This meeting will be held on a predominantly physical basis but with provision, by prior notification, for remote attendance by Elected Members in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003.  Where possible, the meeting will be live-streamed and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home. 

Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda.

The accuracy of the Minutes of the Ordinary and Special Meetings of the Council held on 21 September 2022 will be confirmed and the Minutes signed in accordance with Paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 7 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Submit report by the Provost for the period covering 12 September 2022 - 23 October 2022 (copy enclosed).

Submit report by the Leader of the Council for the period covering 12 September 2022 - 23 October 2022 (copy enclosed).

Submit, for noting, the Minutes of Meeting of Committees of the Council held in the period 20 June 2022 to 19 October 2022.

The Council is invited to note:

1. the resignation of Councillor S Ferguson from the Licensing Committee and
2. that, in terms of Standing Order 8.5, the resultant vacancy has been filled, in terms of Standing Order 8.5, by Councillor Inglis, effective from 5 November 2022.

The Council is invited :

1. in respect of Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group, (i) to note the resignation of Councillor T. Ferguson and (ii) consider a nomination for Councillor Glover to be appointed to fill this vacancy in terms of Standing Order 8.4; and
2. in respect of the Licensing Board, (i) to note the resignation on Councillor S. Ferguson and (ii) consider a nomination for Councillor Inglis to be appointed to fill this vacancy in terms of Standing Order 8.4

Submit report by the Head of Finance on the financial challenges facing the Council over the medium-term in order to help inform the development of budget proposals (copy enclosed).

Submit report by the Executive Director (Communities and Education) to provide an update on Locality Planning in North Ayrshire and seek approval for revised Locality Partnership Terms of Reference and Standing Orders, as reviewed and agreed by the Locality Planning Working Group (copy enclosed).

Submit report by the Head of Democratic Services on the proposed compulsory purchase of land required to install a replacement bridge over the Lugton Water at Sevenacres, Kilwinning, and to provide temporary access for those works to be undertaken (copy enclosed).

In terms of Standing Order 14, submit the following questions for consideration in the undernoted order:-

"Noting that Dunoon Grammar has adapted its Curriculum to provide 50 courses which reflect key sectors of the local economy such as tourism and marine studies as well as community projects and as a result was  named ahead of runners-up in Brazil and India to win a $50,000 prize as the T4 Education World’s Best School for Community Collaboration, what lessons can the Council learn to apply to its rural and coastal Academies and High School to mirror the success of Dunoon?"

“After 100 years on Saltcoats High street local businesses Gregor Watsons recently announced that it will close, potentially leaving Saltcoats with another vacant retail unit on our Hight Street. Does the Cabinet Member believe the introduction of parking charges will make it easier or harder for local businesses to survive in the current economic climate, and for the Council to bring vacant properties back into productive use?”

“What work is being carried out by HSCP to support individuals in accessing residential rehabilitation?

“To ask the Cabinet Member for Finance how much new capital investment has been made into Springside Primary school since the decision to keep the school open in 2008, not including maintenance and repairs, and not including monies spent on the new Early Years Centre?”

“To ask the Cabinet Member how many applicants are on the North Ayrshire Housing Register with Kilwinning within their choices of area to be considered.”

“Given the current pressures which have been widely reported in the media for Health and Social Care Services across Scotland, there are significant concerns on how the system will cope with the impending winter period. Can the Cabinet Member for H&SC provide an update to Council on the local position and a reassurance on any winter plans in North Ayrshire?”

"Will the new Administration commit to reinstating the disabled fishing platform behind Lamont Drive in Irvine?"

“How many of our residents have received travel passes from the "Public Transport Travel Scheme", approved by Cabinet in June 22?”

"To ask the Leader of the Council what discussions have taken place with the business sector to promote and attract employment opportunities to North Ayrshire?"

“To ask the Cabinet Member for Finance if staff have received the backdated 2022/23 pay award in their pay packets?”

“How can North Ayrshire Council help support the Arran Ferry Committee in its efforts to encourage Transport Scotland, Peel Ports and Calmac to provide a speedy permanent solution to the damaged fenders at Ardrossan which are causing continued cancellation of key early and late ferry sailings?”

“To ask the Cabinet Member where North Ayrshire Council was ranked for recycling performance amongst Scottish local authorities in 2016?”

"To ask the Cabinet portfolio holder for Place to provide an update on the investigation into the paused roll out of Facial Recognition software in our schools."

“North Ayrshire Council agreed its budget for 2022/23 eight months ago. Included in the budget was £1.726million for an energy support fund, now called “Energy Smart”, to help residents through the cost-of-living crisis. Eight months on, can the Cabinet Member advise us how many residents have received support from the “Energy Smart” scheme?”

“To ask the Cabinet Member for Place if he is concerned about the state of the old Dreghorn Primary School building on the Main Street and the incessant vandalism to the site?”

“To ask the Cabinet Member for Finance what impact the current instability in economic markets is having on the Council’s Capital Financing Requirement for the approved Capital Programme, and what subsequent impact that will have on the Loans Fund Principal Repayment?”

“Will the Leader agree to organise a Members’ Update on the progress that KA Leisure is making to refocus its activities on exercise as a means to aid health and wellbeing, and to be less reliant on subsidy from North Ayrshire Council for its core exercise facilities?”

“What does the Leader of the Conservative Group believe will have the worst impact on North Ayrshire residents - the rise in mortgage repayments, the run on pension funds or the imposition of austerity 2.0 arising from the Tories “mini-budget”?”

“Does the Education Portfolio holder support the proposal in the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill as debated at Holyrood that will allow people as young as 16 to legally change their gender?”

“It has been reported that the Scottish Government want to “reclaim” reserves from Health and Social Care Partnerships. Can the Cabinet Member tell us how much funding for health and social care services in North Ayrshire could be grabbed back by the Scottish Government under this move?”

“To ask the Council Leader whether they “detest the Tories”?

In terms of Standing Order 15, submit:-

“Council notes that there will be no Wrap, Run and Fun holiday meal and activity programme over the October and festive holidays. Further notes that a voucher replacement will be in place with values of £10 per week for the mainland and £20 for the islands, which represents a 50% cut in the value of mainland vouchers when compared to the voucher replacement scheme that operated during the Covid pandemic. Council believes it would be unacceptable to cut school holiday meal support by 50% during a cost-of-living crisis and therefore agrees to use £145,000 of unearmarked reserves to increase the value of the voucher to reinstate the £20 per week where the Wrap, Run and Fun programme cannot be provided vouchers for children on the mainland during the October and festive holiday periods.”

“Following the rejected bid for the STEP Fusion Plant at Ardeer Peninsula I move that North Ayrshire Council records its regrets of the loss of millions of pounds of investment and 4500 jobs that would have come to the area of Stevenston if Ardeer was the winning bid and instructs the Chief Executive to write to the First Minster to ask her to prioritise this Council area for inward Investment and to explain her Government’s refusal to support nuclear energy as a dependable carbon free method of electricity generation.”

“In light of allegations made in the BBC Scotland Disclosure episode, “The Great Ferries Scandal”, which relates to the procurement of two ferries including the Glen Sannox, Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone of Police Scotland, requesting that the force carries out a full and thorough investigation into all aspects of the ferries procurement process. Council also instructs the Chief Executive to request that all members of the Ardrossan Ministerial taskforce co-operate fully with any investigation.”

“Council notes recent analysis by the IFS that if benefits were uprated in line with inflation next April they would still be 6% below their pre-pandemic levels due to a below-inflation uprating in April 2022.

Notes with concern that senior Conservative Government Ministers have refused to commit to even uprating benefits in line with inflation this coming April.

Council is concerned that the cost-of-living crisis will push more families in North Ayrshire into poverty and believes that the value of benefits must be restored to pre-pandemic levels to assist families with rising costs.

Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling on the UK Government to not only uprate benefits in line with inflation but to fully restore their value by compensating for the 6% lost value from the April 2022 uprating.” 

“Council acknowledges that Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) provides financial support to young people from low income households to stay on in post-16 education.

Council notes that the income thresholds for eligibility (£24,421 for households with one dependent child and £26,884 for households with more than one dependent child) has not been reviewed since 2016 nor has the EMA award been uprated (£30 per week per eligible young person).

Given the pressures on household budgets as a result of the cost of living crisis, Council acknowledges that households above these income thresholds are increasingly struggling financially.

Council believes that the income thresholds for EMA and the award level should be reviewed to ensure that young people are not prevented from continuing in post-16 education because of pressures on their household budgets. Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Deputy First Minister requesting that they increase the income thresholds and the level of EMA in their upcoming budget.”

“That the Council agrees to form a Member Officer Working Group to review the operation of the Housing Allocation system.”

“Council agrees to the creation of a Member Officer working group to look into the current and historic issues in the Dundonald Camp/Auchengate area to take a paper to Cabinet acknowledging these issues and attempt to find positive solutions.”

Any other items which the Provost considers to be urgent.

Please note: this meeting may be filmed/recorded/live-streamed to the Council's internet site and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home, where it will be capable of repeated viewing.  At the start of the meeting, the Provost/Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed/recorded/live-streamed.

You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018.  Data collected during the webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site.

Generally, the press and public seating areas will not be filmed. However, by entering the Council Chambers, using the press or public seating area or (by invitation) participating remotely in this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed and consenting to the use and storage of those images and sound recordings and any information pertaining to you contained in them for webcasting or training purposes and for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available to the public. If you do not wish to participate in a recording, you should leave the meeting.  This will constitute your revocation of consent.

If you have any queries regarding this and, in particular, if you believe that use and/or storage of any particular information would cause, or be likely to cause, substantial damage or distress to any individual, please contact dataprotectionofficer@north-ayrshire.gov.uk.

John Bell
Timothy Billings
Marie Burns
Eleanor Collier
Joe Cullinane
Scott Davidson
Anthea Dickson
Stewart Ferguson
Todd Ferguson
Robert Foster
Scott Gallacher
John Glover
Tony Gurney
Alan Hill
Cameron Inglis
Margaret Johnson
Amanda Kerr
Christina Larsen
Shaun Macaulay
Jean McClung
Nairn McDonald
Matthew McLean
Louise McPhater
Davina McTiernan
Tom Marshall
Jim Montgomerie
Ian Murdoch
Donald Reid
Donald L Reid
Chloe Robertson
Ronnie Stalker
Angela Stephen
John Sweeney