City Development Committee - 08/05/2006

At a MEETING of the ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 8th May 2006.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor MORROW, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I BUSINESS GATEWAY

Reference was made to Article II of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 9th May 2005 wherein it was agreed that the Business Gateway be put out to tender from April 2007 and a report be brought forward for consideration at this Committee. There was submitted Agenda Note AN157-2006 advising that the budget review at Scottish Enterprise had overshadowed that proposal and that no definitive statement on how this would be done was now expected before June 2006. Scottish Enterprise Tayside had now committed the full amount of their contributions to the core costs up to 30th June 2006 and the Committee was asked to agree that its contribution to 30th June 2006 be paid amounting to 28,750 made up of rent for the premises at King Street and cash towards core costs.

The Committee agreed to pay its contribution and noted that the implications of both the Scottish Enterprise budget review and the proposed tendering exercise would be reported to this Committee.

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 items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

II COMMERCIAL LEASES

There was submitted and approved Report No 271-2006 by the Director of Economic Development detailing commercial leases in respect of the undernoted premises:-

201/203 Hilltown

2/1, 61 Reform Street

III RENT REVIEWS

There was submitted and approved Report No 232-2006 by the Director of Economic Development detailing rent reviews in respect of the undernoted premises:-

Yard No 1 Annfield Row

137 Pitkerro Road

Unit 6, Old Glamis Road

0.2432 ha site, Kingsway East

IV 0198 HA (0.49 ACRE) SITE AT WEST MARKETGAIT

Reference was made to Article VII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 20th March 2006 when the proposals relating to the potential redevelopment of the former printing works at West Marketgait were approved. There was submitted Agenda Note AN168-2006 advising that if it was not possible to proceed with the developments with each party having acted in good faith the cost would be shared equally between those parties and accordingly the City Council had been requested to indemnify them against potential financial exposure.

The Committee agreed to provide such indemnity as detailed.

It was reported that the Convener had agreed that the undernoted item be considered as a matter of urgency in terms of Standing Order 17(b) in view of the time scales involved.

V WEAVER'S VILLAGE, LOCHEE

The Director of Economic Development submitted Report No 323-2006 relative to the above commercial centre.

The Committee agreed that the leasehold interest be purchased from the Landlords on the terms and conditions detailed and remitted to the Director of Economic Development and the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) to conclude the purchase.

JOE MORROW, Convener.