STIRLING COUNCIL

MINUTES of SPECIAL MEETING of STIRLING COUNCIL held in the COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2019 at 2.00 PM

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 Alasdair MACPHERSON
Councillor Jeremy MCDONALD
Councillor Susan MCGILL
Councillor Ross OXBURGH
Councillor Jim THOMSON
Councillor Alasdair TOLLEMACHE
Councillor Evelyn TWEED

In Attendance‌

Carol Beattie, Chief Executive
Jim Boyle, Chief Officer – Finance

Martin Dalziel, Team Leader – External Communications

Kevin Kelman, Chief Operating Officer – People/Chief Education Officer
David McDougall, Governance Officer (minutes)

Isabel McKnight, Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance
Islay Moore, Support Officer, Governance

Brian Roberts, Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure & Environment
Julia McAfee, Chief Officer – Governance (Clerk)

SC246 APOLOGIES

None.

SC247 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None.

Council resolved that under Section 50A (4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973, the public be excluded from the Meeting for the following item of business on
the grounds that it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in
Paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

SC248 STIRLING AND CLACKMANNANSHIRE CITY REGION DEAL – SIGNING THE DOCUMENT‌‌

Prior to consideration of this item there was discussion and debate around the need for the item to be marked exempt and held in private session. Responding to concerns from Members the Chief Officer – Governance advised that it was proposed that the exemption be time-linked until the point at which the Deal was signed.

At the present time there was a level of detail within the report which partner
organisations in the City Deal project were uncomfortable about making public as it was the subject of terms currently being discussed in the course of contract negotiations.

Given the continuing lack of consensus over the need for this item to be marked exempt it was proposed that the matter be put to the vote.

Motion on Exempt Status

“That the item be marked as exempt and considered in private session”
For the Motion (14) Councillor Maureen Bennison

Councillor Margaret Brisley
Councillor Scott Farmer
Councillor Danny Gibson
Councillor Graham Houston
Councillor Chris Kane
Councillor Graham Lambie
Councillor Alison Laurie
Councillor Alasdair MacPherson
Councillor Susan McGill
Councillor Christine Simpson
Councillor Alasdair Tollemache
Councillor Jim Thomson
Councillor Evelyn Tweed

Against the Motion (9) Councillor Neil Benny
Councillor Alistair Berrill
Councillor Robert Davies
Councillor Douglas Dodds
Councillor Martin Earl
Councillor Bryan Flannagan
Councillor Alastair Majury
Councillor Jeremy McDonald
Councillor Ross Oxburgh

Decision on Exempt Status

The motion was carried by 14 votes to 9 and accordingly it was agreed that this item would be marked exempt and considered in private session.

The report by the Chief Officer – Governance advised Council that it was anticipated that the final City Region Deal documents would be ready for signature in the near future. Council was asked to note the financial implications and to agree the signing arrangements for the deal documents and related agreements.

The Chief Executive and Chief Officer – Finance responded to a number of queries from Members including the budget allocations against specific projects, the flexibility mechanism in place for the use of surplus funding at certain times, and consultation with the City Commission which would take place once the Deal had been formally signed.

The Chief Officer – Finance finished by emphasising the rigorous requirements which both the UK and Scottish Governments would have in place to ensure that all projects were sustainable and viable, which would be confirmed through the detail contained in the outline and detailed business cases.

Decision

Council agreed:

1. to note that the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal documents would be ready for signature in the near future;

2. to note that the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal Joint Committee would review and approve the content of the City Region Deal documents at a special meeting of the Joint Committee on 15 November 2019 before they were submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments for final approval;

3. to agree to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council or in his absence the Depute Leader of the Council to sign the City Region Deal documents on behalf of Stirling Council on the conclusion of the approval process;

4. to agree to delegate authority to the Chief Executive as Accountable Officer and to the Chief Officer – Finance as Section 95 officer to sign the tripartite financial agreement and grant letters as appropriate; and

5. to note the potential financial implications set out in this report, and to note that the implications should be built in to future financial plans and subject to ongoing review.

The Provost declared the Meeting closed at 2.40 pm