Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Ross and Cromarty Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, High Street, Dingwall, on Wednesday, 15 August 2018, at 10.30 am.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser
Head of Corporate Governance

1.  Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

2.  Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest.  Advice may be sought from officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3.  Minutes 
Geàrr-chunntas

There are circulated for noting Minutes of the Ross and Cromarty Committee held on 2 May 2018, which were approved by the Council on 10 May 2018.

4.  The Year of Young People
Bliadhna na h-Òigridh

There is circulated Report No RC/020/18 dated 13 July 2018 by the Director of Care and Learning.

The Committee is invited to NOTE the report and presentation by High Life Highland.

5.  Blythswood Presentation
Taisbeanadh Blythswood

There will be a presentation by Ian Matheson from Blythswood.

The Committee is invited to NOTE the presentation.

6.  Police – Area Performance Summary 
Poilis – Geàrr-chunntas Dèanadais Sgìreil

There is circulated Report No RC/021/18 by the North Area Commander.

The Committee is invited to NOTE progress made against the objectives set within the Highland and Islands Local Policing Plan 2017 – 2020:-

1. Year 1, attached as Appendix A to this report, for the period covering 1 April 2017 - 31 March 2018;
2. Year 2, attached as Appendix B to this report, for the period covering 1 April 2018 - 30 June 2018.

7.  Area Priorities 
Prìomhachasan Sgìreil

There is circulated Report No RC/022/18 dated 12 July 2018 by the Head of Policy and Reform, Ward Management. 

The Committee is invited to: 

1. consider and approve the local strategic priorities for Ross and Cromarty;
2. agree to promote these with the wider Council membership and as part of the Council’s Programme 2017-22.
3. note that there will be opportunity, through the local community partnership and engagement with community bodies and communities to consider wider shared priorities over the Council’s term; and
4. note that further work will be done to identify how the local priorities agreed can be supported by staff and any other Council resources.  This will include considering how to best measure progress.  Some priorities are already well aligned to the Council’s Programme.

8.  Evanton Railway Station 
Stèisean Rèile Bhaile Eòghainn

There is circulated Report No RC/023/18 dated 25 July 2018 by the Director of Development and Infrastructure.

The Committee is invited to:

1. note the update provided in this report;
2. note the STAG process requirements and in particular the flow diagram at APPENDIX 1; and
3. approve the support/involvement of THC officers with a future Business Case Study co-ordinated by Hitrans.

9.  Annual Area Capital Update – 2017/18 Project Spend and 2018/19 Project Budgets
Cunntas Bliadhnail Calpa Sgìreil – Cosg Pròiseict 2017/18 agus Buidseatan Pròiseict 2018/19

There is circulated Report No RC/024/18 dated 6 August 2018 by the Director of Finance. 

The Committee is invited to:

i. note the expenditure on each project in this Council area in 2017/18; and

ii. note the budget for each project in this Council area in 2018/19.

10.  Housing Performance Report 
Aithisg Dèanadais a thaobh Taigheadais

There is circulated Report No RC/025/18 dated 30 July 2018 by the Director of Community Services.

The Committee is invited to consider the information provided on housing performance in the period from 1 April to 30 June 2018.

11.  Educational Trusts
Urrasan Foghlaim

There is circulated Report No RC/026/18 dated 13 July 2018 by the Director of Care and Learning. 

Members are asked to:

• note the report on awards made by Duncraig Trust, and Ross and Cromarty Educational Trust;
• agree that Duncraig Trust should be referred to the investment subcommittee, in order to improve income to the trust;
• note the purposes and priorities of Ross and Cromarty Educational Trust;
• approve the following annual transfers from Ross and Cromarty Educational Trust funds to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (subject to sufficient investment income):
• £670 for prizes
• £8260 for bursaries
• 30% of any remaining surplus income (based on population size);
• delegate the decision making and administrative duties of the above portions to the Director of Education of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, with an annual report to the trust;
• consider if the bursary awards within Ross and Cromarty should continue to be a delegated duty solely to an officer, or to an officer in consultation with ward members;
• approve the maximum expenditure of free income as listed in the attached paper “Fifth Schedule- Expenditure of Free Income”;
• agree to seek the approval of the Scottish Government for the above changes, as required under Ross and Cromarty Educational Trust Scheme 1961; and ask the Scottish Government to agree that future approval of the government will not be required for changes to the plan - reflecting modern governance of these types of trusts.

12.  Grounds Maintenance Performance Monitoring Report for 2017/18 and Priorities for 2018/19 – Q1                                                                                                                     PP Aithisg Sgrùdaidh mu Choileanadh a thaobh Cumail Suas Raointean airson 2017/18 agus Prìomhachasan airson 2018/19 – C1

There is circulated Report No RC/27/18 dated 30 July 2018 by the Director of Community Services.

The Committee is invited to scrutinise the information provided on performance for the period 1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018.

13.  Deletion of Adopted Roads
Leasachadh Gnothachais: Cunntas às Ùr Rois agus Chromba

There is circulated Report No RC/028/18 dated 18 July by the Director of Development and Infrastructure.

The Committee is invited to approve the deletion of a redundant section of the U4636 Wester Greengates Road from The List of Adopted Roads.

14.  Common Good Funds
Maoin Maith Choitchinn

There are circulated Reports Nos RC/029/18 – RC/033/18 dated 30 July and 3 August 2018 by the Head of Policy and Reform which provide information on the following Common Good Funds:-

1. Cromarty Common Good Fund RC/029/18
2. Dingwall Common Good Fund RC/030/18
3. Fortrose and Rosemarkie Common Good Fund RC/031/18 
4. Invergordon Common Good Fund RC/032/18 
5. Tain Common Good Fund RC/033/18

The Committee is asked to:

1. consider and scrutinise the position of the Common Good Funds, as shown in the Quarter One Monitoring Statement against budget;
2. approve a proposed underspend of £4,000 on the Fortrose and ROsemarkie Common Good Fund Special Grants budget in the current year to partly mitigate the impact on reserves.

15.  Street Naming – New Housing Developments
Ainmeachadh Sràide - Leasachaidhean Ùra Taigheadais

There is circulated Report No RC/034/18 dated 2 August 2018 by the Head of Policy and Reform.

The Committee is invited to homologate the following names for new developments:-

• Green Lady Court for a new development on land West of Tulloch Square, Dingwall;
• Achany Court for a new housing development on the former Area Education office site, Dingwall; and
• Greenside Street for a new development at Greenside Farm, Rosemarkie.

16.  The Committee is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following Items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 8 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

17.  Ross and Cromarty Local Access Forum Appointments
Luchd-dreuchd Fòram Inntrigeadh Ionadail Rois agus Chromba

There is circulated to members only Report No RC/035/18 dated 6 July 2018 by the Director of Development and Infrastructure. 

Members are asked to consider the applications submitted to fill the Land management vacancy on the Local Access Forum for Ross and Cromarty and to approve the appointment of the preferred applicant.