Agenda Item No. 6 South Ayrshire Council Report by Acting Executive Director – Resources, Governance and Organisation to South Ayrshire Council of 10 October 2013 Subject: Granting of the Freedom of South Ayrshire to the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and to the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry 1. Purpose 1.1 To seek Council’s agreement to grant the Freedom of South Ayrshire to the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and to the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry. 2. Recommendation 2.1 It is recommended that the Council grants the Freedom of South Ayrshire to: (1) the Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots), the Royal Regiment of Scotland; and (2) the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry (6 Scots); and that consideration of funding for this event be delegated to the General Purposes Panel. 3. Background 3.1 Local authorities may award the Freedom of their area to individuals or organisations in terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Although originally the title of ‘freeman’ accorded certain rights and privileges on the holder, no such rights or privileges are now conferred, and the Freedom is now awarded as a mark of respect. 3.2 The Council, in 2009, granted the Freedom of South Ayrshire to the Royal Navy (HMS Gannet) and to the Royal Air Force (Prestwick). To grant these two requests would complete the award to each of the armed services linked with Ayr and South Ayrshire. 3.3 The Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots) has a long and distinguished connection with Ayr and South Ayrshire with a history dating back to 1678. Following the creation, in 2004, of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of British Army infantry, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret’s Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) which, in turn, had been formed from the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) has requested that the Freedom of South Ayrshire be granted to the Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots), Royal Regiment of Scotland. This request would extend the historic award of the Freedom of Ayr, previously granted by the Royal Burgh of Ayr to the Royal Highland Fusiliers, to its modern day equivalent. 1 3.4 The Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry is now an armoured Squadron of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry, part of the Territorial Army. It was originally raised in Ayrshire around 1794 by the Earl of Cassillis and formally adopted into the army in 1798. In 1998, the Scottish Yeomanry paraded in Ayr to celebrate the bicentenary of the Ayrshire Yeomanry. 4. Proposals 4.1 South Ayrshire Council has granted the Freedom of South Ayrshire on two previous occasions, to the Royal Navy (HMS Gannet) and to the Royal Air Force (Prestwick), both in 2009. It is proposed to grant the Freedom of South Ayrshire to the Army (2 Scots and 6 Scots) which would complete the Freedom being awarded to each service of the armed forces. 4.2 If approved, it is proposed that the Freedom Ceremony for the Royal Highland Fusiliers take place on Wednesday 13 November 2013, as they will already be in Ayr that day for a Homecoming Parade following their third and final tour of duty in Afghanistan. The arrangements already made for that day could be revised to incorporate the Freedom Ceremony. The formal presentation would take place in the Auld Kirk of Ayr (St John the Baptist) followed by a civic reception in Ayr Town Hall. 4.3 If approved, the Freedom Ceremony for the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry would not take place until sometime in the spring of 2014. As numbers participating are not known at present, and, given that many of those involved in the Territorial Army work during the week, it is likely that the Freedom Ceremony would take place on a Saturday. As it is not possible to approve detailed arrangements at this time, it is proposed that Council delegate the approval of the costs relating to this Ceremony to the General Purposes Panel to consider from the civic hospitality budget. 5. Resource Implications 5.1 Financial (1) The General Purposes Panel, at its meeting on 21 August 2013, approved a request for civic hospitality from the Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots), the Royal Regiment of Scotland, to celebrate a Homecoming Parade in Ayr, on completion of their third and final tour of Afghanistan, on Wednesday 13 November 2013 at Ayr Town Hall up to a maximum cost of £2,700 from the civic hospitality budget. If the event to celebrate the Homecoming Parade already approved were now to become the Freedom Ceremony for the Royal Highland Fusiliers, then the funding already approved for the Homecoming Parade could be put towards the cost of the Freedom Ceremony. In addition, the Freedom Ceremony, in place of the Homecoming Parade, would incur further costs for the presentation framed scroll, order of service and enhanced civic hospitality up to a maximum sum of £1,800 from the civic hospitality budget. (2) The Freedom Ceremony for the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry would be unlikely to take place until next year, possibly in late spring, but this would require to be agreed with the Yeomanry. At present, numbers likely to attend are unknown which makes estimating the cost problematic. The cost would be borne from the civic hospitality budget. 5.2 Legal In terms of Section 206 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, it is a requirement that a resolution be passed to grant the Freedom by not less than two-thirds of the members voting and present at the meeting of the Council. 2 5.3 Human Resources There are no human resources implications arising from this report. 6. Risk 6.1 There is a risk of reputational damage to the Council if the recommendation is not approved. 7. Equalities 7.1 This report is not proposing new services, policies, strategies, or plans (or significant changes to or reviews of them). It does not propose decisions about budgets, including budget cuts or service reductions. This report therefore has not been assessed for equalities impacts. 8. Sustainable Development Implications 8.1 This report does not propose or seek approval for a plan, policy, programme or strategy or document otherwise described which could be considered to constitute a plan, programme, policy or strategy. 9. Options Appraisal 9.1 An options appraisal has not been carried out in relation to the subject matter of this report. 10. Link to Council’s Priorities/ Improvement Programme 10.1 This report contributes towards the delivery of Council objective 1d: Enhance South Ayrshire’s positive image locally, nationally and internationally. 11. Results of Consultation (1) There has been no public consultation on the contents of this paper. (2) Consultation has taken place with Group Leaders and Independent Members. Background Papers Minutes of General Purposes Panel of 21 August 2013 Person to Contact William Pollock, Service Planning and Election Manager County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1DR Phone 01292 612181 Email [email protected] Date: 3 October 2013 3 .