill Support Scheme gave every household a £400 discount on their energy bills for winter 2022 to 2023. This ended in March 2023. 2.8 The Warm Home Discount Scheme (£150) is available for winter 2023 to 2024 to those who: • Get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit • Are on a low income. 90
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2.9 Other kinds of support include: • Up to £900 in 3 separate Cost of Living Payments for households on means-tested benefits; • A £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment, to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment for 2023 to 2024; • A £150 disability Cost of Living Payment for people who get certain disability benefits; and • Help from the Household Support Fund from the local council. 2.10 All businesses will get help with their energy bills as part of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. Scottish Government Response 2.11 The Child Winter Heating Payment is a benefit from the Scottish Government to help disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter. It’s paid once a year. The payment for winter 2023-2024 is £235.70. Payments for winter 2023-2024 will begin in November 2023. 2.12 The Energy Bills Discount is a £400 discount on energy payments to help with household heating and energy costs. This is called the Energy Bills Support Scheme. It is available if the claimant: • Lives in Scotland • Has an electricity connection to their house. 2.13 The Winter Heating Payment is to help people on low income benefits who might have extra heating needs. Social Security Scotland pays this to people living in Scotland. • It replaces the Cold Weather Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and has the same eligibility requirements. • Unlike the Cold Weather Payment, Winter Heating Payment does not depend on how cold the temperature gets. • Winter Heating Payment is a yearly payment of £50 that’s paid automatically. 91
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2.14 In July 2023, North Ayrshire received £57,000 revenue of funding from the Scottish Government Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund. North Ayrshire Response 2.15 Governance 2.15.1 In June 2022 Cabinet agreed to set up a new Board to tackle child poverty. With the escalation in cost-of-living concerns this board now also oversees the Council’s response to the current cost-of -living crisis. The board is chaired by the Council Leader. The strategic approach to the themes in relation to child poverty and cost-of- living are agreed by the Board and explored in conjunction with Community Planning, third sector partners and residents. 2.15.2 A consistent approach to identifying actions is ensured by the following approach 2.15.3 Themes explored to date are: • No Wrong Door • Employability • Food • Childcare Two place-based mini-enquiries have been concluded on Arran and Cumbrae to align with the Scottish Government Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund. 92
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2.15.4 The outputs from this work have informed the three-year Child Poverty strategy and annual report which was presented to Cabinet in June 2023 and will contribute to regular updates to Cabinet on the cost-of-living crisis and related expenditure. 2.15.5 The Council has made substantial investments in tackling child poverty and the cost- of-living crisis. The most recent of these have been agreed in Cabinet reports of June 2022, August 2022 and the budget of March 2023, where the Cost of the School Day fund was replaced by the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Fund. This provides £400k per annum for three years to honour existing commitments in relation to digital devices, fund developments in community transport and provide support for actions directed by the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board. A Cost-of-Living Workshop was held in October 2023 where senior managers, Elected Members, partners, third sector and voluntary organisations met to discuss where the fund could be best utilised. This focused on gap analysis and identification of opportunities for allocation of the Child Poverty and Cost of Loving Early Intervention Fund. 2.15.6 This Cabinet report brings together an overview of these investments, the funds that North Ayrshire administers locally on behalf of Scottish Government or Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which have an impact on the costs of living, progress in relation to intended impacts and timetables for future progress against the funded actions. The funds have been organised thematically and this approach reflects the support we also offer to residents through the Council’s web presence at: www.north- ayrshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living. 2.15.7 A number of the funds, particularly those related to addressing the impacts of the pandemic, have been fully expended. It is proposed that reporting on these is discontinued. These are: • Citrus Energy • Tenant Grant Fund • Housing Tenant Hardship Fund • Children and Families Investment Fund • Covid-related Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Funds • Supporting the Resilience of Local Businesses • Public Transport Travel Scheme • Covid-related Support for communities. 2.15.8 Future regular reports to Cabinet will provide further updates on present funds and related activity as outlined at Appendix 1. 93
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2.16 Cost-of-living Themes and Investments 2.16.1 The themes are as follows: Energy Advice and Support Food, Clothing and Essentials Finance and Benefits Children and Families Health and Wellbeing Business and community including transport for work Support for Communities Workforce wellbeing 2.16.2 Further detailed information about the funding associated with the above themes is contained in Appendix 1, as well as progress in relation to expenditure, future plans and timescales. 2.17 Cost-of-living Funding and Activities: Update on current investments The following highlights the significant additions and changes since the previous report. Further detail is included at Appendix 1: 2.17.1 Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund: Scottish Government funding for 2023-24: £57k revenue. 2.17.2 Significant roll-out of the EnergySmart scheme, including to the islands; 2.17.3 Notable progress in relation to the Fairer Food Network, with an additional larder system in Arran and a further larder about to open in Largs; 2.17.4 Continued effectiveness in the administration of a range of Council benefits; 2.17.5 Further development of the Financial Inclusion strategy and partnership; 2.17.6 The effective development of the Parental Employability Support Fund; 94
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2.17.7 The impact of the role of children and young people in determining interventions which make a difference to their lives in relation to poverty and cost- of-living; 2.17.8 The impact of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing funds and approaches; and 2.17.9 The difference being made to staff by the LiveWell initiatives. 2.18 Further detailed information about the funding associated with the above themes is contained in Appendix 1, as well as progress in relation to expenditure, future plans and timescales. This will continue to form the basis of future associated six-monthly updates to Cabinet. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: a) Notes the progress the Council has made in developing support in relation to the cost-of-living crisis; b) Agrees to discontinue reporting on those areas for which the funding has been fully expended; and c) Agrees to accept future progress reports on the investments, funds and activity associated with the cost-of-living crisis. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 There are no direct financial implications as a result of this report. Human Resources 4.2 There are no direct HR implications as a result of this report. Legal 4.3 There are no direct legal implications as a result of this report. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purpose of the current report is to provide an overview of the measures which that Council has taken or delivers to mitigate the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on our most vulnerable residents. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 This report includes information on the Energy Smart scheme which aims to reduce fuel poverty and increase affordable warmth, whilst reducing carbon emissions and providing local employment opportunities. 95
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Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals impact on the following Council Plan priorities: • Wellbeing – to transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people. • Communities and Local Democracy – we will have active, inclusive and resilient communities. • Climate Change – achieving net-zero by 2030. • A Sustainable Council – a Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 Community Wealth Building is an approach to developing more resilient local economies. It is recognised that as part of the council’s comprehensive approach to CWB, short- term measures taken to mitigate the effects of the costs of living crisis will contribute to our medium and longer-term goals of developing a more resilient economy. There are a wide range of initiatives and actions across each of the pillars which will mitigate the cost- of-living crisis including: • Fair Work – supporting the update of the Real Living Wage and improving job security for employees. • Procurement – development of local supply chains and strengthening the local company business base. • Plural ownership – evidence shows that cooperatives and other forms of plural ownership are more resilient through periods of economic shocks than shareholder-based businesses, in addition to contributing to addressing social and economic inequality. • Financial Power - Work with partners including credit unions to encourage progressive finance. The forthcoming CWB legislation and the new Ayrshire regional economic strategy will further strengthen this approach. 5. Consultation 5.1 A wide range of partners and residents have been consulted in the development of the interventions included in the report and improvements to delivery of services has resulted. The ongoing mini enquiries, on themes such as the “No Wrong Door” approach, are contributing to interventions and service design. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities & Education) For further information please contact Audrey Sutton, Executive Director (Communities & Education), on (01294) 324414. 96
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Background Papers Appendix 1: Cost of Living Themes & Updates (November 2023) 97
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1 Energy Advice and Support Food, Clothing and Essentials Finance and Benefits Children and Families Health and Wellbeing Business and Community including transport to work Support for Communities Employee Wellbeing North Ayrshire Council Cabinet Cost of Living Themes and Updates – November 2023 Appendix 1 98
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2 Community based energy support 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount £1.726m Energy Smart Scheme was secured as part of the 2022/23 Council budget setting process. This was supplemented by an additional £0.450m to support the crisis payment element of the scheme by Cabinet on 23 August 2022. At the Council budget of 1/3/23, a further commitment to invest any year end underspend in excess of £1m. This has resulted in an additional £0.524m being added to the budget, as reported to Cabinet on 30/5/23. 2. Intended impact The key objective is to support residents of North Ayrshire through the cost-of-living crisis by reducing fuel poverty and increasing affordable warmth, whilst reducing carbon emissions and providing local employment opportunities as part of the programme. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure There are three elements of the Council’s Energy Smart programme, and an update on each is provided below. The launch of a partnership with the Energy Agency to signpost households to free and impartial advice through the Home Energy Scotland helpline • The partnership was launched on 19 September 2022 and 2,611 North Ayrshire households have received energy advice since that date to help lower their bills. The additional allocation of £524,000 to offer one-off emergency support payments towards energy bills for low-income families in 2023/24. This further supports the £450,000 fund provided for 2022/23. • The Energy Smart Emergency Support scheme launched on 31 October 2022 to provide assistance over the 2022/23 winter period. • To date, the Council has supported over 1,400 households facing pressure from rising utility bills through the Emergency Smart Emergency Support scheme. • A customer satisfaction survey reported an average 4.7 out of 5 level of satisfaction with the financial support offered by the Council during the cost-of-living crisis. The creation of a £1.726 million fund to carry out home improvements to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy bills • The initial phase of support launched in January 2023, targeting low-income households who may be eligible for top-up loft insulation. The second phase of support is in the process of being procured and will offer a wider range of energy efficiency measures and is anticipated to launch in June 2023. In addition, we have also provided 900 LED bulbs to the 14 food larders to help reduce energy consumption in homes. Energy Advice and Support 99
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3 • A procurement exercise is nearing completion to appoint a contractor to undertake a range of low-cost energy efficiency measures, in order to support households through the heating season. The Energy Smart programme will be used alongside other funding programmes, for example the Area Based Scheme and ECO4 Flex, to maximise funding opportunities for North Ayrshire households. 4. What difference has the investment made? The following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will monitor the success of the programme: 1) Number of households in fuel poverty helped with energy efficiency advice. 2) Number of households in receipt of crisis support. 3) Number of households granted financial assistance for energy efficiency measures. • To date, the Council has supported over 1,400 households facing pressure from rising utility bills through the Emergency Smart Emergency Support scheme. 5. Next steps and timescales 4) Appoint a contractor to deliver multiple energy efficiency measures in homes from October 2023. 6. Comments The Energy Smart model aims to support residents of North Ayrshire through the cost-of-living crisis by reducing fuel poverty and increasing affordable warmth, whilst reducing carbon emissions. Delivery of the sustainability initiative is being implemented across three stages and incorporating energy efficiency and low carbon behaviour advice, crisis support payment and implementation of physical energy efficiency measures. 100
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4 Citrus Energy (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Fuel Poverty - increase capacity in Citrus Energy Fund - Tackling Financial Insecurity: Scottish Government Funding: £0.060m Date awarded: 15/06/2021 2. Intended impact Increased capacity in Citrus Energy allowed the organisation to deliver the additional support in the Garnock Valley and Irvine and deliver much needed energy advice to local communities. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure The additional capacity was for a 12-month period and the allocation was fully spent. At its budget of March 2023 Council approved any balance of underspend in 2022/23 beyond £1m to be used to provide funding for further emergency support payments to citizens to help with their energy bills. This funding will be in addition to the previously secured £450,000, 4. What difference has the investment made? Additional information and advice has been provided at a critical time for residents seeking support. 5. Next steps and timescales As 3. above 6. Comments This work was initiated as a result of learning from the pandemic. 101
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5 Fairer Food 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Fairer Food System Fund: Recovery and Renewal Investment Fund - £0.150m Support to Fairer Food Network Fund: Tackling Financial Insecurity SG – 2021/22 Winter - £0.247m North Ayrshire Fairer Food Network Fund: North Ayrshire COVID Economic Recovery Fund - SG Funding - £0.142m Community Food Network Fund: Original Investment Fund - £0.500m Cost of School Day Food allocation: £150,000 2. Intended impact The prevention of food poverty through the provision of food with dignity. The aim is to reduce the cost of the weekly shop, not to provide a full shop, so that family budgets go further. This minimises pressure on the foodbank. Funding has been used for food vouchers during holidays and the provision of warm clothing/footwear/outdoor wear and basic household items, such as toiletries. It also includes support for self-isolation on islands, mental health, energy, and money advice. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure A network of community food larders has been established with North Ayrshire Fairer Food branding. The Council provides support in food safety, health and safety and other regulations. The NA Fairer Food Network of community food providers meet regularly and have been co-developing, sharing good practice and piloting bulk-buying, as well as establishing community benefit partnerships. Fairer Food System Allocation fully spent. This was the initial funding allocation that started off the establishment of the network. Expenditure included shelving, tills, resources for cooking & food preparation areas, initial stock, branding, fridges, freezers, chill cabinets etc. £0.150m Support to Fairer Food Network • NA Food Resilience (Community Hubs and NA Foodbank) Peripatetic Support Officer supports the transportation of supplies such as emergency parcels, larder top up stock, delivery, and uplifts of stocks/equipment/materials across all sites. Funding to cover additional Venue Assistants for food support at Whitlees Centre. Emergency stock supplies and equipment investment for emergency situations including BBQs for each larder site. Additional urns, crockery and twelve months Foodbank Co-ordinator and cook costs: £0.077. • Food Larder Development: Top up for winter food supplies, marketing and promotion, equipment and adaptations, training of staff – The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS), Elementary Food Hygiene, Financial Regulations: £0.143m. • Community Cafes: Costs for food, supplies to host free soup days, coffee mornings or similar targeting financially vulnerable and isolated. Investment in equipment within Community Cafes: £0.027m. Food, Clothing and Essentials 102
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6 Cost of the School Day (Food element) 2021/22 • Reusable water bottles were purchased for all North Ayrshire school pupils. Water bottles reduce the need for pupils to purchase single-use plastic liquids during the school day. Providing all pupils with a water bottle reduces stigma and promotes healthy practices. It is also more environmentally friendly. • Those accessing Community Larders with school aged children were provided with supplementary food items linked to the cost of the school day. Cost of the School Day (Food element) 2022/23 The community larder network and partners support the needs of families and young people, through breakfast clubs and community food supply. North Ayrshire Fairer Food Network The North Ayrshire Fairer Food Network is our local alternative to foodbanks and is aimed at addressing food insecurity in a dignified way. Further development of the larders and shops will support low-income residents by developing and improving the sustainability of the existing network. New initiatives and business models include community fridges, community cafes, social enterprises based on growing produce and better links across providers. It will also focus on support for the islands communities so that approaches are developed which fit their specific needs: £0.142m. Ongoing NAC support to North Ayrshire Fairer Food Network External consultants completed a review of the larder models, which vary depending on the local aims of the community organisation. The NA Fairer Food Network has agreed a model which should sustain current demand for 3 years, supported by the allocation of £500,000 from Cabinet. The payment model to distribute this funding will provide a quarterly payment for 12 quarters dependant on the larder footfall. This model allows capacity to expand as the cost-of-living crisis continues and more families and households need to access the provision. We anticipate continued growth in weekly appointments over the coming winter months. The second payment supported 15 larders as Eco Savvy on Arran now has a subsided food model running in conjunction with their Zero Waste cafés on the island. Following the quarterly payment in April 2023, a review of the data highlighted that member numbers had steadied and a review of the payment structure showed that the majority of larders had under 100 weekly appointments. An amended was therefore made to the payment structure which is as follows: Quarterly payment budget - £25k Up to 29 weekly appointments - £1000 The updated model provides a fairer cost per household but acknowledges that payments will change each quarter dependant on footfall. To date £75k has been allocated to 15 providers across North Ayrshire. It was also agreed that £100k of the £500k be held in reserve to support any new larder set ups and infrastructure development. This fund is currently being utilised to set up the new larder in Largs library which will open early winter 2023. 103
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7 A community consultation is currently underway to assess if there is a need for assisted food provision on Cumbrae. 4. What difference has the investment made? 15 Community Larders are now operational. The network support group meets quarterly, and members are part of a communication group for peer support. Weekly footfall across the Larders is c.850 per week (families/members). Average weekly footfall has now levelled and approximately 600 households are making use of the provision each week. Membership is far greater than the weekly footfall estimated and is currently in excess of 2000. “The people coming in are from all demographics, from those working to those on benefits.” “The groups have become experts in where to buy and how to get the best value for money from supermarkets and other suppliers. However, what is being offered in the larders is being changed to meet the budgets available and rising cost of food.” 5. Next steps and timescales The Fairer Food Forum grows in capacity and influence and ongoing self-evaluation of the network continues to inform activity. 6. Comments The models have to align with the aspirations of community volunteers and the available budget. There is considerable potential for the larder volunteers to offer advice and refer to other partners, such as Home Energy Scotland (more than half of the 15 larders have already completed their referral training and can now signpost via Home Energy Scotland’s online portal) Refresher training is currently on offer for existing and new referral partners and has been offered to all larders. Tenant Grant Fund (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount The Scottish Government provided an allocation of £10m to Scottish local authorities during financial year 2021/22 to provide direct financial support to tenants - via landlords in their area - for the specific purpose of paying rent arrears arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was aimed at highly vulnerable tenants who would become homeless or did not have alternative sources of support. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tenant Grant Fund: North Ayrshire Council received an allocation of £298k. Finance and Benefits 104
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8 2. Intended impact The grant is to help prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies by directly reducing, alleviating, or paying off rent arrears altogether, where a tenant is in either the social or private sector, and has faced difficulties due to Coronavirus. The grant covered arrears arising between 23 March 2020 and 9 August 2021. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure The full allocation of funding has been spent; it was closed to new applications on 31 March 2022. Total expenditure was £298,259.65, split across 2021/22 and 2022/23. 4. What difference has the investment made? 555 applications were received, of which 460 were awarded grant. Of the remaining 95 applications, 75 were closed, 18 were assessed as not eligible and 2 were refused by the relevant landlord. Applications Approved No of applications Amount paid Private let 29 £18,665.39 RSL 92 £54,978.63 NAC 341 £224,615.63 5. Next steps and timescales N/A 6. Comments Initial spend within the Fund was low despite a high level of applications being received. Although applications were being made these couldn’t be progressed due to a number of factors, including the requirement for proofs and non-engagement from either the tenant or landlord. In January 2022 officers reviewed processes and engaged with landlords to expedite applications into decision making and awards being made. The process was very labour intensive, and staff had to make several contacts with both tenants and landlords despite best attempts to ensure the information required was fully captured within the application process. The fund is now closed with allocated monies being fully spent. Housing Tenant Hardship Fund (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount The Scottish Government provided an allocation of £867,000 to North Ayrshire through the Scottish Government Winter Support Fund – Tackling Financial Insecurities. The supporting guidance detailed flexibility of use across a number of areas to target those most in need e.g. food support, fuel, isolation, welfare fund top ups, housing, homelessness. From this fund the Council’s Housing Service was awarded £195K for help with tenancy hardship, focusing on highly vulnerable tenants affected by fuel poverty. 105
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9 2. Strategic intent: intended impact The funding assists any North Ayrshire Council tenant who is finding it difficult to manage fuel bills. The Support Worker provides person- centred housing related support including income maximisation, welfare benefit advice and assistance, fuel, and utilities advice, helping them to sustain their tenancy and prevent any potential homelessness issue in the future. The fund helps support winter warm initiatives and interventions for our most vulnerable tenant who are at the greatest risk of fuel poverty. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Funding was carried over into 2022/23 due to the timing of allocation. • 4 temporary posts funded until April 2023, at a cost of £142K: 4 Housing Support Workers posts were created at the end of 2021/22 (2 x Fuel Poverty and 2 x Sheltered Wellbeing). The funding was carried over into 2022/23 due to the time taken to recruit into the posts. • Top up of meters to help resettlement from temporary accommodation into mainstream tenancies. We have set aside £15K and are currently setting processes up with the Scottish Welfare Fund. • Assist to top up gas meters where they require to be uncapped in order to re-start a gas supply and allow for a gas safety check to be completed. To date we have only spent £210 as we have managed to gain access to other funds via energy suppliers/agencies, but expectations is that due to funding from these sources being limited we will achieve full expenditure of £10K by 31 March 2023. • Winter warmth initiatives/interventions - officers are researching what could impact most effectively on making heating and overall energy cheaper in relation to the cost-of-living crisis. We currently anticipate expenditure of £28K by 31 March 2023. 4. What difference has the investment made? Update to 31 January 2023 we have supported 197 tenants with an average age of 39 to tackle fuel poverty. 7 of these tenants had previously been known to Homeless Services. Our engagement rate YTD is 53%. We continue to carry out regular visits to each of the 28 sheltered units and have engaged with 641 residents/tenants to date. 5. Next steps and timescales Fuel Poverty/Sheltered Wellbeing Housing Support Workers Continue to engage with tenants/residents to tackle fuel poverty and maximise income where possible to avert crisis with energy over the winter months – by 31 March 2023. Winter Warmth Initiatives/Interventions Provide our most vulnerable tenants with access to a range of goods that reduce energy costs over the winter months – by 31 March 2023. Sustainability Team • Linking in on any of the Sustainability team’s projects that could support tenants. • Discussions around the new ‘Energy Smart’: Energy Based Community Support Model - by 31 December 2022. (completed). Promote the service when engaging with tenants – 31 March 2023. Social Welfare Fund Ongoing discussions with Social Welfare Fund (SWF) Manager about how we can assist with payments for meters for new tenancies (NAC only, as Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) do this as part of new tenancy set up) and people struggling to meet the cost of energy prices as they start to rise – by 31 October 2022 (completed). This is being done via Housing Support staff due to complexes around how this 106
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10 would work in-line with the Scottish Welfare Fund and the impact this could have on staffing resources. This method of working will remain in place until 31 March 2023 Social Media/Referrals Continue to engage with residents in North Ayrshire via social media and a referral process that will be managed via the Housing Support Service Co-ordinator - by 31 March 2023. Cost-of-living Crisis Working with other Council departments/agencies to address Cost-of-living crisis being faced by people at risk of homelessness and also tenants. Signposting to other agencies and collecting data on resources available within communities for support through the winter months – by 31 March 2023. 6. Comments As funding was not made available until around February 2022, recruitment timescales meant staff were unable to take these posts up until May 2022. Within a short space of time the team have achieved great success in engaging with tenants who are in fuel poverty (53%). The team have also successfully engaged with tenants and helped to arrange gas safety checks, with gas restored to 370 properties. This intervention potentially avoided 370 forced entries into these properties and avoided a cost of approx. £59k to the Council. 107
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11 Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Total £1,153,120 recurring funding from Scottish Government. • £362,4001 allocated to Crisis Grants • £790,720 allocated to Community Care Grants On 30/5/23 Cabinet agreed to earmark additional resources of £327,000 to support additional demand pressures for SWF grants during 2023/24. 2. Intended impact The aim of the funding is to provide financial help by way of a Crisis Grant to those in immediate crisis or a Community Care Grant to those in need of essential household items. The funding is intended to provide a Crisis Grant of a cash award to people who are in financial crisis because of either a disaster like a fire or flood or are in an emergency situation such as having lost all their money, had their money stolen, or are in need of food. It is also used to provide energy vouchers for their home. The award is made using a text message or email to their phone with a code which can be redeemed at any Pay Point vendor ensuring they can access the cash or energy top up for their pre-payment meter quickly. Community Care grants aim to help people who are leaving any form of care such as hospital or prison or who have been homeless and require help to set up their own home by providing them with essential household items and furniture. It can also be used to help households facing exceptional pressure with on-off items such as a washing machine or cooker. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Crisis Grants: £139,057 Community Care Grants: £172,558 Total spend: £311,615 4. What difference has the investment made? This financial year to date, the Scottish Welfare Fund has helped 1,832 people in financial crisis with a Crisis Grant. 1,230 people have received fuel vouchers, and 920 people have received a Community Care grant to help with essential household items and furniture. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to accept and process applications as quickly as possible throughout the year. 6. Comments The SWF is delivered using a “One Team” approach ensuring that when someone calls to apply for a Crisis Grant that a decision to award is made whilst the customer is on the phone and the payment can be made quickly to enable them access to much needed cash or fuel vouchers. 108
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12 Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTR) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount North Ayrshire Council has committed £13,573,546 to support the Council Tax Rebate Scheme during 2023/24. 2. Intended impact To help those on lower incomes by lowering the amount of Council Tax that they are liable to pay. This is based on age, household structure and income and is charged on a per dwelling basis rather than to individuals. To fund CTR awards to all eligible households on a low income across North Ayrshire. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure At 31st August 2023 it is forecast that expenditure for the year will increase by a further £379,099, taking the total expenditure to £13,952,645. 4. What difference has the investment made? CTR has enabled Council Tax bills to be more affordable for lower income families. The current caseload is 16,614. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to ensure that there is high uptake of CTR and that it is awarded quickly for those eligible. 6. Concluding comments Automation of CTR has been introduced to ensure that any notifications received from The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming eligibility or changes are automatically applied to the relevant Council Tax account. 109
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13 Housing Benefit (HB) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount For 2023/24 it is forecast that total Housing Benefit expenditure will be £35,748,886. 2. Intended impact To help people who are on unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits towards paying their rent costs. Housing Benefit is aimed at pensioners and people of working age who are unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits and have not yet been moved across to Universal Credit to help them towards paying their rent costs. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Year to date expenditure is £19,106,821. 4. What difference has the investment made? This has helped people to afford to keep their tenancy and helped prevent them from falling into arrears with their rent. The current caseload is 7,348. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to ensure that Housing Benefit claims and changes of circumstances are processed quickly and accurately. 6. Comments N/A 110
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14 Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount For 2023/24 North Ayrshire Council has agreed funding of £2,751,621 to support DHP. 2. Intended impact The aim is to provide financial help to people claiming Housing Benefit or who receive housing cost payments through Universal Credit but their benefit is less than the full amount of their rent. DHP is used to help cover the shortfall. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Year to date: £1,571,779 has been awarded in total. 4. What difference has the investment made? This has helped people to afford to keep their tenancy and helped prevent them from falling into arrears with their rent. The current caseload is 2,416. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to ensure that DHP claims are processed fairly and quickly within the budget. 6. Concluding comments DHP requests are managed annually within the budget. 111
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15 Financial Inclusion 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Recovery and Renewal Investment Fund Financial Inclusion: Progressive Finance Access to Finance (1st Alliance): £0.150 2. Intended impact North Ayrshire Council approved funding for the 1st Alliance Community Bank (formerly Credit Union) to deliver a progressive finance scheme, to lend to individuals, who are considered as a higher t risk due to credit history, but who can however afford repayments. Small loans would be available to low-income residents who would not normally qualify through typical lending rules i.e., due to the higher risk factor, the credit union would not be able to lend from members’ funds. The agreed period for this investment is 1st October 2021 to 1st October 2023 (or whenever the capital investment is exhausted if prior to this date) and the total grant funding has been paid in three instalments. North Ayrshire residents who borrow from 1st Alliance must save a minimum of £3/week to access a loan (this saving and borrowing model is standard for Credit Unions), therefore borrowers will at the same time become savers. In the longer term this will provide a safety net for both planned and unplanned expenses and reduce the need to borrow from other sources, including high-cost lenders, or to fall into debt, including arrears with bills. The fund is recycled as each loan is cleared off and the member moves onto a members-based loan. This will therefore provide a legacy fund which will enable 1st Alliance to continue providing low- cost loans to “high risk” customers in the future. In December 2022, it was agreed that the final £50k payment would be used to provide a one-off incentive of £25 to be allocated to a new savings account, to encourage new savers to establish a ‘savings habit’. As a result, regular savers will build a savings pot which will provide some security for unplanned expenditures in the future and they will also become eligible to access member-based loans through 1st Alliance, thereby also improving access to affordable credit. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure To the end of August 2023, 214 individuals accessed loans through this investment. The total value of loans to date is £162,210 and the loans agreed range from £300 to £2000 with the majority agreed at £500. 63 loans were agreed from August to December 2021. 36 from January to June 2022. 29 from July to September 2022 32 from October to December 2022 58 from January to August 2023. Borrowers are from across North Ayrshire with the majority being from Irvine, Kilwinning or the Three Towns. 14 were from Garnock Valley, 3 from the North Coast and 3 from Arran. A total of 130 loan requests were declined due to lack of affordability or defaults on credit files, large amount of gambling on bank statements, bad debt with 1st Alliance or being in a trust deed. 39 loans are currently in arrears, a total of £11,624 which represents 7.17% of total loans. 112
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16 A standard assumption of 5% bad debt provision had been assumed. This higher rate of bad debt applies to all 1st Alliance loan portfolios and they believe it to be linked to a number of factors including the increase in cost-of-living. 160 individuals have benefitted from the £25 incentive to open a savings account. The full allocation of £0.150m has now been paid to 1st Alliance Credit Union for the purposes of the Progressive Finance Initiative. 4. What difference has the investment made? Borrowing through 1st Alliance costs less on interest rates than most other lenders. For example: 1st Alliance: £400 loan = 10 per week for 11 months = £72 interest. Scotcash: £400 loan = £12.21 per week for 12 months = £234.78 interest & £24 fee. This investment has therefore provided access to low-cost affordable loans for residents who would otherwise either have gone to higher cost lenders or have fallen into debt due to not being able to access a loan from anywhere. 55 loans were to buy out high-cost debts which have higher interest rates. The other loans were for a range of purposes including purchase of household items, clothes, events, holidays and for Christmas, which accounts largely for the higher number of loans agreed. 201 borrowers are regularly saving. A total of £37,078 has now been saved, an average of £142 per save 88 borrowers have now accessed top-up loans which means that the interest rate is reduced, as they have evidenced that they are responsible borrowers. Of those who benefitted from the £25 incentive, a total of £37,07 has been saved to date, representing an average of £232 saved per individual new saver. 5. Next steps and timescales Progress will continue to be monitored. The final payment of £50,000 has been transferred and discussions are taking place to ensure this progressive finance model is embedded within the new Financial Inclusion Strategy and service for North Ayrshire 6. Comments The investment is proving to be beneficial to North Ayrshire residents who may otherwise have been unable to access low-cost affordable loans, meaning that they have been able to cover additional unexpected and expected costs, purchase essential household items, and reduce higher costs loan payments. Many have improved credit ratings and/or moved on to top up loans with a lower interest rate and most have built up some savings, many of whom may not have managed to save before. 1st Alliance is now building that ‘legacy fund’ which will benefit residents beyond the scope of this investment period. 113
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17 Financial Inclusion Capacity Building 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount £258k for Financial Inclusion, agreed at August 2022 Cabinet. At its budget on 1/3/23 the Council allocated up to a further £0.100m to build on the previous investment of £0.258m to implement the review of financial inclusion services across the Council and to secure a level of support which is more commensurate with current need. 2. Intended impact The funding allocation was made to support the increasing demand for financial inclusion supports which is currently being experienced through the Money Matters and Welfare Reform Advice Teams. Non-recurring funding has been used to: • Commission of an independent debt advice service for North Ayrshire for 2 years to address an identified gap in debt advice provision. • Extend the Better Off pilot as required to ensure smooth transition and continuity of service – currently agreed until end June 2023 • Development of case management system and IT infrastructure • Salary plus costs for the Senior Manager post for 24 months • Marketing materials associated with a Communications Plan This will address the increasing demand for both welfare rights and debt advice across North Ayrshire. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure The new Senior Manager (Financial Inclusion) came into post in January 2023. An interim five-year Financial Inclusion Strategy for North Ayrshire was developed and approved by Cabinet on 21 March 2023 and is now in process of being implemented. Money Matters (HSCP) and the Welfare Reform and Advice Team are both now in HSCP and from 1 April 2023 and the Managers started reporting to the new Senior Manager (Financial Inclusion). As agreed at Cabinet in March 2023, the funds, to date, have been used to contract out a two-year independent debt advice service for residents across North Ayrshire. The contract was awarded to CHAP and started on 1 July 2023, following the ending of the Better Off pilot on 30 June 2023 (extended from the original 31 March 2023 end date). In addition, costs associated with promotional resources for the debt advice services, and Financial Inclusion Partnership events have been met from the total budget. Additional anticipated expenditures include those associated with the development of, and transition to, a new case management system. A Technical Appraisal carried out by the Transformation Team was presented to the Project Board on 13 September, recommending a move to AdvicePro for Money Matters (Welfare Reform Advice Team already use this system). A key intention in the Strategy was to establish a Financial Inclusion Partnership which was achieved in May 2023. The Partnership now has 29 members and an action plan for the Partnership is being developed. 4. What difference has the investment made? During July/August there were 48 referrals to the new debt advice service. The first milestone was 50 referrals in the first three months which will be achieved. The target for the first year is 300. Of those referrals, 20 were from Money Matters and 3 from the Welfare Reform Advice Team. 15 were self-referrals. 114
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18 The provision of this new universal debt advice service means that there is now local face to face provision of money and debt advice for anyone resident in North Ayrshire, which has been a gap for the last three years. It also enables the Welfare Reform Advice Team to refer on some debt cases which will alleviate the pressure on the team which saw a 400% increase in council tenants referred for debt advice over the last three years. A Consultation Working Group was established through the Partnership and a Community Consultation was developed and agreed, to inform the review and refresh of the Strategy for 2024-28. A Stakeholder Consultation is being developed. A mapping of all advice services was carried out through the Partnership and an interactive map, showing all advice services available across North Ayrshire, is currently being developed. 5. Next steps and timescales • To monitor the debt advice contract • To launch the consultations to review and refresh the FI Strategy which will be presented to Cabinet in February 2024 for approval. • To work towards development and implementation of AdvicePro as the new shared case management system for Money Matters and the Welfare Reform Advice Team. 6. Comments N/A 115
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19 Parental Employment Support Fund (PESF) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Parental Employment Support Fund (PESF): Scottish Government fund to support for unemployed and employed parents within the key priority groups: • Parents who are <25 years of age • Parents with a child under 1 year old • Parents with 3 or more children • Parents who have a disability or disabled children • Ethnic minority parents • Single parents 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023 £282,132 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024 £1,269,000 2. Intended impact The expected outcomes and objectives for PESF are as set out below: • Person-centred support for parents to address barriers to work including skills development, work experience, health support, money advice, motivational support; • Support for parents already in work through the provision of training and employability support to sustain employment and progress within the workplace by gaining improved employment; • Maximise opportunities to reduce child poverty by enhancing income through employment; • Providing support and relevant training that helps participants to progress through all stages of the Strategic Skills Pipeline; and • Delivering an employability system that supports more people, particularly those facing multiple barriers, to move into the right job at the right time. • 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure This funding supports the continuation of We Work for Families, contracted for delivery by The Lennox Partnership, with keyworkers delivering tailored employability support to families across North Ayrshire. During 2022/23 167 new parents were registered for support and 67 progressed into employment. During 2023/24 the annual investment plan sets the ambition to support 435 new parents and 80 parents already in employment. Referrals are received from health visitors, DWP and education providers through co-location models and close partnership working with these key stakeholders and referral partners. A new approach has been established through ‘Family Navigators’ within our We Work for Families team. They are community based and this has resulted in a higher number of referrals to the programme increasing the reach and engaging more parents in an employability journey. 116
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20 As part of employability week in May the Employability Hub in Ardrossan was launched as a Parental Employment Hub offering additional training opportunities for parents. A vocational training fund for working parents on low incomes has been launched and is delivered by CEiS Ayrshire as part of the wide range of interventions delivered by Your Next Move Working North Ayrshire. Other highlights include: • Step into Business pilot supported 10 parents to secure mentored vocational placements with Anchors Organisations including NHS, Fire & Rescue, Ayrshire College following their achievement with all completing a PC Passport qualification. • Care at Home (Day Shift pilot) saw 5 parents graduate after a six-month mentored vocational placement and all 5 offered contracts, wage increase and hours that suit the family. Driving lessons for 4 of these parents are being funded from DWP’s Flexible Support Fund. • Step into Family Health & Wellbeing had 12 parents attend 8 weeks training, confidence building workshops, gym inductions, first aid certificate and all were delighted to receive a 6-month family leisure pass. Childcare was provided for these parents to attend, providing wraparound support from a range of key partners. 4. What difference has the investment made? The investment has improved engagement, delivered a pilot to develop new referral pathways which will increase volumes of parents supported in the future. During 2023/24 (at September 2023) 152 new parents have been registered for support and 41 parents have secured employment withing this time. This investment has also supported the creation of Parental Employment Team to co-ordinate interventions across the parents to ensure a sharp focus remains on job outcomes. The investment will support additional paid work experience opportunities with 30 parents recently commencing employment with Third Sector Organisations, delivered in partnership with TACT. This will build capacity and also offer paid work experience for parents preparing to secure sustained employment. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to deliver the NOLB Annual Investment Plan to extend the reach to more parents from the priority groups and deliver job outcomes for parents. 6. Comments Income from employment is a key driver to take children out of poverty and we will continue to support parents to increase their household income through securing and progressing through employment. 117
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21 Free School Meals 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount. 1) Scottish Government revenue funding for holiday meals 2023/24 (£704k) 2) Scottish Government revenue funding for 2023/24 (£900k). 2. Intended impact The funding supports the continued roll out of Universal Free School Meals (UFSMs). This funding is the revenue funding to cover costs for Primary 4 & Primary 5 children in the financial year 2023/24. The Scottish Government also provides funding to enable a continued provision of food-based support during the school holiday periods to those children with an assessed eligibility for free school meals. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure • Direct cash payments will now be made to all families with an assessed eligibility for free school meals during key holiday periods for the school year. Additionally, a summer programme ran over the month of July each year across all localities. Over 11,000 meals were served in July 2023 along with a variety of activities for all age groups. • The Scottish Government has provided revenue funding of £570,000 in 2023/24 to start the roll out of free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils whose families are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment however we await a start date for this. Further scoping work is underway by the Scottish Government to establish revenue and capital requirements for any further roll out. 4. What difference has the investment made? (Stats and qualitative information) • Summer meals provided: 11,408 • Direct cash payments were made for circa 5,000 children at Easter, Summer and October holiday periods. • Uptake of school meals has increased for primary 4 & primary 5 children following the UFSM provision roll out however, overall uptake for UFSMs is lower than anticipated. This is the general trend across other authorities. 5. Next steps and timescales The first phase of capital work required to accommodate a further roll out of UFSMs has been completed and planning for the second phase is under way. Direct payments will be made for future holiday periods which are aligned to the cost of a school meal. Cash payments allow more flexibility on the use of the funding and a more dignified provision for eligible families. 6. Concluding comments Holiday meal provision (food or direct payments) ensures continuity of food for all children assessed as eligible for FSMs. This supports access to food and removes a financial burden from families. The expansion of UFSMs continues to support all families in this difficult economic climate. Many families who are not eligible for assessed-need FSM, are also struggling with the cost-of-living increases therefore a wider universal free provision of a hot meal eases the financial burden of having to pay or provide an alternative lunch option. Children and Families 118
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22 Cost of the School Day and Early Intervention Fund – Child Poverty and Cost of Living 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount. Cost of the School Day Fund – Council budget 04/03/2021 and Cost of the School Day Cabinet Report 23/03/2021 Date allocated - 2021/22 budget Amount - £0.500m pa (recurring) At the Council budget of 1/3/23, this fund was replaced by the Early Intervention Fund – Child Poverty and Cost of Living – one off investment over 3 years @ £400p.a. The allocation of this fund will take into account existing commitments and is being directed by the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board). 2. Intended impact The Cost of the School Day work has been focussed and two separate groups. Initially to professionals that work with young people across North Ayrshire and secondly to young people from both primary and secondary across North Ayrshire. The initial concept came from consultation during Year of the Young People in North Ayrshire where our legacy plan highlighted cost of the school day and child poverty as a key priority for our young people focussing on the following key areas: • Access to food (during the school day and holidays and weekends) • The cost of school transport to and from schools and for extracurricular activities • The costs of school trips and visits • The costs of school uniforms • The costs of materials needed for going to school. As one of the key priorities within our rights-based CLD Strategic Plan, it’s especially pertinent in North Ayrshire, with the second- highest concentration of child poverty in Scotland, with greater risk of key groups of young people in North Ayrshire living in poverty. Therefore, the work that we carry out around child poverty is essential. Our methodology of, “By young people, for young people” is embedded in our work and our Youth Participation Strategy with young people coming on journeys of change with us Young people lead on discussions around child poverty, shaping policy and practice for North Ayrshire Council and partners, they are involved in all initiatives that have come from the data in a co-design, co-production and co-delivery model. This work shows visible changes to our approach to lowering the cost of the school day for young people and their families. Youth Services and Education jointly plan, alongside our young people, for delivering events, activities, creating feedback loops and disseminating information to young people and their parents. Young people are empowered to speak truth to power, support and challenge officials and decision-makers as duty bearers and to ensure young people voice is respected and acted on in relation to Child Poverty. 3. Progress to date against There have been three key elements: 119
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23 milestones, including expenditure 1000 new digital devices each session for those in greatest need (ongoing and now funded from the Early Intervention Fund – Child Poverty and Cost of Living fund). £100k for school uniform, winter clothing, outdoor learning, sports – participatory approach with schools (ongoing in 2023/24). £150k for food in partnership with community organisations. The Cost of the School Day work has been ongoing since the start of 2022 and we continue to consult and engage with our young people, allowing us to shape the services and policy changes based on what young people tell us. Young people are involved in any changes to service delivery, new models of engagement and shaping policies for North Ayrshire and its partners. Changes as a result of engagement and involvement of young people include the following: • Non branded uniforms policy has been implemented across all of our schools; • Policy on no gifts for teachers; • Increase in breakfast clubs and swap shops in schools and communities; • Family learning providing opportunities for extracurricular activities across schools; • Increase in homework clubs; • Increased uptake and use of the transport for U22 scheme; • Healthy snacks free of charge in all primaries through PEF funding; • Access to digital materials for all pupils; • Holiday meals provisions – over 11,000 young people accessed this over the summer period 2023; and • Joint working across CLD and Education has allowed us to engage more young people and children in activities, opportunities and feedback – the commitment to young people’s active participation around voice and rights is increased across schools. The youth-led PB process and community PB has a key theme of poverty and inequality to support local groups and initiatives in delivering activities and support for young people around child poverty and cost of living. 4. What difference has the investment made? (Stats and qualitative information) Cost of the School Day funding has provided schools with enhanced flexibility to meet the needs of learners and their families throughout the ongoing cost of living crisis. Schools have utilised this funding in a variety of ways, which have been designed to meet needs within their local context. While it is challenging to quantify the difference made, qualitative evidence is gathered at school level. Loudoun-Montgomery Primary School, as a school located in one of North Ayrshire’s areas of highest deprivation, provides a good example of the difference this funding has made. The school has used this funding to put in place a breakfast club and morning snack; opportunities for families to access free school uniform; and participate in home learning through provision of IT devices and other learning materials that promote family learning. Another key use of this funding has been enabling all pupils to participate in school trips and other extra-curricular activities. Loudoun-Montgomery’s Head Teacher believes: “our child centred focus on reducing the cost of the school day enhances our ability to broaden our learners’ experiences, deliver a wider curriculum and extend learning beyond the school day. Our focus on ensuring that pupils look and feel their best and the provision of a healthy breakfast, snack and lunch all play a significant part in setting up our children to embrace the learning ahead of them each day.” 120
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24 5. Next steps and timescales We will continue to engage and consult with young people with a future conference to link in with Learners’ Voice. This will take place in November 2023 allowing us to check where we are and where we need to go next to continue to tackle child poverty (we are currently writing our Learners’ Voice strategy that will complement the Participation Strategy with Education). 6. Comments The funding has been welcomed by schools as an enabler in reducing the poverty-related attainment gap. Child poverty will continue to feature across all of our platforms from Locality priorities, our CLD Plan, youth work key priorities and youth participation work. The Pupil Equity Fund will focus on child poverty and mitigate the effects of this for our children, young people and families. Children and Families Investment Fund (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount. Children and Families Investment Fund Fund: Recovery and Renewal Investment Fund - £0.075m Digital Access Fund Fund - Recovery and Renewal Investment Fund - £0.255m Support for the North Ayrshire Child Poverty Strategy and Action Plan Fund: North Ayrshire COVID Economic Recovery Fund - SG Funding - £0.076m Date Allocated – 15/06/21 2. Background: rationale for the funding allocation A Cabinet Report on 15/6/21 set out the rationale, including: • Prioritise the health and wellbeing of our residents by protecting the most vulnerable in our society against the immediate threat of coronavirus and the consequences of changes to the way we live. • Work with our communities in the renewal of services to ensure they meet their needs and priorities. • Build community capacity and resilience. • Ensure our children and young people get the best start in life by creating opportunities for education and employment, including through Community Wealth Building and Renewal. Prioritise and help tackle poverty, including child poverty. 3. Intended impact The aim of the funding was to promote recovery and support the most vulnerable children and families. Funding also supported the further reduction in the Cost of the School Day, to contribute towards Scottish Government’s aim of eradicating digital exclusion by improving digital access and skills, and the ongoing work to reduce Child Poverty and mitigate against its impact. 4. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Digital Participation Officer in post Review of access to wi-fi and IT resources in community venues complete (18 centres plus 15 libraries) and action plan to developed – currently implementing the actions Wi-fi access map created – available on NAC library app and NAC web page. Supporting the development of Digital Volunteers and Volunteering opportunities. 121
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25 Established North Ayrshire Digital Access Forum with agreed Terms of Reference in place. Events and sessions delivered across North Ayrshire with specific focus in school communities. Strong partnerships are being developed with Family Learning Teams and school staff. Supporting Ukranian Hub with essential access to IT resources. In partnership with the Digital Officer in TACT, created short films to assist in promoting the support available online and tutorials on how to access help and complete forms etc. Digital Participation Officer sits on the Digital Strategy and Accessing our Council Workstreams 5. What difference has the investment made? Available community-based resources are known and gaps identified. Positive feedback from participants attending sessions. Action plan being implemented: future report. 6. Next steps and timescales The following current actions are: • Establish and potentially widen the Forum membership. • Link with Education on supply of the digital devices and deliver support to assist with the use of the resources. • Work with feedback from Chit Chats to deliver bespoke help based on community feedback. • Integrate with Community Learning and Development Strategic Plan and support where relevant. • Support community associations with IT / internet related safeguarding. 7. Comments N/A 122
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26 School Clothing Grants 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount £852,000 recurring funding agreed by NAC. Additional funding is provided from the Council to match demand. 2. Intended impact The aim of the funding is to provide financial help with children’s school clothing and shoes. An annual payment of £126 is given to primary school children and £157.50 to secondary school children before the start of the new school year then to new applicants throughout the year. The intended impact is that all school children have adequate school clothes and shoes. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Total children: 4,384 from 7,715 families Total spend: £609,116. Breakdown: 2,583 Primary children: £325,458 1,801 Secondary children: £283,658 4. What difference has the investment made? It has provided financial support to 7,715 families and a total of 4,384children to enable them to afford school clothes and shoes. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to accept and process applications as quickly as possible throughout the year. 6. Comments A promotional campaign takes place each year at the start of school summer holiday period to confirm that applications are open. Text messages and emails are sent out to previous recipients with a link to the online application form and encouraging people to apply. This is also promoted via the Council’s Twitter and Facebook pages. 123
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27 Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount. £597,498 recurring funding agreed by North Ayrshire Council. 2. Intended impact To provide financial support to young people from low-income families to allow them to be able to afford to stay in post-16 education either in school or college who might otherwise have left education. The aim of the funding is to provide financial support of £30 a week (paid fortnightly in arrears) to 16 to19 year-olds in education who come from low-income families subject to attendance and agreement of a learning plan. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Total expenditure this financial year to date: £224,940 414 young people have received at least one payment for this school year. 4. What difference has the investment made? As payments are made directly into the young person’s bank account, this ensures that they can access the funds easily and use them for whatever they need to help them maintain attendance in school. 5. Next steps and timescales Continue to accept and process applications as quickly as possible throughout the year. 6. Concluding comments A promotional campaign takes place each year after the start of the school year in August to confirm that applications are open and encourage uptake. This is also promoted via the Council’s Twitter and Facebook pages. 124
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28 Contribution to Mental Health and Wellbeing (PARTLY COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount. Contribution to Community Mental Health and Wellbeing (COMPLETE) Fund - Tackling Financial Insecurity Winter Funding 2021/22: £0.307m Date Allocated - 29/11/21 Community Support for Mental Health (COMPLETE) Fund - Recovery and Renewal Investment Fund: £0.075m Date Allocated – 15/06/21 Costs for Island Self-Isolation (COMPLETE) Fund – Tackling Financial Insecurity Fund Date Allocated 29/11/21 Fund – Children and Young People’s Community MHWB Supports and Services Framework Grant Funding (CYP CMHWB) 2021 -2022 £370,000, 2022-23 £360,000 (total funding allocations) a portion of which contributes to this theme. CYP CMHWB receives annual funding, the £360,000 for financial year 2023-24 is allocated, there is no official confirmation of funding for 2024-25 but we remain hopeful that with the implementation of the delivery plan associated with the revised Mental Health Strategy that this work remains a Scottish Government priority. 2. Intended impact To address some of the key drivers of poor mental wellbeing - in relation to Cost of Living crisis, to address financial insecurity. Empowering local communities to deliver a wide range of events, activities and interventions that support positive mental health and wellbeing across North Ayrshire. To ensure children, young people and families have access to supports and services for MHWB at the time and place of need. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Contribution to Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Scottish Government gave Arran Community & Voluntary Service (CVS) responsibility for the distribution of the National Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund developed a robust application and assessment process involving staff from across the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and individuals with lived experience. The fund was heavily oversubscribed and the £307k was allocated in partnership with Arran CVS to allow more applications to be funded. In financial year 2022-23 the CYP CMHWB contributed an additional £33,000 to the Adult CMHWB Fund to deliver projects which targeted support for children, young people and families This was allocated to 7 grass roots 3rd Sector organisations who have a delivered a range of programmes which have engaged with children, young people and families. Health and Wellbeing 125
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29 The link between poverty and poor mental wellbeing continues to be an area of concern with 45% of our children and young people living in postcodes in the most deprived areas of Scotland, according to SIMD. In collaboration with Money Matters, we have invested (£20,000) in a Welfare Rights Officer across our 9 Secondary establishments. £25,000 was allocated to the Children and Familes teams to and 71 children, young people and families have benefited from co- produced bespoke supports which have had a positive impact on mental wellbeing. Examples of referral reasons for support include: family relationships / home issues, poverty / homelessness and trauma, with many children and young people experiencing multiple barriers to positive wellbeing. 22 of these families reported being impacted by poverty and/or homelessness. £23,500 contributes to the Family Centred Wellbeing Support Service, which provides families in the Irvine and Three Towns area with holistic family support which includes practical support to address financial insecurity. In the 6-month period to June 2023 this team supported 3 new family referrals. Reasons for engagement included 10 families impacted by poverty with 16 being referred on to support from Money Matters. 4. What difference has the investment made? Contribution to Community Mental Health and Wellbeing The £307k formed part of a combined budget of £813,346k which was allocated to a total of 55 groups over 61 projects. The investment from CYP CMHWB has allowed 4740 children and young people and 742 family members to access early intervention programmes in their community for positive mental health and wellbeing or emotional distress. Community Support for Mental Health The £75k formed part of a combined budget of £813,346k was allocated to a total of 55 groups over 61 projects. CYPCMHWB Impacts noted by the Third Sector organisations include: • Reduction in isolation • Increased confidence to engage with wellbeing supports. Many of the projects involved improving access to food, with breakfast clubs and Sunday lunches alongside support to cook on a budget. This school session August 2022 – June 2023 saw financial gains of £572,060 for our families, as a direct result of engagement with the schools’ Welfare Rights Officer. The Children and Families accessing the bespoke funding report improvements in their overall family wellbeing. Some of the examples of what the funding was used for include providing some fun days out for families who have all experienced some form of trauma/disruption to their lives; and the purchase of garden play equipment to promote healthier lifestyles and provide ongoing facilities to families to enjoy time together. It has been reported by many social work staff that families are relieved and delighted that 126
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30 they are able to take their children out and have fun together as a family. Families have also reported the positive impact that this fund is non stigmatising and allows them dignity to make choices. Impacts noted through engagement with the Family Centred Wellbeing Support Service are widespread. Service users have provided detail that the service meets their needs and have found the non-judgemental support particularly helpful. 5. Next steps and timescales Contribution to Community Mental Health and Wellbeing As we approach the one-year milestone since allocations were made Arran CVS are carrying out the evaluations of the projects. The next round of the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has just launched and again CPP partners are involved in the process to maximise impact and share local knowledge and experience. Community Support for Mental Health It is planned to further expand the work of the Family Centred Wellbeing Support Service across the whole of the authority through utilising a portion of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. 6. Comments Contribution to Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Using the established process made the spend quick and effective with money getting to the local groups quickly and via a single application process. It allowed the available money to be combined for maximum impact. Community Support for Mental Health CYP CMHWB We continue to report 6 monthly to the Scottish Government. They have highlighted two of our projects, (Welfare Rights Officer in Schools and Project Delivery Officers) as examples of best practice and we have been approached by other local authorities to share experiences and provide guidance. The collaboration with the Adult CMHWB is seen as a good example of using innovative ways to address the wider environmental and community drivers of poor mental wellbeing. 127
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31 Supporting the Resilience of Local Businesses (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Although not specifically allocated as part of cost-of-living, funds associated with supporting business have been redirected to focus on sustainability, capacity building and resilience. Key funding that has been redirected: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) £300k. 2. Intended impact Agreement with Scottish Government to waive restrictions on European Regional Development Fund from Growth. This initially was in response to pandemic however given cost-of-living crisis flexibility remains to support resilience of business base. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) form the cornerstone of NA economy and given make up recruit locally. Support to keep business sustainable and competitive allows for continued employment and helps alleviate potential increases in redundancy/poverty. It is also noted that cost-of-living has significantly increased cost impacts for most businesses including utilities, supply chains etc. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Over 1000 businesses have been supported and a further 260new businesses have received support to start up. 4. What difference has the investment made? 550 jobs have been safeguarded and a further 118 new jobs have been filled with support from Business Development (BD). Building capacity and sustainability has focused on new ways of working, cost control, implementation of digital technologies. Outputs: 259 businesses have been supported to reduce carbon impact. 370 businesses have been supported to enhance digital capability. 135 instances of specialist consultancy provided to business. Helped secure over £900,000 from external providers for businesses. 5. Next steps and timescales ERDF funding has now come to an end. Business and community including transport to work 128
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32 6. Comments N/A Review and Improve Support for Childminders and Out of School Clubs (OOSC) Providers 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers Fund - North Ayrshire COVID Economic Recovery Fund - SG Funding: £0.126m. Targeted employability opportunities for key families during Summer 2022 Fund - North Ayrshire COVID Economic Recovery Fund - SG Funding: £0.050m. Date awarded – June 2022 2. Intended impact Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers By the end of this parliament Scottish Government has committed to ensure provision of wrap around childcare for families who need it. Use of childcare has changed significantly because of COVID-19. OOSC providers face a particularly unstable business environment. Reduced use of OOSC services during lockdown and changed working patterns provide an opportunity to assess future demand and support the sector to ensure the local availability of services in line with Scottish Government’s expectations. The specific needs of the vulnerable children, kinship care and our island communities will also be considered a spart of this work. Targeted employability opportunities for key families during Summer 2022 Parents and carers with school age children will be encouraged to undertake a variety of short courses that upskill or lead to a route into employment. Build relationships between the Employability Team and participants, whilst building up confidence in the use of childcare services. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers The Cost-of-Living Mini Enquiry focussing on Childcare was held in Ardeer Community Centre on 25th May and the feedback from the event assisted in shaping a role profile for an officer to ensure the impact of the work meets local needs. Discussions have taken place with relevant officers and a draft Terms of Reference developed for a short life working group to guide this work. Outputs of work relating to childminding on Arran has been requested by the Scottish Childminding Association. Targeted employability opportunities for key families during Summer 2022 This work continues to progress with a group of 10 parents in the Auchenharvie Cluster. A strong partnership is in place between Employability, Information and Culture, Ayrshire College and the local childcare providers. 4. What difference has the investment made? Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers Too early to assess however, the Cost of Living Mini Enquiry focussing on Childcare has provided clear guidance for this work. Targeted employability opportunities for key families during Summer 2022 Ongoing – full assessment / evaluation will be carried out with participants and partners at the end of the funding however early evaluations have been very positive with short videos made with participants sharing the positive experience and outcomes. 129
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33 5. Next steps and timescales Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers The Scottish Government's School Age Childcare Delivery Framework and School Age Childcare: National Children's Charter was formally launched at the end of September 2023 and will be reviewed as part of this work to ensure that our work is in keeping with the national direction of travel. Targeted employability opportunities for key families during Summer 2022 Finish delivery as planned. Carry out full assessment / evaluation with participants and partners. 6. Concluding comments Review and improve support for childminders and OOSC providers The fluctuating situation relating to childcare services across North Ayrshire continues with most services remaining in a fragile position. This work will greatly assist with sustainability and availability. North Ayrshire Council was successful in securing an award of £99k from the Scottish Government to assist with Capital Investment in the school estate venues used by school aged childcare. This is being implemented in Whitehirst Park, Glencairn, Stanley, Mayfield Primary Schools with a focus on outdoor play and learning. 130
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34 Public Transport Travel Scheme (COMPLETE) 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount Public Transport Travel Scheme NAC Economic Covid Recovery Funding Approved by Cabinet 7 June 2022 and subsequent Audit and Scrutiny Committee on 20 June 2022: £20,000. An additional £28,000 from Transport Scotland’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places fund was used to extend the reach of the scheme. 2. Intended impact The scheme contributed to the principles of the Recovery Fund and Child Poverty Action Plan. This scheme provided support to low- income households and individuals returning to work with free access to public transport for a fixed three-month period. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure A total of £48,000 was invested in the scheme to provide 218 individuals with three months of free public transport travel via Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) ZoneCards and Stagecoach bus travel passes. The scheme provided three months of free access to bus or rail travel. Beneficiaries were also supported with a free personalised travel plan to identify the best travel option for them. This supports low-income households, access to employment, address transport poverty and build confidence in public transport post COVID-19. Due to the nature of the travel cards this also benefitted beneficiaries for both work and their personal life as they could be used at evenings/weekends. They could also be used alongside other concessionary travel schemes including the: • Young Person’s Free Bus Travel Scheme which allows children and young people under 22 free bus travel; • Kids for a Quid rail scheme allows children to travel for £1 alongside an adult traveller, for up to four children; and • Concessionary travel scheme for disabled people and those over 60 years of age. The Active Travel and Transport Team worked with the Council’s Employability team and the Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS) to identify beneficiaries. CEIS is a social enterprise agency who deliver a range of services including employability, employer engagement, recruitment, and retention services. This includes workforce development services, community engagement and capacity building, skills and training services and community regeneration services. Once beneficiaries were identified, the team prepared a personalised travel plan for each individual to work out the best public transport ticket solution for them. Thereafter the individual was provided with the most appropriate ticket for the three-month period. Pre and post intervention surveys were undertaken with beneficiaries. 4. What difference has the investment made? A total of £48,000 was invested in the scheme to provide 218 individuals with three months of free public transport travel via Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) ZoneCards and Stagecoach bus travel passes. A sample of responses from participants is included below to illustrate the positive impact the scheme had. • “I was able to support my dad when he was attending hospital by using the bus to Crosshouse” 131
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35 • “Made it easier for me to go to interviews and appointments” • “Made it easier to attend my job centre appointments as well as hospital appointments.” • “It saved me money.” • “It’s been great for me, I have been using it to attend work and the nursery run” • “It has been a massive help as I use the bus daily with 4 kids at home, not having the extra expense for the bus has helped a lot.” • “It’s been great because I have been out a lot more with my kids.” • “Helped with travel to and from job centre, everyday appointments and shopping.” • “Been amazing, I have been able to save £13.10 a week.” • “Good impact and with having a physical disability this has been really helpful.” • “Made life easier.” 5. Next steps and timescales The funding for the scheme has now come to an end however opportunities to replicate it in future will continue to be investigated. Free travel and transport advice however is available to all North Ayrshire residents on an ongoing basis under the Travel Smart and Trinity Active Travel Hub activities. 6. Comments The scheme directly benefitted low-income households by reducing the impact of travel costs on household budgets and helping to address transport poverty. This improved access to employment opportunities and helped sustain employment. It also helped to build confidence in the public transport network post-pandemic and support sustainable travel for everyday journeys. The mode of transport was tailored to individual beneficiaries’ needs and both bus and rail travel solutions were facilitated across North Ayrshire. Community Transport Initiative 7. Description of funding stream, date and amount Community transport initiative At the Council budget of 1/3/23, the Early Intervention Fund – Child Poverty and Cost of Living, a one-off investment of £1.4m over 3 years, included provision of £100k for a exploration of a community transport initiative. 8. Intended impact The initiative aims to explore the use of Council vehicles to support the needs of communities where access to transport at certain times of day is a barrier to accessing services and opportunities. 9. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Pilots are being developed and tested to identify appropriate interventions which meet community needs. 132
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36 10. What difference has the investment made? Future report 11. Next steps and timescales Future report 12. Comments 133
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37 Support for communities (COMPLETE) 1) Description of funding stream, date and amount. Additional core hours to support opening of Community centres to accommodate activities associated with isolation and financial insecurity Fund: Tackling Financial Insecurities Funding 2021/22: £0.005m. Date allocated- 29/11/21 Community Books Fund: Tackling Financial Insecurity Funding 2021/22: £0.022m. Date allocated - 29/11/21 Third sector support for programmes to support low-income families and individuals by building on current programmes Fund: North Ayrshire COVID Economic Recovery Fund – Scottish Government: £0.114m. Date allocated – 7/6/22 2) Intended impact Additional core hours to support opening of Community centres to accommodate activities associated with isolation/financial insecurity This funding allows local community centres to be open longer in order to accommodate/offer a wider range of activities aimed at alleviating the effects of social isolation and delivering activities to contribute to positive mental health. Community Books Funding to establish the base/platform on which the local Community Books will be hosted. This resource will allow staff and community leaders access to a wide range of information relating to resources available in the local area. This will in turn assist with enquiries from citizens seeking help and advice. Third sector support for programmes to support low-income families and individuals by building on current programmes Work with the third sector support for programmes to support low-income families and individuals by building on current programmes such as Out and About, working with families and key groups to improve access to food and environmental opportunities locally, including through the Fairer Food network and Eglinton Garden Project, to develop skills to grow and cook food and, through family sessions and activities, build ongoing individual and community capacity. These sessions will encourage people to engage with the local environment to support mental health and wellbeing and to develop parenting skills, family bonding, relationships, volunteering, and employability in a supportive environment. Support for Communities 134
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38 3) Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure Additional core hours to support opening of Community centres to accommodate activities associated with isolation/financial insecurity The funding is fully committed for spend via third sector partners with service level agreements. Community Books Work has now begun to develop and implement a new online Community Book solution via the CPP website using an integrated ALISS database and North Ayrshire branded front end. Third sector support for programmes to support low-income families and individuals by building on current programmes There will be a ‘test and learn’ trial in one locality over a year, which will establish impact and provide data and evidence for future service design and external funding bids. The initiative will link to the Love Local voucher scheme which will support local businesses. A pilot is planned for Ardrossan with the aspiration to widen to the Three Towns in 2023. 4) What difference has the investment made? Additional core hours to support opening of Community centres to accommodate activities associated with isolation/financial insecurity Longer opening hours are available in some community centres. Community Books 6 community books and 6 thematic Cost-of-living Crisis community books are live on the Community Planning Partnership webpages - http://northayrshire.community/communitysupport/ while the new online solution is developed. Third sector support for programmes to support low -income families and individuals by building on current programmes A pilot is being designed. 5) Next steps and timescales Additional core hours to support opening of Community centres to accommodate activities associated with isolation /financial insecurity Funding fully allocated – non-recurring. Community Books The platform for the new online Community Book solution will be an open data online directory using ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) with a North Ayrshire branded front end. This will have the capability to be updated by staff, partners, and community members with options to search for support and services by locality and walking distance. The aim is to have it in a pilot form by the end of the calendar year. A temporary fix is still in place on the CPP web site while work is completed. Third sector support for programmes to support low-income families and individuals by building on current programmes Staff continue to work with partners to develop an inclusive model that fulfils the outcomes. This will be set for delivery across Three Towns from Easter 2023 for 12 months with focussed pieces of work during school holidays. 6) Comments Support is also provided for communities through the Fairer Food network and community grants, including Community Investment Fund (CIF). 135
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39 Islands Emergency Cost-of-Living Fund 1) Description of funding stream, date and amount. The Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund represents an additional £1.4 million investment from Scottish Government: £1.1 million resource Purpose: Funding allocation EnergySmart (existing service which supports energy efficiency measures in homes and crisis grants). In addition, £5,000 will also be contributed from Covid Recovery funding for this service. Progress EnergySmart is now being targeted to our islands conjunction with the Council’s Area Based Scheme. While the Area Based Scheme contractor is on the Islands, all available funding streams are to be promoted/maximised - Energy Smart, ECO4 Flex, ECO- Great British Insulation Scheme, Home Energy Scotland’s grant and loan scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland and hopefully an able-to-pay scheme. 12 applicants have benefitted from £3100 on Arran 16 applicants have benefitted from £4350 on Cumbrae. £10,000 Money Matters (existing service which supports Welfare Rights assistance/representation to North Ayrshire residents to ensure they receive their legal entitlement to state benefits). In addition, £5,000 will also be contributed from Covid Recovery funding for this service. Since the 3rd July (Arran) and 26th July (Millport), due to the additional Islands funding, we work in partnership with the Arran and Millport GP Surgeries, with one Income Adviser covering both islands. To date the adviser has received 21 referrals from Arran and 4 from Millport GP Surgeries. The GP Surgeries stats are not included in stats to MM referred to above. Progress Since December 2022 there have been: • 65 referrals to Money Matters on Arran • 31 referrals to Money Matters on Cumbrae. £10,000 136
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40 The Welfare Reform Advice Team has received 6 referrals for the islands from December 2022. Schools Progress Brodick/Corrie/Kilmory/Pirnmill/Shiskine/Whiting Bay, Primary Schools and EYCs £15,000 (total) • Simon Lamb poet workshops for cluster schools: 250 children benefitted from this. • Free fruit for all: universal rather than targeted; many children took fruit every day and families and parent councils have reacted positively to this. Kilmory Parent Council have asked for the cost breakdown to evaluate it to consider if it is something they would run themselves for Kilmory. • Future funding could be used to continue to provide fruit, reduce the cost of swimming lessons and trips. Cumbrae PS • Offering experiences which would have been unaffordable for families and beyond our school budget capacity. • Booking 2 literature sessions for an author and an illustrator to work with children across the school to further develop a love for books. • Two whole school trips - the sea life centre at Loch Lomond and Kelvingrove • P6/7 trip to the Hunterian museum. • The funds are much appreciated and 40 families have benefitted. Largs Academy Largs Academy is using the island fund to get licenses for the next year to two online learning resources to support island pupils access high quality resources if there are issues in getting to school and to counter the lack of available tutors on the island. These are: Britannica Library (£1600) The authoritative information resource portal enables pupils to strengthen independent research skills literacy and source inquiry (across all curricula subjects) as a basis to instil £28,000 137
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41 independent learning. As a school library subscription-based resource, pupils can login to Britannica using their library card user-number – allowing for 24/7 remote online access (including off campus) across personal mobile and electronic devices. Subscribing to Britannica Library will be of particular benefit to Cumbrae based pupils (when unable to attend the school campus in person) providing full-time (24/7) access to an authoritative cross-curricular learning resource platform. Moreover, due to the island’s limited public library opening hours – access to such a learning portal provides pupils with a continually available digital library resource (running parallel with eBook provision). Achieve (£500) Achieve is an online resource providing course overviews, resources and past papers with answer schemes for every SQA course offered at Largs Academy. It is user-friendly and allows pupil to access valuable resources when they are outside school. The remaining £900 will support our commitment to online (Teams) supported study and school holiday sessions led by our staff that allow after school access to tuition for island pupils. Feedback from Cumbrae pupils is that after school / holiday sessions can be harder for them to access. For this reason, we offer specific supported study sessions on Teams to support our range of learners. Third and voluntary sector groups on Arran and Cumbrae Two mini-enquiries have been held on Arran and Cumbrae to identify key island challenges in relation to the cost of living crisis. Key themes have been identified, with potential mitigations which can be delivered locally, over and above the proposed support (above) for energy and welfare rights advice. Connected Communities will contribute £2,000 to the fund to provide a total allocation of £30,000 across the two islands. Many island organisations benefitted from that fund (details reported to SG elsewhere). During our island CoL mini-enquiries, the feedback from groups requested that we give groups time to plan activities for the autumn and winter and they will now have the opportunity to submit proposals for this fund. The Community Grants went live on the 28th September 2023 with a simple application form developed specifically for the fund. The form and further information can be accessed via the Arran CVS web site. A panel of individuals have been identified to carry out the scoring and assessment processes. The fund will close on the 10 November. There are 4 criteria that applications have to meet. The criteria was developed form the collated feedback form the Mini Enquiries: • Supporting access to food with dignity 138
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42 • £300k capital This fund is being directly allocated to Local Authorities, through a 100% population formula as approved by the COSLA Settlement Distribution Group and COSLA Leaders. Allocations for are as North Ayrshire Council follows: Local Authority Resource (£000) Capital (£000) North Ayrshire Council 63 17 A £57,000 Emergency Cost Crisis Funding allocation has been made for 2023-24. • Reuse and Recycle: assisting communities to live in a more sustainable and economic way • Helping to tackle travel or transport-related issues so communities or individuals can access services/resources that help ease the effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis or • Target residents’ immediate needs and offer help to those who are struggling due to the Cost of Living Applications should be in the region of between £50 and £5000 with any awards over £1000 being seen as inspirational. 2) Intended impact This has been developed to specifically recognise and tackle the challenges faced by island communities. Local Authorities responsible for islands should: ● Use this funding to target island areas only; ● Use the funding to target immediate need and help those who are struggling due to the cost crisis; and ● Use the funding for existing schemes and/or other new support where they feel the need is greatest. 3) Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure There are already arrangements in place for energy efficiency, energy crisis support and welfare rights advice for residents and it is proposed to use existing mechanisms to provide targeted support for islands communities. Schools have quickly identified potential areas of spend which will mitigate cost of living challenges which particularly affect island communities. Mini-enquiries on child poverty and the cost of living have recently been held on Arran and Cumbrae and key themes and potential mitigations have been identified. It is proposed that local third and voluntary sector organisations will be funded to address locally identified challenges. The following progress has been made: 139
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43 4) What difference has the investment made? Future report The deadline for applications for the Community Grants is 10 November 2023. We will work with a cross island Scoring Panel to assess the applications and agree awards. 5) Next steps and timescales Work with Arran CVS and Locality partnership chairs to allocate funding to voluntary and community groups to support local communities. Officers will work collaboratively to look at possible options for more targeted work relating to fuel costs with a focus on off grid supplies. The Child Poverty and Cost-of-Living Board has agreed to allocated further funds to the existing themes and to the third sector fund from the 2023-24 fund. 6) Comments N/A 140
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44 LiveWell Healthy Working Lives Programme 1. Description of funding stream, date and amount LiveWell Healthy Working Lives Programme: £20k for 2022/23/24 (non-recurring funding) 2. Intended impact £20k of funding supports employee health and wellbeing through a programme of activities/events including a small grant fund. The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) allocates the funding which emphasises the importance of employee health and wellbeing within the workplace. The LiveWell Programme aims to breakdown some of the barriers that employees face when trying to improve their health and wellbeing. The LiveWell Programme aims to increase awareness of support and information, while wellbeing related activities are made more accessible through reducing or negating the costs associated with participation. This in turn improves employee morale, wellbeing, engagement, and performance. 3. Progress to date against milestones, including expenditure The LiveWell Programme has always taken an organic approach, with a framework of planned activities scheduled alongside ad hoc opportunities. This enables LiveWell to adapt quickly to new suggestions and ideas. The Programme also provides small grants to teams for health and wellbeing activities via our LiveWell Grant Scheme. In Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2023/24, £490 has been issued to various teams to carry out wellbeing activities of their choice. Provision of funding from the ELT has allowed the LiveWell group to explore a wider range of activities than otherwise possible. During Quarter 1 and Quarter 2, £2100 was spent on wellbeing activities*. 4. What difference has the investment made? Information gathered from evaluations highlights the positive difference that the wellbeing activities are having, participant comments include - “I am now equipped with effective techniques for relaxation, managing negative thoughts and look forward to putting them into practice and making a daily part of my life.” “It’s given me the tools and tips to help me destress and reset whenever things start to become overwhelming”. “Class was great, not only for learning a new skill but chill time chatting with you and others after a busy day. Really enjoyed it”. I feel the benefit of having these tests and speaking to the girls. I was particularly concerned about cholesterol but I am now feeling more positive and I am moving in the right direction. It’s great having the Boditrax app now too. Thank you for the appointment.” Employee Wellbeing 141
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45 Short evaluations are produced on activities by topic and have positive evaluations. • A limited number (100) of 3-month KA Leisure membership passes was offered to Council Employees, along with 200 7 Day family passes to KA Leisure facilities; • An Everyday Mindfulness Course was delivered to support employee mental wellbeing; • A Trauma Release Exercise (TRE) programme was delivered to support employee mental wellbeing; • Two ‘Menopause Revive’ six week programmes, offering a mix of information and physical activity; and • Employee Health Checks have been running at Cunninghame House, Building Services, St Matthews Academy and at Glebe Primary school; further health checks days are being planned at various venues across North Ayrshire • In addition to activities a wide range of health promotion topics are promoted via the LiveWell SharePoint page, News in Brief and LiveWell Facebook page. These have included – ‘Self-care tips for unpaid Carers’ information was promoted on Connects, including information on mental health, sleep, social connections, exercise and nutrition, and links to further sources of support (71 views)**; Steps to LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the workplace’ was promoted on Connects, with suggestions for individuals and links to further sources of support. (138 views); Mental Health benefits of talking to others (111), Maintaining Good Health as We Age (111); The Importance of Social Connection for Health (53); Suicide Prevention Week (99). **views on the LiveWell Sharepoint page. Information promoted supporting the SaveWell theme included – • NAC Resourcing team emailed employees raising awareness of how to claim Child Benefits; and • During June, Employee Perks raised awareness of the discounts that are available in major supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Iceland and M&S. In addition, employees could also access special summer offers on hotels and theme parks. The Council’s free holiday school meals club was also promoted through the Employee Perks site. In addition to the LiveWell Programme of activities, the following support is being provided to employees. • Promotion of tax relief opportunities such as income tax marriage allowance, aligned to issue of P60 issue. Laundry allowance and professional membership fees; • Promotion of government childcare support scheme; • Pay advances for those transitioning into employment with us; • Promotion of credit unions particularly Scotwest Credit Union and all their promotions through webinars; and • Employee discounts including supermarkets. 142
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46 5. Next steps and timescales Activities being planned in for Quarter 3 include – Mental Health Awareness session, Nutrition and Mental Health, Lifestyle Factors Affecting Musculoskeletal Health, Menopause Awareness, Positive Mindset, Grief and Loss. Access to KA Leisure health checks will be widened across North Ayrshire facilities and a range of physical activities promoted including free access to badminton and football sessions. 6. Comments A range of wellbeing activities continue to be planned and promoted throughout 2023/24. These are free at point of access for Council employees (or heavily subsidised). The qualitative comments provided in the evaluation of activities highlight both the appreciation of and the benefits obtained from participating in wellbeing activities. Many employees would not access activities if they were not promoted through the workplace. 143
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1 NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Performance Information – Drug and Alcohol Services - April 2022 to 31 March 2023 Purpose: To provide an update on the national and local drug and alcohol related targets and standards and performance in North Ayrshire. To provide assurance to Members of the performance, actions and service developments being progressed to address the significant challenges for our communities. Recommendation: To note the update on performance and improvement actions contained within the report. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 During 2022-23 all the following national and local drug and alcohol related targets and standards were met: • Access to Treatment’ waiting times • Alcohol Brief Intervention delivery • Substance Use treatment • Naloxone delivery 1.2 Improvement actions were delivered in support of achieving new Medication Assisted Treatment Standards (MAT). North Ayrshire services devised and implemented a wide reaching MAT Improvement Plan which enabled the rollout and delivery of the MAT Standards across all localities. A new national benchmarking report was produced, which is currently being reviewed in order to identify further improvements. 1.3 National reports covering the year 2022 were published in relation to drug and alcohol related deaths. With regard to drug related deaths, there was a decrease in numbers across Scotland with a slight decrease in numbers for North Ayrshire. With regard to alcohol related deaths, there was an increase in numbers across Scotland with a decrease in numbers for North Ayrshire. Improvement actions were delivered in support of preventing both drug and alcohol related deaths. Agenda Item 8 145
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2 1.4 Improvement actions were also implemented to enable more individuals to access residential rehabilitation support across North Ayrshire and Scotland wide. 2. Background 2.1 ‘Access to treatment’ waiting times standards In order to promote the importance of individuals being able to access local support timeously, a national standard is in place for individuals seeing help for both for alcohol and drug related issues: • 90% of all clients referred to services will wait no longer than 3 weeks from referral to appropriate alcohol treatment that supports their recovery • 100% of Clients will wait no longer than 6 weeks from referral to appropriate alcohol treatment that supports their recovery The same standard and measurements are also in place for individuals seeking support for their drug use 2.2 ‘Alcohol Brief Interventions’ standards for 2022-23 In order to promote the importance of engaging with individuals to reflect on their alcohol use and consider possible change, a national standard is in place to ensure opportunistic discussions can take place across a variety of settings. The ‘Priority’ settings are primary care, A&E and ante-natal. The ‘wider’ settings include partnership and local authority and 3rd sector services. • Target number of ABI’s to be delivered across Ayrshire and Arran within ‘priority’ settings – 3,419 • Target number of ABI’s to be delivered across Ayrshire and Arran within ‘wider’ settings – 855 2.3 ‘Substance Use’ treatment target As part of their ‘National Mission’ the Scottish Government have created a new ‘Substance Use Treatment Target’ to increase the number of individuals being supported in treatment. North Ayrshire has been set a target to increase numbers in treatment from 882 individuals in April 2020 to 959 individuals by March 2024. 2.4 ‘Naloxone’ supply One of the key initiatives to prevent drug related deaths is to supply and promote the use of ‘Naloxone’ (which is an opiate antidote which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, providing more time for an ambulance to be called and treatment to be administered). 146
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3 An improvement plan was created to promote the use of Naloxone and a local target was set for 2022-23 for local services to supply, as a minimum, 420 Naloxone kits. 2.5 Alcohol and drug related deaths Central to the ‘National Mission’ is the requirement to prevent alcohol and drug related deaths. Each and every drug-related death is a tragedy for those involved and of great concern to all. Services have implemented a range of actions to prevent such deaths whilst also wishing to learn as much as possible about the circumstances around each death and work closely with partners to identify issues and any areas for improvement. The North Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership allows partners to come together to implement actions aimed at preventing drug-related deaths. By adopting a wider public health approach, with local people, services and stakeholders, everyone can work together to tackle drug-related deaths. Each year the National Records of Scotland produce an annual report titled ‘Drug Related Deaths in Scotland 2022’. A similar report is produced yearly around alcohol related deaths. 2.6 Residential Rehabilitation Another key element of the ‘National Mission’ is to increase access to residential rehabilitation support. For residents of Ayrshire and Arran, Ward 5, Woodland View, is available for hospital based detoxification support, shorter term rehabilitation support and also offers a day attendance programme. In the last year the Scottish Government commissioned a new national service specifically designed to support vulnerable families with young children. This facility, Harper House, is situated in Saltcoats and offers support to families from across Scotland (with a local enhanced pathway of support available for more vulnerable families from North Ayrshire). The ADP has also receive funding in the last year to ensure pathways in place to support individuals to access longer term residential rehabilitation support across Scotland 2.7 Medication Assisted Treatment Standards As part of the ‘National Mission’ services have been tasked with delivering on new Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards for Scotland with the aim of improving access, choice and support for individuals. 147
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4 The term MAT is used to refer to the use of medication such as opioids, together with any psychological and social support, in the treatment and care of people who experience problems with their drug use. The 10 current standards are outlined below: • Standard 1: All people accessing services have the option to start MAT from the same day of presentation. • Standard 2: All people are supported to make an informed choice on what medication to use for MAT, and the appropriate dose. • Standard 3: All people at high risk of drug-related harm are proactively identified and offered support to commence or continue MAT. • Standard 4: All people are offered evidence based harm reduction at the point of MAT delivery • Standard 5: All people will receive support to remain in treatment for as long as requested. • Standard 6: The system that provides MAT is psychologically informed (tier 1); routinely delivers evidence-based low intensity psychosocial interventions (tier 2); and supports individuals to grow social networks. • Standard 7: All people have the option of MAT shared with Primary Care. • Standard 8: All people have access to advocacy and support for housing, welfare and income needs. • Standard 9: All people with co-occurring drug use and mental health difficulties can receive mental health care at the point of MAT delivery • Standard 10: All people receive trauma informed care. Following a successful test of change pilot across North Ayrshire, an Improvement Plan was agreed to assist in the delivery of the MAT standards with a specific focus during 2022-23 on MAT standards 1 to 5. 3. Proposals Performance Information 2022-23 3.1 ‘Access to treatment’ waiting times standards Alcohol • 90% of clients will wait no longer than 3 weeks from referral to appropriate alcohol treatment that supports their recovery Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 96% 98% 96% 96% • 100% of Clients will wait no longer than 6 weeks from referral to appropriate alcohol treatment that supports their recovery Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 100% 100% 100% 100% 148
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5 Drugs • 90% of clients will wait no longer than 3 weeks from referral to appropriate drug treatment that supports their recovery Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 94% 100% 100% 96% • 100% of Clients will wait no longer than 6 weeks from referral to appropriate drug treatment that supports their recovery 3.2 ‘Alcohol Brief Interventions’ standards for 2022/23 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 100% 100% 100% 100% All waiting times standards were met during 2022 to 2023: 3.3 ‘Substance Use’ treatment target North Ayrshire has been set a target to increase numbers in treatment from 882 individuals in April 2020 to 959 individuals by March 2024 . 149
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6 As of March 2023, the numbers in treatment exceed the 2024 target. Please note the monthly information supplied is unpublished and has been collected from local prescribing systems to monitor progress. We await a verified nationally published report. 3.4 ‘Naloxone’ supply Against a local target of supplying 420 Naloxone kits during 2022 to 2023 - 846 kits were supplied across North Ayrshire. 51 lives across Ayrshire and Arran were reported to be saved through the use of Naloxone during this period (31 in North Ayrshire). Many lives saved via the use of Naloxone go unreported . 3.5 Alcohol and drug related deaths The National Records of Scotland recently produced its annual report titled ‘Drug Related Deaths in Scotland 2022’. In 2022, there were 1,051 drug misuse deaths registered in Scotland. This was a decrease of 279 deaths compared with 2021. This is the lowest number of drug misuse deaths since 2017. 150
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7 The change between 2021 and 2022 is the largest year on year decrease on record. Despite this recent fall, drug misuse deaths are still much more common than they were in 2000. People in the most deprived areas of Scotland are almost 16 times as likely to die from drug misuse compared to people in the least deprived areas. The association of deprivation with drug misuse deaths is much greater than with other causes of death. Regrettably compared to other Local Authority areas, North Ayrshire recorded the 4th highest drug deaths in 2022. North Ayrshire is an area with high levels of poverty and people living in relative deprivation, with over 40% of people living in North Ayrshire living in areas considered to be among the most deprived in Scotland, The HSCP alongside wider system partners are dedicated to tackling the inequalities that many local people face. • For North Ayrshire, the number of drug related deaths in 2022 was 37 - a reduction of 2 from the previous year. The recent National Records of Scotland Alcohol Specific Deaths 2022 report illustrates a rise in deaths caused by alcohol. This is the highest level of alcohol related deaths in 14 years, with the figures showing that individuals in the poorest communities were more than four times as likely to die as those in the wealthiest areas. With regard to the Ayrshire & Arran Health Board area, there was a reduction from 91 deaths in 2021 to 86 in 2022 (one of 5 Health Board’s to illustrate a reduction). • North Ayrshire deaths reduced from 37 deaths in 2021 to 29 deaths in 2022 • East Ayrshire reduced from 30 to 28 deaths • South Ayrshire increased from 24 to 29 deaths North Ayrshire council were one of 12 council areas to illustrate a reduction. In the last 4 years, the number of deaths in North Ayrshire has reduced yearly from 50 deaths in 2019, to 44 deaths in 2020, to 37 deaths in 2021 to 29 deaths last year 3.6 Residential Rehabilitation Another key element of the ‘National Mission’ is to increase access to residential rehabilitation support. Local hospital based support is provided in Ward 5, Woodland View, Irvine to anyone who has an alcohol and/or drug problem and mental health issues. Ward 5 has 10 beds for residential care – offering local access to residential, detoxification, rehabilitation and day attendance support. 151
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8 Seamless pathways of support are in place with the local community alcohol and drug services to support individuals before, during and after their placement (extra support in place for NA residents e.g. in addition to ongoing NADARS support, everyone is also provided with daily follow up support from the local Turning Point, Scotland, service for the first week following discharge). During 2022/23: Detoxification support Rehabilitation support Vulnerable families from North Ayrshire also have access to additional local residential rehabilitation support. The HSCP was instrumental in supporting Phoenix Futures, Scotland, to open ‘Harper House’ in November 2022. It is located in Saltcoats & is a Care Inspectorate registered service, funded by the Scottish Government. It offers specialist support for the ‘whole family to recover from the harms of problematic drug and alcohol use’. Their family- focused programme of interventions is ‘designed to benefit each member of the family and the family unit as a whole’. Referrals are accepted from across Scotland, with enhanced local access available for residents of North Ayrshire. These pathways continue to be improved with a local oversight group meeting regularly to support the identification and suitability of families. In the first 4 months of opening 4 families from NA have benefited from this support. Another development in late 2022 has been focused on providing access to External Residential Rehabilitation with funding being made available by the ADP. Individuals wishing to access this support are now able to do so via NADARS who will support the development of a care plan, identify a residential rehabilitation provider, seek funding and then support individuals into, through and after their ERR placement. By March 2022, four individuals had benefited from ERR. Funding was identified to appoint a ‘single point of contact’ who will lead on enabling individuals and families to access local and external residential support options. A key priority is to build on the pathways created during the last year to ensure more individuals and families are able to access this type of support. 152
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9 3.7 Medication Assisted Treatment Standards As part of the ‘National Mission’ services have been tasked with delivering on new Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards for Scotland with the aim of improving access, choice and support for individuals. An evaluation of an initial test of change pilot demonstrated that MAT delivery could be undertaken safely and with positive recovery outcomes. It was agreed to expand MAT availability during 2022-23 – to ensure MAT was available across all of North Ayrshire and Arran to prioritised groups due to vulnerability in relation to risk. An Improvement Implementation Plan, approved by Chief Executives, was implemented, evaluated & updated with regular progress reports submitted to the Scottish Government alongside quarterly update reports being sent to the national MAT support Team – ‘MIST’. • MAT availability was increased at Caley court to 3 days per week & ‘drop in’ access and then ultimately expanded to 5 days a week with extended hours. • Locations identified across NA Localities for MAT access closer to home – ultimately MAT is now available across all 6 NA Localities with immediate support available to all from Caley Court alongside ‘low threshold’ access in rural areas. • An explicit delivery plan was put in place for delivering trauma informed practice, LOPs, SOPs, guidelines & clinical & care pathways of support were all implemented. • National and local ADP funding was secured for additional staff which includes: Consultant Psychiatry, Additional prescribing capacity; Addiction Workers; Nursing staff; Support Workers; Recovery Development Workers (lived experience) Priorities for 2023/24 include: • Sustain MAT delivery across MAT Standards 1 to 5; • Identify key actions to implement MAT Standards 6 to 10 (once national reporting requirements are clarified); • Improve the gathering of experiential data for SG reporting and to identify further improvement actions • Create a clear vision, model and process to implement MAT Standard 7 (this relates specifically to primary care involvement in MAT delivery) Funding issue in relation to delivery of MAT Standard 7 With no additional funding being made available, and whilst awaiting outcomes of national and local funding discussions, the North Ayrshire Alcohol & Drug Partnership (ADP) allocated non-recurring funding of £89k a year to initiate, at pace, proposed developments in North Ayrshire. This funding will be used to 153
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10 employ additional specialist GP and Pharmacist prescribers and to initiate a test of change involving local pharmacies administering Buvidal (an OST medication). In April 2023, NHS Boards received a letter from the Scottish Government which identifies that funding for MAT 7 developments should be extracted from the funding already allocated through the Primary Medical Services funding for Enhanced Services. This creates an issue for services to unpick previous commitments which would enable shifting resource to meet the MAT 7 commitment that ‘All people have the option of MAT shared with Primary Care’. National and local discussions are ongoing to find a resolution. Rating of MAT initiation: A RAGB self-assessment was completed and evidence (numerical, experiential and process information) was submitted to the MIST team for analysis and benchmarking. The table below highlights a very positive final RAGB score for the implementation of MAT standards 1 - 10 across North Ayrshire at the end of March 2023. 154
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11 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The ADP has been provided with some non-recurring funding to support access to external residential rehabilitation support. It is unknown if this funding will be sufficient to meet future demand. Funding will require to be identified to implement the MAT Standards in full especially in relation to MAT Standard 7 which will require the support of primary care colleagues. Human Resources 4.2 None Legal 4.3 None Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The majority of people at risk of drug and alcohol related deaths are among the most marginalised and disadvantaged in our population. Many of those people experience significant disadvantage of opportunity and poorer health outcomes. The work of the North Ayrshire ADP and delivery priorities of NADARS progresses and strengthens prevention. The necessary work through our ADP, HSCP, NHS Board and NAC and wider partners contributes to effective means of preventing drug-related deaths. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None Key Priorities 4.6 The information contained within this report and the improvement actions that have been implemented have a positive contribution to play in support of one of the Councils key themes: • Wellbeing (we will address health inequalities, promote children and young people’s wellbeing and enable community wellbeing) Community Wealth Building 4.7 None 155
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12 5. Consultation 5.1 This report notes the significant collaboration and engagement underway both nationally and locally across the health and social care system to prevent alcohol and drug related deaths and to ensure that all standards and targets are met. Caroline Cameron Director - North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership For further information please contact Peter McArthur, Senior Manager – Addiction Services, on 01294 317840. Background Papers 0 156
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Performance management report NORTH AYRSHIRE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP & ADP April 2022 - March 2023 Prepared by Denise Brown Prevention and Service Support Team Alcohol and drug related information On target Achieved Not achieved 157
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Substance Use Treatment Target The Scottish Government have created a new ‘Substance Use Treatment Target’ to increase the number of individuals being supported in treatment. North Ayrshire has been set a target to increase numbers in treatment from 882 individuals in April 2020 to 959 individuals by March 2024. Baseline from Scottish Government Target by 2024 by Scottish Goverment 2022/2023 Financial Year Interventions are in place across our community alcohol and drug recovery services to support the achievement of this target by the due date of April 2024. Please note the monthly information supplied is unpublished and has been collected from local prescribing systems to monitor progress, however, we await an initial verified nationally published report. 159
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Ayrshire and Arran Drug related deaths information ANNUAL SUMMARY 1st April 2022- 31st March 2023 Published confirmed deaths (Extracted from National Records of Scotland Drug Related Deaths in Scotland, 2021) Number of deaths confirmed 2017 2018 2019 2020 24 29 41 36 25 38 41 39 12 15 26 31 61 82 108 106 EAST NORTH SOUTH TOTAL 2021 38 39 23 100 Number of NADARS reviews conducted for individuals identified as potentially suffering a drug related death 27 Number of these reviews which identified learning or recommendations 3 Number of reports submitted by other services which identified learning or recommendations 0 2022/23- no confirmed published information as yet National Records for Scotland - Drug Related Deaths Please find information in the link below around the definition of drug related deaths and what deaths are excluded from this definition: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/drug-related-deaths/drd2016/html/drug-related-deaths- 2016-annex-a.html The link below details the full report which details statistics of drug-related deaths in 2021 and earlier years, broken down by age, sex, substances implicated in the death, underlying cause of death and NHS Board and Council. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/drug-related-deaths/21/drug-related-deaths-21- report.pdf Review and update of Drug Notification Process Local Operating Procedure Effective record keeping Regularity of review and continuity of support when keyworker was not available In the last year, local learning identified from reviews were: 163
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MAT availability was increased at Caley court to 3 days per week & ‘drop in’ access - and then ultimately expanded to 5 days a week with extended hours. Locations identified across NA Localities for MAT access closer to home – ultimately MAT is now available across all 6 NA Localities with immediate support available to all from Caley Court alongside ‘low threshold’ access in rural areas. An explicit delivery plan was put in place for delivering trauma informed practise; LOPs, SOPs, guidelines & clinical & care pathways of support were put in place Consultant Psychiatry, Additional prescribing capacity; Addiction Workers; Nursing staff; Support Workers; Recovery Development Workers (lived experience) MAT 7 – Primary Care (GP & Pharmacy) involvement. Vision, model & process agreed. SG recently Ring Fenced funding for this. LES to be offered to GPs. In addition MAT availability to be expanded to include Prison and Police Custody. An Improvement Implementation Plan, approved by Chief Executives, was implemented, evaluated & updated with regular progress reports submitted to the Scottish Government alongside quarterly update reports being sent to the national MAT support Team – ‘MIST’. National and local ADP funding was secured for additional staff which includes: Priorities for 2023/24 include: A RAGB self-assessment was completed and evidence (numerical, experiential and process information) was submitted to the MIST team for analysis and benchmarking. The table below highlights a very positive final RAGB score for the implementation of MAT standards 1 - 10 across North Ayrshire. Implementation of MAT standards within North Ayrshire A pilot test of change evaluation was carried out within the Three Towns Area of North Ayrshire. By March 2022, results demonstrated that MAT delivery could be undertaken safely and with positive recovery outcomes throughout North Ayrshire. An evaluation of an initial test of change pilot demonstrated that MAT delivery could be undertaken safely and with positive recovery outcomes. It was agreed to expand MAT availability during 2022/23 – to ensure MAT was available across all of North Ayrshire and Arran to prioritised groups due to vulnerability in relation to risk. 167
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Access to residential rehabilitation across Ayrshire and Arran - Ward 5 Local residential rehabilitation support is provided in Ward 5, Woodland View to anyone who has an alcohol and/or drug problem and mental health issues. Ward 5 has 10 beds for residential care: Seamless pathways of support are in place with the local community team supporting individuals before, during and after their placement (extra support in place for NA residents e.g. in addition to ongoing NADARS support, everyone is also provided with daily follow up support from the PEAR service for the first week following discharge). During 2022/23: Access to additional local residential rehabilitation – Harper House The NA H&SCP was instrumental in supporting Phoenix Futures, Scotland, to open ‘Harper House’ in November 2022. It is located in Saltcoats & is a Care Inspectorate registered service, funded by the Scottish Government – it offers specialist support for the ‘whole family to recover from the harms of problematic drug and alcohol use’. Their family-focused programme of interventions is ‘designed to benefit each member of the family and the family unit as a whole’. Referrals are accepted from across Scotland, with enhanced local access available for residents of North Ayrshire. These pathways continue to be improved with a local oversight group meeting regularly to support the identification and suitability of families. In the first 4 months of opening 4 families from NA have benefited from this support. Access to External Residential Rehabilitation (ERR) Individuals wishing to access external residential rehabilitation support can do so via NADARS who will support the development of a care plan, identify a residential rehabilitation provider, seek funding and then support individuals into, through and after their external residential rehabilitation placement. In quarter 4, 4 indiviudals have been supported in to ERR. Residential Rehabilitation expansion Rehabilitation 55 Detoxification 143 individuals (NA=84) Detoxification support 67 individuals (NA=41) Rehabilitation support 168
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Financial information ADP 22-23 Forecast Spend 169
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Capital Programme Performance to 31 August 2023 Purpose: To advise Cabinet of progress in delivering the Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 31 August 2023. Recommendation: That Cabinet agrees to: (a) note the revisions to budgets outlined in the report; (b) note (i) the General Services and HRA revised budgets at 31 August 2023; and (ii) the forecast expenditure to 31 March 2024; and (c) approve the virement proposals noted within the HRA programme detailed in appendix 2. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The General Services Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 2030/31 was approved by Council on 1 March 2023. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 sits within the updated HRA Business Plan and was approved by Council on 15 February 2023. 1.2 This report identifies the current programme for 2023/24, taking account of adjustments made to the initial budgets. The report presents the revised budgets at 31 August 2023 (Period 5) and forecast expenditure to 31 March 2024. 1.3 At Period 5 the General Fund is forecasting a net underspend of (£0.018m) against a revised budget of £105.832m. The HRA is forecasting a projected underspend of (£0.686m) against a revised budget of £40.434m. 1.4 Within the General Fund, adjustments to funding have resulted in net additions to the overall capital programme of £0.668m, including Scottish Government funding in relation to the Garrison House project and Dyemill Bike Park 1.5 Reviews of individual project plans have identified a number of adjustments to the current profiles. As a result, (£2.127m) has been reprofiled for delivery in 2024/25 and beyond. This has been partly offset by the acceleration of £0.039m to 2023/24 from future years. 1.6 Within the HRA, a review of delivery timescales has identified a requirement to re- profile (£19.349m) of works for delivery in 2024/25 and beyond. This is partly offset by the acceleration of £0.128m to 2023/24 from future years. Agenda Item 9 171
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1.7 The major risk to the forecast position is the uncertainty arising from the ongoing inflationary pressures, supply chain issues, which are impacting on tender returns and the cost of materials, and continued increases in the cost of borrowing. Some mitigation has been built into the programme to offset cost pressures and supplement the Loans Fund. However, any further significant increase in costs will result in increased borrowing requirements and may have a negative impact on the deliverability of both the General Fund and HRA capital programmes for 2023/24 and beyond. Projects will continue to be monitored closely with cost increases met initially from the additional flexibility built into the programme. However, any requirement for further borrowing not met from a funding source will be a matter for Council to consider. 2. Background General Fund 2.1 The following table outlines the movements in the 2023/24 General Services budget: 2.2 (a) Changes to Funding The capital programme has been updated to reflect the following changes to funding: 2023/24 £m Budget as at 30 June 2023 107.252 a) Changes to Funding 0.668 Revised Budget 107.920 b) Alterations to phasing of projects:- 2023/24 to 2024/25 (2.127) 2024/25 to 2023/24 0.039 Budget as at 31 August 2023 105.832 Funding Body Amount Project Scottish Government £0.731m Garrison House Project Scottish Government £0.221m Dyemill Bike Park Cycle Scotland £0.011m Cycle Shelter SUSTRANS £0.020m Kilbirnie to Kilwinning SUSTRANS (£0.098m) Saltcoats Old Cal Railway Ph1 grant downturned Transport Scotland (£0.093m) Low Carbon Hub - grant downturned ERDF (£0.124m) Low Carbon Hub - grant downturned Total £0.668m 172
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2.3 (b) Alterations to the Phasing of Projects A further review of individual project plans, taking cognisance of the current levels of volatility within the construction sector, has identified a requirement to re-profile (£2.127m) of works for delivery in 2024/25 and beyond: These adjustments have been partly offset by the acceleration of £0.039m of expenditure to 2023/24 from future years. 2.4 These adjustments have resulted in a revised 2023/24 budget at 31 August 2023 of £105.832m. Service Amount Project Chief Executives (£0.070m) ICT Investment Fund (£0.050m) Telephony (£0.120m) Communities (£0.032m) West Kilbride PS UFSM (£0.032m) Place (£1.087m) VDLF - Kyle Road Phase 2 (£0.851m) Goldcraigs depot (£0.672m) AGD - I3 Flexible Business Space Phase 1 (£0.500m) Islands Pit Stops (£0.445m) Access Path Network Programme (£0.432m) AGD - Marine Tourism Ardrossan (£0.275m) Montgomerie Park Masterplan (£0.250m) Repurposing Property Grant Fund (£0.155m) AGD - I3 DPMC Phase 2 (£0.105m) AGD - I3 DPMC Phase 1 (£0.080m) AGD- Great Harbour (£0.050m) PBIP 36 Bank Street (£4.902m) Corporate £2.927m Sensitivity Adjustment £2.927m Total (£2.127m) Service Amount Project Place £0.039m Minor Adjustments £0.039m Total £0.039m 173
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2.5 The following graph illustrates the movement in each programme on a service basis compared to the revised programme: 2.6 The impact on budgeted funding, elements of which are related to the profile of expenditure reported above, is a reduction of £1.420m from the revised budget, including: Category Amount Comments Borrowing (£1.987m) Rephased aligned to projected expenditure Capital Grants £3.001m Rephased and additional government grants Other Grants £0.430m Rephased and revised contributions Capital Receipts (£0.024m) Realigned capital receipts Total £1.420m 18.349 0.799 0.757 93.126 2.900 115.931 21.681 0.892 2.265 107.802 (25.388) 107.252 22.099 0.771 2.265 102.971 (22.274) 105.832 3.750 (0.028) 1.508 9.845 (25.174) (10.099) Approved Programme Movement Programme @ P5 Programme @ P3 174
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2.7 Projected Capital Expenditure to 31 March 2024 The projections are summarised by service in the following table: 2.8 An underspend of (£0.018m) is projected within the General Fund capital programme for 2023/24 in relation to the Annick Primary Early Years Extension. These funds will be transferred to the Flexibility budget to offset anticipated budget pressures elsewhere in the programme. Information on the progress of all projects can be found in Appendix 1. 2.9 Although not formally reflected in the financial performance reports at this time due to ongoing uncertainty, areas of cost risk have been identified as a result of cost volatility arising from the ongoing inflationary pressures, outstanding contractor claims and supply chain issues which are impacting on tender returns and the cost of materials across a number of projects. Specific projects where cost risks have been identified, or are anticipated, include Moorpark Primary, Montgomerie Park Primary, Ardrossan Campus, Upper Garnock Flood Prevention Scheme, Millport Coastal Flood Prevention Scheme, Largs Sea Wall, Ardrossan North Shore and Ardrossan Harbour Interchange. While some mitigation has been built into the Capital Programme in the form of flexibility budgets, totalling £10m over the next few years, cost pressures may exceed this provision. These risks will be quantified as individual projects are completed and tendering exercises are finalised, with the impact on the costs of the programme being monitored and reported to Cabinet as appropriate. It is recognised however, with a significant budget gap being forecast for 2024/25 and to limit any additional unfunded borrowing, any costs in excess of the current level of flexibility provision will require to be funded from existing resources. Revised Budget 2023/24 Budget Revisions Carry Forwards and Adjustments Revised Budget 2023/24 Projected Expenditure / Income to 31 March 2024 Projected Variance Over / (Under) £m £m £m £m £m £m Expenditure Communities 21.681 - 0.418 22.099 22.081 (0.018) Chief Executive 0.892 - (0.121) 0.771 0.771 - Health and Social Care Partnership 2.265 - - 2.265 2.265 - Place 107.566 0.766 (5.361) 102.971 102.971 - Other including Flexibility (25.152) (0.098) 2.976 (22.274) (22.274) - Total Expenditure 107.252 0.668 (2.088) 105.832 105.814 (0.018) Income General Capital Grant (34.336) - (34.336) (34.336) - Specific Capital Grant (15.968) (0.952) 3.953 (12.967) (12.967) - Capital Funded from Current Revenue (0.300) - (0.300) (0.300) - Capital Receipts (0.473) (0.024) (0.497) (0.497) - Other Grants & Contributions (4.532) 0.284 0.146 (4.102) (4.102) - Prudential Borrowing (51.643) 0.024 (2.011) (53.630) (53.612) 0.018 Total Income (107.252) (0.668) 2.088 (105.832) (105.814) 0.018 175
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2.10 In addition to the risks identified in relation to individual projects, significant financing risks continue to be identified in relation to the overall affordability of the capital investment programme due to the increased cost of borrowing. As reported to Cabinet on 29 August 2023, the programme is currently affordable based on the estimated funding streams and the actions agreed by Council to supplement the Loans Fund. The ongoing cost risk will continue to be monitored and a full assessment of affordability will be included in the next major review of the capital programme due for completion during 2023/24. Housing Revenue Account 2.11 The following table outlines the movements in the 2023/24 HRA Capital budget: 2.12 (a) Alterations to the Phasing of Projects A review of the timescale for delivery of capital projects has identified a requirement to re-profile (£19.349m) of works for delivery in 2024/25 and beyond, including: 2023/24 £m Budget as at 30 June 2023 59.655 a) Alterations to phasing of projects:- 2023/24 to 2024/25 (19.349) 2024/25 to 2023/24 0.128 Budget as at 31 August 2023 40.434 Category Amount Project New Builds (£11.000m) Contingency (£2.389m) Garnock Academy (£1.548m) House Building General (£0.800m) James Reid (£0.720m) Montgomerie Park (£0.450m) Kings Arms (£0.300m) Stanecastle (£0.150m) Laburnum Avenue / Newhouse Drive (£0.050m) Fullarton Street (£0.050m) James MacFarlane (£17.457m) 176
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This has been partly offset by the acceleration of £0.128m of project expenditure for delivery during 2023/24, including: 2.13 These adjustments have resulted in a revised 2023/24 budget at 31 August 2023 of £40.434m. 2.14 The impact on budgeted funding is a reduction of £19.221m in the drawdown of Capital Grants and reduced Prudential Borrowing aligned to the revised programme: Category Amount Project Improvements (£0.186m) Window Replacement (£0.155m) Electrical Rewiring (£0.341m) Other Capital Works (£1.240m) Estates Based Regeneration (£0.311m) Sheltered Housing (£1.551m) Total (£19.349m) Category Amount Project Improvements £0.109m Kitchen Programme £0.019m Other Minor Adjustments £0.128m Total £0.128m Category Amount Comments Capital Grants £8.208m Reduction aligned to projected expenditure Borrowing £11.013m Reduction aligned to projected expenditure Total £19.221m 177
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2.15 Projected Capital Expenditure to 31 March 2024 The projections are summarised in the following table: 2.16 A variance of (£0.686m) is projected within the HRA capital programme for 2023/24 arising from revisions to a number of projects, including: 2.17 In addition to the adjustments noted above Appendix 2 highlights a number of proposed virements which are required to transfers budgets between individual projects and align the budgets with the projected expenditure. 2.18 Further cost pressures resulting from inflationary and supply chain issues continue to be monitored and a review of the potential impact on the Business Plan and Capital Programme will be undertaken to address any identified issues. Further information on the progress of all projects can be found in Appendix 2. Approved Budget 2023/24 Carry Forwards and Adjustments Revised Budget 2023/24 Projected Expenditure / Income to 31 March 2024 Projected Variance Over / (Under) Service £m £m £m £m £m Expenditure Housing Revenue Account 59.655 (19.221) 40.434 39.748 (0.686) Total Expenditure 59.655 (19.221) 40.434 39.748 (0.686) Income CFCR (5.151) - (5.151) (5.151) - Capital Grants (14.993) 8.208 (6.785) (6.785) - Use of Reserves (4.065) - (4.065) (4.065) - Affordable Housing Contribution (2.445) - (2.445) (2.445) - Prudential Borrowing (33.001) 11.013 (21.988) (21.302) 0.686 Total Income (59.655) 19.221 (40.434) (39.748) 0.686 Project Variance Comments EWI £0.260m Additional scope and increased costs Brathwic Terrace £0.125m Previous underspend overstated Springvale £0.106m Previous underspend overstated Dalrymple Place £0.017m Previous underspend overstated Heating (£0.552m) Scope of works reduced Health & Safety (£0.207m) Budget no longer required Wet Rooms & Bathrooms (£0.192m) Scope of works reduced Friars Lawn (£0.114m) Project completed at reduced cost St Michael's Wynd (£0.101m) Previous overspend overstated Asbestos (£0.017m) Budget no longer required Major Improvements (£0.006m) Budget no longer required Newhouse Drive (£0.005m) Budget no longer required Total (£0.686m) 178
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3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet agrees to: (a) note the revisions to budgets outlined in the report; (b) note (i) the General Services and HRA revised budgets at 31 August 2023; and (ii) the forecast expenditure to 31 March 2024; and (c) approve the virement proposals noted within the HRA programme detailed in appendix 2. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The financial implications are as outlined in the report. Expenditure will continue to be closely monitored to ensure early action is taken regarding any projected underspends or overspends. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 This report directly supports the Council Plan 2023 to 2028 by focusing our investment on priorities, managing risk and supporting delivery of key priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 179
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5. Consultation 5.1 Progress as outlined in this report has been approved by Executive Directors. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact David Forbes, Senior Manager (Strategic Business Partner), on 01294 324551. Background Papers Capital Programme and Treasury Management Performance to 30 June 2023 – Cabinet 29 August 2023 180
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North Ayrshire Council Capital Statement 2023/24 Appendix 1 TOTAL PROJECT Project Description Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31st March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/ (Under) Spend £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ EXPENDITURE Communities Nursery Education 16,368,237 15,968,424 16,349,968 (18,269) 568,862 0 568,862 0 169,049 169,049 550,593 (18,269) (18,269) Primary Schools 45,885,492 13,477,475 45,885,492 0 15,512,296 (32,329) 15,479,967 0 5,309,823 5,309,823 15,479,967 0 0 Secondary Schools 83,010,742 4,308,147 83,010,742 0 5,072,285 0 5,072,285 0 391,471 391,471 5,072,285 0 0 Special Education 25,343,637 25,243,710 25,343,637 0 138,595 0 138,595 0 38,668 38,668 138,595 0 0 Schools Other 880,194 411,495 880,194 0 728,737 0 728,737 0 260,038 260,038 728,737 0 0 Information & Culture 113,479 18,755 113,479 0 106,916 0 106,916 0 12,192 12,192 106,916 0 0 Completed Projects 43,419,379 43,394,998 43,419,379 0 3,679 0 3,679 0 (20,702) (20,702) 3,679 0 0 SUB TOTAL 215,021,160 102,823,005 215,002,891 (18,269) 22,131,370 (32,329) 22,099,041 0 6,160,540 6,160,540 22,080,772 (18,269) (18,269) Chief Executive Council IT Strategy 8,797,380 2,681,176 8,797,380 0 891,645 (120,000) 771,645 0 197,441 197,441 771,645 0 0 SUB TOTAL 8,797,380 2,681,176 8,797,380 0 891,645 (120,000) 771,645 0 197,441 197,441 771,645 0 0 Health & Social Care Management & Support 1,916,678 357,088 1,916,678 0 1,226,875 0 1,226,875 0 285 285 1,226,875 0 0 Housing Non HRA 656,571 232,745 656,571 0 656,571 0 656,571 0 232,745 232,745 656,571 0 0 Adults 4,608,078 4,590,097 4,608,078 0 18,047 0 18,047 0 66 66 18,047 0 0 Young People 5,579,718 5,224,534 5,579,718 0 363,177 0 363,177 0 7,993 7,993 363,177 0 0 SUB TOTAL 12,761,045 10,404,464 12,761,045 0 2,264,670 0 2,264,670 0 241,089 241,089 2,264,670 0 0 Place Roads 107,944,875 32,733,269 107,944,875 0 40,891,992 0 40,891,992 0 8,246,574 8,246,574 40,891,992 0 0 Streetscene 7,891,828 4,673,086 7,891,828 0 1,959,749 0 1,959,749 0 992,946 992,946 1,959,749 0 0 Transport 4,757,454 2,623,659 4,757,454 0 4,494,466 0 4,494,466 0 2,360,670 2,360,670 4,494,466 0 0 Waste Services 13,321,491 13,272,542 13,321,491 0 48,949 0 48,949 0 0 0 48,949 0 0 Renewable Energy 15,307,181 2,481,758 15,307,181 0 7,727,424 0 7,727,424 0 613,149 613,149 7,727,424 0 0 Office Accommodation 2,045,389 658,306 2,045,389 0 1,532,606 (109,889) 1,422,717 0 658,306 658,306 1,422,717 0 0 Other Property 6,283,104 702,190 6,283,104 0 4,753,194 (741,000) 4,012,194 0 205,301 205,301 4,012,194 0 0 Other Housing 470,000 0 470,000 0 381,025 0 381,025 0 (88,975) (88,975) 381,025 0 0 Economic Development & Regeneration 168,063,781 28,086,208 168,063,781 0 46,721,024 (4,729,117) 41,991,907 0 2,318,112 2,318,112 41,991,907 0 0 Completed Projects 6,355,261 6,275,623 6,355,261 0 40,595 0 40,595 0 (36,958) (36,958) 40,595 0 0 SUB TOTAL 332,440,365 91,506,641 332,440,365 0 108,551,024 (5,580,006) 102,971,018 0 15,269,126 15,269,126 102,971,018 0 0 Other Other 9,061,004 0 9,061,004 0 2,312,004 0 2,312,004 0 0 0 2,312,004 0 0 SUB TOTAL 9,061,004 0 9,061,004 0 2,312,004 0 2,312,004 0 0 0 2,312,004 0 0 Uncertainty / Sensitivity Adjustment* (24,585,906) (24,585,906) (24,585,906) Total Project Expenditure 578,080,954 207,415,285 578,062,685 (18,269) 136,150,713 (30,318,241) 105,832,472 0 21,868,196 21,868,196 105,814,203 (18,269) (18,269) Total Project Income (136,150,713) 30,318,241 (105,832,472) (24,908,564) (24,908,564) 0 (105,814,203) 18,269 18,269 Total Net Expenditure 0 0 0 (24,908,564) (3,040,368) 21,868,196 0 0 0 * Sensitivity adjustment of 10% or 25% based on source and reliability of expenditure projections On Target (+0.5% of budget) On Target (up to 5% delay of original timescales) Slightly off target (+ 0.5% to 2% of budget, or £0.125m, whichever is less) Slightly off target (+ 5% to 10% of original timescales) Significantly off target (+2% or more of budget, or £0.500m, whichever is less) Significantly off target (+10% or more of original timescales) The following classifications have been used to highlight financial performance against budget CURRENT YEAR 2023/24 Year Ended 31st March 2024 Period 5 The following classifications have been used to highlight delivery performance against original timescales set 181
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Revised Budget 23/24 Variance £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ CAPITAL BORROWING Prudential Borrowing 68,291,931 5,814,577 2,683,086 76,789,594 3,846,846 80,636,440 78,199,245 (2,437,195) SUB TOTAL 68,291,931 5,814,577 2,683,086 76,789,594 3,846,846 0 80,636,440 0 78,199,245 (2,437,195) SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FUNDING Specific Capital Grants Early Learning & Childcare 0 26,594 59,206 85,800 0 85,800 85,801 85,800 0 Cycling / Walking /Safer Streets 1,159,954 (117,150) 271,000 1,313,804 30,000 1,343,804 0 1,343,804 0 Vacant & Derelict Land Funding 3,857,216 403,874 198,048 4,459,138 0 4,459,138 2,953,137 3,312,120 (1,147,018) UK Government Grant - AGD 3,653,000 (98,741) 3,554,259 (1,215,259) 2,339,000 65,327 949,157 (1,389,843) Town Centre Regeneration 0 65,691 140,000 205,691 0 205,691 205,690 205,691 0 Annickbank - Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme 400,000 400,000 0 400,000 400,000 400,000 0 Millport Town Hall Regeneration 0 (31,995) 252,529 220,534 0 220,534 220,534 220,534 0 Millport Town Hall Phase 2 94,022 339,498 433,520 0 433,520 433,520 433,520 0 Garrison House Project 730,998 730,998 0 730,998 0 Ardrossan Promenade 788,000 788,000 0 788,000 763,000 788,000 0 Islands Pit Stops 20,000 520,000 540,000 0 540,000 540,000 40,000 (500,000) Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund 17,000 17,000 0 17,000 17,000 17,000 0 Place Based Investment Programme 0 622,801 948,836 1,571,637 761,000 2,332,637 2,332,637 2,202,637 (130,000) UK Shared Prosperity Fund 98,414 98,414 202,330 300,744 300,744 300,744 0 Island Infrastructure Fund 0 140,373 140,373 0 140,373 140,374 140,373 0 Dyemill Bike Park Project 220,625 220,625 0 220,625 0 B714 Improvements 500,000 322,741 822,741 428,054 1,250,795 1,250,795 1,250,795 0 Road Safety Improvement Fund 215,647 215,647 0 215,647 0 Renewal of Play Parks 231,000 231,000 (231,000) 0 0 0 0 2-4 Boyle Street Hostel 31,025 31,025 0 31,025 0 31,025 0 CO2 Monitors in Schools 0 0 76,651 76,651 76,651 76,651 0 Capital Grants Flooding 20,525,000 20,525,000 0 20,525,000 0 20,525,000 0 General Capital Grant 15,179,000 15,179,000 (1,368,000) 13,811,000 14,513,750 13,811,000 0 SUB TOTAL 45,105,170 1,896,235 3,615,531 50,616,936 (148,954) 0 50,467,982 24,298,961 47,301,121 (3,166,861) OTHER INCOME TO PROGRAMME Use of Funds :- Capital Fund 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Change & Service Redesign Fund 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 CFCR 0 0 0 0 300,000 0 300,000 300,000 300,000 0 Grants & Contributions 2,068,411 632,323 301,603 3,002,337 1,246,534 0 4,248,871 277,737 4,102,323 (146,548) Capital Receipts 465,555 0 0 465,555 31,865 0 497,420 31,865 497,420 0 SUB TOTAL 2,533,966 632,323 301,603 3,467,892 1,578,399 0 5,046,291 609,602 4,899,743 (146,548) TOTAL CAPITAL PROGRAMME FUNDING 115,931,067 8,343,135 6,600,220 130,874,422 5,276,291 0 136,150,713 24,908,564 130,400,109 (5,750,604) 23/24 Budget at Capital Refresh Mar 2023 Capital Programme Funding 2023/24 Projected Income to 31st March 2024 Approved budget at Period 1 used as revised starting point 2023/24 Actual Income to 31 August 2023Funding Description Carry Forward from 2022/23 Changes after Capital Refresh Mar 2023 Total Changes in Year Changes at Capital Refresh Mar 2024 182
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COMMUNITIES MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/(Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Nursery Education Early Years Programme EARLY LEARNING & CHILDCARE FUTURE PROJECTS 4,307 4,073 4,307 0 234 0 0 0 234 0 0 Future Projects Future Projects Future Projects Complete Complete ST BRIDGETS EARLY YEARS 787,477 787,477 787,477 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete KILMORY EARLY YEARS 55,978 59,932 55,978 0 27,791 0 31,745 31,745 27,791 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target ST PETERS EARLY YEARS 1,261,310 1,248,429 1,261,310 0 17,583 0 4,703 4,703 17,583 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ST JOHN OGILVIE EARLY YEARS 177,415 177,415 177,415 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete MAYFIELD PS EARLY YEARS 215,710 215,710 215,710 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete BEITH PS EARLY YEARS 339,763 341,180 339,763 0 0 0 1,417 1,417 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete SKELMORLIE PS EARLY YEARS 358,835 358,835 358,835 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete WEST KILBRIDE EARLY EARLY YEARS 232,807 226,562 232,807 0 7,752 0 1,507 1,507 7,752 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete GATESIDE EARLY YEARS 407,764 407,764 407,764 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete GARNOCK CAMPUS EARLY YEARS 58,755 58,755 58,755 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete FAIRLIE EARLY YEARS 205,120 208,220 205,120 0 0 0 3,100 3,100 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ELDERBANK EARLY YEARS 22,983 22,983 22,983 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete DREGHORN EARLY YEARS 82,940 82,940 82,940 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CUMBRAE EARLY YEARS 40,184 40,195 40,184 0 0 0 12 12 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete LARGS CAMPUS EARLY YEARS 45,836 45,836 45,836 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete MOORPARK EARLY YEARS 182 182 182 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PIRNMILL EARLY YEARS 80,000 71,911 80,000 0 8,154 0 65 65 8,154 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target SHISKINE EARLY YEARS 127,013 127,013 127,013 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target CORRIE EARLY YEARS 38,605 28,442 38,605 0 10,163 0 0 0 10,163 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete LAMLASH EARLY YEARS 15,000 1,387 15,000 0 14,123 0 510 510 14,123 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target BRODICK EARLY YEARS 354,659 354,659 354,659 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete MARRESS HOUSE 4,010,310 3,673,508 4,010,310 0 450,000 0 113,198 113,198 450,000 0 0 22-Jul-22 01-Mar-24 Construction On Target Significantly off target Contractor delays Completed Nursery Education GLENCAIRN / LOUDON MONTGOMERY EARLY YEARS 170,429 170,429 170,429 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ARDEER EARLY YEARS 216,819 216,819 216,819 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ST JOHNS EARLY YEARS 283,930 283,930 283,930 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete STANLEY EARLY YEARS 27,514 27,514 27,514 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete KILWINNING (PENNYBURN SCHOOL) EARLY YEARS 648,135 648,135 648,135 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete DALRY EARLY YEARS CENTRE 56,920 56,920 56,920 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete SPRINGVALE EARLY YEARS 104,557 104,557 104,557 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ABBEY / ST LUKES PRIMARY SCHOOL EARLY YEARS 64,615 64,615 64,615 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ST LUKES EARLY YEARS 1,966 1,966 1,966 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CASTLEPARK EARLY YEARS 219,376 219,376 219,376 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete LAWTHORN EARLY YEARS 201,037 201,037 201,037 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete HAYOCKS EARLY YEARS 246,765 246,765 246,765 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete WOODLANDS EARLY YEARS 181,546 181,546 181,546 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CORSEHILL EARLY YEARS 536,144 536,144 536,144 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CALEDONIA EARLY YEARS 255,432 255,432 255,432 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete BLACKLANDS EARLY YEARS 204,144 204,144 204,144 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete WINTON EARLY YEARS 5,290 5,290 5,290 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete SPRINGSIDE EARLY YEARS 566,752 566,752 566,752 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ST MARKS EARLY YEARS 350,497 350,497 350,497 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Other Nursery Education ANNICK PRIMARY EXT - EARLY YRS PROVISION 3,103,416 3,083,147 3,085,147 (18,269) 33,062 0 12,793 12,793 14,793 (18,269) (18,269) 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Holding Code Total Nursery Education 16,368,237 15,968,424 16,349,968 (18,269) 568,862 0 169,049 169,049 550,593 (18,269) (18,269) 0 CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 CommentsProject Description TOTAL PROJECT COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS2023/24 BUDGETS 183
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COMMUNITIES MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/(Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 CommentsProject Description TOTAL PROJECT COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS2023/24 BUDGETS Primary Schools MOORPARK PRIMARY 12,079,491 8,643,828 12,079,491 0 5,542,942 0 2,107,279 2,107,279 5,542,942 0 0 31-Jan-24 31-Jan-24 Construction On Target On Target MONTGOMERIE PARK SCHOOL 23,448,999 4,262,189 23,448,999 0 9,243,600 0 3,166,190 3,166,190 9,243,600 0 0 01-Aug-25 01-Aug-25 Tender On Target On Target UNIVERSAL FREE SCHOOL MEALS EXPANSION 3,211,546 0 3,211,546 0 252,174 0 0 0 252,174 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM ARDEER PRIMARY SCHOOL 22,500 0 22,500 0 22,500 0 0 0 22,500 0 0 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM BEITH PRIMARY SCHOOL 22,500 0 22,500 0 22,500 0 0 0 22,500 0 0 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM BRODICK PRIMARY SCHOOL 144,178 121,450 144,178 0 22,844 0 117 117 22,844 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete UFSM CORRIE PRIMARY SCHOOL 52,795 52,795 52,795 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete UFSM CORSEHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL 60,000 0 60,000 0 60,000 0 0 0 60,000 0 0 31-Aug-25 31-Aug-25 Tender On Target On Target UFSM GARNOCK COMMUNITY CAMPUS 90,000 0 90,000 0 90,000 0 0 0 90,000 0 0 31-Aug-25 31-Aug-25 Tender On Target On Target UFSM GLEBE PRIMARY SCHOOL 2,043,869 81 2,043,869 0 0 0 81 81 0 0 0 31-Aug-29 31-Aug-29 Tender On Target On Target UFSM GLENCAIRN PRIMARY SCHOOL 22,500 0 22,500 0 22,500 0 0 0 22,500 0 0 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM HAYOCKS PRIMARY SCHOOL 82,500 0 82,500 0 82,500 0 0 0 82,500 0 0 31-Aug-25 31-Aug-25 Development On Target On Target UFSM KILMORY PRIMARY SCHOOL 60,000 32,057 60,000 0 60,000 0 32,057 32,057 60,000 0 0 31-Aug-24 31-Aug-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM LARGS PRIMARY SCHOOL 148,533 148,533 148,533 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete UFSM LOUDOUN-MONTGOMERY PRIMARY SCHOOL 2,081,077 0 2,081,077 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31-Aug-28 31-Aug-28 Tender On Target On Target UFSM PENNYBURN PRIMARY SCHOOL 22,500 0 22,500 0 22,500 0 0 0 22,500 0 0 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-24 Tender On Target On Target UFSM SHISKINE PRIMARY SCHOOL 15,000 6,072 15,000 0 8,928 0 0 0 8,928 0 0 31-Aug-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target UFSM WEST KILBRIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL 2,252,504 201,931 2,252,504 0 34,308 0 (4,441) (4,441) 1,979 (32,329) (32,329) 31-Aug-27 31-Aug-27 On Site On Target On Target UFSM WHITING BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL 25,000 8,540 25,000 0 25,000 0 8,540 8,540 25,000 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target On Target Total Primary Education 45,885,492 13,477,475 45,885,492 0 15,512,296 0 5,309,823 5,309,823 15,479,967 (32,329) 0 (32,329) Secondary Schools KILWINNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 2,805,435 2,428,845 2,805,435 0 378,401 0 1,811 1,811 378,401 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target On Target ARDROSSAN NEW BUILD 80,205,307 1,879,302 80,205,307 0 4,693,884 0 389,660 389,660 4,693,884 0 0 31-Aug-26 31-Aug-26 In Development On Target On Target Total Secondary Education 83,010,742 4,308,147 83,010,742 0 5,072,285 0 391,471 391,471 5,072,285 0 0 0 Special Education LOCKHART CAMPUS 25,343,637 25,243,710 25,343,637 0 138,595 0 38,668 38,668 138,595 0 0 Complete Complete Snagging Complete Complete Total Special Education 25,343,637 25,243,710 25,343,637 0 138,595 0 38,668 38,668 138,595 0 0 0 Schools Other CO2 MONITORS IN SCHOOLS 298,000 156,628 298,000 0 146,543 0 5,171 5,171 146,543 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target SCHOOLS ICT INVESTMENT * 582,194 254,867 582,194 0 582,194 0 254,867 254,867 582,194 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 On-going On Target On Target Total Schools Other 880,194 411,495 880,194 0 728,737 0 260,038 260,038 728,737 0 0 0 Information & Culture CASTLES & HISTORIC MONUMENTS 38,303 12,192 38,303 0 38,303 0 12,192 12,192 38,303 0 0 Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code ABBEY TOWER 75,176 6,563 75,176 0 68,613 0 0 0 68,613 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 Planning On Hold On Hold Total Information & Cultural 113,479 18,755 113,479 0 106,916 0 12,192 12,192 106,916 0 0 0 Completed Projects GARNOCK CAMPUS 40,307,259 40,283,664 40,307,259 0 2,893 0 (20,702) (20,702) 2,893 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete AUCHENHARVIE SECONDARY ESTATE LEARNING ENVT 3,112,120 3,111,334 3,112,120 0 786 0 0 0 786 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Completed Projects 43,419,379 43,394,998 43,419,379 0 3,679 0 (20,702) (20,702) 3,679 0 0 0 Total Communities 215,021,160 102,823,005 215,002,891 (18,269) 22,131,370 0 6,160,540 6,160,540 22,080,772 (50,598) (18,269) (32,329) 184
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/(Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Council IT Strategy ICT INVESTMENT FUND 4,075,490 957,838 4,075,490 0 543,757 0 48,105 48,105 473,757 (70,000) (70,000) 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 On-going On Target On Target WAN 902,197 402,197 902,197 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31-Mar-28 31-Mar-28 Implementation On Target On Target LAN/WiFi 2,673,000 1,073,483 2,673,000 0 228,838 0 129,322 129,322 228,838 0 0 31-Mar-28 31-Mar-28 Implementation On Target On Target TELEPHONY 1,146,693 247,657 1,146,693 0 119,050 0 20,014 20,014 69,050 (50,000) (50,000) 31-Mar-28 31-Mar-28 Implementation On Target On Target Total IT Strategy 8,797,380 2,681,176 8,797,380 0 891,645 0 197,441 197,441 771,645 (120,000) 0 (120,000) Total Chief Executive 8,797,380 2,681,176 8,797,380 0 891,645 0 197,441 197,441 771,645 (120,000) 0 (120,000) CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 CommentsProject Description COMPLETION DATESTOTAL PROJECT DELIVERY STATUS2023/24 BUDGETS 185
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HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/(Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Management & Support COMMUNITY ALARMS - ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL 996,000 4,190 996,000 0 658,810 0 0 0 658,810 0 0 29-Feb-24 29-Feb-24 Future Years On Target On Target CAREFIRST IT SYSTEM 84,620 84,620 84,620 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CAREFIRST REPLACEMENT 536,058 267,993 536,058 0 268,065 0 0 0 268,065 0 0 31-Aug-24 31-Aug-24 In development On Target On Target 47 WEST ROAD 300,000 285 300,000 0 300,000 0 285 285 300,000 0 0 21-Jun-24 21-Jun-24 Refurbishment On Target On Target Total Management & Support 1,916,678 357,088 1,916,678 0 1,226,875 0 285 285 1,226,875 0 0 0 Housing Non HRA IMPROVEMENT GRANTS * 656,571 232,745 656,571 0 656,571 0 232,745 232,745 656,571 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Ongoing On Target On Target Total Housing Non HRA 656,571 232,745 656,571 0 656,571 0 232,745 232,745 656,571 0 0 0 Adults TRINDLEMOSS 4,608,078 4,590,097 4,608,078 0 18,047 0 66 66 18,047 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Older People 4,608,078 4,590,097 4,608,078 0 18,047 0 66 66 18,047 0 0 0 Young People RESIDENTIAL & RESPITE UNIT 5,579,718 5,224,534 5,579,718 0 363,177 0 7,993 7,993 363,177 0 0 Complete Complete Snagging Complete Complete Total Young People 5,579,718 5,224,534 5,579,718 0 363,177 0 7,993 7,993 363,177 0 0 0 Total Health & Social Care 12,761,045 10,404,464 12,761,045 0 2,264,670 0 241,089 241,089 2,264,670 0 0 0 CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 2023/24 BUDGETSTOTAL PROJECT COMPLETION DATES CommentsProject Description DELIVERY STATUS 186
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PLACE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to Date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/ (Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Roads ROADS IMPROVE/RECONSTRUCTION * 4,447,261 4,447,261 4,447,261 0 4,447,261 0 1,474,273 1,474,273 4,447,261 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENT FUND 215,647 215,647 215,647 0 215,647 0 0 0 215,647 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In Development On Target On Target A737 DALRY BYPASS 375,735 375,735 375,735 0 375,735 0 207,363 207,363 375,735 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In Development On Target On Target TRAFFIC CALMING 175,000 92,047 175,000 0 82,953 0 0 0 82,953 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In Development On Target On Target LIGHTING * 1,417,342 173,530 1,417,342 0 1,417,342 0 173,530 173,530 1,417,342 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target LED LIGHTING REPLACEMENT 694,999 79,132 694,999 0 154,169 0 79,132 79,132 154,169 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target A737 DALRY BYPASS LIGHTING 20,685 0 20,685 0 16,611 0 0 0 16,611 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Preparing Works PackagesOn Target On Target UPPER GARNOCK FPS 18,503,800 17,778,338 18,503,800 0 1,067,828 0 342,366 342,366 1,067,828 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete MILLPORT COASTAL FPS 48,599,797 6,764,940 48,599,797 0 26,724,382 0 4,924,526 4,924,526 26,724,382 0 0 31-Aug-24 31-Aug-24 Construction On Target On Target MILLBURN FPS 1,757,000 253,471 1,757,000 0 393,547 0 0 0 393,547 0 0 31-Jul-24 31-Jul-24 Design On Target On Target MILLPORT PIER 500,000 150,080 500,000 0 40,000 0 0 0 40,000 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 In Development On Target On Target BRIDGES INFRASTRUCTURE PROG * 899,430 390,224 899,430 0 899,430 0 390,224 390,224 899,430 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target LARGS PROMENADE SEAWALL 3,969,000 461,670 3,969,000 0 3,635,046 0 127,715 127,715 3,635,046 0 0 30-Apr-24 30-Apr-24 Construction On Target On Target B714 UPGRADE 26,063,443 1,401,905 26,063,443 0 1,250,795 0 512,647 512,647 1,250,795 0 0 28-Feb-26 28-Feb-26 Final Design On Target On Target LARGS CAR PARK INFRASTRUCTURE 55,128 55,128 55,128 0 661 0 661 661 661 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PARKING CHARGES & DPE 250,610 94,162 250,610 0 170,585 0 14,137 14,137 170,585 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In Development On Target On Target Total Roads 107,944,875 32,733,269 107,944,875 0 40,891,992 0 8,246,574 8,246,574 40,891,992 0 0 0 Streetscene CEMETERY EXTNS, WALLS & INFRA * 526,939 0 526,939 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code Holding Code CMTY, LAMLASH - EXTENSION 715,065 715,065 715,065 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, ARDROSSAN - PLOTS/WALLS 217,922 160,418 217,922 0 61,864 0 4,361 4,361 61,864 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, KILBIRNIE - WORKS 25,383 25,383 25,383 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, KILWINNING - NEW 1,402,589 1,365,070 1,402,589 0 138,061 0 100,542 100,542 138,061 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, KNADGERHILL - EXTENSION 416,471 414,810 416,471 0 1,661 0 0 0 1,661 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, WEST KILBRIDE - WORKS 398,033 370,915 398,033 0 36,892 0 9,774 9,774 36,892 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CMTY, STEV HIGH ROAD - WORKS 506,878 494,031 506,878 0 137,408 0 124,560 124,560 137,408 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete ARDROSSAN CEMETERY NEW 603 603 603 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold CMTY, BRODICK - NEW 12,000 8,317 12,000 0 4,979 0 1,296 1,296 4,979 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold CMTY, KILBIRNIE - WALLS 188,370 16,106 188,370 0 172,744 0 480 480 172,744 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, BEITH - WALLS 87,542 15,135 87,542 0 72,907 0 500 500 72,907 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, ABBEY TOWER - WALLS 95,550 6,052 95,550 0 89,498 0 0 0 89,498 0 0 31-Aug-25 31-Aug-25 Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, STEV HAWKHILL - WALLS 108,732 5,860 108,732 0 102,872 0 0 0 102,872 0 0 31-Aug-25 31-Aug-25 Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, WEST KILBRIDE - WALLS 99,528 4,604 99,528 0 94,924 0 0 0 94,924 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold CMTY, MILLPORT - WALLS 2,846 2,846 2,846 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, ARDROSSAN - WALLS 4,338 4,338 4,338 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, IRVINE OP CHURCH - WALLS 2,775 2,775 2,775 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, DREGHORN - WALLS 3,260 3,260 3,260 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, KILBIRNIE BARONY - WALLS 1,828 1,828 1,828 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, LAMLASH - WALLS 3,627 3,627 3,627 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, STEV HIGH KIRK - WORKS 22,754 22,754 22,754 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, KILBIRNIE - NEW 600,514 13,299 600,514 0 389,227 0 2,013 2,013 389,227 0 0 Future years Future years Feasibility Works On Target On Target CMTY, DALRY - WALLS 2,450 2,450 2,450 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 On Target On Target CMTY, ARDROSSAN - EXTENSION 900,000 0 900,000 0 300,000 0 0 0 300,000 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 Planning On Target On Target COASTAL PLAY PARKS 0 409,925 0 0 0 0 409,925 409,925 0 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target STREET FURNITURE IMPROVEMENT 69,469 87,569 69,469 0 0 0 18,099 18,099 0 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target PARK ENABLING WORKS 85,363 138,005 85,363 0 0 0 52,642 52,642 0 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target RENEWAL OF PLAY PARKS 1,391,000 378,041 1,391,000 0 356,712 0 268,753 268,753 356,712 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target On Target Total Streetscene 7,891,828 4,673,086 7,891,828 0 1,959,749 0 992,946 992,946 1,959,749 0 0 0 Transport VEHICLES * 2,539,373 2,287,130 2,539,373 0 2,539,373 0 2,287,130 2,287,130 2,539,373 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Ongoing On Target On Target WORKPLACE CHARGERS 318,261 291,515 318,261 0 92,858 0 66,112 66,112 92,858 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Ongoing On Target On Target FLEET DECARBONISATION 1,899,820 45,014 1,899,820 0 1,862,235 0 7,429 7,429 1,862,235 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Ongoing On Target On Target Total Transport 4,757,454 2,623,659 4,757,454 0 4,494,466 0 2,360,670 2,360,670 4,494,466 0 0 0 Waste Services SHEWALTON LANDFILL 13,321,491 13,272,542 13,321,491 0 48,949 0 0 0 48,949 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Waste Services 13,321,491 13,272,542 13,321,491 0 48,949 0 0 0 48,949 0 0 0 CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 Project Description TOTAL PROJECT 2023/24 BUDGETS COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS Comments 187
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PLACE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to Date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/ (Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 Project Description TOTAL PROJECT 2023/24 BUDGETS COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS Comments Renewable Energy SOLAR PV RETROFIT EXTENSION 120,000 42,014 120,000 0 77,986 0 0 0 77,986 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target SOLAR PV INVESTMENT - NETHERMAINS 7,289,441 557,642 7,289,441 0 6,622,319 0 411,961 411,961 6,622,319 0 0 30-Apr-24 30-Apr-24 Work Ongoing On Target On Target SOLAR PV INVESTMENT - SHEWALTON 5,540,347 336,125 5,540,347 0 252,530 0 238,014 238,014 252,530 0 0 30-Oct-24 30-Oct-24 Work Ongoing On Target On Target NON DOMESTIC ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMME 1,000,000 899,585 1,000,000 0 63,589 0 (36,827) (36,827) 63,589 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Work Ongoing On Target On Target NATURE RESTORATION FUND 711,000 0 711,000 0 711,000 0 0 0 711,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target ELECTRIC VEHICLES INFRASTRUCTURE 646,392 646,392 646,392 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Various On Target On Target Total Renewable Energy 15,307,181 2,481,758 15,307,181 0 7,727,424 0 613,149 613,149 7,727,424 0 0 0 Office Accommodation PROPERTY LIFECYCLE INVESTMENT * 459 0 459 0 459 0 0 0 459 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Mulitple projects On Target On Target PLI CALEY COURT RESOURCE CTR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI CASTLEVIEW DAY SERVICES 15,240 0 15,240 0 15,240 0 0 0 15,240 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Planning On Target On Target PLI CENTRAL AVE STREETSCENE DEPOT* 2,080 1,820 2,080 0 2,080 0 1,820 1,820 2,080 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WEST KILBRIDE CEMETERY 30,000 0 30,000 0 30,000 0 0 0 30,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target PLI BEITH CEMETERY 69 69 69 0 69 0 69 69 69 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI TOWNEND CC 7,949 7,949 7,949 0 7,949 0 7,949 7,949 7,949 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WHITLEES COMMUNITY CTR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WEST KILBRIDE COMMUNITY CENTRE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WOODWYND HALL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI PORTLAND PLACE 17,267 17,267 17,267 0 17,267 0 17,267 17,267 17,267 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI PADDOCKHOLM DEPOT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WEST BYREHILL DEPOT 107,524 107,524 107,524 0 107,524 0 107,524 107,524 107,524 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI GOLDCRAIGS DEPOT 114,767 4,878 114,767 0 114,767 0 4,878 4,878 4,878 (109,889) (109,889) 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 Planning On Target On Target PLI ANNICK PRIMARY SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI ARDEER PRIMARY SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI BEITH PRIMARY SCHOOL 1,957 1,957 1,957 0 1,957 0 1,957 1,957 1,957 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI BLACKLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL 0 (4,080) 0 0 0 0 (4,080) (4,080) 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI CALEDONIA PRIMARY SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI CASTLEPARK PRIMARY SCHOOL 83,915 0 83,915 0 83,915 0 0 0 83,915 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI CUMBRAE PRIMARY 3,867 3,867 3,867 0 3,867 0 3,867 3,867 3,867 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI DALRY PRIMARY SCHOOL 68,314 0 68,314 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18-Aug-24 18-Aug-24 Planning On Target On Target PLI DREGHORN PRIMARY SCHOOL 71,453 57,780 71,453 0 71,453 0 57,780 57,780 71,453 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI FAIRLIE PRIMARY SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI GLENCAIRN PRIMARY SCHOOL 573 573 573 0 573 0 573 573 573 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI PENNYBURN PRIMARY 178,419 39,922 178,419 0 178,419 0 39,922 39,922 178,419 0 0 31-Aug-23 30-Sep-23 Construction On Target Slightly off target Slight delay on site leading to revised completion date. PLI PIRNMILL PRIMARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI SHISKINE PRIMARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI SKELMORLIE PRIMARY SCHOOL 568,449 16,996 568,449 0 123,980 0 16,996 16,996 123,980 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target PLI ST BRIDGETS PRIMARY 12,053 18,195 12,053 0 12,053 0 18,195 18,195 12,053 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI ST JOHN OGILVIE PRIMARY SCHOOL 6,744 6,744 6,744 0 6,744 0 6,744 6,744 6,744 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI ST PETER'S PRIMARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WEST KILBRIDE PRIMARY* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI WOODLANDS PRIMARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI AUCHENHARVIE ACADEMY* 374,081 272,662 374,081 0 374,081 0 272,662 272,662 374,081 0 0 31-Dec-23 31-Dec-23 Construction On Target On Target PLI IRVINE ROYAL ACADEMY* 12,000 12,000 12,000 0 12,000 0 12,000 12,000 12,000 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI KILWINNING ACADEMY 188,421 25,930 188,421 0 188,421 0 25,930 25,930 188,421 0 0 31-Oct-23 31-Dec-23 Construction On Target Slightly off target Underlying structural issues identified during constuction work which now requires remedial action. Cost and completion dates still to be determined. PLI 6A KILWINNING ROAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI KYLE ROAD UNIT 34 4,067 0 4,067 0 4,067 0 0 0 4,067 0 0 31-Aug-23 31-Aug-23 Construction On Target On Target PLI IRVINE LIBRARY 5,977 0 5,977 0 5,977 0 0 0 5,977 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Planning On Target On Target PLI LARGS LIBRARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI STEVENSTON LIBRARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI CUNNINGHAME HOUSE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold PLI H&SCP 47 WEST ROAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI GALT HOUSE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI ACHNAMARA CHILDREN'S UNIT 9,000 0 9,000 0 9,000 0 0 0 9,000 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI THE MEADOWS 22,000 0 22,000 0 22,000 0 0 0 22,000 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete PLI ANAM CARA 28,333 20,409 28,333 0 28,333 0 20,409 20,409 28,333 0 0 31-Oct-23 31-Oct-23 Construction On Target On Target PLI EGLINTON CASTLE 48,000 0 48,000 0 48,000 0 0 0 48,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target PLI GARNOCK CAMPUS 5,800 0 5,800 0 5,800 0 0 0 5,800 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 Planning On Target On Target PLI THE PORTAL 56,611 45,843 56,611 0 56,611 0 45,843 45,843 56,611 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Office Accommodation 2,045,389 658,306 2,045,389 0 1,532,606 0 658,306 658,306 1,422,717 (109,889) 0 (109,889) 188
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PLACE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to Date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/ (Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 Project Description TOTAL PROJECT 2023/24 BUDGETS COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS Comments Other Property INDUSTRIAL PORTFOLIO * 430,713 0 430,713 0 430,713 0 0 0 430,713 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold HOME 4,470,198 289,898 4,470,198 0 3,148,529 0 1,250 1,250 3,148,529 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold BUILD 47,749 47,749 47,749 0 1,500 0 1,500 1,500 1,500 0 0 0 On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold On Hold EMERGENCY CONTROL CTR 158,000 66,220 158,000 0 156,780 0 65,000 65,000 156,780 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target GOLDCRAIGS REFURBISHMENT 766,000 25,000 766,000 0 741,000 0 0 0 0 (741,000) (741,000) 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 In development On Target On Target GALLOWGATE TOILETS 275,803 169,133 275,803 0 246,153 0 139,483 139,483 246,153 0 0 31-Aug-23 31-Oct-23 In development On Target Slightly off target Contractor delays linked to materials delay and sub- contractor availability WOODLANDS PRIMARY PLAYINGFIELD DRAINAGE 134,641 104,190 134,641 0 28,519 0 (1,932) (1,932) 28,519 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Property 6,283,104 702,190 6,283,104 0 4,753,194 0 205,301 205,301 4,012,194 (741,000) 0 (741,000) Other Housing CCTV REVIEW 350,000 0 350,000 0 350,000 0 0 0 350,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target 2-4 BOYLE STREET HOSTEL 120,000 0 120,000 0 31,025 0 (88,975) (88,975) 31,025 0 0 12-May-23 12-May-23 Construction On Target On Target Total Other Housing 470,000 0 470,000 0 381,025 0 (88,975) (88,975) 381,025 0 0 0 Regeneration TOWN CENTRE REGENERATION 1,201,659 1,002,714 1,201,659 0 205,691 0 6,745 6,745 205,691 0 0 30-Sep-23 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target On Target REPURPOSING PROPERTY GRANT FUND 348,665 49,406 348,665 0 347,985 0 48,726 48,726 97,985 (250,000) (250,000) 30-May-25 30-May-25 In development On Target On Target MILLPORT TOWN HALL REGENERATION 754,026 754,026 754,026 0 220,534 0 220,534 220,534 220,534 0 0 31-May-23 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target Significantly off target MILLPORT TOWN HALL PHASE 2 433,520 135,327 433,520 0 433,520 0 135,327 135,327 433,520 0 0 31-May-23 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target Significantly off target GARRISON HOUSE PROJECT 730,998 0 730,998 0 730,998 0 0 0 730,998 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target ISLANDS PIT STOPS 540,000 0 540,000 0 540,000 0 0 0 40,000 (500,000) (500,000) 31-Jul-24 31-Jul-24 In development On Target On Target ISLAND INFRASTRUCTURE FUND 259,000 148,590 259,000 0 140,374 0 29,964 29,964 140,374 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target DYEMILL BIKE PARK PROJECT 220,625 0 0 0 220,625 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target ISLANDS COST CRISIS FUND 17,000 0 17,000 0 17,000 0 0 0 17,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target PLACE BASED INVESTMENT PROGRAMME (PBIP) 1,041,035 373,748 1,041,035 0 1,010,258 0 342,971 342,971 1,010,258 0 0 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 In development On Target On Target UK SHARED PROSPERITY FUND (SPF) 300,744 0 300,744 0 300,744 0 0 0 300,744 0 0 31-Mar-25 31-Mar-25 In development On Target On Target PBIP 36 BANK STREET 169,999 94,728 169,999 0 86,827 0 11,556 11,556 36,827 (50,000) (50,000) 31-Dec-25 31-Dec-25 In development On Target On Target PBIP GALT HOUSE 50,000 2,925 50,000 0 50,000 0 2,925 2,925 50,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target IRVINE HIGH STREET 2,837,316 2,720,001 2,837,316 0 115,961 0 (1,353) (1,353) 115,961 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete DOCKHEAD STREET SALTCOATS 100,000 0 100,000 0 100,000 0 0 0 100,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target MILLPORT CARS 11,943 0 11,943 0 11,943 0 0 0 11,943 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target On Target MONTGOMERIE PARK MASTERPLAN 4,218,597 1,777,472 4,218,597 0 353,665 0 2,540 2,540 78,665 (275,000) (275,000) 31-Mar-30 31-Mar-30 In development On Target On Target LOCHSHORE, KILBIRNIE 2,061,138 2,024,355 2,061,138 0 419,358 0 382,575 382,575 419,358 0 0 31-May-25 31-May-25 In development On Target On Target LOCHSHORE GARNOCK HUB 4,195,999 4,023,247 4,195,999 0 112,229 0 (60,524) (60,524) 112,229 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete VDLF - KYLE ROAD PHASE 2 1,798,066 143,495 1,798,066 0 1,657,226 0 2,655 2,655 570,208 (1,087,018) (1,087,018) 31-Mar-24 31-Dec-26 In development On Target On Target VDLF - ANNICKBANK PH 3* 1,986,000 608,651 1,986,000 0 1,909,739 0 532,390 532,390 1,909,739 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Construction On Target On Target VDLF - DEVELOPMENT WORK* 417,479 116,516 417,479 0 324,012 0 23,049 23,049 324,012 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target VDLF - STRATEGY 28,555 16,664 28,555 0 28,555 0 16,664 16,664 28,555 0 0 30-Sep-23 30-Sep-23 In development On Target On Target VDLF - TREE PLANTING 50,000 2,400 50,000 0 47,600 0 0 0 47,600 0 0 31-Dec-23 31-Dec-23 In development On Target On Target MONTGOMERIE PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD CTR 175,000 0 175,000 0 175,000 0 0 0 175,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target VDLF STALLED SPACES FUND 125,000 0 125,000 0 125,000 0 0 0 125,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 In development On Target On Target QUARRY ROAD PHASE 2 5,209,497 5,204,719 5,209,497 0 4,778 0 0 0 4,778 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete CYCLING/WALKING/SAFER STREETS * 1,311,610 819,545 1,311,610 0 1,311,610 0 26,449 26,449 1,311,610 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Various On Target On Target ACCESS PATH NETWORK PROGRAMME * 669,667 224,667 669,667 0 669,667 0 163,419 163,419 224,667 (445,000) (445,000) 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-25 Various On Target On Target FAIRLIE COASTAL PATH 500,000 500,000 500,000 0 500,000 0 0 0 500,000 0 0 31-Dec-23 31-Dec-23 In development On Target On Target IRVINE CYCLE FRIENDLY TOWN 50,000 466,198 50,000 0 50,000 0 0 0 50,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Various On Target On Target BRODICK TO CORRIE CYCLE PATH 80,000 60,199 80,000 0 80,000 0 0 0 80,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Design On Target On Target ARDROSSAN PROMENADE 788,000 20,514 788,000 0 788,000 0 20,514 20,514 788,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target BUS CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS 289,041 189,514 289,041 0 100,000 0 472 472 100,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Various On Target On Target CUMBRAE FERRY & BUS STOP 489,547 231,407 489,547 0 350,000 0 91,861 91,861 350,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Design On Target On Target KILBIRNIE TO KILWINNING 20,000 0 20,000 0 20,000 0 0 0 20,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target B714 ACTIVE TRAVEL IMPROVEMENTS 500,000 100,000 500,000 0 400,000 0 0 0 400,000 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Design On Target On Target B777 CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS 38,400 21,510 38,400 0 33,600 0 16,710 16,710 33,600 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target CYCLE SHELTER 11,409 0 11,409 0 11,409 0 0 0 11,409 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target SALTCOATS OLD CAL RAILWAY PH1 170,075 55,075 170,075 0 115,000 0 0 0 115,000 0 0 26-Jun-23 26-Jun-23 Planning On Target On Target SALTCOATS OLD CAL RAILWAY PH2 31,888 0 31,888 0 31,888 0 0 0 31,888 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Planning On Target On Target Total Regeneration 34,010,873 21,887,612 34,010,873 0 14,150,796 0 2,016,168 2,016,168 11,543,778 (2,607,018) 0 (2,607,018) Community led regeneration project by Millport Town Hall Charity. Project has been delayed due to challenges with contractor and work needing redone as did not met a satisfactory standard. Regeneration team continues to support MTHC in the delivery of the project. 189
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PLACE MILESTONE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to Date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Actual Over/ (Under) Spend for 2023/24 True Over/ (Under) Spend Brought / Carry Forward to 2024/25 Original Target Revised Forecast Current Project Stage Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical CAPITAL MONITORING 2023/24 Project Description TOTAL PROJECT 2023/24 BUDGETS COMPLETION DATES DELIVERY STATUS Comments Ayrshire Growth Deal AYRSHIRE GROWTH DEAL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 On Target On Target AGD - I3 DPMC PHASE 1 1,000,000 5,449 1,000,000 0 400,000 0 0 0 295,000 (105,000) (105,000) 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 Design On Target On Target AGD - I3 DPMC PHASE 2 4,999,999 248,651 4,999,999 0 200,000 0 9,235 9,235 45,000 (155,000) (155,000) 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 Design On Target On Target AGD - I3 FLEXIBLE BUSINESS SPACE PHASE 1 15,617,569 610,750 15,617,569 0 3,056,569 0 65,327 65,327 1,666,726 (1,389,843) (1,389,843) 31-Oct-24 31-Oct-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target AGD - I3 FLEXIBLE BUSINESS SPACE PHASE 2 100,000 0 100,000 0 100,000 0 0 0 100,000 0 0 31-Mar-28 31-Mar-28 Multiple Projects On Target On Target AGD - HUNTERSTON - CENTRE OF LOW CARBON ENERGY & CIRCULAR ECONOMY 18,040,001 234,562 18,040,001 0 200,000 0 2,335 2,335 200,000 0 0 31-Mar-30 31-Mar-30 Multiple Projects On Target On Target AGD - GREAT HARBOUR 14,187,576 652,042 14,187,576 0 503,000 0 53,953 53,953 423,021 (79,979) (79,979) 31-Mar-28 31-Mar-28 Multiple Projects On Target On Target AGD - IMSE 10,500,000 137,404 10,500,000 0 100,000 0 3,891 3,891 100,000 0 0 31-Mar-30 31-Mar-30 Design On Target On Target AGD - MARINE TOURISM ARDROSSAN 7,500,000 335,474 7,500,000 0 450,000 0 778 778 18,000 (432,000) (432,000) 31-Mar-26 31-Mar-26 Design On Target On Target AGD - MARINE TOURISM ARRAN 2,025,577 66,203 2,025,577 0 30,000 0 5,719 5,719 30,000 0 0 31-Mar-29 31-Mar-29 Design On Target On Target AGD - MARINE TOURISM CUMBRAE 2,025,577 77,270 2,025,577 0 50,000 0 9,091 9,091 72,000 22,000 22,000 31-Mar-29 31-Mar-29 Design On Target On Target Total Ayrshire Growth Deal 75,996,300 2,367,806 75,996,300 0 5,089,569 0 150,329 150,329 2,949,747 (2,139,822) 0 (2,139,822) Growth & Investment ARDROSSAN HARBOUR INTERCHANGE 4,127,112 483,952 4,127,112 0 128,000 0 28,501 28,501 145,723 17,723 17,723 1st Qtr 2026 1st Qtr 2026 Design On Target On Target IRVINE ENTERPRISE AREA 10,746,072 0 10,746,072 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ongoing Ongoing Multiple Projects On Target On Target LOW CARBON HUB 1,213,655 112,005 1,213,655 0 1,101,650 0 0 0 1,101,650 0 0 30-Sep-24 30-Sep-24 Multiple Projects On Target On Target ARDROSSAN NORTH SHORE 41,532,859 2,940,615 41,532,859 0 26,092,051 0 106,849 106,849 26,092,051 0 0 27-May-24 27-May-24 Tender On Target On Target VDLF - HARBOUR MASTERS OFFICE 157,500 37,198 157,500 0 136,567 0 16,265 16,265 136,567 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Design On Target On Target VDLF - I3 IRVINE ENTERPRISE 279,411 257,020 279,411 0 22,391 0 0 0 22,391 0 0 31-Mar-24 31-Mar-24 Design On Target On Target Other Growth & Investment 58,056,609 3,830,791 58,056,609 0 27,480,659 0 151,615 151,615 27,498,382 17,723 0 17,723 Total Economic Development & Regeneration 168,063,781 28,086,208 168,063,781 0 46,721,024 0 2,318,112 2,318,112 41,991,907 (4,729,117) 0 (4,729,117) Completed Projects BIOMASS RETROFIT PROGRAMME 3,378,163 3,377,163 3,378,163 0 0 0 (1,000) (1,000) 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete QUARRY ROAD PHASE 1 2,977,098 2,898,460 2,977,098 0 40,595 0 (38,043) (38,043) 40,595 0 0 Complete Complete Defects Period Complete Complete ARDROSSAN HOSTEL 0 0 2,086 2,086 0 0 0 Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Total Completed Projects 6,355,261 6,275,623 6,355,261 0 40,595 0 (36,958) (36,958) 40,595 0 0 0 Total Place 332,440,365 91,506,641 332,440,365 0 108,551,024 0 15,269,126 15,269,126 102,971,018 (5,580,006) 0 (5,580,006) 190
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OTHER BUDGETS AE Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Year to Date Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 August 2023 Year to Date Variance 2023/24 Projected Expenditure to 31 March 2024 Over/ (Under) Spend for 23/24 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ FLEXIBILITY / IMPROVEMENT FUND 9,061,004 0 9,061,004 0 1,961,004 0 0 0 1,961,004 0 CORE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT 351,000 0 351,000 0 351,000 0 0 0 351,000 0 Total Other Budgets 9,061,004 0 9,061,004 0 2,312,004 0 0 0 2,312,004 0 2023/24 BUDGETS CommentsProject Description TOTAL PROJECT 191
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HRA Capital Statement 2324 Appendix 2 TOTAL PROJECT CURRENT YEAR 2023/24 - Period 5 Project Description Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 July 2023 Projected Expenditure to 31st March 2024 Virement Request Carry /Brought Forward to /From 2024/25 True Over/ (Under) Spend Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical Narrative £ £ £ £ EXPENDITURE Council House Building Afton Court 1,335,654 1,214,308 1,335,654 0 681,987 560,641 681,987 On Target Complete Complete Ayrshire Central Site 50,373,322 2,837,511 50,373,322 0 600,000 278,860 600,000 On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site February 2024. Bourtreehill Village 9,924,743 75,309 9,924,743 0 50,000 9,444 50,000 On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site October 2024. Brathwic Terrace 6,674,074 6,522,518 6,674,074 0 26,403 (41,542) 151,556 125,153 On Target Complete Complete Caley Court 3,131,066 2,812,234 3,131,066 0 322,630 3,799 322,630 On Target Complete Complete Corsehillhead 2,027,810 212,599 2,027,810 0 350,000 0 350,000 On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site November 2023. Dalrymple Place 5,838,627 5,821,473 5,838,627 0 1,473 985 18,139 16,666 On Target Complete Complete Flatt Road 19,934,544 19,620,843 19,934,544 0 302,327 (11,374) 302,327 0 On Target Complete Complete Friars Lawn 2,199,628 2,072,013 2,086,112 (113,516) 231,468 103,033 117,952 (113,516) On Target Complete Complete Fullarton Street (High Flats) 14,481,290 28,435 14,481,290 0 100,000 2,500 50,000 (50,000) On Target Significantly off target Demolition project completion deferred to November 2023. New build project due to commence on site July 2024. Garnock Academy Site 12,092,889 659,796 12,092,889 0 3,500,000 64,812 1,110,750 (2,389,250) On Target Significantly off target Tender return delayed by one month. Project due to commence on site November/ December 2023. Garrier Court 2,335,551 2,348,027 2,348,027 12,476 0 0 0 On Target Complete Complete Glebe Place 1,894,952 0 1,894,952 0 0 0 0 On Target On Target Project deferred to 2026/27 following refurbishment of the block for Ukrainian funded by the Scottish Government. Harbourside 14,622,742 14,075,209 14,622,742 0 939,356 306,970 939,356 On Target Complete Complete James McFarlane Site 4,784,118 376,551 4,784,118 0 500,000 0 450,000 (50,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site November 2023. James Reid Site 11,896,026 862,603 11,896,026 0 2,000,000 0 1,200,000 (800,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site November 2023. Kings Arms (113-115 High Street) 2,169,980 307,869 2,169,980 0 932,000 995 482,000 (450,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site September 2023. Laburnum Ave/Newhouse Dr (Regen 1a&b) 3,274,506 95 3,274,506 0 400,000 0 250,000 (150,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site January 2024. Largs Police Station 2,769,301 2,502,508 2,769,301 0 1,038,673 771,882 1,038,673 On Target On Target Project on-site due to complete August 2023 Montgomerie Park (Both Phases) 46,166,866 4,705,195 46,166,866 0 1,500,000 26,053 780,000 (720,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site February 2024. Regeneration Project 1d 9,965,851 2,750 9,965,851 0 0 0 0 On Target Significantly off target Pre Site Regeneration Project 1e 1,658,083 0 1,658,083 0 0 0 0 On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site June 2024. Springvale 2,852,016 2,743,995 2,852,016 0 (2,000) 106,021 106,021 On Target Complete Complete Stanecastle Site 7,768,147 604,509 7,768,147 0 750,000 0 450,000 (300,000) On Target Significantly off target Project due to commence on site November 2023. St Beya Gardens 3,691,052 3,689,346 3,691,052 0 1,706 0 1,706 On Target Complete Complete St Colm's Largs 4,907,987 4,808,504 4,886,565 (21,422) 12,685 (65,376) 12,685 On Target Complete Complete St Michael's Wynd 13,996,769 13,909,119 13,996,769 0 0 (188,682) (101,032) (101,032) On Target Complete Complete - in year credit expected from Scottish Water. Towerlands Primary School 8,579,943 8,461,992 8,579,943 0 9,279 (108,673) 9,279 On Target Complete Complete Unallocated Regeneration Block 8,304,876 0 8,304,876 0 479,000 0 479,000 On Target On Target Nelson Street Regeneration 622,116 0 622,116 0 50,000 0 50,000 On Target Significantly off target Pre Site Acquisition Of Land & Buildin 0 (112) 0 0 (112) 0 On Target On Target House Building - General 1,547,765 0 1,547,765 0 1,547,765 0 0 (1,547,765) On Target On Target Acquisition Houses-Open Market 254,752 165,772 254,752 0 254,752 165,772 254,752 0 On Target On Target Dickson Drive Phase 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 On Target On Target Harbour Street 0 0 0 0 0 0 On Target On Target Refurb - Connell Court 0 (30,395) 0 0 (30,395) 0 On Target On Target Complete Kinnear Road 2,118 0 2,118 0 2,118 0 2,118 On Target Complete Complete Contingency 11,000,624 0 11,000,624 0 11,000,624 0 0 (11,000,624) On Target On Target Internal Management Charges 1,757,259 462,855 1,757,259 0 1,757,259 462,855 1,757,259 On Target On Target SUB TOTAL 293,079,788 101,410,576 292,957,326 (122,461) 29,341,505 2,310,448 11,917,158 0 (17,457,639) 33,292 Period 5 DELIVERY STATUS 192
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TOTAL PROJECT CURRENT YEAR 2023/24 - Period 5 Project Description Total Project Budget Cumulative Expenditure to date Total Project Forecast Projected Over/ (Under) Spend Total Revised Budget 2023/24 Actual Expenditure to 31 July 2023 Projected Expenditure to 31st March 2024 Virement Request Carry /Brought Forward to /From 2024/25 True Over/ (Under) Spend Delivery Status Financial Delivery Status Physical Narrative £ £ £ £ DELIVERY STATUS Improvements to existing stock Wet Room - Void 426,386 23,203 273,109 (153,277) 426,386 23,203 273,109 0 (153,277) On Target On Target Reduction in estimated number of completions based on jobs received to date Bathrooms - Void 770,876 163,353 732,305 (38,571) 770,876 163,353 732,305 0 (38,571) On Target On Target Reduction in estimated number of completions based on jobs received to date Wet Room - Planned 150,025 0 150,025 0 150,025 0 150,025 0 On Target On Target Bathrooms - Planned 341,561 62,481 341,561 0 341,561 62,481 341,561 0 On Target On Target Electrical Rewiring 585,710 96,480 585,710 0 741,075 96,480 585,710 (155,365) On Target On Target Anticipated slippage due to no access. Tender for new contract due in September. Heating 2,924,745 669,314 2,372,885 (551,860) 2,924,745 669,314 2,372,885 0 (551,860) On Target On Target Additional 32 units completed but scope of works reduced resulting in an anticipated underspend. Tender for new contract due in September. Kitchens 1,581,530 242,824 1,581,530 0 1,581,530 242,824 1,581,530 0 On Target On Target Kitchens - Void 1,313,771 293,106 1,313,771 0 1,204,754 293,106 1,313,771 109,017 On Target On Target Roofing 1,105,661 103,730 1,105,661 0 1,105,661 103,730 1,105,661 On Target On Target Wallfloor rendering 62,000 791,817 62,000 0 1,090,726 791,817 62,000 (1,028,726) On Target On Target EWI 4,313,962 0 4,573,500 259,538 2,369,236 0 4,573,500 1,944,726 259,538 On Target On Target Increase in expenditure due to increase in no of jobs and an increase in anticipated unit rate Window Replacement 541,903 174,434 541,903 0 541,903 174,434 356,160 (185,743) On Target On Target Work being undertaken in relation to access arrangements. Housing will be reviewing this in order to improve access. Saltcoats MSF Investment 1,300,529 448,707 1,300,529 0 1,281,214 448,707 1,300,529 19,315 On Target On Target Projected expenditure includes buy-back houses, budget virement requested. Smoke Detector Programme 250,000 73,318 250,000 0 250,000 73,318 250,000 On Target On Target Carry forward of £821k to be reprofiled over future years. £397k of underspend vired to meet in year pressures in other budget lines. Energy Efficiency 122,610 0 122,610 0 1,552,610 0 122,610 (1,430,000) On Target On Target Path Finder Project 250,000 0 250,000 0 250,000 250,000 On Target On Target Solar Panels 5,050,000 372,716 5,050,000 0 5,050,000 372,716 5,050,000 On Target On Target SUB TOTAL 21,091,269 3,515,484 20,607,099 (484,170) 21,382,302 3,515,484 20,421,356 (264,000) (212,776) (484,170) Other Capital works Estate Based Regeneration 2,093,064 40,582 2,093,064 0 2,093,064 40,582 853,395 (1,239,669) On Target On Target Underspend to be reprofiled over future years. Lift Replacement 454,425 0 454,425 0 100,000 0 100,000 On Target On Target Slippage on programme . Works now expected to commence Dec/Jan Sheltered Housing Units 12,965,531 1,074,584 12,965,531 0 4,146,664 1,074,584 4,100,000 264,000 (310,664) On Target On Target Virement fom Energy efficiency to fund sutainability elements of the project. Underspend to be reprofiled over future years. High Flats Demolition 2,368,970 809,495 2,368,970 0 2,368,970 809,495 2,368,970 0 On Target On Target Completion anticipated November 2023 Health and Safety Works 207,000 0 0 (207,000) 207,000 0 0 (207,000) On Target On Target Carried forward from 2022/23. Not required for 2023/24. Parkhall & Kirkhall Asbestos 17,358 0 0 (17,358) 17,358 0 0 (17,358) On Target On Target Carried forward from 2022/23. Not required for 2023/24. Major Improvements 6,000 0 0 (6,000) 6,000 0 0 (6,000) On Target On Target Carried forward from 2022/23. Not required for 2023/24. Newhouse Drive (Regen 1b) 5,000 0 0 (5,000) 5,000 0 0 (5,000) On Target On Target Carried forward from 2022/23. Not required for 2023/24. Maress House Refurb (12,540) 0 (12,540) 0 (12,540) 0 (12,540) On Target On Target SUB TOTAL 18,104,808 1,924,661 17,869,450 (235,358) 8,931,516 1,924,661 7,409,825 264,000 (1,550,333) (235,358) Total Expenditure 311,184,596 103,335,238 310,826,776 (357,819) 59,655,323 7,750,593 39,748,339 0 (19,220,748) (686,236) Income Affordable Housing Contributn (2,444,930) (2,444,930) 0 CFCR (5,151,045) (5,151,045) 0 Capital Grants (14,993,130) (90,678) (6,785,747) 8,207,383 Prudential Borrowing (33,001,551) (21,301,950) 11,013,365 686,236 Council HB fund contribution (4,064,667) (4,064,667) 0 0 0 SUB TOTAL (59,655,323) (90,678) (39,748,339) 0 19,220,748 686,236 Total Project Expenditure 311,184,596 103,335,238 310,826,776 (357,819) 59,655,323 7,750,593 39,748,339 0 (19,220,748) (686,236) Total Project Income (59,655,323) (90,678) (39,748,339) 0 19,220,748 686,236 Total Net Expenditure 0 7,659,915 0 0 0 0 Check Total On Target (+0.5% of budget) Slightly off target (+ 0.5% to 2% of budget, or £0.125m, whichever is less) Significantly off target (+2% or more of budget, or £0.500m, whichever is less) The following classifications have been used to highlight financial performance against budget 193
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Revenue Budget 2023/24 : Financial Performance to 31 August 2023 Purpose: To advise Cabinet of the financial performance for the Council at 31 August 2023. Recommendation: That Cabinet agrees to: (a) note the information and financial projections outlined in the report; (b) note the latest financial projection for the Health and Social Care Partnership highlighted at 2.6; and (c) approve the virements detailed in Appendix 7. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The General Services Revenue Estimates for 2023/24 were approved by Council on 1 March 2023. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Revenue Budget for 2023/24 was approved by Council on 15 February 2023. 1.2 As part of the monitoring procedures to keep the Cabinet informed of the financial performance of the Council, financial performance reports are presented on a regular basis. This is the second report for 2023/24 and covers the period to the end of August 2023 (Period 5). Projections have been made to the year-end. 1.3 At Period 5 the General Fund is forecasting a net in-year overspend of £0.424m, (0.1%), after transferring resources to/from earmarked reserves. 1.4 The Housing Revenue Account is forecasting a net in-year underspend of (£5.414m), (9.3%). 1.5 At the end of July 2023, the Health and Social Care Partnership is projecting a year- end overspend of £3.859m, (1.2%), for 2023/24, a reduction of (£0.717m) from the previously reported position. The Council services element is reporting a projected overspend of £3.507m, which is an improvement of (£0.330m) from the previously reported underspend, and the Health services element is reporting a projected overspend of £0.352m, which is an improvement of (£0.387m) over the same period. Agenda Item 10 195
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1.6 Significant risks to the reported position have been identified arising from ongoing inflationary pressures across services, linked to the higher than anticipated Consumer Price Index, and the potential impact of the ongoing 2023/24 non teacher pay negotiations. However, it is anticipated that any additional costs arising from these negotiations will be matched by additional Scottish Government grant funding. The financial projections do not include any short term reductions resulting from the industrial action taken by non-teaching staff on 26th, 27th and 28th September 2023. The full impact of this will be quantified and incorporated into future reports. 2. Background General Fund 2.1 The Council set a breakeven budget for 2023/24. In addition to the budget approved on 1 March 2023, earmarked funds of £26.697m were carried forward from 2022/23 for service expenditure in 2023/24 and are reflected in the figures within the 2023/24 financial performance reports as they are drawn down. 2.2 Current financial projections indicate that a net in-year overspend of £0.424m, (0.1%), net of transfers to/from reserves, is anticipated for the year to 31 March 2024. 2.3 Details of the current financial projections are summarised in the following table: Appendix No Annual Budget Projection to 31 March 2024 Projected Variance for year (Fav)/Adv Projected Variance @ Period 3 (Fav)/Adv Movement Note Service Expenditure £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's Chief Executives 1 19,931 19,663 (268) (58) (210) (i) Communities 2 183,813 184,203 390 - 390 (ii) Place 3 55,308 56,316 1,008 1,691 (683) (iii) Other Corporate Services 4 20,717 20,011 (706) (831) 125 (iv) Sub Total 279,769 280,193 424 802 (378) Health and Social Care Partnership 8 121,744 121,744 - - - 2.6 Balance for Services 401,513 401,937 424 802 (378) Financing Charges 5 11,408 11,408 - - - Contribution to Loans Fund Reserve 5 6,132 6,132 - - - Total Planned Expenditure 419,053 419,477 424 802 (378) Planned Income Aggregate External Finance 5 (347,490) (347,490) - - - Council Tax 5 (65,397) (65,397) - - - Use of Earmarked Funds 5 (6,166) (6,166) - - - Total Planned Income (419,053) (419,053) - - - Net Expenditure/ (Income) - 424 424 802 (378) 196
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2.4 The reported Planned Income includes a number of adjustments to Scottish Government funding from that included in the approved budget, as detailed in the following table: 2.5 Commentary on Significant Movements from the Approved Budget The Council's overall financial forecast against the revised budget is a net overspend position. This includes a number of movements at a service level. Detailed explanations of the significant variances in service expenditure compared to the approved budgets are provided in appendices 1 to 5 to this report. A brief explanation of the significant movements for each service since Period 3 is outlined as follows: (i) Chief Executive’s – underspend of (£0.268m), an increase of (£0.210m) from the previously reported underspend The movement since Period 3 is primarily related to lower than forecast contract renewal costs within ICT. (ii) Communities – overspend of £0.390m, an increase from the previously reported breakeven position The movement since Period 3 reflects updated cost pressures across services, including: • Additional employee costs associated with maintaining teacher numbers in line with Scottish Government policy and absence cover arrangements, £1.014m; and • Additional net costs in relation to the PPP contract due to NDR revaluations and higher than anticipated contract inflation, £0.160m. These have been partly offset by: • Vacancy management across services, including Early Learning and Childcare and non-teaching costs within schools combined with a targeted reduction in overtime and casual staff costs, (£0.623m); and • Lower than anticipated demand for placements with ELC funded providers, (£0.199m). Non Domestic Rates Specific Grants TOTAL AEF Planned Income £000's £000's £000's Revised Budget 30 June 2023 (281,872) (40,982) (19,930) (342,784) Movements: SNCT Pay 22-23 / 23-24 (4,110) (4,110) Ukrainian Resettlement (70) (70) Summer Activities (132) (132) Employability Staffing (394) (394) Revised Planned Income (286,578) (40,982) (19,930) (347,490) General Revenue Grant £000's 197
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Significant cost pressures continue to be experienced in relation to : • Increased residential childcare placements, £0.905m; and • Significant costs pressures arising from the demand for Classroom Assistants, £0.874m. These are currently being offset on an interim basis through the utilisation of earmarked reserves. However, it is recognised that this is not a sustainable solution and will require to be addressed through ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government, management action and as part of the 2024-25 budget process. (iii) Place – overspend of £1.008m, a reduction of (£0.683m) from the previously reported overspend The movement since Period 3 reflects updated income and cost forecasts across services, including: • Additional income from kerbside recycling contracts, (£0.333m); • Additional rent income linked to increased demand for Temporary Furnished Accommodation, (£0.081m); and • Reduced Property Management and Investment expenditure linked to a forecast reduction in internal recharges, (£0.069m). Virements in relation to the recognition of additional income within Roads have been included within Appendix 7. (iv) Other Corporate Items – underspend of (£0.706m), a reduction of £0.125m from the previously reported underspend The movement since Period 3 is primarily related to additional drawdown from centrally held inflationary cost provisions to support pressures within services, £0.249m, partly offset by revised Housing Benefit Overpayment Recovery projections, (£0.100m). Health and Social Care Partnership 2.6 A copy of the HSCP financial performance report as at the end of July 2023 is attached at Appendix 8. The report highlights the key challenges and variances for the Partnership. The key points for Cabinet to note are summarised as: • The projected outturn is a year-end overspend of £3.859m for 2023/24, a reduction of (£0.717m) from the previously period. • The projected overspend on the Council Services element is £3.507m, a reduction of (£0.330m), with a projected overspend on the Health Services element of £0.352m, a reduction of (£0.387m); 198
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• The most significant areas of overspend include residential placements for children, supplementary staff in wards and complex residential care packages within the lead partnership for mental health. Further detail is included in the report at Appendix 8. The main areas of risk identified in the report include: • Current high levels of inflation which impact on costs incurred directly by the Partnership and on our partner providers; • High risk areas of low volume / high-cost services areas e.g. Children’s residential placements, Learning Disability care packages and complex care packages; • Progress with the work to develop set aside arrangements and the risk sharing arrangements agreed as part of this; • Ongoing implementation costs of the Scottish Government policy directives; • Lead / hosted service arrangements, including managing pressures and reporting this across the 3 IJBs; • The impact on Lead Partnership and acute services from decisions taken by other Ayrshire areas; • The Covid recovery process including the ability to change and improve services following learning from the Covid response; • Continuing risks associated with provider sustainability; • The Local Government pay award is not settled for 2023-24 and negotiations are ongoing, any increase above the budgeted 3% will impact on the financial position unless additional funding is forthcoming. These risks will be monitored during 2023-24 and any impact reported through the financial monitoring report Risks 2.7 Significant risks to the reported position have been identified arising from inflationary pressures in relation to essential commodities, including food, and contractor costs. In June 2023, Cabinet agreed to earmark £0.870m from the 2022/23 underspend to address unbudgeted inflationary pressures arising from the ongoing cost of living crisis. Any further increases beyond current budget provision may impact on future service provision. Negotiations in relation to the 2023/24 pay settlement for non-teaching staff are currently ongoing. It is anticipated that any additional costs arising from these negotiations will be matched by additional Scottish Government grant funding, however, the final impact of any award in excess of available funding may require the utilisation of Council reserves, with a knock-on effect on future budget gaps. These pressures are likely to be offset in the short term by reductions resulting from the industrial action taken by non-teaching staff on 26th, 27th and 28th September 2023. However, the full impact cannot be quantified at this time. The net risks arising from any settlement will continue to be monitored and reported to Cabinet as appropriate. 199
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Housing Revenue Account 2.8 The Housing Revenue Account budgeted for a breakeven position in 2023/24 and an in-year underspend of (£5.414m), (9.3%), is currently anticipated for the year to 31 March 2024. The projected position is summarised in the following table with further details provided in Appendix 6. 2.9 Commentary on Significant Movements from the Approved Budget A brief explanation of the significant movements from the previous forecasts is outlined as follows: (i) Employee Costs – underspend of (£0.295m), a reduction from the previously reported breakeven position The movement is primarily related to vacancy management across the service. (ii) Property Costs – overspend of £1.038m, an increase from the previously reported breakeven position The movement is primarily related to a projected overspend on Void repairs, £1.007m, resulting from an increase in the volume and scope of works. (iii) Capital Financing Costs – underspend of (£7.127m), an increase of (£0.764m) from the previously reported underspend The movement is primarily related to reduced loan charges, reflecting the utilisation on internal funds rather than borrowing, and further rephasing within the HRA capital programme. (v) Income – underrecovery of £0.970m, an increase from the previously reported breakeven position The movement is primarily related to a projected underrecovery of rental income, £0.958m, resulting from long term voids. Annual Budget Projection to 31 March 2024 Projected Variance for year (Fav)/Adv Previous Variance @ Period 3 (Fav)/Adv Movement Note £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's Employee Costs 5,504 5,209 (295) - (295) (i) Property Costs 22,717 23,755 1,038 - 1,038 (ii) Supplies and Services 672 656 (16) - (16) Transport and Plant Costs 28 28 - - - Administration Costs 1,892 1,908 16 - 16 Third Party Payments 3,519 3,519 - - - Transfer Payments 172 172 - - - Other Expenditure 380 380 - - - Capital Financing 23,309 16,182 (7,127) (6,363) (764) (iii) Gross Expenditure 58,193 51,809 (6,384) (6,363) (21) Income (58,193) (57,223) 970 - 970 (iv) Net Expenditure - (5,414) (5,414) (6,363) 949 200
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3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet agrees to: (a) note the information and financial projections outlined in the report; (b) note the latest financial projection for the Health and Social Care Partnership highlighted at 2.6; and (d) approve the virements detailed in Appendix 7. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 General Services The net projection for the year as at 31 August 2023 is a net overspend of £0.424m. Housing Revenue Account The net projection for the year as at 31 August 2023 is a net underspend of (£5.414m). Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 This report directly supports the Council Plan 2023 to 2028 by maximising financial flexibility to support the delivery of our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 201
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5. Consultation 5.1 Progress as outlined in this report has been approved by Executive Directors. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact David Forbes, Senior Manager (Strategic Business Partner), on 01294 324551. Background Papers Revenue Budget 2023/24 : Financial Performance to 30 June 2023 – Cabinet 29 August 2023 202
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Appendix 1 CHIEF EXECUTIVES BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Objective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance Note No £000 £000 £000 Chief Executive Chief Executive 144 149 5 3% Total for Chief Executive 144 149 5 3% Financial Services Change Programme 81 81 - 0% Audit, Fraud, Safety & Insurance 699 716 17 2% Corporate Procurement 974 939 (35) (4%) Financial Services 1,450 1,450 - 0% Revenues (500) (500) - 0% Transformation 740 740 - 0% Total for Financial Services 3,444 3,426 (18) (1%) People & ICT Employee Services 900 917 17 2% HR & Organisational Development 1,072 1,084 12 1% ICT 5,311 5,116 (195) (4%) 1 Business Support 1,258 1,258 - 0% Customer Services 3,981 3,981 - 0% Total for People & ICT 12,522 12,356 (166) (1%) Democratic Services Legal & Licensing 496 486 (10) (2%) Policy, Performance & Elections 468 401 (67) (14%) 2 Communications 469 472 3 1% Civil Contingencies 60 60 - 0% Committee Services 541 528 (13) (2%) Member Services 1,320 1,320 - 0% Ayrshire Support Service 410 416 6 1% Information Governance 57 49 (8) (14%) Total for Democratic Services 3,821 3,732 (89) (2%) Totals 19,931 19,663 (268) (1%) 203
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Appendix 1 Subjective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance £000 £000 £000 Employee Costs 16,985 16,921 (64) (0%) Property Costs 67 69 2 3% Supplies and Services 3,081 2,888 (193) (6%) Transport and Plant Costs 24 24 - 0% Administration Costs 1,361 1,359 (2) (0%) Other Agencies & Bodies 2,336 2,333 (3) (0%) Transfer Payments 853 852 (1) (0%) Other Expenditure - - - - Capital Financing - - - - Gross Expenditure 24,707 24,446 (261) (1%) Income (4,776) (4,783) (7) 0% Net Expenditure 19,931 19,663 (268) (1%) 204
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Appendix 1a CHIEF EXECUTIVES BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 1 People & ICT - ICT Movement - There has been a favourable movement of £0.195m due to lower than forecast contract renewal costs. 2,248 (195) -9% Supplies & Services - £0.152m underspend in Software Licenses and support due to contracts ending and renewing at a lower cost. However it is anticipated that the cost of Office 365 licensing will increase by 20% in 2024/25 requiring this years underspend to be earmarked to cover some of this increase. £0.043m underspend in WAN due to the upgrade project although reinvestment of this budget is required to improve network bandwidths at a number of council sites. (195) Note 2 Democratic Services - Policy, Performance & Elections Movement - There is a favourable movement of £0.010m in employee costs, this is due to slippage in vacancies 447 (67) -15% Employee Costs - There is an underspend of £0.067m due to vacancy management. (67) 205
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Appendix 2 COMMUNITIES BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Objective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance Note No £000 £000 £000 Early Years Education 20,747 20,271 (476) (2%) 1 Primary Education 48,366 48,036 (330) (1%) 2 Secondary Education 61,492 61,415 (77) (0%) 3 Additional Support Needs 13,730 14,312 582 4% 4 Education - Other 4,368 5,524 1,156 26% 5 Pupil Equity Fund 4,604 4,604 - 0% Facilities Management 17,705 17,240 (465) (3%) 6 Connected Communities 12,801 12,801 - 0% 7 Net Total 183,813 184,203 390 0% Subjective Summary Annual Budget Final Year End Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % variance £000 £000 £000 Employee Costs - Teachers 95,964 97,427 1,463 2% Employee Costs - Non Teachers 57,629 55,915 (1,714) (3%) Property Costs 1,418 1,449 31 2% Supplies and Services 24,744 24,387 (357) (1%) Transport and Plant Costs 156 159 3 2% Administration Costs 562 560 (2) (0%) Other Agencies & Bodies 13,798 14,418 620 4% Transfer Payments 580 580 - 0% Other Expenditure - - - Capital Financing 71 63 (8) (11%) Gross Expenditure 194,922 194,958 36 0% Income (11,109) (10,755) 354 (3%) Net Expenditure 183,813 184,203 390 0% 206
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Appendix 2a COMMUNITIES BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 1 Early Years Education Movement : There has been a favourable movement of £0.478m compared to P3. This is primarily due to vacancy management and changes in Funded Provider projections. 15,854 (274) -2% Employee Costs: Projected underspend of £0.515m in Early Years establishments due to vacancy management which is offset against a projected overall Early Years budget shortfall of £0.242m. 4,672 (199) -4% Third Party Payments: There is a projected underspend of £0.199m within payments to Funded Providers as a result of a reduction in the number of NAC children accessing early years placements. 246 (3) -1% Other minor movements A reduction to the budget of £1.198m in 23/24 has necessitated a drawdown from Education earmarked funds pending permanent savings to be implemented for 24/25. Service redesign proposals are being developed. (476) Note 2 Primary Education Movement : There has been an unfavourable movement of £0.065m compared to P3. This is due to NDR re- evaluations and increased RPI utility costs within the PPP Unitary Charge. This will be monitored over the coming months and will be dependent on potential further PPP deductions income to offset the overspend. 45,985 (381) -1% Employee Costs : projected underspend in non teaching costs across all Primary Schools 2,222 62 3% Supplies & Services: projected overspend in the PPP unitary charge mainly due to NDR and utility increases (11) Other minor movements (330) Note 3 Secondary Education Movement : There has been a favourable movement of £0.031m compared to P3. This is mainly due to continuing recruitment gaps and vacancy management (£0.148m) and additional costs of £0.118m in NDR re- evaluations and increased RPI utility costs within the PPP Unitary Charge. 46,742 (198) 0% Employee Costs : projected underspend in non teaching costs across all Secondary Schools 14,584 118 1% Supplies & Services: projected overspend in the PPP unitary charge mainly due to NDR and utility increases. All PPP costs and income will be monitored over the coming months and the final outturn will be dependent on potential further penalty deductions to offset the overspend. 3 Other minor movements (77) Note 4 ASN Movement: There has been an favourable movement of £0.054m compared to P3. This is mainly due to movements in staff costs. 11,830 (284) -2% Employee costs: Projected underspend of £0.284m in non teaching staff costs across all ASN school and bases provision. The increased cost pressure for Classroom Assistants of £0.874m is managed this year by drawing down a temporary amount from earmarked funds. This position will be addressed as part of the ongoing discussion with the Scottish Government and as part of the 24/25 budget process. 355 (76) -21% There is a forecasted underspend of £0.076m on payments to Other Local Authorities due to a reduction in the number of NAC children accessing placements in their establishments. 1,003 49 5% There is a projected overspend of £0.049m on external day placements as a result of additional children requiring this level of support and an increase in rates from these establishments. 499 905 181% There is a projected overspend of £0.905m on external specialist residential placements. Currently there are 10 children in accommodation with an additional 2 expected in the near future; 2 children have left education provision in June 2023. Increased pressures on internal care settings as well as changing needs of children and young people have resulted in an increase in the need for external residential settings. Joint working is ongoing with HSCP to ensure that all options are fully explored to ensure that all options are considered to retain young people within their local community where possible. Where this is not possible, a forum has been set up to further discuss those young people who will require care and education provision to support them appropriately. Any future additional children who enter Residential Accommodation will increase the future projected overspend. - (12) Other minor movements. 582 207
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Appendix 2a Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 5 Education Other Movement :There has been an unfavourable movement of £0.990m compared to P3. This is mainly due to a projected increase in teacher costs. 3,091 1,362 44% Employee costs: Additional costs associated with Teachers as a result of Scottish Government's requirement to maintain the same numbers as in the previous year. Expenditure is influenced by many factors including Teachers absence where there has been an increase of approx 38% from previous years. 1,121 (201) -18% Income: PPP insurance rebate £0.087m, PPP deductions of £0.093m in excess of budget, £0.017m salaries received from capital (5) Other minor movements. 1,156 Note 6 Facilities Management Movement: There has been a favourable movement of £0.102m compared to P3 mainly due to vacancy management 13,285 (329) -2% Employee Costs: There is an underspend of £0.329m due to recruitment challenges and a targeted reduction of overtime and casual costs. 6,403 (639) -10% Supplies and services: There is a saving of £0.054m in food due to reduced commercial catering and a further food savings of £0.347m due to reduced school meal uptake. In addition, there is an underspend within Early Years of £0.257m which has arisen due to a lower attendance rate than originally anticipated. 3,053 476 16% Income: There is an under-recovery in commercial catering income of £0.382m due to a reduction in commercial events and cost/income challenges within commercial venues, and an under-recovery of school meal income of £0.166m. This is partially offset by an over-recovery of cleaning and janitorial income of £0.072m. 27 Other minor movements. (465) Note 7 Connected Communities Movement: There has been no change since period 3. 8,052 (148) -2% Employee Costs: Underspends in Community Facilities, Libraries, Country Parks and Community Development due to vacancy management. 240 60 25% Property Costs: £0.033m overspend in Libraries on Furniture and Fittings and £0.025m overspend in Country Parks on various property works and removal of trees affected by ash dieback. 1,102 48 4% Supplies and Services: Small overspends across a number of budget lines. (2,140) 40 Income: £0.080m under recovery in Community Facilities as income has not returned to pre-covid levels and projected over-recovery of £0.038m in Arran Outdoor Education Centre. - 208
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Appendix 3 PLACE BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Objective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance Note No £000 £000 £000 Directorate and Support 194 194 - 0% Housing and Public Protection Building Services (2,543) (2,543) - 0% 1 Property Governance (7) (7) - 0% Planning Services 322 301 (21) (7%) Protective Services 1,736 1,736 - 0% Other Housing 2,675 2,537 (138) (5%) 2 Total for Housing and Public Protection 2,183 2,024 (159) (7%) Commercial Services Roads 8,504 8,504 - 0% Streetscene 5,188 5,188 - 0% Waste Resources 9,599 10,261 662 7% 3 Total for Commercial Services 23,291 23,953 662 3% Economic Development, Growth and Regeneration Economic Policy 229 196 (33) (14%) Employability & Skills 1,955 1,955 - 0% Regeneration 1,221 1,192 (29) (2%) Business 954 954 - 0% Growth & Investment 216 216 - 0% Total for Economic Development, Growth and Regeneration 4,575 4,513 (62) (1%) Sustainability, Transport and Corporate Property Property Management & Investment 1,565 1,586 21 1% 4 Housing Assets & Investment (1) (1) - 0% Property Maintenance 3,494 3,519 25 1% Property Running Costs 4,664 4,775 111 2% 5 Energy and Sustainability 5,172 5,275 103 2% 6 Internal Transport 10,171 10,478 307 3% 7 Total for Sustainability, Transport and Corporate Property 25,065 25,632 567 2% Net Total 55,308 56,316 1,008 2% 209
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Appendix 3 Subjective Summary Annual Budget Projected Year End Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % variance £000 £000 £000 Employee Costs 47,361 47,887 526 1% Property Costs 21,394 21,641 247 1% Supplies and Services 10,214 10,320 106 1% Transport and Plant Costs 7,662 8,364 702 9% Administration Costs 793 795 2 0% Other Agencies & Bodies 20,643 21,181 538 3% Transfer Payments - - - 0% Other Expenditure 182 166 (16) (9%) Capital Financing - - - Gross Expenditure 108,249 110,354 2,105 2% Income (52,941) (54,038) (1,097) 2% Net Expenditure 55,308 56,316 1,008 2% 210
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Appendix 3a PLACE BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 1 Building Services Movement: There has been no movement since P3 however the service are currently managing significant financial challenges to achieve a break-even position.. 5,345 111 2% Supplies & Services: An overspend of £0.111m in supplies and services. This is due to an overspend in materials as a result of a change in the volume and composition of the works programme. 579 142 25% Transport costs: An overspend of £0.142m in transport costs. This is due to an overspend of £0.078m in scaffolding and £0.064m in skip hire costs. 2,833 569 20% Third Party Payments: An overspend of £0.569m in third party payments is largely in relation to an increase in the volume of void and damp work. (21,515) (822) 4% Income: There is a projected over recovery in income of £0.822m largely in relation to the volume and scope of void works. - Note 2 Other Housing Movement: There has been a favourable movement of £0.085m since P3 which is primarily due to increased rents arising from demand for Temporary Furnished Accommodation. 3,839 (89) (2%) Employee Costs: projected underspend of £0.089m due to vacancy management. 2,395 20 1% Property Costs: projected overspend primarily due to £0.012m additional costs in property rents and £0.012m in void rent losses. (5,862) (78) 1% Income: favourable variance of £0.081m due to demand for Temporary Furnished Accommodation. 9 Other minor movements (138) Note 3 Waste Services Movement: There has been a favourable movement since P3 of £0.416m mostly due to movements in the recyclates markets. 5,132 756 15% Employee Costs: The overspend includes temporary additional resources required to deal with new builds and to cover a significant, and challenging, sickness absence rate. The statutory nature of the service requires additional resources to cover unforeseen absences. A robust absence monitoring process is in place and an overall review of the Waste service in light of legislative changes and current service demands is ongoing. This will also take account of waste compositional analysis. 482 20 4% Supplies & Services: Forecast overspend on Trade effluent £0.023m. 160 223 139% Transport Costs: Additional vehicles are temporarily in place to deal with pressures from new builds and seasonal demands in Garden Waste, however a reduction of 3 vehicles has been implemented from 1st October 2023. (2,925) (348) 12% Income: Additional income from the renewal of kerbside recyclate contracts of £0.333m. 11 Other minor movements 662 Note 4 Property Management and Investment Movement : There has been a favourable movement since P3 of £0.053m largely due to a reduction in internal recharges. 2,582 (29) (1%) Employee Costs: A projected underspend of £0.029m due to vacancy management. 139 (69) (50%) Supplies & Services: Projected underspend due to reduction in internal recharges. (1,263) 119 (9%) Income: There is a projected under-recovery in fee income of £0.119m. 21 Note 5 Property Running Costs Movement : There has been a favourable movement since P3 of £0.011m. 6,349 112 2% Property Costs: There is a projected £0.112m overspend due to associated costs for community hubs within SHUs. Discussions are ongoing regarding potential increased costs. (1) Other minor movements 111 211
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Appendix 3a Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 6 Energy and Sustainability Movement : There has been an adverse movement of £0.029m since P3 due to increased projected utility costs. 8,262 103 1% Property Costs: Due to the current energy crisis and after drawing down the maximum available £3.048m from contingencies and earmarked funds there is a projected overspend in property costs of £0.103m due to increased utility cost charges. A number of workstreams are ongoing to reduce consumption to reduce the above tariff related increases and as part of our overall sustainability strategy. 103 Note 7 Internal Transport Movement - There has been a favourable movement of £0.013m since P3. This is mainly due to a projected underspend in Fuel of £0.017m. 1,796 9 1% Employee Costs: Projected overspend of £0.009m due to lower than anticipated staff turnover. 4,668 169 4% Transport Provision Costs: Projected overspend of £0.168m due to an increase in contractors operating and running costs which has resulted in higher contract pricing. 1,779 (17) (1%) Fuel: Projected underspend of £0.017m due to lower cost price. 385 76 20% External Hires: Projected overspend of £0.076m which is mainly due to additional hire of vehicles, due to pending delivery of replacement vehicles. 1,117 70 6% Repairs & Maintenance: Projected overspend of £0.070m in repairs and maintenance which is due to price increases and maximising the life of assets due to the increased lead time for replacement vehicles. 307 212
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Appendix 4 OTHER CORPORATE ITEMS BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Objective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance Note No £000 £000 £000 Strathclyde Passenger Transport 2,257 2,251 (6) (0%) SPT Concessionary Fares 286 291 5 2% Ayrshire Joint Valuation Board 965 932 (33) (3%) 3,508 3,474 (34) (1%) Other Corporate Costs Pension Costs 1,895 1,895 - 0% Central Telephones 350 350 - 0% Other Corporate Items (incl Transformation Costs, Bad Debt Provision, External Audit fees and other centrally held funding.) 12,377 11,805 (572) (5%) 1 Housing Benefits 2,587 2,487 (100) -4% 2 20,717 20,011 (706) (3%) 213
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Appendix 4a OTHER CORPORATE ITEMS BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Budget £000 Projected Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Section Note 1 Other Corporate Items There has been an adverse movement of £0.249 since Period 3 primarily due to a revised drawdown of centrally held inflation provision to support pressures within services. 12,377 (572) -5% The projected underspend is primarily related to centrally held inflationary cost provisions which are being applied to offset pressures reported across other services. The impact of inflation will continue to be monitored throughout the year. (572) Note 2 Housing Benefit There has been a favourable movement of £0.133m from Period 3 due to the revised Housing Benefit overpayment recoveries. 2,587 (100) -4% Projected underspend of £0.100m due to the provision of Housing Benefits and overpayment recovery. (100) 214
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Appendix 5 MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Objective Summary Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % variance Note No £000 £000 £000 Financing Charges 12,729 12,729 - - Contribution to Loans Fund Reserve 4,811 4,811 - - Scottish Government Funding (347,490) (347,490) - - Council Tax (65,397) (65,397) - - 1 Use of Earmarked Funds (6,166) (6,166) - - Net Total (401,513) (401,513) - - There has been a significant increase in the value of CTR claims received to date, £0.379m. This has been offset by reduced bad debt provision and the utilisaton of centrally held cost of living provisions. Note 1 Council Tax 215
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Appendix 6 HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Annual Budget Projected Outturn Annual Variance Adverse or (Favourable) % Variance Note No £ £ £ Employee Costs 5,504 5,209 (295) (5%) 1 Property Costs Responsive Repairs 7,189 7,173 (16) (0%) Void Repairs 3,577 4,584 1,007 28% Planned and Cyclical Maintenance 4,920 4,906 (14) (0%) Aids and Adaptions 1,617 1,617 - 0% Other property costs 5,414 5,475 61 1% Total for Property Costs 22,717 23,755 1,038 5% 2 Supplies & Services 672 656 (16) (2%) Transport Costs 28 28 - 0% Administration Costs 1,892 1,908 16 1% Third Party Payments 3,519 3,519 - 0% Transfer Payments 172 172 - 0% Other Expenditure 380 380 - 0% Capital Financing Costs 23,309 16,182 (7,127) (31%) 3 Gross Expenditure 58,193 51,809 (6,384) (11%) Income Council House Rents (56,803) (55,845) 958 (2%) Other Rents (332) (332) - 0% Recharges (828) (828) - 0% Other Income (230) (218) 12 (5%) Total Income (58,193) (57,223) 970 (2%) 4 Net Expenditure - (5,414) (5,414) 216
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Appendix 6a HRA BUDGETARY CONTROL 2023/24 REPORT FOR THE 5 MONTHS TO 31 August 2023 Budget £000 Variance £000 Variance as % of budget Note 1 5,504 (295) -5% (295) Note 2 22,717 1,038 5% 1,038 Note 3 23,309 (7,127) -31% (7,127) Note 4 (58,193) 970 -2% 970 B/fwd from 2021/22 Transfer to / from Reserves Use of Earmarked sums Earmarking of in year surplus Funding of Capital Projects Projected Balance at 31/03/23 £m £m £m £m £m £m 4.709 - - 5.414 (2.648) 7.475 1.500 - - - - 1.500 5.000 - - - (1.417) 3.583 0.198 - - - - 0.198 0.123 - - - - 0.123 0.781 - - - - 0.781 0.416 - - - - 0.416 0.052 - - - - 0.052 0.636 - - - - 0.636 0.270 - - - - 0.270 13.685 - - 5.414 (4.065) 15.034 Council House Building Fund Welfare Reform Contingency Balance Infrastructure Improvements Major Refurbishment Works Tenant led balance Electrical Testing Sustainability Fund Software Licences Voids - non programmed works Section Employee costs An underspend in employee costs of £0.295m. This is due to vacancy management. Movement - there has been a favourable movement of £0.295m since Period 3 due to vacancy management. Income Movement - There has been an adverse movement of £0.970m since period 3 as a result of reduced income in Council House Rents of £0.958m. There is a projected under recovery of income of £0.970m. Rental Income is projected to be under recovered by £0.958m as a result of protracted and Long term voids. Property Costs Movement - there has been an adverse movement of £1.038m since Period 3. A projected overspend of £1.038m in Property Costs. This is largely due to a projected overspend of £1.007m in Void Repairs as a result of an increase in the volume and scope of the works. Work is being undertaken to identify efficiencies and reduce void costs. HRA reserves and balances Capital Financing Costs There is a projected underspend in capital financing costs of £7.127m due to lower than anticipated loan charges. This is due to the profiling within the HRA Capital budget and the continued under borrowed position as the council utilises internal funds in line with the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy. The underspend will be reflected in the Business Plan which is currently being reviewed. Movement: There has been a favourable movement of £0.765m since P3 as a result a projected under-borrowed 217
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Appendix 7 1) Budget Virements Place Roads - Supplies and Services T 0.177 Roads - Third Party Payments T 0.073 Roads - Income T -0.250 0.000 Budget Management - 31 August 2023 Virement/Budget Adjustment Requests 2023/24 Perm (P) / Temp(T) Virement £m Directorate Total £m 218
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Appendix 8 Integration Joint Board 12th October 2023 Subject : 2023-24 – Month 4 Financial Performance Purpose : To provide an overview of the IJB’s financial performance as at month 4 (July). Recommendation : It is recommended that the IJB: (a) notes the overall integrated financial performance report for the financial year 2023-24 and the current overall projected year- end overspend of £3.859m; (b) notes the progress with delivery of agreed savings; (c) notes the actions which are being taken to progress financial recovery; (d) notes the remaining financial risks for 2023-24; and (e) approves the budget reductions which are detailed at paragraph 2.10. Direction Required to Council, Health Board or Both Direction to :- 1. No Direction Required X 2. North Ayrshire Council 3. NHS Ayrshire & Arran 4. North Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire & Arran Glossary of Terms NHS AA NHS Ayrshire and Arran HSCP Health and Social Care Partnership MH Mental Health CAMHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services BRAG Blue, Red, Amber, Green UNPACS UNPACS, (UNPlanned Activities) – Extra Contractual Referrals NRAC NHS Resource Allocation Committee GAE Grant Aided Expenditure PAC Performance and Audit Committee MARAC Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The report provides an overview of the financial position for the Partnership and outlines the projected year-end outturn position informed by the projected expenditure and income commitments; these have been prepared in conjunction with relevant budget holders and services. It should be noted that, although this report refers to 219
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the position at the end of July, further work is undertaken following the month end to finalise projections, therefore the projected outturn position is as current and up to date as can practicably be reported. 1.2 The projected outturn is a year-end overspend of £3.859m (1.2%) for 2023-24. This includes the financial impact of the NHS pay award but excludes the Council pay award. 1.3 From the core projections, overall, the main areas of pressure are residential placements for children, supplementary staff in wards and Unplanned Activities (UnPACs) within the lead partnership for mental health. 2. CURRENT POSITION 2.1 The report includes an overview of the financial position including commitments against the available resource, explanations for the main budget variances and an update on progress in terms of savings delivery. 2.2 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE – AT MONTH 4 At month 4 against the full-year budget of £310.286m there is a projected year-end overspend of £3.859m (1.2%). The Integration Scheme outlines that there is an expectation that the IJB takes account of the totality of resources available to balance the budget in year. Following this approach, an integrated view of the financial position should be taken, however it is useful to note that this overall position consists of a projected overspend of £3.507m in social care services and a projected overspend of £0.352m in health services. Appendix A provides the financial overview of the Partnership position. The sections that follow outline the significant variances in service expenditure compared to the approved budgets. The projections for some areas will be subject to fluctuations as they depend on recruitment plans for new funding and also the capacity of providers to take on work. 2.3 Health and Community Care Services Against the full-year budget of £89.932m there is a projected overspend of £0.240m (0.3%) and the main variances are: a) Care home placements including respite placements (net position after service user contributions and charging order income) are projected to underspend by £0.430m (£0.259m favourable movement). The projected costs reflect the recently agreed National Care Home Contract (NCHC) rates. 220
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The budgeted number of permanent placements is 780 and at month 4 there are 774 placements. The projection assumes that the current number of placements will continue to increase to 780 placements by the end of the year. Within the projection there is an assumption that recent placements which do not have a completed financial assessment (often due to the pressure to discharge from hospital) are costed with 50% of the cases at the current average cost of a placement and 50% at the gross or interim funded rate. It is likely that there will still be some cases being gross or interim funded at the year end. Their actual cost will not be known until the financial assessment is completed and this can impact on the final position. The level of income recovered from charging orders is included in the projection above and is assumed to be £0.100m over recovered based on the income received to date. This income is not easy to project as it depends on the length of the legal process and time taken to sell the property that the charging order is registered to. b) Care at home (in house and purchased) is projected to be £0.749m underspent (£0.112m favourable). The position is made up of an underspend in in-house services of £1.242m as there are vacant posts, but some of the current capacity is being met by existing staff working additional hours and casual staff. Bank staff are being offered contracts and additional staff are being recruited which will replace the need for existing staff to work additional hours. This is partly offset by an overspend in purchased services of £0.493m following a budget reduction reflecting the transfer of services in-house. c) Reablement services are projected to be £0.125m (£0.004m favourable) underspent due to vacancies. d) Care at Home Charging Income is projected to under recover by £0.080m (no change) due to an ongoing shift towards personal care which is non chargeable. e) Physical Disability Care Packages (including residential and direct payments) - projected underspend of £0.169m (£0.017m favourable) in community care packages, £0.366m underspend (£0.074m favourable) in direct payments and £0.565m overspend (£0.046m favourable) for residential placements. There is also an under-recovery of income of £0.133m (£0.002m favourable). f) Anam Cara is projected to overspend by £0.089m (£0.088m favourable) due to covering vacancies and sickness absence (£0.033m) and under-recovered income (£0.056m). The improvement in the projection is following a review of the staff costs and some costs have been appropriately recoded to other areas of the service. g) Integrated Island Services is projected to be £0.136m overspent (£0.119m adverse movement). This is mainly due to a projected underspend in care at home costs of £0.169m (£0.029m adverse movement). There is also an overspend at Montrose 221
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House of £0.157m (adverse movement of £0.061m) which relates to supplies and cleaning costs and an under-recovery of charging income. The SLA for Scottish Ambulance service projected to overspend by £0.033m. Arran medical services are projecting to overspend by £0.045m and the remaining £0.049m projected overspend is due to supplies costs increasing. There are staffing vacancies which are included within the payroll turnover savings figures below which offset the use of agency and bank staff. h) District Nursing is projected to overspend by £0.247m (£0.022m adverse movement) due to an overspend on bank nursing costs and supplies. i) Rehab wards are projected to overspend by £0.258m which is an £0.008m favourable movement (Redburn ward £0.211m overspent and Douglas Grant £0.047m overspent). The overspend is due to cover costs for vacancies as well as supplementary staffing for patients who require one to one support. j) Wards 1 and 2 are projected to overspend by £0.750m due to increased use of supplementary staffing. k) Cumbrae Lodge Continuing Care beds are projected to underspend by £0.150m (no change) due to a reduced charge to reflect the reduction in beds used during the transition to the new service. 2.4 Mental Health Services Against the full-year budget of £102.479m there is a projected overspend of £1.556m (1.5%) prior to the reallocation of the Lead Partnership overspend to East and South HSCP. This also excludes any potential variance on the Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Funding where any underspend will be earmarked at the year-end for use in 2024-25. The main variances are: a) Learning Disabilities are projected to overspend by £0.695m (£0.004m adverse) and the main variances are: • Care Packages (including residential and direct payments) - projected underspend of £0.264m in community care packages and projected overspends of £0.204m in direct payments and £0.579m for residential placements. • Trindlemoss non-employee costs are projected to underspend by £0.075m. b) Community Mental Health services are projected to underspend by £0.044m (£0.159m adverse movement) which is mainly due to an underspend of £0.207m in community packages (including direct payments) and an overspend in residential placements of £0.268m. The adverse movement is due to an increase in the number of residential placements. 222
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c) The Lead Partnership for Mental Health is projecting to be £1.029m overspent (£0.381m favourable movement) and the main variances are as follows: • A projected overspend in Adult Inpatients of £0.667m (£0.067m adverse movement) due to overspends in supplementary staff, staff in redeployment, staff cover due to sickness (inc covid outbreak) and reduced bed sale income. • The UNPACS (Unplanned Activities) budget is projected to overspend by £1.106m (£0.039m adverse movement) based on current number of placements and enhanced costs remaining until the year end. These placements are for individuals with very specific needs that require a higher level of security and/or care from a staff group with a particular skill set/competence. There are no local NHS secure facilities for women, people with a learning disability or people with neurodevelopmental disorder. This can necessitate an UNPACs placement with a specialist provider which can be out- of-area. The nature of mental health UNPACs spend is that it is almost exclusively on medium or long term complex secure residential placements which are very expensive so a small increase in placements can have a high budgetary impact. Due to the complexity and risk involved, transitions between units or levels of security can take many months. Applications to approve a placement are made to the Associate Medical Director for Mental Health who needs to be satisfied that the placement is appropriate and unavoidable prior to this being agreed. • A projected overspend in MH Pharmacy of £0.024m (£0.094m favourable) due to an increase in substitute prescribing costs. The favourable movement is due to a review of the pharmacy cost centres with each now being allocated to specific wards. • Learning Disability Services are projected to overspend by £0.419m (£0.007m favourable movement) due to high usage of supplementary staffing, a number of out of area patients being cared for, cross-charging for a LD patient whose discharge has been delayed and redeployment staffing costs. Supplementary staffing costs relate to backfill for sickness, increased and sustained enhanced observations and vacancies. The enhanced observations are reviewed on a daily basis. • Elderly Inpatients are projected to overspend by £0.257m (£0.017m adverse) due to the use of supplementary staffing. • The Innovation Fund is projected to underspend by £0.278m (£0.049m favourable) due to slippage within some of the projects and not all of the funding was allocated. • Addictions in-patients are projected to overspend by £0.045m (£0.105m favourable) due to the use of supplementary staffing. The favourable movement relates to the Scottish Govt funding for 2023/24 being finalised. • The turnover target for vacancy savings for the Lead Partnership is held within the Lead Partnership as this is a Pan-Ayrshire target. There is a projected over-recovery of the vacancy savings target of £1.233m (£0.198m favourable) in 2023-24, further information is included in the table below: 223
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The current projection to the year-end is informed by the recruitment plans and the confidence in recruitment success and realistic timescales for filling individual vacancies. The areas contributing to this vacancy savings position are noted below: • CAMHS £0.592m • Mental Health Admin £0.358m • Psychiatry £0.374m • Psychology £0.683m • Associate Nurse Director £0.099m Vacancy Savings Target (£0.873m) Projected to March 2024 £2.106m Over/(Under) Achievement £1.233m 2.5 Children and Justice Services Children’s Services Against the full-year budget of £39.037m there is a projected overspend of £5.600m (14.3%) (£0.015m favourable) and the main variances are: a) Care Experienced Children and Young People is projected to overspend by £5.308m (£0.304m favourable). The main areas within this are noted below: • Children’s residential placements are projected to overspend by £5.648m (£0.320m favourable). We started 2023/24 with 32 external placements and there are currently 34 placements (month 3 was 36 placements) which are assumed to continue until the end of the year. Within the £5.648m there is £0.145m relating to enhanced costs for two placements. Despite the number of placements reducing there has been an increase in the rates where 2:1 support is required and part of these costs were also backdated. There are a number of factors leading to this challenging position: • We have 32 places available in our internal children’s houses, due to demand these have been operating at 100%+ occupancy for some time, leading to increased use of external placements where residential care is required. • The requirement to support Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) under the National Transfer Scheme and to support Trafficked young people located in North Ayrshire. • A number of young people in residential care have requested Continuing Care, whereby a young person can remain in their placement until age 21. • Where appropriate young people are placed to meet their educational needs, the cost of Residential School Placements the most cases is shared 50/50 with Education services. 224
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Children’s Services are continuing to work with other services including Education and Housing to address the challenges. A change programme is being developed to respond to the pressures of residential care, further detail of the scope and plan around this work will be presented to a future IJB. • Looked after and Accommodated Children (fostering, adoption, kinship etc) is projected to be £0.411m underspent (£0.050m favourable) based on the current number of placements. b) Children with disabilities – residential placements are projected to overspend by £0.238m (£0.006m favourable). This is based on 8 current placements and 2 further placements which are expected to commence during September. Direct payments are projected to underspend by £0.143m (£0.004m favourable). Community packages are projected to underspend by £0.099m (£0.099m favourable) based on 78 current number of packages and assumptions around further packages until the year end. c) Residential respite – placements are projected to overspend by £0.049m (no movement). These short-term placements are used to prevent an admission to full residential care. There is one short term placement, but this could vary throughout the year and have an impact on the projection. d) Children’s Houses Employee Costs – are projected to overspend by £0.100m due to additional overtime costs. e) Head of Service – is projected to overspend by £0.321m (£0.016m adverse) which is mainly due to the saving of £0.233m in relation to the staff reconfiguration in the children’s houses which is not expected to be fully achieved in 23-24. There are also projected costs of £0.092m for the JII (Joint Investigative Interview) project which is not funded. f) Universal Early Years – is projected overspend by £0.130m (£0.027m favourable) and is mainly due to a projected overspend in care packages of £0.080m. 2.6 ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (AHP) The non-employee costs element of the AHP services are projected to be on-line. All underspends in employee costs have contributed to the payroll turnover target. 2.7 CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER There is a projected underspend of £0.389m (£0.010m favourable) mainly due to a projected underspend in the Carers Strategy funding. 225
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2.8 MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT Management and Support Services are projected to underspend by £2.313m (£0.354m favourable) and the main areas of underspend are: • An over-recovery of payroll turnover of £0.723m for social care services and an over-recovery of payroll turnover of £0.553m for health services as outlined in the table below. • The Band 2 to Band 3 regrading costs are still being finalised but there is £0.700m set aside to cover this as part of the agreed 23/24 budget paper. This is included as an underspend as the overspends have been included in the services above. An update on the adequacy of this provision will be provided in future reports. • There is projected slippage on the LD and MH transition funding of £0.468m due to delays in children transitioning into adult services. The turnover targets and projected achievement for the financial year for Health and Social Care services outwith the Lead Partnership is noted below: The position in the table above reflects the assumption in the current financial projections. For social care, a total of £1.286m (42.7% of annual target) has been achieved to date. Social Care Health Services Vacancy Savings Target (3.014m) (1.433m) Projected to March 2024 3.737m 1.986m Over/(Under) Achievement 0.723m 0.553m The health vacancy projection to the year-end is based on the month 4 position and is informed by the recruitment plans and confidence in recruitment to posts for the remainder of the year. The areas contributing to the health and social care vacancy savings are spread across a wide range of services with vacancy savings being achieved in most areas. The main areas at month 4 are: • Children and Families £0.417m • Learning Disability £0.029m • Management and Support £0.120m • Community Care Service Delivery £0.124m • Rehab and Reablement £0.115m • Locality Services £0.144m • Integrated Island Services £0.167m • Community Mental Health £0.073m 226
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There have been no intentional plans to pause or delay recruitment and services have actively continued to recruit; in some service areas it has proven difficult to fill posts. The turnover target for the North Lead Partnership for Mental Health services is detailed within the Lead Partnership information at section 2.4. 2.9 Savings Progress a) The approved 2023-24 budget included £4.963m of savings. BRAG Status Position at Budget Approval £m Position at Month 4 £m Red - 0.273 Amber 2.245 0.322 Green 2.718 4.368 Blue - - TOTAL 4.963 4.963 b) The main area to note is that previous amber savings of £0.273m, relating to the reconfiguration of staffing within Children and Families, have been escalated to red. Progress to date suggests that the timescale for this saving will not be met and the full £0.273m will not be achieved in 2023-24 but this is accounted for in the projected outturn. Work is ongoing to refresh the Transformation Plan to focus on the financial challenges which the Partnership expects to face in 2024/25 and 2025/26. The plan is critical to the ongoing sustainability of service delivery. This will be brought to the IJB for approval alongside the budget plans for 2024/25. The Transformation Board also has responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the plan and for ensuring that projects remain on track. Appendix B provides an overview of those service changes which do have financial savings attached to them and the current BRAG status around the deliverability of each saving. 227
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2.10 Budget Changes The Integration Scheme states that “either party may increase it’s in year payment to the Integration Joint Board. Neither party may reduce the payment in-year to the Integration Joint Board nor Services managed on a Lead Partnership basis…. without the express consent of the Integration Joint Board.” Appendix C highlights the movement in the budget position following the initial approved budget. Reductions Requiring Approval: Ref Description Amount 1 Budget transfer to pharmacy for 2 X Band 8a post – Cardiology & Endocrinology £0.054m 2 Multi-Disciplinary Team funds to Arran Medical Group £0.033m 3 Training grade adjustment – reduction in line with the number of training posts. £0.035m 4 Transfer budget for 5 hours per week for Band 2 Domestic to ACH Domestics for Ward 3 £0.004m 5 Transfer of a Band 6 post to Unscheduled Care £0.061m 6 Transfer budget for additional Band 2 domestic hours for the Dunure ward per HIS recommendation £0.010m 7 Lymphoedema top slice – N/E/S Contributions from prescribing £0.029m 2.11 Pan Ayrshire Lead Partnership services and Large Hospital Set Aside Lead Partnerships: - The IJB outturn position is adjusted to reflect the impact of Lead Partnership services. The outturn for all Lead Partnership services is shared across the 3 Partnerships on an NRAC basis; this position is currently the default pending further work to develop a framework to report the financial position and risk sharing across the 3 Partnerships in relation to hosted or lead service arrangements, which has been delayed by the requirement to focus efforts on the Covid response. The final outturn in relation to North Lead Partnership services would not be fully attributed to the North IJB as a share would be allocated to East and South Partnerships; similarly, the impact of the outturn on East and South led services will require to be shared with North. At Month 4 the MH lead partnership is projected to overspend by £1.029m (£0.337m NRAC share for East and £0.294m for South). South HSCP – projected overspend of £0.440m of which £0.163m will be allocated to North. The overspend is mainly due to an overspend of £0.208m in the community store, £0.153m in the continence service and £0.078m in the Family Nurse Partnership. 228
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East HSCP – projected underspend of £0.141m of which £0.052m will be allocated to North. The overspend is mainly due to: Primary Care and Out of Hours Services There is a projected underspend of £0.189m on the Primary Care Lead Partnership budget and includes a projected underspend in Dental services totalling £0.267m, where staffing numbers are running at less than establishment. In addition, there are projected reduced costs within Primary Care contracting and support £0.343m, largely due to staff turnover. These reduced costs are partially offset by additional costs in the GP element of Out of Hours services, as well as additional costs in the overnight nursing service, totalling £0.469m, as well as a small overspend on projected staff costs in Primary Medical Services £0.057m. Work is ongoing to address the Out of Hours increased costs as far as possible over the course of the 2023/24 financial year. This projected outturn position assumes funding will be allocated to fully offset Urgent Care Pathway projected costs £1.254m, as well as Covid-19 Therapeutics projected costs £0.240m Prison and Police Healthcare The £0.048m projected overspend at month 4 is largely due to increased costs associated with the new national medical contract. Set Aside: - preparatory work is well underway with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the other Ayrshire partnerships to progress and develop the set aside arrangements to fully implement the legislative requirement. This includes arrangements in relation to the use of Directions, Joint Commissioning Plans and overall progression towards fair share allocations of resources. The North budget for set aside resources for 2023-24 is £35.547m. This is based on the 2023-23 figure of £34.850m inflated by the 2023-24 uplift of 2%. The annual budget for Acute Services is £409.7m. The directorate is overspent by £9.5m after 4 months. This is caused by increasing overspends on agency medical and nursing staff, together with increasing drug expenditure. These have been required due to the level of operational pressure being experienced, in common with many other areas in Scotland. Several unfunded wards are open across both main hospital sites. There is a material underlying deficit caused by: • Unachieved efficiency savings • High expenditure on medical and nursing agency staff, high rates of absence and vacancies causing service pressure. • Numbers of delayed discharges and high acuity of patients. The IJBs and the Health Board work closely in partnership to maintain service and improve performance. 229
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2.12 FOSTER AND KINSHIP CARER ALLOWANCES On 29th August, COSLA and the Scottish Government announced the agreement of a new standard national allowance for foster and kinship carers across the country. In the past, each area would set their own allowances but for the first time a national minimum level has been agreed. This will be supported by £16m of new Scottish Government funding. It is anticipated that the share for North Ayrshire will be in the region of £0.475m and this will be confirmed in October. An initial assessment is that the funding approximately aligns with the additional estimated cost in North Ayrshire. North Ayrshire already pays in excess of the new national rates for all age bandings except 16+. Where we already pay a higher rate, this will remain unchanged. The rates are detailed in the table below: Age Banding Existing NA rate New national rate New NA rate 0-4 £200.00 £168.31 £200.00 5-10 £200.00 £195.81 £200.00 11-15 £200.00 £195.81 £200.00 16+ £200.00 £268.41 £268.41 The new rates will be backdated to 1st April 2023. Further consideration will be required re any future year uplifts to the new national minimum rate. 2.13 FINANCIAL RECOVERY PROGRESS The Integration Scheme requires the preparation of a recovery plan if an overspend position is being projected to plan to bring overall service delivery back into line with the available resource. Heads of Service have closely reviewed expenditure and have implemented actions which have demonstrated a significant impact on the position, the projected year-end position has improved by £0.736m since Month 3. The main contributors to this are noted in the table below: Payroll turnover 292,000 Anam Cara staffing 88,000 Care Experienced Young People 304,000 Looked After Children 50,000 Care at Home 112,000 Transitions funding 60,000 MH Lead Partnership (NA share) 147,000 Work is ongoing to further improve the projected position and an updated plan will be included in the Month 6 report which will be brought to the November IJB. 230
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This ongoing work is built on the following general principles: • Minimise impact on delayed discharges or patient flow during Winter • Exercising professional judgement around the use of waiting lists where this may have an impact elsewhere in the system • Reviewing the need for more active management of non-frontline vacant posts • The non-recurring use of reserves • Working with East and South on lead partnership projections and impact on North Ayrshire • The potential for a freeze on non-essential spend • Escalating levels of spend authorisation within the HSCP. As a contingency there is provision of £2m non-recurring funding set aside in the reserves (appendix D) to contribute towards the 2023-24 position. This would reduce the current projected overspend to £1.859m. The IJB also holds a General Fund reserve balance of £6.448m of unallocated funds, this would underwrite the risk of the remainder of the projected overspend if it cannot be managed downwards in the coming months. This would be a last resort as this funding is non-recurring and it does not resolve the areas underlying the projected overspend. 2.14 FINANCIAL RISKS There are a number of ongoing financial risk areas that may impact on the 2023-24 budget during the year, these include: • Current high levels of inflation which impact on costs incurred directly by the Partnership and on our partner providers • High risk areas of low volume / high-cost services areas e.g. Children’s residential placements, Learning Disability care packages and complex care packages; • Progress with the work to develop set aside arrangements and the risk sharing arrangements agreed as part of this. • Ongoing implementation costs of the Scottish Government policy directives • Lead / hosted service arrangements, including managing pressures and reporting this across the 3 IJBs. • The impact on Lead Partnership and acute services from decisions taken by other Ayrshire areas. • The Covid recovery process including the ability to change and improve services following learning from the Covid response. • Continuing risks associated with provider sustainability. • The Local Government pay award is not settled for 2023-24 and negotiations are ongoing; any increase above the budgeted 3% will impact on the financial position unless additional funding is forthcoming. 231
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These risks will be monitored during 2023-24 and any impact reported through the financial monitoring report. 2.15 RESERVES The IJB reserves position is summarised in the table below. The ‘free’ general fund balance of £6.448m is held as a contingency balance, this equates to around 2.3% of the initial approved IJB budget for 2023-24 which is within, but towards the lower end, of the target range of 2%-4%. General Fund Reserves Earmarked Reserves Total Debt to NAC Free GF External Funding HSCP £m £m £m £m £m Opening Balance - 1 April 2023 - 6.448 6.997 4.219 17.664 2023-24 Draw Per the Budget Paper - - (1.252) - (1.252) Current Reserve balances - 6.448 5.745 4.219 16.412 The 2023-24 budget approved the use of £1.252m of previously earmarked reserves to support a balanced budget position for 2023-24. The HSCP earmarked reserves also includes a further amount of £2.0m which was agreed to support the financial position during 2023-24. 3. PROPOSALS 3.1 Anticipated Outcomes Continuing to closely monitor the financial position will allow the IJB to take corrective action where required to ensure the Partnership can deliver services in 2023-24 from within the available resource, thereby limiting the financial risk to the funding partners. 3.3 Measuring Impact Ongoing updates to the financial position will be reported to the IJB throughout 2023- 24. 4. IMPLICATIONS 4.1 Financial The financial implications are as outlined in the report. Against the full-year budget of £310.286m there is a projected overspend of £3.859m. The report outlines the main variances for individual services. 232
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4.2 Human Resources The report highlights vacancy or turnover savings achieved to date. Services will review any staffing establishment plans and recruitment in line with normal practice when implementing service change and reviews as per agreement with the IJB, there is no intention to sustain the staffing capacity reduction on a recurring or planned basis. 4.3 Legal None. 4.4 Equality/Socio-Economic None. 4.5 Risk Para 2.12 highlights the financial risks. The report falls in line with the agreed risk appetite statement which is a low-risk appetite in respect to adherence to standing financial instructions, financial controls and financial statutory duties and a high-risk appetite in relation to finance and value for money. 4.6 Community Wealth Building None. 4.7 Key Priorities None. 5. CONSULTATION 5.1 This report has been produced in consultation with relevant budget holders and the Partnership Senior Management Team. 5.2 The IJB financial monitoring report is shared with the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Director of Finance and North Ayrshire Council’s Head of Finance after the report has been finalised for the IJB. Caroline Cameron, Director Author – Paul Doak, Head of Finance and Transformation Eleanor Currie, Principal Manager Finance [pdoak@north-ayrshire.gov.uk/eleanorcurrie@north-ayrshire.gov.uk] 233
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PUBLIC INFORMATION 2023-24 Budget Monitoring Report–Objective Summary as at 31st July 2023 Appendix A Budget Outturn Over/ (Under) Spend Variance Budget Outturn Over/ (Under) Spend Variance Budget Outturn Over/ (Under) Spend Variance £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 COMMUNITY CARE AND HEALTH 70,681 69,703 (978) 19,251 20,469 1,218 89,932 90,172 240 616 (376) : Locality Services 28,207 27,999 (208) 5,332 5,578 246 33,539 33,577 38 306 (268) : Community Care Service Delivery 36,717 35,938 (779) 0 0 0 36,717 35,938 (779) (728) (51) : Rehabilitation and Reablement 2,190 2,188 (2) 0 0 0 2,190 2,188 (2) 1 (3) : Long Term Conditions 944 1,024 80 10,244 11,020 776 11,188 12,044 856 1,029 (173) : Community Link Workers 197 188 (9) 0 0 0 197 188 (9) (9) 0 : Integrated Island Services 2,426 2,366 (60) 3,675 3,871 196 6,101 6,237 136 17 119 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 29,726 30,252 526 72,753 73,783 1,030 102,479 104,035 1,556 1,898 (342) : Learning Disabilities 22,971 23,665 694 545 546 1 23,516 24,211 695 691 4 : Community Mental Health 5,869 5,825 (44) 1,782 1,782 0 7,651 7,607 (44) (203) 159 : Addictions 886 762 (124) 1,784 1,784 0 2,670 2,546 (124) 0 (124) : Lead Partnership Mental Health NHS Area Wide 0 0 0 68,642 69,671 1,029 68,642 69,671 1,029 1,410 (381) CHILDREN & JUSTICE SERVICES 34,484 39,941 5,457 4,553 4,696 143 39,037 44,637 5,600 5,615 (15) : Irvine, Kilwinning and Three Towns 3,151 2,986 (165) 0 0 0 3,151 2,986 (165) (83) (82) : Garnock Valley, North Coast and Arran 3,139 3,072 (67) 0 0 0 3,139 3,072 (67) (175) 108 :Intervention Services 1,868 1,883 15 437 438 1 2,305 2,321 16 (84) 100 : Care Experienced Children & Young people 22,618 27,926 5,308 0 0 0 22,618 27,926 5,308 5,628 (320) : Head of Service - Children & Families 1,071 1,474 403 0 0 0 1,071 1,474 403 305 98 : Justice Services 2,412 2,396 (16) 0 0 0 2,412 2,396 (16) (133) 117 : Universal Early Years 225 204 (21) 3,698 3,840 142 3,923 4,044 121 157 (36) : Lead Partnership NHS Children's Services 0 0 0 418 418 0 418 418 0 0 0 CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER 1,852 1,463 (389) 0 0 0 1,852 1,463 (389) (379) (10) PRIMARY CARE 0 0 0 53,378 53,337 (41) 53,378 53,337 (41) (56) 15 ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 0 10,291 10,291 0 10,291 10,291 0 0 0 COVID NHS 0 0 0 0 (274) (274) 0 (274) (274) (275) 1 MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT COSTS 7,192 6,083 (1,109) 4,787 3,583 (1,204) 11,979 9,666 (2,313) (1,959) (354) NATIONAL COMMISSIONED SERVICE 0 0 0 3 3 0 3 3 0 FINANCIAL INCLUSION 1,335 1,335 0 0 0 0 1,335 1,335 0 (19) OUTTURN ON A MANAGED BASIS 145,270 148,777 3,507 165,016 165,888 872 310,286 314,665 4,379 5,441 (1,081) Return Hosted Over/Underspends East 0 0 0 0 (337) (337) 0 (337) (337) (462) 125 Return Hosted Over/Underspends South 0 0 0 0 (294) (294) 0 (294) (294) (403) 109 Receive Hosted Over/Underspends South 0 0 0 0 163 163 0 163 163 0 163 Receive Hosted Over/Underspends East 0 0 0 0 (52) (52) 0 (52) (52) 0 (52) OUTTURN ON AN IJB BASIS 145,270 148,777 3,507 165,016 165,368 352 310,286 314,145 3,859 4,576 (736) Over/ (Under) Spend Variance at Period 3 Movement in projected variance from Period 3 TOTAL Partnership Budget - Objective Summary Council Health 2023/24 Budget 234
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PUBLIC INFORMATION 2023-24 Savings Tracker Appendix B 235
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PUBLIC INFORMATION 236
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PUBLIC INFORMATION 2023-24 Budget Reconciliation Appendix C COUNCIL Period Permanent or Temporary £'m Initial Approved Budget 121.408 Less Living Wage Fund not yet allocated (2.826) Revised Budget 118.582 Resource Transfer 1-3 P 23.597 HSCP Fin Circ 3 1-3 T 0.013 Living Wage - final allocation 1-3 P 2.808 ICT Licences Various 1-3 P (0.012) Island Funds 1-3 T 0.015 Facilities Management Costs - Montrose House 1-3 P 0.387 West Road - Capital funded from Revenue 1-3 T (0.300) Care at Home – Draw from reserves 4 T 0.173 Roundings T 0.007 Social Care Budget Reported at Month 4 145.270 HEALTH Period Permanent or Temporary £'m Initial Baseline Budget 164.500 Month 10-12 Adjustments 2.473 MDT funding 0.828 Adjust for full year impact of part year amounts 0.052 Revised Baseline 167.853 Baseline Funding Increase 2.164 Adjust for recurring funding 7.629 Adjust for non-recurring 2.434 Resource Transfer (23.597) 2023/24 Opening Position 156.483 Net impact of Pan Ayrshire Pressures 1 P 0.028 Top Slicing Posts 2022-23 2 (0.054) MDT Funds to Arran Medical Group 3 (0.033) Training Grade Adjustments 3 (0.035) Ward 3 Band 2 Domestic 3 (0.004) V2 B6 to AHM233 3 (0.061) Virement 12 Band 2 Domestic 4 (0.010) 237
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PUBLIC INFORMATION Virement 18 Band 3 budget trf 4 0.019 Lymphoedema Top Slice RX 4 (0.029) HD Ref 51 Band 2-4 4 0.054 Roundings 4 (0.001) Anticipated budgets included in the report but not yet in the ledger 4 8.659 Health Budget Reported at Month 4 165.016 TOTAL COMBINED BUDGET 310.286 238
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Treasury Management and Investment Mid-Year Report 2023/24 Purpose: To provide Cabinet with a Treasury Management update for the period 1 April to 30 September 2023. Recommendation: That Cabinet agrees to (a) endorse the contents of the Treasury Management and Investment Mid-Year Report for 2023/24 (Appendix 1); (b) note the Prudential and Treasury Indicators contained therein; and (c) note the changes arising from the review of HRA Loans Fund Advances. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Treasury Management and Investment Strategy and treasury management indicators provide a framework for the Council's treasury activities to ensure the effective control of the risks associated with those activities and the pursuit of optimum performance consistent with those risks. 1.2 This mid-year review report: • provides an update on performance to 30 September 2023; • updates the annual prudential indicators to reflect the latest information available to the Council; • demonstrates that the treasury management activities carried out during the period 1 April to 30 September 2023 have been consistent with the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2023/24 and have complied with the treasury management indicators set out in the Strategy; and • details the review of Loan Fund Advances and the resulting changes. 2. Background 2.1 The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice 2021 Edition (the CIPFA Code) requires that Elected Members are provided with regular monitoring reports on treasury management activities. The Treasury Management Strategy for 2023/24 was approved by Council on 1 March 2023. Agenda Item 11 239
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This report is the Mid-Year Report, providing Cabinet with an update on treasury management activities for the period 1 April to 30 September 2023. An annual report on the treasury management activities for the year will be presented to Council following the end of the financial year. These reports ensure that the Council is meeting best practice in accordance with CIPFA's Code of Practice. 2.2 The 2023/24 Mid-Year Report is attached at Appendix 1 and covers: • Prudential and treasury indicators; • Borrowing and associated rates; and • Investments and associated rate of return. 2.3 This report provides an update on performance to 30 September 2023 and the annual prudential indicators to reflect the latest information. It is a statutory duty for the Council to determine and keep under review its approved borrowing limits and prudential indicators. Details within the report demonstrate that, during the period 1 April to 30 September 2023, the Council has operated within the authorised and operational limits and prudential indicators as set out in the Council's 2023/24 Annual Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS). 2.4 The Executive Summary of the Mid-Year Report provides a high level overview of treasury management and performance, with more detail provided in the body of the report. Key points to note are: • the re-profiling of capital expenditure into future years and continued use of internal resources have had an impact on all of the prudential indicators; • PWLB interest rates rose by around 1% during the period in both the long and short term. • during the year to date the Council has undertaken no new borrowing . The Council has utilised internal short-term cash reserves to temporarily fund any capital borrowing requirement to 30 September 2023; and • investment returns are marginally above the target and this is reflective of the rising Bank of England base rate which increased from 4.25% to 5.25% during the period to 30 September. 2.5 Section 14 of the Local Authority (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 allows Councils to vary the period and/or amount of the repayments if they consider it prudent to do so. A review of the advance periods for the Housing Revenue Account has been carried out, releasing £6.124m over the life of the 30 year business plan. 240
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3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet (a) endorse the contents of the Treasury Management and Investment Mid-Year Report for 2022/23 (Appendix 1); (b) note the Prudential and Treasury Indicators contained therein; and (c) note the changes arising from the review of HRA Loans Fund Advances. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 General Services Capital Financing Costs - the Council budgeted £17.241m for financing costs and expenses on debt for 2023/24. It is currently estimated that actual costs will total £11.390m. This underspend will be transferred to the Loans Fund Reserve in line with the previously agreed policy to support delivery of the capital investment programme. Housing Revenue Account Capital Financing Costs - the Council budgeted £18.158m for financing costs and expenses for debt in 2023/24. It is currently estimated that actual costs will total £10.926m. In both cases, the main reasons for the underspends are a) the re-profiling of capital expenditure into future years and b) the current strategy to utilise cash balances, resulting in savings on external interest costs. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Environmental and Sustainability 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 This report directly supports the Council Plan 2023 to 2028 by maximising financial flexibility to support the delivery of our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 241
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5. Consultation 5.1 The Council's treasury advisors, Arlingclose Ltd, were consulted in the preparation of this report. Mark Boyd Head of Service (Finance) For further information please contact David Forbes, Senior Manager (Strategic Business Partner), on 01294 324551. Background Papers Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2023/24 – Council 1 March 2023 242
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Treasury Management and Investment Mid-Year Report 2023/24 243
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2 Contents 1. Purpose 3 2. Executive summary 4 3. Prudential and treasury indicators 6 a. The Council’s Capital expenditure and financing 2023/24 6 b. The Council’s overall borrowing need 7 c. Limits to borrowing activity 8 d. Treasury position at 30 September 2023 9 e. Affordability PIs 13 4. Investment rates in 2023/24 13 5. Investment position for 2023/24 14 6. Review of Loans Fund Advances 15 244
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3 Treasury Management and Investment Mid-Year Review 2023/24 1. Purpose The Council is required by regulations issued under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Code of Practice on Treasury Management (revised 2021) to produce a mid-year review of treasury management activities. The purpose of this mid-year review is to report the performance of the Council’s treasury operation and how this measures up against the Council’s Treasury Management and Investment Strategy. This is done through the publication of updated prudential and treasury indicators for 2023/24. This report meets the requirements of both the CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management (the Code) and the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (the Prudential Code). During 2023/24, to meet the minimum reporting requirement, the following reports should be submitted to Elected Members: • an annual treasury management and investment strategy (submitted to the Council on 1 March 2023) • the capital strategy (submitted to the Council on 1 March 2023) • a mid-year treasury update report (this report) • an annual review following the end of the year describing the activity compared to the strategy (will be submitted to Council in June 2024) Regulations place responsibility on members for the review and scrutiny of treasury management policy and activities. This report is, therefore, important in that respect, as it provides details of treasury activities for the six months to 30 September 2023 and highlights performance against the Council’s policies previously approved by members. 245
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4 2. Executive Summary During the six month period to 30 September 2023, the Council complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements. The key prudential and treasury indicators for 2023/24 have been updated based on the latest available information and will be used to assess performance at the end of the year. TABLE 1 A summary of performance is provided below with more detailed information provided in the body of the report. Capital Expenditure for both the General Fund and HRA vary from original estimates due to changes in the profile of projects. Full details of all movements in the capital expenditure budgets are included in the capital programme performance reports submitted to Cabinet throughout the year. The Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) is the underlying borrowing requirements of the Council. The reduction to the requirement during 2023/24 reflects the change in profile of the capital programme. Gross Borrowing reflects the actual borrowing which has been undertaken. This is projected to be lower than anticipated due to the revised profile of capital projects and the continued use of internal funds, the latter being a key element of the Treasury Management Strategy to minimise costs. The Operational Boundary is the maximum we would anticipate borrowing to fund the current year capital programme building in flexibility for the timing of the different funding streams and principal repayments. The in-year variance is linked to the continued use of internal funds and the re-profiling of the capital programme. The Authorised Limit is set at 10% above the Operational Boundary to give some flexibility to raise funds for future year capital investment. 2023/24 2023/24 Prudential and treasury indicators Original Estimate Revised Estimate £m £m Capital expenditure (Indicator 1) · Non-HRA 115.931 105.637 · HRA 172.316 36.253 · Total 288.247 141.890 Capital Financing Requirement (CFR): · Non-HRA 267.879 271.785 · HRA 284.275 176.011 · Total 552.154 447.796 Gross borrowing (Indicator 4) 490.154 323.486 Operational Boundary (Indicator 5) 571.667 442.106 Authorised Limit (Indicator 6) 628.834 486.317 Investments (Indicator 8) · Longer than 1 year - - · Under 1 year 20.000 36.900 · Total 20.000 36.900 246
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5 The Council has a strategy of taking a combination of temporary and permanent borrowing in recognition of the Council’s longer term borrowing requirements and the market rates available at that time. This balances short term financial savings with longer term security of costs. During the period 1 April to 30 September 2023 the Council undertook no new borrowing. There was a substantial rise in the cost of both short- and long-term borrowing over the last 18 months. The Bank Rate rose by 1% from 4.25% at the beginning of April to 5.25% at the end of September. As a result, the Bank Rate was 2% higher than at the end of September 2022. Affordability of borrowing is measured by a number of indicators, including the impact of: • Percentage of financial costs relative to the net revenue stream of the General fund and Housing Revenue Account. As at 30 September 2023 the above indicator shows estimated ratios of 2.6% and 20.2% for General Fund and HRA respectively. Capital expenditure impacts on the revenue budget through financing charges so it is essential the Council ensures the financing costs remain affordable and do not constitute an excessive proportion of the revenue resources available. From a General Fund perspective, the latest Scottish Local Authority average was 5.5%, therefore demonstrating a prudent borrowing policy. For the HRA, the latest Scottish average was 22.7%. The level of loan charges is deemed prudent and affordable within the framework of the 30 year Housing business plan. The average investment rate to 30 September 2023 was 4.47%, compared to a target of 4.25% and actual in 2022/23 of 0.73%. The return secured this year to date reflects the Bank of England base rate which has risen from 4.25% at the beginning of the financial year to 5.25% at 30 September. The Council’s objective when investing money is to strike an appropriate balance between risk and return, minimising the risk of incurring losses from defaults and the risk of receiving unsuitably low investment income. Other prudential and treasury indicators and supporting information can be found in the main body of this report. Conclusion The Head of Finance confirms that long-term borrowing is only undertaken for a capital purpose and the statutory borrowing limit (the authorised limit) has not been breached. 247
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6 3. Prudential and Treasury Indicators for 2023/24 The Prudential Code establishes a framework to ensure Councils demonstrate effective control over levels of, and decisions relating to, capital investment activity including borrowing. The Treasury indicators are used to ensure that risk is managed and controlled effectively. Together the Prudential and Treasury Indicators consider the affordability and impact of capital expenditure decisions and set out the Council’s overall capital framework. These indicators help the Council to demonstrate public accountability in relation to borrowing and investments. As part of this accountability this report will summarise the following: - • Capital activity during the year (section a); • Impact of this activity on the Council’s underlying debt (the Capital Financing Requirement) (section b); • The actual prudential and treasury indicators (section a – e); • Overall treasury position identifying how the Council has borrowed in relation to this debt, and the impact on investment balances (section e); • Detailed debt activity (section e); and • Summary of interest rate movements in the year (section 4); • Detailed investment activity (section 5). (a) The Council’s Capital Expenditure and Financing 2023/24 (Prudential Indicator 1) The Council incurs capital expenditure when it invests in its long term assets. Capital Expenditure can be funded in two main ways: • Financed immediately through the application of capital or revenue resources (capital receipts, capital grants, revenue contributions etc.), which has no resultant impact on the Council’s borrowing need; or • If insufficient financing is available, or a decision is taken not to apply other resources, the capital expenditure will give rise to borrowing, which is approved as part of the Council’s investment plans. The tables below show the planned capital expenditure for 2023/24 and the latest forecast, alongside the amount estimated to be financed in year and the amount which will give rise to borrowing. TABLE 2 2023/24 2023/24 General Fund Original Estimate Revised Estimate £m £m Capital expenditure (Indicator 1) 115.931 105.637 Financed in year from external funding and reserves 47.639 52.200 Unfinanced capital expenditure 68.292 53.437 2023/24 2023/24 HRA Original Estimate Revised Estimate £m £m Capital expenditure (Indicator 1) 172.316 36.253 Financed in year from external funding and reserves 56.640 18.447 Unfinanced capital expenditure 115.676 17.806 248
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7 (b) The Council’s Overall Borrowing Need (the Capital Financing Requirement) (Prudential Indicators 2 and 3) This indicator outlines the Council’s Capital Financing Requirement (CFR). The CFR is simply the total historic outstanding capital expenditure which has not been paid from either a capital or revenue resource and therefore needs to be funded from borrowing. It is essentially a measure of the Council’s underlying borrowing need. Part of the Council’s treasury activity is to meet the funding requirements for this borrowing need. The treasury management section organises the Council’s cash position to ensure that sufficient cash is available to meet the capital plans and cash flow requirements. This may be sourced through borrowing from external bodies (such as the Government through the Public Works Loan Board [PWLB] or the money markets), by utilising temporary cash resources within the Council or through temporary borrowing from other local authorities. The Council’s underlying borrowing need (CFR) is not allowed to rise indefinitely. The Council is required to make an annual revenue charge, called the Loan Fund Principal Repayment. This is effectively a repayment of the borrowing need and it is charged to revenue over the life of the asset. This charge reduces the CFR each year. This differs from the treasury management arrangements which ensure that cash is available to meet capital commitments. External debt can also be borrowed or repaid at any time, but this does not change the CFR. The total CFR can also be reduced by: • the application of additional capital financing resources (such as unapplied capital receipts); or • increasing the annual revenue charge The Council’s CFR for the year is shown in the following table and is a key prudential indicator. The opening balance excludes the PPP / NPD schemes because no borrowing is actually required against these schemes, as a borrowing facility is included in the contract. Table 3 shows that, based on historic capital expenditure and this year’s capital expenditure, the Council has a cumulative underlying borrowing need of £447.796m forecast at 31 March 2024. This is lower than the original estimate largely as a result of changes in the profile of capital projects. TABLE 3 2023/24 2023/24 CFR Original Estimate Revised Estimate £m £m Opening Balance 378.655 384.064 Add unfinanced capital expenditure (General Fund and HRA per Table 2) 183.968 71.243 Less Loans Fund Principal Repayments (10.469) (7.511) Closing balance (Indicator 2) 552.154 447.796 Annual Change (Indicator 3) 173.499 63.732 249
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8 c) Limits to Borrowing Activity (Prudential Indicators 4 - 6) Borrowing activity is constrained by the prudential indicators for CFR, gross borrowing and by the authorised limit to ensure the Council operates its activities within well-defined limits. Gross borrowing and the CFR There is a need to ensure that gross debt does not, except in the medium term, exceed the total CFR (i.e. the Council does not borrow more than it needs to fund its capital programme). In exceptional circumstances Councils are allowed to borrow to cover the current financial year plus the next two financial years (i.e. to 2025/26). This provides some flexibility to borrow in advance where this is appropriate. Table 4 highlights the Council’s forecast gross borrowing position against the CFR and confirms that at 30 September 2023 the Council has complied with this prudential indicator as gross borrowing is currently within its CFR. The Council is currently under-borrowed by £201.359m due to the continuing strategy to delay long-term external borrowing by utilising internal cash balances. TABLE 4 As part of its annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy the Council sets limits for external borrowing which it is not normally expected to exceed. These limits are explained below. The Operational Boundary The operational boundary is the expected maximum borrowing position of the Council during the year, taking account of the timing of various funding streams and the recharge of principal repayments from the revenue account. Periods where the actual position varies from the boundary is acceptable subject to the authorised limit not being breached. The Authorised Limit The authorised limit represents a limit beyond which external debt is prohibited. Performance against the approved strategy is monitored throughout the year and reported to Cabinet as appropriate. However, ultimate responsibility for setting or adjusting this limit lies with full Council. The current limit is set at 10% of the Operational Boundary. Table 5 demonstrates that between 1 April and 30 September 2023 the Council’s gross borrowing was within both the operational boundary and its authorised limit, by a significant margin due to the continuing strategy to delay new external borrowing by utilising internal cash balances and changes in the capital programme that have resulted in a reduced borrowing requirement. 2023/24 2023/24 30 September 2023 Original Estimate Revised Estimate Actual £m £m £m Gross borrowing position (Indicator 4) 490.154 323.486 246.437 CFR 552.154 447.796 447.796 (Under)/Over Borrowed Position (62.000) (124.310) (201.359) 250
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9 TABLE 5 (d) Treasury Position at 30 September 2023 (Prudential Indicators 7 - 11) The Council’s debt and investment position is organised by the treasury management service to ensure adequate liquidity for revenue and capital activities, security for investments and to manage risks within agreed parameters. Procedures and controls to achieve these objectives are well established through both Member reporting and the Council’s Treasury Management Practices. Borrowing Strategy for 2023/24 The Borrowing Strategy for 2023/24 anticipated bank interest rates remaining at 4.25% during 2023 before beginning to decline in 2024. Fixed borrowing rates were anticipated to remain steady. Variable, or short-term rates, were expected to be the cheaper form of borrowing over the period. Continued economic uncertainty has promoted a cautious approach, whereby investments continue to be dominated by low counterparty risk considerations, resulting in relatively low returns compared to borrowing rates. During the period April to September, UK gilt yields were volatile, mainly facing upward pressure since early April following signs that UK growth had been more resilient, inflation stickier than expected, and that the Bank of England saw persistently higher rates through 2023/24 as key to dampening domestic demand. Gilt yields, and consequently borrowing rates, rose and broadly remained at elevated levels. On 30th September, the PWLB certainty rates for maturity loans were 5.26% for 10 year loans, 5.64% for 20-year loans and 5.43% for 50-year loans. Their equivalents on 31st March 2023 were 4.33%, 4.70% and 4.41% respectively. A new PWLB HRA rate which is 0.4% below the certainty rate was made available from 15th June 2023. Initially available for a period of one year, this discounted rate is to support local authorities borrowing for the Housing Revenue Account and for refinancing existing HRA loans. As a result of the higher borrowing rates, the Council’s current strategy is to use internal funds instead of borrowing. The following graph demonstrates that PWLB rates have remained relatively steady during the period April to September 2023. Estimated Revised £m £m Average gross borrowing position 1 April to 30 September 2022 250.979 Maximum gross borrowing position 1 April to 30 September 2022 252.793 Operational boundary per Treasury Strategy 2022/23 (Indicator 5) 571.667 442.106 Authorised limit per Treasury Strategy 2022/23 (Indicator 6) 628.834 486.317 251
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10 CIPFA’s 2021 Prudential Code is clear that local authorities must not borrow to invest primarily for financial return and that it is not prudent for local authorities to make any investment or spending decision that will increase the capital financing requirement, and so may lead to new borrowing, unless directly and primarily related to the functions of the Council. Local authorities can borrow from the PWLB provided they can confirm they are not planning to purchase ‘investment assets primarily for yield’ in the current or next two financial years, with confirmation of the purpose of capital expenditure from the Section 95 Officer. Authorities that are purchasing or intending to purchase investment assets primarily for yield will not be able to access the PWLB except to refinance existing loans or externalise internal borrowing. The Council is not planning to purchase any investment assets primarily for yield within the next three years and so is able fully access the PWLB. Borrowing Position for 2023/24 To date in 2023/24, the Council has undertaken no new borrowing. The Council has used internal short-term cash reserves to temporarily fund its capital borrowing requirement to 30 September 2023. In terms of outlook for the remainder of the year, based on current capital plans and replacement borrowing requirements, it is estimated that the Council will borrow £75.294m this financial year, with a forecasted planned under borrowed position of £100.000m at the end of March 2024. Rescheduling No rescheduling has taken place between 1 April 2023 and 30 September 2023. The continuing rise in gilt yields since early 2022 may result in some of the Council’s PWLB loans being in or close to a discount position if repaid early. The Council continues to monitor the position. The Council has £25.950m of LOBO loans with call dates within the next 12 month. The Council has liaised with its treasury management advisors, Arlingclose, over the likelihood of the options being exercised. If the option is exercised and an increased rate proposed, the Council currently plans to repay the loan at no additional cost as accepting the revised terms would mean the Council would still have refinancing risk in later years. If applicable, the Council will repay the LOBO loans with available cash or by borrowing from other local authorities or the PWLB. 252
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11 The Council’s treasury position (excluding borrowing by PPP/NPD and finance leases) at the 31 March 2023 and 30 September 2023 was as follows: TABLE 6 All investments at 30 September 2023 mature within one year in line with the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy (Indicator 9). The Liability Benchmark is a new indicator which compares the Council’s actual existing borrowing against a liability benchmark that has been calculated to show the lowest risk level of borrowing. The liability benchmark is an important tool to help establish whether the Council is likely to be a long-term borrower or long-term investor in the future, and so shape its strategic focus and decision making. It represents an estimate of the cumulative amount of external borrowing the Council must hold to fund its current capital and revenue plans while keeping treasury investments at the minimum level of £10m required to manage day-to-day cash flow. Following on from the medium-term forecasts in the table above, the long-term liability benchmark assumes capital expenditure funded by borrowing will be in line with the 10 year capital plan and 30 year HRA business plan respectively, loans fund advances on new capital expenditure based on asset life and income, expenditure and reserves all increasing by inflation of 2.5% a year with any specific adjustments made for planned use of reserves. This is shown in the following chart together with the maturity profile of the Council’s existing borrowing: 31 March 2023 30 September Principal Rate/ Return Principal Rate/ Return £m % £m % Fixed rate funding: -PWLB 178.167 4.72% 177.917 4.76% -Other Local Authorities 15.000 1.62% 16.152 2.71% -Market 1.449 8.83% 1.418 9.03% Variable rate funding: -Market 50.950 5.10% 50.950 5.10% Total debt (Indicator 7) 245.566 4.63% 246.437 4.72% CFR 384.064 447.796 Over / (under) borrowing (138.498) (201.359) Investments: - internally managed 31.456 0.73% 36.900 4.47% Total investments (Indicator 8) 31.456 36.900 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Actual £m Estimate £m Forecast £m Forecast £m Loans CFR 384.1 447.8 685.4 725.6 Less Balance sheet resources (160.9) (155.3) (107.4) (92.6) Net loans requirement 223.2 292.5 578.0 633.0 Liquidity allowance 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Liability Benchmark 233.2 302.5 588.0 643.0 Existing Borrowing (252.2) (234.2) (231.2) (228.3) Liability Benchmark 253
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12 The maturity structure of the debt portfolio (Indicator 10) at 30 September 2023 is shown below and shows the period when the Council is required to repay and/or refinance debt. It is important to ensure a reasonable spread of debt to mitigate against high exposure levels in respect of refinancing. The current profile ensures this: TABLE 7 The next indicator is used to manage risk and reduce the impact of adverse movement in interest rates. This sets a limit on the Council’s exposure to fixed and variable interest rates (Indicator 11). The Council approved a limit on variable borrowing of £60.000m in the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24. TABLE 8 31-Mar-23 30 September 2023 Maturity Profile of Borrowing (Indicator 10) Actual Actual £m £m Under 12 months 43.481 45.100 12 months and within 24 months 2.950 2.950 24 months and within 5 years 6.207 9.907 5 years and within 10 years 21.639 29.439 10 years and within 20 years 33.177 35.227 20 years and within 30 years 6.225 6.225 30 years and within 40 years 106.887 92.589 40 years and within 50 years 15.000 15.000 50 years and above 10.000 10.000 Total Borrowing 245.566 246.437 2023/24 30 September 2023 Original Limits Actual £m £m Limits on fixed interest rates based on net debt (Indicator 11) 628.834 486.317 Limits on variable interest rates based on net debt (Indicator 11) 60.000 50.950 254
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13 (e) Affordability Prudential Indicators (Prudential Indicator 12 - 14) These Prudential Indicators assess the affordability of capital investment plans and provide an indication of the impact of capital investment plans on the Council’s overall finances. The cost impact of borrowing decisions are reflected in the Council’s budget as loan charges. The actual and estimates of the ratio of financing costs to net revenue stream indicator identifies the trend in the cost of capital (borrowing and other long-term liabilities net of investment income) against the net revenue stream. TABLE 9 Capital expenditure impacts on the revenue budget through financing charges so it is essential the Council ensures the financing costs remain affordable and do not constitute an excessive proportion of the revenue resources available. From a General Fund perspective, the latest Scottish Local Authority average was 5.5%, thereby demonstrating a prudent borrowing policy. For the HRA, the latest Scottish average was 22.7%. The level of loan charges is deemed prudent and affordable within the framework of the 30 year Housing business plan. 4. Investment Rates in 2023/24 The Bank Rate has risen from 4.25% to 5.25% during the period April to September. The Council’s treasury advisers, Arlingclose, currently project that the bank rate has now reached its peak at 5.25% and is forecasting gradual reductions from September 2024. Estimate of ratio of financing costs to net revenue stream 2023/24 2023/24 (Indicator 14) Original Estimate Revised Estimate £m £m General Services 3.4% 2.6% HRA 27.8% 20.2% 255
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14 5. Investment Position for 2023/24 Investment Policy The Council’s investment policy is governed by Scottish Government investment regulations, which have been implemented in the annual treasury management and investment strategy, approved by Council on 1 March 2023. This policy sets out the approach for choosing investment counterparties, based on credit ratings provided by the three main credit rating agencies and supplemented by additional market data (such as rating outlooks, credit default swaps, bank share prices etc.). All investments during 2023/24 have complied with our investment policy. Resources The Council’s cash balances comprise revenue and capital resources and cash flow monies. The Council’s cash resources at 30 September 2023 were as follows: TABLE 10 Investments held by the Council The Council has maintained an average balance of £38.692m of invested funds and utilised cash balances during the year in support of the under-borrowed position. The Council’s treasury management advisors, Arlingclose Limited, have five Scottish unitary authorities in their client group and provide regular investment benchmarking information to the Council. North Ayrshire Council’s average weighted rate of return on investments during the period 1 April 2023 to 30 September 2023 was 4.47% (0.80% for the period to 30 September 2022). The actual rate of return on investments as at 30 September for North Ayrshire Council was 5.09%. Benchmarking information, comparing the Council’s performance with the other Scottish Unitary authorities within the client group of Arlingclose, as at 30 September has not currently been published and will be presented as part of the annual review report to Council in June 2024. The Council’s investment portfolio at 30 September included a £5m loan to Woking Borough Council until 23 October 2023. Woking Borough Council was issued with a Section 114 notice on the 7 June 2023 which prevents the Council from entering into any new agreement or commitment for expenditure without the explicit agreement of the Section 151 Officer until the Council has met to consider the s114 report. However, contractual expenditure, including loan repayments remains necessary and allowable. The Council can confirm the full amount of the loan, including interest was recovered on the maturity date of 23 October 2023. The target investment rate for 2023/24 was 4.25% and the slightly higher weighted average return in the first half of the year reflects the rising Bank of England Base Rate. We will continue to invest with approved counterparties in accordance with the approved strategy. Cash Balances 2023/24 Actual £m 1 April 2023 31.456 30 September 2023 36.900 Change within 6 months 5.444 256
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15 6. Review of Loans Fund Advances Under the Schedule 3 of the Local Authority (Scotland) Act 1975, the Council operates a Loans Fund with the purpose of undertaking borrowing in order to make advances to support capital expenditure and determining the annual repayment to be charged to the General Services and HRA revenue accounts. At 31 March 2023, North Ayrshire Council’s Loans Fund included outstanding advances of £384.064m, due to be repaid over the next 50 years, and projections for a further £478.126m of advances in support of the approved General Services and HRA capital programmes. Section 14 of the Local Authority (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 allows Councils to vary the period and/or amount of the repayments, if they consider it prudent to do so. Resulting Action The Council’s current policy is that all current and future loans fund advances should be calculated using the Asset Life method, which aligns the repayment of advances to the Useful Economic Life (UEL) of the assets to be acquired, and should be calculated using an annuity rate linked to the average interest rate of borrowing undertaken by the Loans Fund It has been determined that there are sufficiently detailed records on which to base a recalculation of HRA advances made since 2011/12, with all advances made after this date being examined to determine the most appropriate UEL and then recalculated using the revised methodology detailed above. Impact of the Resulting Actions Although there is no change in the overall level of Loans Fund advances to be repaid, this will result in the reprofiling of the principal and interest payments based on the review of the UEL of the assets with a resulting increase in the interest calculations over the next 54 years of £22.844m for the HRA and £17.461m for the General Fund. The recalculation of payments within the HRA will result in reduced annual repayments over the period to 2040/41 which will be offset by increased payments in later years. It should be noted that these projections are based on the current Capital Programmes as approved by Council and estimates within the 30 year HRA Business plan. Any changes to the approved Programmes will impact on the movement. Impact on the HRA Business Plan The anticipated reduction in HRA Loan Charge Repayments will release £6.124m over the 30 year life of the business plan and will support the investment within this period whilst aiming to keep rents affordable. 257
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7th November 2023 Cabinet Title: Year End Performance Reporting: Council Plan Year End Progress Report 2022-23; Annual Performance Report 2022-23; and Local Government Benchmarking Framework Analysis of 2023 Data Release Purpose: To advise Cabinet on progress of our Council Plan priorities. Recommendation: That Cabinet agrees to: a) Approve the Council Plan year End Progress Report and supporting performance measures as set out at Appendix One, Two and Three; b) Approve the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix Four; c) Note the status of the Council’s performance indicators within the LGBF Analysis of 2023 Data Release at Appendix Five; and c) Refer this report to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. 1. Introduction 1.1. Under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1992 and Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 we have a duty to demonstrate Best Value. To ensure we are supporting our residents, fulfilling our statutory duties and invite scrutiny, we actively manage performance and develop our reporting to make it accessible. Following Cabinet approval, our corporate performance reports are published on our website www.north- ayrshire.gov.uk/performance. 1.2. This report combines three key Council Plan and corporate performance reports: • Our six-monthly Council Plan 2019-24 Progress Update (Year End 2022-23) • Our Annual Performance Report 2022-23 • The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) - Analysis of 2023 Data Release 2. Background 2.1. Our Council Plan 2019-24 was approved by Council in June 2019. As our new Council Plan 2023-28 was approved in June 2023, this 2022-23 year-end reporting cycle marks the final reporting period for the 2019-24 Council Plan. 2.2. The Council Plan 2019-24 Progress Update (Year End 2022-23) and accompanying appendices provide detailed information on the progress made towards our strategic priority outcomes. The report includes key activities and case studies from across our Council in a magazine style format. It provides an overview of performance in the six months up to 31st March 2023. Areas of focus (next steps) are not included in this report as these are reflected in our new Council Plan 2023-28. Agenda Item 12 259
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2.3. Our Annual Performance Report 2022-23 summarises our performance across the entire financial year. As in 2021-22, to reduce duplication the Annual Performance Report is a high-level summary with links to our more detailed six-monthly Council Plan Progress Reports. 2.4. The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) Analysis of 2023 Data Release provides information on how we compare to similar councils. The LGBF is a national framework collating performance information from across all 32 local authorities and is specifically referenced within the Accounts Commission Strategic Performance Information Direction. The Improvement Service, who administer the LGBF, is currently exploring how to publish data more timeously, therefore though this report mainly covers 2021-22 data as released during 2023, some information may relate to more recent periods. Data is as downloaded in September 2023 unless otherwise stated. 3. Performance Summary 3.1. Key Activities (October to March 2023) • £434million Capital Investment Programme was approved by Cabinet. This will be key to the economic recovery of North Ayrshire in response to the cost of living crisis. • £3.3million was allocated to minimise the increase in council tax to support our residents. • A £1.4million Early Intervention Fund was established to help address child poverty and the cost of living. • Public mini enquiries were introduced to capture real lived experience and inform our Child Poverty Action Plan. • We held the first Annual Promise Conference in November, the first in Scotland attracting 130 attendees and chaired by two of our care-experienced young people. • 18,962 National Entitlement Cards have been used by our young people, providing free bus travel. • We awarded the tender for two Council owned solar farms on former landfill sites at Nethermains, Kilwinning and Shewalton, Irvine. • The formal opening of the £4.2million Lochshore Hub took place in October 2023. • The first year of roundabout advertising has been successful. 28 locations have been granted planning consent, generating £20,000 per year. • 1,400 residents and 37 community groups from across all six localities contributed to our budget consultation in January. • Accessing Our Council, a key element of our ‘No Wrong Door’ approach is progressing well. Contact details have been rationalised to help direct our residents to the support they need. • Our Council has been recognised by Carers Scotland as a Carer Positive ‘Exemplary’ employer in Scotland. The award demonstrates the support our Council provides for its employees who are working carers. 260
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3.2. Council Plan Performance Indicators 3.2.1. Appendix 2 details Performance Indicators from the Council Plan Performance Framework, showing (where available) targets and a traffic light (Red, Amber, Green) symbol to show whether: The target level of performance has been achieved (Green); is slightly adrift of target (Amber); or is significantly adrift of target (Red). 3.2.2. Analysis of the indicators is outlined in Table 1 below. Where data is not available for Year End 2022-23, the most recently available data up to the annual figure for 2021-22 is used. 85.7% of indicators where the status is known are on target or slightly adrift of target as at 31st March 2023. This greater than last year, when 79.3% of indicators had this status. The two-year period covered below reflects the impact of the gradual easing of restrictions during 2021-22. Table 1 Summary of Performance Indicator Status Traffic Light Year End 2022-23 Year End 2021-22 on target 17 (60.7%*) 18 (62.1%**) slightly adrift 7 (25%*) 5 (17.2%**) significantly adrift 4 (14.3%*) 6 (20.7%**) status unknown or data only 5 (15.1% of all Council Plan indicators) 5 (14.7% of all Council Plan indicators) * Of the 28 indicators where status is known ** Of the 29 indicators where status is known 3.3. Council Plan Delivery Plan 3.3.1. Appendix 3 details the 39 actions from the Council Plan Delivery Plan. The status of sub-actions informs the overall action status. 3.3.2. At Year End 2022-23, 87.2% of actions are either on target or slightly adrift of target compared to 94.9% at Year End 2021-22. Table 2 Summary of Overall Action Status Traffic Light Year End 2022-23 Year End 2021-22 on target 33 (84.6%) 32 (82.1%) slightly adrift 1 (2.6%) 5 (12.8%) significantly adrift 5 (12.8%) 2 (5.1%) 3.3.3. Following the approval of the new Council Plan 2023-28 any incomplete actions relating to our new priorities were either absorbed into the new Council Plan actions or included in Operational Plans as appropriate. Any actions not directly related to the new priorities were closed. 261
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4. Local Government Benchmarking Framework 4.1. In line with the Accounts Commission Strategic Performance Information Direction 2021, the PIs analysed within the LGBF framework directly relate to our priorities. As this report was produced in the transition period between the final reporting on the Council Plan 2019-24 (when this performance was delivered) and our new Council Plan 2023-28, the report includes measures included within both plans. 4.2. In total 32 PIs closely relate to our priorities and are analysed within the report. To provide as close to a like for like comparison as possible, local authorities are grouped based on similar levels of deprivation or rurality for each measure. Trend information is shown relating to the relevant family group alongside an explanation of performance. 4.3. The Improvement Service states that as this dataset covers the second year of the pandemic, most of the information relates to 2021-22, the data should be interpreted within this context. 4.4. The analysis clearly shows the impact of the pandemic across the majority of indicators. Though we continue to face significant challenges in North Ayrshire in areas such as child poverty, rent arrears and business startups; there are also signs of recovery and / or consistently good performance such as in employability support, proportion of people earning the living wage, energy efficiency of our homes, the percentage of invoices sampled paid within 30 days and the speed of crisis grant decisions. This demonstrates how we are actively working to support our residents. 5. Proposals 5.1. That Cabinet agrees to: a) Approve the Council Plan year End Progress Report and supporting performance measures as set out at Appendix One, Two and Three; b) Approve the Council Plan Annual Performance Report as set out in Appendix Four; c) Note the status of the Council’s performance indicators with the LGBF Analysis of the 2023 Data Release at Appendix Five; and c) Refer this report to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. 6. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 6.1. None Human Resources 6.2. None Legal 6.3. This report confirms the arrangements for the Council’s compliance with its duties under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1992 and the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and our commitment to improving public performance reporting. Equality/Socio-economic 6.4. None 262
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Environmental and Sustainability 6.5. None Climate Change and Carbon 6.6. None Key Priorities 6.7. This report helps to demonstrate our Council’s delivery of our strategic priorities. Community Wealth Building 6.8. There are no community wealth building implications. 7. Consultation 7.1. Feedback from the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) informed the content of this report. Aileen Craig Head of Service (Democratic) For further information please contact Isla Hardy, Team Manager (Corporate Policy and Performance), email: IslaHardy@North-Ayrshire.gov.uk. Background Papers Council Plan 2019-24 263
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Council Plan 2019-24 Progress Update Year End 2022-23 Appendix 1 264
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Contents Our Performance at a Glance ............................................................................................. 1 Welcome ........................................................................................................................... 2 Our Council Plan 2019 - 2024 ............................................................................................. 3 Aspiring Communities – Key Activities................................................................................ 4 Aspiring Communities – Case Study ................................................................................... 8 Inspiring Place – Key Activities ........................................................................................... 9 Inspiring Place – Case Study ............................................................................................. 12 A Council for the Future – Key Activities ........................................................................... 13 Performance Summary .................................................................................................... 16 The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team welcome any feedback you may have. We strive to make our Council and reports as accessible as possible and appreciate opportunities to discuss how this can be achieved. For further information please contact: The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 265
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Page 1 of 38 20% our Modern Apprenticeships ringfenced for those with a disability or who are care- experienced 172 community and partner representatives attended our Tackling Child Poverty mini enquiries Over 35,000 new trees planted £1.4m Early Intervention Fund established Our two new council-owned Solar PV farms in Shewalton and Nethermains are at the design phase with the tender awarded £80,000 to develop the skills of our residents in Arran and Cumbrae Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure expanding £3.3million to support our residents by minimising the increase of council tax Our Performance at a Glance £434 million Capital Investment Programme approved for next 10 years Community Renewable Energy Generation Funding Scheme established New Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023-28 launched Almost 19,000 Free Bus Travel Passes issued to those under 22 years of age 266
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Page 2 of 38 Welcome Welcome to the Year End Progress Report on our Council Plan. This report covers the last six months of 2022/23 and, following the approval of our new Council Plan 2023-28 by North Ayrshire Council in June 2023, concludes our Council Plan 2019-24. Challenges continue to be felt by our residents and communities in relation to the cost of living and supporting our residents with these challenges remains a key area for our Council. We delivered a balanced budget, approved by Council on 1st March 2023 focussing on supporting our residents. This included ensuring North Ayrshire’s council tax increase was lower than inflation. We also allocated £1.4m to our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board to directly address the causes of poverty and help our most vulnerable residents find a sustainable route out of poverty. If you are in need of assistance with the cost of living, please visit this link to the North Ayrshire Council Cost of Living Support webpage or call 01294 310000. Our Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) continues to deliver a range of homes across all our localities. This includes general needs housing, wheelchair accessible and supported housing, with 831 homes (including employee units) delivered over the lifetime of our Council Plan 2019-2023. Our new SHIP 2023-2028 was approved by Cabinet in November 2022 and supports the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme. This will see the further development of homes for our residents across North Ayrshire. Mitigating the impact of climate change is always at the heart of our projects. This will be increasingly evident over the next few years as our £434million Capital Investment Programme is rolled out focussing on more sustainable developments and the longevity of our environment including the creation of two new solar farms in North Ayrshire. Next steps and areas of focus are not included within this report as, following the approval by Council of our new Council Plan 2023-28, it contains details on our new priority areas. Together we can create a North Ayrshire that is Fair For All. 267
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Page 3 of 38 Our Council Plan 2019 - 2024 Our Vision A North Ayrshire that is ‘Fair for All’ Our Mission Working together to improve wellbeing, prosperity and equity in North Ayrshire Our Priorities Aspiring Communities ♦ Active and strong communities ♦ Children and young people experience the best start in life ♦ Inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy ♦ Residents and communities enjoy life-long health and wellbeing ♦ Residents and Communities are safe Inspiring Place ♦ Well connected with effective infrastructure ♦ Homes the meet residents’ needs ♦ Vibrant, welcoming and attractive environment ♦ A sustainable environment A Council for the Future ♦ An accessible Council that puts residents and communities at the heart of what we do ♦ An efficient Council that maximises resources and provides value for money ♦ A valued workforce that delivers high quality services ♦ A powerful and respected voice 268
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Page 4 of 22 Aspiring Communities – Key Activities Active and strong communities Community Investment Fund Cabinet approved the award of £45,000 of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) to the Three Towns Locality Partnership in conjunction the Community Housing Advocacy Project (CHAP). The award will support the recruitment of a new community outreach worker to support access to financial services and advice to those residing in the Three Towns who are struggling with the cost of living. £100,000 of funding was approved by Cabinet to support a £600,000 3G football pitch at Winton Park in Ardrossan through the Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (ACSH). The funding will help secure further investment in the project. Participatory Budgeting Funding bids for the two streams of participatory budgeting closed in February. Local groups across North Ayrshire could apply for funding for locality projects (up to £1,000 per project), or arts and culture projects (up to £400 per project) with decisions made by the community. 9,357 votes were received from across all six localities and 128 community groups were successful in their bids. Each will receive a share of £109,777 provided jointly by our Council and the Health and Social Care Partnership. A summary of the participatory budgeting results can be found on our website. Our Young People’s Participatory Budgeting Initiative in December 2022 ensured 4,131 young people cast three votes each for projects across our localities via the online Young Scot’s voting platform or through our schools and youth centres. This resulted in nearly 100 youth projects receiving a proportion of £56,000. A full list of the winning projects can be found on our website. Community Planning The Community and Locality Planning Conference took place on Saturday 28th January 2023 – the first held since the Covid-19 pandemic. Focussing on community impact and placemaking, it attracted 70 attendees and positive feedback. To support a new approach to Locality Partnership meetings, workshops have taken place with Elected Members and senior officers to progress new guidance and agenda formats. Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot project Significant progress has been made on the delivery of the ten year local Island Plans launched in March 2022. Developed with and for our island communities, these aim to drive the development of community, economic and environmental wellbeing. This includes: • Formation of Island Plan Delivery Working Group; • Development of the North Ayrshire Islands Skills Initiative Fund; • Establishment of the Arran Housing Task Force; • Delivery of the Cost Of Living Crisis Emergency Fund; and • Securing funding to support the delivery of Island Plan actions with partners. Children and young people experience the best start in life Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board Our £1.4 Early Intervention Fund was approved by Council in March 2023. This consolidates some previous funding such as the Cost of the School Day Fund to more effectively deliver the work of the Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board. Our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board introduced mini enquiries to inform how we address child poverty in North Ayrshire. Between October and March representatives from our communities and Community Planning Partners shared real lived experience which directly informed our Child Poverty Action Plan 2023-26 and Council Plan 2023-28. These will continue to inform the delivery of the Early Intervention Fund. Tackling child poverty themes covered so far include: • No Wrong Door Mini Public Enquiry - 5th October 2022 at the Redburn Community Centre, Irvine. 269
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Page 5 of 22 • Employability Mini Public Enquiry - 28th November 2022 at Whitlees Community Centre, Ardrossan. • Food Mini Public Enquiry - 11th January 2023 at the Volunteer Rooms, Irvine. • Islands – Arran Mini Public Enquiry - 13th February 2023 at the Ormidale Pavilion, Brodick and Cumbrae Mini Public Enquiry - 20th February 2023 in Garrison House, Cumbrae. Due to the varying challenges our islands face, over £60,000 has been awarded to North Ayrshire through the Scottish Government’s Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund. It has been identified that those in our island communities are facing steeper price rises than those living on the mainland. The award will be available as follows: ♦ £30,000 to support third and voluntary sector work on Arran and Cumbrae. ♦ £15,000 for additional study support for pupils in Arran and Cumbrae and Largs Academy. This funding will also go towards family support initiatives and visiting specialists to ensure that children receive well-rounded and meaningful experiences. ♦ £10,000 will support our Council’s Energy Smart initiative helping support the improvement of energy efficiency in homes and ultimately, reducing the cost to our residents. ♦ £10,000 to support the Money Matters Service in assisting access to benefits for our residents. The Promise Our first Annual Promise Conference with Care- Experienced Young People, senior leaders from across the Community Planning Partnership, Scottish Government officials including the Minister for Children and Young People, and the Chief Executive Officers of The Promise Scotland and Children’s First was held on 4th November 2022. This was the first conference of this kind in Scotland. 130 people including 23 carers and care-experienced young people attended the conference. The event was chaired by two of our care-experienced young people. The themes of the conference were Relationships, Voice and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and Whole Family Support. Lockhart Campus Official Opening Lockhart Campus held an official opening day on 27th January 2023. The new £20million Additional Support Needs (ASN) School opened in August 2021 however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no celebration to mark the opening took place at that time. Our young people and teams delivered a music-filled afternoon for invitees. Holiday Meal Programme At the beginning of March, Cabinet approved a plan to provide residents eligible for free school meals with a direct cash payment rather than vouchers over the Easter Holidays. It was arranged for families to receive the cash payment directly into their bank account and was the equivalent of the cost of a school meal per day. We introduced the cash first approach to provide families with more flexibility and better value for money. It also provides a more consistent method for parents and carers where other supports are already processed in this way. Community volunteers agreed to support an extensive food and activity programme. 270
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Page 6 of 22 Free Bus Travel Scheme 18,962 National Entitlement Cards (NEC) and Young Scot NECs have now been used to take part in the national free bus travel scheme across North Ayrshire - the third highest uptake across all 32 Scottish local authorities. Anyone aged between five and 21 years old living in Scotland is eligible to use the scheme. Outdoor Learning After the success of our outdoor literacy project ‘Go Wild!’, the project has been extended to a further six schools (12 schools participate in total). Developed in partnership with our Council’s Literacy Officer, the aim of the project was to provide a programme of outdoor learning opportunities encompassing literacy that can be delivered by teachers. Twilight ‘Go Wild’ sessions have been delivered by the Ranger Service with another scheduled for May 2023. A full day session was delivered at Whiting Bay Primary School. An additional 13 schools are now looking to take part in the project over the 2023/24 academic year. Inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy Community Wealth Building We held Scotland’s first Community Wealth Building (CWB) conference at Saltcoats Town Hall in October 2022 where over 100 stakeholders from across Scotland attended including the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance. In February 2023, a Regional Economic Strategy for Ayrshire with a CWB approach was approved by the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee. In March 2023, the CWB Commission was attended by the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance to discuss the Scottish Government’s CWB Legislation Consultation Also in March 2023, the first in-person meeting was held for the Ayrshire Growth Deal CWB programme at Ayrshire College, Kilmarnock. 100 attended and a range of speakers presented including Ayrshire businesses who have been supported by the programme. Visitor Economy Throughout 2022/23 we continued to support the visitor economy sector to manage the impact of the post Covid domestic tourism increase. We implemented our 2022 Visitor Management Plan for the peak tourism season through coordinating and increasing our focus on management of place assets to maximise the experience for our visitors. This ensures our businesses get the benefit from increased domestic tourism, while minimising impacts on communities. This delivered over £2m investment in support tourism. Procurement Since October 2022, 20 Community Benefit wishes have been delivered as part of our ongoing “Community Benefits Wishlist”. Community groups can request donations or time from local suppliers and can register ‘wishes’ for their communities via the online Wishlist Portal. As at March 2023, there are: ♦ 43 groups registered on the list. ♦ 91 wishes live. ♦ 2 wishes in discussion. ♦ 4 wishes in progress. Employability and Skills During 2022/23, Employability and Skills ‘Step into Business’ programme enabled 11 parents to complete a PC Passport qualification leading to paid work experience and the opportunity to complete an SVQ Level II in Business Administration within an anchor institution such as NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Ayrshire College, Scottish Fire and Rescue and The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (TACT). To target school and college leavers, a careers event attracted 30 employers and 400 young people. Our Council embarked on a partnership with Ayrshire College and the University of the West of Scotland offering employees the opportunity to complete qualifications whilst in work. 20 employees are being supported to complete qualifications ranging from SVQ Level II to degree level. To support income from employment as a key driver out of poverty, an Employability Child Poverty Action Plan was created in order to help support parents in 271
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Page 7 of 22 increasing their household income via gaining employment or progressing with existing employment. The North Ayrshire Local Employability Partnership launched a Corporate Parenting Action Plan to increase fair work outcomes for care-experienced young people. To date, 36 people have been recruited to the Streetscene Environment Skills Training Academy all of whom are supported to gain qualifications while working and earning the Living Wage as an employee of North Ayrshire Council. Fair Employment During 2022/23, the Fair Work Ayrshire Team has engaged with 236 businesses. With 44 Ayrshire businesses referred to secure real living wage accreditation, 54 referred to secure disability confident accreditation, and 43 referrals to Carer Positive Scotland. Equal Programme Jobs Fair Along with the Local Employability Partnership and supported by Your Next Move - Working North Ayrshire, the Equal Supported Employment Programme arranged a jobs fair with a difference at Lockhart Campus in February 2023. Rather than a traditional arrangement where jobseekers enter a room of employers arranged in tables to see what jobs are available, the aim was more of a ‘talent showcase’ where employers toured the room of potential candidates, gaining the opportunity to have a coffee and more informal discussion. At the fair, 20 residents with disabilities discussed their skills and experienced with potential employers which resulted in nine formal interviews, five work trials and three job offers. Residents and communities enjoy good, life-long health and wellbeing Active Schools In partnership with North Ayrshire Young Carers Team, Active Schools provided a variety of sport and physical activity for young people and their families attending the Young Carers Event. This provided a forum for discussion on barriers to participation in sport where resources could be best focused. A Care Experience Event was also held in partnership with the Corporate Parenting Team where Active Schools delivered sport and physical activities that young people could participate in with their parent or carers. This was another opportunity to provide support and remove barriers to participation in sport and physical activity across North Ayrshire. Residents and communities are safe Flood Risk Management The second Ayrshire Flood Risk Management Plan has been published. The plan highlights areas across Ayrshire that may be more susceptible to flooding. The plan details the responses needed now to alleviate future problems and empowers residents with the knowledge to better protect themselves and their properties. Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme Work to start the £48million coastal flood protection scheme for Millport has begun, with 80% funded by the Scottish Government. The project became operational in 2021 when the detailed design development started, with construction commencing in March 2023. The project end date is estimated to be Autumn 2024. Sheltered waters provided by the completion of the offshore breakwaters will allow for the construction of a step ashore marina. 272
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Page 8 of 22 Aspiring Communities – Case Study North Ayrshire Island Skills Initiative (NAISI) Arran and Cumbrae now have their own 10-year Strategic Local Island Plans and a dedicated Senior Islands Officer to test new ways of working across stakeholders, whilst contributing to the delivery of the strategic objectives of the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan and principles of Community Wealth Building. Through ongoing engagement with our island communities on the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae, the following areas were repeatedly highlighted as areas of concern: ♦ Economic growth, investment, and sustainability ♦ Community capacity and empowerment ♦ Education and skills and retention of young people ♦ Population and depopulation ♦ Recruitment and retention of employees We secured £80,000 of Scottish Government funding to develop and deliver a small-scale pilot and bespoke ‘North Ayrshire Islands Skills Initiative’ (NAISI) project to support education and skills interventions on the islands of both Arran and Cumbrae. The North Ayrshire Islands Skills Initiative (NAISI) ran from January – March 2023. The fund was open to individuals, up to the value of £1,500 and groups, businesses and partnerships up to the value of £10,000. A grants application process distributed skills development grants to seven island-based individuals and 19 island-based business in Arran as well as six island-based businesses in Cumbrae, supporting a total of 32 skills initiatives. The successful applications included a range of training interventions retaining young people and services on the island. This included training in veterinary nursing, paddleboarding, accountancy and MOT testing. Feedback from skills fund beneficiaries include: “It has helped by retaining a school age leaver and enabled him to develop further skills that not only allow our business to explore new growth opportunities but also provided this individual with skills for life which he can use in future employment. This has resulted in the individual remaining on the island as appose to leaving to seek employment on the mainland”. “This improves the likelihood of a vet surgery on Arran which is essential to community and island economy”. “The good news is he passed his MOT Testing with flying colours!! This gives us more flexibility within the business and helps us to retain a young member of staff who appreciates the chance to receive this extra skill and deliver this service on the island”. This initiative supported the resilience of the island’s economy post-pandemic, whilst driving economic growth for the future. It is anticipated that this pilot will contribute to the sustainability of our islands. The outcomes from this exclusive, island pilot will inform the wider Ayrshire Growth Deal investment and Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund. These have inclusive economic growth as the key driver to tackle inequality, grow local talent, create new connections and provide new opportunities and employment for people across our region including rural and island localities. 273
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Page 9 of 22 Inspiring Place – Key Activities Well connected with effective Infrastructure Local Development Plan The third Local Development Plan (LDP3) process began in March, with a new online hub developed to support the plan’s creation. The hub outlines the process involved in the creation of LDP3 and provides the opportunity for residents to voice their views on the future of their surroundings. The first phase of developing the plan runs until June 2023 and we aim to adopt the plan in Summer 2026. LPD3 will be the framework from which all planning applications are assessed for the following decade. B714 Upgrade Following confirmation of the £23.7m award in October 2021 from the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund, we have continued to progress the design and business case for the project. Extensive consultation has been undertaken with landowners and a broad range of stakeholders. This included a public consultation and exhibition in November and December 2022 on the preferred option. Detailed ground investigations and surveys including environmental and ecological surveys are also underway. The feedback and information obtained from this process will inform the Business Case and design development. Targeting submission to the UK Government for approval in Autumn 2023. This project is match funded by a £3m award from our Council's Investment Fund. Ayrshire Growth Deal We have made progress on several of our Ayrshire Growth Deal Projects. We have: • Completed our full business case for the i3 Flexible Space and Digital Process Manufacturing Centre at i3 Irvine. • Made our Digital Process Manufacturing Centre building suitable for occupation. • Secured partnership of National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and University of Strathclyde as having a presence as lead operator of a national innovation centre for manufacturing. • Launched consultation on the Irvine Harbourside masterplan, which is key moving into delivery of the Ayrshire Growth Deal (note in current financial year we have appointed designers for the regional play park/coastal hub which will be the first delivery phase). • Developed academic partnerships with University of Stirling to support our blue economy ambitions through the International Marine Science Centre project and Hunterston. • Continued development of our partnership with Crown Estate Scotland, particularly to support development of marine tourism projects. Homes that meet residents’ needs Strategic Housing Investment Plan Our Council Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2023-2028 was approved by Cabinet in November 2022 and supports the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP). Both the SHIP and AHSPs aims are to deliver affordable housing for rent for our residents across North Ayrshire and support our Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to implement regeneration across sites including town centres. At the beginning of 2023, work began on a new housing development at Afton Court, Stevenston. The £1.3million development - with £600,000 of Scottish Government funding - is expected to be completed by late summer 2023 and will create six new amenity bungalows delivered by a modular construction method. The bungalows will be built in a controlled factory environment using sustainable practices reducing waste and energy required. Kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and electrics will all be installed in the factory before the bungalows are transported to site and moved into position. Tenants of the bungalows will benefit from the modern, energy- efficient homes owing to the ultra-insulated building envelope and the installation of air-source heat pumps and photovoltaic (PV) panels. 14 new homes will be built at sites as part of our Estates Based Regeneration Programme. The draft plans were available online for our residents to comment on and a consultation event was held in Kilbirnie in February. 274
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Page 10 of 22 Irvine & Kilwinning 35 of the 71 units at Irvine Harbourside were complete as at 31 March 2023 with the remaining 36 homes due to be provided to tenants during April 2023. The 79 homes at St Michael’s Wynd in Kilwinning were completed during September 2022. These include general needs, amenity, wheelchair user housing, sheltered housing and supported accommodation. Arran Housing Task Force In March we established our Arran Housing Task Force as part of our Arran Island Plan commitment which incorporates a wide range of partners aiming to find a long-term resolution to the island’s housing challenges. Details of the demand for affordable housing on the island – both location and type - will be identified, as well as barriers to economic sustainability and growth. Vibrant, welcoming and attractive environment Moorings We have agreed a three-year contract to install, maintain and repair the visitor moorings at Arran and Cumbrae. Available throughout the season (April – October) and located at Millport, Brodick, Lochranza, Pirnmill and Whiting Bay, visitors can berth for up to three nights on a visitor mooring at these locations, with longer stays available at Lamlash, Largs, Fairley Quay and Clyde Marina. The development will attract tourism to our island communities throughout the warmer months and will enable visitors to stay and enjoy our area. Millport Town Hall Renovation works to improve and restore the 144- year-old Millport Town Hall building have begun. Funding for the project for Phase One was secured in 2021 with £1.865 million sourced from the Scottish Government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), and a further £200,000 in Community Investment Funding awarded by our Council and the North Coast and Cumbraes Locality Partnership in addition to £15,000 from the North Ayrshire Ventures Trust (NAVT). A further award of £0.509m was secured from the Scottish Government's Islands Programme for Phase Two of the project. The Millport Town Hall Charity has also raised £537,710 over the lifespan of the project which is a key example of a locally led regeneration project. Capital Investment Programme A £434million Capital Investment Programme has been approved by Cabinet and will play a key role in the economic recovery of North Ayrshire in response to the cost of living crisis. The investment will be delivered over the next decade and the projects covered by the investment will include: ♦ The Millport Flood Protection Scheme. ♦ Expansion of universal free meals in schools. ♦ The upgrade of the B714. ♦ Ardrossan Community Campus. ♦ Montgomerie Park Primary School. ♦ The solar PV farms at Shewalton and Nethermains in Irvine. ♦ The decarbonisation of our Council’s transport fleet. ♦ Street lighting. ♦ Playparks. ♦ Our cycling, walking, and safer routes programme. Inflation and increased costs have made it challenging to manage the capital budget. All projects are approached with a focus on protecting the environment and supporting our goal of becoming a carbon-neutral council. Regeneration Delivery Plan We developed and delivered Year Two of our Regeneration Delivery Plan, focusing on the delivery of physical regeneration across North Ayrshire through an ambitious project based rolling action programme. This was delivered using funding secured from a range of sources including: • Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme: £1.093m • Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Fund: £1.32m • Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme: £0.4m • Scottish Government’s Cycling Walking and Safer Routes: £0.86m • Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Capital Programme: £1.385m • Scottish Government's Islands Programme £1.229m 275
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Page 11 of 22 A sustainable environment Solar PV Farms We have awarded the tender to deliver two Council- owned solar farms. The £12.8million project will see the former landfill sites at Nethermains in Kilwinning, and Shewalton in Irvine transformed into two solar farms. The detailed design phase is underway and works are scheduled to start on-site early in the new year. The transformation to a source of green energy use as part of our Council’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy will see sterile land brought back into productive use and provide a significant amount of energy and income that can be reinvested in the area. Community Renewable Energy Generation Funding Scheme We have established a Community Renewable Energy Generation Funding Scheme (CREGFS). The scheme empowers communities to undertake renewable energy initiatives. It will enable community groups to contribute to the net zero emissions by our 2030 commitment and accelerates community benefit from local renewable energy generation. Lochshore Hub The formal opening of our £4.2million Lochshore Hub took place in October 2022, attracting approximately 1,000 attendees with a free family fun day. The Hub was funded by a range of sources including Scottish Enterprise, Garnock Rugby Club, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Fund. The preparation for planting 12 hectares of new woodland at Lochshore, Kilbirnie, began in February 2023. Following extensive groundworks, 17,000 trees will be planted with the species being informed by the ground conditions at the planting site. A community woodland area will be created, planted and managed by the community. The entire project aligns with our Council’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030 which includes planting over 100,000 trees across North Ayrshire (over 35,000 new trees have been planted to date). Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure From October 2022 to March 2023 the following publicly accessible charge points were installed: ♦ Skelmorlie Community Centre – 1 x 50Kw EV Charge Point. ♦ Lockhart Additional Support Needs Campus – 1 x 7Kw EV Charge point. ♦ Clockhouse Car Park, Lamlash – 1 x 50 kw EV Charge point. ♦ Arran Outdoor Education Centre – 2 x 7Kw EV Charge points. In addition, Cabinet approved the progression of an Inter-Authority Agreement with East and South Ayrshire to oversee and implement the expansion of the public vehicle charging network across Ayrshire. The project will involve private sector investment and grant funding from the Scottish Government to deliver a total of 433 charging points across Ayrshire – 150 in North Ayrshire alone. 276
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Page 12 of 22 Inspiring Place – Case Study – Regeneration Delivery Plan The Regeneration Delivery Plan approved in March 2021 is informed by stakeholder consultation and community priorities. It aims to address local priorities, support changes within communities and deliver a wellbeing economy. The Plan focusses on the delivery of physical regeneration across North Ayrshire and informs our priorities for securing and delivering against external funding sources including Scottish and UK Government funds. Action in 2022/23 focussed on maximising the impact and leverage of investment and accelerate delivery. This includes funding to support community led delivery. The Action Programme is aligned to the four themes of the Delivery Plan which align with and deliver across our Council Plan priorities. Key successes include: Strengthening Communities • Approval of the local delivery plans for the £1.32m annual allocation from the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF). • Launch of the Repurposing Property Grant Fund to support landowners and communities to bring vacant and derelict land and properties into positive management including two rounds of awards. • Conclusion of the sale of Sites A and B at Montgomerie Park, Irvine to enable the delivery of the Simplified Planning Zone and commencement of construction. Commencement of next phases including proposals for neighbourhood retail site development. Placemaking • Approval of the delivery plan for the £1.096m allocation from the PBIP including implementation of the Place Framework pilots in Kilwinning, Largs, Saltcoats and Lochshore Park. • Working in partnership with Ardrossan Community Development Trust to successfully secure £0.749m from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for Ardrossan Promenade. • Completion and launch of key Phase 1 projects for the Lochshore Park Masterplan including the Hub building and active travel route. Commenced construction on the 5km loop and play at the Hub and secured £0.1m funding from Forestry and Land Scotland for the delivery of new woodland. Inclusive and Green Economy • Design development and tender of Phase Three of Pavilion development at Annickbank, Irvine including securing £0.25m from North Ayrshire Ventures Trust and £0.4m from the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) towards the construction. • Design development for the next phase of industrial unit development at Kyle Road, Irvine. • Securing £0.509m from the Scottish Government Islands Programme for Phase Two of Millport Town Hall and £0.540m for the Islands Pit Stop project. Enabling Infrastructure • Securing £1.385m from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s (SPT) Capital Programme for the delivery of a range of active travel and transport projects across North Ayrshire. • Securing £0.124m from the Smarter Choices Smarter Places for the continued delivery of the Trinity Active Travel Hub and Travel Smart programme. • Development and delivery of a £0.86m programme of active travel design and works under the Scottish Government’s Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes programme. A draft action programme is being prepared for 2023/24 and 2024/25 to align priorities with resource. This will be informed by an assessment of progress to date, local priorities, project deliverability and funding. The implementation of action programme projects aligned to competitive funding sources will however be dependent on the success of the funding applications. 277
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Page 13 of 22 A Council for the Future – Key Activities An accessible Council that puts residents and communities at the heart of what we do Budget and Council Plan Consultations 1,400 residents completed the 2023/24 Budget Engagement Survey in January 2023 in addition to in- person events held across North Ayrshire’s six localities attracting 37 community groups. Our residents were asked to rate services in order of importance, provide their views on schools and nurseries and offer opinions about our towns and surrounding areas. These consultations informed our budget and the development of our Council Plan 2023-28 priorities, alongside real lived experience captured through the Child Poverty and Cost of Living mini-enquiries and other recent consultations for areas such as our Community Plan and HSCP Strategic Plan. Accessing Our Council and No Wrong Door Our Accessing Our Council programme has continued to progress. Focus has been on our digital services, with the review of our frequently used online processes to identify and implement improvements ensuring a streamlined customer journey across services. Phase One which rationalised the contact details for our Council is complete, resulting in a significant reduction in public facing telephone numbers and email addresses on our website. The next phase of the project is focusing on the implementation of the new Customer Services Digital Team, the launch of the new Contact Us process for contacting Council services, the new My NAC online account and progressing our locality-based in-person service provision. Accessing our Council contributes to a wider area of work around ‘No Wrong Door’ where no matter how a person contacts our Council, they are guided to relevant support. This approach is currently in development, with an awareness raising campaign due to begin in June 2023. It has been directly informed by the real lived experiences of our residents and information from partners through our No Wrong Door Mini Enquiry in October 2022. An efficient Council that maximises resources and provides value for money Council approved our budget on 1st March which has a clear focus on ways to mitigate the impact of the cost of living for our residents. It was agreed that £3.3million would be used to reduce the impact of the rising cost of living for our residents by capping the increase on council tax and making this significantly lower than inflation. In addition, our Council will further invest in its Energy Smart Programme. The programme was put in place to help residents source assistance with lowering their energy bills during the winter (see Aspiring Communities section above). Roundabout Advertising The first year of advertising on roundabouts across North Ayrshire has been positive. Of the 24 roundabout locations initially granted planning consent, 23 locations were sold within one week of release. £20,000 of income per year is generated by this initiative. 28 locations have now been granted planning consent. The initial agreement period extends to September 2024. A valued workforce that delivers high quality services Best Value Thematic Approach We have been supporting our annual Best Value Thematic Approach Audit. This is a new approach to auditing Best Value and replaces the five yearly Best Value Assurance Audit. This thematic approach focusses on a specific area each year in addition to our standard annual audit by our external auditors, Audit Scotland, on behalf of the Accounts Commission. 2022/23 is being audited on the theme ‘Leadership of the development of new local strategic priorities’ and is looking at the development of our new Council Plan 2023-28 following the Local Government elections in May 2022. A report on findings is expected in November 2023. Education Scotland Inspection Ardeer Primary and Early Years Establishment received a positive report with ‘effective teamwork’ in place to support staff and children at the establishment praised. The inspection was carried out 278
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Page 14 of 22 by Education Scotland in December 2022 and found many strengths within the school and early years classes in their approach to raising attainment. It was noted that Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) was effectively utilised to support pupils at all levels across the school allowing gaps in learning to reduce and progress to be made on prior levels of attainment. The inspection report can be read here. Modern Apprenticeship Programme Our Council has been delivering its Modern Apprenticeship Programme, one of the largest local authority modern apprenticeship programmes in Scotland, for 12 years. The programme has undergone a review to determine its future scale and funding. The review has provided an opportunity to consider a wider range of apprenticeships such as Foundation Apprenticeships, Modern Apprenticeships and Graduate Apprenticeships all supporting vocational based learning (Scottish Vocational Qualifications up to SCQF Level 9) with the framework being used to develop the existing workforce. Updates to the programme will be implemented from April 2023. Our ambition is to continue to provide and recruit 50 apprenticeships each year which comprises of new and existing employees, with 20% of places on the Modern Apprenticeship Programme ringfenced for residents with a disability or who are care- experienced. The programme is developed in conjunction with Ayrshire College. For existing employees, Graduate Apprenticeships will support workforce development in partnership with the University of the West of Scotland as a pilot and will focus on the qualifications of BA (Hons) Business Management, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, BA Early Learning & Childcare, BEng (Hons) Engineering Design & Manufacture, BSc (Hons) IT: Software Development. Foundation Apprenticeships will be developed alongside Education, Ayrshire College and local businesses. Equality and Inclusion In March 2023, we completed our Equality Mainstreaming Report 2020-22 and Outcomes 2021- 25 Mid-Term Report which was approved by Cabinet in May 2023. Local Authorities are required to produce equality information once every two years under the Equality Act 2010. A selection of the key highlights for 2020-22 are: ♦ British Sign Language video landing page on our Council’s website. ♦ The creation of a Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) pan-Ayrshire Employee Forum. ♦ New guidance on Menopause in the Workplace. ♦ Introduction of an online Equality and Children’s Rights Impact Assessment training module. 279
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Page 15 of 22 ♦ Our overall mean Gender Pay Gap has reduced to 0.22% (1.19% in 2021). ♦ Connected Communities successful achievement of the Silver LGBT Charter Mark. Pregnancy Loss To provide an environment where colleagues can discuss and be supported with pregnancy loss, we signed up to the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and introduced our new Pregnancy Loss guidance in October. This guide will help our managers provide practical and emotional support to all our employees affected by all forms of pregnancy loss. Gambling Charter Our Council has signed up to the Gambling Charter so that it can best support and help our workforce to manage issues caused by gambling. The Gambling Workplace Charter was developed by Trade Unions as a way of helping support those facing difficulties caused by gambling. Our Council already provides employees with a variety of health and wellbeing support through its LiveWell programme and this will add another element of support to those struggling and who may have found it difficult to reach out for help with gambling. Our Gambling Related Harms in the Workplace Guide provides information on support available, including, but not limited to, our ‘Wellbeing Warriors’ who are available to talk things through with employees and the Money Matters team who can provide financial advice. Recruit with Conviction Our Council has received Recruit with Conviction Ambassador status. In association with ‘Recruit with Conviction’, the Ambassador status acknowledges our efforts to provide safe and sustainable employment for those with current or historical criminal convictions. It ensures our applicable policies and procedures are current and proportionate and do not exclude the best candidates from gaining employment with us. A powerful and respected voice Carers Our Council has been recognised by Carers Scotland as a Carer Positive ‘Exemplary’ employer in Scotland. The award demonstrates the support our Council provides for its employees who are working carers, through a combination of practical support and policy, awareness raising, training and an active Carers Network. The ‘Exemplary’ Level Three Award is the highest accolade given to organisations who go above and beyond in their caring commitments to colleagues and who demonstrate innovative and creative approaches to supporting and involving carers across their organisation. The Carer Positive initiative fits with aspirations to promote fairer working practices and is highlighted as an example of best practice. It enables the Council to self-assess working practices against the principles and criteria of creating a healthy and safe environment, where an individual’s wellbeing is actively supported, enabling a good work-life balance as well as creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. 280
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Page 16 of 22 Performance Summary Where performance indicator information is pending, the most recent status up to 2021/22 year end is used. Indicators and actions adrift of target and not previously reported are detailed on the next page. Aspiring Communities ♦ Active and strong communities ♦ Children and young people experience the best start in life ♦ Inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy ♦ Residents and communities enjoy good life-long health and well-being ♦ Residents and communities are safe Inspiring Place ♦ Well connected with effective infrastructure ♦ Homes that meet residents’ needs ♦ A vibrant, welcoming and attractive environment ♦ A sustainable environment A Council for the Future ♦ An accessible Council that puts residents and communities at the heart of what we do ♦ An efficient Council that maximises resources and provides value for money ♦ A valued workforce that delivers high quality services ♦ A powerful and respected voice Legend On Target / Complete Slightly Adrift of Target Significantly Adrift of Target Status Unknown / Data Only 1 33% 2 67% Performance Indicators 5 100% Actions 15 83% 1 6% 2 11% Actions 13 76% 1 6% 3 18% Performance Indicators 13 81% 3 19% Actions 3 23% 7 54% 3 23% Performance Indicators 281
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Page 17 of 22 Performance Indicators Adrift of Target This section details the performance indicators adrift of target and the action being taken to address performance. Due to expected data lags the most recent data may relate to previous time periods but may only now be available to report. To avoid duplication, only data that has not previously been reported to Cabinet is included in this section. Significantly Adrift of Target - CP_03 % of residents who agree they have access to opportunities to participate in their local community. The percentage of residents who agree they have access to opportunities to participate in their community from the 2022/23 People’s Panel survey is 36%. This is below the target of 47%. It should be noted that the People’s Panel is used to collect data around a small representative group of resident’s opinions and experiences. However, from supplementary data we know that in the final quarter of 2022/23 5,169 adults engaged in Community Learning and Development activity with locality and thematic teams. Activities delivered and supported includes Men's Shed, adult literacy/numeracy/employability support, recovery/addiction groups, café solace, environmental groups, mental health and wellbeing groups, fairer food groups, New Scots community hubs, community-based organisation boards/committees, ESOL delivery, Community Councils, Community Associations, groups to support the voice of older people and Gaelic. In addition, there has been a wide variety of group work activity with 2,628 young people participating in activities including youth council, transition work, junior youth groups, Arran Outdoor group work and work around mental health and wellbeing. The Council and partners, including the Third Sector Interface, continue to ensure engagement with and support for residents and communities to become involved in local activities. Significantly Adrift of Target - CP_25 % of Council dwellings that meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (LGBF) The change in regulations which reduced the testing period for electrical testing from every 10 years to every five years has impacted on the reportable Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) figures. Prior to this change we were reporting an SHQS figure of 97.4% in reporting year 2020/21. This dropped to 49.3% in 2021/22 due to the number of properties which immediately fell outside the five-year testing period as a result of the reduced targets when introduced. An action plan has been developed and we have implemented several measures to meet the new targets to ensure we progress towards 100% compliance in this area. Significantly Adrift of Target - CP_26 Tourism Visitor Numbers A regional approach to the Tourism/Visitor Economy has recently been agreed at the Ayrshire Regional Economic Joint Committee, which together with the established North Ayrshire Local Tourism Forum, will work towards improving tourism visitor numbers as we continue to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Significantly Adrift of Target - CP_27 Street Cleanliness Index - % Clean (LGBF) The Street Cleaning Index score decreased from 2021/22 to 2022/23 (86.7% to 84.6%). Changing demands on the service continue to be reflected in adjusted operational arrangements to improve street cleanliness scores. (Note: Previous figure of 89.5% for 2021/22 was a provisional figure based on an audit in late October 2021. The revised 2021/22 figure of 86.7% is from the most recent Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) data release. However, most recently our Street Cleanliness index is 84.6% as at 2022/23.) Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_19 Proportion of operational buildings that are suitable for their current use (LGBF) Projects which will contribute to improving our performance in this area are underway, including the replacement Moorpark Primary School and forthcoming Ardrossan Community Campus. In addition, rationalisation opportunities continue to be explored, and it is anticipated that there will be further improvement in the performance of the operational building estate ahead of the next reporting period. 282
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Page 18 of 22 Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_20 Overall percentage of road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment There has been a marginal deterioration in overall road condition with an increase of 0.9% in the percentage of the road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment. This is reflective of inflationary pressures impacting on material and contractor costs. The continued road investment programme is developed to optimise investment and prioritise works across the network to maintain current road condition. The approved additional investment in 2022/23 and 2023/24 will assist in improving the road network performance indicator. Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_21 Proportion of properties receiving superfast broadband (LGBF) LGBF data confirms 94.9% of properties in North Ayrshire are receiving superfast broadband. This is an increase from 94.7% in 2020/21. Though we monitor this indicator, we do not have direct influence over the rollout of broadband as this sits with the national R100 programme. Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_22 Number of electric vehicle charging points publicly available. This indicator is only one EV charge point from reaching the target (59 against a target of 60) due to elongated community engagement to agree an appropriate location. The number of publicly available EV charge points within North Ayrshire is 59 (35 owned by our Council and 24 privately owned). The following new charge points were added: • 1 x 50kW at Skelmorlie Community Centre • 1 x 7Kw at Lockhart ASN Campus, Stevenston • 1 x 50kW at Clockhouse Car Park, Lamlash • 2 x 7Kw at Arran Outdoor Education Centre, Lamlash Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_23 Number of new build Council housing units reaching completion (cumulative) The SHIP 2023 – 2028 was approved by Cabinet on 1 November 2022. As at 31 March 2023, a total of 831 new Council units have been completed since our development programme commenced. We have been monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and inflationary pressures on the SHIP, all of which have created time and financial impacts, due to labour and material shortages and an increase in material costs. Slightly Adrift of Target - CP_31 % of total household waste that is recycled (calendar year as per SEPA) (LGBF) The household waste recycling rate for the calendar year 2022 was 55.3% compared to a target of 56.9%. As people continue to work from home, the composition and quantities of domestic waste generated continue to fluctuate. North Ayrshire Council is one of the highest performing for recycling in Scotland and continuously strives to improve performance in this area. A new Zero Waste Strategy is currently being developed, which will include a wide range of actions to assist in improving performance against this indicator. 283
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Page 19 of 22 Actions Adrift of Target Within our Council Plan Delivery Plan overall actions are supported by sub actions. Officers provide an update on activity and an estimate of the current status (red, amber or green). Where a sub action is adrift of target (amber or red) this sets the status of the overall target so that any off-target performance can be highlighted, with significantly adrift (red) statuses taking priority. This section highlights the reasons for underperformance within each action and efforts being made to remedy it. An overview of action performance can be shown in appendix three of this report. CP_05 We will expand our learning and childcare estate, including ensuring all eligible children are able to access 1140 hours of free childcare each year CP-SUB-08 Deliver major educational new build and refurbishment projects aligned to Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy: "Connecting People, Places and Learning”. Significant challenges within the construction industry persist, including programme and budgetary pressures arising from inflation, borrowing costs and access to labour and materials. This has led to delays on several projects including Ardrossan Community Campus, Moorpark Primary School and Marress Early Years Centre. Officers continue to work to keep all stakeholders updated timeously, mitigate delays as far as possible and complete projects in line with revised programmes. All children entitled to 1140 hours of free childcare continue to be successfully placed within Council and partner provision. CP-SUB-09 Develop an Outdoor Play Strategy to support Early Years Practitioners to provide excellent learning and developmental opportunities. (Complete – no remedial note required) CP_15 We will let people decide how best to manage their own care needs and support people to live in their own homes for as long as possible CP-SUB-31 Re-design Older People's Services - Home First approach (Complete – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-32 Grow Care At Home capacity (On Target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-33 Prioritise Day Services Model and Support for Carers. (On Target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-34 Prioritise integrated Island services, including unscheduled care. (On Target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-35 We will help individuals to have better choice and control of their support at an early stage by reinvigorating the HSCP charging policy. (Complete – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-35a We will help individuals to have better choice and control of their support at an early stage by reinvigorating Self-Directed Support. Phase one of the Self-Directed Support (SDS) Review is complete. A set of collective recommendations and actions have been agreed at the final SDS Learning review Board. Proposals and recommendations have been grouped under nine themes, a number of actions are in progress as a result and further engagement is being undertaken with the Partnership Senior Management Team to consider the priority actions to be taken forward and resourced into Phase Two. 284
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Page 20 of 22 CP_16 We will work with individuals and communities to support positive lifestyle choices which improve health and wellbeing. CP-SUB-36 We will provide opportunities for people to be more active more often, through the Active Communities Strategy (Complete – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-37 We will work with Scottish Government as a trailblazer site for the whole systems approach to diet and healthy weight (public health priority) (Complete – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-38 Prioritisation of children and young people receiving support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. (On Target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-39 Prioritise community mental health services supporting people within their communities. (On Target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-40 We will place Mental Health Practitioners into GP practices to offer triage calls, urgent and routine face to face assessments as well as directing patients to the most appropriate support without unnecessary referrals to mental health services. A Mental Health and Wellbeing in Primary Care Business Case has been developed. We cannot progress further until anticipated Scottish Government funding is allocated. The service is recognising that funding may be unlikely to come in the near future and planning for such will need to be considered. CP-SUB-41 We will improve emotional and mental health and wellbeing through physical and social participation in community activities, including for young people (Complete – no remedial note required) CP_19 We will provide well-maintained, integrated travel and transport networks, supporting alternative and sustainable transport. CP-SUB-50 We will support the development of the Ayrshire Regional Transport Appraisal. Transport Scotland (TS) previously confirmed that the Regional Transport Appraisal (RTA) would be part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) process. At this stage, there remains no clarity on the approach to regionally significant projects. Our response on STPR2 was prepared and submitted to Transport Scotland in April 2022 which reinforced the points raised previously, in particular, the Council’s disappointment in the lack of any North Ayrshire specific interventions and the lack of clarity on the RTA approach. 285
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Page 21 of 22 CP_26 We will actively promote a mix of homes by facilitating private housing development. CP-SUB-67 We will deliver an alternative affordable housing model – HOME – in one of our most pressured localities The financial viability of the HOME model continues to be assessed during the currently volatile house construction market. A report will be presented to Cabinet to consider the current position. CP_29 We will provide well-kept public places and town centres which will benefit our residents, visitors and businesses. CP-SUB-69 We will seek opportunities to develop affordable housing in our town centres through our Strategic Housing Investment Plan (On target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-70 We will deliver the actions arising from the Open Space Strategy and the Litter, Fly Tipping and Dog Fouling Prevention Strategy. (On target – no remedial note required) CP-SUB-71 We will develop Decriminalised Parking Enforcement to manage town centre traffic. The final Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) application was submitted to Scottish Government in line with the formal statutory process with an anticipated outcome expected to allow the transfer of powers to North Ayrshire Council in November 2023. 286
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Page 22 of 22 Trend Charts Key: 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_15 Number of attendances at indoor sports & leisure facilities (Excluding Pools) 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_29 Overall Carbon Emissions (Tonnes) 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_02 % of Council budget directed via participatory methods 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_22 Number of electric vehicle charging points publicly available 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_31 % of total household waste that is recycled (Calendar Year as per SEPA) (LGBF) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 CP_33 % of Self Service Transactions 287
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For further information please contact: The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 288
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Appendix 2 - Council Plan Performance Indicators Year End 2022-23 Page 1 of 6 Appendix 2 – Council Plan Performance Indicators Priority - Aspiring Communities PI Code & Description 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_02 Percentage of Council budget directed via participatory methods 1.11% 0.89% 1.13% 1.2% 2.32% 1.1% 2.74% 1% CP_03 Percentage of residents who agree they have access to opportunities to participate in their local community 47% 47% 47% 47% 47% 36% 47% CP_04 Percentage of children achieving their developmental milestones at the time the child starts primary school N/A 79% 72% 80% 78.5% 78% Data available in July 2024 PI Status Significantly Adrift of Target Slightly Adrift of Target On Target Data Only Data Not Available 289
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PI Code & Description 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_05 Average total tariff score of pupils living in SIMD 30% most deprived areas 685.8 718 744.7 724 720 710 Data available in Feb 2024 TBC CP_06 Average tariff score: All Leavers 857.4 895 912 900 905.6 880 Data available in Feb 2024 TBC CP_07 Percentage of school leavers entering positive destinations (LGBF) 92.5% 96% 95.2% 96.2% 96% 93.5% Data available in Feb 2024 TBC CP_08 Percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs) 27.9% 26.5% 24.7%* 26.5% 29% Data available June 2024 CP_09 Percentage of working age population in employment 70.2% 70% 69% 64.7% 66.3% 70% 71.3% 68% CP_10a Percentage of procurement spent on local enterprises 19.98% 23% 21.39% 23.5% 22.93% 24% 26.04% 25% 290
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PI Code & Description 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_11 Percentage of people earning less than the living wage (LGBF) 16% 24% 16.2% 23% 11.7% 22% Data available in Feb 2024 TBC CP_12a Cumulative Number of unemployed disabled residents supported 109 100 114 80 135 120 135 120 CP_12b Cumulative number of unemployed disabled residents supported into employment 18 20 18 16 34 20 36 20 CP_14 Percentage of households in fuel poverty 28% 25.5% 28% 28% Data available 2024 28% Data available 2025 TBC CP_15 Number of attendances at indoor sports & leisure facilities (excluding pools) 1,859,843 1,964,100 71,913 736,915 298,806 445,115 CP_16 Percentage of people aged 65 and over with long- term care needs who receiving personal care at home (LGBF) 69.42% 66% 69.51% 66% 69.6% 66% Data available in May 2024 TBC 291
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PI Code & Description 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_17 Emergency Admissions (Number) 19,150 20,257 16,283 20,257 17,966 20,257 17,273 20,000 CP_18 Percentage of new tenancies to applicants who were assessed as homeless sustained for more than a year 84.07% 82% 92.48% 85% 86.92% 85% 88.38% 86% 292
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Appendix 2 - Council Plan Performance Indicators Year End 2022-23 Page 5 of 7 Priority - Inspiring Place Code & Short Name 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_19 Proportion of operational buildings that are suitable for their current use (LGBF) 90.89% 93% 91.05% 93% 91.1% 93% Data available in May 2024 TBC CP_20 Overall percentage of road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment 37.3% 38.1% 37.1% 38.1% 33.9% 37.5% 34.8% 33.8% CP_21 Proportion of properties receiving superfast broadband (LGBF) 94.1% 97% 94.7% 97% 94.9% 97% Data available in May 2024 100% CP_22 Number of electric vehicle charging points publicly available 36 30 45 42 49 43 59 (As at Q3 (calendar year)) 60 (As at Q3 (calendar year)) CP_23 Number of new build Council housing units reaching completion (cumulative) 381 351 437 755 681 630 831 866 CP_24 Number of empty homes brought back into use (cumulative)* 603 500 724 600 1,058 600 1,181 600 293
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Appendix 2 - Council Plan Performance Indicators Year End 2022-23 Page 6 of 7 *CP_24 Number of empty properties brought back into use (cumulative) – An error was found in the 2019-2023 calculations for this PI. This has been rectified as at September 2023. This has resulted in an increase in the number of empty properties recorded within this measure and a change in status for previous years to on target (green). Code & Short Name 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_25 Percentage of Council dwellings that meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (LGBF) 99.36% 99.4% 98.83% 99.5% 49.3% 99.5% Data available in May 2024 TBC CP_26 Tourism Visitor Numbers 1,599,40 0 1,534,96 8 315,620 1,534,96 8 858,300 1,534,96 8 1,403,0 20 1,600,0 00 CP_27 Street Cleanliness Index - Percentage Clean (LGBF) 94.6% 94% 91.34% 94% 86.7% 94% 84.6% 90% CP_28 Hectares of vacant & derelict land in North Ayrshire 1,180 1,244 1,204 1,194 1,198 1,144 Data pending 1,094 CP_29 Overall carbon emissions (tonnes)*** 37,508 39,320 22,846 35,127 21,791 21,247 20,896 21,000 CP_30 Total installed capacity of low carbon heat and electricity generation across the Council's estate 9,700 9,700 10,720 9,800 11,680 11,000 Data pending 11,800 CP_31 Percentage of total household waste that is recycled (calendar year as per SEPA) (LGBF) 56.3% 59% 52.1% 52.1% 56.3% 53.1% 55.3% 56.9% 294
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Appendix 2 - Council Plan Performance Indicators Year End 2022-23 Page 7 of 7 Priority - A Council for the Future Code & Short Name 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status Value Target Status CP_32 Percentage of Customers delighted with the overall Customer Service 81% 77% Surveys suspended due to COVID-19 and due to resume in 2023/24. CP_33 % of Self Service Transactions 41.26% 40% 58% 45% 58.33% 50% 60.07% 50% CP_34 Employee Engagement Level - Council Wide 70.67% 70% No Survey Planned 295
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 1 of 6 Appendix 3 - Council Plan Action Tracker *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Aspiring Communities What we’ ll do to make active and strong communities CP_01 We will build stronger relationships between the council, communities and partners. CP_02 We will co-produce a local charter with our communities which sets out the things we jointly commit to do for each other, to help each other create a better North Ayrshire. Complete CP_03 We will extend our participatory approach, offering communities more opportunities to lead in local decision- making. Complete CP_04 We will support communities to achieve what’s important to them through strong local networks. What we’ ll do to ensure our children and young people CP_05 We will expand our early learning and childcare provision to make sure all eligible children are able to access 1140 hours of free care each year. CP_06 We will support our children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. 296
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 2 of 6 *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP_07 We will offer opportunities to our young people and their families to play a more active role in school life and encourage more participation in learning opportunities. CP_08 We will work with all young people to build their resilience, supporting their mental health and physical wellbeing. What we’ ll do to have an inclusive, growing and enterprising local economy CP_09 We will work with schools, colleges, universities, businesses and partners to deliver education, skills and training, helping people into work and sustaining employment. CP_10 We will make sure that everyone has the ability and knowledge to participate in the digital world. CP_11 We will support our local businesses to become more innovative and competitive. CP_12 We will promote fair employment practices. CP_13 We will develop and implement a Community Wealth Building (CWB) strategy. What we’ ll do to make sure North Ayrshire CP_14 We will continue our work with partners, including the Scottish Government, to explore the feasibility of a Scottish Basic Income Pilot. Complete CP_15 We will let people decide how best to manage their own care needs and support people to live in their own homes for as long as possible. 297
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 3 of 6 *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 CP_16 We will work with individuals and communities to support positive lifestyle choices which improve health and wellbeing. What we will do to ensure North Ayrshire CP_17 We will work with partners to support our vulnerable residents and communities. CP_18 We will extend the ‘Housing First’ pilot to address homelessness. Inspiring Place What we’ ll do to make North Ayrshire well-connected with effective infrastructure CP_19 We will provide well-maintained, integrated travel and transport networks, supporting alternative and sustainable transport. CP_20 We will work with partners to make sure there is sustained investment in our roads, ports and harbour infrastructure to ensure that travel is resilient and reliable. Complete CP_21 We will work with partners to extend public wi-fi and improve our digital connectivity. CP_22 We will provide an appropriately sized, fit for purpose, energy-efficient and digital- enabled property portfolio, including our schools. CP_23 We will attract investment, through the Ayrshire Growth Deal and other means, to support regeneration and job creation at our key development sites of i3 Irvine, Hunterston, Lochshore, Ardrossan Marine Quarter, and the Irvine Great Harbour. CP_24 We will support our communities to maximise the use of community assets (such as schools) and encourage Community Asset Transfers. Complete 298
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 4 of 6 *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 What we’ ll do to provide our residents with homes and houses that meet their needs CP_25 With our social landlord partners, we will build new, modern, energy-efficient lifelong homes for life, tailored to the needs of tenants. Complete CP_26 We will actively promote a mix of homes by facilitating private housing development. CP_27 We will work with property owners and landlords to make sure our private housing is suitable for the needs of our residents. Complete CP_28 We will form a partnership with other Councils to introduce a low-cost energy offer. Off Programme No longer being pursued following a decision by Nottingham City Council to sell their not-for-profit energy company to British Gas following significant financial losses. What we’ ll do to make North Ayrshire a vibrant, welcoming and attractive environment CP_29 We will provide well-kept public places and town centres which will benefit our residents, visitors and businesses. CP_30 We will, where possible, bring empty properties back into use. CP_31 We will work with communities to improve the quality of the local environment through a participatory approach. Complete CP_32 We will develop North Ayrshire as a coastal and island destination, attracting tourism investment and visitors. 299
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 5 of 6 *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 What we'll do to make sure we all live in a sustainable environment CP_33 We will support a circular economy by re-using, recycling and generating energy from the waste we manage. Complete CP_34 We will develop additional low carbon renewable energy schemes and networks. CP_35 We will protect our communities by delivering the Local Flood Risk Management Plan, the Shoreline Management Plan and the Millport and Upper Garnock Valley Flood Protection Schemes. A Council for the Future An accessible Council that puts residents and communities at the heart of what we do CP_36 We will work with communities and key stakeholders to radically review what we do and how we do it, to deliver cost effective services. CP_37 We will provide joined up services across the Council and with partner agencies and communities. CP_38 We will use technology to improve access to and delivery of our services. 300
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Appendix 3 - Council Plan Actions Year End 2022-23 Page 6 of 6 *2021 status based on information available rather than specific sub-actions. **Council Plan Delivery Plan was in development during Q1. 2019-20 2020-21* 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Priority Outcome Ref # Existing Overall Action Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year End Estimate Q1** Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 A powerful and respected voice CP_39 We will make our case nationally, regionally and locally levels to secure investment to support delivery of our priorities. Complete An efficient Council that maximises resources and provides value for money CP_40 We will review what we do and how we do it to ensure we deliver the best possible services. This action was removed as approved by Cabinet in August 2021 as it duplicates CP_36 and CP_37. A valued workforce that delivers high quality services CP_41 We will empower and invest in our workforce to develop new and innovative ways of working. 301
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North Ayrshire Council Annual Performance Report 2022-23 Appendix 4 302
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Welcome to our Annual Performance Report 2022-23 This report provides an at a glance summary of how we’ve supported our residents of North Ayrshire over the past year. You can find full details in our magazine style Council Plan Progress Reports published on our website (https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/performance). In June 2023, our new Council Plan 2023-28 was approved by Council. As a result, this Annual Performance Report is the final annual report relating to our 2019-24 plan and our vision remains to achieve a North Ayrshire that is fair for all. We are proud to serve our people of North Ayrshire and would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported the delivery of our services including our communities, Third Sector, public and private partnerships and of course our employees. Councillor Marie Burns Leader of the Council Craig Hatton Chief Executive 303
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About Us Elected Members • 12 Scottish National Party (SNP) • 10 Scottish Conservative and Unionist • 6 Scottish Labour Party • 3 Labour and Co-Operative Party • 2 Independent Employees • 6,249.29 Full Time Equivalent employees • 72% Female • 28% Male Key Facts • 134,220 • Life Expectancy: o Female: 79.7 years o Male: 74.4 years • 19,669 children and young people attend our schools and early years centres (including partner early years centres) • 22.7% of children are looked after by our Council (14% at Scotland level) • 29% of children in North Ayrshire live in poverty (after housing costs) • 28% of households are in fuel poverty • 71.2% of residents are in employment • 40.9% of our residents live in the most deprived Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation areas Key assets include: • 42 Local Authority Early Years Provisions • 14 Partner Early Years Provisions • 48 Primary Schools • 8 Secondary Schools • 1 Additional Support Needs School • 1 Through School (Early Learning Centre, Primary & Secondary School combined) • 13,135 Council Homes • 1,044km carriageway • 1,020km footpaths • 23,735 streetlights • 16 beaches (including 3 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)) • 275 Hectares of woodland • 11,680kW Total installed capacity of low carbon heat and electricity generation across our Council’s estate 304
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Financial Overview Scottish Government General Grant, £290.711, 71% Scottish Government Specific Grant, £20.742, 5% Non Domestic Rates, £37.497, 9% Council Tax, £61.989, 15% Funding (£000's) Chief Executive's, £26.378 , 6% Communities & Education, £170.353 , 42% Place, £55.157 , 13% Health and Social Care Partnership, £120.549 , 29% Other Corporate Items, £10.837 , 3% Financing Costs, £27.665 , 7% Allocation (£000's) 305
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Our Council Plan Our Council Plan is our commitment to our communities. It underpins everything we do for our people in North Ayrshire. The Council Plan 2019-24 has three priorities: ‘Aspiring Communities’, ‘Inspiring Place’ and ‘A Council for the Future’. Aspiring Communities • Our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board was established in June 2022, with a £1.4m Early Intervention Fund allocated to the Board in March 2023. • We held five mini public enquiries which have informed our Child Poverty Action Plan and Council Plan. • Our Energy Smart Scheme was allocated £1.726m in our 2022/23 budget, with an additional £450,000 approved in August. • 18,962 National Entitlement Cards and Young Scot NECs have been used to date – the third highest in Scotland. • 128 community groups were successful in their participatory budgeting bids. Each group will receive a share of £109,777. • To strengthen the Community Hub model, 14 sites across North Ayrshire now have Fairer Food community larders embedded within community facilities. • Our first Annual Promise Conference welcomed 130 people. • 170 people attended our Reducing the Cost of the School Day conference. • 100 stakeholders from across Scotland attended our first Community Wealth Building conference. • During 2022/23, the Fair Work Ayrshire Team engaged with 236 businesses. • 3,642 inclusive Active School sessions were delivered to 5,976 of our young people. • Cabinet approved the allocated of £2.154m of Scottish Government Covid Recovery Fund for a range of support to low-income households. • A £434million Capital Investment Programme has been approved by Cabinet. • Work on the £48million flood protection scheme for Millport has begun. Inspiring Place • The formal opening of our £4.2million Lochshore Hub took place in September 2022, attracting approximately 1,000 attendees with a free family fun day. • We held our first ever Making Waves Festival in Irvine on 23rd and 24th of July. • We have awarded the tender to deliver two Council-owned solar farms. The £12.8million project will see the former landfill sites at Nethermains in Kilwinning, and Shewalton in Irvine transformed into two solar farms. • We have established a Community Renewable Energy Generation Funding Scheme. The scheme empowers communities to undertake renewable energy initiatives. • The first year of advertising on roundabouts across North Ayrshire has been positive. Of the 24 roundabouts locations initially granted planning consent, 23 locations were sold within one week of release. 306
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• Secured partnership of National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and University of Strathclyde as having a presence as lead operator of a national innovation centre for manufacturing. • Developed academic partnerships with University of Stirling to support our blue economy ambitions through the International Marine Science Centre project and Hunterston. • Our Council Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2023-2028 has been finalised which supports the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP). A total of 831 new Council units have been completed since our development programme commenced. • Renovation works to improve and restore the 144-year-old Millport Town Hall building have begun. A Council for the Future • We successfully delivered the Local Government Elections on Thursday 5 May 2022 with a turnout of 44% • 1,400 people completed the 2023/24 Budget and Council Plan Engagement Survey, in addition to 37 community representatives across six locality events. • Our procurement process has been revised to ensure more local businesses are able to quote for lower value goods and services through the Quick Quote process. • We have received Recruit with Conviction Ambassador status. • We jointly held the first ever Hate Crime Conference in Ayrshire, which was delivered by the Ayrshire Equality Partnership (AEP) • We achieved the Disability Confident: Level Three Leader Award. • We committed to the Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge. • We have signed up to the Gambling Charter so that we can best support and help our workforce to manage issues caused by gambling. How do we compare? You can see how our performance compares to other Scottish local authorities through the national Local Government Benchmarking Framework online tool. The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team welcome any feedback you may have. We strive to make our Council and reports as accessible as possible and appreciate opportunities to discuss how this can be achieved. For further information please contact: The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team Tel: 01294 310000 Email: NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 307
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework Analysis of 2023 Data Release (Includes 2021-22 and specific data for 2022-23) September 2023 Appendix 5 308
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 1 of 24 Contents Introduc�on ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Our Approach .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 5 People Services ................................................................................................................................... 5 Propor�on of children living in poverty (a�er housing costs) ........................................................ 6 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as a percentage of rent due for the year ...................................... 7 Propor�on of children mee�ng developmental milestones ........................................................... 7 Propor�on of pupils entering posi�ve des�na�ons........................................................................ 8 Propor�on of council dwellings mee�ng the Sco�sh Housing Quality Standards ......................... 8 Propor�on of council dwellings that are energy efficient ............................................................... 9 Percentage of people aged 65 years and over with long-term health needs who are receiving personal care at home .................................................................................................................. 10 Other Services ................................................................................................................................... 10 CO2 emissions area wide per capita (tonnes) ............................................................................... 11 CO2 emissions area wide: emissions within scope of local authority per capita (tonnes) ........... 11 Claimant count as a percentage of working age popula�on ........................................................ 12 Claimant count as a percentage of popula�on aged 16 to 24 years ............................................. 12 Propor�on of people earning less than the living wage ............................................................... 13 Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from Council programmes ...................... 13 Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita ............................................................................................. 14 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Propor�on of procurement spent on local enterprises ................................................................ 16 Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 popula�on .................................................... 17 Town Vacancy Rates ...................................................................................................................... 18 Propor�on of proper�es receiving Superfast Broadband ............................................................. 18 Street Cleanliness Score ................................................................................................................ 19 Propor�on of total household waste arising that is recycled ....................................................... 19 Propor�on of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women .............................................. 21 Gender pay gap ............................................................................................................................. 21 Percentage of income due from Council Tax recevied by the end of the year ............................. 22 Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days ................................................... 22 Percentage of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions made within one day ...................... 23 Percentage of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions made within 15 days .... 24 Percentage of opera�onal buildings suitable for their current use .............................................. 24 309
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 2 of 24 Introduc�on The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) provides an opportunity to benchmark our performance with other local authori�es in Scotland. It is administered by the Improvement Service in partnership with the Society of Local Authority Chief Execu�ves (SOLACE) and highlighted within the Accounts Commission’s Statutory Performance Informa�on Direc�on 2021 which defines how local authori�es should demonstrate they are achieving Best Value for the people they serve. As a result, many of the indicators are used within both our previous 2019-24 and current 2023-28 Council Plans. The 2021-22 data is s�ll caveated due to the impact of the pandemic. The Improvement Service states: “This dataset covers the 2nd year of the Covid pandemic. The Impact of Covid has altered the core opera�ng and delivery landscapes for local authori�es, and the performance and expenditure data within the LGBF will need to be interpreted against this context. This will be important to consider both for comparison with previous years, and also comparison across councils.” The impact of the pandemic can certainly be seen in the trend charts contained in this report. As a result, though this report details our performance as at 2021-22 compared with similar local authori�es, it is s�ll rela�vely light touch with improvements planned for future repor�ng. The LGBF brings together a range of 105 performance indicators covering nine key themes: • Adult Social Care • Children’s Services • Corporate Services • Culture and Leisure • Economic Development • Environmental Services • Financial Sustainability • Housing • Tackling Climate Change These can be explored in full using the LGBF Dashboard. 310
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 3 of 24 Our Approach The Direc�on 2021 Statutory Performance Indicator 1 includes a requirement for our Council to report informa�on that demonstrates how we are improving local services and local outcomes. This par�cularly relates to using the LGBF to enable comparison with similar bodies and over �me, linked to the desired outcomes agreed with our partners and communi�es. As such, the Direc�on 2021 gives scope to iden�fy the key LGBF measures that relate directly to our Council Plan priori�es to help inform decision making. South Lanarkshire Council took this approach and was highlighted by the Accounts Commission in the Local Government in Scotland Overview 2023. The following PIs have been iden�fied by the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elec�ons Team as rela�ng directly to our current Council Plan 2023-28 priori�es. These are listed in addi�on to those directly included our Council Plan Performance Management Framework and our Council Plan 2019- 24, which was ac�ve during this 2021-22 repor�ng period. LGBF Indicator Group PI Code Description Council Plan 2019-23 Framework Council Plan 2023-28 Framework Children’s Services CHN11 Percentage of pupils entering positive destinations Yes Yes Children’s Services CHN17 Percentage of children meeting developmental milestones Yes Children’s Services CHN24 Percentage of children living in poverty (after housing costs) Yes Adult Social Care* SW3a Percentage of people aged 65 years or over with long-term care needs receiving personal care at home Yes Tackling Climate Change CLIM1 CO2 emissions area wide per capita Yes Tackling Climate Change CLIM2 CO2 emissions area wide: emissions within scope of LA per capita Economic Development ECON1 Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from council operated / funded employability programmes Economic Development ECON10 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes in the local development plan Economic Development ECON11 Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita Economic Development ECON12a Claimant Count as a percentage of Working Age Population Economic Development ECON12b Claimant Count as a percentage of population aged between 16 and 24 years Economic Development ECON4 Percentage of procurement spend spent on local enterprises Economic Development ECON5 Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 population 311
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 4 of 24 LGBF Indicator Group PI Code Description Council Plan 2019-23 Framework Council Plan 2023-28 Framework Economic Development ECON7 Proportion of people earning less than the real living wage Yes Yes Economic Development ECON9 Town Vacancy Rates Environmental Services ENV3c Street Cleanliness Score Yes Yes Environmental Services ENV4b Percentage of A class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Environmental Services ENV4c Percentage of B class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Environmental Services ENV4d Percentage of C class roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Environmental Services ENV4e Percentage of unclassified roads that should be considered for maintenance treatment Environmental Services ENV6 Percentage of total household waste arising that is recycled Yes Yes Housing Services HSN1b Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31 March each year as a percentage of rent due for the reporting year Yes Housing Services HSN3 Percentage of council dwellings meeting Scottish Housing Standards Yes Yes Housing Services HSN5a Percentage of council dwellings that are energy efficient Yes Economic Development* ECON8 Proportion of properties receiving superfast broadband Yes Corporate Services CORP 3b Percentage of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women Corporate Services CORP 3c The gender pay gap (%) Corporate Services CORP 7 Percentage of income due from council tax received by the end of the year Yes Corporate Services CORP 8 Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days Corporate Services CORP 9 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions within one day Corporate Services CORP 10 Percentage of Scottish Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions in 15 days Corporate Asset CORP- ASSET1 Percentage of operational buildings that are suitable for their current use Yes Yes *Please note, the list above includes two LGBF PIs that were included in the Council Plan 2019-24 Performance Management Framework for completeness. Adult Social Care is reported through the Health and Social Care Partnership. Superfast Broadband is part of the na�onal R100 programme and we cannot directly impact on progress. These two indicators will not be included in future repor�ng. 312
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 5 of 24 Analysis Family groups enable local authori�es to make as close to a like for like comparison as possible with other councils by grouping those with similar traits depending on the type of indicator. Grouping is based on levels of depriva�on (people services) or rurality (other services). Following a review of previous repor�ng, a more visual chart-based approach and analysis focussing on family groups is taken for this report. This more in-depth considera�on of each indicator is made possible by focussing on the indicators directly linking to our priori�es, in line with the Direc�on 2021. On the following charts, North Ayrshire Council’s performance is indicated by a thick dark blue line. For ease of viewing, only the data labels rela�ng to North Ayrshire Council are included in the graphs. Full details, including the meta data behind each measure which explains how it is captured, is available through the LGBF Dashboard. The Improvement Service is currently exploring how to publish data more �meously, therefore though this report intends to cover 2021-22 data as released during 2023, some informa�on may relate to more recent periods. Data is as downloaded in September 2023 unless otherwise stated. People Services This sec�on provides an overview of North Ayrshire’s performance within our ‘People Services’ Family Group. This includes our priority indicators rela�ng to Children, Social Work and Housing. Local authori�es included in this comparison are: • North Ayrshire Council • Comhairle nan Eilean Siar • Dundee City Council • East Ayrshire Council • North Lanarkshire Council • Inverclyde Council • West Dunbartonshire Council • Glasgow City Council 313
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 6 of 24 Propor�on of children living in poverty (a�er housing costs) (Please note, the axis of this chart is 15- 35% for clarity.) Despite 2020-21 figures appearing to show a decrease in child poverty, unfortunately this due to a change in methodology during the lockdown periods as detailed in our Council Plan Mid-Year 2022- 23 report “These figures are sourced from Loughborough University and are based on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures which come with a caveat that they are impacted by Covid-19 (whereas 2019-20 figures were unaffected). Due to the pandemic, the method for gathering this information changed from focus groups to telephone calls (meaning it wasn’t possible to verify if actual documents such as payslips etc. were referred to during discussions) and the sample size was also affected. As a result, the UK Government states “We recommend that all users consider using the caveat: ‘Data collection for FYE 2021 was affected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Figures for FYE 2021 are subject to additional uncertainty and may not be strictly comparable with previous years.’”” Data released in 2023, rela�ng to 2021-22, shows an increase from 24.7% to 29% of children living in poverty (though the figures are not directly comparable due to methodology). North Ayrshire Council established our Child Poverty and Cost of Living Board in June 2022 and published our North Ayrshire Child Poverty Ac�on Plan 2023-26 in June 2023. In addi�on, Wellbeing is at the heart of our new Council Plan 2023-28. We are working closely with our communi�es and partners to address the drivers of poverty and help find a sustainable route out of poverty for our most vulnerable families. This will be reported in our six-monthly Council Plan Progress Reports and annual Child Poverty Plan Reports. 314
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 7 of 24 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as a percentage of rent due for the year (Please note the axis for this chart is 0-10% for clarity.) There has been an increase in the percentage of rent due. There was a slight increase prior to the ini�al lockdown period of March 2020, but has increased by three percentage points over two years to 6.63%. This is lower than other family group members (where informa�on is available) and in line with the trend for East Ayrshire and Dundee City Councils. Propor�on of children mee�ng developmental milestones This indicator relates to the propor�on of children mee�ng developmental milestones as reported by our Health and Social Care Partnership. The chart axis shows 70-90% for clarity. Overall 315
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 8 of 24 performance appears to be in line with the majority of our family group, with only East Ayrshire and Dundee City Councils maintaining performance into 2021-22, rather than declining. Propor�on of pupils entering posi�ve des�na�ons Though performance has varied over the past decade, the overall trend is posi�ve. Though 2019-20 may appear to predate the pandemic, this �me period relates to academic years. As such, it would have been deeply affected by the lockdown periods. Data is sourced from Sco�sh Government School Leaver Atainment and Ini�al Des�na�ons informa�on. Though data is included for 11 years, the source data notes state due to changes in the curriculum over the past five years, trends over �me may not be comparable. Propor�on of council dwellings mee�ng the Sco�sh Housing Quality Standards 316
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 9 of 24 The energy efficient elements of the Sco�sh Housing Quality Standards were replaced by the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) that had to be met by landlords by 2020. The sudden drop in performance can be seen na�onally with a sharp decline in the Sco�sh average from 90.3% in 2020-21 to 68.5% in 2021-22. The Improvement Service states: “The covid pandemic has had a significant impact on councils’ ability to deliver housing services as normal. The pandemic affected landlords’ ability to deliver core services such as repairing homes, letting empty homes, assisting people experiencing homelessness and a range of other services. Landlords have had to curtail their planned investment programmes, including those to build new homes and to achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the Energy Efficiency Standard in Social Housing.” Propor�on of council dwellings that are energy efficient North Ayrshire Council is performing well compared to other local authori�es in our family group. East Ayrshire has slightly beter performance at 99.53%. We are significantly higher than the Sco�sh average of 87.6% and are currently ranked 4th in Scotland for 2021-22. Though this represents a slight decrease in ranking as we have been ranked 1st or 2nd since 2016-17, our performance is consistent. 317
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 10 of 24 Percentage of people aged 65 years and over with long-term health needs who are receiving personal care at home This measure was included in our previous Council Plan 2019-23. North Ayrshire Council is con�nuing to improve performance in this area, providing the third best performance in our family group a�er West Dunbartonshire and East Ayrshire Councils (72.9% and 71.13% respec�vely). It should be noted, that due to data completeness issues, some data for this indicator has been modelled by the Improvement Service. Other Services This sec�on provides an overview of North Ayrshire’s performance within our ‘Other Services’ Family Group. This includes indicators rela�ng to Corporate Services, Culture & Leisure, Economic Development, Environmental Services, Financial Sustainability and Tackling Climate Change. Local authori�es included in this comparison are: • North Ayrshire Council • Perth and Kinross Council • S�rling Council • Moray Council • South Ayrshire Council • East Ayrshire Council • East Lothian Council • Fife Council 318
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 11 of 24 CO2 emissions area wide per capita (tonnes) This measure looks at the CO2 emissions that are area-wide, not only in the scope of North Ayrshire Council. It is useful for context. Lockdown periods did impact emissions in areas such as transport during 2020-21. CO2 emissions area wide: emissions within scope of local authority per capita (tonnes) This measure shows the emissions within the control of North Ayrshire Council. There has been a strong decrease in emissions over the past 11 years na�onally across all 32 local authori�es. North Ayrshire Council has a commitment to be Net Zero by 2030, this has recently been reiterated within our new Council Plan 2023-28, with Climate Change being one of our four priori�es for the next five years. 319
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 12 of 24 Claimant count as a percentage of working age popula�on This data is based on informa�on available as at July 2023. North Ayrshire had the highest claimant count rates as a percentage of working age popula�on within our family group 2021-22. A rise due to the pandemic is clearly visible in 2020-21. 2021-22 levels are also higher than the Sco�sh Average (4.5%). During the first months of 2023-24, North Ayrshire’s claimant count was 4.6%, compared to an average of 4% for our family group and 3.2% at Scotland level. This is related to a decrease in the number of claimants (a reduc�on of around 3,100 claimants between 2020-21 and 2022-23), rather than an increase in the working age popula�on. Claimant count as a percentage of popula�on aged 16 to 24 years The claimant count for our young people aged 16 to 24 years is slightly higher at 2021-22 than for the overall claimant count. Most recent figures available show an improvement to 5.5%, though 320
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 13 of 24 higher than the family group average of 4.6% and Sco�sh average of 3.6%. Again, this is related to a reduc�on in the number of claimants rather than an increase in popula�on (approximately 1,400 claimants in 2020-21, reducing to approximately 700 in 2023-24). Propor�on of people earning less than the living wage The propor�on of people earning less than the living wage is con�nuing to decrease in North Ayrshire. Currently only East Ayrshire Council is performing beter within our family group (9.20%). At 11.7% for 2021-22, we are performing beter than the Sco�sh average of 14.4%. We are currently ranked 5th across all Sco�sh local authori�es in this area, an improvement from 12th in 2020-21, 9th in 2019-20 and 19th in 2018-19 which appears to show real progress in this area. Percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from Council programmes 321
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 14 of 24 The percentage of unemployed people assisted into work from our employability programmes has an overall posi�ve long-term trend. This measure can be impacted by how far an individual is from gaining the skills required to obtain employment, as well as the current unemployment rate. 2020- 21 performance was impacted by a slight increase in the employment rate and a decrease in the ability to help residents into work due to the pandemic. During 2021-22, the number of unemployed people reduced from 3,400 to 2,300 and the performance of our Employability and Skills Team recovered following the pandemic, with 555 people helped into employment. This combina�on is shown as a spike in the chart above. Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita Gross Value Added (GVA) is something we can help influence as a local authority, however it relies on all industry within North Ayrshire and is monitored for context. Currently North Ayrshire has a GVA of £17,553, below the Sco�sh average of £25,758 however, it shows a slight long term posi�ve trend. Significant work is ongoing around our Ayrshire Growth Deal and Community Wealth Building Strategy which should con�nue to influence this. 322
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 15 of 24 Immediately available employment land as a percentage of total land allocated for employment purposes As well as ensuring our residents have the skills for good quality jobs available in North Ayrshire, we also work to ensure there is suitable employment land for businesses wishing to grow or invest in our area. We have a greater amount of currently available employment land as a percentage of total allocated employment than other local authori�es in our family group and the Sco�sh average (27.2%). We need to maintain a balance between having enough good quality employment space available for demand, without crea�ng an excess. It is difficult from this data alone to determine whether performance is currently posi�ve. In addi�on, it should be noted, that due to data availability issues, some data for this indicator has been modelled by the Improvement Service. 323
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 16 of 24 Propor�on of procurement spent on local enterprises This indicator is a useful comparison for benchmarking purposes, however it does not capture all spend as detailed in our 2020-21 Mid-Year Council Plan Progress Report. “The LGBF calcula�on excludes certain spend, most notably it excludes all supplier spend below £1,000 and excludes all suppliers not categorised as core trade organisa�ons. This is therefore not an accurate reflec�on of the economic ac�vity within North Ayrshire. As we have access to the source data used by the LGBF we are able to capture all spend data and refine the calcula�on at a local level to beter capture our spend with local enterprises and shorten the �me delay in repor�ng.” Our in-house local procurement spend measure (CP_10a) shows an increase from 22.93% at 2021-22 to 26.04% at 2022-23. Embracing Community Wealth Building through providing addi�onal support for local suppliers including a revised Quick Quote process for lower value procurement is suppor�ng this area. 324
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 17 of 24 Number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 popula�on The number of business gateway start-ups per 10,000 popula�on has decreased during the pandemic and had not recovered as at 2021-22. 2022-23 figures (not included above) show 11 start- ups per 10,000 popula�on for North Ayrshire, compared to a family group average of 16.2 and Sco�sh average of 14.3. Popula�on can affect this indicator but has remained constant during the past two years. The increase in 2022-23 is due to an increase in the number of start-ups from 114 in 2020-21 to 148 in 2022-23. There is s�ll some work required to return to pre-pandemic levels of 293 start-ups in 2019-20, however the current cost of living crisis is having a detrimental impact on businesses across the UK. 325
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 18 of 24 Town Vacancy Rates Town vacancy rates have remained rela�vely consistent. It has been higher than the Sco�sh average since 2019-20, though only slightly so in 2021-22 (North Ayrshire vacancy rate is 12.2% compared to 11.4% at Scotland level). It should be noted, that due to data completeness issues, some data for this indicator has been modelled by the Improvement Service. Propor�on of proper�es receiving Superfast Broadband This measure is directly linked to the na�onal R100 programme. It was included in our Council Plan 2019-24 for context but is not directly influenced by North Ayrshire Council. 326
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 19 of 24 Street Cleanliness Score Street cleanliness was impacted by the pandemic as resources were diverted to other services such as waste collec�on. Work is ongoing to recover performance and had reached 86.3% as at September 2022. To help address performance, larger capacity street bins and an evalua�on of our exis�ng street cleaning schedule has been completed, as detailed in our 2022-23 Mid-Year Progress Report. A pilot is underway to target poorer performing streets with an increase in the frequency of cleaning supported by liter educa�onal campaigns in these areas. Propor�on of total household waste arising that is recycled North Ayrshire Council con�nues to perform well in this area, most recent local data shows performance at 55.3% for 2022-23. We were one of the few local authori�es to maintain collec�ons throughout the pandemic. 327
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 20 of 24 Percentage of roads considered for maintenance treatment 328
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 21 of 24 The percentage of roads to be considered for maintenance treatment is shown in the four charts on the previous page and reflects the mixture of rural and urban areas in North Ayrshire. Most recent informa�on, from 2022-23 and used as a baseline within our new Council Plan 2023-28, shows 34.8% of our road network overall should be considered for maintenance treatment. Propor�on of the highest paid 5% of employees who are women There is overall a long-term posi�ve trend in this area, increasing from 46.4% in 2010-11 to 61.17% in 2021-22. Gender pay gap 329
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 22 of 24 Our Equality Mainstreaming report 2020-22 detailed how we are working to reduce horizontal and ver�cal segrega�on in our workplace. This also showed a reduc�on in our gender pay gap to 0.22% in December 2022. Percentage of income due from Council Tax received by the end of the year (Please note: For clarity the chart axis range is 95% - 100%.) North Ayrshire Council is performing least well within our family group. Perth and Kinross Council has the strongest performance with 97.7% of income due from Council Tax received by the end of the year compared to 93.34% for North Ayrshire. This represents £58.5million out of £62.7million (excluding relief and rebates) of Council Tax owed in 2021-22. We are currently ranked 31st out of the 32 local authori�es. Percentage of invoices sampled that were paid within 30 days 330
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 23 of 24 (Please note: For clarity the chart axis range is 75% to 100%.) North Ayrshire Council has the strongest performance within our family group. This is also higher than the Sco�sh average of 92.2% for Scotland compared to 95.77% for North Ayrshire Council. We are currently ranked 4th in Scotland for the speed of our payments. Percentage of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions made within one day The Improvement Service is developing the LGBF to ensure more �meous data is available. Most recent data relates to the end of March 2023, when 99.5% of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Crisis Grant decisions were made within one day, only behind East Ayrshire Council with 99.5% in our family group. This is above the Sco�sh average of 91.8%. This shows strong performance and our commitment to helping our most vulnerable residents in North Ayrshire. 331
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Local Government Benchmarking Framework – September 2023 Analysis Page 24 of 24 Percentage of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions made within 15 days As at the end of March 2023, 99.49% of Sco�sh Welfare Fund Community Care Grant decisions were made within 15 days, second in our family group behind East Ayrshire with 100%. This performance has been consistent since 2018-19 and is above the Sco�sh average of 87.3%. We are currently ranked joint 4th with Inverclyde Council. Percentage of opera�onal buildings suitable for their current use In North Ayrshire Council, 91.09% of our opera�onal buildings are suitable for their current use. This is higher than the family group average of 90.1% and the Sco�sh average of 85.3%. The number of opera�onal buildings within North Ayrshire Council has decreased from 334 in 2010-11, to 258 in 2021-22. Moray Council, who are performing strongest in this area, have considerably fewer opera�onal buildings, 165 as at 2021-22. 332
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 Purpose: To seek approval from Cabinet for the Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24. Recommendation: That Cabinet (a) approves the Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 and (b) notes the preparations and actions taken which are contained in the Winter Preparation Action Plan. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 North Ayrshire Council has a statutory obligation, under Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, to take such steps as it considers reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads which by definition includes carriageways, footways, footpaths, pedestrian precincts, etc. 1.2 The Council is also responsible for the management and operation of the coastal flood protection controls at Largs and Saltcoats. The Council will close the flood gates on the promenades and erect the flood barriers at Largs Pier in advance of predicted severe weather with minimum disruption to promenade users and the Largs to Cumbrae ferry. Coastal flooding can occur at any time and, accordingly, the Council provides this service throughout the year. 1.3 A review of the Council's Winter & Weather Emergencies Service was undertaken over the summer months. The 2023/24 Winter Preparation Action Plan has been developed to ensure adequate preparations and effective arrangements are in place for 2023/24. The Winter Preparation Action Plan is included at Appendix 1. 1.4 The Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 is contained at Appendix 2. 2. Background 2.1 In its statutory role as the local Roads Authority, the aim of North Ayrshire Council in respect of its winter service and weather emergencies is to: • provide a standard of service on public roads which will permit safe movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions. • establish a pattern of working which will keep delays, diversions, or road closures to a minimum during adverse weather conditions. • conduct operations having regard to the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant enactments. Agenda Item 13 333
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2.2 Separately, the Trunk Road Network is the responsibility of Transport Scotland and their management contractor, Amey. The Trunk Road network includes the A78, the A737 from Kilwinning to the Renfrewshire Boundary and A738 from the Pennyburn Roundabout to the A737 Dalry Road, Kilwinning. 2.3 All winter gritting and snow clearing operations on the Trunk Road Network are the responsibility of Amey. The Council’s Roads Team do however liaise on a regular basis with the trunk road operator during periods of adverse weather in order to provide the best possible seamless service to the travelling public. 2.4 The Council’s current updated Winter Preparation Action Plan 2023/24 highlights a number of key areas where preparation arrangements are being reviewed and refreshed: • Salt supply resilience, storage and capacity • Resilience arrangements • Grit bins/community resilience 2.5 Whilst the Council's primary focus is on our Priority Network, our communities have an expectation of wider assistance during extreme weather, for example in and around schools, in residential streets, car parking areas etc. There are approximately 500 grit bins provided on the road network. Salt is also available from a number of supply points throughout the Council area. Details of planned winter treatments are posted on the Council’s website. In addition, details of disruption to the road network caused by adverse weather are also posted on the website. In periods of severe weather Elected Members are also provided with regular service updates. 2.6 Road hazard weather forecasting is provided through a collaborative contract led by South Lanarkshire Council. A new Weather Forecast provider, MetDesk Limited, has been appointed as the weather forecast provider. During the winter period MetDesk Limited will provide the weather forecasting service and monitor road and weather conditions. 2.7 The Council’s gritting routes have been developed from thermal mapping of the road network. Thermal mapping is a process by which the variation of minimum night-time road surface temperature is measured, and this provides the temperature relationship across the whole network, identifying those sections of the road which are likely to freeze first. Thermal Mapping identifies colder roads and enables selective targeting of those areas in need of treatment. Our gritting routes are unchanged for this winter, details of each Priority route are provided on the Council’s web pages at: http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/winter-gritting.aspx 2.8 A total of 65% of the road network will receive planned treatments. The remaining 35% of the road network, comprising of minor rural and residential roads, is covered by Priority 3 routes. All routes will continue to be monitored and reviewed over the winter period and amended where necessary. 2.9 Priority 1 routes will be treated on receipt of an adverse weather forecast as detailed in the decision-making matrix contained in Appendix C of the Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24. 2.10 Priority 2 routes will be treated in addition to Priority 1 routes when sub-zero temperatures are forecast to extend beyond midday and will be treated following completion of Priority 1 routes. Generally, the treatment of Priority 2 routes will commence at 8.00am however appropriate treatment may be instructed at any time 334
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depending on conditions. 2.11 Priority 3 routes will generally only be treated following severe weather or when sub- zero conditions are forecast to continue over an extended period. They will be treated as resources permit only after all Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes are clear unless identified as an emergency. 2.12 Operational resources from Neighbourhood Services (Roads) and Streetscene will be provided for the Winter and Weather Emergencies Service. The stand-by period for carriageway treatments will be 19 October 2023 until 11 April 2024. This period may be extended beyond the given dates if required. These arrangements include home stand- by which is activated by the designated Winter Supervisor when instructed by the Winter Controller or as the result of hazardous road conditions being reported. Arrangements have also been made with Streetscene to assist with the treatment of priority footways over the winter season and stand-by arrangements are also in place with Streetscene to treat footways, when necessary, at weekends from 18 November 2023 through to 4 February 2024 and over the festive holiday period. Generally, the treatment of footways will commence at 8.00am. 2.13 Last winter season, which was generally a mild winter the Service used 5097 tonnes of salt, this was similar to the previous year when we used 5,014 tonnes of salt treating the road network, however in winter 2020/21, which was a colder winter, the Service used 8,153 tonnes of salt during the winter. A total of approximately 6,500 tonnes of salt will be stored at our Goldcraigs Depot and 2400 tonnes at our Market Road Depot, complying with the salt stock levels agreed with the West of Scotland Regional Resilience Partnership (WoSRRP). In addition, salt will be distributed to Streetscene Depots to assist with the treatment of footways. Salt usage will be monitored weekly and stocks will be augmented if necessary. 2.14 The role of communities to provide their own resilience is recognised and grit bins will be replenished to allow communities to self-help during periods of adverse weather within available resources over the winter period. 2.15 Similar to last winter, winter treatment decisions and any road closures due to adverse weather will be provided on the Council’s website. 2.16 A pre-winter planning meeting was held on 3 October 2023 with Managers from across Council Services. This meeting was held to ensure Services are taking the necessary steps to prepare for the severities of winter weather. 2.17 A planning exercise known as the ‘dry run’ was carried out on 29 September 2023 to check our readiness for the forthcoming winter season. 2.18 The weather stations on the A760 at Catburn, between Largs and Kilbirnie, and on the B880 String Road, Arran have been serviced and calibrated and will assist Winter Controllers and Supervisors in monitoring weather conditions. Cameras are fitted on the weather stations and images from the these are available to members of the public through the Council’s website. 2.19 Each year, a Winter Preparation Action Plan is created to ensure adequate and appropriate arrangements are being put in place for the forthcoming winter. The 2023/24 Action Plan detailed at Appendix 1 confirms all planned actions are either complete or are on target. 2.20 In critical situations should our operational resources be impacted, a reduced priority network has been developed to ensure that essential transport links can continue to be 335
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treated during adverse weather conditions. This minimum resilience network will assist in maintaining network access for vital services in extreme circumstances. 3. Proposals 3.1 Cabinet is asked to approve the Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24 and note the preparations undertaken as detailed in the attached 2023/24 Winter Preparation Action Plan. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 A budget of £0.552m has been allocated for the delivery of the Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023/24. Human Resources 4.2 The Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan will be delivered within existing resources. Legal 4.3 The Council has a statutory obligation under Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 "to take such steps as they consider reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads". Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The delivery of the Winter Service maintains accessibility to our towns and communities and supports social and economic activity. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 This report provides details of operational arrangements in place for responding to Climate and related weather emergency incidents. There are no carbon issues arising directly as a result of this report. Key Priorities 4.6 Delivery of the winter service supports the Council Plan priority of keeping North Ayrshire residents safe. Community Wealth Building 4.7 Delivery of the Winter and Weather Emergencies Service supports Community Wealth Building by maintaining a resilient road network enabling access to employment and movement of goods and services. 5 Consultation 5.1 Consultation regarding preparations for the forthcoming winter season and the development of the Winter Action Plan was undertaken with The Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team, Transport, Streetscene, Waste Services, Communications, 336
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Customer Services, North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, Education, Housing, Criminal Justice, suppliers, and external organisations. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Thomas Reaney, Head of Neighbourhood Services on 01294 324570. Background Papers Appendix 1 – Winter Preparation Action Plan 2023-24 Appendix 2 – Winter Service 2023-24 337
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1 Appendix 1 NNEEIIGGHHBBOOUURRHHOOOODD SSEERRVVIICCEESS -- 22002233//2244 WWIINNTTEERR PPRREEPPAARRAATTIIOONN AACCTTIIOONN PPLLAANN Service Improvement Action Existing Operation Proposed Action Timescale Progress 1.0 Policies, Procedures & Guidance 1.1 Review Existing Policy and Procedures document Winter and Weather Emergencies Procedures and Resources Document reviewed on annual basis. Review annually after each Winter Period. September 2023 Complete 2.0 Review of Existing Winter Maintenance Operations 2.1 Existing Priority Gritting Routes Priority 1 routes cover 44% of the network, Priority 2 routes cover 21% of the network. No changes proposed, review annually. September 2023 Complete 2.2 Non-Priority Routes Priority 3 routes are treated following an extended cold spell or following severe weather. No changes. September 2023 Complete 2.3 Footway Gritting Formal arrangement with Streetscene for assisting with reactive delivery of the winter service. Review annually. September 2023 Complete 2.4 Assistance from outside parties Formal arrangement in place with local contractors and farmers to assist in the event of extreme weather conditions. Review annually. Arrangements made for a contractor to provide Gritting on Cumbrae for this winter. September 2023 Complete Service Improvement Action Existing Operation Proposed Action Timescale Progress 2.5 Gritting of other Council locations Education and Housing have arrangements in place with Streetscene and Community Justice for assistance with snow clearing and gritting. Review arrangements annually. September 2023 Complete 338
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2 2.6 Network Resilience Resilience network developed should drivers be depleted in extreme situations (eg. The Pandemic) Mutual aid arrangements established with neighbouring authorities Trunk Road Operator. Review annually September 2023 Complete 3.0 Winter Gritting Fleet 3.1 Winter Gritting Fleet The gritting fleet comprise 13 No. 18 tonne Econ Uni-Bodies and 1 No 7.5 Tonne Econ Uni-Bodies and 1 Trailer Gritter. 7 no. new 18 tonne Econ Uni- Bodies and 1 new 7.5 tonne Multi- spread to be provided for this winter season. Vehicles to be serviced and gritter units to be calibrated. October 2023 Complete 4.0 Operational Controls 4.1 Weather forecast provision The Council’s weather forecast service is currently procured by means of a collaborative contract with 12 other Local Authorities in the South West of Scotland. A new contract is in place for this winter with MetDesk Limited, Contract was awarded for 4 years + 2 year extension option, commencing May 2023. September 2023 Complete 4.2 Ice Prediction methods North Ayrshire Council has two weather stations installed on the road network and has access to a further two weather stations in the Council area, provided by Transport Scotland, on the trunk road network. We also have access to a number of additional weather stations on our neighbouring authorities’ road network. Stations to be serviced and calibrated for start of winter season. September 2023 Complete 339
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3 Service Improvement Action Existing Operation Proposed Action Timescale Progress 4.3 Winter Gritting Records Records of winter instructions and operations recorded on Vaisala Manager - Winter Roads Management System. Record footway treatments undertaken. Continue to record roads winter actions on Vaisala Manager - Winter Roads Management System. September 2023 Complete 4.4 Business Continuity The provision of Winter and Weather Emergencies Procedures and Resources document is included within the Business Continuity Plan. Review Business Continuity Plan. Review Annually Complete 5.0 Salt 5.1 Salt Storage Ensure salt stock complies with Scottish Government resilience levels prior to the onset of the winter season. 7000 Tonnes of salt to be stored at Goldcraigs Depot and 2400 tonnes to be stored on Arran for start of winter season. Review Annually Complete 5.2 Salt Distribution Procedure implemented for salt distribution throughout Council Services in place at Depot. Review and ensure all staff are aware of procedures annually. Review Annually Complete 6.0 Communication 6.1 Information available to Members, Council Services, general public and other stakeholders Weather forecasts and winter decisions distributed across Services. Roads winter gritting decision posted on Council Website. Details of any road closures due to adverse weather posted on Website. Issue information to Locality Planning Partnerships. Continue to provide information on the Council website. Monitor effectiveness of information provided on the Council website. Promote Roads Winter Service during Customer Services Week and Are You Ready for Winter campaign. Oct/Nov 2023 Review Annually Review Annually Oct/Nov 2023 On target Complete On target On target 340
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4 7.0 Measuring Performance 7.1 Monitor performance of winter actions Performance is currently measured using APSE Performance indicators which measure efficiency in relation to documented procedures. Review annually. October 2023 On target 7.2 Monitor performance on individual routes Gritting routes optimised following thermal mapping exercise undertaken during winter season 2018/19. No changes proposed, review annually. September 2023 Complete 7.3 Improve efficiency of gritting operations Winter decisions are made based on thermal mapping exercise carried out during winter 2018/19. No changes proposed, review annually. September 2023 Complete 8.0 Training 8.1 Winter Service Training Staff trained in delivery of winter service. Identify training needs of personnel involved with the provision of the winter maintenance service. Arrange appropriate training. Review Annually Complete 8.2 Severe Weather Exercise Ayrshire Local Resilience Partnership arrange Severe Weather tabletop exercises periodically. Appropriate attendance at ALRP exercises as arranged. As arranged. Complete 9.0 Health & Safety 9.1 Toolbox Talks Toolbox talks are delivered to all personnel engaged in the delivery of the winter maintenance service. Review annually and provide toolbox talk at the start of each winter. Annually Complete 341
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APPENDIX 2 Neighbourhood Services Roads Winter Service and Weather Emergencies Plan 2023 – 2024 Cunninghame House IRVINE Ayrshire KA12 8EE Tel: 01294-310000 342
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1 | P a g e CONTENTS Page No 1. Introduction 2 2. Priorities for Winter Treatment 3 3. Organisation 5 4. North Ayrshire Council Resources (Roads) 6 5. Other Resources 7 6. Weather Forecasting 8 7. Decision Making 8 8. Ice Prediction 9 9. Road Condition Reports 9 10. Communications 9 11. Road Closures 10 12. Liaison with the Police 10 13 ALRP Disruptive Weather Response Arrangements 11 14. Cross Boundary Arrangements 11 15. Vehicle Routes 11 16. Precautionary Salting 12 17. Grit Bins 12 18. Largs and Saltcoats Flood Protection Schemes 12 19. Sandbag Procedures 12 Appendix A - Priority1 Carriageway Gritting Routes Appendix B - Level of Service Appendix C - Decision Making Appendix D - Summary of Available Labour & Plant Appendix E - Community Grit Bins Appendix F - Summary of Available Materials Appendix G - Salt Resilience Appendix H - Contacts Arrangements Appendix I - Distribution List Appendix J - Bridges with weight or height restrictions Appendix K - Arrangements with other Authorities Appendix L - Grit Bin Policy and Procedure Appendix M - Resilience Network 343
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2 | P a g e 1. INTRODUCTION North Ayrshire Council has a statutory obligation, under Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, to take such steps as it considers reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads which by definition includes carriageways, footways, footpaths, pedestrian precincts, etc. In its statutory role as the local Roads Authority, the aim of North Ayrshire Council in respect of its winter service and weather emergencies is to:- (i) provide a standard of service on public roads which will permit safe movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions. (ii) establish a pattern of working which will keep delays, diversions, or road closures to a minimum during adverse weather conditions. (iii) conduct operations having regard to the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant enactments. This Plan only relates to the Council’s duties as Roads Authority and does not cover the wider response of the Council during winter and other weather emergencies. North Ayrshire Council has no responsibility for the treatment of trunk roads. From 1st April 2001, the contract for management and maintenance of the trunk roads in Scotland has been awarded by the Scottish Government to the private sector. The successful contractor for the South West of Scotland is Amey and the roads involved in North Ayrshire are as follows:- A78 full length from Meadowhead roundabout, Dundonald to Inverclyde boundary at Skelmorlie. A737 Dalry Road, Kilwinning to Renfrewshire boundary. A738 Pennyburn roundabout to A737 Dalry Road, Kilwinning All winter gritting and snow clearing operations on these roads will be the responsibility of Amey. North Ayrshire Council’s Neighbourhood Services (Roads) and Amey liaise on a regular basis during periods of adverse weather in order to provide the best possible service to the travelling public. North Ayrshire Council is also responsible for the management and operation of the coastal flood protection controls at Largs and Saltcoats. The Council will close the flood gates on the promenade and erect the flood barriers at Largs Pier in advance of predicted severe weather with minimum disruption to promenade users and the Largs to Cumbrae ferry. Coastal flooding can occur at any time and, accordingly, the Council will provide this service throughout the year. In the event of extreme weather similar to that which was experienced on Arran late March 2013 where major disruption affects large parts of the community, a 344
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3 | P a g e coordinated response is adopted by the Council to ensure public safety. In dealing with such emergencies, the Police initially lead the emergency or response stage of the emergency. Thereafter, the Council leads the recovery stage. Generally, there are 3 levels of Civil Contingencies response. There is a strategic group at National or Strathclyde wide level, a tactical group at North Ayrshire level and an operational group at local level. The Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team (ACCT) act as lead for the Council and implement the Civil Contingencies Plan liaising with all relevant Stakeholders identified within the Plan. 2. PRIORITIES FOR WINTER TREATMENT North Ayrshire Council has defined the priorities for carriageway and footway/footpath treatment as follows: 2.1.1 Carriageway Priorities Where slush is formed, this shall be removed as soon as practicable to avoid the risk of rutting should there be a further significant fall in road temperatures which might result in freezing conditions. 2.1.2 Carriageway Routes for Proactive Treatment Priority 1 – Strategic, Main Distributor and Distributor routes, bus routes and certain pre-determined Secondary Distributor routes identified from the Local Transport Strategy (LTS) will be treated when it is forecast that snow or ice is likely to be present on road surfaces. Due to the various climatic domains within North Ayrshire the Priority 1 routes may be adjusted to cover either the four pre-determined Inland Routes or two pre- determined High Routes which all currently form part of our existing Priority Network. Priority 1 gritting routes are available on the Council website (See Appendix A). 2.1.3 Carriageway Routes for Reactive Treatment a) Priority 2 – Remaining Secondary Distributor, local access and residential distributor roads. Given the presence of ice and snow Priority 2 routes may be treated during normal working hours as resources permit when sub-zero temperatures are forecast to continue beyond midday following completion of Priority 1 routes. b) Priority 3 – The remaining road network including minor rural unclassified routes and remaining residential areas not already covered. 345
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4 | P a g e Priority 3 routes will be treated as resources permit when sub-zero conditions are forecast to continue over an extended period only after all Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes are clear unless it is identified as an emergency. 2.1.4 Carriageway Routes for Snow Clearance On receipt of a weather warning predicting medium (25 - 100 mm deep) or heavy (over 100 mm deep) snowfalls, the Senior Manager (Network) where appropriate, will recall to depots such vehicles capable of being equipped with snowploughs. While snow is still falling the Strategic and Main Distributor Network will be prioritised for ploughing and treatment in order to target resources and to keep these routes open for traffic. After snow has stopped falling but is lying, the remaining Priority 1 precautionary routes will be ploughed and treated before commencing ploughing and treatment on Priority 2 and Priority 3 routes as resources and conditions permit. 2.1.5 Cumbrae There are no Roads Operatives based on the Isle of Cumbrae, however contract arrangements have been made to carry out gritting operations on the Island. 2.2 Footway/Footpath Priorities With limited resources available footways and footpaths will only be treated when considered necessary (e.g. heavy snowfall or extensive icing). They will normally only be treated during normal working hours (commencing from 8:00am), but arrangements are in place to undertake emergency work out of normal working hours, weekends and public holidays in extreme circumstances. Generally, treatment of footways and footpaths will be reactionary and not pre- planned, and where possible work will be undertaken during normal working hours. When treatment is instructed the following priorities will apply:- Priority 1 Routes will be considered for treatment if it is forecast that ice or snow is likely to be present or where surfaces are wet with temperatures forecast to remain below zero until 10:00am the next working day. Priority 1 Routes - Urban shopping areas and precincts, footway access to schools, emergency facilities including fire and rescue, police and ambulance services, hospitals, sheltered housing, doctors surgeries and health centres etc; Priority 2 routes will be treated if it is forecast that ice or snow is likely to be present with temperatures forecast to remain below zero for a prolonged period only after priority 1 routes are clear. Priority 2 Routes - Steep hills on main distributor and residential distributor routes, routes to bus stops etc, only after all Priority 1 have been cleared; 346
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5 | P a g e Priority 3 routes will be treated if it is forecast that ice or snow is likely to be present with temperatures forecast to remain below zero for a prolonged period only after priority 1 and 2 routes are clear. Priority 3 Routes - Other areas of high pedestrian concentration. Streetscene staff will assist with the treatment of footways. In order to maximise coverage on footways, generally only one side of a road will be initially treated. It is not possible for the Council to treat all footways and footpaths within North Ayrshire. As such the Council encourages the community to participate in self help, through the use of grit bins which can be requested through the grit bin application process. Grit bins will only be allocated where it has been assessed and deemed as an appropriate location by the Council. 2.3 Cycle Routes With limited manpower resources no treatment will be carried out on off road cycle routes. 2.4 Response and Treatment Times Routine precautionary salting of priority 1 carriageway routes should be completed within 3 hours of the planned start time. For emergency or unplanned salting, the start time from leaving the depot shall be no more than 1 hour. 3. ORGANISATION The Head of Neighbourhood Services is responsible for specifying the level of winter service required based on approval from the Council. The Senior Manager (Network) is responsible for implementing this service. A duty Winter Controller and Winter Supervisor will be appointed by the Senior Manager (Network) for the whole of the winter period covered by these procedures (mid-October to early April) 347
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6 | P a g e 4. NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL RESOURCES (ROADS) 4.1 General Following approval from the Council, it is the responsibility of the Head of Neighbourhood Services to define the level of service to be provided within their sphere of operations and to issue appropriate instructions to the Senior Manager (Network) to provide the necessary labour and plant for winter operations. This level of service will be based on the national Code of Practice for Well Manahed Highway Infrastructure (see Appendix B). The level of winter treatment is established utilizing the weather forecasts provided by MetDesk Limited in accordance with the winter treatment matrix (Appendix C). The Senior Manager (Network) shall thereafter be responsible for advising the Head of Service of any matters which may affect his ability to deal with adverse weather conditions e.g. labour disputes, extensive plant breakdowns etc. Labour resources from Neighbourhood Services (Roads) will be provided for the Winter and Weather Emergencies Service. The stand-by period will be 19th October 2023 until 11th April 2024. This period may be extended beyond the given dates if conditions warrant such action. These arrangements include home stand-by which is activated by the designated Winter Supervisor when instructed by the Winter Controller or as the result of hazardous road conditions being reported. 4.2 Labour A proportion of the roads labour force will be on stand-by for winter service operations out of normal working hours, with the remainder on call out as necessary. This allows evening and early morning precautionary salting to be carried out on our priority carriageway network to treat dangerous roads before the morning rush hour. In determining the labour resources required for the winter service, cognisance is taken of the key objective to treat all priority routes before the commencement of the morning peak period. 4.3 Vehicle Plant and Equipment Prior to commencement of winter service operations, the Senior Manager (Network) will ensure that all equipment for salting roads and snow clearing is in working order and, where appropriate, that ancillary items can be fitted to vehicles without difficulty, e.g. ploughs set up on blocks to facilitate assembly. The above procedure should also be applied to vehicles and plant available under contract for the winter service. The Senior Manager (Network) will ensure that all vehicles engaged in the winter service are equipped with radios or other appropriate communication devices to allow contact to be maintained between the depot and operators. Superintendents have mobile telephones. There is also vehicle tracking system fitted and operational in all vehicles to reduce the risk associated with gritting operations. 348
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7 | P a g e A summary of labour, vehicles, plant, and equipment available for the winter service work is detailed in Appendix D. Once per year the Senior Manager (Network), will organise a trial closure of the flood gates and erection of the de-mountable barriers at the Largs and Saltcoats flood protection controls. This is to ensure that the gates and barriers remain in full working order and that all staff are familiar with the process. 4.4 Salt Salt is purchased through a Scotland Excel annual purchase contract. Mainland salt deliveries are stored in the salt barn within the Goldcraigs Depot. Salt on Arran is stored in the open at the Roads Depot in Market Road, Brodick. During the season, the Senior Manager (Network) will arrange for a weekly check to be made on the amount of salt used and for stocks to be augmented as necessary. There is a procedure in place at the depot to strictly control salt distribution. All vehicles are tagged and must cross the weighbridge to accurately record salt usage. This includes salt distributed to Streetscene and contractors assisting with winter service delivery. Small quantities of salt are available for issue free of charge to the public, subject to residents supplying a suitable container. Details of locations of community grit bins where small quantities of salt are available are given in Appendix E The planned salt stock level at commencement of winter is given in Appendix F. In the event of prolonged severe weather, the Council has a salt resilience plan (Appendix G), which will be implemented if conditions require. 5. OTHER RESOURCES During adverse weather conditions, the Senior Manager (Network), (after consultation with the Head of Neighbourhood Services), shall, if necessary, augment his resources by the use of personnel from Streetscene and external contractors at rates agreed prior to engagement through a framework contract. The Head of Neighbourhood Services should be advised, as soon as practicable, of external resources engaged as a result of decisions made outwith normal working hours. The Senior Manager (Network) will provide a supply of salt to Streetscene and external contractors where appropriate to permit the treatment of agreed footways/footpaths. This will be managed through a salt management system based at Goldcraigs Roads Depot. 349
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8 | P a g e 6. WEATHER FORECASTING North Ayrshire Council, through a collaborative contract led by South Lanarkshire Council, has appointed MetDesk Limited, as their weather forecast provider. During the winter service period MetDesk Limited will provide a weather forecasting service and monitor road and weather conditions. The forecasters receive, monitor and interpret, climatic, ice prediction and weather radar information on a continuous basis and provide detailed weather forecasts on a daily basis during the whole winter period. SEPA operate a coastal flood warning system for the Firth of Clyde. If storm surges and coastal flooding are predicted, SEPA provide advance warning to the Council by e-mail and also through their Floodline service which is available on their website or by phone. This service is available all year round. 7. DECISION MAKING The Senior Manager (Network) will appoint suitably trained and experienced personnel as Winter Controllers. During the winter season the Winter Controller will receive the weather forecast around 12.00 hours and decide on the treatment to be carried out. The Winter Controller will check the treatment decision of neighbouring authorities for consistency and reconsider if necessary. The weather forecast provider will provide an evening forecast around 18.00 hours and if this update indicates any change in the forecast the Winter Controller will amend the decision accordingly and advise the Winter Supervisor. For out of office hours, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the Senior Manager (Network) shall provide the weather forecast provider with contact telephone numbers of the on duty Winter Controller. If the forecast conditions change from good to adverse at any time, then the weather forecast provider will phone the Winter Controller either at work or at home as appropriate. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the Winter Controller to take action including the calling out of stand-by squads to undertake salting/snow clearing. Winter Controllers have the facility at any time to contact the weather forecast provider for advice or clarification of forecasts. These arrangements will be in place from 12 October 2023 until 11 April 2024 and these dates can be extended if required. The decision making process is illustrated in Appendices B & C. The Head of Neighbourhood Services will appoint suitably trained staff and experienced personnel to manage the coastal flood prevention schemes at Largs and Saltcoats. During the winter season, this will be the Winter Controller. 350
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9 | P a g e 8. ICE PREDICTION In addition to the weather forecast information, the Council has available further information from sensors which have been installed at the locations listed below:- • A78 Ardrossan • A737 Highfield • A760 Catburn • A735 Near Dunlop • B880 Arran, summit of The String The sensors provide current details of road and air temperatures and indicate the presence of moisture, thereby identifying locations that icing has occurred or where there is a risk that icing will occur. By utilising the data from these sensors the weather forecast provider is able to supplement their forecast by producing site specific forecasts. The above information is available to the Winter Controller via computer link 24 hours a day throughout the winter period. 9. ROAD CONDITION REPORTS During periods of adverse weather, the Senior Manager (Network) shall receive reports on road conditions from the Winter Supervisor by 09.45 hours. These reports should be updated as necessary depending on changing circumstances. 10. COMMUNICATIONS The Head of Neighbourhood Services or nominated senior manager will deal with statements to the Press, Radio and Television regarding road conditions throughout the area. The Council’s Communication team will assist and may take the lead role depending on the nature of any significant event. General advice and information, along with timeous service updates, will be placed on the Council’s website. The Head of Neighbourhood Services (or nominated senior officer) will ensure that all staff involved in communication with members of the public are fully briefed with consistent and accurate information. A protocol has been agreed by the West of Scotland Regional Resilience Partnership (WoS RRP) and Ayrshire Civil Contingencies Team (ACCT) for the transfer of information in relation to Winter and Weather Emergencies. The Council’s daily winter decisions are available for the public and can be accessed via the Council’s website. Any winter and weather emergencies can be reported to North Ayrshire Council and the Trunk Road Operators using the contact information contained within Appendix H. The distribution list for winter weather emergencies can be found under Appendix I. 351
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10 | P a g e 11. ROAD CLOSURES Where it is considered that a road is rendered unsafe due to adverse winter conditions then the Police or persons acting on behalf of the Chief Constable will arrange to have the road closed and advise the on-duty Winter Supervisor as soon as possible of their actions. The Winter Supervisor will advise the Winter Controller/Senior Manager (Network) of any road closures. Appropriate measures will also be taken to re-direct traffic and to ensure that the necessary signs are put in place. When the road affected is a through route the adjoining Councils will be kept informed. Police will advise the other emergency services (Ambulance & Fire) of the closures. Prior to signing diversionary routes, the capacity of the roads and the headroom and weight restrictions of structures should be checked with the Winter Controller to ensure that they are adequate (see Appendix J). 12. LIAISON WITH THE POLICE Neighbourhood Services (Roads) will ensure close liaison with the Police, particularly during periods of severe weather. Where practicable, the Police will be informed in advance of North Ayrshire Council’s proposed operations. Similarly, arrangements have been made for exchanging information on proposed actions with neighbouring authorities and the trunk road operating company. Where necessary the service will request appropriate assistance from the Police when moving equipment, arranging road closures, and dealing with abandoned vehicles. Reports from the Police regarding dangerous road conditions should be acted upon by the Winter Supervisor as soon as practicable, having regard to priorities in this document and the conditions pertaining throughout the area. 352
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11 | P a g e 13. AYRSHIRE LOCAL RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP (ALRP) DISRUPTIVE WEATHER RESPONSE ARRANGEMENTS There have been a number of occasions when severe weather including high winds, heavy rain and snow has caused disruption to communities and services in Ayrshire. Arrangements are in place where partner organisations can trigger the ALRP Disruptive Weather Response Arrangements. The purpose of these arrangements are:- • To protect human life, property, and the environment • To implement a professional and co-ordinated multi-agency response to the incident in conjunction with our communities • To maintain wider public confidence in the multi-agency response and minimise general community and infrastructure impact • To ensuring that all possible measures are in place to protect vulnerable or displaced members of the community • To supporting effective public communication in regard to the incident along the principles of warning and informing • To ensure awareness of the potential impact of events out with Ayrshire on the local multi-agency response • To ensuring that organisational and partnership learning points are captured to ensure a continuing focus on safeguarding the public 14. CROSS BOUNDARY ARRANGEMENTS Because the Council boundaries do not always coincide with convenient turning points at the end of gritting routes, arrangements have been drawn up with all adjacent authorities for the gritting routes to be continued short distances to appropriate turning points. See (Appendix K). 15. VEHICLE ROUTES A thermal mapping exercise was undertaken on North Ayrshire’s road network over winter season 2018/19 and routes have been developed by the Roads Service on the basis of the priorities listed in Section 2. However, in order to minimise unproductive mileage, some roads in a lower category may be treated out of sequence. This may also occur when conditions vary throughout the area. A complete set of route cards will be kept in the Commercial Services (Roads) offices, with a duplicate set being held in Goldcraigs Depot. Treatment of precautionary carriageway salting routes should be completed within three hours of planned start time under routine conditions. When the Winter Controller instructs immediate winter service operations, the response time to start treatment should be within one hour. It should be noted that gritting routes are either at or close to capacity and it is unlikely that any additions to routes could be considered without additional finance and human resources. 353
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12 | P a g e 16. PRECAUTIONARY SALTING On receipt, within normal working hours, of a forecast from the weather forecast provider warning of frost, freezing or snow conditions, the Winter Controller in consultation with the Senior Manager (Network), shall give consideration to precautionary salting of main roads. Where such a warning is received out with normal working hours, the Winter Controller has delegated authority to activate call-out procedures as indicated in Section 7. Extensive and accurate records of weather forecasts, winter treatment decisions and actions taken will be kept to demonstrate our compliance to our Winter and Weather Emergencies Plan. 17. GRIT BINS There are approximately 500 grit bins distributed across North Ayrshire. These are located at areas of particular difficulty e.g. dangerous bends, steep gradients etc. The policy and procedures for siting of grit bins, and requests for additional bins is shown in Appendix L. Grit bins will be refilled prior to the start of winter and as considered necessary during the winter season and following periods of severe weather when resources are available. The locations of Community Grit Bins are listed in Appendix E. 18. LARGS AND SALTCOATS FLOOD PROTECTION SCHEMES On receipt of a severe weather warning predicting a combination of strong winds, high tides or tidal surges the Winter Controller will, when necessary, instruct the closure of the flood gates on the promenade at Largs and/or the erection of the flood barriers at the Largs Pier and/or Saltcoats promenade. 19. SANDBAG PROCEDURES The deployment of sandbags to prevent or contain floodwaters can be an effective way of mitigating the effect of a flood, however the lead time for filling and deployment can be lengthy, as a large number of bags cannot be filled in advance due to storage problems. Therefore, an early decision must be taken to sandbag, to avoid a subsequent waste of time and effort. The deployment of sandbags will be decided with regard to the following priorities: 1. To prevent loss of life or serious injury 2. Maintenance of access for the emergency services 3. Protection of vital facilities within the community 4. Protection of transportation routes 5. Protection of NAC property 6. Protection of private dwelling houses 354
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13 | P a g e The decision to deploy sandbags will be made by the Winter Controller / Supervisor or appropriate officers in Building Services, Cleansing or the Island Officer on Arran in accordance with the Services' callout/emergency procedures. Notes: 1. Sandbags will not normally be deployed to protect commercial property; 2. Appropriate stocks of empty and filled sandbags will be held by the Services mentioned above, based on previous usage and experience. The above procedure mainly relates to tidal, fluvial and watercourse flooding. Where flooding occurs as a result of a blocked, damaged or ineffective Council owned drainage systems, sandbags will be deployed as required to mitigate the effects of flooding (and reduce the likelihood of claims against the Council) including the protection of commercial property. 20. Resilience Arrangements In critical situations should our operational resources be reduced, a minimum resilience network for winter gritting has been prepared. Should we have to reduce our level of service due to an extreme situation our priority gritting routes will reduce from 6 to 3. On Arran we may require reducing from 2 to I gritting vehicle covering the island routes and the treatment time for gritting operations will increase accordingly. The Head of Service will decide if the level of service has to be reduced due to extreme situations. Details of our resilience network are attached as Appendix M. 355
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14 | P a g e Appendix A Priority 1 Carriageway Gritting Routes Policy & Procedure Priority 1 Gritting Routes can be viewed on the Councils website using the following address:- http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/winter-gritting.aspx 356
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15 | P a g e Appendix B LEVEL OF SERVICE Road Surface Temperature Precipitation Predicted Road Conditions Wet Wet Patches Dry Temperature Forecast between +1.5oC And +0.5oC No Rain No Hoar Frost No Fog High Route Patrols No action likely Temperature Forecast below +0.5oC No Rain No Hoar Frost No Fog (Priority 1 Routes) Salt before frost Expected Hoar Frost Expected Fog Expected rain BEFORE freezing (Priority 1 Routes) Salt after rain stops Expected rain DURING freezing (Priority 1 Routes) Salt before frost, as required during rain and after rain stops Possible rain Possible hoar frost Possible fog (Priority 1 Routes) Salt before frost Monitor weather conditions Expected Snow Fall (Priority 1 Routes and footways) Salt before snow fall The decision to undertake precautionary treatments should be adjusted, where appropriate, to take account of residual salt. All decisions should be evidence based, recorded and continuously monitored and reviewed. 357
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16 | P a g e Appendix C DECISION MAKING Rate of spread for precautionary treatments may be adjusted to take account of local variations along the routes such as residual salt, temperature variations, surface moisture (air or road surface) road alignment and traffic density. All decisions should be evidence based, recorded and require continuous monitoring and review. Ice refers to all ice on the road surface, including black ice. The level of service generally complies with the recommendations laid down in “NWSRG best practice guide for Winter Salt” as recommended in the Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice and takes account of recommendations by the SCOTS Winter Group following a review of the Code of Practice and consultation with the National Winter Service research Group (NWSRG). WINTER TREATMENT SPREAD RATE MATRIX Recommended Spread Rates – Dry Salting (g/m2) Road Surface Temperature (RST) when frost/ice is predicted and road wetness. Poor Cover (salt stored uncovered) Medium Traffic Normal Loss Good Cover (salt stored under cover) Medium Traffic Normal Loss Comments RST at or above -2 deg and dry or damp road conditions 10 10 RST at or above -2 deg and wet road conditions 15 10 RST below -2 deg and above - 5 deg and dry or damp road conditions (15 or 20) (10 or 15) Spread rate dependent on residual salt on road surface RST below -2 deg and above - 5 deg and wet road conditions (1 x 20 & monitor & treat as required) 20 RST at or below -5 deg and above -10 deg and dry or damp road conditions (1 x 20 & monitor & treat as required) 20 Spread rate dependent on residual salt on road surface RST at or below -5 deg and above -10 deg and wet road conditions (1 x 20 & monitor & treat as required) (1 x 20 & monitor & treat as required) 358
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17 | P a g e Salt Type Precautionary Treatments Before Snow or Freezing rain Light or Medium Traffic Heavy Traffic Dry Salt Light Snow Forecast 20g/m2 20g/m2 Pre-wet Salt 20g/m2 20g/m2 Treated Salt 15g/m2 15g/m2 Dry Salt Moderate/Heavy Snow Forecast 20g/m2 40g/m2 Pre-wet Salt 20g/m2 40g/m2 Treated Salt 15g/m2 30g/m2 Dry Salt Freezing rain Forecast 1 x20g/m2 then monitor Pre-wet Salt 1 x20g/m2 then monitor Treated Salt 1 x15g/m2 then monitor 359
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18 | P a g e Appendix D SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE LABOUR & PLANT TYPE OF PLANT GOLDCRAIGS ARRAN OTHER NAC TOTAL Gritters 18 Tonne Uni-body 10 3 13 7.5 Tonne Uni-body 1 0 1 Trailer Gritter 0 0 1 1 Footway Gritter 1 1 7 9 Lorries 18 Tonne Uni-body 26 Tonne Multi-lift 10 1 3 0 13 1 7.5 Tonne Uni-body 1 0 1 Tractor 0 1 1 JCB 2CX 0 1 1 Telehandler 1 1 2 Ploughs Fixed V 3 2 5 Small Blade 1 1 2 Large Blade 12 3 15 LABOUR Drivers Pickup Drivers Operatives 22 7 4 6 3 7 36 28 17 40 Other Equipment Muck Truck + plough (For footways) 2 2 Note When necessary labour, vehicles, plant and equipment from other Council Departments, farmers, plant hirers and contractors will be used to supplement above resources. This also applies for non-winter related emergency responses. 360
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19 | P a g e Appendix E COMMUNITY GRIT BINS Small quantities of salt are available for issue free of charge to members of the public, subject to their supplying a suitable container from the Community Grit Bins sited at the following locations. Town Location Ardrossan Carpark, North Crescent Road. Beith Community Centre, Kings Road. Brodick Household Waste Recycling Centre Dalry Car Park, Kirk Close. Fairlie Car Park, Pier Road. Irvine Bartonholm Civic Amenity Site. Kilbirnie Cleansing Depot, Paddockholm Road. Kilwinning Byrehill Place (off Pennyburn Road) Lamlash Council Office Largs Cleansing Depot, Alexander Avenue. Millport Kepple Pier Saltcoats Cleansing Depot, Mid Dykes Road. Skelmorlie Toward View (opposite Fire Station). Stevenston Car Park, Garnock Road. West Kilbride Community Centre, Corse Street. 361
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20 | P a g e Appendix F SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE MATERIALS The following salt, grit and sand stocks will be in place at commencement of winter:- DEPOT TONNAGE SALT TONNAGE SAND (for Sandbags) Goldcraigs (salt barn) 6500 100 Arran 2400 300 Cumbrae 20 (500 filled sandbags) Approximately 4000 sandbags are located at Goldcraigs, and 500 on Arran. 362
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21 | P a g e Appendix G Salt Resilience Plan (Mainland) Level 1 (Green) Service – Stock Levels 2500 Tonnes and above • Service levels as detailed in NAC Winter and Weather Emergencies Plan. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 470T – resilience 5 days or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 235T – resilience 10 days Level 2 (Amber 1) Service – Stock Levels 1800 Tonnes – 2500Tonnes • Only Priority 1 carriageway routes treated with pure salt, remaining priority carriageway routes reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • All footway routes reduced to salt/sand mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with salt/sand mix at 50/50. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 330T – resilience 2 days. or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 165T – resilience 4 days Level 3 (Amber 2) Service – Stock Levels 1000 Tonnes – 1800 Tonnes • All carriageway routes reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • Priority 1 footway routes treated with salt/sand mix at 50/50 • Remaining footway routes treated with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 150T – resilience 5 days. or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 75T – resilience 10 days Level 4 (Red) Service – Stock Levels less than 1000Tonnes • Priority 1 carriageways reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • Treat remaining carriageway routes with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • All footway routes treated with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with sand/grit mix. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 100T – resilience 10 days or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 50T – resilience 20 days Assuming 7000 tonnes in stock at start of winter our total resilience would be either • Total Resilience during periods of heavy snow - 27 days or Total Resilience during periods of frost & ice conditions - 54 days 363
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22 | P a g e Salt Resilience Plan (Arran) Level 1 (Green) Service – Stock Levels 1000 Tonnes and above • Service levels as detailed in NAC Winter and Weather Emergencies Plan. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 52T – resilience 10 days or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 26T – resilience 20 days Level 2 (Amber 1) Service – Stock Levels 550 Tonnes – 1000Tonnes • Only Priority 1 carriageway routes treated with pure salt, remaining priority carriageway routes reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • All footway routes reduced to salt/sand mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with salt/sand mix at 50/50. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 44T – resilience 10 days. or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 22T – resilience 20 days Level 3 (Amber 2) Service – Stock Levels 250 Tonnes – 550 Tonnes • All carriageway routes reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • Priority 1 footway routes treated with salt/sand mix at 50/50 • Remaining footway routes treated with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with salt/sand mix at 50/50 • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 30T – resilience 10 days. or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 15T – resilience 20 days Level 4 (Red) Service – Stock Levels less than 250 Tonnes • Priority 1 carriageways reduced to half the normal spread rate or salt/grit mix at 50/50 • Treat remaining carriageway routes with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • All footway routes treated with sand/grit mix at 50/50 • Grit bins replenished with sand/grit mix. • Typical daily salt usage (snow conditions) 20T – resilience 12 days or • Typical daily salt usage (frost & ice only) 10T – resilience 25 days Assuming 1,900 tonnes in stock at start of winter our total resilience would be either • Total Resilience during periods of heavy snow - 49 days or Total Resilience during periods of frost & ice conditions - 98 days 364
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23 | P a g e Appendix H NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL CONTACT ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBERS During Normal Working Hours Outwith Normal Working Hours MAINLAND Neighbourhood Services (Roads) Cunninghame House IRVINE KA12 8EE Tel: 01294-310000 NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL CALL CENTRE Road & Lighting Faults 24 hours, 7 days per week Tel: 01294 310000 ARRAN Arran Local Office Lamlash Isle of Arran KA27 8JY Tel: 01770-600338 Fax: 01770-600028 TRUNK ROADS A78, A737 & A738 Amey Network Control Centre 150 Polmadie Road Glasgow G5 OHD Control Room 0800 042 0188 OCCR-southwest@amey.co.uk 365
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24 | P a g e Appendix I DISTRIBUTION LIST Copies North Ayrshire Council Chief Executive 1 Executive Director: Place 1 Executive Director: Communities & Education 1 Head of Neighbourhood Services 1 Head of Housing and Public Protection 1 Head of Democratic Services 1 ACCT 1 All Elected Members of North Ayrshire Council 33 Police Scotland Divisional Commander, Kilmarnock 1 Traffic Management, Ayr 1 Strathclyde Partnership for Transport 1 Scottish Fire & Rescue Service – Divisional Commander 1 Scottish Ambulance Service 1 MetDesk Limited 1 Amey 1 Ayrshire Roads Alliance 1 Renfrewshire Council - Head of Roads 1 East Renfrewshire Council – Head of Roads & Planning 1 Inverclyde Council – Head of Transportation & Roads Service 1 Contact Centre, Building Services, Stevenston 1 Contact Centre, Bridgegate House, Irvine 1 366
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25 | P a g e Appendix J BRIDGES WITH WEIGHT OR HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS Bridge Location Grid Reference Signed Height Metric Imperial B714/50 : Dalry, Railway Bridge 229960 649702 3.8 12’ – 6” B706/40 : Barrmill 236834 651392 4.0 13’ – 0” B7047/10 : Meadowfoot Road, West Kilbride 220791 647032 4.6 15’ – 0” C6/10 : West Balgray 235333 642491 3.9 12’ – 9” C26/10 : South Kilruskin 220541 650473 4.4 14’ – 6” C26/20 : North Kilruskin 220423 650868 5.0 16’ – 6” U67/10 : Dubbs 228508 642006 3.0 9’ – 9” U67(A78 280) : Todhill (Dubbs Road, under A78, Kilwinning Bypass) 229175 642250 4.0 13’ – 0” U67/30 : Nethermains 230059 642199 3.7 12’ – 0” C56/30 : Moor Road 220639 652980 4.7 15’ – 6” C67/20 : Tandelhill 238174 651683 4.4 14’ – 3” C99/20 : Cockenzie 230694 646241 3.0 10’ – 0” Unc.TG/230 : Garnock View, Glengarnock 231875 653191 3.8 12’ – 6” Unc.TI/70 : Old Church Street, Irvine 213571 638800 4.0 13’ – 3” WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS Bridge Location Grid Reference Signed Weight B781/30 : West Kilbride, Dalry Road 221015 649062 7.5T C129/20 : Floors, north of Kilmaurs 240866 641921 17T C99/30 : Dusk Bridge, near Dalry 230599 646882 7.5T Unc.TL/30 : Largs, May Street 220711 658602 7.5T U16/10 : Dalgarven Mill Bridge, north of Kilwinning, (formerly Unc.NC/30) 229571 645847 26T U23 : Fairliecrevoch Bridge, Perceton, Irvine 236065 642011 3T Unc.NT/10 : Barrmill 236472 650997 3T (Not Adopted) U54/30 : Sevenacres Mill Bridge, Kilwinning 233123 643810 Currently being replaced. 367
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26 | P a g e Appendix K ARRANGEMENTS WITH OTHER AUTHORITIES ROADS TO BE TREATED BY ADJACENT AUTHORITIES ROADS TO BE TREATED BY NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL Ayrshire Roads Alliance (East Ayrshire) A71 – from boundary westwards to Corsehill roundabout. A735 – that section within North Ayrshire boundary. B769 – from boundary south westwards to Chapeltoun junction. C129 – that section within North Ayrshire boundary. C20 – that section within North Ayrshire boundary. B706 - from boundary to A736 C117 From Chapeltoun Bridge to Wheatrig Bridge South Ayrshire U107 from the South Ayrshire Council boundary at the railway bridge to A759 Auchengate Interchange. East Ayrshire A736 – from Caldwell Bridge southwards to Lugton. A736 – from B778 junction south eastwards to Torranyard. C24 - from Greenhill Terrace, Knockentiber to boundary at Plann Bridge. C126 From Montgreenan Bridge to North Lodge. Knockentiber Road from boundary near Springside to junction with C24 Roads to be Treated by Ayrshire Roads Alliance (South Ayrshire) B730 from the North Ayrshire Council boundary at the railway bridge south of Drybridge to junction Shewalton Road, Drybridge. Renfrewshire Council A760 – from boundary to Kerse Road junction, Kerse Road – from boundary to A760 junction Note: There are no cross boundary arrangements with East Renfrewshire Council. 368
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27 | P a g e Appendix L GRIT BIN POLICY & PROCEDURE 1. North Ayrshire Council shall provide grit bins for self-help by members of the public. These shall be sited locally in accordance with this policy. 2. Grit bins shall only be located where the following criteria are met: - • The location is not on a precautionary carriageway route; • The gradient is greater than 1 in 10, or at a junction with a known history of accidents; • The location shall not obstruct the passage of pedestrians, a minimum of 1.5m clearance on the footway is required; • The location shall not obstruct sight lines; • The location is not within 200m of another grit bin location; • The location is within an urban area; • The location is within the boundary of the public road. Infrastructure and Design will not provide grit bins in private areas or car parks for internal use by either the Council or any other public or private property such as schools, parks, hospitals, old people’s homes, etc. unless a service level agreement is in place. 3. Grit bins will only be located where they can be filled from a lorry. The grit bins shall be replenished at the start of the winter period and on a monthly cycle during the winter period, as resources permit. 4. Grit bins will generally be left in place during the summer months unless there is a history of vandalism at a particular location. 5. The location of grit bins will be recorded in an electronic database, which will be made available on the North Ayrshire Council website. 6. Only written requests on the Council’s Grit Bin Application Form will be considered, these are available from the Head of Neighbourhood Services, Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE, and on the Council’s website. 7. A request will not be accepted unless a location to site the grit bin has been agreed. Therefore, even if the criterion for locating a grit bin is met, a grit bin will not be provided if the adjacent residents cannot agree a position. The signed agreement of adjacent residents must be included on the submitted application form, otherwise the application will not be considered. 8. Grit Bin Application forms are available on the Council’s website at http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/winter-gritting.aspx 369
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28 | P a g e Appendix M Resilience Network 370
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Scottish Government Consultations on Burials and Cremation Purpose: To seek approval of the proposed responses to the Scottish Government consultations on Burials and Cremation. Recommendation: Cabinet is asked to approve the consultation responses from North Ayrshire Council included at Appendix 1 and for these to be submitted to the Scottish Government by 17 November 2023. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 On 25 August 2023, the Scottish Government launched a range of consultations on proposed regulations to be made under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. 1.2 The four consultations relate to: • Burials • Inspection of burial authorities, cremation authorities & funeral directors • Alkaline Hydrolysis (water cremation) • Licensing of funeral directors 1.3 Responses have been drafted and Cabinet approval is being sought for responses to 3 of the 4 consultations. 1.4 Approval of the draft response to the Burials consultation is sought due to changes in policy in respect of burials including the restoration of lairs; approval of the response to the consultation on inspection of burial authorities etc is being requested as North Ayrshire Council is a burial authority and will be impacted by this; and approval of the response drafted for the consultation on alkaline hydrolysis, as a new, evolving method of body disposal is also being sought. 1.5 The fourth consultation seeks views on the implementation of regulations for funeral director licensing, which if implemented would create a licensing regime for funeral directors with the Scottish Government being the Licensing Authority. As this consultation does not specifically impact North Ayrshire Council policies, a response will be submitted by officers separately from an operational perspective to that particular consultation. Agenda Item 14 371
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2. Background 2.1 The Scottish Government developed, consulted on, and implemented the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. The Act implemented recommendations made by the Burial and Cremation Review Group, the Infant Cremation Commission, and the National Cremation Investigation. 2.2 The proposals set out in the consultations on burial, inspections and licensing are key to realising the necessary detail, protection and processes envisaged by the Act. 2.3 The consultation also aims to seek views on an alternative method to body disposal, alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation) as responses to the 2016 Bill consultation demonstrated there was public support for the introduction of new, environmentally friendly alternatives in Scotland. This included alkaline hydrolysis which is already in use in some countries including Ireland, Canada and the USA. 2.4 The main points for each of the Consultations are as follows: Burials The Consultation includes management of burial grounds, applications process for burials, exhumation, private burial and restoration of lairs. The sections in Part 1 of the Act relating to Burial have not yet commenced and this will introduce a range of legal obligations for individuals and burial authorities. This will include an end to the sale of lair rights in perpetuity. Rights of burial will be limited to a 25 year period with an option for the lair holder to apply to extend the rights for subsequent periods of 10 years. One of the key issues addressed by the Act is the restoration of lairs as there is increasing pressure on available and suitable land for burials in Scotland and the restoration of unused and part used lairs. Inspection of burial authorities, cremation authorities and funeral directors The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the implementation of regulations for burial authorities, cremation authorities and funeral directors. A previous consultation on the proposed regulations was carried out in 2017 and the funeral sector was consulted with as part of the Inspection Regulations Working Group which was convened in 2018. Licensing of funeral directors The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the implementation regulations for funeral director licensing, which if implemented would create a licensing regime for funeral directors with the Scottish Government being the Licensing Authority. As this consultation does not specifically impact North Ayrshire Council policies, a response will be submitted by officers separately from an operational perspective to that particular consultation. 372
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Alkaline Hydrolysis (Water cremation The consultation proposal is that alkaline hydrolysis would be an additional choice for people interested in exploring an alternative to traditional cremation. This is a matter of choice for individuals and not a replacement for traditional methods, it’s an alternative. Alkaline is a more environmentally friendly option than traditional cremation. The consultation also seeks views on potential codes of practice, guidance and regulations. 2.5 A draft response to the three consultations on burials, inspection of burial authorities etc and alkaline hydrolysis is provided in Appendix 1. Should Cabinet approve the responses, they will be submitted to the Scottish Government by 17 November 2023. The fourth consultation seeks views on the implementation of regulations for funeral director licensing, which if implemented would create a licensing regime for funeral directors with the Scottish Government being the Licensing Authority. As this consultation does not specifically impact North Ayrshire Council policies, a response will be submitted separately by officers, from an operational perspective, to that particular consultation. 3. Proposals 3.1 Cabinet is asked to approve the proposed responses from North Ayrshire Council included in Appendix 1 and for these to be submitted to the Scottish Government by 17 November 2023. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 The consultation relates to the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 None. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The consultation to consider alkaline hydrolysis as an alternative to traditional cremation is a more environmentally friendly option. Key Priorities 4.6 None. 373
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Community Wealth Building 4.7 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 This is a national Scottish Government consultation launched on 25 August 2023 and is due to close on 17 November 2023. The consultation is open to all citizens and organisations. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Thomas Reaney, Head of Service (Neighbourhood Services), on 01294 324570. Background Papers 0 374
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Respondent Information Form Please Note this form must be completed and returned with your response. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? Individual Organisation Full name or organisation’s name Phone number Address Postcode Email Address The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Yes No Information for organisations: The option 'Publish response only (without name)’ is available for individual respondents only. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. North Ayrshire Council 01294 310000 KA12 8EE Cunninghame House Irvine bereavementservices@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 375
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Question 1 – What do you think is an appropriate timeframe for burial authorities to prepare for the changes to the sale of right of burial? 3 months 6 months 12 months Another timeframe Please give reasons for your answer. Question 2 – Please provide any views you have on the proposed minimum content of the management plan, including whether any suggested content should be added to, or removed from, the plan. Question 3 – Who do you think should be able to inspect or view a management plan on request? Inspectors Scottish Government Members of the public Another burial authority Other parties No one – internal document only Please give reasons for your answer. 6 months is a reasonable timeframe to amend lair certificate templates, terms and conditions of sale, updating public information and setting up systems to highlight when burial rights are due to expire. Procedures for dealing with an unexpected rise in number of burials suggest would be held in a separate business continuity plan which can be referenced in the management plan, as well as contingency arrangements for disruption or loss of service. Document would not contain any business sensitive information, business continuity plans may contain such info which would be best held in a separate document. 376
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Question 4 – What timeframe should burial authorities be given to put a management plan in place after the regulations come into force? 3 months 6 months 12 months Other Don’t know Please give reasons for your answer. Question 5 – Do you think that burial authorities should be required to review the management plan annually? Yes - it sounds right No - it’s too often No - it’s not often enough Not sure Please give reasons for your answer. Question 6 – What is your view on the proposed list of powers (set out in the bullet points above) to be granted to burial authorities to enable them to manage and maintain their burial grounds to a safe standard? (Please refer to paragraph 29 of the consultation document). It looks right It does not look right Some of these powers are unnecessary Some powers are missing Not sure Please give reasons for your answer and provide any further comment. This is difficult to determine as will contain site specific information on several sites, some authorities have in excess of 50 burial grounds to manage. An annual review ensures information is kept up to date. 377
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Question 7 – where a lair right-holder is ‘known’ (or at least some form of contact details are held), and the danger is not imminent, do you think that regulations should require a burial authority to notify the lair right-holder prior to taking corrective action to a lair, headstone or memorial? Yes No Not sure Please give reasons for your answer. Question 8 – If you answered ‘yes’ to question 7, how long should the lair right-holder be given to carry out necessary repairs to a headstone or memorial before a burial authority takes corrective action to make the memorial safe? 1 month 2 months 3 months 6 months Other Please give reasons for your answer. The right to remove any items placed without permission (eg benches, planting) and to remove any items which may affect the maintenance or future interments within the burial ground. For corrective action to a lair – in some cases no, as this could include repairing sunken lairs which would not be feasible to notify title holders prior to carrying this out, the title holder does not own the lair, they own Right of Burial. Other issues regarding the lair could be notified to the title holder such as items left on the lair which are not permitted. With regards to the headstone – yes. The headstone is the title holder’s property and as such their responsibility to maintain. Out of courtesy they should be advised of any remedial action required to this in case they wish to take corrective action prior to the authority having to. This would depend on the condition of the memorial and how hazardous it is, the authority may have to take immediate action on safety grounds. 378
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Question 9 – Where lair right-holders are unknown (contact details are outdated), please provide views on the most appropriate way to publicise the intention to carry out inspections and potential corrective action to make headstones and memorials safe. Question 10 – In relation to Question 9, how long should burial authorities be required to publicise their intentions, prior to taking corrective action? 1 month 2 months 3 months 6 months Other Don’t know Please explain you reason for choosing this timeframe. Question 11 – Please provide any views you have in relation to headstones or other memorials requiring urgent attention. Question 12 – Please provide any comments you have on the proposed training requirements and the keeping of training records for burial authority staff. Attempts should be made to contact the title holder via the last known contact details held. A month gives the title holder sufficient time to contact the authority if they wish, to confirm if they will be arranging remedial works themselves. Agree burial authorities require powers to take immediate action on an unsafe headstone or memorial. 379
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Question 13 – Please share your views on the designation of parts of a burial ground for different faiths. Question 14 – Please share your view on the proposed information to be collected in the burial application forms. It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Not sure Please give reasons for your answer. Question 15 - Please indicate if you think anything may be missing from the proposed accompanying documentation list, or should be removed from it. Agree accurate record of this should be held. Agree with proposals to engage with local faith communities. One single form rather than 7 should be used and the different type of burial can be detailed on a section of the form. Age of deceased should be included in details of deceased. Application for burial of pregnancy loss by health authority or body – shared or individual burial : this should still require a medical certificate of pregnancy loss or a health authority/medical practitioner confirmation that the pregnancy has ended to the burial authority. Any for burial of body parts (or whole body following donation/examination) should require a lair certificate if the interment is to be in an existing lair. 380
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Question 16 – Do you think that an application for the burial of ashes in a burial ground should be accompanied by a cremation certificate, where available? Yes No Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 17 - Where a cremation certificate is not available, and it is not possible to obtain a copy, do you think that an applicant should be able to submit one of the following instead: • an extract copy of the cremation register entry or; • a Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) or equivalent or; • an abbreviated copy of the full death entry made in The Statutory Register of Deaths Yes No Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 18 - Please share your view on the proposed information to be collected in the burial register entries. It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. It is reasonable to have the certificate if available, although to be cremated the Form 14 will have been required, so not essential. The crematorium should be able to issue a copy. 381
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Question 19 – What is your view on the proposed list of organisations that an applicant should engage with to ensure they are complying with local requirements? The list is complete The list is missing some organisations The list contains unnecessary organisations Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 20 – Do you think an applicant should be required to submit evidence, alongside the application, to demonstrate that the proposed burial site is in line with third party agency and local authority rules and guidelines? Yes No Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 21 – What is your view on the proposed information to be collected in the private burial application form? Some of this is unnecessary information It looks right x There is some information missing Coffin/casket sizes should also be recorded for babies/pregnancy loss/body parts All relevant organisations have been detailed. This ensures rules and guidelines have been followed. 382
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Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 22 – what do you think is a reasonable time limit for local authorities to give decisions on private burial applications? 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks 1 month Other Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 23 – Please share your views on the Scottish Government’s proposal not to allow for an application for private burial to be made for a person who is not yet deceased. Question 24 – Do you think private burial should be considered on a case-by- case basis? Yes No – restrictions should be included in the regulations Not sure Age of deceased should also be recorded. If the application is complete with all relevant checks carried out then this would be a reasonable time period. Agree, there are too many factors that could change in between the time of application and the person dying. 383
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Please give a reason for your answer. Question 25 – Do you think that regulations should give local authorities the power to charge fees for their role in private burial applications? Yes No Not sure Question 26 – If you answered “yes” to question 25, what services should local authorities be able to charge for in relation to private burial? Question 27 – What is your view on the proposed information to be collected in the Register of Private Burial? It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Although it would be good to have detail in the regulations there may be too many varying factors to allow this. A set fee which will cover processing and carrying out relevant checks on the application, carrying out a feasibility study, updating private burial register. All relevant details are covered. 384
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Question 28 – Please provide any comments on an appropriate way to record the precise location of the private burial site (e.g. coordinates or description). Question 29 – Please provide any views on the proposed appeal process for private burial decisions made by local authorities. Question 30 – Where an application for exhumation from a burial ground is made by a relative of the deceased who is also the lair right-holder but is not the nearest relative, do you think the applicant should be required to obtain written consent from the nearest relative(s) and any relatives of the deceased who have the same degree of kinship as the applicant (e.g. the applicants siblings)? Yes No Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 31 – Where an application for exhumation is made by a nearest relative of the deceased but they are not the lair right-holder, should that relative be required to obtain the written consent of the lair right-holder and any relatives of the deceased who have the same degree of kinship as the applicant (e.g. the applicant’s siblings)? Yes Co-ordinates and description, and if there is any marker in place. The proposals are reasonable. Consent from next of kin should always be sought in such a case. 385
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No Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 32 - Where an application for exhumation from a burial ground is made by a burial authority, from whom should written consent be obtained? Lair right-holder Nearest relatives Other Please give a reason for your answer. Question 33 – Please share any views you have on the proposed fast-tracked exhumation procedures? Question 34 – Thinking about the proposed feasibility report factors set out above, which do you think should be included in a feasibility study for exhumation? A check of the condition of the coffin to determine feasibility to exhume Health and Safety Risk Assessment Archaeological assessment (by local authority archaeologist or HES) Consultation with the CWGC Other None of the above Yes, all relevant next of kin should be contacted for consent and the title holder should be notified but their consent not required if the exhumation is authorised. Both should always be consulted and consent requested but depending on the circumstances the exhumation may be authorised without consent. This is needed to reduce the distress caused to families where there is no room for a further interment in the lair which is sometimes only discovered 2 days before the interment is due to take place. 386
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Please provide any views on anything else you think should or should not be included in a feasibility report. Question 35 – Do you think there should be a time limit for carrying out an exhumation once authorisation has been given? Yes No Not sure Question 36 - If you answered yes to the previous question, what do you think the time-limit should be? 3 months 6 months 1 year 2 years Other Please give a reason for your answer and provide any other comments. Question 37 – Should requests for exhumation of known burials on private land be made to an Inspector of Burial, Cremation and Funeral Directors? Yes No Not sure Please give reasons for your answer and provide any further comment. Rather than a check of the condition of the coffin, a test dig should be required to determine if the exhumation is feasible. In most cases the condition of the coffin will be poor however it is still possible to exhume preserving the dignity of the deceased. In all cases the remains and coffin will be recoffined. The report or application should detail exactly where the exhumed remains are to be reburied or if they are to be cremated. Once authorised this is a sufficient time period to make arrangements and carry out the disinterment. 387
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Question 38 – Where the person applying for exhumation from private land is not related to the deceased (e.g. a new landowner) what arrangements should be made for the exhumed remains? Question 39 – Please share any views you have on exhumation of discovered human remains from outside a burial ground. Question 40 - What is your view on the proposed information to be collected by each burial authority in the Register of Exhumation relating to the exhumation of human remains carried out in a burial ground for which it is the burial authority? It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Please give a reason for your answer. As there will be an application and record of all private burials it is right and correct that any exhumations on private ground should also be recorded and applied for. A process to contact any remaining next of kin should be followed and consultation with them on a new burial location should be discussed. If unable to trace any next of kin the applicant would require to pay for Right of Burial for lair in a nearby cemetery. Investigations in line with Police Scotland and any other relevant agency should take place prior to the remains being authorised to be exhumed. Attempts where possible to contact next of kin should be made before any reinterment is arranged. Age of deceased, original date of burial should also be recorded. 388
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Question 41 - What is your view on the proposed information to be collected by each local authority in the Register of Exhumation relating to the exhumation of human remains authorised for private burial by that local authority? It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Please give a reason for your answer. Question 42 – Do you think that no less than 6 months from the date the notice is issued is an appropriate length of time for the lair right-holder to consent or object to the restoration of a lair? Yes No – too long No – too short Not sure If you answered ‘no’, please suggest a minimum time period. Question 43 – Do you think that no longer than 12 months from the date the notice is issued is an appropriate length of time for the lair right-holder to consent or object to the restoration of a lair? Yes No – too long No – too short Not sure If you answered ‘no’, please suggest a maximum time period. Age of deceased, original date of burial should also be recorded. 389
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Question 44 – Where the burial authority cannot identify the lair right-holder, please provide your views on how a burial authority may publicise the intention to restore the lair. Question 45 - What is your view on the proposed information to be collected in the Register of Restored Lairs? It looks right It does not look right Some of this is unnecessary information There is some information missing Not sure Please give a reason for your answer. Question 46 – If the lair is to be used for a further burial and it is not possible to return a headstone to its original position do you have any views on how it should be preserved or retained? Public notices in local press, notices at burial ground and also at grave location. Address and age of deceased should be recorded (if known) 390
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Question 47 - Please provide any additional views or comments you may have on any aspect of the proposed burial regulations. Question 48 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on human rights? Question 49 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on equalities and the protected characteristics set out above? (Please refer to pages 47 – 48 of the consultation). Question 50 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on children and young people as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? Details on the condition of the headstone should be taken and it should be photographed so that this is recorded before the headstone may be removed or disposed of due to its condition. No further comments No further comments No further comments 391
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Question 51 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on socio-economic inequality? Question 52 - Do you have any views on potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on communities on the Scottish islands? Question 53 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on privacy and data protection? Question 54 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on businesses and the third sector? No further comments No further comments No further comments, island communities do not appear to be impacted any differently. No further comments 392
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Question 55 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on the environment? No further comments No further comments 393
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Respondent Information Form Please Note this form must be completed and returned with your response. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? Individual Organisation Full name or organisation’s name Phone number Address Postcode Email Address The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Yes No Information for organisations: The option 'Publish response only (without name)’ is available for individual respondents only. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. North Ayrshire Council 01294 310000 KA12 8EE Cunninghame House, Irvine 394
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Question 1 - Please provide any comments on the Scottish Government’s proposals related to types of inspections by inspectors. Question 2 - Do you agree or disagree with taking a ‘risk-based approach’ to determining the frequency of routine inspections for cremation authorities? Strongly agree ☐ Agree ☒ Neither agree or disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Strongly disagree ☐ Question 3 - Please provide any suggested revisions or additions to the criteria proposed for determining the level of risk of cremation authorities. Question 4 - Do you agree or disagree with taking a ‘risk-based approach’ to determining the frequency of routine inspections for burial authorities? Strongly agree ☐ Agree ☒ Neither agree or disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Strongly disagree ☐ Question 5 - Please provide any suggested revisions or additions to the criteria proposed for determining the level of risk of burial authorities. Agree with the intention for both routine and ad-hoc inspections bearing in mind operational and business needs at the time of the inspection. Agree with the criteria stated Agree with the criteria stated 395
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Question 6 - Do you agree or disagree with taking a ‘risk-based approach’ to determining the frequency of routine inspections for funeral director businesses? Strongly agree ☐ Agree ☒ Neither agree or disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Strongly disagree ☐ Question 7 - Please provide any suggested revisions or additions to the criteria proposed for determining the level of risk of funeral directors. Question 8 - Please provide any comments on the proposal to link inspections and funeral director licence renewals. Question 9 - Please provide any other comments regarding the proposals for determining the frequency of routine inspections. Agree this makes sense to link the inspections and renewals where appropriate. Agree with the criteria stated No further comments 396
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Question 10 - Which option presented above do you prefer? (please refer to paragraph 87 to 100) Option A ☒ Option B ☐ Neither ☐ Don’t know ☐ Question 11 - If Option B is pursued by the Scottish Government, please select the percentage of premises you think should be randomly selected for inspection. 25% of premises ☐ 50% of premises ☐ 75% of premises Other % of premises (please state a %): ☐ Don’t know ☐ Question 12 - Please provide reasons for your selection above, and any other comments you wish to make. Question 13 - Please provide any comments on the Scottish Government’s proposals related to inspection of equipment and other items by inspectors. Each premise is operating as a business and as such should be treated the same as every other premise. All premises should be up to standard at all times in any case. Only inspecting a selection of premises will result in a lack of confidence in the business. Larger organisations will have policies in place but there will be local variations to this and local practices which will differ per office. In agreement with list provided. ☐ X 100% 397
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Question 14 - Please provide any comments on the Scottish Government’s proposal to provide in regulations powers for Inspectors to interview staff (or third-party contractors) or clients of burial authorities, cremation authorities, or funeral directors. Question 15 - Please provide any views about the Scottish Government’s revised proposal to not include in regulation powers for Inspectors to seize, detain, or remove equipment from relevant bodies. Question 16 - Do you agree or disagree that Inspectors should be able to issue an enforcement notice which requires equipment to be repaired or replaced? Strongly agree ☐ Agree ☒ Neither agree or disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Strongly disagree ☐ Question 17 - Do you agree or disagree that Inspectors should be able to issue an enforcement notice which prohibits a relevant body from using equipment until it is repaired or replaced? Strongly agree ☐ Agree ☒ Neither agree or disagree ☐ Disagree ☐ Strongly disagree ☐ Agree with the proposals, it is important that these discussions are had for points of clarification. Agree with proposal and that any equipment which poses serious risk should be referred to the relevant body. 398
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Question 18 - Please provide any other comments about the use of enforcement notices to require equipment repairs/replacements or prohibit use of equipment. Question 19 - Please provide your views about whether 14 days is an appropriate timescale to require a response to the inspection report. 14 days is too long ☐ 14 days is appropriate ☐ 14 days is too short ☒ Don’t know ☐ Question 20 - Please provide any other views about the proposed approach to inspection reports. Question 21 - Please provide comments on the proposed content of enforcement notices. The report may contain specialist information and a member of staff with the relevant knowledge and qualifications may not be available for 14 days to respond, we would suggest 21 days may be a more appropriate timescale. Agree with proposed content. No further comments 399
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Question 22 - Please provide comments on the proposed approach to lifting enforcement notices. Question 23 - Please provide any other comments on the Scottish Government’s maintained proposal to provide in regulations power for Inspectors to issue enforcement notices Question 24 - Please provide any views on the proposed content of suspension notices. Question 25 - Please provide any views on the proposed process of issuing suspension notices. Agree with proposed approach. Would propose that the enforcement notice should be emailed to the manager of the premises with a follow up via registered post. Agree with proposals. Agree with proposals. 400
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Question 26 - Please provide any views on whether there should be an opportunity for the authority to make an oral representation to Scottish Ministers or a representative of Scottish Ministers before Ministers make their decision whether to issue a suspension notice. Question 27 - Please provide any views on the proposed process for lifting a suspension notice. Question 28 - Please provide any other views on the Scottish Government’s proposals for suspension notices for burial authorities and cremation authorities. Question 29 - Please provide any views on the appeal process for decisions made by Inspectors. Yes, it would be helpful for an opportunity for the authority to make oral representation prior to a notice being issued. Agree with proposals. On most occasions it will be a funeral director contacting the burial or cremation authority about their services, we expect the authority will be required to advise them of the suspension notice and not just a member of the public who enquires. Agree with the proposals. 401
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Question 30 - Please provide any views on the appeal process for decisions made by Scottish Ministers. Question 31 - Please provide any comments on the proposed approach to complaints. Question 32 - Please provide any additional views or comments you may have on the proposed statutory inspection regime. Question 33 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on human rights? Agree with the proposals. Agree with proposals. No further comments No further comments 402
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Question 34 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on equalities and the protected characteristics set out above? (Please refer to page 48 of the consultation document). Question 35 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on children and young people as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? Question 36 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on socio-economic inequality? Question 37 - Do you have any views on potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on communities on the Scottish islands? No further comments No further comments No further comments No further comments, island communities do not appear to be impacted any differently. 403
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Question 38 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on privacy and data protection? Question 39 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on businesses and the third sector? Question 40 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on the environment? No further comments No further comments No further comments 404
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Respondent Information Form Please Note this form must be completed and returned with your response. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? Individual Organisation Full name or organisation’s name Phone number Address Postcode Email Address The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Yes No Information for organisations: The option 'Publish response only (without name)’ is available for individual respondents only. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. North Ayrshire Council 01294 310000 KA12 8EE Cunninghame House Irvine bereavementservices@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 405
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Question 1 - Do you think that the Scottish Government should introduce regulations to allow the use of alkaline hydrolysis as a method of disposal of human remains in Scotland? Please also provide the reason for your answer. (see para 3 – 7) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 2 - Have the sustainability claims made by manufacturers influenced your response to Question 1? Please provide details. (see para 11) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: This will provide an increased choice and an alternative to more traditional methods of disposal. It is kinder to the environment than burial or traditional cremation and may ease pressure on burial ground capacity for those that do not like the idea of a traditional cremation. Increased choice is always good, however, if kinder to the environment then can only be a positive move. 406
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Question 3 - Assuming that alkaline hydrolysis is to be allowed, should it be regulated in a similar manner as cremation? (see para 22 – 23) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 4 - Do you agree that the same procedure as applies to opening new crematoriums should apply to opening alkaline hydrolysis premises? (see para 29) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Any type of disposal of human remains must be regulated and as a similar process in that the end process results in ashes it seems appropriate to follow the cremation regulations as a basis. This is appropriate. 407
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Question 5 - Should alkaline hydrolysis operators be subject to inspection in the same way as cremation authorities? (see para 32) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 6 - What information do you think should be included in a management plan by a provider of alkaline hydrolysis? (see para 33 – 37) Comments: Question 7 - Do you agree that there should be statutory application forms similar to the cremation application forms? (see para 39) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: The detail proposed is appropriate. It is appropriate and important that any operators involved in the disposal of human remains are inspected and regulated. 408
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Question 8 - Do you have any views on the provision of alkaline hydrolysis for children under age 4 and for stillborn babies (even though no ashes are likely to result)? (see para 42 – 44) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 9 - Do you have any comments on extending the requirement for a Form E1 (as applies when the body is released for cremation by COPFS) to alkaline hydrolysis? (see para 45) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: This is appropriate in line with other methods of disposal of human remains and essential that accurate records are kept. Agree that if offered and chosen by parents of children aged under 4 and stillborn babies it must be made clear to them there is unlikely to be any ashes recovered. This is appropriate as the body will no longer be available for future examination. 409
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Question 10 - Do you agree that operators of alkaline hydrolysis (and funeral directors) should be required to comply with the same requirements and timescales for handling of the remains as they are for ashes following cremation? (see para 47 – 48) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 11 - Do you agree that the content of the statutory cremation register for bodies should be replicated for alkaline hydrolysis? Please add any comments on what you think should be different and why. (see para 49) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Yes, this will prevent the historical issues with unclaimed ashes in line with the cremation regulations. No further comments 410
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Question 12 - Do you agree that the content of the statutory cremation register for body parts should be replicated for alkaline hydrolysis? Please add any comments on what you think should be different and why. (see para 49) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: Question 13 - Do you agree that the content of the statutory cremation register for stillborn babies should be replicated for alkaline hydrolysis? Please add any comments on what you think should be different and why. (see para 50 – 51) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: No further comments No further comments 411
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Question 14 - Section 87 of the 2016 Act provides that where a person dies or is found dead within a local authority area, and no arrangements are being made for them to be buried or cremated, the local authority must make the arrangements. In these cases, should the local authority be able to use alkaline hydrolysis where it is available? Please provide reasons for your answer. (see para 52) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/comment Comments: Question 15 - As noted in the consultation, supporters of alkaline hydrolysis have suggested that the liquid could be considered for sustainable disposal, such as fertilizer. If relevant consents are obtained, do you have any views on whether this should be an option? (see para 53 – 60) Yes ☒ No Don’t know No view/ comment Comments: This provides another option for arrangements. If relevant consents and environmental assessments are carried out this should be an option. 412
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Question 16 - Do you have any other comments on the regulation and use of alkaline hydrolysis which you wish to share? (see para 53 – 60) Comments: Question 17 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on human rights? Question 18 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on equalities and the protected characteristics set out above? No further comments No further comments No further comments 413
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Question 19 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on children and young people as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? Question 20 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on socio-economic inequality? Question 21 - Do you have any views on potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on communities on the Scottish islands? Question 22 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on privacy and data protection? No further comments No further comments No further comments other than the availability of this service and that island communities may have to travel further if they wish this type of service. No further comments 414
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Question 23 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on businesses and the third sector? Question 24 - Do you have any views on the potential impacts of the proposals in this consultation on the environment? No further comments No further comments 415
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 07 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 Purpose: To seek Cabinet approval of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 Recommendation: That Cabinet (i) approves the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 at Appendix 1 for submission to Scottish Government; and (ii) gives delegated authority to the Executive Director (Place) and the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy to liaise directly with the Scottish Government in agreeing the North Ayrshire development programme and the rescheduling of projects as required. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2024 - 2029 sets out the priorities and locations for affordable housing investment by the Council and registered social landlords in North Ayrshire over the next five years. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan is based on projected Scottish Government grant funding of £124.000m for the Council and its partner landlords from April 2023 to March 2029. 1.2 The Council’s projects detailed within the plan represent Council investment of £194.464m, supported by £78.070m of Scottish Government Grant. An estimated additional £3.869m is required beyond the funding allocated in the latest HRA 30-year Business Plan, supported by an estimated additional £0.461m in grant funding to support the Council projects within the plan. This will be considered within the current review of the HRA Business Plan, prior to it being presented to Council in February 2024 as part of the 2024-25 HRA budget and rent setting. 1.3 It is proposed that delegated authority is assigned to the Executive Director (Place), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, to liaise with the Scottish Government and agree the rescheduling of projects detailed in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, as required. Any additional projects that are not contained within the approved Strategic Housing Investment Plan will require further Cabinet approval. 1.4 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023 – 2028, approved by Cabinet in November 2022, noted that the Council and its RSL partners would deliver 1,652 new affordable homes by March 2028. A total of 274 new build homes and five buybacks were completed during 2022/23 from the 1,652 five-year target. Agenda Item 15 417
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1.5 Cabinet also reaffirmed the Council’s own commitment to construct 1,625 new build homes over the 15-year period from April 2013 to March 2028 and to buy back 30 homes through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023 - 2028. To date the Council has delivered 885 new build homes, with 740 homes still to be completed. The Council acquired five homes through the 2023 - 2028 buyback scheme during 2022/23. 1.6 The Council and its partners are experiencing significant affordability challenges due to changes in the rate of inflation, higher than budgeted interest rates for borrowing and increasing housing standards and specifications, compared to the level of grant funding available to offset these pressures. For the second consecutive year, reflecting the current issues with new build affordability, no new build sites have been nominated for the Strategic Housing Investment Plan by either the Council or its registered social landlord partners. 1.7 In order to increase affordable housing supply despite the affordability challenges outlined above, the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 proposes to revise the cumulative Council new build target to 1,615 and utilise the funding previously earmarked for 10 properties currently within the ‘unallocated regeneration block’ to support the buyback of an additional 40 properties by 2028, increasing the total planned over the next five years to 65 units. This proposal would result in increased affordable housing stock overall and provide the opportunity to quickly acquire specific house types and sizes to reflect applicants’ needs. 1.8 Cunninghame Housing Association’s 27-unit scheme at Harbour Road has been removed from the new plan due to affordability challenges. Cairn have included a two- unit buyback programme and their ‘Confidential Site 1’ has increased by one unit. 1.9 The Council and its registered social landlord partners will provide a total of 1,302 new affordable homes across the six localities over the next five years. The house types to be delivered in each locality are noted in table 1 below. The units noted as ‘TBA’ include 88 buybacks across four developing organisations, 107 unallocated units for Cunninghame Housing Association (92 units) and the Council (15 units), and the 30-unit regeneration programme proposed by Riverside. Table 1: New supply housing (including buy backs & refurbs) by locality & type Locality Arran Garn Vally Irvine Kilw North Coast Three Towns TBA Sub Total Total All Family NAC 0 36 283 5 3 71 75 473 791 Family RSL 32 0 22 4 0 149 111 318 Amenity NAC 0 19 169 2 12 31 3 236 311 Amenity RSL 0 0 2 0 0 47 26 75 Sheltered NAC 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 28 28 Sheltered RSL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 W/chair NAC 0 9 115 0 0 26 2 152 172 W/chair RSL 0 0 2 0 0 10 8 20 Total All 32 64 621 11 15 334 225 1,302 Total NAC 0 64 595 7 15 128 80 889 Total RSL 32 0 26 4 0 206 145 413 1.10 As noted above, the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 will secure 418
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investment in a total of 1,302 properties. The six active North Ayrshire social landlords will provide sustainable, affordable, accessible, and high-quality homes which will contribute to the wider regeneration aims for the area. This will in turn secure employment and training opportunities for North Ayrshire businesses and residents and support the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. Members are invited to approve the SHIP at Appendix 1 for submission to the Scottish Government, as the Council’s investment plan for new affordable housing in the area over the next five years. 2. Background 2.1 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2024 - 2029 sets out the priorities and locations for affordable housing investment by the Council and registered social landlords in North Ayrshire over the next five years to support the outcomes in the Local Housing Strategy. It is prepared in accordance with Scottish Government guidance and includes details of individual development projects to be taken forward over its lifespan (see Appendix 1). 2.2 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023 – 2028, approved by Cabinet in November 2022, noted that the Council and its partners would deliver 1,652 new affordable homes by March 2028. A total of 274 new build homes and five buybacks were completed during 2022/23 from the 1,652 five-year target. 2.3 Cabinet also reaffirmed the Council’s own commitment to construct 1,625 new build homes over the 15-year period from April 2013 to March 2028 and to buy back 30 homes through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023 - 2028. To date the Council has delivered 885 new build homes, with 740 homes still to be completed. The Council acquired five homes through the 2023 - 2028 buyback scheme during 2022/23. 2.4 The Council and our partners have delivered 1,665 new build homes since April 2013; this is detailed by locality and house type in table 2 and chart 1 below. Please note that completed Council developments are included for sites which reached practical completion from April 2013 to March 2023. Table 2: Completed new build developments by type and locality from April 2013 Locality Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinn North Coast Three Towns Sub Total Total All Family NAC 17 0 123 71 77 6 294 934 Family RSL 50 0 177 137 66 210 640 Amenity NAC 8 16 37 5 52 2 120 283 Amenity RSL 0 0 70 13 45 35 163 Shelt NAC 0 38 40 24 57 64 223 223 Shelt RSL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 W/chair NAC 9 0 46 14 15 6 90 130* W/chair RSL 0 0 8 8 4 20 40 Support NAC 0 15 0 10 22 15 62 78 NSSE RSL 6 0 10 0 0 0 16 Other NAC 0 4 0 1 1 1 7 17 Other ad RSL 0 0 10 0 0 0 10 Total All 90 73 521 283 339 359 1,665 Total NAC 34 73 246 125 224 94 796 Total RSL 56 0 275 158 115 265 869 *It should be noted that 50 of the amenity, sheltered and supported accommodation homes are suitable for wheelchair users. 419
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2.5 The Council and its registered social landlord partners have experienced significant affordability challenges and pressures in delivering our new build programmes. The rate of inflation and rising material costs have significantly impacted upon construction costs and project viability. 2.6 In the Housing Revenue Account budget approved at the Council meeting in February 2023, the Council increased the programme budget by £32.762m, with an assumption of an additional £13.944m of grant funding to be able to retain the existing committed development programme. This was required to offset rising rates of inflation and ensure that the costs associated with the introduction of new legislation relating to installation of zero direct emissions heating systems and electrical vehicle charging points could be met. The Council also included provision to enhance the building fabric for all new homes to reduce the need for heating and address fuel poverty. 2.7 The Scottish Government published revised grant funding benchmark rates in June 2023 and, whilst funding is available to offset some of the costs of installing zero direct emissions heating systems, fire suppression systems and electrical vehicle charge points, this is considerably less than anticipated installation costs. 2.8 The impact of the increased benchmark grant subsidy levels has been reviewed for the Council projects detailed within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2018 - 2023 against the £13.944m grant funding requirement estimate noted to Council in February 2023. The new benchmark grants are a total of £0.463m less than the Council’s 67 300 208 143 216 8 16 107 18 97 37 38 40 24 57 64 15 10 22 15 9 64 22 19 26 4 1 1 1 6 10 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North Coast Three Towns Chart 1: New build development by house type and locality General Needs Amenity Sheltered Supported Wheelchair / adapted Other New Supply Shared Equity 420
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assumptions (a shortfall of around £624 per unit impacted). In accordance with Scottish Government guidance, the Council will seek grant funding above benchmark levels to offset any funding shortfall, on a site-by-site basis, as required. 2.9 Increasing standards and emerging legislation have further impacted upon project costs and timelines, as options appraisals and financial modelling have been required. For example, the cost to tenants, and future maintenance and replacement costs of zero direct emissions systems, have been reviewed with solutions considered on a site-by- site basis to ensure that they are both affordable to install, and for tenants to utilise. 2.10 Technical guidance published in June 2023, which sets out Building Standards requirements to provide electrical vehicle charging points, and revised roads design guidance for increased parking prevision for new build housing, have resulted in design revisions to existing plans and additional costs. 2.11 The Scottish Government is currently undertaking revisions to their Housing for Varying Needs standard, and further changes to building standards are planned to enhance the accessibility and adaptability of housing stock. These changes are likely to impact upon the Council’s standard house types and construction costs, resulting in programme delays and increased costs. Many of the design amendments have cost implications, future maintenance implications, require additional floor space, increase overall built areas, and reduce site capacity. Council officers from Property Management and Investment, Housing Services and Building Standards are currently reviewing the proposals and preparing a response to the consultation which closes on 21 December 2023. 2.12 The provision of new build housing has many benefits, including contributing to the regeneration of the area, developing sustainable housing solutions which help to address fuel poverty, and supporting educational attainment. It can also support the ageing population, people who require accessible housing, and people with particular needs, to live more independently. 2.13 The above benefits often come at a financial cost: • regeneration schemes often cost more as sites require demolition, refurbishment or have significant constraints/ abnormal costs. • sustainable heating systems and other technology are currently more expensive to install, replace and maintain. • accessible, amenity and particular needs housing is often more expensive as it requires a larger floor footprint, increasing construction costs and reduces economies of scale. 2.14 Cost-of-living rent controls introduced by Scottish Government in 2022 limit landlords’ capacity to increase income to finance borrowing for capital investment, further compounding affordability pressures. This issue is particularly acute for our local registered social landlord partners, who are facing extreme pressure as they do not have the borrowing options or economies of scale the Council benefits from. Their individual new build projects are generally supported by grant funding and borrowing, offset against projected rental income for that site. 2.15 As reported to Cabinet on 1 November 2022, due to past successes in accelerating projects and claiming additional funding year upon year alongside slippage in some 421
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projects, North Ayrshire was unable to claim the resource planning assumption for the 2022/23 financial year. The Council claimed an estimated total of £4.302m against the resource planning assumption of £15.692m for the year (this value will be confirmed when the Scottish Government out-turn report is published later this year). 2.16 The Council and its partners claimed an additional £19.165m towards affordable housing in the area from slippage in other local authority areas in the six years from April 2016 to March 2022. Table 3 below illustrates the resource planning assumption, spend per annum and total variance (over- or under-claim) from April 2016 to March 2023. This demonstrates a cumulative over-claim of £7.775m against the resource planning assumption for the period. The total number of new build units reaching practical completion within each financial year is also noted in table 3. Table 3: Spend versus resource planning assumption per annum (£m) 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Total Resource planning assumption £9.106 £10.160 £14.165 £16.112 £17.093 £18.205 £15.692 £100.533 Actual / estimated spend £13.464 £14.210 £15.630 £18.658 £21.403 £20.641 £4.302* £108.308 Variance £4.358 £4.050 £1.465 £2.546 £4.310 £2.436 -£11.390 £7.775 Completed units per annum 35 119 216 169 77 329 230 1,175 2.17 The variance for 2022/23 reflects Cunninghame Housing Association’s acceleration of their West Byrehill project, which meant the grant was able to be claimed in 2021/22. The Association also had grant allocated for Harbour Road, Irvine which was not progressed. Riverside Housing had an unclaimed allocation for Bank Street and ANCHO had an unclaimed allocation for confidential site 1. Programme slippage was also experienced at the Council’s James McFarlane, James Reid, Stanecastle, Garnock Academy, Montgomerie Park, and Ayrshire Central sites whilst the impact of zero direct emissions heating systems and other legislative changes were assessed. 2.18 It is currently estimated that North Ayrshire will be able to claim £9.793m of the £15.648m Resource Planning Assumptions for the 2023/24 financial year. Discussions are ongoing with the Scottish Government to ensure that grant funding is maximised wherever possible. Slippage is anticipated at a number of Council developments due to redesign works required as a result of regulatory changes and assessment of zero direct emissions heating systems options. 2.19 The Council’s Garnock Academy and King’s Arms sites have experienced procurement delays. Cunninghame Housing Association’s Sharphill Phase 5 was expected to commence in spring 2023 and had a £5.246m grant allocation for 2023/24. The project has been delayed due to financial challenges and a requirement for site redesign; it is now expected to commence during autumn 2027. 2.20 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan is based on total projected Scottish Government grant funding provision of £124.000m for the Council and its registered social landlord partners from April 2023 to March 2029, illustrated in table 4 below. In accordance with Scottish Government guidance, the Council has over-committed the funding within the 422
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Strategic Housing Investment Plan by approximately 25% to ensure that the full grant allocation is spent, and to provide the opportunity for North Ayrshire to absorb slippage from other local authority areas. For this reason, a significant portion of the funding is allocated during April 2024 and March 2027 - see table 4 below. 2.21 The Scottish Government has committed to providing North Ayrshire Council and its registered social landlord partners with grant funding of £47.313m from April 2023 to March 2026. The funding levels beyond March 2026 are not currently known and have therefore been estimated, for planning purposes, based on the level of grant required to deliver the programme. Table 4: Estimated spend versus resource planning assumption per annum (£m) 2023/24 2024/25 2056/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 Total (£m) Resource planning assumption £15.648 £15.702 £15.963 £23.500 £25.500 £27.687 £124.000 Estimated spend £9.793 £23.152 £30.972 £31.625 £19.946 £8.512 £124.000 Variance -£5.855 £7.450 £15.009 £8.125 -£5.554 -£19.175 £0.000 2.22 The Scottish Government benchmark grant rates are subject to annual inflation in line with the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index. For new build Council developments, funding levels have been estimated for projects not yet at tender stage at benchmark rates plus annual inflation, which has been assumed at 3.7% for 2024/25. The Council will seek grant funding above these levels in accordance with Scottish Government guidance on a site-by-site basis, as required. The registered social landlord funding rates have been included as requested by each developing organisation and will be subject to Scottish Government authorisation. 2.23 It should be noted that, as and when the government uplifts the grant benchmark rates, the capacity of the total Resource Planning Assumption (which has been treated as fixed) will be reduced, as less units can be delivered within the overall funding available. 2.24 For any projects noted within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, Cabinet is asked to delegate authority to the Executive Director (Place), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy, to liaise with the Scottish Government and agree the rescheduling of projects as required. This is of particular importance where deliverability is delayed due to emerging constraints and challenges that require to be addressed. Spending on any additional projects that are not contained within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will require Cabinet approval. Key Achievements from 2022/23 2.25 The Council’s first Arran development in a generation concluded in June 2022, providing 34 new homes which were allocated utilising the new Arran Local Lettings Initiative. The 79-unit St. Michael’s Wynd, Kilwinning site completed in September 2022. The site delivered a new sheltered housing complex, supported accommodation, amenity bungalows, general needs properties and homes suitable for wheelchair users. The 29 new sheltered homes at St. Colm’s Place also reached completion during September 2022. At Caley Court, Stevenston, 16 new supported accommodation bungalows reached completion during January 2023. 423
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2.26 Cunninghame Housing Association’s 72 new homes at West Byrehill, Kilwinning reached completion in March 2023. 2.27 During the current financial year, the Council’s 71 new units at Irvine Harbourside completed during April 2023; the site includes a sheltered housing complex, amenity bungalows, general needs properties and homes suitable for wheelchair users. Work concluded to provide six new amenity bungalows at Afton Court, Stevenston during July 2023. Work also completed during September 2023 at the former Largs Police Station, providing 12 new town centre amenity flats. 2.28 Riverside Scotland’s 77 new homes at Tarryholme Phase 2, Irvine reached practical completion during May 2023. Cunninghame Housing Association’s 24 amenity homes at Green Street, Saltcoats completed in August 2023. Preparing the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 2.29 The Council invited site nominations from its partners for the SHIP 2024 - 2029. For the second consecutive year and reflecting the current issues with new build affordability, no new build sites were nominated for the SHIP. 2.30 Each North Ayrshire developing landlord partner now has a buyback programme, demonstrating the challenges facing all organisations to develop new build homes compared to the more affordable option of buying existing homes on the open market and bringing them up to the appropriate housing standard. Some sites have been anonymised for reasons of commercial sensitivity, or as they require further work to ensure that they comply with the Council’s Planning or Roads policies. New Council projects 2024 - 2029 2.31 The Council does not currently have the financial capacity to add any further new build development into the Strategic Housing Investment Plan beyond the commitments already made, due to increasing capital and maintenance costs, and the resultant impact on the Housing Revenue Account 30-year business plan, and in turn upon tenant rent levels. 2.32 In order to increase affordable housing supply, the draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 therefore proposes to revise the cumulative target of 1,625 new build Council homes to 1,615 units and utilise the funding allocated for 10 properties currently assigned to the unallocated regeneration block to deliver an additional 40 buybacks by March 2028 (increasing the total to 65 buyback units). This proposal would result in an additional 30 houses available for social rent, compared to the previously approved SHIP target. 2.33 The increasing disparity between increasing new build costs and grant benchmark levels is significantly impacting upon project affordability. Should benchmark grant funding levels be increased or additional funding be made available during 2023/24 to address the current affordability gap, the Council will review its commitments within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 and consider any opportunity to extend the new build and buyback plans. New registered social landlord projects 2024 – 2029 424
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2.34 Cairn/ ANCHO have included a 2-unit buyback programme within the new plan. Removal of Projects from the SHIP 2024 - 2029 2.35 Cunninghame Housing Association’s 27 new homes proposed at Harbour Road, Irvine have been removed from the plan as a viable scheme could not be developed. Amendments to the SHIP 2.36 The following amendments have been made in this update of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan: • Cairn’s confidential site 1 has increased to 10 units, from nine units previously noted, following initial site design works • Confidential Site 4 will be named as Springbank, Arran in the new plan • Cunninghame Housing Association’s phase five site at Sharphill, Saltcoats will now commence during autumn/ winter 2027, delayed from March 2023 • The Council’s unallocated regeneration block has reduced from 30 units to 15 units, with 10 units removed to fund 40 new buybacks, and five units allocated to the Grange Court, Stevenston estate-based regeneration project which has now been named within the plan. • Regeneration project 1e has been named as Nursery Place, Ardrossan, estate-based regeneration scheme, which has reduced from seven units to six units; the balance of one unit has been allocated to Grange Court, Stevenston. 2.37 It should also be noted that financial viability assessments are still ongoing for Link’s Parkend Gardens, Saltcoats site and the Council’s Refurbishment Project 8 in Irvine. 2.38 If any project becomes delayed or non-viable, the Council will work with registered social landlord partners and the Scottish Government to ensure that new homes are delivered, and the available grant funding spent, by accelerating other projects. 2.39 In terms of ongoing governance, senior officers monitor the progress of the new build programme monthly through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan project board. 2.40 The Council and its registered social landlord partners will provide a total of 1,302 new affordable homes across the six localities in the draft plan. The house types to be delivered by locality is noted in table 5 below. The 225 units noted as ‘TBA’ include 88 buybacks across five developing organisations; the 107 unallocated units for Cunninghame Housing Association (92 units) and the Council (15 units); and the 30-unit regeneration programme proposed by Riverside. Table 5: New supply housing (including buy backs & refurbs) by locality & type Locality Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North Coast Three Towns TBA Sub Total Total All Family NAC 0 36 283 5 3 71 75 473 791 Family RSL 32 0 22 4 0 149 111 318 Amenity NAC 0 19 169 2 12 31 3 236 311 Amenity RSL 0 0 2 0 0 47 26 75 425
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Sheltered NAC 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 28 28 Sheltered RSL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 W/chair NAC 0 9 115 0 0 26 2 152 172 W/chair RSL 0 0 2 0 0 10 8 20 Total All 32 64 621 11 15 334 225 1,302 Total NAC 0 64 595 7 15 128 80 889 Total RSL 32 0 26 4 0 206 145 413 2.41 The Council and its registered social landlord partners completed and planned developments are noted by locality in table 6 below. Table 6: Completed and planned development Units Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North coast Three Towns TBA Total Complete 90 73 521 283 339 359 0 1,665 Planned 32* 64 621 11 15 334 225 1,302 Total 122* 137 1,142 294 354 693 224 2,967 *It should be noted that, in addition to the above RSL and NAC plans, Arran Development Trust are currently developing 18 new homes in Lamlash, Arran. Strategic Priorities 2.42 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan is based on a series of guiding principles for housing provision, taken from the new Local Housing Strategy 2023 - 2028. The strategy mirrors the format of the Scottish Government’s Housing to 2040 strategy and sets out four overarching outcomes: • More homes at the heart of great places • Affordability and choice • Affordable warmth and zero emission homes • Improving the quality of all homes Children’s rights and wellbeing 2.43 The North Ayrshire Child Poverty Action Plan 2022-2023 notes that North Ayrshire has the second highest level of child poverty after housing costs of any area in Scotland. Access to good quality and affordable housing is a key asset in addressing child poverty, and poverty overall. All new build Council family homes have study space and private gardens. 2.44 The Council is also considering ways in which young people can access construction related learning and training opportunities. The North Ayrshire Local Employability Partnership Delivery Plan 2022 – 2026 sets out the intentions to help people of all ages to gain skills for employment. It seeks to prepare people for employment, training, education and / or volunteering, with the aim of increasing qualification levels and job 426
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prospects as well as reducing unemployment. Officers from Housing and Property Management and Investment will work with Education colleagues to determine how the housebuilding programme can support the Council’s ambitions to encourage more young people into training and employment. More homes at the heart of great places 20-minute neighbourhoods 2.45 The provision of housing within 20-minute neighbourhoods allows people to meet their needs locally and encourages active travel. Social housing projects which support the principles of 20-minute neighbourhoods, where feasible, will be prioritised. Regeneration 2.46 The Council, along with its strategic partners, continues to explore the site and area specific opportunities to secure maximum regeneration benefits, supporting the ambitions of the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to drive forward development on strategic regeneration sites, including town centres. 2.47 Town centres continue to be of strategic importance as the economic and social focus points of North Ayrshire. The Council acquired the former King’s Arms public house in Irvine Town Centre in April 2020 and will redevelop the site into six amenity flats to address local housing need and encourage town centre living. The redevelopment of the site of the former Irvine high flats will also support town centre regeneration. 2.48 The Council has already completed other town centre projects including: the redevelopment of the former Largs Police Station and adjacent former St Colm’s Place sheltered housing complex; the development of the former Springvale depot in Saltcoats; and the redevelopment of former sheltered housing complexes at Afton Court and Caley Court in Stevenston. 2.49 Grange Court, Stevenston and Nursery Place, Ardrossan (formerly Regeneration Project 1e) have been named as estate-based regeneration projects within the new plan. 2.50 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan includes the provision of funding for 250 units to assist the delivery of Housing’s estate-based regeneration programme (it is proposed that this is now reduced to 240 units to provide the 40 new buybacks detailed at 1.7 and 2.30 above). Most of this investment has now been allocated to support replacement units following selective demolition of stock. The remaining 15 regeneration units included within the plan will allow Housing Services to continue the implementation of the estate-based regeneration programme, as well as support a review of assets in relation to EESSH2 and zero emissions targets to consider further redevelopment opportunities. Green Space 2.51 Research shows that where people have access to good quality, outdoor green space, there is a corresponding positive and lasting impact on public health. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan will prioritise new social housing developments which include the provision of outdoor green space for residents. 427
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Island communities 2.52 On Arran, the Council’s development of 34 units at Brathwic Terrace, Brodick completed during June 2022 and a Local Lettings Initiative was introduced to give additional priority to island residents and key workers. Trust Housing Association is currently in discussion with a local landowner to develop 26 new homes in Brodick. Arran Development Trust secured funding from the Rural and Island Housing Fund to deliver 18 new affordable homes in Lamlash, with works currently underway. These developments, alongside work with communities on the island, are anticipated to stimulate investment in other infrastructure (transport, marine, digital) to encourage economic growth. 2.53 The Council has established the Arran Housing Task Force to quantify the demand for affordable housing on Arran and identify issues that may be limiting economic growth. A quantitative study is currently being undertaken by North Star Consulting and Research to determine affordable housing demand on the island, recognising the assessed housing demand information from the North Ayrshire Housing Register and community feedback. The Task Force membership includes elected members, the Scottish Government, local community groups and Arran registered social landlords. The group is currently developing an action plan to address any identified housing issues on the island. 2.54 18 new homes have recently been completed on Cumbrae through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan as part of a second phase of the successful St Beya Gardens site. 2.55 It is hoped that the developments will help to address local housing need, support key employment, and enable people to remain on the islands and protect their future. Affordability and choice Housing demand 2.56 Demand figures have been obtained from the North Ayrshire Housing Register. House size and type priorities have also been informed by the housing register. The Local Housing Strategy has set a target of 1,625 new social housing units to be delivered by all landlords by March 2028. 2.57 Figure 1 plots Strategic Housing Investment Plan completions against the net stock gain. The 'net gain' column indicates the additional homes available per locality following completion of the developments, minus the strategic demolitions set out in the plan. It also illustrates proportionate demand from the housing register as at 31 March 2023 and historic new build completions from April 2013 to March 2023. Please note that proportionate demand is indicative to illustrate trends; the actual demand figures will be less as transfer applicants who are included in these figures will leave an existing tenancy behind when they are allocated a new home. 428
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Figure 1: Completions, net gain, proportionate demand and historic completions 2.58 The Council allocates funding to each developing organisation from the available Scottish Government Resource Planning Assumption (RPA). Figures 2 and 3 show the proportion of stock held by each developing organisation, and the share of units per developing organisation. Figure 2: Proportion of North Ayrshire stock held per developing organisation (%) NAC, 72% CHA, 13% Riverside (IHA), 10% Cairn (ANCHO), 4% Trust, 1% Link, 0% NAC CHA Riverside (IHA) Cairn (ANCHO) Trust Link 429
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Figure 3: Proportion of units per developing organisation (%) Gypsy / travellers 2.59 No demand issues have been identified in relation to accommodation for gypsy/ travellers. Following consultation with current tenants at Redburn Grove, Irvine in April 2023, future improvement proposals for the site are being developed and costed, reflecting feedback gathered in relation to their preferences for future housing. A business case is being developed which will include all available funding streams and a full options appraisal for the site, including the potential to transfer the site from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account. Ensuring best value 2.60 The Council has developed standard house types and material specifications, alongside a range of procurement methods to ensure best value from the development programme. Increasing material costs, and costs to maintain new technologies included as a result of emerging legislation, have been modelled to ensure that schemes are affordable to both develop and maintain in the longer term. Innovation 2.61 The Council has utilised off site construction on suitable schemes, which has reduced time on site, minimised disruption for communities, and provided sustainability benefits. 2.62 The recently completed Afton Court, Stevenston development utilised this construction method, which reduced the time on site and reduced disruption to local residents and businesses. For similar reasons, the Council is currently procuring an off-site construction design and build contractor for the Newhouse Drive, Kilbirnie and Laburnum Avenue, Beith sites, which are located within existing housing estates. 2.63 The Council has a track record of testing and implementing zero direct emissions heating systems, sprinkler systems and electrical vehicle infrastructure in advance of legislative changes. This proactive approach helps us to identify affordability and maintenance challenges at an early stage. 2.64 The Council will continue to explore opportunities for innovation throughout the lifespan of the SHIP 2024 - 2029. Rent levels and affordability NAC, 68% CHA, 24% Riverside (IHA), 3% Cairn (ANCHO), 1% Trust, 3% Link, 1% 430
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2.65 Many tenants in social housing are partly or fully dependent on benefits and are under increasing pressure from the impacts of Welfare Reform and rising living costs. The Scottish Housing Regulator expects social landlords to recognise tenants’ affordability challenges and keep rent increases to a minimum. North Ayrshire Council has an approved rent structure based on house size and type (house vs flat), with no additional charge for new build properties. 2.66 The Council is committed to ensuring rent levels are affordable, however the cost of implementing regulatory changes and inflation is putting pressure on rent levels. The Council has a fairly flat rent structure, with 12 rates applicable across the entire stock. Local registered social landlords’ rents, in contrast, are higher and are generally established on a site-by-site basis, with a business case prepared for each scheme and impacts of the construction industry, inflation and regulation placing further pressure on maintaining affordable rent levels. Empty homes and second-hand buybacks 2.67 The Council and its partners recognise that bringing primarily former social housing stock back into ownership can assist with housing management and maintenance issues and increase housing supply available through the North Ayrshire Housing Register. It also supports the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan and contributes to bringing long-term empty homes back into use. All developing registered social landlord partners with stock in North Ayrshire now have provision for buyback programmes within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. 2.68 As set out at points 1.7, 2.30 and 2.50 above, the number of planned Council buybacks has been increased from 25 to 65 in the SHIP 2024 - 2029. Should extra grant funding from the Scottish Government become available throughout the year, the Council and partner RSLs will revisit the commitment for the wider programme. Refugee resettlement programme 2.69 The Council has responded positively to the humanitarian crisis created as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Since March 2022, the Council and partners have supported more than 185 Ukrainian displaced households (395 people) to settle in North Ayrshire. We have utilised 110 social rented properties for people fleeing the conflict. 2.70 On 1 November 2022, Cabinet approved the refurbishment of 30 homes at Glebe Place, Saltcoats which were previously scheduled for demolition. The project was fully funded by the Scottish Government and the homes are currently being used to accommodate Ukrainian individuals/ couples for a period of up to three years. The demolition/ redevelopment project has been reprofiled within the SHIP to 2027/28, therefore maintaining the overall SHIP commitment. Affordable warmth and zero emissions Sustainability 2.71 Council officers are seeking to maximise the incorporation of energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies within the new build programme. The developments within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will benefit from a range of sustainable measures: for example, solar photovoltaic panels; air source heat pumps; and passive design measures to minimise space heating demand. The exact package of measures will be 431
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determined through assessment of opportunities on a site-by-site basis. Improving the quality of our homes Specialist Accommodation 2.72 To ensure need is met now and in the future, the new Local Housing Strategy 2023 – 2028 increased the target to ensure that at least 10% of all tenure new build stock is suitable for wheelchair users (increased from 7% in the previous Strategy). The Council and its registered social landlord partners have developed 180 new build homes (11% of new supply) suitable for wheelchair users since April 2013. 2.73 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan has supported the Health and Social Care Partnership to meet specialist housing need, through dedicated projects using the jointly developed supported accommodation model and as part of wider site mixes on other developments. Four new-build supported accommodation units have been developed across North Ayrshire, providing 62 homes for residents. The Council also created an additional 33 supported accommodation homes and six new supported living bed spaces through property refurbishment of three sites. 2.74 The Council also prioritises the development of homes suitable for older people through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, with 318 new amenity homes and 28 sheltered homes planned. The Council and its partners have delivered 283 amenity homes (17% of new supply) and 223 units (13% of new supply) of sheltered housing since April 2013. SHIP Impact on North Ayrshire school capacity 2.75 The site acquired by the Housing Revenue Account in March 2021 at Ayrshire Central, Irvine was identified as having the potential to adversely affect the capacity of Castlepark Primary School. The housing mix for the site was therefore reprofiled to include a greater weighting of amenity properties (85 of the 202 homes on the site). As at 31 March 2023, 911 applicants on the North Ayrshire Housing Register requested amenity housing. The allocation of new amenity homes at Ayrshire Central will free up existing family homes. 2.76 Experience at other sites demonstrates that new affordable housing developments generally comprise of families who already reside within the school catchment area. Officers from Housing, Planning and Education will continue to monitor emerging developments to ensure any impact upon school capacity can be addressed or mitigated. SHIP Investment 2.77 The draft Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2024 - 2029 is based on projected Scottish Government grant funding provision of £124.000m for the Council and its partner landlords from April 2023 to March 2029. 2.78 The Council’s projects detailed within the plan represent Council investment of £194.464m, supported by £78.070m of Scottish Government Grant. 2.79 An estimated additional £3.869m is anticipated to be required beyond the funding allocated in the latest HRA 30-year Business Plan, supported by an estimated additional £0.461m in grant funding to support the Council projects within the plan. This will be considered within the current review of the HRA Business Plan, prior to it being 432
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presented to Council in February 2024 as part of the 2024-25 HRA budget and rent setting. 2.80 The £3.869m funding requirement comprises, increased budget estimates due to delays associated with legislation and regulatory changes and budget adjustments required to align with revised project timelines As noted at 2.8 above, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance, the Council will seek grant funding above benchmark levels to offset any funding shortfall, on a site-by-site basis, as required. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet (i) approves the North Ayrshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 for submission to the Scottish Government; and (ii) gives delegated authority to the Executive Director (Place) and the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy to liaise directly with the Scottish Government in agreeing the North Ayrshire development programme and the rescheduling of projects as required. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The financial implications arising from the projects included within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 - 2029 have been assessed by each of the developing organisations, ensuring that the programme is fully deliverable within the timescales set out. The current HRA Business Plan includes a budget of £190.595m to deliver the North Ayrshire Council development projects set out within the SHIP, inclusive of Scottish Government funding. It is estimated that an additional £3.869m is required to support the Council’s developments set out within the SHIP 2024-2029. This additional expenditure, alongside estimated additional grant of £0.461m, will be considered within the current review of the HRA Business Plan prior to it being presented to Council in February 2024 as part of the 2024-25 HRA Budget and rent setting. Human Resources 4.2 Council projects within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will be delivered by North Ayrshire Council staffing and complemented by external expertise, where required. Legal 4.3 The Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992, Schedule 1, Part 12, Class 33, as amended, enables local authorities to undertake works, within their district, for the erection of dwellings so long as the development conforms with the Local Development Plan. The Council’s House Building Protocol governs the design and consultation processes for such development to ensure that appropriate levels of design scrutiny and consultation are maintained. In 2019, it was agreed that all future Council housing developments progressed as permitted development will be required to obtain a ‘Certificate of Lawfulness’ from the Council’s Planning Service. This will certify that each site within the SHIP has been considered against the full terms of the adopted Local Development Plan. Housing development proposals by the Council which do not fall 433
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within the scope of permitted development, including schemes which require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will require planning permission. Proposals over 0.5 hectares in area will require to be screened for the purposes of EIA. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The provision of new social housing will have a positive impact on those who require specialist accommodation, older people, those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and those for whom purchasing a home is not an affordable option. The benefits of new build housing in relation to health, wellbeing and educational attainment, are well documented. New housing will also support our island communities and their economies. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 New homes should have a low environmental impact, with the aim of reducing fuel use and associated fuel costs. All projects within the SHIP will be delivered in accordance with Building Standards regulations for energy efficiency. In addition, the majority of the new projects incorporated into the plan will meet the Scottish Government’s ‘Greener Standard’. Innovative approaches to fuel efficient development will be considered on a site-by-site basis (e.g., zero direct emissions heating systems, solar photovoltaic panels, smart technologies etc). New Council homes contribute significantly to the Council’s Sustainability agenda. New housing is more energy efficient, better ventilated, and has higher levels of thermal comfort, which supports improved health and well-being. Key Priorities 4.6 The provision of new affordable housing supports the Council Plan strategic priorities: ‘Wellbeing’; ‘Climate Change’; ‘A Sustainable Council’: and ‘Communities and Local Democracy’. It supports the ambitions of the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to drive forward development on strategic regeneration sites, including town centres. There is also evidence that children and young people can benefit from improved cognitive development and a reduction in behavioural issues through living in a more attractive, warmer, and better ventilated environment and the provision of new affordable housing also supports the Council Plan priority that children and young people experience the best start in life. New housing will also support our island communities and their economies. Community Wealth Building 4.6 The delivery of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, alongside investment in land and asset maintenance, plays a key role in community wealth building. Effective use of community benefit clauses in development contracts, and partnership work with colleagues in Economic Development to support local construction and supply chain companies to bid for this work, can secure many of these jobs for local people and support the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. For example, the contractor for the Council’s Irvine Harbourside development employed 20 new employees, created seven apprenticeships, and provided nine work placements. They also delivered 60 hours of career development initiatives in North Ayrshire schools, promoting the construction industry as a positive destination for all. 434
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5. Consultation 5.1 The Council has taken a collaborative approach to the preparation of the SHIP, and the following stakeholders have been involved in the process: • ANCHO in partnership with Cairn • Cunninghame Housing Association • Riverside (formerly Irvine Housing Association) • Link Group Ltd • Trust Housing Association • The Scottish Government • North Ayrshire Council Officers (Economic Growth, Education, Finance, Housing, Planning, Property Management and Investment, Active Travel & Transport, Roads, and the Health and Social Care Partnership). 5.2 Regular meetings are held with developing organisations, the Council and the Scottish Government as part of the SHIP governance process. The meetings will continue to be convened on a quarterly basis each year, to ensure that partners’ requirements are identified, and the development programme delivered. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Fiona Ellis, Senior Manager, Housing Strategy and Development, on 01294 324031. Background Papers Local Housing Strategy 2023 – 2028 435
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North Ayrshire Council Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 436
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Page 2 Contents Contents Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 ............................................................................................................. 1 Contents ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Strategic policy context .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Equalities ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Childrens rights and wellbeing ................................................................................................................................... 6 Environment ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 Collaboration .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Investment priorities ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 More homes at the heart of great places .................................................................................................................... 8 Affordability and choice ............................................................................................................................................ 11 Affordable warmth and zero emissions .................................................................................................................... 19 Improving the quality of our homes .......................................................................................................................... 20 Prioritising projects ................................................................................................................................................... 24 SHIP funding streams ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Affordable housing supply programme ..................................................................................................................... 25 Reserves and balances ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Borrowing ................................................................................................................................................................. 25 437
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Page 3 Affordable housing policy developer contributions .................................................................................................... 25 Other funding sources .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Council tax on empty and second homes ................................................................................................................. 26 Planning and other regulatory matters ........................................................................................................................ 27 Delivery risks .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 Amendments or additions to the plan .......................................................................................................................... 28 Development projects ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Irvine & Kilwinning .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Three Towns ............................................................................................................................................................ 30 North Coast .............................................................................................................................................................. 31 Garnock Valley ......................................................................................................................................................... 32 Arran ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Locality to be confirmed ........................................................................................................................................... 32 Progress update ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 438
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Page 4 Introduction The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024-2029 sets out the priorities for affordable housing investment in North Ayrshire over the next five years and outlines how the Council and its partners will deliver these priorities. The focus of the plan is to support the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) to deliver affordable housing in North Ayrshire. The provision of new build housing has many benefits, including, helping to regenerate the area, providing sustainable housing solutions which help to address fuel poverty and support educational attainment, and supporting the ageing population and people with accessible housing and particular needs to live more independently. For the second consecutive year, the Council and its partners have not included any additional new build housing in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan however the Council has increased its buyback programme and all North Ayrshire developing registered social landlords now have buyback programmes included within the plan. The Council and its registered social landlord partners have experienced significant affordability challenges and pressures. The rate of inflation and rising material costs have significantly impacted upon construction costs and project viability. Increasing standards and emerging legislation also impact upon project costs and timelines as options appraisals and financial modelling are required prior to implementation. For example, the cost to tenants and future maintenance and replacement costs of zero direct emissions systems had to be reviewed with solutions considered on a site-by-site basis to ensure that they were affordable to install and for tenants to utilise. The Council’s standard house types had to be revised to accommodate new equipment to support the heating systems. Further delays and increased costs are likely to be experienced as Housing for Varying Needs and Building Standards are revised to enhance accessibility and adaptability of housing stock. These changes are likely to impact upon the Council’s standard house types and construction costs. Development is not the only policy intervention being explored by the Council. It would be very difficult for the Council and its partners to meet housing need only through investment in new homes. Work to maintain and improve the condition of existing social housing stock, provide aids and adaptations and improve the private rented sector are all intended to address the housing needs of the local population. The Council and developing registered social landlord partners with stock in North Ayrshire all have buyback programmes within the plan to increase affordable housing in the area and contribute to wider regeneration and estate management. 439
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Page 5 Strategic policy context Housing to 2040, Scotland’s first 20-year housing strategy, was announced in March 2021. The strategy commits to providing around £16bn of investment to support the delivery of 100,000 new homes by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent. The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme comprises a range of funding mechanisms to enable affordable housing providers to deliver homes in communities across Scotland to support local authorities’ Local Housing Strategies. The Scottish Government allocated Resource Planning Assumptions for the full five-year period of the current parliament to deliver the ambitious affordable homes target set out in Housing to 2040. The Council’s Cabinet approved the latest Local Housing Strategy 2023-28 on 13 June 2023. The Local Housing Strategy sets out the Council’s ambition: ‘We want all our people to live in the right homes, in great places, with access to any support services they need.” The strategy mirrors the format of Housing to 2040 and sets out four overarching outcomes which align to the four key strategies in Housing to 2040 as detailed below. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan is an extension of, and aligns to, the Local Housing Strategy. In preparing the plan, the Council has referred to the outcomes identified in the Local Housing Strategy, which support the objectives of the Council Plan. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan also aligns with the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy, which sets out how the Council, in conjunction with residents, will recover and renew services by building upon the outcomes of the Council Plan; committing to Community Wealth Building; and committing to a Green New Deal. Equalities In line with the Council Plan, fairness and equity is core to the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. It strives for a North Ayrshire where everyone has the same life chances to grow, prosper and have fulfilling and healthy lives. An Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken for the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. It found that there are no negative or discriminatory effects on any equality groups. Housing to 2040 strategy More homes at the heart of great places Affordability and choice Affordable warmth and zero emission homes Improving the quality of all homes Local Housing Strategy outcome Our places support thriving and inclusive communities Our people have affordable homes in the place they choose to live Our homes are energy efficient and release less emissions Our homes are in good condition and people can access any support services they need 440
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Page 6 The provision of new social housing will have a positive impact on those who require specialist accommodation, older people, those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and those for whom purchasing a home is not an affordable option. The benefits of new build housing in relation to health, wellbeing and educational attainment, are well documented. Public Health Scotland’s Healthy housing for Scotland report recognises that adequate housing which is safe, accessible, available, appropriate and high quality is key to us achieving the highest attainable standard of health. Childrens rights and wellbeing The North Ayrshire Child Poverty Action Plan 2022-2023 notes that North Ayrshire has the second highest level of child poverty after housing costs of any area in Scotland. Access to good quality and affordable housing is a key asset in addressing child poverty, and poverty overall. Research undertaken by Shelter suggests children can benefit from improved cognitive development and a reduction in behavioural issues through living in a more attractive, warmer, and better ventilated environment. All new build Council family homes have study space and private gardens. Environment A Strategic Environmental Assessment pre-screening questionnaire undertaken confirmed that there would be no likely significant adverse environmental effects from the activities set out within the Local Housing Strategy (which are not already subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment elsewhere), and for this reason a full strategic environmental assessment was not required. The likely environmental impact of development proposals (both positive and adverse) are scoped within the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the North Ayrshire Local Development Plan. Collaboration As the strategic housing authority, the Council is committed to supporting partners to deliver affordable housing development within North Ayrshire. The Council adopts a collaborative approach in the preparation of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. The key stakeholders listed on the next page have influenced the final programme. 441
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Page 7 Key stakeholders Local registered social landlord partners, including ANCHO, Cairn, Cunninghame Housing Association, Link Group Ltd, Riverside Scotland and Trust Housing Association North Ayrshire Council departments, including Economic Growth, Education, Finance, Housing, Planning, Property Management and Investment, Active Travel and Transport, Roads, and the Health and Social Care Partnership The Scottish Government The Council and its partners engage with communities when developing new build sites in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. For Council projects local residents are invited to review and comment upon the draft plans for the site. Thereafter the final plans are presented to the community and local residents are also invited to ‘Meet the Builder’ when a contractor has been appointed. Following the completion of each new site, design teams assess each project’s success in delivering places people can be proud of, as part of the ‘lessons learned’ review. Developing the Strategic Housing Investment Plan The priorities set out within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan were developed with partners and the local community through the preparation of the new Local Housing Strategy. The Council invited site nominations for the plan from its registered social landlord partners. No new site nominations were received. All existing developments were considered on their individual merits, with reference to the development priorities set out within the Local Housing Strategy and any known constraints. Thereafter, the Council issued the draft plan to partners to review. The Council will continue to monitor the development programme and new opportunities at quarterly meetings with developing landlords and the Scottish Government. Council Officers monitor the impact of the new build programme on education facilities and other services through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan project board. If any project becomes delayed or non-viable, the Council will work with registered social landlord partners and the Scottish Government to ensure that new homes are delivered by accelerating other projects within the plan. Continual improvement The Council regularly meets the Scottish Government and partner landlords to review the progress of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and share good practice. The Council holds ‘lessons learned’ meetings and undertakes tenant satisfaction surveys for each site. 442
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Page 8 Investment priorities The Local Housing Strategy notes that the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will be reviewed annually to establish affordable housing investment priorities for the Council and its partners which seek to address the key priorities established within the Local Housing Strategy, set out below. More homes at the heart of great places The places we live have a significant impact on wellbeing. High quality places are safe, provide access to services and can help to reduce isolation and enhance communities. Place making principles form the foundation of project development, informing site selection (where appropriate) and the design process. North Ayrshire has a diverse housing market comprising rural, urban and island communities. The Council has established six localities: 20-minute neighbourhoods The provision of housing within 20-minute neighbourhoods allows people to meet their needs locally and encourages active transport. The goal is to support a better quality of life in places, whilst making towns and villages more resilient. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan will prioritise new social housing developments which support the principles of 20-minute neighbourhoods, where feasible. Regeneration and town centres Public sector investment can have a transformational impact for communities, and there are cumulative benefits through considering how this can be coordinated with developing partners and the private sector. The Council explores site and area specific opportunities with partners to secure maximum regeneration benefits. This supports the ambitions of the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to drive forward place-based development on strategic regeneration sites, including town centres. Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North Coast Three Towns 443
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Page 9 Town centre regeneration is a primary focus of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, with several projects completed to date within, or near, town centres. The plan supports major housing led regeneration in North Ayrshire, an example being provision for the replacement of the 275 homes in the Fullarton tower blocks being demolished in Irvine. Regeneration often results in higher development costs as sites require demolition, refurbishment or have significant constraints/ abnormal costs. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan also includes the provision of funding for 250 units to assist the delivery of Housing’s Estate Based Regeneration Programme. This investment aims to provide new homes to replace any stock which requires to be demolished or reconfigured as part of the Estate Based Regeneration Programme. Green space Research shows that where people have access to good quality outdoor green space, there is a corresponding positive and lasting impact on public health. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan will prioritise new social housing developments which include the provision of outdoor green space for residents. Island communities The Council is committed to supporting island communities. General needs houses, amenity bungalows and homes for wheelchair users were provided on the Isle of Cumbrae during summer 2021 (18 homes) and at Brathwic Terrace on the Isle of Arran during summer 2022 (34 homes). A ‘Local Lettings Initiative’ was introduced for Arran prior to the allocation of the new Council homes. The Local Lettings Initiative gives additional priority to island residents and key workers. Arran Development Trust has secured funding from the Rural and Island Housing Fund to deliver 18 new affordable homes in Lamlash and Trust Housing Association is currently in discussion with a local landowner to develop a further 26 new homes in Brodick. The Council has established the Arran Housing Task Force to quantify demand for affordable housing on Arran and identify issues that may be limiting economic growth. A quantitative study is being undertaken to determine affordable housing demand on the island, recognising the assessed housing demand information from the North Ayrshire Housing Register and community feedback. The task force membership includes the Scottish Government, local community groups and Arran registered social landlords. The group will develop an action plan to address any identified housing issues on the island. 444
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Page 10 The Local Housing Strategy recognises that it is more expensive to build new homes on islands, compared to the mainland. Higher living, transport, infrastructure, and fuel costs alongside limited on-island construction companies are identified as contributing factors to this issue. These issues are being explored as part of the Community Wealth Building ambitions and Local Island Plans. Wider action The Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy introduced a new model to develop resilient, inclusive local economies, with more local employment and a larger and more diverse business base, ensuring that wealth is locally owned and benefits local people. Through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, contractors are expected to participate in the Council (or partners’) Community Benefits scheme, providing apprenticeships to young people, skilling up the local workforce and supporting economic growth. Homes for Scotland suggests there are 4.1 jobs created for every new home constructed. Effective use of community benefit clauses in development contracts, and partnership work with colleagues in Economic Development to support local construction and supply chain companies to bid for this work, can secure many of these jobs for local people. The Council’s housebuilding programme can support the Council’s ambitions to encourage more young people into training and employment. The North Ayrshire Local Employability Partnership Delivery Plan 2022 – 2026 sets out the intentions to help people of all ages to gain skills for employment. It will prepare people for employment, training, education and/ or volunteering, with the aim of increasing qualification levels and job prospects as well as reducing unemployment. Developing the Young Workforce have launched an online Skills Academy to support school leavers and job seekers. 445
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Page 11 Affordability and choice Housing demand The Local Housing Strategy has set a target of 1,625 new social housing units and a private rented sector target of 1,300 new units. There were 6,467 applicants on the North Ayrshire Housing Register on 31 March 2023, of these, 3,327 applicants had an assessed housing need. When transfer applicants are deducted 2,655 applicants remain (transfer applicants leave an existing social tenancy behind for reallocation when they are rehoused). Figure 1 opposite details housing register applicant needs. Please note that the numbers are not mutually exclusive, for example, applicants can request both amenity and sheltered homes. Location There is no limit to the number of letting areas applicants can select when making a housing application and demand has therefore been assessed proportionately below to reduce double counting. It is important to note that individual housing allocations can impact upon demand within areas. For example, if an applicant housed in the Three Towns also had Arran as an area of preference this would reduce demand for housing in Arran. North coast, Irvine and Kilwinning are the most pressured localities. Further analysis is required to determine housing pressures within the Arran and Cumbrae localities as the proportionate analysis is not effective in determining pressure within smaller localities. This work is underway for Arran through the Arran Housing Task Force, previously referenced in the ‘Island communities’ section of this document. The Council will assess the demand for further new build housing on Cumbrae during the lifetime of the plan. 3,327 applicants with an assessed housing need 111 require larger homes (6 people or more) 227 homeless applicants 81 require OT assessed adapted homes 178 requests for wheelchair accessible homes 353 requests for sheltered housing 910 requests for amenity housing Figure 1: Applicant needs (Source: Housing Register, March 2023) Figure 2: Proportionate demand for social housing by locality (Source: North Ayrshire Housing Register, March 2023) Arran, 113, 3% Garnock Valley, 305, 9% Irvine, 1316, 40%Kilwinning, 461, 14% North Coast including Cumbrae, 363, 11% Three Towns, 769, 23% 446
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Page 12 The total number of homes which will be developed over the lifetime of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan have been plotted by locality in figure 3 below. These new supply figures illustrate the aspiration to plan for a growing population, and to seek continued investment in housing stock to improve overall stock condition. They have been plotted alongside the net gain for the same period, proportionate demand from the housing register as at 31 March 2023 and historic new build completions from April 2013 to March 2023. Figure 3: Completions, net gain, proportionate demand, and historic completions The 'net gain' column indicates the additional homes available per locality following completion of the developments, minus the strategic demolitions set out in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Irvine Kilwinning 3 Towns North Coast Garnock Valley Arran TBA SHIP Completions 2013 - 2023 SHIP Completions 2024-2029 Net Gain 2024-2029 Proportionate Demand from NAHR 447
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Page 13 Size Applicant house size requirements are determined by the strategic bedroom need which is the minimum number of bedrooms required based on household composition. The proportion of homes by bedroom size is noted by locality in the table below based on proportionate demand. Table 1: Proportionate housing demand by strategic bedroom need and locality (Source: North Ayrshire Housing Register, March 2023) Analysis of the North Ayrshire Housing Register identifies demand trends for properties. House size has been identified by considering the minimum accommodation size suitable for the household; this is referred to as the 'strategic bedroom requirement’. The strategic bedroom need is used for planning purposes only. Generally, one-bedroom homes are found to be of lower demand. Two- bedroom homes are a more popular option for smaller households and are more flexible in meeting households’ future needs. An additional bedroom can also provide study space, or space for home working. An indicative size mix (Table 2) for developments across North Ayrshire has been prepared by uplifting the two-bedroom provision and reducing the one-bedroom, thus meeting tenant aspirations and providing flexibility in terms of property sizes as households change composition over time. Table 2: Altered demand by bedroom size (reflecting aspiration) and locality This mix is intended as a guide only; each project will be considered on a site-by-site basis by the developing organisation, before being approved by the Council. Number of Beds Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North Coast Three Towns North Ayrshire 1 51% 55% 56% 55% 59% 59% 57% 2 16% 13% 15% 13% 16% 14% 14% 3 22% 19% 15% 18% 16% 15% 16% 4+ 11% 13% 14% 14% 9% 12% 13% Number of Beds Arran Garnock Valley Irvine Kilwinning North Coast Three Towns North Ayrshire 1 16% 13% 15% 13% 16% 14% 14% 2 51% 55% 56% 55% 59% 59% 57% 3 22% 19% 15% 18% 16% 15% 16% 4+ 11% 13% 14% 14% 9% 12% 13% 448
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Page 14 The Council will consider the need for housing for larger families in advance of the preparation of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2025 – 2030. The Council currently has plans to build four, five and six-bedroom homes within its development programme. Homelessness North Ayrshire Council’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan was approved in 2019 and sets out how the Council and its partners will work together to implement a housing led approach to meeting the needs of homeless households. Where it is not possible to prevent homelessness, the priority is to secure a settled housing option for every homeless household as quickly as possible. The plan aligns with the housing supply priorities set out within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. The Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan priorities are to: The provision of new affordable housing which meets housing applicants needs and aspirations through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan will continue to support the delivery of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. Gypsy/ travellers The Council has not identified any additional demand issues in relation to accommodation for gypsy/ travellers. The Council has reviewed the condition of the permanent site at Redburn Grove, Irvine in consultation with residents to identify any future maintenance and investment works. An options appraisal is underway to develop plans and a business case for site improvements. The Council will make an application to the Scottish Government’s Gypsy/ Traveller Accommodation Fund to seek funding for any necessary renovation or improvements when this is complete. Housing for key workers The Council will assess the need to bid for funding for housing for Key Workers through the Scottish Governments five year £25million fund during the lifetime of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. proactively prevent homelessness wherever it is possible to do so reduce the time spent by homeless households in temporary accommodation reduce the number of hostel places and prioritise the use of dispersed accommodation reduce the overall number of temporary accommodation units implement Housing First for our most complex and disadvantaged service users shift funding towards flexible, floating housing support services 449
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Page 15 Ensuring best value As part of the tendering process, the Council prepares minimum specifications for materials utilised in the new build developments to ensure that they align to current lifecycle replacement and maintenance programmes. A suite of standard house types has also been developed to further assist with maintenance programmes and reduce project design costs. The Council is committed to making efficiency savings through strategic procurement arrangements in the delivery of the new build affordable housing programme, to ensure value for money for tenants. Several Strategic Housing Investment Plan projects have been procured through Hub South-West, as part of a procurement strategy to achieve cost and time savings through economies of scale. The Council has also, with ten local authority partners, worked with Scotland Excel to develop a New Build Residential Construction Framework Agreement available for use by all Scottish local authorities and registered social landlords. The Council has been utilising off site construction following a successful pilot scheme at Ardrossan Road, Seamill. During summer 2023, six new amenity bungalows were developed in Stevenston town centre. The construction method results in less waste and has sustainability benefits. It also reduced the construction time on site, and in turn, reduced disruption for local residents and businesses from site traffic and works. 450
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Page 16 Rent levels and affordability The Scottish Housing Regulator expects social landlords to be able to demonstrate affordability and engage meaningfully with tenants on rent increases. Increasing costs and inflation mean that retaining affordable rent levels is a significant challenge for the Council and its partners. Empty homes and second hand buy backs Empty homes are detrimental to the local environment, often the target of antisocial behaviour, and are more likely to fall into disrepair. The Council and its partners recognise that bringing former social housing stock into ownership can assist with housing management and maintenance issues and increase housing available through the North Ayrshire Housing Register. All developing registered social landlord partners with stock in North Ayrshire now have provision for buyback programmes within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Duration empty 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 Less than 6 months 35 18 23 6 to 12 months 61 71 3 1-2 years 15 136 31 2 to 5 years 10 109 64 5 to 10 years 0 0 2 More than 10 years 0 0 0 Total 121 334 123 Figure 4: Afton Court development of six amenity bungalows utilising off site construction in Stevenston town centre Table 3: Empty homes brought into use per annum 2020/21 to 2022/23 451
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Page 17 The Council has acquired three empty homes over the past three financial years which have been brought back into use as Council stock. Table 3, on the previous page, details the number of empty homes brought back into use in North Ayrshire from April 2020 until March 2023, all of these homes were subject to the Council Tax levy (this is where the Council currently focuses empty homes resources). A post has been funded for the Council’s Private Sector Advice Team from the reduction in discount for empty and second homes Council Tax in North Ayrshire since April 2022 to focus on bringing empty homes back into use. Private sector support The Council’s Private Sector Advice Team provide advice on private sector housing issues in North Ayrshire. The service is part of the revised Scheme of Assistance 2019 which introduced a range of new measures to improve private sector housing condition, including: A ‘pre-tenancy support service’ for landlords to aid the prevention of future property condition issues. A ‘missing shares scheme’ to remove barriers where a property owner refuses to meet their common repair obligations. Use of the Council’s powers for Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) where appropriate to acquire empty properties in poor condition, bringing them back into mainstream housing stock. An Empty Homes Loan Fund to assist property owners to bring properties back into effective use. Before and after photos of an empty home brought back into use 452
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Page 18 Second homes The Council’s Local Housing Strategy notes that there are 1,500 second homes in the area, almost all of which are located on the islands. On Arran, one in four privately owned houses are second homes; on Cumbrae this rises to 43%. This reduces the number of homes available for local people, and in turn pushes up house prices and private rent charges. The Scottish Government has committed to introducing new powers for local authorities to cap the number of second homes in an area. The intention is to provide a tool to create a viable balance between the number of second homes and permanently occupied homes. Alternative models of affordable housing delivery Recognising that a suite of affordable housing solutions is required to meet the needs and aspirations of local people, the Council has embarked on a pilot project aimed at the private housing sector Home Ownership Made Easy ‘HOME’. Home ownership made easy (HOME) The Council is reviewing the viability of the ‘HOME (Home Ownership Made Easy)’ project based on a model devised by Scottish Futures Trust. This shared ownership housing option aims to provide households the opportunity to purchase a stake in a home. The Council and our partner registered social landlords will continue to review alternative housing models which could be utilised to increase affordable housing supply during the lifetime of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. 453
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Page 19 Affordable warmth and zero emissions Sustainability The Council’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy includes actions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. New housing has a key role to play in carbon reduction, climate change mitigation, and alleviation of fuel poverty. The Council and its partners will continue to consider innovative and sustainable approaches to heat and power, such as low carbon heat, solar photovoltaic panels and smart technologies. The Council will ensure that all new build housing utilises Net Zero Direct Emissions heating systems in accordance with building standards. In advance of the new regulations the Council installed three biomass district heating schemes in Stevenston, Dalry and Largs. A bespoke energy strategy has been created for each emerging new housing development to ensure that the heating options for the sites are both energy efficient and affordable for tenants. The Council recognises that a ‘fabric first’ approach to sustainability can provide benefits to tenants, in terms of reducing heating costs. It also benefits the environment as all homes are designed to minimise heat loss. The Council completed two ‘sustainable demonstrator homes’ within Dickson Drive, Irvine in 2020 to highlight best practice in design and innovation, ensuring benefits from sustainable technologies are maximised. The benefits are currently being assessed, and the findings will be shared with partners to inform future developments. Also, in recognition of the safety benefits of sprinkler systems, the Council installed sprinklers in all new build housing proposals which reached technical design stage after October 2019, prior to the introduction of Building Standards legislation in March 2021. 454
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Page 20 Secure by design Successful design can contribute to community stability and promote feelings of safety and inclusion. All Council developments are planned utilising ‘secure by design’ principles. Active travel Access to safe walking networks, cycle pathways and public transport connects communities to local amenities and services. In turn, these can result in direct health benefits, through increased physical activity and reduced air pollution. They can also lead to indirect health benefits by providing improved access to opportunities for employment, leisure, and healthcare services. The sustainable travel hierarchy, illustrated in figure 5 opposite, sets out the transport priorities for sustainable transport in development. Improving the quality of our homes Over 40% of the stock developed by the Council and its partners since April 2013 has addressed particular housing needs, demonstrating the commitment to supporting tenants to live independently. The cost of particular needs housing is often more expensive than general needs housing, for example, housing for wheelchair users has a larger ground floor footprint, increasing construction costs and reducing economies of scale as site densities are reduced. Similarly, supported accommodation and sheltered housing require communal space which also increases costs. Wheelchair accessible accommodation All amenity and sheltered housing in North Ayrshire should be built to an ambulant housing standard as a minimum. To ensure need is met now and in the future, the new Local Housing Strategy increased the target to ensure at least 10% of all tenure new build stock is suitable for wheelchair users (increased from 7% in the previous strategy). In recognition of the benefits of providing adaptable housing, and to address demand from the North Ayrshire Housing Register, the Council and registered social landlord partners developed 180 (11% of new supply) new build homes suitable for wheelchair users since April 2013. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 estimates the delivery of a further 172 (13% of new supply) homes suitable for wheelchair users. Figure 5: Sustainable travel hierarchy 455
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Page 21 In addition, a set of standard house types for Council developments were designed in partnership with Housing Services Occupational Therapists which are of an accessible design to make best use of assets and adapt to tenants’ changing mobility needs. In preparing North Ayrshire’s third Local Development Plan, the Council will further consider the housing needs of older people and disabled people in the area and the establishment of an appropriate target for the delivery of accessible or adaptable homes, including wheelchair housing and intergenerational homes within the private sector, to support independent living particularly although not exclusively among older or disabled people. Occasionally it may be necessary to build larger specialist housing to meet the specific needs of individual households. Where this is provided by a registered social landlord, the Council will approve the proposals before a planning application is submitted. Supported accommodation Officers within the Place Directorate and the Health and Social Care Partnership developed a new supported accommodation housing model which has been implemented at sites across North Ayrshire. The focus is on maximising independence for adults within a homely setting, who require a higher level of support, and who are living with learning disabilities, or mental illnesses (all ages), or who are under 65 years and have physical disabilities. The new supported accommodation model can: prevent demand for additional services support a more independent lifestyle for service users integrate residents into community life use technological advances to support care provision provide care and support in a homely setting provide a base for effective care provision 456
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Page 22 The Strategic Housing Investment Plan has supported the Health and Social Care Partnership to meet specialist housing need through four dedicated supported accommodation projects which have provided 62 (4% of new supply) new homes across North Ayrshire. Housing for older people The Local Housing Strategy recognises that the proportion of older people in North Ayrshire is higher than that of Scotland as a whole (23% compared to 19%). It further predicts that by 2043 the over 75 age group will account for 28% of local people. Recognising the need to develop housing solutions appropriate for the older population, the Council and its partners have delivered 283 (17% of new supply) amenity homes and 223 (13% of new supply) units of sheltered housing since April 2013. The Council ensures that its sheltered housing is developed utilising dementia friendly design principles. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2024 – 2029 estimates the delivery of a further 311 (24% of new supply) amenity homes and 28 (2% of new supply) sheltered housing units. 457
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Page 23 Alongside the new build programme, the Council will continue to deliver its sheltered housing re-provisioning programme, which includes £25m investment in the refurbishment of sheltered housing units out with the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Extra care housing Housing Services and the Health and Social Care Partnership worked together over the last few years to develop a model for Extra Care Sheltered Housing. The vision was to create safe, affordable homes for tenants who require additional support, with extra services to promote independent living, such as assistance with meals or welfare checks, to be available to tenants for an additional fee. Following development of the outline model, demand analysis was undertaken by the Health and Social Care Partnership in 2021 alongside engagement with other areas in Scotland where similar housing models operate. At that time, it was determined as an outcomes of the analysis that there was not sufficient demand to integrate the extra care model into a new sheltered housing complex. The Council has, however, incorporated flexibility into some new build sheltered complexes to allow this model to be reconsidered in the future should the Health and Social Care Partnership chose to develop this further. 458
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Page 24 Assistive technology The Flatt Road development in Largs provides an exemplar for assistive technology to promote independent living. Features that can be installed within the sheltered housing complex and supported accommodation, where required, to support tenants’ individual needs include: Prioritising projects All projects which meet the criteria outlined above will be ‘high priority’. In the case of developments by registered social landlords the housing mix and type for each individual development site and the proposed rent levels for the new homes should be formally agreed with the Council prior to the submission of a planning application. Projects from the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023-2028 which have not yet completed have been included in the new 2024-2029 plan. Thereafter, the Council will prioritise all projects which are considered deliverable and meet the strategic goals outlined above. super-fast broadband smart heating controls automatic lights and blinds an integrated home communications hub with: video door entry video calls electronic welfare checks enhanced assistive technology safety monitors and sensors electronic note board and calendar android apps 459
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Page 25 SHIP funding streams Affordable housing supply programme The Scottish Government has committed £47.313m funding for North Ayrshire from April 2023 to March 2026 (see table 4 below). The Strategic Housing Investment Plan is based on projected grant funding of £124.000m. Funding for Council projects not yet at tender stage has been assumed at benchmark plus annual Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index inflation which has been assumed at 3.7% for 2024/25. The Council will seek grant funding above these levels on a site-by-site basis, as required. The registered social landlord funding rates have been included as requested by each developing organisation and will be subject to Scottish Government authorisation. To meet the requirement for ‘slippage’, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance, the Council has over committed the funding within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. The slippage requirement is to ensure that the allocation is fully spent even if delays or constraints emerge on other development sites, and to provide the opportunity for North Ayrshire to absorb slippage from other local authority areas. Table 4: North Ayrshire resource planning assumption per annum 2023/24 to 2025/26 and assumptions for 2026/27 to 2028/29 Reserves and balances All developing organisations will utilise available reserves and balances to support the development programme. Borrowing A large portion of development funding is secured from borrowing. Private finance supports registered social landlords development programme, and prudential borrowing supports local authority new build projects. Affordable housing policy developer contributions The Council’s previous Affordable Housing Policy (RES4), which required contributions to affordable housing provision from specified private developments within North Ayrshire, was removed within the new Local Development Plan (LDP2) adopted on 28 November 2019. 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 RPA £15.648m £15.702m £15.963m £23.500m £25.500m £27.687m 460
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Page 26 Developer contributions, in the form of commuted sums, received through the application of the Affordable Housing Policy under the previous Local Development Plan, will be utilised to fund projects being delivered through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, when required. The Council had an on-site contribution through the affordable housing policy at the 31-unit Ardrossan Road, Seamill development. The table below details the number of units supported per annum and the value of these contributions. All projects supported were delivered as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. Table 5: Projects supported by developer contributions April 2020 to March 2024 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Total Number of units supported 0 0 34 34 34* Funding value 0 0 £47,500 £18,750 £76,250 As at 31 March 2023 the Council had £0.019m of funding from developer contributions in hand. The Council will utilise any other incoming funds to support Council projects within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and partner developments, where appropriate. *Please note that the project supported spanned two financial years so the total number of units was 34. Other funding sources The Council will consider utilising other funding sources to support the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, where appropriate. The Council successfully secured £0.6m from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme to support the King’s Arms, Irvine town centre regeneration project. The Council and its partners do not have any current plans to seek funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund. Council tax on empty and second homes Income received from the reduction in discount for empty and second homes in North Ayrshire is held in the Council’s Affordable Housing Account. Table 6, on the next page, details the number of units supported per annum and the value of these contributions. All projects supported were delivered as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. 461
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Page 27 Table 6: Projects supported by Council Tax on empty and second homes April 2020 to March 2024 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Total Number of units supported 191 469 321 27 927* Funding from Council Tax levy on second homes and empty homes £1,252,078 £2,024,139 £541,320 £166,812 £3,984,349 As at 31 March 2023 the Council had £2.038m of funding from the Council Tax levy on second and empty homes and an estimated annual income of £0.978m. The Council will utilise the funds to support Council projects within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and partner developments, where appropriate. *Please note that a number of the projects supported spanned two financial years so the total number of units was 927. Planning and other regulatory matters In 2014, the Council’s Cabinet approved the House Building Protocol, to be used in all Council housing development projects that meet the criteria for permitted development. Class 33 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992, as amended, enables local authorities to carry out works, within their district, for the erection of dwellings so long as the development conforms with the Local Development Plan. In 2019, it was agreed that all future Council housing developments progressed as permitted development will be required to obtain a ‘Certificate of Lawfulness’ from the Council’s Planning Service. This will certify that each site within the SHIP has been considered against the full terms of the adopted Local Development Plan. Housing development proposals by the Council which do not fall within the scope of permitted development, including schemes which require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will require planning permission. Proposals over 0.5 hectares in area will require to be screened for the purposes of EIA. 462
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Page 28 Delivery risks Through experience, and engagement with registered social landlords and other developers, development constraints or risks to delivery of the programme have been identified as: • Inflation of building costs and rising tender prices • Shortages of materials • Capacity within the building and development industry across the country • Costs of infrastructure and ground remediation • Delays obtaining statutory utility consents • Emerging costs relating to legislative and building standards regulations amendments The Council and its partners will continue to work closely to monitor and actively manage these risks through the period of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Amendments or additions to the plan The delegated authority to accelerate any project detailed within the North Ayrshire approved SHIP is held by the Executive Director (Place) and the Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy. 463
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Page 29 Development projects An overview of projects detailed in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan tables is provided below by locality. Irvine & Kilwinning Project Timeline Site Information Harbourside, Irvine (NAC) 71 units Site Start: October 2020 Completion: 12 April 2023 The intergenerational development with a particular focus on older people’s housing provision delivered amenity bungalows, sheltered housing, general needs houses and homes for wheelchair users. The high-demand area is a short walk from Irvine beach park, train station, shopping mall and town centre. Bourtreehill Village, Irvine (NAC) 32 units Site Start: Autumn/ winter 2024 Expected Completion: Autumn/ winter 2028 The site will see the regeneration of the Bourtreehill Village area of Irvine. The site is expected to deliver new retail provision and 32 new homes. Corsehillhead, Kilwinning (NAC) 7 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Early 2025 The site will deliver a mix of general needs and amenity accommodation in the Corsehill area of Kilwinning. Montgomerie Park, Irvine (NAC) 189 units Site Start: Summer 2024 Expected Completion: Winter 2027 This site will provide a mix of general needs, amenity, and wheelchair user accommodation. Ayrshire Central, Irvine (NAC) 202 units Site Start: Spring 2024 Expected Completion: Spring 2027 Located in a high demand area, this site will deliver a mix of general needs, amenity, and wheelchair properties at the Ayrshire Central, Irvine site. Stanecastle, Irvine (NAC) 31 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Summer 2025 This site will deliver a mix of general needs, amenity, and wheelchair user accommodation on the site of the former Stanecastle School. Fullarton Street, Irvine (NAC) 62 units Site Start: Early 2025 Expected Completion: Summer 2026 This project will deliver a mix of general needs, amenity, and wheelchair accommodation on the former Irvine High Flats site. 464
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Page 30 Project Timeline Site Information King’s Arms, Irvine (NAC) 6 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Spring/ summer 2025 This project involves the regeneration of a prominent town centre building to deliver six amenity flats. Confidential Site 1 (Cairn) 10 units Site Start: Spring 2024 Expected Completion: Early 2025 This development will provide general needs, amenity, and wheelchair accommodation. This site is currently confidential due to a requirement for planning consent and for acquisition of land. Confidential Site 3 (Cairn) 4 units Site Start: Spring 2025 Expected Completion: Spring 2026 This site has the capacity for 4 affordable, general needs homes. This site is currently confidential due to a requirement for planning consent and for acquisition of land. Bank Street, Irvine (CHA) 16 units Site Start: Spring 2025 Expected Completion: Spring 2026 This town centre regeneration project in Irvine was previously allocated for Riverside. CHA is currently determining the viability of delivering 16 new homes for affordable rent as Riverside are no longer able to progress the scheme. Three Towns Project Timeline Site Information Afton Court, Stevenston (NAC) 6 units Site Start: Winter 2022 Completion: 24 July 2023 This town centre regeneration project delivered 6 amenity bungalows, recognising the highly accessible nature of this location. Modular construction was utilised to reduce the time on site and the impact of works on surrounding residents and businesses. James McFarlane, Saltcoats (NAC) 19 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Summer 2025 The site of the former James McFarlane school will provide general needs, amenity, and homes suitable for wheelchair accommodation close to Ardrossan town centre. James Reid, Saltcoats (NAC) 47 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Summer 2025 The site of the former James Reid school and the former Focus Centre will provide general needs, amenity, and wheelchair accommodation. Glebe Place, Saltcoats (NAC) 8 units Site Start: Spring 2027 Expected Completion: Winter 2028 This regeneration project which includes the demolition of low demand flats can accommodate approximately 8 new affordable homes close to Saltcoats town centre. Regeneration Project 1d, Ardrossan (NAC) 36 units Site Start: Autumn 2025 Expected Completion: Spring 2027 This project provides a regeneration opportunity for 36 affordable homes, comprising general needs, amenity, and wheelchair accommodation. 465
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Page 31 Project Timeline Site Information Nursery Place (Regen 1e), Ardrossan (NAC) 6 units Site Start: Spring 2026 Expected Completion: Spring 2027 This regeneration opportunity can accommodate approximately 6 new affordable homes. Grange Court, Stevenston (NAC) 6 units Site Start: Spring 2026 Expected Completion: Spring 2027 This regeneration opportunity can accommodate approximately 6 new affordable homes. Sharphill Phase 5, Saltcoats (CHA) 100 units Site Start: Autumn 2027 Expected Completion: Spring 2029 The next phase of the Sharphill site will deliver an additional 100 new homes, providing a mix of general needs, amenity, and wheelchair user homes. Green Street, Saltcoats (CHA) 24 units Site Start: March 2022 Expected Completion: 28 August 2023 The 24 new amenity homes developed in Saltcoats town centre were completed during August 2023. Garven Road, Stevenston (CHA) 20 units Site Start: Autumn 2023 Expected Completion: Autumn 2024 This site was formerly known as Confidential Site 8 and has capacity to deliver 20 new homes. Confidential Site 10, Ardrossan (CHA) 50 units Site Start: Spring 2026 Expected Completion: Autumn 2027 This project has capacity for up to 50 homes and is confidential until site feasibility can be confirmed. Parkend Gardens, Saltcoats (Link) 12 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Early 2025 This development is in close proximity to Saltcoats town centre and adjacent to North Ayrshire Council’s new development at Kyleshill Court, Saltcoats. It will deliver a mix of general needs, amenity and wheelchair accommodation. North Coast Project Timeline Site Information Former Largs Police Station (NAC) 12 units Site Start: 29 August 2022 Completion: 18 September 2023 Work completed during September 2023 at the former Largs Police Station site delivering 12 amenity flats in the high demand, town centre, location. 466
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Page 32 Garnock Valley Project Timeline Site Information Former Garnock Academy, Kilbirnie (NAC) 50 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Winter 2025 The site of the former Garnock Academy will see the development of a mixture of general needs homes, amenity bungalows and homes suitable for wheelchair users. Laburnum Avenue, Beith (NAC) 7 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Early 2025 This development will regenerate low demand flatted accommodation to deliver 7 new affordable homes in Beith. Newhouse Drive, Kilbirnie (NAC) 7 units Site Start: Early 2024 Expected Completion: Early 2025 This development will regenerate low demand flatted accommodation to deliver 7 new affordable homes in Kilbirnie. Arran Project Timeline Site Information Springbank, Brodick (Trust HA) 26 units Site Start: Early 2025 Expected Completion: Winter 2027 Trust Housing Association are exploring the viability of developing 26 homes at this Brodick site. This site was formerly known as Confidential Site 4. Locality to be confirmed Project Timeline Site Information Unallocated Regeneration Block (NAC) 15 units Site Start: Autumn 2025 Expected Completion: Autumn 2027 This involves the regeneration of 15 properties to deliver a mix of general needs, amenity bungalows and homes suitable for wheelchair users. The locations for these projects have still to be finalised. Regeneration Project 3 (Riverside) 30 units Site Start: Spring 2026 Expected Completion: Spring 2029 This project involves the regeneration of 30 properties to deliver a mix of general needs houses, amenity properties and homes suitable for wheelchair users. The location has still to be finalised. Unallocated CHA Block (CHA) 92 units Site Start: Spring 2025 Expected Completion: Winter 2026 The 92 units have been allocated within the SHIP to replace Confidential Sites 9 and 11 which were not viable. This will provide CHA with capacity for future development as the association identifies suitable sites. 467
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Page 33 Progress update The Council has made a commitment to develop 1,625 new homes by 2028. Good progress has been made towards achieving this target, with 831 new Council homes built as at 31 March 2023. The tables below detail the Council and its partners progress to date (excluding sites which are noted for completion during 2023/24 within the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2019 – 2024). Locality Pre 2018/19 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Total Arran 56 0 0 0 0 34 0 90 Garnock Valley 24 0 0 49 0 0 0 73 Irvine 250 0 111 0 83 0 77 521 Kilwinning 68 64 0 0 0 151 0 283 North Coast 85 26 58 0 141 29 0 339 Three Towns 84 126 0 28 105 16 0 359 Total Units 567 216 169 77 329 230 77 1,665 New supply by house type Units % General needs 934 56.1% Amenity housing 283 17.0% Sheltered housing 223 13.4% Supported accommodation 62 3.7% Wheelchair user 85 5.1% Ground floor living (wheelchair user) 45 2.7% Other adapted 10 0.6% Other 7 0.4% New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE) 16 1% Total 1,665 100% It should be noted that 50 of the amenity, sheltered and supported accommodation units detailed above are suitable for wheelchair users. 468
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Page 34 Completed North Ayrshire Council projects Locality General Needs Amenity Sheltered Supported W heelchair User Bungalow Ground Floor Living Other Total Units Completion year Copeland Crescent, Millport North Coast 11 1 12 2013/14 Redstone Avenue, Kilwinning Kilwinning 37 3 2 4 46 2014/15 John Galt PS, Irvine Irvine 64 10 6 80 2014/15 Stevenston Institute, Largs North Coast 11 11 2015/16 Dickson Drive, Irvine (Phase 1) Irvine 6 2 8 2015/16 Kiln Court, Irvine Irvine 16 16 2015/16 Montgomery Court, Kilbirnie Garnock Valley 8 16 24 2016/17 Fencedyke, Irvine Irvine 19 10 3 3 35 2017/18 Glencairn House, Stevenston Three Towns 28 28 2018/19 Canal Court, Saltcoats Three Towns 36 36 2018/19 Ardrossan Road, Seamill North Coast 25 5 1 31 2019/20 Dickson Drive, Irvine (Phase 2) Irvine 14 3 4 3 24 2019/20 Watt Court & Former Dalry P.S. Garnock Valley 8 22 15 4 49 2020/21 Dalrymple Place, Irvine Irvine 24 9 33 2021/22 St Beya, Cumbrae North Coast 3 9 3 3 18 2021/22 Springvale, Saltcoats Three Towns 6 2 2 4 14 2021/22 Flatt Road, Largs North Coast 49 16 28 22 5 2 1 123 2021/22 Former Towerlands P.S., Irvine Irvine 20 12 5 13 50 2021/22 Brathwic Terrace, Arran Arran 17 8 2 7 34 2022/23 St Michael's Wynd, Kilwinning Kilwinning 34 2 24 10 2 6 1 79 2022/23 St Colm's Place, Largs North Coast 29 29 2022/23 Caley Court, Stevenston Three Towns 15 1 16 2022/23 Total 294 120 223 62 45 45 7 796 469
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Page 35 Completed registered social landlord projects Locality General needs Amenity W heelchair Other adapted NSSE Total units Completion Year Flatt Farm, Largs (CHA) North Coast 16 10 26 2013/14 Vineburgh Phase 3, Irvine (CHA) Irvine 43 10 10 63 2013/14 Jetty Road, Fairlie (CHA) North Coast 10 3 13 2014/15 Benlister Road, Lamlash (Riverside) Arran 50 6 56 2014/15 Vineburgh Phase 4, Irvine (CHA) Irvine 41 6 1 48 2014/15 Pennyburn (Regeneration new build) (Riverside) Kilwinning 21 1 22 2015/16 Waterside Street, Largs (CHA) North Coast 12 12 2015/16 Seamore Street, Largs (CHA) North Coast 8 3 11 2016/17 Ardrossan Harbour Phase 1 (CHA) Three Towns 55 13 2 70 2017/18 New Street, Stevenston (CHA) Three Towns 7 7 14 2017/18 Nelson Street, Largs (CHA) North Coast 7 5 2 14 2018/19 Corsehillhead, Kilwinning (CHA) Kilwinning 57 5 2 64 2018/19 Ardrossan Harbour Phase 2 (CHA) Three Towns 2 4 4 10 2018/19 Sharphill Phase 3, Saltcoats (CHA) Three Towns 19 3 2 24 2018/19 Stanley P.S., Ardrossan (CHA) Three Towns 24 2 2 28 2018/19 Victoria Hotel, Largs (CHA) North Coast 12 12 2018/19 Balnagowan, Skelmorlie (CHA) North Coast 25 2 27 2019/20 Tarryholm Phase 1, Irvine (Riverside) Irvine 61 14 2 10 87 2019/20 Ardoch Court, Stevenston (CHA) Three Towns 26 2 28 2020/21 Corrie Crescent (Charitable Bond) (CHA) Three Towns 12 1 13 2021/22 Glebe, Saltcoats (CHA) Three Towns 2 2 2021/22 Sharphill Phase 4, Saltcoats (CHA) Three Towns 65 5 6 76 2021/22 West Byrehill, Kilwinning (CHA) Kilwinning 59 8 5 72 2022/23 Tarryholm Phase 2, Irvine (Riverside) Irvine 32 40 5 77 2023/24 Total 640 163 40 10 16 869 470
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Official‐Protect# Appendix 1 SHIP 2024‐2029 Pre 2024/25 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29 General Needs Am enity Supported W heelchair Ground Floor Living Sheltered Harbourside Irv NAC 71 New Build 26 Oct 20 12 Apr 23 2020/21 71 71 - 24 11 4 4 28 - - - - - - - - Largs Police Station (Redev 13) Lrgs NAC 12 New Build 29 Aug 22 30 Sep 23 2022/23 12 12 - 12 - - - - - - - - Afton Court (Redev 6a) Stev NAC 6 New Build 09 Jan 23 24 Jul 23 2022/23 6 6 - 6 - - - - - - - - 2nd Hand & Empty Home Buy Backs ! NAC 65 Buy Back 01 Apr 23 31 Mar 28 2023/24 5 15 15 15 15 5 15 15 15 15 £2,600,000 65 - - £200,000 £600,000 £600,000 £600,000 £600,000 £0 Garnock Academy (Redev 9) Kilb NAC 50 New Build 08 Jan 24 30 Oct 25 2023/24 50 50 £5,306,966 28 13 2 7 £473,397 £56,780 £1,110,750 £2,000,000 £1,666,039 £0 £0 £0 King's Arms (Regen 1c) Irv NAC 6 New Build 08 Jan 24 01 May 25 2023/24 6 6 £543,319 6 £0 £288,868 £82,000 £172,451 £0 £0 £0 £0 Corsehillhead Kilw NAC 7 New Build 01 Feb 24 01 Feb 25 2023/24 7 7 £711,516 5 2 £130,500 £72,154 £350,000 £158,862 £0 £0 £0 £0 James McFarlane (Redev 8a) Ardr NAC 19 New Build 01 Feb 24 01 Jun 25 2023/24 19 19 £1,993,029 10 4 1 4 £233,022 £58,347 £450,000 £1,251,659 £0 £0 £0 £0 Stanecastle (Redev 11a) Irv NAC 31 New Build 01 Feb 24 01 Aug 25 2023/24 31 31 £3,204,355 17 7 3 4 £493,411 £82,132 £450,000 £1,500,000 £678,812 £0 £0 £0 Laburnum Avenue (Regen Project 1a) Beith NAC 7 New Build 01 Feb 24 31 Jan 25 2023/24 7 7 £699,468 4 3 £0 £0 £125,000 £574,468 £0 £0 £0 £0 Newhouse Drive (Regen Project 1b) Kilb NAC 7 New Build 01 Feb 24 31 Jan 25 2023/24 7 7 £699,468 4 3 £0 £0 £125,000 £574,468 £0 £0 £0 £0 James Reid & FC (Redev 8b) Salt NAC 47 New Build 01 Feb 24 01 Aug 25 2023/24 47 47 £4,858,216 26 11 4 6 £602,999 £226,748 £1,200,000 £2,200,000 £628,468 £0 £0 £0 Ayrshire Central (Redev 12) Irv NAC 202 New Build 01 Apr 24 01 Apr 27 2023/24 202 202 £20,010,798 65 85 26 26 £2,252,936 £0 £600,000 £5,628,339 £6,529,523 £5,000,000 £0 £0 Nelson Street Lrgs NAC 3 Refurb 01 Jul 24 01 Apr 26 2024/25 3 3 £171,000 3 £0 £0 £0 £71,000 £100,000 £0 £0 £0 Montgomerie Park, Irvine Irv NAC 189 New Build 01 Aug 24 01 Dec 27 2024/25 189 189 £19,698,882 111 39 19 20 £4,579,235 £0 £780,000 £3,720,000 £6,620,200 £3,999,447 £0 £0 Bourtreehill Village (Redev 7) Irv NAC 32 New Build 01 Oct 24 30 Oct 28 2024/25 32 32 £3,409,353 24 6 1 1 £0 £0 £0 £0 £307,722 £500,000 £2,000,000 £601,631 Refurbishment Project 8 Irv NAC 2 Refurb 01 Nov 24 01 Nov 26 2024/25 2 2 £114,000 2 £0 £0 £0 £14,000 £100,000 £0 £0 £0 Fullarton Street (HF) Irv NAC 62 New Build 06 Jan 25 01 Jun 26 2024/25 62 62 £6,355,354 40 15 2 5 £0 £0 £0 £1,000,000 £2,855,354 £2,500,000 £0 £0 Regeneration Project 1d Ardr NAC 36 New Build 01 Sep 25 30 Apr 27 2025/26 36 36 £3,983,812 20 5 11 £0 £0 £0 £0 £983,812 £3,000,000 £0 £0 Unallocated Regeneration Block TBA NAC 15 New Build 01 Sep 25 30 Sep 27 2025/26 15 15 £1,594,478 10 3 1 1 £0 £0 £0 £0 £50,000 £1,000,000 £544,478 £0 Nursery Place (Regen 1e) Ardr NAC 6 New Build 01 Apr 26 30 Apr 27 2026/27 6 6 £635,113 4 2 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £325,348 £309,765 £0 Grange Court (Regen) Stev NAC 6 New Build 01 Apr 26 30 Apr 27 2026/27 6 6 £644,576 6 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £325,348 £319,228 £0 Glebe Place Salt NAC 8 New Build 01 Apr 27 30 Nov 28 2027/28 8 8 £836,109 5 3 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £422,365 £413,744 Confidential Site 1 ₴ Irv Cairn 10 New Build 01 Mar 24 01 Jan 25 2023/24 10 10 £1,117,945 6 2 2 £0 £0 £100,000 £1,017,945 £0 £0 £0 £0 Cairn Buy Back Programme ! Cairn 2 Buy Back 01 Apr 24 31 Mar 26 2024/25 2 2 £85,000 2 £0 £0 £0 £85,000 £0 £0 £0 £0 Confidential Site 3 Kilw Cairn 4 New Build 01 Apr 25 01 Apr 26 2025/26 4 4 £407,000 4 £0 £0 £0 £0 £407,000 £0 £0 £0 Green Street (Confidential Site 7) Salt CHA 24 New Build 21 Mar 22 28 Aug 23 2021/22 24 24 £2,065,436 23 1 £418,366 £1,647,070 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 Garven Road (Confidential Site 8) Stev CHA 20 New Build 01 Sep 23 01 Sep 24 2023/24 20 20 £3,200,000 18 1 1 £0 £0 £3,200,000 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 CHA Buy Back Programme ! CHA 6 Buy Back 01 Nov 23 31 Mar 29 2023/24 6 6 £240,000 6 £0 £0 £40,000 £40,000 £40,000 £40,000 £40,000 £40,000 Bank Street (111) Irv CHA 16 New Build 01 Apr 25 30 Apr 26 2025/26 16 16 £2,560,000 16 £0 £0 £0 £0 £1,152,000 £1,408,000 £0 £0 Unallocated CHA Block TBA CHA 92 New Build 01 Apr 25 01 Dec 26 2025/26 92 92 £14,720,000 64 23 5 £0 £0 £0 £0 £3,503,360 £6,506,240 £4,710,400 £0 Confidential Site 10 Ardr CHA 50 New Build 01 Apr 26 31 Oct 27 2026/27 50 50 £8,000,000 45 3 2 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £5,000,000 £3,000,000 £0 Sharphill (Ph 5) Salt CHA 100 New Build 01 Oct 27 01 Mar 29 2027/28 100 100 £14,800,000 78 17 5 £1,277,000 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £6,400,000 £7,123,000 Harbour Road Irv CHA - New Build - - - - - - - - - - - - Parkend Gardens Salt Link 12 New Build 10 Jan 24 10 Jan 25 2023/24 12 12 £1,909,931 8 3 1 £83,625 £0 £500,000 £1,326,306 £0 £0 £0 £0 Riverside Buy Back Programme ! Riverside 15 Buy Back 01 Apr 23 01 Mar 27 2023/24 15 15 £1,367,730 15 £0 £0 £280,000 £367,730 £400,000 £320,000 £0 £0 Regeneration Project 3 TBA Riverside 30 New Build 01 Apr 26 01 Mar 29 2026/27 30 30 £2,833,680 24 3 1 2 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £333,680 Trust Buy Back Programme Arran Trust 6 Buy Back 01 Nov 23 31 Mar 29 2023/24 6 6 £600,000 6 £0 £0 £200,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £0 Springbank (Confidential site 4) ₳ Arran Trust 26 New Build 01 Jan 25 01 Dec 27 2024/25 26 26 £5,000,000 26 £0 £0 £0 £750,000 £4,250,000 £0 £0 £0 1302 361 533 178 107 123 0 118 78 170 209 545 182 £136,976,532 791 311 0 81 91 28 £10,544,492 £2,432,099 £9,792,750 £23,152,227 £30,972,290 £31,624,383 £19,946,236 £8,512,055 SHIP 2023 - 2028 New addition to SHIP Confidential Sites Sites removed from SHIP 2024 - 2029 Sites completing from SHIP 2023 - 2028 ₳ The access point for this development should be agreed with NAC Roads as the existing road network may not cope with the additional units ₴ This site is located on Open Ground and can only progress subject to a Planning Application for change of use SHIP Spend 2027/28 SHIP Spend 2028/29 Scottish Government Grant Units Type Estimated Site Start SHIP Approval Year Site Starts Site Completions Estimated Practical Completion SHIP Spend 2026/27 House Types Pre 2022/23 Spend SHIP Spend 2022/23 SHIP Spend 2023/24 SHIP Spend 2024/25 SHIP Spend 2025/26Site Town Developer #Official‐Protect 472
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Former St Mary’s Primary School, Largs – SHIP social housing development proposal Purpose: To seek approval for the inclusion of the former St Mary’s Primary School site, Largs as a 26-unit Council social housing development in the North Ayrshire SHIP 2024-29 Recommendation: It is proposed that Cabinet: (i) notes the challenges encountered in delivering the Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) pathfinder project on the site of the former St Mary’s Primary School, Largs since its approval by Cabinet in December 2018, and agrees to no longer progress this; (ii) notes the discussions which have taken place with Scottish Government in recent months to identify alternative affordable housing options for the site; (iii) approves the sale of the site by the Council’s General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account at the indicative value, pending district valuer valuation and subject to any abnormal costs; and (iv) approves the inclusion of the site as a 26-unit Council social housing development in the North Ayrshire SHIP 2024-29. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Following approval of the project concept by Cabinet on 11 December 2018, officers worked with Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) to develop an innovative pathfinder initiative entitled ‘HOME’ (Home Ownership Made Easy) on the site of the former St Mary’s Primary School in Largs. 1.2 The HOME project is designed to help people who are unable to access a housing solution which meets their needs in either the private or social rented sectors. Occupants pay an up-front investment to access a brand-new home, which is managed and maintained by the Council. Occupants then pay an ongoing monthly payment, which should be lower than the equivalent private market rent or typical mortgage. The occupancy payments cover the debt repayments and maintenance and management costs in full, so that the model is financially sustainable. 1.3 The HOME project ran into delays during the period 2020 - 2022, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also the enforcement of Scottish Water policies affecting the site. Consequently, the project team developed a revised draft scheme, which Scottish Water were satisfied with, and which took the development down from 33 units to 26 units. Conditional approval was granted for the planning application in August 2021. All other statutory consents are in place. Agenda Item 16 473
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1.4 Due to increasing construction costs since project inception, the HOME project was assessed in early 2023 as not being financially viable. The Council’s Legal Services team also raised concerns about the ability to pursue non-payment of occupancy fees through a standard security, which resulted in the Scottish Futures Trust seeking their own external legal advice. Their advisors confirmed Legal Services’ view. 1.5 Following the financial and legal assessments, officers have been investigating alternative options to enable affordable housing development to be taken forward on the site, recognising that planning and other statutory approvals are already in place. 1.6 Discussions have been taking place with Scottish Government officials since early 2023, leading to a business case being presented to Scottish Government in June 2023 seeking sufficient funding to enable the site to be developed for social housing – initially for people seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine and thereafter for allocation through the North Ayrshire Housing Register - without impacting on the Council’s HRA 30-year Business Plan and associated rent levels. 1.7 Following extensive negotiations, Scottish Government have confirmed their willingness to fund the project through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. The £4.0m grant offered is significantly above their normal benchmark level and will enable the project to be delivered and the homes maintained using the rents receivable from the 26 new homes. 1.8 Scottish Government have advised that there are no conditions on the funding which require the properties to be allocated to Ukrainian Displaced People, although they have advised that it would be helpful to the Ukraine programme if some support was provided. 1.9 The proposed development supports the Council’s stated Local Housing Strategy priority of providing high quality homes for affordable rent, with 12 of the 26 (46%) homes suitable for wheelchair users. This compares very favourably to the North Ayrshire Local Housing Strategy all-tenure target of 10%. 1.10 Cabinet is asked to note the deliverability challenges encountered in delivering the HOME pathfinder project on the site of the former St Mary’s Primary School, Largs since its approval by Cabinet in December 2018 and approve the inclusion of the site as a 26-unit Council social housing development in the North Ayrshire SHIP 2024-29. 2. Background 2.1 On 11 December 2018 Cabinet agreed to the implementation of a new housing delivery model, on the site of the former St Mary’s Primary School in Largs, to provide an affordable housing solution for those facing challenges securing access to private or social rented housing. 2.2 The HOME project is designed to help people who are unable to access a housing solution which meets their needs in either the private or social rented sectors. Occupants pay an up-front investment to access a brand-new home, which is managed and maintained by the Council. Occupants then pay an ongoing monthly payment, which is lower than the equivalent private market rent or typical mortgage. The occupancy payments cover the debt repayments and maintenance and management costs in full, so that the model is financially sustainable. 474
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2.3 The two stage HOME Project consultation process undertaken during 2018 comprised of a series of focus groups and a survey which received 698 responses. Whilst the focus of the consultation was to determine the housing needs and aspirations of local people in order to inform the feasibility of the HOME Project model, a significant proportion of respondents advised that what was most important was affordable housing in the right location. 2.4 Following the consultation, the Council received 289 expressions of interest in the HOME Project. Should Cabinet approve the development of social rented housing on this site, Council Officers will contact all interested parties to inform them of this. 2.5 The HOME project ran into delays during the period 2020 - 2022, primarily related to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the focus of the Housing Strategy and Development team being on projects already on site. 2.6 The project also suffered significant delays during 2020/21 due to the enforcement of Scottish Water policies, in which there had previously been some flexibility. Consequently, the project team developed a revised draft scheme, which Scottish Water were satisfied with, and which took the development down from 33 units to 26 units. Conditional approval was granted for the planning application in August 2021. All other statutory consents are in place. 2.7 Due to increasing construction costs since project inception, the HOME project was assessed in early 2023 as not being financially viable; the proposed monthly occupancy fees require to be significantly higher than originally anticipated, and also significantly higher than the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). 2.8 The Council’s Legal Services team also raised concerns about the ability to pursue non- payment of occupancy fees through a standard security, which resulted in the Scottish Futures Trust seeking their own external legal advice. Their advisors confirmed Legal Services’ view. The Scottish Government subsequently confirmed it does not recognise the HOME model presented to them by Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) as a shared ownership scheme. 2.9 Following the financial and legal assessments, Council officers have been investigating alternative options to enable affordable housing development on the site to be taken forward, recognising that planning and other statutory approvals are already in place. 2.10 Discussions have been taking place with Scottish Government officials since early 2023, leading to a business case being presented to Scottish Government in June 2023 seeking sufficient funding to enable the site to be developed for social housing – initially for people seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine and thereafter for allocation through the North Ayrshire Housing Register - without impacting on the Council’s HRA 30-year Business Plan and associated rent levels. 2.11 The business case confirmed that the site is shovel ready, with planning permission granted, designs complete and a contractor in place through Hub Southwest. It also advised that the works on site could commence within a very short time following Scottish Government funding approval being obtained and the project is anticipated to take one year to complete. 475
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2.12 It was stressed that the site cannot be added to the current North Ayrshire SHIP without the full additional Scottish Government funding requested being provided, as the Council’s HRA 30-year business plan is already fully financially committed. 2.13 It was also highlighted that Largs has already benefitted from a significant allocation of new build homes at various sites through the SHIP to date so, should additional North Ayrshire Housing Revenue Account funding become available, this is likely to be allocated to other priority areas. 2.14 Following extensive negotiations and technical assessment of the Council’s proposal, Scottish Government have confirmed their willingness to fund the project through their Affordable Housing Supply Programme, recognising the shovel-ready status of the project and its contribution to increasing local and national social housing supply. 2.15 The £4.0m grant offered is significantly above the normal benchmark level and will enable the project to be delivered and the 26 homes maintained using the rents receivable over the 50-year period modelled in the business case. 2.16 Scottish Government have advised that there are no conditions on the funding which require the properties to be allocated to Ukrainian Displaced People, although they have advised that it would be helpful to the Ukraine long-term resettlement programme if some support was provided. 2.17 Should Cabinet accept that the HOME pathfinder project no longer progresses due to the challenges encountered; and agree for the site to be used as a social housing development, then it is proposed that this project be incorporated within the SHIP 2024 – 2029 with no impact on the 30-year HRA business plan or tenants rent levels. 2.18 The approved site mix comprises: • 8 x 2-bed general needs houses • 8 x 2-bed amenity flats • 4 x 2-bed amenity bungalows • 6 x 3-bed general needs houses 2.19 The proposed development supports the Council’s stated Local Housing Strategy priority of providing high quality homes for affordable rent, with 12 of the 26 (46%) homes suitable for wheelchair users. This compares very favourably to the North Ayrshire all-tenure target of 10%. 2.20 As of 30 September 2023, the North Ayrshire Housing register had 1252 housing applicants registered for the Largs area. Of these, 547 are deemed to be in housing need, with 99 requiring accessible housing suitable for wheelchair users and 331 required general needs housing. 476
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2.21 The land of the former St Mary’s site in Largs currently sits within the Council’s general fund. The site was valued in March 2023 by external valuers, Graham and Sibbald, on a Market Value basis at £300,000 gross. In accordance with previous transactions between the HRA and General Fund, a refreshed valuation will be instructed as a matter of urgency by the District Valuer Services on Market Value with Special Assumptions given to the proposed development. 2.22 To avoid delays to the proposed project, the HRA will transfer £300,000 to the General Fund based on the current site valuation. The relevant adjustments including abnormal costs will be made following completion of the refreshed valuation by the District Valuer Services. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet (i) notes the challenges encountered in delivering the Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) pathfinder project on the site of the former St Mary’s Primary School, Largs since its approval by Cabinet in December 2018; and agrees to no longer progress this; (ii) notes the discussions which have taken place with Scottish Government in recent months to identify alternative affordable housing options for the site; (iii) approves the sale of the site by the Council’s General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account at the indicative value, pending district valuer valuation and subject to any abnormal costs; and (iv) approves the inclusion of the site as a 26-unit Council social housing development in the North Ayrshire SHIP 2024-29. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The total cost to build the 26 new houses on the St Marys site including the acquisition of land is £6.4m. Due to the Scottish Government £4.0m grant being significantly above benchmark, the project can be delivered, and the 26 homes maintained using the rents receivable over the 50-year period modelled in the business case. 4.2 To avoid delays and pending Cabinet approval, the HRA will transfer to the General Fund the indicative site value of £300,000 and the relevant adjustments will be made following completion of the refreshed valuation by the District Valuer Services. Agreed abnormal costs will be deducted from the updated land valuation. Human Resources 4.3 None 477
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Legal 4.4 The Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992, Schedule 1, Part 12, Class 33, as amended, enables local authorities to undertake works, within their district, for the erection of dwellings so long as the development conforms with the Local Development Plan. The Council’s House Building Protocol governs the design and consultation processes for such development to ensure that appropriate levels of design scrutiny and consultation are maintained. In 2019, it was agreed that all future Council housing developments progressed as permitted development will be required to obtain a ‘Certificate of Lawfulness’ from the Council’s Planning Service. This will certify that each development site has been considered against the full terms of the adopted Local Development Plan. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The provision of 26 new social homes for social rent on the St Mary’s site will have a positive impact on those who are seeking family and accessible social housing in the Largs area. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The new homes will have a low environmental impact, will reduce fuel use and associated fuel costs for tenants. The proposed housing development will be delivered in accordance with the Building Standards regulations for energy efficiency. The homes will be connected to the communal biomass boiler at the adjacent Flatt Road site, have solar photovoltaic panels and EV charging points installed. New housing is more energy efficient, better ventilated, and has higher levels of thermal comfort, which supports improved health and well-being. Key Priorities 4.6 The proposed development aligns with the Council Plan strategic priorities: ‘Wellbeing’; ‘Climate Change’; ‘A Sustainable Council’: and ‘Communities and Local Democracy’. It supports the ambitions of the Council’s Regeneration Delivery Plan to drive forward development on strategic regeneration sites, including town centres. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The proposal supports the Community Wealth Building strategy through effective use of available land and property. It also supports local businesses and generates employment and training opportunities. Achievement of this is through community benefit clauses within development contracts and working in partnership with Economic Development who support local construction and supply chain companies to bid for this work. 478
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5. Consultation 5.1 The two stage HOME Project consultation process undertaken during 2018 comprised of a series of focus groups and a survey which received 698 responses. Whilst the focus of the consultation was to determine the housing needs and aspirations of local people in order to inform the feasibility of the HOME Project model, a significant proportion of respondents advised that what was most important was affordable housing in the right location. Following this consultation 289 people have expressed an interest in the HOME project. 5.2 Consultation was also undertaken with SFT, Finance, Legal and Estates regarding the HOME project since its inception. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Yvonne Baulk, Head of Housing and Public Protection, on 01294 324542. Background Papers HOME Cabinet Paper December 2018 479
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 07 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Council house buy-back programme to accommodate Ukrainian Displaced People Purpose: To seek Cabinet approval to purchase up to 40 properties to accommodate Ukrainian households for three years using Scottish Government grant being made available. Recommendation: It is recommended that Cabinet: (i) Approves the purchase of up to 40 properties to be used to accommodate Ukrainian households for three years; and (ii) Notes that the homes will be available for allocation to other housing applicants thereafter. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 North Ayrshire Council officers have been working closely with Scottish Government and COSLA since March 2022 to offer accommodation and sanctuary to people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. 1.2 As at November 2023, the Council and Community Planning Partners had supported 185 Ukrainian displaced households (395 people) to settle in North Ayrshire across the different sponsorship schemes. 1.3 The uptake of visas has been significantly higher than originally anticipated and North Ayrshire Council has now exhausted all housing solutions from existing stock to accommodate Ukrainian Dispersed Persons (UDPs). 1.4 The Scottish Government has recently taken the decision to close local hotel/ welcome accommodation utilised to accommodate UDPs. 1.5 North Ayrshire Council has been working with the Scottish Government, COSLA and other local authorities to identify options to increase the supply of short, medium, and longer-term accommodation for the use of UDPs. 1.6 Following Scottish Government’s consideration of a business case prepared by North Ayrshire Council officers, an opportunity has arisen for the Council to purchase up to 40 homes on the open market to accommodate UDPs for three years. The homes would thereafter be available for allocation to applicants on the North Ayrshire Housing Register. The net cost of the acquisitions will be met by Scottish Government. Agenda Item 17 481
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2. Background 2.1 The Council and CPP partners have worked closely with the Scottish Government and COSLA since March 2022 to help Ukrainian displaced households settle in North Ayrshire. 2.2 As at 10 October 2023, 25,778 displaced people from Ukraine had arrived in Scotland. The pace of arrivals has slowed, and in September 2023 there were approximately 3000 people in initial welcome accommodation across the country. 2.3 The Council and Community Planning Partners have supported 185 Ukrainian displaced households (395 people) to settle in North Ayrshire across the different sponsorship schemes. 2.4 Recognising that it is not the most suitable model of accommodation for people and is not financially sustainable, the Scottish Government has taken the decision to significantly reduce the use of hotel accommodation. 2.5 The North Ayrshire Hub at Riverside Hotel in Irvine closed on 21 September 2023; the remaining Ukrainian seven households were assisted to secure alternative accommodation prior to its closure. 2.6 There continues to be concerns across local government regarding the national capacity to meet both the short and medium to long-term response to the Ukraine crisis, alongside local housing needs, with pressures on accommodation and support services significant. 2.7 Given the current pressure on housing provision and the homelessness service, North Ayrshire Council has exhausted the use of existing stock to accommodate UDPs. 2.8 The Council has the capacity to increase its current buyback programme, which if approved would increase accommodation available for allocation to UDPs (under a Scottish Secured Tenancy (SST) by 40 properties for a period of three years. When they are no longer utilised for UDPs the properties would be allocated as mainstream housing in line with the North Ayrshire allocation policy, assisting to meet local housing need. 2.9 In June 2023 a business case was submitted to the Scottish Government’s More Homes Division and the Warm Scottish Welcome Directorate, proposing that they provide funding over and above the benchmark grant to enable the buyback of properties in North Ayrshire for UDPs. 2.10 There would be no net cost to North Ayrshire Council. The funding shortfall, after consideration of grant funding and rental income, future maintenance and borrowing costs, would be met by the Scottish Government, recognising the project supports cost avoidance by the Warm Scottish Welcome Directorate. 2.11 The Council would primarily seek to purchase ex-local authority houses, and an initial review of the market has confirmed that sufficient suitable properties are likely to be available for sale by 31 March 2024. 482
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2.12 The Council’s Refugee Support Team will continue to work with Community Planning Partners, through the Refugee Taskforce, to resettle new Ukrainian families into North Ayrshire; facilitating access to essential services including health, education, training and employment. 2.13 The benefits associated with increasing the buyback programme are summarised below: - It assists with the current housing crisis in relation to UDPs and provides a longer- term accommodation solution, with agreement made for a period of 3 years - It provides a better and joined-up use of public funds - It increases available social housing as any voids created due to the departure of UDPs in the longer-term would become available for general allocation 2.14 On 24 August 2023, the Scottish Government More Homes Division’s Head of Ukraine Longer Term Accommodation wrote to the Head of Housing and Public Protection detailing the intention to progress the proposal. The terms of the agreement are as follows: - The grant funding should be used to support the purchase of up to 40 off-the-shelf units - All homes should be purchased at or below market value (as established by the District Valuer or other suitably qualified property surveyor), contribute to the Scottish Government’s affordable housing target, and be available for the purpose of housing UDPs for up to 3 years, at which point they will revert to mainstream social housing stock in North Ayrshire - Grant funding per property cannot exceed the purchase price plus costs of improvement works of any individual property - Homes will be a range of 1, 2 and 3 bed properties - Purchases will be completed and grant drawn down by 31 March 2024 – and given the urgent need for housing this will be accelerated where possible - This investment will not displace other parts of the agreed North Ayrshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan. 2.15 On 5 October 2023, the Scottish Government More Homes Division confirmed that the buyback programme had been approved by the Housing Minister. 3. Proposals 3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: (i) Approves the purchase of up to 40 properties to be used to accommodate Ukrainian households for three years; and (ii) Notes that the homes will be available for allocation to other housing applicants thereafter. 483
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4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The Scottish Government will provide funding to buy 40 houses on the open market. In line with the business case presented to Scottish Government, this will be used to bridge the funding gap between acquisition, improvement and maintenance costs and future rental income. Human Resources 4.2 It is anticipated that the management of the buy-back process through to resettlement of UDPs will be met within existing Council resources. Should additional conveyancing support be required, this will be procured through existing frameworks. Legal 4.3 None Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purchase of 40 units of social rented housing will increase the level of Council stock available for relet to North Ayrshire Housing Register applicants when they are no longer required for UDPs. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The properties purchased will be brought up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, ensuring that they are energy efficient, and in doing so minimising carbon emissions which will assist our contribution to Scotland's net zero emissions targets. Key Priorities 4.6 The matters referred to in this report support the delivery of all four Council Plan priorities: Wellbeing; Communities and Local Democracy; Climate Change; and a Sustainable Council. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The Council’s contractors are required to participate in the Council’s Community Benefits Programme, which contains targets for local training, employment and community support. 484
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5 Consultation 5.1 Council officers worked closely with Scottish Government to develop the proposals set out in this report. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Janeine Barrett, Senior Manager (Homelessness and Community Safety) janeinebarrett@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 01294-314600 Background Papers 0 485
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: National Islands Plan Review consultation response Purpose: To provide an update on the Council’s engagement in the consultation on the review of the National Islands Plan by the Scottish Government and to seek approval for the proposed consultation response. Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Notes the Scottish Government’s consultation on the review of the National Island Plan; b) Approves the proposed consultation response provided at Appendix 1; and c) Notes the submission of separate consultation responses on behalf of the Island Plan Steering Groups on both islands. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 A consultation to review the National Islands Plan (NIP) is required under section 6 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. The Scottish Government launched the consultation on 18 July 2023 with responses being sought by 7 November 2023. 1.2 The review aims to assess the impact of the NIP since its publication in 2019. This will potentially inform a new NIP, to be published in 2025, if the consultation responses evidence the requirement for this. Essentially, the NIP review consultation provides an opportunity for island communities to highlight the issues they are currently facing and ensure that these are directly reflected in the next iteration of the Plan. 1.3 The proposed Council response to the consultation, for which this report seeks approval, is provided at Appendix 1. Separate responses are being submitted on behalf of the Island Plan Steering Groups on both islands. 2. Background 2.1 The National Islands Plan (NIP) was launched twelve weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. It was published before the UK’s exit from the EU, and before the onset of the cost of living crisis. Combined with the wider impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these issues have had a significant impact on Scotland’s island communities. Agenda Item 18 487
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2.2 The Act requires a review of the Plan within 5 years of initial publication. Given the circumstances, the NIP review consultation is timely in providing the Scottish Government, their partners and island communities with an opportunity to reflect on changes in circumstance since 2019. 2.3 In 2021, the Council commenced a three-year Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot in partnership with the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This aims to support an inclusive and green economic recovery and renewal of North Ayrshire’s island communities in line with their unique challenges and opportunities. This pilot is strongly aligned to the delivery of the strategic objectives of the current NIP and to Community Wealth Building (CWB) principles. 2.4 Whilst developing the 10-year Local Island Plans during 2021/22, the Council sense checked feedback previously gathered from 2019 onwards to ensure that the challenges and main concerns for each island were still relevant and remain the priorities of each island post-pandemic. Informed by Arran and Cumbrae’s extensive input during the development of the NIP, the Local Island Plans reflect synergies with all the Strategic Objectives of the NIP. They also take a distinct locality focus, ensuring complementarity and avoiding overlap or duplication of other local and regional activities, plans, strategies, and funding sources. 2.5 A key focus for the pilot has been strengthening the partnership with our island communities, island businesses, and wider stakeholders to facilitate and commence delivery of the Local Island Plans to maximise the islands’ potential and improve outcomes and benefits for our islanders. As these plans are implemented, they are contributing to and delivering improved outcomes for the community, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Arran and Cumbrae. 2.6 The findings from Scottish Government consultation and any revised or new National Islands Plan will require to be reflected in the current Local Island Plans, in due course. The Scottish Government is seeking submissions by 7 November 2023. Following the end of the consultation period, they will analyse the data gathered from both the online consultation responses and engagement events to inform, if needed, the drafting of a new NIP. 2.7 The consultation is being carried out by the Scottish Government Islands team with support from Scottish Islands Federation, delivering a series of virtual and face to face engagements with island communities and stakeholders. An engagement workshop on Cumbrae was held at Garrison House on Thursday 28 September with sixteen people attending. A similar engagement workshop for Arran was originally scheduled for Friday 29 September but was postponed until 25 October due to ferry cancellations. 2.8 The proposed response provided at Appendix One has been informed by the experience of and feedback obtained through the pilot project. This includes feedback through the North Coast Locality Partnership and Islands Plan Steering Group. Not all questions within the consultation lend themselves to a local authority response as they are more citizen focused. For these questions, a response has been recorded as not applicable, or where appropriate, a brief comment provided. 2.9 Through the islands pilot, Officers have supported the Scottish Islands Federation and Scottish Government Islands team to encourage participation in the consultation. This has included promoting participation in local workshops and completion of the review online via the consultation portal. Awareness has been raised through the provision of 488
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information to island stakeholders including Community Councils, Locality Partnerships, Local Island Plan Steering Groups, Elected Members and Council officers. Several communication methods have been used including email, social media posts, posters, and word of mouth. 2.10 Separate responses have been prepared on behalf of the Island Plan Steering Groups for both islands, for submission individually to the consultation, by the Chair of each Group with support from the Senior Officer- Islands. These responses have been informed by community feedback directly from island residents, enabling a full response to the consultation questions. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Notes the Scottish Government’s consultation on the review of the National Island Plan; b) Approves the proposed consultation response provided at Appendix 1; and c) Notes the submission of separate consultation responses on behalf of the Island Plan Steering Groups on both islands. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 None. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The NIP aims to work with islanders to contribute to the creation of a fairer, healthier, happier nation for all of Scotland and supports the work of the group of Wellbeing Economy Governments. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Several strategic objectives of the NIP contribute to climate change and carbon and align with the Council’s Environmental Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy. These include to improve and promote environmental well-being and deal with biosecurity; and to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaption and promote clean, affordable and secure energy. Key Priorities 4.6 The strategic objectives of the NIP align with and contribute to the priorities and key activities of the Council Plan including supporting the delivery of Islands Plans. The proposed consultation response will contribute to ensuring that the specific needs of 489
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our island communities continue to be addressed within the Plan. Community Wealth Building 4.7 There are no direct implications for Community Wealth Building, however the Island Recovery and Renewal pilot embeds CWB principles throughout its approach to island development and as such, the proposed consultation response is informed by the Council’s wider approach to CWB. 5. Consultation 5.1 Consultation has taken place with the Cabinet Member for Communities and Islands as Chair of the Cumbrae Island Plan Steering Group. The proposed response has been informed by the experience of and feedback obtained through the pilot project. This includes feedback through the Locality Partnership and Islands Plan Steering Group. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Sarah Baird, Senior Officer- Islands, on 07919 162039 or via sarahbaird@north-ayrshire.gov.uk. Background Papers National Islands Plan, 2019 490
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National Islands Plan Review: Consultation Respondent Information Form Please Note this form must be completed and returned with your response. To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: https://www.gov.scot/privacy/ Are you responding as an individual or an organisation? Individual Organisation Full name or organisation’s name Phone number Address Postcode Email Address The Scottish Government would like your permission to publish your consultation response. Please indicate your publishing preference: Publish response with name Publish response only (without name) Do not publish response We will share your response internally with other Scottish Government policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise? Yes No North Ayrshire Council Economic Development and Regeneration, Cunninghame House, Irvine. 07919 162039 KA12 8EE sarahbaird@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Information for organisations: The option 'Publish response only (without name)’ is available for individual respondents only. If this option is selected, the organisation name will still be published. If you choose the option 'Do not publish response', your organisation name may still be listed as having responded to the consultation in, for example, the analysis report. 491
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Introductory Comments North Ayrshire Council (NAC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government consultation on the National Islands Plan (NIP). NAC is the first Scottish island authority to work in partnership with the Scottish Government and Highlands & Islands Enterprise to deliver an Islands Recovery & Renewal Pilot. The pilot builds on NIP actions and interprets and delivers these at locality level through the development and delivery of Ten-Year Island Action Plans and is coordinated by the Senior Officer- Islands. The Senior Officer- Islands works across Council services to ensure a joined-up delivery to Island Plan actions. The response has been informed by the experience of and feedback obtained through the pilot project. This includes feedback through the Locality Partnership and Islands Plan Steering Group. We are not able to fully answer all the questions in the consultation due to a number being targeted towards feedback from island citizens. We have therefore answered relevant questions and highlighted where questions are better suited to resident responses. We have engaged with the Island Plan Steering Groups on both islands to assist them to prepare and submit their own separate responses. This has included attending Scottish Government consultation workshops on Cumbrae and on Arran, supporting the groups to engage with members and more widely across the island communities, and assisting with preparing responses. A key area of focus of the pilot has been strengthening the partnership with our island communities of Arran and Cumbrae, island businesses, and wider stakeholders to support the development of applications to local and national funding schemes including the Scottish Government Islands Programme and to facilitate and commence delivery of 10-year Local Island Plans to maximise the potential of North Ayrshire’s islands, improve outcomes and benefits for our islanders. As these plans are implemented, they are contributing to and delivering on improved outcomes for the community, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Arran and Cumbrae. Through ongoing engagement with our island communities on Arran and Cumbrae, the following key priorities, while not exhaustive, were identified as recurring themes. These were expressed in 2021 through the development of the Local Islands Plans and remain today. They are listed in no order of importance or priority: • Economic growth, investment, and sustainability • Reliance on seasonal tourism and the need for diversification • Community capacity and empowerment • Transport • Recruitment and retention of employees • Housing • Health and social care • Energy and energy costs • Connectivity/digital • Planning policy • Preservation of heritage and cultural identity • Protection of natural environment • Education and skills and retention of young people • Meeting the needs of older people 492
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• Population and depopulation • “Island premium” costs • Marine planning • Resilience These priorities should therefore be considered within the review of the NIP. 493
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The Consultation Question 1 How much would you say you know about the current National Islands Plan? Nothing at all I have heard of it but know nothing about the content I know a little about it I know a lot about it The Council knows a lot about it. Question 2 Has the current National Islands Plan affected your life in any way? Yes No Don’t know Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. It is noted that this question is primarily targeted towards island citizens. From a Local Authority perspective we would however provide the following feedback. Through the introduction of the NIP in 2018, the Council identified an opportunity to test new ways of working across island communities and businesses, local and national government, community planning partners and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. In 2021, the Council commenced a three-year Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot in partnership with the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This aims to support an inclusive and green economic recovery and renewal of North Ayrshire’s island communities in line with their unique challenges and opportunities, led by a Senior Officer- Islands post. The pilot is strongly aligned to the delivery of the strategic objectives of the current NIP and to Community Wealth Building (CWB) principles, contributing to the Council’s CWB Strategy and reflecting our pioneering approach to economic development in Scotland. The focus of the pilot to date has been on the creation of the Island Plans for each of the North Ayrshire islands. The plans were developed in 2021/22 and both reflect synergies with the Strategic Objectives of the NIP whilst creating a locality focus for Arran and Cumbrae. The success of the pilot has led to a two-year extension from the Scottish Government and Highlands & Islands Enterprise commencing March 2024. This will allow NAC to match this continued support and to create a longer-term Islands Recovery and Renewal Programme, reflective of the need for a longer timescale to implement actions from the plans. During the development of the Local Island Plans, the Council commissioned and 494
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published research from the Fraser of Allander Institute on the ‘The impact of Covid-19 on the Arran economy’ and the Council undertook an economic profiling exercise for the Cumbrae economy. Both reports provided an outline socio- economic baseline for Arran and Cumbrae to be updated and monitored to inform an evidence-based approach to policy development and funding bids. It is recognised however, that there are challenges around obtaining accurate data, specifically relating to Cumbrae. This is due to the relatively small size of the community, which has not been separated from the mainland in statistics and the relatively complex makeup of its population. Both Arran and Cumbrae island stakeholders have expressed the importance of continuing to build on good quality data for each island, ensuring an accurate evidence base for future decision- making and the prioritisation of resources including financial investment. One possible solution to addressing this concern being explored through the Ayrshire and Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnerships is the potential of creating Regional Intelligence Hubs. This approach would support regional and local data analysis, relevant policy research and support strategy development, covering a broad range of economic issues facing our region including demographics, economic growth, skills, housing, and employment. Question 3 Has the effect of the current National Islands Plan on your life been positive, negative or not at all? Positive Negative It has not affected my life Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. It is noted that this question is primarily targeted towards island citizens. From a Local Authority perspective we would provide the following feedback. We consider the current National Islands Plan to have contributed positively for our island communities. It has provided direct effects and benefits specifically through the support and delivery of the Islands pilot and the dedicated resource and funding provided, to achieve a range of specific outcomes aligned to the islands’ priorities. Examples include: • The development, ongoing support and monitoring of Local Islands Plans for both Arran and Cumbrae. • Formation of new Island Plan Steering Groups creating collaborative, inclusive and place-based partnerships taking a progressive role in local development and action planning for their islands. • Specific support provided for island communities to address their priorities and support the identification and preparation of bids to access external funding for example through the Scottish Government Islands Programme, funding for North Ayrshire Islands Skills Initiative pilot and Islands Cost of Living Emergency Crisis funding. • The pilot is contributing to closer and more coordinated working between the 495
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island communities, community planning partners, national and local government and our collective approach to improve island wellbeing, including in areas such as housing where the Arran Housing Task Force has also recently been established. Question 4 What are your views on the content of the current National Islands Plan? Positive Negative None Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. The current NIP has informed the development of our Islands Recovery and Renewal Pilot and Local Islands Plans. The strategic objectives covered all the key priorities for island communities informed by the consultation exercise across more than 40 islands including on Cumbrae and Arran and involving over 1,000 participants. However it is recognised that the current National Islands Plan was published in December 2019, just months before the pandemic and as a result the focus for delivery has had to be flexed to support island communities through this exceptional period. The content of the current plan is effectively presented, clear, concise. The Plan is recognised as being a high-level strategic plan, however it would benefit from improved simplified language and reduction of public sector terminology. In addition, the current plan is lengthy and would benefit from an accompanying abridged version going forward in the new version that would be more accessible to island communities. Question 5 In your opinion, has the current National Islands Plan made progress towards achieving its Strategic Objectives to address: No progress Minimal Satisfactory Progress progress progress exceeding expectations Strategic Objective 1 Population □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 2 Sustainable Economic □ □ □ □ Development Strategic Objective 3 496
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Transport □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 4 Housing □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 5 Fuel Poverty □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 6 Digital □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 7 Health, Social Care □ □ □ □ and Wellbeing Strategic Objective 8 Environment and □ □ □ □ Biodiversity Strategic Objective 9 Climate Change and □ □ □ □ Energy Strategic Objective 10 Empowered □ □ □ □ Communities Strategic Objective 11 Arts, Culture □ □ □ □ and Language Strategic Objective 12 Education □ □ □ □ Strategic Objective 13 Implementation □ □ □ □ 497
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We welcome the progress of the National Islands Plan to date however we recognise that further significant action and investment is required to fully deliver on the strategic objectives. This is particularly the case in relation to population, transport, connectivity and housing, which are the key priorities for our island communities. We would also highlight that the island communities are best placed to respond to this question from an islander’s perspective. From a Local Authority perspective there are several key examples of positive progress being made locally toward the national strategic objectives including: SO1 Population: through our involvement with the Convention of Highlands and Islands Population Working Group, the Council secured funding to develop and deliver the North Ayrshire Islands Skills Initiative pilot to address population decline and ensure a healthy and balance population profile. SO2 Sustainable Economic Development: through the facilitation and delivery of the Local Island Plans to maximise the islands’ sustainable economic potential. SO4 Housing: through the recent establishment of a new Arran Housing Task Force by the Council, involving a wide range of partners to address the housing issues facing island residents and businesses. SO5 Fuel Poverty: through the Scottish Government Cost of Living Crisis Emergency Fund, we are providing Energy Smart funding for tailored advice, support and grants and Money Matters support to provide specific money and debt advice to help island households manage higher energy costs and to address the urgency of the cost crisis. SO10 Empowered Island Communities and Strong Local Partnerships: through the creation of Island Plan Steering Groups taking a progressive role in local development and action planning for their islands, to empower diverse communities and different places and through Island Programme funding to support the delivery of community led projects. SO11 Arts, Culture and Heritage: through securing funding to appoint a dedicated Island Culture & Heritage Officer to support arts, culture and language on Arran and Cumbrae. The Council welcomes the Annual Report presented to the Parliament each year setting out the progress made and the publication of an annual implementation route map (IRM) that addresses each of the 13 strategic objectives (SO) and accompanying commitments. However, the IRM could benefit from detailed SO case studies including pictures and lead organisation information that brings the commitments and actions to life, island communities can identify with and that can be used as tangible examples of best practice, show casing the activities taking place across Scottish Islands. 498
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Question 6 There are 13 Strategic Objectives in the current National Islands Plan. What is your opinion on the number of strategic objectives? Just right Too Many Too Few No opinion Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. The number of strategic objectives should be proportionate to and reflect the needs of island communities and the Plan’s commitments. This should be informed by the feedback from the consultation process and be deliverable within the context of the Plan and associated resources. It should however be noted that the strategic objectives are interrelated with several of the 13 identified being dependent on the delivery of the Transport, Housing and Population objectives. A smaller number of objectives could therefore be considered on this basis. Question 7 There are 134 commitments in the current National Islands Plan What is your opinion on the number of commitments? Just right Too Many Too Few No opinion Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. The number of commitments should be proportionate to and reflect the objectives of the Plan. This should be informed by the feedback from the consultation process and be deliverable within the context of the Plan and associated resources. Question 8 Overall, what do you has think worked well in the current National Islands Plan? It is noted that this question is primarily targeted towards island citizens, the Council is supporting the preparation of separate consultation responses from each of the Island Plan Steering Groups for Arran and Cumbrae that will be submitted by the Chair of each group, with support from the Senior Officer, Islands, allowing for a full response to all consultation questions from North Ayrshire islands. These separate responses will ensure that the feedback comes 499
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directly from island residents on what they think worked well in the current National Islands Plan. We would however offer the following feedback from a Local Authority perspective. The provision of funding through the various funding streams has been welcome including the Islands Infrastructure Fund, Islands Programme, and Islands Communities Fund. Through this funding, our islands have benefited from a range of investment to date. Through time it is envisaged that these projects will support the islands to continue to be attractive, compelling, and economically viable places to remain or relocate through investment that improves, creates, or safeguards locally developed and delivered projects, that ultimately contribute to measurable population retention and repopulation. The projects that are being delivered via the Islands Programme will have a long- term impact in the communities and are critical to community growth and development. As well as delivering capital infrastructure, the services provided via these projects will enable a range of well-being, environmental and quality of life benefits to the communities. We would envisage that their delivery will lead to benefits such as job creation, increased tourism, improved infrastructure, increased accessibility and enhanced local service provision. The support provided for the Islands Recovery and Renewal pilot from Scottish Government (SG), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and North Ayrshire Council, as a result of the current National Islands Plan, has been fundamental to enabling the development of Local Island Plans. Arguably this would either not have happened or not at the scale, scope or pace it has, without this direct support. To demonstrate an example of what has worked well, the 3-year Islands Recovery and Renewal pilot (2021-2024) has been extended by a further 2 years to the end February 2026, demonstrating the Council, HIE and SG’s recognition of the importance of this resource in supporting our islands. There is a continuous focus through the dedicated Islands pilot on identifying economic opportunities on Arran and Cumbrae including progressing improved alignment in investment, taking opportunities as they arise, tackling obstacles and identifying and delivering on the islands shared priorities. Question 9 Overall, what do you think could have worked better in the current National Islands Plan? It is noted that this question is primarily targeted towards island citizens. The Council are supporting the preparation of separate consultation responses from each of the Island Plan Steering Groups for Arran and Cumbrae that will be submitted by the Chair of each group, with support from the Senior Officer, Islands, allowing for a full response to all consultation questions from North Ayrshire islands representation. These separate responses will ensure that the feedback comes directly from island residents on what they consider could have worked better in the current National Islands Plan. 500
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We would however offer the following feedback from a Local Authority perspective. Whilst the funding made available through the Plan has been welcomed additional capital and revenue funding would have further supported the delivery of the plan’s priorities. There is also a need to simplify the external funding landscape specifically related to funds linked to the National Islands Plan targeted to island communities and ensuring investment available is proportionate and reflective of the ’premium’ costs of living and costs of doing business on islands. This is critical to reducing inequalities, supporting recovery, building resilience, and ensuring sustainable and set-for-success project delivery. For future funding rounds, the Council would welcome early engagement in the Scottish Government’s considerations for distribution options to ensure there is a fair and consistent methodology for the allocation of funds to island communities in Scotland. For our islands to be in a strong position to fully exploit investment opportunities that the National and Local Island Plans address, there must be a coordination of the Islands Programme to other capital funding and planned initiatives for islands, both at local authority and national level. Our islands need to prepare not react. Funding streams must complement and enhance ongoing planned investment designed to support those living on Scotland’s islands and ensure that island communities and stakeholders are central to the decisions on how and where these capital investments are made. It is important to note that there is also a need for island specific revenue funding for example towards capacity building and project specific delivery staff. This is essential to improve and assist infrastructure/capital projects delivery specifically where statutory and public bodies are not eligible to apply for Island Programme streams for example the Islands Community Fund. Infrastructure projects by their nature require a significant level of lead in time and development to ensure that the communities and stakeholders are engaged in the process and inform their development. The relatively tight timescales around funding and delivery have constrained the ability to secure match funding to provide additionality and support delivery. Early notice of timelines for future rounds of the fund would further improve the process and enable authorities to work with island communities to develop project pipelines and plan resource around submission dates. Question 10 Do you think there should be a new plan for the Scottish Islands? Yes / No / Don’t know Please explain your reasons We would propose that a refresh of the current Plan be undertaken which 501
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effectively address input obtained from the consultation process. This should include the feedback received from island communities and Authorities specifically around governance, awareness, and the focus of a National Islands Plan. Question 11 What would you like to see in any future or revised National Islands Plan? Refresh the current National Islands Plan but keep the same format A whole new plan is needed Something else Please feel free to expand on your answer in the box below. This consultation provides an important opportunity to ensure that the plan’s objectives still meet the needs of our island communities and reflect the priorities that island communities want Scottish Government and delivery partners to focus on. The plan should promote, support, and harness the voices, resources, and wellbeing of island communities. The plan should recognise the interconnectivity between the strategic objectives, noting that they are not linear, and all have a dependency and impact on each other for example transport, housing, employment. Consideration of a more thematic or cluster approach to strategic objectives would be encouraged with a Community Wealth Building approach embedded within any future iteration, to ensure maximum local benefit for island communities. This is a time when Scotland, its communities and residents are all facing severe economic conditions, inflationary burdens, and pressures on resources therefore, a refresh rather than the creation of a whole new plan may be more appropriate and resource and cost effective. The development and delivery of a future iteration of the NIP needs to be suitably resourced nationally and locally to enable effective delivery of all relevant priorities appropriate to the islands. It must be supported by long term and multi-year funding that enables and creates local opportunity, generates community wealth building, builds momentum, supports change, and delivers economies of scale, value for money and social return on investment for communities and their local economies. The NIP would benefit from an improved and effective communication strategy and using a variety of communication methods. This could include utilising traditional communication methods including local newsletters, local papers, leaflets, posters etc recognising that not all island community residents wish to or are able to access digital communications. It would be beneficial to have more island community input to NIP Communications Plan for the future. Consideration should be given to how islands Councils are and can be supported to use existing powers available to them and collaborate with communities to deliver improved, more responsive public services and better outcomes for communities through the NIP. As the Local Authority, we can and do open doors to 502
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communities. An improved partnership approach by Scottish Government across all island authorities to work very efficiently through them will ensure SG meaningfully engage with the people and communities who will be impacted by introduction of a new NIP, relevant policy changes or additions. Contribution to Impact Assessments We will be seeking the views of stakeholders and the public for the Island Communities Impact Assessment for this work and on any potential equality issues. We are assessing what impact our islands policies may have across protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010 (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation). Impact assessments will be further developed alongside the drafting of the refreshed National Islands Plan. If you would like to be engaged in the impact assessment process, please email the Scottish Government’s Islands Team at info@islandsteam.scot. 503
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