Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Highland Council will be held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday, 9 May 2019 at 10.35am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

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

BUSINESS

1. Calling of the Roll and Apologies for Absence
Gairm a’ Chlàir agus 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.

Members are asked to note that the following Item 3 – Presentation – will be undertaken at 12.45pm.

3. Presentation – Calmac/MacBraynes             
Taisbeanadh – CalMac/Mac a’ Bhriuthainn

4. Confirmation of Minutes                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Daingneachadh a’ Gheàrr-chunntais 

There are submitted for confirmation as a correct record the Minutes of Meeting of the Council held on 7 March 2019 and of the Special Meetings held on 20 March and 25 March 2019 as contained in the Volume which has been circulated separately.

5. Minutes of Meetings of Committees
Geàrr-chunntasan Choinneamhan Chomataidhean

There are submitted for confirmation as correct records, for information as regards delegated business and for approval as appropriate, the Minutes of Meetings of Committees contained in Volume circulated separately as undernoted:-

Nairnshire Committee 13 March
Care, Learning and Housing Committee 14 March
Audit and Scrutiny Committee 27 March
City of Inverness Area Committee (Special Meeting) 28 March
Lochaber Area Committee 10 April 10 April
City of Inverness Area Committee (Special Meeting) 25 April
Ross and Cromarty Committee 1 May To Follow
            
6. Highland and Western Isles Valuation Joint Board                  
Co-Bhòrd Luachaidh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean Siar

There are circulated for information Minutes of Meeting of the Valuation Joint Board held on 25 January 2019 (approved by the Board on 29 March 2019).

Membership – the Council is also asked to agree that Mrs H Carmichael should be included as a Substitute for the Board as submitted by the Independent Group to fill the current vacancy.

7. Community Planning Board
Bòrd Dealbhadh Coimhearsnachd

There are circulated for noting Minutes of Meeting of the Community Planning Board held on 19 December 2018 (approved by the Board on 21 March 2019).

Items 8 and 9 (below) will be considered at 2.00pm.

8. Question Time            
Àm Ceiste                                                                                             

The following Questions have been received in accordance with Standing Order 11 – 

(i) Mr B Thompson

To the Chair of the Care, Learning & Housing Committee

“In light of very recent significant increases to the estimate of UK deaths due to air pollution, as well as very recent guidance from Public Health England to all UK local authorities to prioritise protecting children against the effects of air pollution, what steps is Highland Council taking to monitor and reduce air pollution in and around our schools?”

The response is circulated 

Mr Thompson will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Chair of the Care, Learning & Housing Committee.

(ii) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council

“Will you provide an update on the roll out of car parking charges in accordance with the Change Programme which you outlined at the full Council meeting on 7th March 2019?”

The response is circulated 

Mr Baxter will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Leader of the Council.

(iii) Mr A Baxter

To the Leader of the Council   

“Will you confirm where car park charging has been introduced since 1st April 2018 where no charges were previously applicable and what is the anticipated contribution from these car parks towards the £1.407 million budget saving rolled forward into the base budget for 2019/20?”

The response is circulated 

Mr Baxter will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Leader of the Council.

(iv) Mr B Boyd

To the Leader of the Council

“Due to public pressure and lobbying, I am requesting you to bring a report to either the City of Inverness Area Committee or other appropriate Committee on the procedures that were followed in giving delegated planning consent to the project on the Inverness River at the commencement of the Christmas holidays 2018/19?”

The response is circulated 

Mr Boyd will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Leader of the Council. 

(v) Mr D Louden

To the Chair of the Environment, Development & Infrastructure Committee  

“Highland Council is facing a sharp rise in electricity charges in fiscal year 2019/20. How many of our 1,400 non-domestic buildings or areas of land have been fitted: 1) with LED lighting 2) with solar thermal, solar PV, wind or hydro technologies with or without battery storage to reduce our electricity costs?”

The response is circulated 

Mr Louden will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Chair of the Environment, Development & Infrastructure Committee. 

(vi) Mr N McLean

To the Chair of the Environment, Development & Infrastructure Committee

“Do we know if the use of ‘Roundup’ (glyphosate) used by the Highland Council has been significantly reduced as per our previous motion to Council several months ago and are the Council following their guidelines of only weed killing the verges where sightline or road safety is an issue?”

The response is circulated 

Mr McLean will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Chair of the Environment, Development & Infrastructure Committee.    

9. Notices of Motion 
Brathan Gluasaid                                                                                 
                                                                                                   
The following Notices of Motion have been received in accordance with Standing Order 12 – 

(i)In recent weeks one member of the “Big Six” energy firms has completed the sale of a 49.9% share in two windfarms to a windpower investment firm and an anonymous UK Pension Fund in a deal worth £635million. This values the two windfarms at a sum of £1.272billion – yes, that is billion. The public benefitted in line with its stake in the development. Our 0% stake earned us £0.

The value of the developments consented to by Highland Council’s Planning Committee approved, consented and installed runs to 4,000MW, which has a resale value of £4 million per MW, giving a total value of £16billion. The installed cost averages £1m per MW. This means developers have profited to a maximum of £12billion on projects given approval in the Highland Council area.

We live in a democracy. Housing developers know we’ll expect to share in developments. The present arrangement for windfarms has clearly failed dismally to deliver anything of any significance for our communities, except a little community benefit, which is at the developer’s discretion.  This has to change.  In the next cycle of onshore windfarm developments or windfarm reprogramming we should have the right to participate, paying our way as a partner, in the projects brought forward.

Highland Council recognises the £12billion in capital gains made by developers of windfarms and agrees to bring a report to Full Council, exploring ways in which the Council or communities can financially partner these future projects.

Signed: Mr D Louden     Ms M Smith

(ii)Highland Council recognises the serious and accelerating changes to the world caused by climate change.

We commit to call together an informal group of interested Elected Members from across the Council to:-

(i)  inform ourselves on what the Council is currently doing to reduce our carbon footprint;
(ii) revisit the Carbon Clever declaration made by the Council in 2012 with a view to updating and reinvigorating those commitments;
(iii)consider and recommend any new targets and priorities for the Council’s Corporate Plan by June 2019;
(iv) we realise we can achieve far less by working alone so we commit to listening to and involving Highland citizens in all that we do and to involve them in the preparation of our new carbon reduction plan; and
(v)  promptly, we will target areas for behavioural change, such as plastic reduction. These areas to be selected by public consulation.

Signed: Mrs M Davidson      Mr A Christie

(iii)Council acknowledges the transformative effects that special schools have on the life outcomes and development of children who attend them. However, with fewer than 180 special school places from a total school roll of nearly 31000, there is a need to expand capacity in this area. There also appears to be particular need for specialist autism provision which many other Councils have.

At the moment, some Highland children who require this specialist education are being placed in schools up to 400 miles away from their families as Highland does not have these facilities. 

It is therefore proposed that in order to meet a demand which is only going to increase, to seek a small proportional developer contribution towards this particular area. It is anticipated the rate charged would be no more than the mid hundreds of pounds. The Planning and Development service is therefore requested to calculate this cost under the existing fair methodology for education contributions and to bring this forward as proposed supplementary guidance to the next appropriate EDI Committee. 

Signed: Mr A Jarvie          Mr S Mackie

10. Highland Partnership of NHS Highland and the Highland Council – Driving Forward Health and Social Care Integration  
Ath-sgrùdadh air Aonta Com-pàirteach le NHS na Gàidhealtachd
     
There is circulated Report No. HC/14/19 dated 22 April 2019 by the Chief Executive.

Members are asked to agree that:-

(i) the Council and NHS Highland work together to prepare a draft action plan in response to the Review; and
(ii)the Council invests in the appointment of a temporary post at Head of Service level for a 9 month period in order to:
(a) lead the review and present recommendations within the 2019/2020  
financial year to enable a new partnership agreement to be signed in April 2020; and
(b) work with the Chief Executive to review and provide recommendations for the permanent resourcing of a health position within the new management structure of the Council.     

11. Corporate Plan and Improvement Priorities 2019-22
Plana Corporra

There is circulated Report No. HC/15/19 dated 24 April 2019 by the Chief Executive. 

The Council is asked to:-

(i)  approve the draft Corporate Plan for 2019-22;
(ii) agree that further Member and Officer engagement is required to continue to develop and refine the Plan’s targets with further reports coming to the Council on progress with the first no later than September 2019;
(iii)note that the Corporate Plan will be updated to take account of decisions Members take in relation to the Council’s Governance Review, any amendments to the Change Programme, the Council’s approach to performance improvement and any organisational restructure;
(iv) note that the Plan will support the delivery of the Highland Outcome Improvement Plan;
(v)  note that the Corporate Plan will be the subject of an Annual Performance Report in September each year and the first report for this Plan is due in September 2020; and 
(vi) note in addition to the further work required on measures and targets that the Plan is normally reviewed following the Annual Performance Report to Council and any changes will be submitted to Council for approval.       

12. Change Strategy      
Prògram Atharrachaidh                                                                              
     
There is circulated Report No. HC/16/19 dated 25 April 2019 by the Chief Executive. 

Members are asked to note progress being made to implement the Change Programme and agree that:-

(i)  the six priority areas for expenditure from the second phase of the Change Fund will be: education transformation, ASN project management and parent and pupil advocacy, Visitor Levy consultation, NHS Partnership Agreement Review, Catering and Cleaning Peer Review and Enhancing Communications;
(ii) support for these projects will be provided through a combination of the Change Fund and the re-prioritisation of existing in-house resources; and
(iii)a total sum of £0.307m (pro rata) to be approved for expenditure against the six areas as detailed in Sections 5 and 6 below and in Appendix 1.     

13. Redesign Update                                                                                              
Cunntas às Ùr mu Ath-dhealbhadh

There is circulated Report No. HC/17/19 dated 2 May 2019 by the Chief Executive.
In this regard, there are also circulated Minutes of Meetings of the Redesign Board held on 26 March, 23 April and 1 May 2019.

The Council is asked to:-

(i)  approve the Minutes of the Redesign Board;
(ii) note progress on Council Redesign work;
(iii)approve the Redesign Board’s recommendations of the Agency and
Temporary Workers Peer Review; and
(iv) in respect of Trade Services, to agree the Redesign Board’s
recommendation to establish a multi-supplier framework via an Open
Procedure as considered by the Redesign Board at its meeting on 1 May
2019.

14. Electoral Review of Island Council Areas                                                    
Ath-sgrùdadh Chrìochan Ùghdarrais Ionadail

There is circulated Report No. HC/18/19 dated 29 April 2019 by the Chief Executive.

Members are asked to:-

(i)  agree that the Chief Executive write to the Local Government Boundary Commission seeking a meeting to explore the possibility of the Commission broadening the scope of their current review to include rural Wards of super sparsity; and
(ii) agree that the Council write to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government to highlight issues around the methodology used in boundary reviews and to make the case for additional flexibility over the number of Members for rural Wards.

15. Deeds Executed
Sgrìobhainnean Lagha a Bhuilicheadh

Members are asked to note that a list of deeds and other documents executed on behalf of the Council since the meeting held on 7 March 2019 is available in the Members’ Library and on the Council’s Website.

16. Exclusion of the Public
Às-dùnadh a’ Phobaill

The Council is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

17. Organisational Structures    
Structaran Eagrachaidh 
     
There will be circulated to Members only Report No. HC/19/19 dated 2 May 2019 by the Chief Executive.