City Governance Committee - 17/11/2025

At a MEETING of the CITY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 17th November, 2025.

 

Present:-

 

Lord Provost Bill CAMPBELL

Depute Lord Provost Nadia EL-NAKLA

 

BAILIES

 

Will DAWSON	Kevin KEENAN	Fraser MACPHERSON
Willie SAWERS	Helen WRIGHT	Derek SCOTT

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Heather ANDERSON	Steven ROME	Dorothy McHUGH
Jimmy BLACK	Lynne SHORT	George McIRVINE
Kevin CORDELL	Roisin SMITH	Wendy SCULLIN
Stewart HUNTER	Siobhan TOLLAND	Daniel COLEMAN
Ken LYNN	Georgia CRUICKSHANK	Michael CRICHTON
Lee MILLS		Craig DUNCAN

 

Bailie Sawers, Depute Convener in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 27th October, 2025 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 

Depute Lord Provost El-Nakla and Councillor Rome declared interests in the item of business at Article III of this minute by virtue of having family members serving with Police Scotland and took no part in the proceedings and withdrew from the meeting during its consideration.

 

II STV-NORTH EAST OFFICE

 

The Committee acceded to a request for a deputation from Mr Nick McGowan-Lowe, National Organiser for Scotland, National Union of Journalists to address the Committee relative to this item. After the deputation had stated their case, they were thanked for their attendance and withdraw.

 

This item was placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Flynn who asked the Council, to agree to write to STV, requesting that they reconsider their decision to close the North East Office.

 

Thereafter, the Committee resolved as follows:-

 

This Committee notes with great concern that STV is cutting its workforce by 10%, equivalent to 60 jobs, and that STV is seeking permission from Ofcom to replace its central belt and north of Scotland news bulletins with a single programme presented from Glasgow. Six jobs based in Dundee may be at risk.

 

The Committee also notes that in the interim, STV plans to pre-record, in Glasgow, the current local news bulletin covering Dundee and surrounding areas, which would prevent live coverage of important stories from our city.

 

The Committee values professional journalism highly and considers that a single, national STV news bulletin will mean less coverage of events in the city, and drive citizens towards unreliable, unchecked and often inaccurate information on social media.

 

The Committee requests the Chief Executive to write to STV asking the company to reconsider its plans and to retain local production of local news bulletins; and to write to Ofcom asking that the current public service obligations set out in the Annex to the Channel 3 Regional Licence: North of Scotland Section 7 should be retained.

 

III POLICE SCOTLAND FUNDING

 

This item was placed on the agenda by Councillor Duncan who asked the Committee to support calls from the Police Scotland Chief Constable for additional funding to strengthen frontline police services and request that the Chief Executive writes to the Scottish Governments Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in that regard.

 

Thereafter, the Committee resolved as follows:-

 

Committee notes that Police Scotland has said recently in a report to the Scottish Parliaments Criminal Justice Committee that urgent support is needed to strengthen frontline policing services. The Police Scotland Chief Officer Team has indicated that the force requires an additional 140m in funding for day-to-day spending in the next financial year. Chief Constable Jo Farrell has made clear that Police Scotland may have to reduce officer numbers unless Scottish Government provides additional funding for 2026/2027. She has highlighted a surge in complex demands on the force, including a doubling of child online abuse cases to nearly 1 500 in a year, an increase in protests from 1,000 to over 2,000 annually and heightened monitoring of serious and organised crime and terrorist threats. Additionally, Police Scotland has highlighted that a flat-cash budget settlement for 2026/2027 would force recruitment to stop and could see officer numbers fall below 15,500 by March 2027, affecting visible policing, prevention work and response times. Committee agrees that the work of Police Scotland is vital to ensure safer communities, less crime and supported victims. It therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance MSP, making clear the views of committee : that a flat cash settlement for Police Scotland for 2026/2027 would be unacceptable and would lead to a decline in policing effectiveness that the calls from the Police Scotland Chief Officer Team for an additional 140m in funding for day-to-day spending in the next financial year are reasonable and vital to ensure that Police Scotland has the resources to undertake its vital role effectively across Scotland and that any extra funding for Police Scotland should not be to the detriment of funding to Dundee City Council and local government.

 

The Committee unanimously agreed with the motion.

 

IV COUNCIL PLAN 2022/2027 MID YEAR PROGRESS REPORT 2025/2026

 

There was submitted Report No 326-2025 by the Chief Executive providing a mid-year update showing progress so far during 2025/2026, being year four of the five-year plan.

 

The Committee agreed to note the progress being made as summarised in Section 5 of the report and in more detail in Appendix 1 attached to the report.

 

V CITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE PLAN 2023/2028

 

There was submitted Report No 335-2025 by the Executive Director of City Development, providing an update on progress made during financial year 2024/2025 in relation to the City Development Service Plan for 2023/2028.

 

The Committee agreed to note the progress summarised in Section 5 of the report and approve the detailed progress report attached to the report.

VI CAPITAL EXPENDITURE MONITORING 2025/2026

 

There was submitted Report No 311-2025 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services, appraising of the latest position regarding the Council's Capital Plan 2025/2030.

 

The Committee agreed to note the latest position regarding the Council's Capital Plan 2025/2030.

 

 

VII REVENUE MONITORING 2025/2026

 

There was submitted Report No 329-2025 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services, providing an analysis of the 2025/2026 projected revenue outturn as at 31st August, 2025 and the impact on the Councils overall revenue budget position.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to note that as at 31st August, 2025, the General Fund was projecting an overall overspend for the year of 6.511m against the adjusted 2025/2026 Revenue Budget, the impact this had on the Councils General Fund Balances and the actions being taken to address the forecast budget shortfall;

 

(ii) to note the budget adjustments totalling 4.884m and detailed in the second column of Appendix A of the report and summarised in Appendix B of the report as adjustments to the previously approved Revenue Budget;

 

(iii) to note that as at 31st August, 2025, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was projecting an overspend of 2.111m against the adjusted HRA 2025/2026 Revenue Budget and the impact this had on the projected Renewal and Repair Fund balance earmarked to HRA;

 

(iv) to note the information included in Section 3.6 of the report in relation to financial recovery and authorised the Executive Director of Corporate Services to continue to take actions to address forecast overspends with the objective of achieving a balanced budget; and

 

(v) to note that as outlined in Section 3.3 of the report it did not reflect projections and costs associated with the Voluntary Severance and Early Retirement (VSER) scheme and these would be reflected in future monitoring reports.

 

VIII DUNDEE INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD - FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN 2025/2026

 

There was submitted Report No 3382025 by the Executive Director, Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, sharing Dundee Integration Joint Boards 2025/2026 financial recovery plan with the Committee.

 

The Committee agreed to note the Dundee Integration Joint Boards (IJB) financial recovery plan 2025/2026 as approved by the Integration Joint Board at its meeting of the 22nd October 2025.

 

IX BUDGET CONSULTATION 2026/2027

 

There was submitted Report No 306-2025 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services, seeking approval for officers to consult on potential budget options for the financial year 2026/2027 and to report back to Committee for the Committees final decision.

 

Thereafter, the Depute Convener seconded by Councillor Hunter moved:-

 

(i) that the Councils Budget Consultation for 2026/2027 would include the options set out in Appendix A to the report;

 

(ii) authorised the Executive Director of Corporate Services to finalise the options for consultation and to make the necessary arrangements to undertake the 2026/2027 budget consultation; and

 

(iii) to note that if any further budget savings were identified that required public consultation, these would be brought back to Committee for approval at a later date.

 

As an amendment, Councillor Scullin seconded by Bailie Keenan moved that 2.1 should be amended to read:-

 

(a) removes option 6 from the options set out in Appendix A;

 

(b) agrees that the Councils Budget Consultation for 2026/2027 will include the options set out in Appendix A in its amended form;

 

(c) authorises the Executive Director of Corporate Services to finalise the options for consultation and to make the necessary arrangements to undertake the 2026/2027 budget consultation; and

 

(d) notes that if any further budget savings are identified that require public consultation, these will be brought back to Committee for approval at a later date.

 

On a division there voted for the motion - the Depute Convener, Lord Provost Campbell, Depute Lord Provost El-Nakla, Bailie Dawson and Councillors Anderson, Black, Cordell, Hunter, Lynn, Mills, Rome, Short, Smith and Tolland (14); and for the amendment Bailies Keenan, Wright, Macpherson and Scott and Councillors Cruickshank, McHugh, McIrvine, Scullin, Coleman, Crichton and Duncan (11) - whereupon the motion was carried and became the finding of the meeting.

 

X GLOBAL CUSTODY SERVICES PROCUREMENT - TAYSIDE PENSION FUND

 

There was submitted Report No 315-2025 by the Executive Director of Corporate Services, providing an update on the development of a sourcing strategy for the tender process for Global Custody Services and to seek approval to commence a compliant tender process, leading to the award of a Framework contract.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to approve the commencing of a procurement exercise in respect of the project described (based on the sourcing strategy summarised in Section 5 of the report);

 

(ii) to approve the continuation of current contract for an interim period covering 1st January 2026 to 30th June 2026, to allow the requirement to be completed;

 

(iii) to remit the Executive Director of Corporate Services to complete a mini-competition exercise, utilising the framework detailed in the report, in compliance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015; and

 

(iv) to note that the outcome of the mini-competition exercise and any recommendation to award this contract would be brought back to Committee in due course.

 

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 paragraphs 3, 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

 

XI INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

 

There was submitted a Joint Report No 330-2025 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services and the Executive Director of Corporate Services, presenting the findings of an independent review of the implementation of IT applications.

 

The Committee agreed to note the report and the recommendations.

 

 

 

 

Willie SAWERS, Depute Convener.