Falkirk Council Agenda - 07 October 2013, 17:30 
A meeting to be held at Council Chambers, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk at 17:30 on 07 October 2013.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | SEDERUNT |
| 2 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in any item of business at the meeting, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of the interest |
| 3 | MOTIONS |
| (a) | Zero Hours Contracts It has come out in the media that Falkirk Council operates Zero Hours Contracts, however limited. Motion The Council recognise the iniquitous nature of these types of agreements. The use of such "contractual" processes is extremely damaging to the social fabric of society and leads to uncertainty, disquiet, grievance and insecurity. Council instruct officers to carry out an exercise to identify and extent of Zero Hours Contracts currently utilised by the Council and identify the service areas where use is made of such contracts and bring back a report to allow members to consider whether use of such contracts is appropriate. Councillor McCabe View Papers |
| (b) | Supply of Chicken Products to Falkirk Council Schools Schools in the Falkirk Council area are presently supplied with chicken imported almost exclusively from Thailand and Brazil. Council notes that procurement policy is an issue for individual local authorities. The continued importation of minimum standard chicken products has no positive effect to the local and wider national economy. Council therefore resolves to instruct its officers to review current procurement policy in regards to the supply of poultry to schools and further resolves to instruct officers to bring a report back to the next meeting of Council outlining a strategy to reduce reliance upon imports of foreign poultry. Councillor Chalmers View Papers |
| (c) | Falkirk Council Tenancy Agreement It is noted that Falkirk Council promotes cohesive relationships between tenants and also promotes a high standard of property and garden maintenance throughout the district. It is also noted that a breach of Falkirk Council's tenancy agreement can lead to sanctions and other enforcement measures. Council agrees that robust action should be taken by neighbourhood managers when the standard and communal maintenance falls below what is expected of tenants. Council further agrees that current policy is proving ineffective in preventing a number of areas of the Council's estate falling into an unacceptable condition. It is therefore agreed that officers review the Falkirk Council tenancy agreement and bring a report back to the next meeting of Council outlining a strategy to improve the policy. Councillor Chalmers View Papers |
| (d) | Falkirk Community Trust The Leisure Trust was formed as a matter of fiscal expediency and to form a vehicle capable of attracting external funding through its charitable status. The Leisure Trust has failed to deliver on its core rationale. Council instructs officers to bring a report to members by 11 December on the methodology required to bring leisure services back into council ownership and effective democratic control. Councillor Coleman View Papers |
| (e) | Transport Given the recent withdrawal of subsidies from some transport routes, Council instructs officers to provide a comprehensive update of the Falkirk wide transport plan for the December meeting of the Council. Councillor Coleman View Papers |
| (f) | Falkirk Gateway Council instructs officers to undertake a feasibility exercise on the stalled Gateway project with a view to securing a development partner and report on progress on the matter to the next full Council. Councillor Coleman View Papers |
| (g) | Council Housing Council housing waiting lists have risen dramatically. Council is not remotely on course to meet its own house building target. Council instructs the Director of Corporate and Neighbourhood Services to consider whether the housing service has access to sufficient expertise within this service to enable it to return rapidly to its original target figure and to report back to Council. Councillor Carleschi View Papers |
| (h) | Extensions to Council Houses The Council has decided that the provision of suitable accommodation for larger families would be met in the main through house extensions. Three years on and only a handful of properties have yet been extended. Multiple applications have been refused, supposedly on the basis of cost. Council instructs officers to review the operation of the current policy using private sector pricing as their comparator and report back to the council at the 11 December meeting. Councillor Carleschi View Papers |
| Note Motions that refer to matters within the remit of the Executive, or Education Executive, will stand referred to the appropriate body, without discussion, unless:- (1) the motion raises an issue with significant impact on the Council area which the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition, considers suitable for debate at Council; (2)(a) special circumstances exist which, in opinion of the Provost (having consulted with the Council Leader and the Leader of the Opposition) requires an exception to be made; or (2)(b) two thirds of the members present vote in favour of the matter being discussed | |