STIRLING COUNCIL

MINUTES of the SPECIAL MEETING of STIRLING COUNCIL held in the COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2017 at 9.30 AM

Present:

Provost Christine SIMPSON (in the Chair)

Councillor Maureen BENNISON
Councillor Neil BENNY
Councillor Alistair BERRILL
Councillor Margaret BRISLEY
Councillor Robert DAVIES
Councillor Douglas DODDS
Councillor Martin EARL
Councillor Scott FARMER
Councillor Bryan FLANNAGAN
Councillor Danny GIBSON
Councillor Graham HOUSTON‌‌

Councillor Chris KANE
Councillor Graham LAMBIE
Councillor Alison LAURIE
Councillor Alastair MAJURY
Councillor Jeremy MCDONALD
Councillor Susan MCGILL
Councillor Ross OXBURGH

Councillor Alasdair TOLLEMACHE
Councillor Jim THOMSON
Councillor Evelyn TWEED

In Attendance

Carol Beattie, Interim Director of Children, Communities & Enterprise
Jim Boyle, Chief Officer – Finance (Localities & Infrastructure)
Alastair Brown, Director of Localities & Infrastructure

Stewart Carruth, Chief Executive

Rebecca Jardine, Communications Officer (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Kristine Johnson, Chief Officer HR & OD (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Louise McDonald, Support Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)

Lynne McKinley, Community Engagement Team Leader (Children, Communities & Enterprise)

Isobel McKnight, Procurement Manager (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Gail McLaughlin, Committee Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)

Sheila McLean, Governance Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)

Nicole Paterson, Senior Manager Environment & Place (Localities & Infrastructure)
Brian Roberts, Senior Manager Infrastructure (Localities & Infrastructure)

Kirsty Street, Governance Intern (Localities & Infrastructure)
Karen Swan, Committee Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)

Margaret Wallace, Safer, Connected Communities Service Manager (Children, Communities & Enterprise)

Iain Strachan, Chief Officer - Governance (Localities & Infrastructure) (Clerk)

SC26 APOLOGIES

There were no apologies submitted.

SC27 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

SC28 REVIEW OF SCHEME FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY COUNCILS

Stirling Council’s current Scheme for Establishment of Community Councils and accompanying Code of Conduct were agreed in 2009 following a consultation process.

There were currently 40 Community Councils within the Stirling area. They were elected in 2013 to serve for a four year period, which was extended by a year due to the Local Government Elections in May 2017.

Significant changes at a national level included the Local Government Boundary Commission’s review of electoral wards and the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which together meant there was a need to formally review the Council’s relationship with its Community Councils.

Good Practice Guidance issued by the Scottish Government sets out a process for a Local Authority to review its Scheme of establishment in line with the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 Act, if they consider that such a scheme ought to be amended.

The 1973 Act required that “any decision of the local authority to review or amend a Scheme should be by resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting thereon at a local authority meeting specially convened for the purpose.” Accordingly, the Special Meeting of Council had been convened to seek approval to review and commence a consultation on the exiting Scheme and to remit to the Chief Officer – Governance, in consultation with the Director of Children, Communities & Enterprise and the Convener and Vice Convener of the Community Planning & Regeneration Committee, to commence the consultation process from early October 2017.

Details of the proposed consultation were set out at paragraph 3.11 of the report. The consultation was likely to include an event to which all Community Councils would be invited.

It was anticipated that, on completion of the consultation process, a report would be brought back to Council around August 2018, to seek final approval of an amended Scheme, ahead of Community Council elections in October/ November 2018, with interim reports presented to Council at various stages of the process.

In response to members questions, the Chief Officer – Governance clarified that the review would consist of an online survey which would review all matters associated with Community Councils e.g. Boundaries, Code of Conduct, Complaints and so on.

He also assured Members that the review was not being commenced with a
preconceived outcome that there should be a reduction in the number of Community Councils, but rather the number of them and the size of areas they served would inevitably be considered as part of the review. It was noted that the Community Councils were a valued resource, particularly in the rural areas.

The officer recommendations were approved without the need for a roll call vote.

Decision

The Council agreed:

1. to commence a consultation on a review of the Stirling Council’s Scheme for the establishment of Community Councils and accompanying Code of Conduct;

    

2. to remit the associated consultation process to the Chef Officer – Governance, in consultation with the Director of Children, Communities & Enterprise and the Convener and Vice Convener of the Community Planning & Regeneration Committee, to allow the consultation process to commence from early October 2017; and

    

3. to note that further reports would be submitted to Council during future stages of the process, all as required under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, such reports would include a report on the outcomes of the consultation process and proposals for amendments to the existing Scheme.

(Reference: Report by Director of Localities & Infrastructure dated 1 September 2017, submitted)

The Convener closed the Meeting at 9.40 am.