Policy And Resources Committee - 09/06/2008

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 9th June, 2008.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Kevin KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 12th May, 2008 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I PROPOSED CLOSURE OF POST OFFICES

It was reported that this item had been placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Keenan.

The Committee approved the undernoted:-

"Post Office Ltd has announced proposals to close four post offices within the Dundee City Council area as part of the UK-wide Network Change Programme:-

7                                             Fairmuir Post Office, 343 Clepington Road

7                                             Ferry Road Post Office, 82 Broughty Ferry Road

7                                             Lochee Road Post Office, 156 Lochee Road

7                                             Nethergate Post Office, 123 Nethergate

(i) In view of the crucial importance of these Post Offices to local communities, the proposed closures should be opposed and strong objections be made to Post Office Ltd;

(ii) Dundee City Council calls upon Post Office Ltd to ensure that the public consultation exercise is a genuine and meaningful one, and to give assurances that they will pay heed to the views of the local communities who rely on this service; and

(iii) Dundee City Council calls upon Postwatch to support the Council's efforts to prevent these closures."

II RECESS SUB-COMMITTEE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN104-2008 intimating that the Council's Recess commenced on 28th June, 2008 and ended on 16th August, 2008 and in order to facilitate the smooth, continuous conduct of the Council's business, it was proposed that a Recess Sub-Committee of the Council be set up to deal with matters of an urgent nature which the Chief Executive or Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) believed could not wait for the next ordinary meeting of the Committee concerned during that period and that its operating arrangements be as follows:-

(i) Membership - two members of the Administration, two members of the SNP Group and one member of the Conservative Group;

(ii) Chair - Leader of the Administration or nominee;

(iii) Substitutes - in terms of Standing Order No 45(3) it shall be competent for substitutions to be intimated and effected for individual meetings;

(iv) Quorum - three members;

(v) Dates - to be arranged on a Monday when required;

(vi) Remit - to deal with any urgent business arising during the recess period;

(vii) Power - full delegated powers to deal with business laid before it.

The Committee approved accordingly.

III FAIRER SCOTLAND FUND - COMMUNITY REGENERATION FORUM ALLOCATION 2008/2010

Councillor Keenan declared a non-financial interest in Ardler Village Trust by virtue of being the Council's representative on the Trust.

There was submitted Report No 300-2008 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) relative to the above.

The Committee noted the process for allocating small grants through the local community regeneration forums as agreed by the Dundee Partnership and endorsed the funding proposals as detailed below:-

IV ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR STRATEGY - LOCAL OUTCOME AGREEMENTS MONITORING REPORT 2007/2008

There was submitted Report No 305-2008 by the Director of Leisure and Communities, Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) and Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) noted and approved the 2007/2008 Outcome Agreements monitoring report;

(ii) approved public access to the annual monitoring report as outlined in Paragraph 6.2 of the report;

(iii) noted the submission of the report to the Scottish Government.

V CORPORATE PARENTING POLICY IN RESPECT OF LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

There was submitted Report No 270-2008 by the Director of Social Work relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) adopted the updated corporate parenting policy framework which would enhance the decision making and scrutiny of elected members for children and young people who were looked after;

(ii) noted the proposed spend of the Scottish Government funding allocated specifically to support and improve Councils' activity around raising and sustaining awareness of corporate parenting responsibilities and building capacity across the corporate parent though more effective and better partnership working and commissioning of services;

(iii) agreed to encourage each local authority department to consider its role in respect of being a corporate parent;

(iv) delegated responsibility to the Chair of the Strategic Planning Group, Children's Services to ensure that the corporate parenting agenda was owned and progressed, including the development of the role of 'Champions' of looked after children and young people.

VI REPLACEMENT FOOTBALL PITCHES - BALFIELD PLAYING FIELDS

This item was withdrawn.

VII DUNDEE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT - DUNDEE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

After considering Report No 314-2008 by the Chief Executive relative to the above, the Committee approved the Dundee Environmental Strategy for the period 2008 to 2011 appended thereto.

VIII RELIEF OF RATES - CHARITY RELIEF

There was submitted Report No 312-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Finance) seeking authorisation to grant charity relief on the undernoted non-domestic properties:-

The Committee approved accordingly.

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 1, 6, 8 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

IX REGRADING OF POST - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN105-2008 intimating that the Chief Executive had reviewed the duties and responsibilities of a position in the above Department.

The Committee approved the recommendation detailed therein.

X RENEWAL OF BT FEATURENET CONTRACT

There was submitted for information and record purposes Report No 285-2008 by the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) relative to the above.

It was noted that in view of the timescales involved, the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) in consultation with the Convener of this Committee and group spokespersons had approved the recommendations detailed therein.

The Committee noted accordingly.

Kevin KEENAN, Convener.