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Tribute:
Mr Ronald Mackinnon
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The Chairman referred to Mrs Peggy
Macdonald, the mother in law of Mr Ronald J Mackinnon who had recently passed
away and extended condolences to Mr Mackinnon and his wife and family at this
sad time.
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Tribute:
Mr Malcolm Kennedy
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The Chairman
referred to Mr Malcolm Kennedy from Marvig. currently residing in Dun
Berisay, who celebrated his 100th birthday on 10 August 2004. The
Chairman, on behalf of the Comhairle, extended best wishes to Mr Kennedy.
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Tribute:
Mrs Christina Campbell
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The Chairman
referred to Mrs Christina Campbell of Lemreway who celebrated her 103rd
birthday on 1 September 2004. The Chairman, on behalf of the Comhairle,
extended best wishes to Mrs Campbell on this memorable occasion.
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Tribute:
Mr Robin Bennie
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The Chairman referred to Mr Robin Bennie who
was attending his last meeting of the Comhairle as Director of Finance. Mr
Bennie had joined the Comhairle in 1992 at a time when the finances of the
Comhairle were at a low point. The Chairman stated that Mr Bennie had
developed and introduced new systems and procedures and had gone on improving
them. The Chairman continued by saying that Mr Bennie would leave the
Comhairle in as sound and stable a financial position as is possible in this
highly dynamic world.
The Chairman,
on behalf of the Comhairle, thanked Mr Bennie for his tireless efforts over
the last twelve years and wished him, his wife Sue and daughter Eleanor very
best wishes for their new life in Dumfries and Galloway.
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MINUTES
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Minute of
Meeting of 23 June 2004
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1
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The Minute of
Meeting of 23 June 2004 was approved subject to the following textual
amendment to the second line of the third paragraph on page 327;
“the
Comhairle gives active and urgent consideration to the following matters:”
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Minute of
Meeting of 30 August 2004
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2
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The Minute of
Meeting of 30 August 2004 was approved.
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COMMITTEES
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Committee
Decision Reports
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3
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The Committee
Decision Reports were submitted as undernoted. The Comhairle approved the
recommendations in the Committee Decision Reports unless otherwise indicated:
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(a) Arts and Leisure Committee –
31 August 2004
(b) Housing Committee – 31 August
2004
At Item 32 of the Committee Decision Report it was
agreed to delete the recommendations listed and insert the following
recommendations:
It was agreed to recommend that:
(1) the Director for Sustainable
Communities, in consultation with the Chairmen of Policy and Resources,
Housing and Sustainable Development Committees, be authorised to prepare
representations to the Scottish Executive for the approval and signature by the
Convener in relation to the Croft House Grant Scheme on the basis outlined in
this Report and in the supplementary Report circulated on 9 September 2004
and in particular stating that:
(a) within the Scottish Executive’s
current financial envelope, £2.7m per annum should be allocated at 2 levels
of assistance – 1 at £22k, the other at £30k and that 75% of the funding
should go to the higher priority area, 25% to the lower priority area and
that the remaining £500k should be spend on repairs/improvement grants on a
similar basis;
(b) the Comhairle should make
representations, in the strongest possible terms, to the Scottish Executive
for a substantial increase in the total financial provision made by the
Executive for the proposed Croft House Grant Scheme;
(c) loss of support for access
and water/sewerage connections should be opposed; and
(d) the Scottish Executive
should enable a loan guarantee scheme that should offer security to private
sector lenders.
(2) the Director of Corporate
Services be authorised to seek a meeting with the appropriate Scottish
Executive Minister to discuss the Comhairle’s concerns;
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(3) the Comhairle seek the support of
and liaise and work with any other Agencies and Groups that have an interest
in the welfare of crofting and crofting communities; and
(4) the Comhairle make representations on the Scottish
Executive to finalise all the details of the new Scheme as soon as possible
as the delay is causing hardship to potential applicants.
(c) Environmental Services Committee
– 31 August 2004
Environmental Services
Committee – 8 September 2004 (supplementary Decision Report)
Mr Donald J
Macsween declared an interest in item 10 of the Committee Decision Report and
the Supplementary Decision Report of 8 September 2004 and left the meeting
during consideration of the following item.
Mr Angus
Nicolson, seconded by Mrs Morag Munro, moved approval of the supplementary
minute of 8 September 2004.
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Mr Keith Dodson,
seconded by Mr Norman L Macdonald, moved as an amendment that planning
permission should be granted for the proposed new Bridge Community Centre,
student and flatted accommodation at Bayhead Street subject to conditions
relating to the treatment of contaminated land, protection of trees on the
site and to the following specific condition:
Details of
parking and manoeuvring arrangements (that shall include adequate provision
for pedestrians along the Bayhead frontage and shall avoid parking
arrangements that would involve reversing on to Bayhead) shall be submitted
for approval by the Comhairle as Planning Authority. No part of the
development to which the planning permission relates shall commence until the
Comhairle has issued approval of the details in writing. The development
shall then be carried out and retained throughout the life of the development
in compliance with the approved details.
On the matter
being put to the vote, the motion received the majority of the votes cast.
Mr Angus M
Graham, seconded by Miss Samantha E L Hawkins, moved as a second amendment
that a site visit take place as a matter of urgency and that the
Environmental Services Committee be granted delegated powers to determine
this matter.
On the matter
being put to the vote, the motion and the second amendment received an equal
number of votes. The Chairman exercised his casting vote in favour of the
motion and this became the finding of the meeting.
At items 14 and
15 of the Committee Decision Report, it was agreed that consideration of
these items be deferred and that a Sub-Committee of the Environmental
Services Committee meet as a matter of urgency to determine the matter. It
was further agreed that the Sub-Committee would comprise the following
members: Mr Angus Nicolson, Mr Ian M Macleod, Mr Keith Dodson, Mr Norman L
Macdonald, Mr Angus Campbell and Mr Peter Carlin.
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At Item 19 of
the Committee Decision Report it was agreed to defer consideration of this
matter to the next series of meetings.
At Item 23 of the Committee Decision Report it was
agreed to insert the following three recommendations:
(1) the Director for Sustainable Communities be requested to
submit any case which fell outwith the terms of the said policy to the
Environmental Services Committee at his discretion;
(2)
the Director for Sustainable Communities be
requested to consider the inclusion of a condition in relation to the
provision of roads and footways in relation to approval of outline planning
permission if appropriate; and
(3) a Working Group comprising the Chairman
and Vice-Chairman of Transportation Committee and the Vice-Convener and
Vice-Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee be established to consider
the issue of planning applications and new road construction which would
report back to the December series of meetings.
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(d) Education and Children’s
Services Committee – 1 September 2004
At
Item 12 of the Committee Decision Report, it was agreed to the addition of Eriskay School as number fourteen on the list of Schools where 20mph variable speed limit
signs would be implemented.
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(e) Sustainable Development
Committee – 1 September 2004
At Item 8 of the
Committee Decision Report, it was agreed to add the following
recommendations:
(1) Officers of the Comhairle be instructed to
include the most up to date figures in any submission made to the Scottish
Executive;
(2) the Director for Sustainable Communities
be authorised to make representations to the Scottish Executive, on the basis
that he savings which had accrued, as the result of the amalgamation of the
North of Scotland Water Authority, the West of Scotland Water Authority and
the East of Scotland Water Authority, be used by Scottish Water to provide,
as a matter of urgency, water and sewerage infrastructure in rural areas; and
(3) when the figures in (1) above become
available, strong representations be made, highlighting any difference and
consequent difficulties.
At Item 19 of the Committee Decision Report, it was agreed that
the following be inserted after the recorded declaration of interest:
“and left the meeting during consideration of the matter”
At Item 25 of the Committee Decision Report, it was agreed the
following be inserted immediately before this item:
“Mr Donald Macdonald declared an interest in the following item”
At Item 28 of the Committee
Decision Report, it was agreed that the Director for Sustainable Communities
would submit a Report in relation to Leverburgh Pier to the next series of
meetings.
At Item 32 of
the Committee Decision Report, it was agreed to delete the recommendations
listed and insert the following recommendations:
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(1) the Director for Sustainable
Communities, in consultation with the Chairmen of Policy and Resources,
Housing and Sustainable Development Committees, be authorised to prepare
representations to the Scottish Executive for the approval and signature by
the Convener in relation to the Croft House Grant Scheme on the basis
outlined in this Report and in the supplementary Report circulated on 9
September and in particular stating that:
(a) within the Scottish Executive’s
current financial envelope, £2.7m per annum should be allocated at 2 levels
of assistance – 1 at £22k, the other at £30k and that 75% of the funding
should go to the higher priority area, 25% to the lower priority area and
that the remaining £500k should be spend on repairs/improvement grants on a
similar basis;
(b) the Comhairle should make
representations, in the strongest possible terms, to the Scottish Executive
for a substantial increase in the total financial provision made by the
Executive for the proposed Croft House Grant Scheme;
(c) loss of support for access and
water/sewerage connections should be opposed; and
(d) the Scottish Executive should enable a
loan guarantee scheme that should offer security to private sector lenders.
(2)
the Director of Corporate Services be
authorised to seek a meeting with the appropriate Scottish Executive Minister
to discuss the Comhairle’s concerns;
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(3) the Comhairle should seek the
support of and liaise and work with any other Agencies and Groups that have
an interest in the welfare of crofting and crofting communities; and
(4) the Comhairle should make
representations on the Scottish Executive to finalise all the details of the
new Scheme as soon as possible as the delay is causing hardship to potential
applicants.
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(f) Social Work Committee – 2
September 2004
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(g) Transportation Committee – 2
September 2004
At item 12 (3) of the Decision Report, delete the
word “online” and replace with the word “outline”.
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(h) Policy and Resources Committee
– 9 September 2004
At Item 27 of the Decision Report, insert, after
“on the basis of” the following: “the proposed response detailed at
paragraph 5 of the Report”.
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(i) Audit and Scrutiny Committee
– 9 September 2004
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ADDITIONAL ITEM
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The Chairman ruled that in accordance with
the provisions of Section 50B(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973,
as detailed in terms of Standing Order 8, the following items be considered
as a matter of urgency in order that the matter could be dealt with prior to
the next meeting of the Comhairle in November 2004.
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(j) Commercial Operations Board –
3 September 2004
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