Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will take place remotely on Wednesday 1 September 2021 at 10.30am. 

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

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. Good News 
Naidheachdan Matha

4. Recess Powers
Cumhachdan Fosaidh

The Committee is asked to note that the recess powers granted by the Council at its meeting on 24 June 2021 have not been exercised in relation to the business of the Committee.

5. Capital Report
Aithisg Calpa

There is circulated Report No. ECI/31/2021 dated 18 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.  note the capital outturn position for the 2020/21 financial year; and
ii. consider the financial position as at 30 June 2021 and note the estimated year end forecast.

6. Economic Prosperity Fund/Economic Recovery Update
Maoin Soirbheas Eaconamach/Fios às Ùr mu Ath-shlànachadh Eaconamach

There is circulated Report No. ECI/32/2021 dated 9 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to agree:-

i.  to provide £240k from the Economic Prosperity Fund to enable the Council’s Investment Company – Highland Opportunity Investments Limited, to manage on its behalf a small-scale loan scheme and to recycle capital repayments for future business loan investments; and
ii. that the Council seek and secure flexibility from the Scottish Government in how residual Discretionary Grant Scheme funding can be used to support business survival and recovery.

7. Revenue Monitoring
Sgrùdadh Teachd-a-steach

There is circulated Report No. ECI/33/2021 dated 6 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to note:-

i.    the more detailed reporting of gross income and gross expenditure to improve scrutiny of net budgets as set out in the Appendices to the report;
ii.   the revenue budget final outturn position for the year ended 31 March 2021;
iii.  the revenue monitoring position for the period to 30 June 2021;
iv.   net spend at the end of Quarter 1, totalled £7.664m;
v.    based on the best available information to date, a service budget gap of £1.678m is forecast to end of 2021/22;
vi.   many areas of the Service rely on income to pay for services, and this continues to be affected in 2021/22 because of Covid-19 impacts.  A loss of income and Covid-19 related costs is the key driver of the Service’s budget gap;
vii.  the budget gap may change positively or negatively depending on applying expenditure and recruitment controls, aligning services to meet budget savings agreed and income recovery in 2021/22; and
viii. further adjustments will be made in future quarterly reporting to reflect the updated apportionment of costs and savings across the new structure.

8. Rural Housing Supplementary Guidance 
Stiùireadh Leasachail Taigheadais Dhùthchail

There is circulated Report No. ECI/34/2021 dated 20 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   consider and agree the finalised version of the Rural Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance contained in Appendix 1 of the report;
ii.  agree to delegate approval to Officers to complete the formal adoption process; and
iii. note that, from the point of this Committee approval, the finalised version of the Rural Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance will become a material consideration in the determination of housing planning applications and once statutorily adopted, will replace the existing policy and guidance as set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report.

9. Roads and Transport Transformation and Roads Capital Allocation Update    
Fios às Ùr mu Chruth-atharrachadh Rathaidean is Còmhdhalach agus Riarachadh Calpa Rathaidean  

There is circulated Report No. ECI/35/2021 dated 12 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   note the progress being made with the Transformation work underway in respect of Roads and Transport;
ii.  note the progress made in the Capital programmes for all works in 2021/22; 
iii. agree, as detailed in sections 5 and 6 of this report, the proposed distribution of the additional £9M Capital allocation for infrastructure improvements from phases 2 and 3 of the Health and Prosperity Strategy as set out in section 7.2 of the approved report at Highland Council Committee (HC/14/21, 24 June 2021).  This does not include the £1.6M for Corran Ferry as approved at Highland Council; and 
iv.  note that any underspend in this year’s allocations will be carried forward into the next financial year. 

10. Tain and Wick Conservation Areas
Sgìrean Glèidhteachais Bhaile Dhubhthaich is Inbhir Ùige

There is circulated Report No. ECI/36/2021 dated 6 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to agree to: -

i.  adopt the Tain Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan as planning guidance and approve the proposed amendments to the statutory conservation area boundary; and
ii. subject to agreement of the Caithness Committee, adopt the Wick Pulteneytown Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan as planning guidance and approve the proposed amendments to the statutory conservation area boundary.

11. Transformation Programme – Update on Climate Change Projects 
Prògram Cruth-atharrachaidh – Fios às Ùr mu Phròiseactan Atharrachadh Gnàth-shìde

There is circulated Report No. ECI/37/2021 dated 6 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to discuss and note the contents of the report.

12. Place Based Investment Report
Aithisg Tasgaidh Stèidhichte air Àite

There is circulated Report No. ECI/38/2021 dated 3 August 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   agree that an area-based approach is adopted to manage the Place Based Investment Programme grant in 2021/22, with decision-making as detailed in section 7 and proposed area allocations as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;
ii.  agree that the Council write to the Scottish Government to request flexibility on the spend profile of Place Based Investment grant; and 
iii. agree to homologate the Highland Council’s Round 9 Stage 1 Regeneration Capital Grant Fund applications to the Scottish Government on 17 June 2021.

13. Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas

The following Minutes are circulated for noting or approval as appropriate: -

i.   South Planning Applications Committee held on 27 April and 15 June 2021 for noting;
ii.  North Planning Applications Committee held on 20 April and 8 June 2021 for noting;
iii. City Region Deal Monitoring Group held on 21 April and 2 August 2021 for approval;and
iv.  Harbours Management Board held on 18 August 2021 for approval.

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

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 for the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

15. Property Transactions Monitoring Report
Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Ghnothachasan Seilbhe

There is circulated to Members only Report No. ECI/39/2021 dated 30 July 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to note the recommendations as detailed in the report.

16. Land and Property 
Fearann agus Cuid-seilbh 
                                                             
There is circulated to Members only Report No. ECI/40/21 dated 30 July 2021 by the Executive Chief Officer Infrastructure, Environment and Economy.

The Committee is invited to note the recommendations as detailed in the report.