AL98031

ARTS AND LEISURE COMMITTEE

Minute of Meeting held in the Council Offices, Stornoway, on Tuesday 24 March 1998 at 9.00 a.m.

PRESENT

Mr Alasdair G Macrae (Chairman)

Mrs Katie M Mackenzie (Vice-Chairman)

Mr Angus M Graham

Mr Roderick Macdonald

Mr Donald Murray

Mr Roderick Morrison

Mr Callum I Macmillan

Mr Norman A Macdonald

Mr Kenneth Mackay

APOLOGIES

Mrs Mary Bremner

Tribute:

Mr Richard Woolford and Mr Simon Kelly

The Chairman referred to Mr Richard Woolford, Assistant Director of Education and Leisure Services, and Mr Simon Kelly, Sports Centre Manager at the Nicolson-Lewis Sports Centre, who had swum 600 lengths during the Swimathon held as part of the Lewis and Harris Sports Festival and, on behalf of the Committee, congratulated both men on their achievement.

BUILDINGS

It was agreed that, in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on grounds defined in Standing Order 26(f), (h), (i) and (j), namely, information relating to the financial of business affairs of any particular person (other than the Comhairle), the amount of any expenditure proposed to be incurred by the Comhairle under any particular contract for the acquisition of property or the supply of goods or services, any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the Comhairle in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services and the identity of the Comhairle (as well as of any other person, by virtue of Standing Order 26(f)) as the person offering any particular tender for a contract for the supply of goods or services.

New Central Library Provision AL01.04

AL08.04

36*

With reference to item 114 of the Minute of Meeting of 18 November 1997, the Chief Executive submitted a Report regarding proposals for the provision of a new central library facility in Stornoway. It was stated that, following the Comhairle's decision not to proceed with the development of the Lews Castle as was originally proposed, an assessment had been made of suitable premises which would meet the revised and updated brief for a new library. Technical evaluations of two premises in Stornoway town centre had been undertaken. On the basis of the results of the evaluations, informal negotiations had been commenced with the owner of one of the premises, at 19 Cromwell Street , Stornoway. The negotiations had reached the point where appropriate acquisition terms had been negotiated, in principle, and a source of funding had been secured, in principle, from the Comhairle's bankers. Details of the proposals were set out in the Report, together with the financial implications for the Comhairle of proceeding.

It was agreed to recommend that:

(1) the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to conclude such legal agreements as may be necessary with the owners of 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, and the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc to enable the Bank to acquire the premises at 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, on such other terms and conditions as recommended to the Comhairle by the District Valuer, and on such further terms and conditions as the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance, deemed appropriate and as otherwise detailed in the Report by the Chief Executive;

(2) subject to the Comhairle's technical requirements (which might require periodic closure of the premises) such legal agreements would include a provision that the current owners of the property be permitted to continue retail trading from the premises until such time as the Comhairle was ready to issue tender documents for the works to the premises, on such terms as considered appropriate by the Director of Corporate Services, but at nil rental;

(3) the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to conclude a lease of the premises at 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, from the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc at a rental approved by the District Valuer and subject to such other terms and conditions as the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Chief Executive, deemed appropriate;

(4) the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Director of Corporate Services, be authorised to conclude suitable financial terms with the Comhairle's bankers, the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, in respect of those costs of the project referred to in the Report by the Chief Executive which were not proposed to be met from the Comhairle's revenue balances, and on the basis of the proposed terms as detailed in the Report;

(5) the requirements of the appropriate parts of the Comhairle's contract regulations be waived in respect of:

(a) the role of the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc as specialist supplier of financial services: and

(b) the appointment of specialist consultants as required by the Director of Technical Services to meet the development timetable for the project;

(6) the Director of Technical Services, on behalf of the Director of Education and Leisure Services, be authorised to submit appropriate notices of intention to develop in relation to the proposals; and

(7) the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services and the Director of Finance, be authorised to determine any incidental matters arising from the proposals in the Report insofar as the Comhairle's interests were concerned in consultation with the Chairmen of the Arts and Leisure Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee.

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PRESENT	Mr Alasdair G Macrae (Chairman)
	Mrs Katie M Mackenzie (Vice-Chairman)	Mr Angus M Graham
	Mr Roderick Macdonald	Mr Donald Murray
	Mr Roderick Morrison	Mr Callum I Macmillan
	Mr Norman A Macdonald	Mr Kenneth Mackay

APOLOGIES	Mrs Mary Bremner

Tribute: Mr Richard Woolford and Mr Simon Kelly		The Chairman referred to Mr Richard Woolford, Assistant Director of Education and Leisure Services, and Mr Simon Kelly, Sports Centre Manager at the Nicolson-Lewis Sports Centre, who had swum 600 lengths during the Swimathon held as part of the Lewis and Harris Sports Festival and, on behalf of the Committee, congratulated both men on their achievement.
		BUILDINGS
		It was agreed that, in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on grounds defined in Standing Order 26(f), (h), (i) and (j), namely, information relating to the financial of business affairs of any particular person (other than the Comhairle), the amount of any expenditure proposed to be incurred by the Comhairle under any particular contract for the acquisition of property or the supply of goods or services, any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the Comhairle in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services and the identity of the Comhairle (as well as of any other person, by virtue of Standing Order 26(f)) as the person offering any particular tender for a contract for the supply of goods or services.
New Central Library Provision AL01.04 AL08.04	36*	With reference to item 114 of the Minute of Meeting of 18 November 1997, the Chief Executive submitted a Report regarding proposals for the provision of a new central library facility in Stornoway. It was stated that, following the Comhairle's decision not to proceed with the development of the Lews Castle as was originally proposed, an assessment had been made of suitable premises which would meet the revised and updated brief for a new library. Technical evaluations of two premises in Stornoway town centre had been undertaken. On the basis of the results of the evaluations, informal negotiations had been commenced with the owner of one of the premises, at 19 Cromwell Street , Stornoway. The negotiations had reached the point where appropriate acquisition terms had been negotiated, in principle, and a source of funding had been secured, in principle, from the Comhairle's bankers. Details of the proposals were set out in the Report, together with the financial implications for the Comhairle of proceeding.
		It was agreed to recommend that:
		(1) the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to conclude such legal agreements as may be necessary with the owners of 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, and the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc to enable the Bank to acquire the premises at 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, on such other terms and conditions as recommended to the Comhairle by the District Valuer, and on such further terms and conditions as the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance, deemed appropriate and as otherwise detailed in the Report by the Chief Executive;
		(2) subject to the Comhairle's technical requirements (which might require periodic closure of the premises) such legal agreements would include a provision that the current owners of the property be permitted to continue retail trading from the premises until such time as the Comhairle was ready to issue tender documents for the works to the premises, on such terms as considered appropriate by the Director of Corporate Services, but at nil rental;
		(3) the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to conclude a lease of the premises at 19 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, from the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc at a rental approved by the District Valuer and subject to such other terms and conditions as the Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Chief Executive, deemed appropriate; (4) the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Director of Corporate Services, be authorised to conclude suitable financial terms with the Comhairle's bankers, the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, in respect of those costs of the project referred to in the Report by the Chief Executive which were not proposed to be met from the Comhairle's revenue balances, and on the basis of the proposed terms as detailed in the Report; (5) the requirements of the appropriate parts of the Comhairle's contract regulations be waived in respect of: (a) the role of the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc as specialist supplier of financial services: and (b) the appointment of specialist consultants as required by the Director of Technical Services to meet the development timetable for the project; (6) the Director of Technical Services, on behalf of the Director of Education and Leisure Services, be authorised to submit appropriate notices of intention to develop in relation to the proposals; and (7) the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services and the Director of Finance, be authorised to determine any incidental matters arising from the proposals in the Report insofar as the Comhairle's interests were concerned in consultation with the Chairmen of the Arts and Leisure Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee.
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