Leisure, Arts And Communities Committee - 09/02/2004

At a MEETING of the COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 9th February, 2004.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 12th January, 2004 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DUNDEE FOOTBALL CLUB COMMUNITIES LEARNING SECTOR

There was submitted Joint Report No 115-2004 by the Director of Education and the Head of Communities providing Committee members with a progress report on the development of Community Learning Centre through a partnership involving Dundee Football Club and Dundee City Council's Education and Communities Departments.

The Committee noted the progress achieved to date and approved the continued involvement of Council staff in supporting the development of this initiative with Dundee Football Club and other partner agencies.

II SOCIAL INCLUSION PARTNERSHIPS - TRANSITION TO DUNDEE COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP

There was submitted Joint Report No 120-2004 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and the Head of Communities providing the Committee with a briefing on arrangements for the integration of Social Inclusion Partnerships into the Community Planning Partnership for the City.

The Committee approved the following recommendations:-

(a) to note the guidelines issued by Communities Scotland for the integration of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) into Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs)

(b) to approve the progress made in preparing "a Statement of Readiness"

(c) to note the timetable for transition.

III SOCIAL INCLUSION PARTNERSHIP ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND SMALL GRANTS 2003/2004

Councillors Grant and W Dawson declared non-financial interests in the following item being City Council representatives on the Grey Lodge Settlement Association Executive Committee.

There was submitted Report No 122-2004 by the Head of Communities detailing proposals from the SIP board for the allocation of funding for SIP 1 from Communities Scotland.

The Committee agreed the following recommendations:-

(a) to note the outcome of the SIP decision-making process and agree the proposals contained in Section 8 of the report.

(b) to approve the allocation of funding from SIP 1 core fund "slippage" in Appendix A of the report.

(c) to approve the SIP 1 Small Grants detailed in Appendix B.

(d) to approve the SIP 1 Drugs Misuse Grant detailed in Appendix C.

(e) to note SIP 1 Empowering Communities Fund allocations in Appendix D.

(f) to note SIP 2 Empowering Communities Fund allocations in Appendix E.

IV SOCIAL INCLUSION PARTNERSHIP ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES 2004/2005, PROVISIONALALLOCATIONS 2005/06

There was submitted Report No 127-2004 by the Head of Communities noting the allocation of funding for SIP 1 and SIP from Communities Scotland. The report also made recommendations for the allocation of SIP 1 and SIP 2 funding for the financial years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 and noted the transfer of 25,000 from SIP 2 Core budget to SIP 2 Small Grants Fund.

The Committee agreed to the following recommendations:-

(a) to note the outcome of the SIP decision-making process and agree the proposals contained in Section 9 of the report.

(b) to instruct officers to proceed with implementation of these proposals and conditions contained in Appendices A(1) to A(15) relating to SIP 1 and SIP 2 funding.

(c) to approve the expenditure from SIP 1 Drugs Misuse Fund outlined in Appendix C.

(d) to approve the expenditure from SIP 2 Drugs Misuse Fund outlined in Appendix D.

(e) to note the expenditure from SIP 2 Empowering Communities allocation outlined in Appendix E.

V PROPOSED CHANGES TO MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTES

There was submitted Agenda Note AN43-2004 advising that the routes taken by the Mobile Library vehicle were regularly reviewed to ensure that the service kept pace with demographic changes in the city and with the changing needs of service users.

Recent research had pointed to an opportunity to provide the service to even more people by making only minimal changes to the timetable stops. Sixteen new stops had been incorporated including the Royal Victoria Hospital Brain Injury Unit. The only stop that had been dropped was Rosebank Street as residents of this complex preferred to use the books provided in their lounge.

The new wheelchair access on the vehicle would now ensure that equal access was available for everyone. The proposed date for implementation was Monday, 1st March, 2004.

The Committee approved the proposed changes to the mobile library routes.

VI ESTABLISHMENT OF STOBSWELL FORUM AS A RECOGNISED NEIGHBOURHOOD REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURE

On a reference to Article II of the minute of meeting of 11th November, 2002 there was submitted Agenda Note AN45-2004 asking the Committee to approve Stobswell Forum as a Neighbourhood Representative Structure with the same level of recognition as applied to Community Councils. The application submitted on behalf of Stobswell Forum satisfied the nine criteria set out in the above mentioned report.

The Committee approved Stobswell Forum as a Neighbourhood Representative Structure.

VII SUPPLY OF LIBRARY RESOURCES

On a reference to Article IV of the minute of meeting of 13th May, 2002 there was submitted Agenda Note AN46-2004 requesting Committee approval to extend the current Service Level Agreement with library suppliers until 31st March, 2005 on the basis that the suppliers were meeting all conditions set by the Council.

Negotiations for future supply would be undertaken later this year.

The Committee approved the extension of the current Service Level Agreements with library suppliers until 31st March 2005.

VIII PLANNED MAINTENANCE 2003/2004 - PHASE 5

There was submitted Report No 121-2004 by the Head of Communities seeking approval from the City Architectural Services Officer to obtain offers, tenders or negotiate partnerships and for the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), in conjunction with the Head of Communities, to accept these offers, tenders, partnership agreements for planned maintenance up to a total cost of 7,000 as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

The Committee approved the following recommendations:-

(a) that the City Architectural Services Officer be authorised to obtain offers, tenders or partnership agreements for the planned maintenance work and;

(b) the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services), in conjunction with the Head of Communities, be authorised to accept offers, tenders/partnership agreements as recommended by the City Architectural Services Officer for works to be undertaken by Dundee Contract Services and other contractors.

IX NON-RECURRING REVENUE GRANTS FUND V 2003/2004

There was submitted Report No 118-2004 by the Head of Communities making a recommendation for a grant award from the Non-Recurring Revenue Grants Fund. The grant award would be met from the Department's revenue budget 2003/2004.

The Committee approved the recommended grant of 1,320 in respect of the Young Quality Scot Awards Dundee Group.

X ARTHURSTONE LIBRARY REFURBISHMENT

Reference was made to Article IX of the minute of meeting of the Recess Sub-Committee held on 21st July, 2003 which authorised officers to negotiate and accept a partnering contract for the refurbishment of Arthurstone Library.

There was submitted Agenda Note AN61-2004 asking the Committee to note that Forman Construction had been appointed as the partnering contractor.

The Committee noted accordingly.

XI ANCRUM OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE REFURBISHMENT - EXTENSION TO CONTRACT

There was submitted Report No 138-2004 by the City Architectural Services Officer requesting approval to extend the existing contract.

The Committee approved the extension of the existing contract incurring estimated additional expenditure of 58,000.

KEVIN KEENAN, Convener.