Dumfries and Galloway Council Minutes Date: Tuesday 28 June 2016 Time: 10:30am Place: Council Offices, English Street, Dumfries Attendance Details Members: Ronnie Nicholson (Leader) - North West Dumfries Ted Thompson (Depute Leader) - Lochar Graham Bell - North West Dumfries Ian Blake - Abbey Richard Brodie - Annandale South Ian Carruthers - Annandale South Rob Davidson - Abbey Jim H Dempster - Mid and Upper Nithsdale Iain Dick - Stranraer and North Rhins Peter Diggle - Annandale North Archie Dryburgh - Annandale East and Eskdale Gillian Dykes - Mid and Upper Nithsdale Andy Ferguson - North West Dumfries Grahame Forster - Wigtown West Alistair Geddes - Mid Galloway Patsy Gilroy - Dee Jack Groom - Nith Ivor A Hyslop - Lochar Jeff Leaver - Lochar Gail Macgregor - Annandale North Jane S Maitland - Dee Denis R Male - Annandale East and Eskdale John Martin - Nith Tom A McAughtrie - Abbey Jim McClung - Wigtown West Jim McColm - Mid Galloway Marion McCutcheon - Stranraer and North Rhins Graham Nicol - Mid Galloway Ronnie E Ogilvie - Annandale South Craig Peacock - Annandale East and Eskdale George N Prentice - Castle Douglas and Glenkens Willie Scobie - Stranraer and North Rhins Davie Stitt - Abbey John Syme - Mid and Upper Nithsdale Stephen Thompson - Annandale North Roberta Tuckfield - Wigtown West Alastair Witts - Nith Andrew S Wood - Mid and Upper Nithsdale Colin Wyper - Dee Apologies: Karen Carruthers - Annandale East and Eskdale Finlay Carson - Castle Douglas and Glenkens Brian Collins - Castle Douglas and Glenkens Yen Hongmei Jin - Lochar Sean W Marshall - Annandale South David J McKie - North West Dumfries Colin Smyth - Nith Graeme Tait - Annandale North Item Item/Description Number PUBLIC 1 SEDERUNT AND APOLOGIES 38 Members present, 8 apologies and 1 Member not present 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST NONE declared 3 MINUTE OF MEETING OF 24 MARCH 2016 • Minutes • Minute - Final - 24 March 2016 (222K/bytes) • Minute - Final - 24 March 2016 Appendix (136K/bytes) Decision APPROVED 4 UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS 2015/16 - REPORT BY HEAD OF FINANCE & PROCUREMENT • Report - Final - Unaudited Accounts 2015/16 (23K/bytes) Decision NOTED the Council’s unaudited Annual Accounts and the Pension Fund’s unaudited Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2016 which will be submitted to the Council’s external auditors for review. MEMBER - Colin Wyper entered the meeting - 39 Members present 5 FINANCIAL STRATEGY - OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL CHALLENGES - REPORT BY DIRECTOR CORPORATE SERVICES Item Item/Description Number • Report - Final - Financial Strategy - Overview of Financial Challenges (98K/bytes) Decision 5.1 NOTED the key factors that would influence the extent of the financial challenges facing the Council over the upcoming period and in particular the extent to which this would be determined by the Scottish Government’s Spending Review and Budget which was expected to be announced in September/October this year; and 5.2 AGREED to urgently address the requirement of the agreed budget process that political groups determined their priorities and proposals, particularly in relation to areas of service/budget where the greatest levels of savings should be sought, and subsequently provided direction to officers to allow these proposals to be developed. MEMBERS - Ian Carruthers, Gillian Dykes, Grahame Forster and Patsy Gilroy left the meeting - 35 Members present 6 DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND COMMITMENTS - END OF YEAR REPORT FOR 2015/16 - REPORT BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE • Report - Final - Priorities and Commitments 2015/16 (145K/bytes) • Report - Final - Priorities and Commitments 2015/16 Appendix (5M/bytes) Decision NOTED the progress made in delivering the Council’s Priorities and Item Item/Description Number Commitments. 7 IMPLEMENTING OUR COUNCIL'S ANTI POVERTY STRATEGY - REPORT BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE • Report - Final - Anti Poverty Strategy (186K/bytes) • Report - Final - Anti Poverty Strategy Appendix (317K/bytes) Decision NOTED the continuing progress in the implementation of the Tackling Poverty Action Plan and the wide range of related activity also being undertaken. MEMBERS - Grahame Forster re-entered the meeting and Jack Groom left the meeting - 35 Members present 8 SHAPE OF THE COUNCIL - PROGRESS REPORT - REPORT BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE • Report - Final - Shape of the Council (758K/bytes) Decision 8.1 NOTED the progress achieved in the period since March 2016; and 8.2 AGREED to receive a report at Full Council on 20 September 2016, providing a further update on progress achieved. MEMBERS - Marion McCutcheon and Rob Davidson left the meeting and Jack Groom re-entered the meeting - 34 Members present Item Item/Description Number 9 LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND - FIFTH GENERAL REVIEWS OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS - REPORT BY DIRECTOR CORPORATE SERVICES • Report - Final - Boundary Commission (181K/bytes) • Report - Final - Boundary Commission appendix (11M/bytes) Decision 9.1 AGREED to withdraw delegation from the Policy and Resources Committee; and 9.2 NOTED the Council’s position on the Local Government Boundary Commission’s final recommendations for councillor numbers and ward boundaries for Dumfries and Galloway Council area. 9.3 AGREED to remit to the Chief Executive delegated authority to sign the letter prepared by East Renfrewshire Council on behalf of Dumfries and Galloway Council MEMBERS - Marion McCutcheon, Rob Davidson and Gillian Dykes re- entered the meeting, Grahame Forster left the meeting - 36 Members present 10 COMPOSITION OF ENTERPRISING SERVICES SUB-COMMITTEE - REPORT BY DIRECTOR CORPORATE SERVICES • Report - Final - Enterprising Services Sub Committee (162K/bytes) Decision Item Item/Description Number 10.1 AGREED the composition of the Enterprising Services Sub- Committee as being 11 Elected Members 10.2 AGREED that Archie Dryburgh be appointed Chairman to the Enterprising Services Sub Committee. MEMBER - Grahame Forster re-entered the meeting - 37 Members present 11 GAELIC LANGUAGE ACT 2005: DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY GAELIC LANGUAGE PLAN - REPORT BY DIRECTOR CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND LIFELONG LEARNING • Report - Final - Gaelic Language Plan (231K/bytes) • Report - Final - Gaelic Language Plan Appendix 1 (514K/bytes) • Report - Final - Gaelic Language Plan Appendix 2 (93K/bytes) • Final Minute - Appendix A - Gaelic Language Plan (149K/bytes) VOTE MOTION by JANE S MAITLAND seconded by GEORGE N PRENTICE that the Dumfries and Galloway Gaelic Language Plan be amended, as detailed at Appendix A. AMENDMENT by ANDY FERGUSON seconded by IAIN DICK that the Dumfries and Galloway Gaelic Language Plan, as detailed at Appendix 1 of the report be agreed and submitted to Bord na Gaildhlig for approval COUNTER AMENDMENT by COLIN WYPER seconded by GRAHAM BELL that the Dumfries and Galloway Gaelic Language Plan, as detailed at Appendix 1 of the report, be amended to read that no Item Item/Description Number signage be erected On a vote taken between the Counter Amendment and the Amendment, Members voted as follows:- Counter Amendment:- 12 Votes being:- Graham Bell, Ian Blake, Peter Diggle, Gillian Dykes, Grahame Forster, Jack Groom, Ivor Hyslop, Gail MacGregor, Denis R Male, Graham Nicol, Roberta Tuckfield and Colin Wyper Amendment - 19 Votes being:- Ronnie Nicholson, Ted Thomson, Rob Davidson, Jim Dempster, Iain Dick, Archie Dryburgh, Andy Ferguson, Alistair Geddes, Jeff Leaver, Tom McAughtrie, Jim McClung, John Martin, Ronnie Ogilvie, Craig Peacock, David Stitt, John Syme, Stephen Thompson, Alastair Witts and Andrew Wood Abstentions - 6 being Richard Brodie, Jim McColm, Marion McCutcheon, Jane S Maitland, George N Prentice and Willie Scobie On a Vote taken between the Amendment and Motion, Members voted as follows:- Amendment - 19 Votes being:- Ronnie Nicholson, Ted Thompson, Rob Davidson, Jim Dempster, Iain Dick, Archie Dryburgh, Andy Ferguson, Alistair Geddes, Jeff Leaver, Tom McAughtrie, Jim McClung, John Martin, Ronnie Ogilvie, Craig Peacock, David Stitt, John Syme, Stephen Thomson, Alastair Witts and Andrew S Wood Item Item/Description Number Motion - 17 Votes being:- Graham Bell, Ian Blake, Richard Brodie, Peter Diggle, Gillian Dykes, Grahame Forster, Jack Groom, Ivor Hyslop, Jim McColm, Marion McCutcheon, Gail MacGregor, Jane S Maitland, Denis R Male, Graham Nicol, George N Prentice, Roberta Tuckfield and Colin Wyper Abstention being:- Willie Scobie Decision AGREED that the Dumfries and Galloway Gaelic Language Plan, as detailed at Appendix 1 of the report, be submitted to Bord na Gaildhlig for approval 12 ARMED FORCES CHAMPION - ANNUAL REPORT 2015/2016 - REPORT BY DIRECTOR COMMUNITIES • Report - Final - Armed Forces Champion (177K/bytes) • Report - Final - Armed Forces Champion Appendix (554K/bytes) Decision NOTED 12.1 the activities undertaken by the Armed Forces Champion; and 12.2 the recent success of Dumfries and Galloway Council in being Item Item/Description Number awarded a Bronze Award by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Employer Recognition Scheme. MEMBER - Gail MacGregor, Andrew Wood and Colin Wyper left the meeting - 34 Members present 13 NOTICE OF MOTION - PUBLIC CONVENIENCES - REPORT BY DIRECTOR CORPORATE SERVICES • Report - Final - Notice of Motion - Public Conveniences (195K/bytes) • Report - Final - Notice of Motion - Public Conveniences Appendix a (35K/bytes) • Report - Final - Notice of Motion - Public Conveniences appendix b (5K/bytes) Decision NOTED 13.1 that a Notice of Motion was received in relation to Attended Public Conveniences; and 13.2 that while the Notice of Motion met the requirements of Standing Order 15.1 and 15.2, the Proper Officer had advised that it was not competent in that it calls for action that would create an unbalanced revenue budget for 2016/17, contrary to legislative requirements and as agreed in the Council’s budget process. 14 MINUTES FOR APPROVAL/NOTING Item Item/Description Number • Final Minute appendix (41K/bytes) Decision Summary as detailed at the Appendix. 15 ANY OTHER BUSINESS DEEMED URGENT BY THE CHAIRMAN DUE TO THE NEED FOR A DECISION Decision NOTED that there was no other business deemed urgent by the Chairman due to the need for a decision.