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MINUTES
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Minute of
Meeting of 15 June 2004
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1
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The Minute of
Meeting of 15 June 2004 was approved.
Arising from consideration of the above
it was agreed to recommend that the Director of Technical Services be
authorised to make representations to the Minister for Transport seeking the
introduction of discounts for young people/students on ferry services;
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Minute of
Meeting of HITRANS of 13 August 2004
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2
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The Minute of
Meeting of HITRANS of 13 August 2004 was noted.
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FINANCE
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General
Fund Capital Monitoring 1 April 2004 – 30 June 2004
PR110.01
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3
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With reference
to item 6 of the Minute of Meeting of 28 August 2003 the Director of Finance
submitted a Report detailing progress in the Capital Programme for 2004/05 as
at 30 June 2004.
It was agreed to recommend, in so far
as the Committee’s interests were concerned, that the Forecast Out-turn be
approved as the Revised Approved Programme and specifically the following:
(1) the acceleration of £20k for
electrical upgrading work at Lochmaddy School from the Renovation/Composite
Programme for such work;
(2) the acceleration of £84k for the
Schools Accessibility Programme from the Renovation/Composite Programme for
such work;
(3) the acceleration of £103k for
Reroofing work at Daliburgh School from the Renovation/Composite Programme
for such work;
(4) the slippage of £20k for the
Boiler Plant Replacement in Schools;
(5) the slippage of £914k of
expenditure and £390k of income on the South Uist Care Development project;
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(6) the acceleration of £58k for
Capital Repairs to Social Work properties from the Renovation/Composite
Programme for such work;
(7) the slippage of £335k of
expenditure on Roads to Communities to 2005/06 pending the outcome of a HISTP
claim for funding for this project;
(8) the overspend of £23k on Pointers;
and
(9) the overspend of £195k on the
Stornoway Sports Centre.
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First Quarter
Revenue Monitoring
PR110.05
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4
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With reference
to item 4 of the Minute of Meeting of 28 August 2003 the Director of Finance
submitted a Report concerning the Comhairle’s forecast revenue outturn for
2003/04 at the end of the first quarter.
It was agreed
to recommend, in so far as the Committee’s interests were concerned, that the
Report be noted.
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TRANSPORT
POLICY
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Scotland’s Transport Future
T03.02
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5
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report in relation to the Scottish
Executive’s White Paper “Scotland’s Transport Future” which set out a new
framework for transport planning and delivery. The proposals included the
creation of a new national transport agency to enhance the delivery of
transport by Central Government and new statutory regional transport
partnerships together with the continued role of Local Authorities. The
Report indicated that the broad terms of the White Paper were in line with
the previous consultation submission by the Comhairle but a number of areas
for concern would be covered in a subsequent consultation paper which would
be considered at the next series of Meetings.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Director of Technical Services be authorised to
make representations to the Scottish Executive expressing concern at the
proposals in the White Paper on voting and funding for the Statutory Regional
Partnerships.
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AIR
SERVICES
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Consultation on Protection of Regional
Air Services to London
T04.02
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6
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report detailing a draft response to the
consultation document on the protection of regional air services to London. The consultation document sought views on the criteria for the implementation of
the policy to protect the existing regional air services to London following
the announcement made on the “Future for Air Transport” White Paper published
in December 2003.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle approve the draft response to the public consultation on the
protection of regional air services to London.
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ROADS
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Programme and Progress
T08.01
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7
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Programme and Progress Report in respect of
roads.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Report be noted.
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Minor Road Safety Improvements
T08.05.06
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8
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The Director of Technical Services submitted
a Report detailing a prioritised list of Minor Road Safety Improvement
Schemes for inclusion in the Capital Programme 2004/08. The schemes had been
assessed against the new scoring criteria approved by the Comhairle in June
2004. An estimate of the value of the works had been included for those
schemes nearest the top of the priority list but a number of external factors
where yet to be quantified. There was an upper limit of £50k in relation to
Minor Roads Safety Improvement Schemes and if any schemes came above the
upper limit they would be subject to a further Report.
It was agreed to recommend that:
(1)
the prioritised Minor Road Safety
Improvement Schemes listed in the appendix to the Report be approved for
inclusion in the Capital Programme 2004/2008, up to and including priority 9;
and
(2)
when these works are nearing completion
a further Report be submitted outlining what further schemes could be
included to cover the balance of the approved capital budget, up to 2008.
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Main and Side
Road Footway Capital Budget
T12
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9
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The Director of Technical Services submitted
a Report detailing a prioritised list of Main and Side Road Footway Schemes
for inclusion in the Capital Programme 2004/08. The schemes had been
proposed by Members and had been assessed against the new scoring criteria
approved by the Comhairle in June 2004. The Report further indicated that
the budget was divided into sections covering both footways and main and side
roads as well as street and footpaths in Stornoway. The allocation for new
footways for 2004/08 represented half of the sums available in previous years
and it had been decided to limit individual schemes to £40k with larger
projects being divided into phases.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle approve:
(1)
the prioritised Footways Schemes in the
headings Main Roads, Side Roads and Streets and Footpaths in Stornoway as
detailed in Appendix 1 to the Report; and
(2)
the inclusion of the project “Main and
Side Road Footways” in the Capital Programme 2004 – 08 in line with the
Project Evaluation Report at Appendix 2 to the Report.
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Amenity and Carriageway Lighting
Programme 2004/2008
T08.05.01
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10
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The Director of Technical Services submitted
a Report detailing a prioritised programme of Amenity and Carriageway Public
Lighting Schemes for delivery as part of the 2004/08 Capital Programme.
Schemes for new amenity and carriageway lighting had been proposed by Members
and had been assessed using the scoring criteria approved by the Comhairle in
June 2004. The Report detailed two separate priority lists for Amenity
Lighting (generally schemes of up to three stand alone lighting units) and
Carriageway Lighting (generally a scheme of more that three lighting units or
the extension of existing carriageway lighting). The Report further
indicated that, in order to enable priorities to be reviewed as the delivery
of the programme progressed, only 67% of the allocated programme would be
committed at this stage and a further Report would be submitted in Autumn
2006 seeking approval for the inclusion of any additional schemes the need
for which had arisen since the consideration of this Report.
It was agreed to recommend that:
(1)
the allocation of £75k for amenity
lighting schemes and £225k for carriageway lighting schemes be approved;
(2)
the prioritised Amenity and Carriageway
Lighting Programme included in Appendices 1 and 2 to the Report be approved
for inclusion in the 2004-08 Capital Programme in line with the Project
Evaluation Report at Appendix 3 to the Report; and
(3) a further Report be submitted in Autumn 2006 seeking
approval for the delivery of the remaining schemes in the respective
Programmes.
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Road Safety – 20 mph Speed Limits at
Schools
T08.05.06
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11
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report indicating that the Scottish
Executive had granted all Local Authorities funding to implement 20mph speed
limits and associated road safety measures outside schools. The Comhairle
had been granted £43k for 2003/04 and £92k in each of the financial years
2004/05 and 2005/06. The Report indicated that the previous years allocation
was used to purchase a number of variable speed limit signs and the remainder
was used to complement the Traffic Management at Schools Budget. The Report
proposed that an element of the current financial years award would be used
to erect these signs in appropriate locations outside island schools with the
balance available to complement the School Traffic Management Budget.
It was
agreed to recommend that the implementation of 20mph variable speed limit
signs at the following fourteen Schools be approved:
1 Balallan School
2 Sir E Scott School
3 Leverburgh School
4 Lochmaddy School
5 Balivanich School
6 Carinish School
7 Daliburgh School
8 Laxdale School
9 Sandwickhill School
10 Stornoway Primary School
11 Sgoil nan Loch
12 Shawbost School; and
13
Bayble School
14
Eriskay School
It was
further agreed to recommend that a Report would be submitted to the next
Meeting of the Committee detailing a proposed prioritised list of Schools
where it is considered that the introduction of a 20mph would be appropriate
and detailing the priority criteria including the current volume of traffic,
current limits, budgetary provision and detailing the reasons why the
introduction of 20mph limits are not considered appropriate at all Schools
and detailing the proposed use of any balance after these measures had been
implemented.
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Planning Applications and New Road
Construction
DS21
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12
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report concerning the development of
policies to maintain a consistent approach with a view to ensuring the
provision of appropriate access to new developments. The Report intimated
that concerns had been raised in relation to those locations where a number
of houses had already been built and where the onus to upgrade a road would
then fall on one individual. It was pointed out that whilst the proposed
policy aimed at achieving flexibility and that the fact that a particular
road could only ever serve a limited number of dwellings could be recognised,
there was a need to ensure that narrow roads, without passing places,
lighting etc., were not being provided to access an ever increasing number of
houses. The Report referred to the statutory obligations placed on the Comhairle
by the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and further referred to the policy position
of a number of other local authorities in Scotland in relation to the
provision of roads at developments. The Report further indicated that a
clear policy statement in relation to the provision of access, including
footways at developments would ensure that prospective developers were fully
aware of any planning permissions required by the Comhairle, prior to
entering into any agreement on plot acquisition.
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It was agreed, in so far as the
Committees interests are concerned, to recommend that:
(1)
the Comhairle, only in those cases
where one developer was developing three or more houses, should establish a
policy that a planning condition would normally be added to the effect that
an access road to adoptable standard and suitable footway would be provided
by the developer;
(2)
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;
(3)
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 for outline
planning permission if appropriate; and
(4)
a Working Group comprising the Chairman
and Vice-Chairman of Transportation and the Vice-Convener and Vice-Chairman
of Policy and Resources Committee be established to consider the issue of
planning application and new road construction and would report back to the
December series of Meetings.
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PIERS
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Eoligarry Slipway
T07.03
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13
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report proposing that Eoligarry Slipway be
transferred from Transportation Piers to the Fishery Piers list. Eoligarry
Slipway was originally provided to enable a passenger ferry service to
operate across the sound of Barra but, with the introduction of the vehicular
ferry service, there was no longer the need for this provision from a
Transportation perspective.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Eoligarry Pier/Slipway be transferred from Transportation Piers to the
Fishery Piers list.
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PERFORMANCE
MONITORING
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Reports Outstanding: Progress
PR33.01.12
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14
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The Director
of Corporate Services submitted a Report detailing Reports outstanding
arising from decisions of the Committee.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Report be noted.
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ADDITIONAL
ITEM
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The Chairman ruled that, in accordance with
the provision of Section 50(B)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the following items be considered as a matter of urgency in order to
allow the Committee to take a view on the matter.
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Loganair Fares Initiative a General
Service Enhancement
T04.02.03
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15
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report detailing proposals from Loganair
Ltd for a fares initiative and scheduled service enhancements on their
services to the Western Isles. Mr Jim Cameron, Loganair’s Chief Executive
was invited to address Members in relation to the fares initiative and
service enhancements and Members were afforded the opportunity of asking
questions of Mr Cameron.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle welcome the proposals by Loganair.
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Road Strengthening through the Prudential
Regime
T08.05
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16
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report in relation to the possible use of
the prudential regime to instigate a one-off programme of strengthening
improvements to the road infrastructure. The prudential regime governed the
Comhairle's capital budget process and defined overall spending limits for
Local Authorities. As part of the new regime Local Authorities could
undertake capital improvement works where an appropriate revenue stream had
been identified to cover the resultant finance charges.
It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle agree to the allocation of £1m to road strengthening with £.5m
being financed from balances and £0.5m being financed through the Prudential
regime at a cost of £50,000 per annum over a 20 year period subject to the
submission of a full project evaluation report to the satisfaction of the
Comhairle.
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Air Ambulance Consultation
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The Director
of Technical Services gave an oral update on the consultation process in
respect of the air ambulance service.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Director of Technical Services submit a Report
to the next Meeting in relation to the Consultation on the Air Ambulance
Service.
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