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ITEM NO.5. I EDI N BVRGH + THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL Committee Minutes The City of Edinburgh Council Year 2005l2006 Meeting 1 - Thursday 12 May 2005 Edinburgh, 12 May 2005 - At a meeting of The City of Edinburgh Council. Present:- LORD PROVOST The Right Honourable Lesley Hinds COUNCILLORS Elaine Aitken John Longstaff Rev €wan Aitken Jim Lowrie Robert C Aldridge Gordon Mackenzie Donald Anderson Kate MacKenzie Phil Attridge Fred Mackintosh Ian J Berry Marilyne A MacLaren Andrew Burns Elizabeth Maginn is Robert Cairns Mark Mclnnes Stephen Cardownie Eric Milligan Maureen M Child Gordon J Munro Bill Cunningham Ian Murray Trevor Davies Jack O’Donnell Jennifer A Dawe Liz O’Malley Michael P Dixon Alastair Paisley Paul G Edie Ian Perry Edward B Fallon Thomas V Ponton William Fitzpatrick Frank K Russell James Gilchrist Jason G Rust Sheila Gilmore Andrew A Scobbie George Grubb Lorna Shiels The Hon David Guest Kingsley E F Thomas Kenneth Harrold Marjorie Thomas Ricky Henderson Susan B Tritton George A Hunter David J Walker Allan G Jackson Phil Wheeler Shami Khan lain Whyte Douglas J Kerr Chris Wigglesworth Allan Laing Donald Wilson 2 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 1 Urban Design In February 2004, the Council had appointed architect Sir Terry Farrell as City Design Champion for a three year period. His remit was to promote,and uphold the highest quality of urban design standards. The appointment had been viewed as innovative, being the first of its kind in the UK. Sir Terry Farrell presented a summary of the work completed during the first year of his appointment, together with plans for future work. He explained that his role was completely impartial and, having no involvement in individual planning applications, he was ideally placed to provide the city with views on design and stimulate responses to potential development opportunities. It was intended that greater involvement in the future of design in the city would be promoted through this initiative. He outlined what he viewed as the key themes for the future of design in the city: The Compact City - counteracting the effects of urban sprawl by looking at examining the development potential of existing resources 0 The Shared City - looking at quality of life issues and promoting consultation at the grass roots level The Walking City - encouraging enjoyment of the city through w al kin g/c ycl i n g The Waterfront City - encouraging the view of large scale developments in Leith and the Waterfront in the context of another “New Town”. He expanded on six sub-strands of work and opportunities related to the key themes, together with examples of future work in planning innovation. Following questions from members, Councillor Davies (Convener of the Planning Committee) thanked Sir Terry Farrell for his presentation. 2 Questions Questions put by members to this meeting and the written answers are contained in Appendix 1 to this minute. 3 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 3 Strategic Management of School Provision: PI Intakes Strategic management of school provision was required to address the imbalances of supply and demand for school places across the city and the implications of falling roles caused by the falling birth rate. In this respect the Executive had agreed to limit the Primary 1 intake at six schools in Edinburgh. This decision had been called into the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel and in line with their recommendation a short consultation exercise within the six schools had been carried out. (a) Deputations (i) Hermitage Park Primary School Association Alan Ormiston, Chairperson, Hermitage Park Primary School Association, expressed concern over the lack of consultation on the proposals for a fundamental change to Primary 1 intakes, in particular: the advice given by officials on the application of the relevant legislation was wrong; 0 the Head Teacher and parents had not been informed and consulted on the interpretation of the legislation; He expressed concern about the effects of the proposals on many families and asked the Council to put the proposals on hold for at least a year in order to enable a full consultation exercise to be carried out. (ii) Trinity Primary School Board Kevin O’Donnell, Chair, Trinity Primary School Board, presented a petition by the school’s parents opposed to the proposal to limit the Primary 1 intake and a survey of the Royal High Primary School parents. The School Board recognised that there were hard choices and difficult decisions to be made. However Dr O’Donnell asked the Council to delay taking a decision to allow full consultation to be carried out. He also questioned the interpretation of the relevant legislation and asked that a legal opinion be sought. 4 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 Following questions from members, the Lord Provost thanked the deputations for their presentations and invited them to remain for the debate on the matter. (References - e-mails from Hermitage Park Primary School Association and Trinity Primary School Board 9 May 2005, statement by Trinity Primary School Board; petition from Trinity Primary School and survey of The Royal High Primary School parents, submitted.) (b) Report by the Director of Children and Families The outcome of the consultation exercise with the six schools was presented and approval sought to set a P1 intake limit of 43 pupils at each of the six primary schools. Motion 1) To note the issues raised during the consultation requested by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel. 2) To note the intention of the Children and Families Department to put in place in future a more formalised structure of communication with Head Teachers within the procedure for pupil placement. 3) To restrict the intake to 1% classes in session 2005/06 at the following primary schools: Trinity Hermitage Park The Royal High Murrayburn Preston Street St Mary’s Leith 4) To ask the Director of Children and Families to report to Council outlining the Department’s estate strategy in response to the challenge of falling school rolls and to include details of proposed consultation. - moved by Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken, seconded by Councillor Cunningham (on behalf of the Labour Group). Amendment 1) To note the issues raised during the consultation requested by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel. 5 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 To agree that the month long consultation with Head Teachers was inadequate and parents were not aware of the restructured intake at an early stage. In view of the poor consultation, to abandon the policy of restructuring intakes at Trinity, Hermitage Park, The Royal High, Murrayburn, Preston Street and St Mary’s Leith Primary Schools for session 2005/6 and to implement a full two stream intake, if required. To instruct the Council Solicitor to provide an opinion on the view that the statute had been interpreted in a new and misconceived way. To agree that if there was an intention to operate the policy of restructuring intakes in future years there would be a full consultation with interested parties such as affected parents, the Consultative Committee with Parents and School Boards. - moved by Councillor Lowrie, seconded (on behalf of the Conservative Group) by Councillor Jackson. Voting The requisite number of members having so required in terms of Standing Order 31 (l),the vote was taken by calling the roll. The voting was as follows: For the motion by Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken: Lord Provost Hinds, Councillors Rev Ewan Aitken, Anderson, Attridge, Burns, Cairns, Cardownie, Child, Cunningham, Davies, Fallon, Fitzpatrick, Gilmore, Harrold, Henderson, Shami Khan, Kerr, Maginnis,Milligan, Munro, Murray, O’Donnell, Perry, Russell, Scobbie, Shiels, Kingsley Thomas, Wigglesworth and Wilson - 29. The amendment by Councillor Lowrie: Councillors Elaine Aitken, Aldridge, Berry, Dawe, Dixon, Edie, Gilchrist, Grubb, The Hon David Guest, Hunter, Jackson, Laing, Longstaff, Lowrie, Gordon Mackenzie, Kate MacKenzie, Mackintosh, Mrs MacLaren, Mclnnes, O’,Malley, Paisley, Ponton, Rust, Marjorie Thomas, Tritton, Walker, Wheeler and Whyte - 28. 6 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 Decision To approve the motion by Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken. (References - Executive of the Council 15 March 2005 (item 5), Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel 14 April 2005 (item 2); report no CEC/09/05-06/C&F by the Director of Children and Families, submitted.) 4 Minutes Decision To approve the minute of the meeting of the Council of 7 April 2005, as submitted, as a correct record. 5 Review of Appointments to Committees, Boards and Joint Boards 2005-2006 The Council was invited to appoint office bearers and members of Committees and Joint Boards, etc for the municipal year 2005/2006. Decision To approve the appointments detailed in Appendix 2 to this minute. (Reference - report no CEC/01/05-06/CS by the Director of Corporate Services, submitted.) Adjournment - At this point the Lord Provost adjourned the meeting while meetings of the six Local Development Committees were held. 6 Local Development Committees - Appointment of Conveners Decision To ratify the appointment of the Conveners elected by each of the Local Development Committees as detailed in Appendix 3 to this minute. (Reference - report CEC/02/05-06/CS by the Director of Corporate Services, submitted.) 7 The City of Edinburgh Council 12 May 2005 7 Appointments to Outside Bodies The Executive invited the Council to (i) make nominations to the Edinburgh Convention Bureau Ltd; and (ii) confirm the appointment of members to the Edinburgh and Lothians Area Tourism Partnership. Decision 1) To appoint Councillor Wilson and the Director of City Development or his nominee to act as Partner Directors on the Board of Edinburgh Convention Bureau Ltd. 2) To confirm the appointment of Councillors Wilson and Henderson to the new Edinburgh and Lothians Area Tourism Partnership.