Falkirk Council Agenda - 15 June 2010, 14:00 
A meeting to be held at Council Chambers, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk at 14:00 on 15 June 2010.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| Proposed by Councillors Alexander, Coleman, Carleschi, Jackson, Kenna, A MacDonald, McNally, Meiklejohn, Oliver and Thomson. Add wording of note here | |
| 1 | NOTICES OF MOTION |
| (a) | Investment Committee "Council welcomes the major investment by the Scottish Government in new affordable and social housing, facilitating the first major social house building programme for decades. Council recognises the need to continue house building initiatives in Falkirk district however recognition is also given to reduced bank lending resulting in the social housing sector seeking alternative funding from other sources. Council notes that as part of Falkirk Council's Pension Fund Investment Strategy, 3 per cent of the "Alternatives" section of the Strategic Asset Allocation is to be invested in infrastructure projects. Council recognises that an ethical investment in social housing would provide much needed social housing at a time of excessive demand, and would also provide a secure return on an inflation-linked investment. Council therefore instructs officers to prepare a report to the relevant strategy committees and the Investment Committee in the near future, detailing the options available to the Council for local investment in social housing via the Falkirk Council Pension fund." View Papers |
| (b) | Affordable Housing "Council recognised that as a result of the economic down turn the current quota system for the provision of affordable housing by the private sector has not delivered the number of units anticipated. With the private sector house building industry predicting that it could take up to 10 years to recover as a result there are fewer houses available or affordable for those in need. Council therefore agrees that all housing developments of ten or more properties must have an element of affordable housing contained within it. Council therefore instructs officers to bring forward a paper on the mechanism to ensure that housing private providers provide a higher percentage of affordable housing than is currently being delivered across Falkirk District." View Papers |
| (c) | Denny Town Centre "Council notes with concern the continued delay in commencing the Denny Town Centre regeneration works and notes the rising cost both to Denny based businesses but also to the Council itself. Previous reports have indicated that the main reason for the delay in progressing the Henry Boot proposals is due to the depreciation of land values of the council sites from £5m to an estimated £2.5m although indications are that land values are showing signs of recovery. In order to advance the re-generation programme Falkirk Council agrees, in principle, to underpin the land values at the original valuation and calls for a report as a matter of priority from the relevant officers on how this is to be taken forward." View Papers |
| (d) | Economic Recession "Council recognises that the economic recession has impacted disproportionately on the most excluded social groups in our society, with forthcoming UK Government budget cuts expected to have a significant effect on these groups' ability to respond to emerging and changing needs. Council instructs officers to develop plans, and to lead on, the formation of a local Financial Inclusion Network which will be a registered charity and partnership organisation, whose aim would be to ensure that all Falkirk district residents are aware of their financial choices and to promote access to financial advice, financial products and other services, particularly to the most excluded social groups. Council further instructs officers to bring a report to the next Policy and Resources Committee detailing the steps required to form the local Financial Inclusion Network." View Papers |