PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MINUTE REQUIRES TO BE APPROVED AS A CORRECT RECORD AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND MAY BE AMENDED EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2013 AT 1000 HOURS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS, LONDON ROAD, KILMARNOCK PRESENT: Provost Jim Todd and Councillors Eòghann MacColl, Helen Coffey, Andrew Hershaw, Maureen McKay, Tom Cook, Lillian Jones, Iain Linton, Douglas Reid, Jim Buchanan, Depute Provost John Campbell, Councillors Gordon Cree, John Knapp, Hugh Ross, Alan Brown, George Mair, Bobby McDill, John McFadzean, Neil McGhee, Stephanie Primrose, Jim Roberts, David Shaw, Billy Crawford, Barney Menzies, Kathy Morrice, John Bell, Elaine Dinwoodie and Moira Pirie. ATTENDING: Fiona Lees, Chief Executive; Elizabeth Morton, Depute Chief Executive/Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services; Graham Short, Executive Director of Educational and Social Services; Alex McPhee, Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Support; Chris McAleavey, Acting Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services; Bill Walkinshaw, Head of Democratic Services; Craig McArthur, Head of Finance; Alan Neish, Head of Planning and Economic Development; David Mitchell, Head of Legal, Procurement and Regulatory Services; Eddie Fraser, Head of Service: Community Care; Kevan Aitken, Acting Head of Roads and Transportation; Joe McLachlan, Corporate Accounting Manager; Julie Jamieson, Group Finance Manager - Central; Craig Iles, Principal Planning Officer; Jim Farrell, Shared Services Project Manager; and Stuart Nelson, Administrative Officer. APOLOGIES: Councillors Ellen Freel, John McGhee, Drew McIntyre and Eric Ross. CHAIR: Provost Jim Todd, Chair. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS: COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS 1. On the matter having been raised, it was agreed that a request from the SNP Group to alter their representation on certain Council Committees and external organisations be dealt with under Item 7 on the Agenda. PROVOST’S REMARKS 2. The Provost began the Council meeting by referring to Mr David Coulter, Sakai Karate legend, who would be awarded an MBE. The Provost advised that David was an instructor who had been involved in martial arts in the town for over four decades and that he had been immortalised in a mural at Sandbed Street to mark running with the Olympic Torch last year. During his glittering career he had been Scottish Champion four times as well as winning the Scottish team event on seven occasions. The Provost then referred to Bernadette Docherty who had been awarded an MBE for services to childcare in Scotland. Bernadette had served with East Ayrshire Council, latterly as Head of Social Work, until 2000 and then as Director of Social Services at North Ayrshire Council until her retiral in 2010. Since retiring, Bernadette had served as a Board Member of the Scottish Children‟s Reporter Administration. 2 The Provost also referred to Scotland's top Police Officer Stephen House who had been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours and was recognised for services to law and order. Finally, the Provost referred to Campbell Corrigan, formerly Temporary Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police who had been awarded a QPM (The Queen's Police Medal) which is awarded to Police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, for gallantry or distinguished service. The Provost then congratulated new additions to the Lord Lieutenants team who were Deputy Lord Lieutenants Bill Stafford, known to all of us as a former Executive Director with the Council; the Very Reverend Dr David Lacy, former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; Iona McDonald former Sheriff Principal at Kilmarnock; and Evelyn McCann former Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire. The Provost went on to mention two talented brothers who were finding international success in the world of music. The Provost advised that Scott Kerr and his brother David of Darvel had just returned from the European Brass Band tour of Europe in May, where they had met some of the leading lights of the concert world, conducted themselves admirably and were great ambassadors for East Ayrshire. The Provost then stated that once again Auchinleck Talbot had passed the Scottish Junior Cup test. The Provost advised that Tommy Sloan's West of Scotland champions had cemented their place as the top junior side in the country with a 1-0 win over east region champs Linlithgow Rose. He further advised that it had been their 10th Junior Cup triumph, their third success in the last five years and they had contested four of those finals. The Provost stated that this was an amazing run of consistency when you considered that over 160 teams took their place in the early rounds of this competition every year. The Provost then gave a special mention to Glenafton Athletic who had won the West of Scotland Cup and had gone on a great run of results to climb up the league table. He also congratulated Bonnyton Thistle Under 19‟s who had won the Scottish Cup again; and Netherthird Primary School who had won the Ayrshire Schools Football Association Cup. The Provost then explained that, to date, 28 East Ayrshire Council schools had attained Eco Schools Scotland Green Flag status. The Provost was delighted to applaud the hard-working youngsters from Sorn and Newmilns Primary Schools who had recently received their first Green Flag award. The Provost then congratulated Senior Registrar Cathy Dunlop on her recent election to the position of President of the Association of Registrars of Scotland (AROS).The Provost stated that Cathy had been elected by her peers and presented with a chain of office at the recent Annual General Meeting held at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh The Provost then congratulated Jim McGee who not only passed his driving test after years trying but had ended up winning a national learning award at the Scottish Parliament on 13 June. The Provost explained that Jim had contacted the Council‟s Vibrant Communities team for advice and support and they had came up with the goods. 3 The Provost then passed on his congratulations to Catrine Art in Action Group and explained that the budding artists had only started last year and had won Scotland‟s top arts award for adult learners. The Provost advised that he had welcomed the Depute First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Business Leaders from East Ayrshire to the opening of the Opera House on John Finnie Street on 17 June 2013 and intimated that the Depute First Minister had been very impressed with the building. The Provost stated that the Klin Group and the architects involved had transformed the rear of the building, in his opinion, into a very impressive feature in its own right which was changed days from the old Sandrianne that he used to frequent to see rock bands and a nice touch was the music to paper roses printed along the front windows. The Provost then expressed his delight to discover that the new Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lorna Hood was a former pupil of Kilmarnock Academy and that Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire had been mentioned twice at the Assembly on the 18th May. The Provost advised that in recent years Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire had been featured prominently in General Assembly business. The Provost then stated that he had been made very welcome at the Boswell Mausoleum and later on at Auchinleck House by Mr James Knox and family at wreath laying at the Mausoleum in Auchinleck Churchyard on the 19th May. The Provost expressed his pleasure to have met people from all around the world who had a mutual respect and admiration for James Boswell. The Provost advised that the festival was growing in stature and in numbers year on year, and wished them every success. The Provost then mentioned that he had met some lovely characters on 22 May who had been on a visit from New York to the World Burns Federation; they had commented that there could be no better place in the world than the Dower House at the Dean Castle to house their Headquarters. The Provost then advised that for the first time Cameron Sharp was recognised Council wide in the shape of the Cameron Sharp Trophy to be presented by the Provost every year. The Provost explained that the trophy was inaugurated and presented to the winning secondary school Grange Academy, at the Ayrshire Athletics Arena track on 28 May in recognition of Ayrshire‟s most successful athlete. The Provost then referred to the Hillbillies Motorcycle Club who had once again helped Combat Stress and had raised the grand sum of £1200 for Hollybush House on the 8th June. The Provost advised that a lovely run on their bikes from Ayr with a Police escort to Hollybush House had culminated in his Triumph Rocket being voted best of show by the residents of Hollybush House and thanked the ex matelots for their inspired choice. The Provost then explained that for the first time in over 20 years the Bonnet Guild Festival Committee had decided to reinstate the Torch Light Parade through Stewarton to commence the start of the Festival and that a lovely evening and great company had made for a spectacular event on the 8 June. The Provost then explained that once again Stewarton had stepped up to the mark and had hosted the UK National time trial road race on the 20th June. The Provost 4 advised that the organisers had been delighted with Stewarton and East Ayrshire and that hopefully this would lead to more events being staged in our Authority. The Provost then congratulated the men‟s race winner - Alex Dowsett, the women‟s race winner - Joanna Rowsell and the Under-23 men‟s race winner - Sam Harrison.