Policy And Resources Committee - 12/02/2007
At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 12th February, 2007.
Present:-
Lord Provost John R LETFORD |
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BAILIES
C D P FARQUHAR |
Helen WRIGHT |
Ian BORTHWICK |
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Neil I C POWRIE |
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COUNCILLORS
Jill SHIMI |
Helen DICK |
Christina ROBERTS |
Kevin KEENAN |
Nigel DON |
Jim BARRIE |
George REGAN |
Bob DUNCAN |
Will DAWSON |
Julia M STURROCK |
Andrew DAWSON |
Elizabeth F FORDYCE |
Christopher HIND |
Willie W SAWERS |
Roderick A J WALLACE |
Joe MORROW |
Joe FITZPATRICK |
Charles A WEBSTER |
Fraser MACPHERSON |
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Derek J SCOTT |
Councillor Jill SHIMI, Convener, in the Chair.
The minute of meeting of this Committee of 15th January, 2007 was held as read.
Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.
I MINUTE OF MEETING OF THE BEST VALUE SUB-COMMITTEE
The minute of meeting of the Best Value Sub-Committee of 31st January, 2007 a copy of which is appended hereto, was submitted for information and record purposes.
II COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION 2006/2007
There was submitted Report No 92-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and the Director of Leisure and Communities relative to the above.
The Committee noted the process for allocating small grants through the Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals detailed below:-
Project Title |
Project Description |
Amount Awarded |
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Histories and Memories of Dundee |
Start up costs for group which currently meet in Kirkton Community Centre, to purchase stationery etc and display boards for exhibition purposes. |
690 |
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St Mary's Community Facility Interim Management Group |
Training days to give Management Committee the skills, knowledge and understanding of policy and legislation required for recruitment and management of staff. Packs to be developed and kept for other groups. |
822 |
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Melfort and Kilmore Residents' Action Group |
To purchase and erect 6 large black planters creating a more appealing visual appearance in the local area. Land Services will fill and maintain the planters. |
1,657 |
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Grey Lodge Settlement Over 50's Group |
Replacement of catering and music equipment. |
523 |
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Community Regeneration Fund (Police) |
To purchase community safety equipment for distribution locally. |
2,319 |
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South East Cluster Craft Group |
Costs to attend Scottish Crafts Textiles Show/Fayre at SECC in March 2007. |
257 |
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Douglas and Midlin Festival Committees |
To purchase a portable sound system for use at festivals and other local community events, both indoor and outdoor. |
1,720 |
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Brooksbank Partnership |
To renew paths around Brooksbank Centre, drop kerb for disability access and excavate the existing cobbles and replace with tarmac surface. |
840 |
III COMMUNITY REGENERATION FUND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES 2006/2007
There was submitted Report No 93-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and the Director of Leisure and Communities relative to the above.
The Committee noted the process for allocating funding through the Local Community Regeneration Forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals detailed below:-
Project Title/Applicant |
Project Description |
Funding Awarded |
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Hub Community Library and Learning Centre, Leisure and Communities |
Costs for interior refurbishment and external paintwork/signage. To further develop Hub Library and Learning Centre as a focus for the Mid Craigie/Linlathen communities. |
42,053 |
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Dundee City Council, Housing Department |
To remove and replace trip rail at 4-16 Ballindean Terrace, Douglas. |
3,433 |
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Community Regeneration Fund (Police) |
To purchase community safety equipment for distribution locally. |
2,356 |
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Brooksbank Partnership |
To renew paths around Brooksbank Centre, drop kerb for disability access and excavate the existing cobbles and replace with tarmac surface. |
7,126 |
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Mill O' Mains Residents' Association |
To remove graffiti and repair two security lights at Mill O' Mains Pavilion. |
1,000 |
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Finmill Centre Management Group |
To improve the environment of the centre now that it is being refurbished. |
5,100 |
Cheviot Ponds North East Urban Ranger, Leisure and Communities |
To improve the environment around the pond through planting and hedging. |
500 |
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Dundee City Council, Planning and Transportation |
To provide lighting throughout the pathway in the centre of Whitfield. |
18,400 |
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Sidlawview, St Fergus and Ardler Primary Schools, Education Department |
Physical improvements to the exterior of school buildings. |
1,000 |
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Dundee West NPN, Dundee Contract Services |
To provide seating area at Adamson Court, including removal of old slabs, kerbing, tarmac, supply and installation of seating and litter bin, top soiling, grassing and temporary security fencing during construction works. |
7,200 |
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Dundee West NPN, Dundee Contract Services |
Tidy up and prepare the garden at the "Twa Semis". |
1,329 |
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Dundee West NPN |
Clean up and remove derelict shed and rubbish and cultivate the grass seed and landscape the area at the communal back area at 3-5 Dunholm Place. |
1,330 |
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Dundee West NPN, Waste Management Department |
The supply and ventilation of 6 metal (vandal resistant) bins to be sited in Charleston and Menzieshill. |
5,000 |
IV SUPPLY OF IT EQUIPMENT - OGC CATALIST
There was submitted Report No 101-2007 by the Head of Information Technology providing details of IT equipment purchased under the OGC Catalist Government procurement scheme (formerly known as GCAT).
The Committee:-
(i) noted the IT purchases amounting to 92,684 detailed in Appendix 1 for the period 28th September, 2006 to 24th January, 2007; and
(ii) approved ongoing engineering maintenance costs of 6,607 per annum.
V SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE CONSULTATIONS ON SMOKING AND TOBACCO CONTROL
There was submitted Report No 81-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) relative to the consultation document "Towards a Future Without Tobacco" and the draft Order under powers contained in the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 raising the purchasing age of tobacco from 16 years to 18 years.
The Committee:-
(i) noted the report and recommendations of "Towards a Future Without Tobacco";
(ii) noted the draft legislation to raise the purchasing age of tobacco to 18 years; and
(iii) approved the response to the Scottish Executive as set out in Section 7 of the report.
VI INTEGRATED SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN IN NEED
There was submitted Report No 78-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and Director of Education relative to the development of integrated services to provide support for Dundee's most vulnerable children and young people.
The Committee as far as its interests were concerned:-
(i) noted the content of the report and the policy paper appended thereto;
(ii) endorsed the wish to provide more integrated support for children and young people in need;
(iii) approved the establishment of Joint Action Teams in the secondary schools and early years/primary school clusters;
(iv) approved the establishment of a pilot co-located model of children's services, based in Menzieshill High School;
(v) noted and approved the desire to seek to establish a second pilot co-located model of children's services in a primary school in Dundee; and
(vi) instructed the Director of Education to monitor and evaluate the impact of the pilot co-location exercise, and report back to Committee no later than six months from the inception of the pilot.
VII CONSULTATION ON THE POST OFFICE NETWORK
There was submitted Report No 79-2007 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) informing members of the Committee of a consultation document on the future of the Post Office Network.
The Committee:-
(i) welcomed the recognition in the consultation document that post offices had an important social and economic role in communities, and the commitment to maintaining and funding a national network with criteria for access to ensure appropriate coverage by post offices at a local level;
(ii) proposed that, for the purposes of the access criteria, the definition of deprived urban areas should be extended to include those areas falling within the 20% most deprived areas rather than 10% as suggested in the consultation document, and that post offices in such areas should not be closed unless there was another post office within half a mile;
(iii) suggested that, in considering the accessibility of post offices, account needs to be taken not only of distance but how the people most affected cope with that distance. This would involve considering factors such as the age profile of the population served, levels of car ownership and availability of public transport;
(iv) noted that any specific proposals to close post offices would be subject to public consultation and the Council would have an opportunity to comment on and object to any proposals affecting Dundee, but respond that the period for public consultation should be ten weeks rather than six weeks as suggested in the consultation document;
(v) expressed the view that any closure proposals should be made on a strategic basis, in accordance with the access criteria, and should not be driven by the decisions of sub postmasters to apply for the compensation package available;
(vi) expressed the view that Post Office Ltd's consultation on area proposals should be on the basis of local authority areas rather than Parliamentary constituencies;
(vii) suggested that consideration be given to applying some of the ideas from the outreach projects piloted in rural areas to those parts of urban areas least well served by post office services;
(viii) welcomed the suggestion that devolved administrations and local authorities could play a role in influencing how postal services were best delivered in the future, but suggested that the investigation of this role should begin sooner than 2011 as suggested in the consultation document;
(ix) agreed that the possibility of community ownership of parts of the post office network should be explored; and
(x) noted that the Council continued to support local post offices by accepting payments of rent and Council Tax through the post office network.
The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.
VIII DEVELOPMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICES TEAM AND CUSTOMER 1ST STRATEGY AND REVIEW OF STRUCTURE OF TELEPHONE SERVICES TEAM
There was submitted Report No 123-2007 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) relative to the above.
The Committee approved the recommendations detailed therein as far as its interests were concerned.
Jill SHIMI, Convener.
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