Falkirk Council Agenda - 27 June 2018, 09:30 
A meeting to be held at Council Chambers, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk at 09:30 on 27 June 2018.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| Record of Votes View Papers | |
| 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 | Minutes and Information Bulletin |
| (a) | Minute of Meeting of Falkirk Council held on 9 May 2018; View Papers |
| (b) | Minute of Meeting of the Planning Committee (comprising all Members of Council) held on 29 May 2018; View Papers |
| (c) | Volume of Minutes - Volume 5 2017/18, and View Papers |
| (d) | Information Bulletin - Volume 5 2017/18. View Papers |
| 4 | Questions Questions submitted in accordance with Standing Orders will be published in advance of the meeting. |
| 5 | Rolling Action Log View Papers |
| 6 | Deputation In terms of Standing Order 33.1, an application has been received from Shieldhill and California Community Council for admission to the meeting as a deputation to be heard. We on behalf of the undersigned Community Council's support equality in the rights of appeal in planning applications and appeals therefrom (Equal Right of Appeal). We urge Falkirk Council to support fairness and equality in the planning process from start to finish and to make a formal declaration of support to our Scottish Government via the Minister for Local Government and Housing, MSP Kevin Stewart. Therefore we invite Falkirk Council to hear submission on our behalf from our representatives C Symonds at a full Falkirk Council meeting. Thereafter we require our local councillors to confirm to their constituents and Community Councils what action they will take on our behalf to support our motion for equality throughout the planning process and what action will be taken by Falkirk Council to amend the planning bill? Signed " Avonbridge & Standburn CC - Gordon Addison, Convenor " Blackness CC - Martin Watt, Convenor " Bo'ness CC - Madelene Hunt, Convenor " Bonnybridge CC - John McGregor - Convenor " Brightons CC - Moira Heeps, Convenor " Denny & District CC - Colin Belbin, Convenor " Grangemouth (including Skinflats) CC - Agnes Mullen, Convenor " Maddiston CC - Jaquelene McDevitt, Convenor " Polmont CC - Rosemary Taylor, Convenor " Reddingmuirhead and Wallacestone CC - Danny Callaghan - Convenor " Shieldhill & California CC - Jit Singh, Convenor In accordance with Standing Order 33.1, Council is asked to decide whether it wishes to receive the deputation. If Council resolves in the affirmative, the deputation should not exceed five persons with only one member entitled to address Council, except in reply to questions from members. |
| 7 | Referral from Executive - 12 June 2018 Treasury Management Annual Review 2017/18 Report by the Director of Development Services. View Papers |
| 8 | Health & Social Care Partnership: Head of Adult Services Post Report by the Chief Officer, Falkirk Integration Joint Board. View Papers |
| 9 | Road Asset Management Planning Report by the Director of Development Services. View Papers |
| 10 | Falkirk Local Development Plan 2 - Proposed Plan Report by the Director of Development Services. View Papers |
| 11 | Erection of New Energy Plant and Associated Works, Including Pipe Bridge at Ineos, Bo'ness Road, Grangemouth, FK3 9XH for INEOS Chemicals Grangemouth Ltd - P/18/0003/FUL Report by the Director of Development Services. An application had been made, from the applicant's agent, to be received as a deputation to be heard in respect of this item of business. In accordance with Standing Order 33.2, Council shall decide whether to hear the deputation. View Papers |
| 12 | Council of the Future - Fit for the Future: Modernising Industrial Relations Report by the Director of Corporate and Housing Services. View Papers |
| 13 | Pension Fund - Proposal in Relation to Admission Bodies Report by the Director of Corporate and Housing Services. View Papers |
| 14 | Standing Orders Report by the Director of Corporate and Housing Services. View Papers |
| 15 | Delegation of Powers to Determine Urgent Issues During the Summer Recess Report by the Director of Corporate and Housing Services. View Papers |
| 16 | Execution of Deeds Report by the Director of Corporate and Housing Services. View Papers |
| 17 | Motions Notices of motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 29 are set out below. 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) special circumstances exist which, in opinion of the Provost (having consulted with the Council Leader and the Leader of the main Opposition groups) requires an exception to be made; (2) two thirds of the members present vote in favour of the matter being discussed; or (3) 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 Leaders of the main Opposition groups, considers suitable for debate at Council. The following motions are reserved to Council:- View Papers |
| (a) | In the interest of increasing community engagement, Council asks Officers to investigate the possibilities, advantages and any other issues in connection with: 1. forming a Petitions Committee, drawing on the examples of Borders, Inverclyde and Midlothian Councils, and 2. forming Area Committees based on identified communities on a scale smaller than that of locality areas but enhancing that arrangement. Proposed by Councillor Reid |
| (b) | Falkirk Council welcomes the joint commitment from COSLA and the Scottish Government to a national minimum clothing grant and the additional funding to support the commitment. Falkirk Council seeks to minimise the impact of poverty through the anti-poverty strategy and the additional £201,000 funding should be directed to this aim. Council agrees to increase the level of grant for primary and secondary pupils above the £100 minimum to £120. This requires extra recurring funding over and above the £201k grant of £76,290 and includes £8,000 that will be held in reserve to offset any increase in the uptake of the clothing grant during the 2018/19 financial year. Level of Grant £ £120 Total Cost(Based on 2017/18 uptake) £ £461,640* Falkirk Council Contribution (based on 2017/18 uptake) £ £192,350 Additional Grant Funding £ £201,000 Additional Funding Required ensure £120 grant plus £8000 in reserve £ £76,290 *2017/18 uptake of 3847 primary pupils and secondary pupils Proposed by Councillor Bissett |
| (c) | The following motions stand referred to the Executive unless otherwise determined by the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the main Opposition groups. Council expresses its disquiet in the strongest terms with the announcement by Marks & Spencer of the closure of its store in the High Street Falkirk. The store's closure will have severe consequences for the workforce, the town centre and the wider community of Falkirk. Following the recent meeting between the Leader of the Council and senior management from Marks & Spencer, Council agrees to write reinforcing its concern over this matter and seeking the assistance of the company in mitigating the adverse effects of its proposals. Specifically it requests Marks & Spencer's support for measures to relocate those workers who can be found other positions and to cooperate with the Council's PACE (redundancy support) procedures for those workers seeking other employment opportunity, retraining or seeking retirement. Additionally it requests the company's support in progressing measures to reinvigorate Falkirk town centre. It asks that the company provide financial or other in-kind assistance and where necessary contributes the use of its assets to enable regeneration activity in the town centre to be achieved. Falkirk town centre is pivotal to the health and prosperity of the community and the Council notes with concern the decline in fortunes of the town centre which has dropped from being the 5th highest ranking town centre in Scotland in 2004 to 18th in 2016 (CACI) . It notes that the Investment Zone business case, now with Scottish and UK Governments for consideration includes a proposal to tackle the needs of the town centre and looks forward to this being positively received. The Council resolves to work collectively, across party boundaries, with local businesses and the wider community to generate a new vision for the town centre to address the adverse impact of the store's impending closure. This must include measures to apply the efforts and resources of the Council and its partners to help generate and deliver solutions to reverse the town centre's decline. Proposed by Councillor Meiklejohn |
| (d) | The current choice based allocations system was introduced in 2010 and has been reviewed favourably by external agencies since its introduction. The allocations system used to be renewed annually, with the overall consensus that it was one of the best in Scotland. That said however, the Labour Group consider it is necessary for the system to be reviewed again. This would enable the current members of the council, and our tenants and residents groups, and partner agencies a further opportunity to comment on the efficiency of the system to address the complex needs of our housing applicants today and in the future. One of the more obvious examples of this is how the allocations system could resolve difficulties in areas where there is low or no demand. Members of the council may have been approached as I have by residents living in or in close proximity to these areas who consider that the allocations process itself is a contributing factor to increases in anti social behaviour/criminal behaviour where significant low/no demand exists. There is also evidence of increased maintenance costs in these areas as well. In some cases the council has taken the decision to demolish properties or sell them off to other housing providers. Another perceived concern is the reluctance the elderly and parents/ single parents, and single female applicants in particular applying for properties suitable for their housing need and which they would bid for if they were void in other areas, and the inability of the council to address these issues. Members of the council and public also share a perception of medical professionals, local GPs, District Nurses, local Police officers, and Neighbourhood Officers Tenancy Services having their workload increased significantly due to nature of the particular client groups who seem to choose to reside in these areas, and who may have significant medical conditions. Council accordingly instructs the Director of Corporate and Housing Services to conduct an immediate review of the Allocations Policy in consultation with a three member cross party working group and to make recommendations to the Executive on any changes to the policy that would address the problems outlined in this motion, for consultation with tenants and tenant's organisations. Proposed by Councillor Goldie |