Angus CouncilTel: 08452 777 778
Email: accessline@angus.gov.uk
|
ANGUS COUNCIL
MINUTE of MEETING of the ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE held in the Town and County Hall, Forfar on Thursday 4 March 1999 at 5.10 pm.
Present: Councillors JACK GIBB, BRIAN MILNE, GEORGE ALLAN, WILLIAM CROWE, Provost Mrs FRANCES E DUNCAN, ROB MURRAY, GEORGE NORRIE, DAVID SELFRIDGE, ALEX SHAND and SANDY WEST.
Apologies: Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors IAN HUDGHTON, IAN MACKINTOSH and MRS KATHLEEN RITCHIE.
Councillor GIBB, Convener, in the Chair.
1. EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS
The Committee resolved in terms of Standing Order 27(2) that the public and press be excluded during consideration of items 2-7 below so as to avoid the possible disclosure of information which was exempt in terms of Part I of Schedule 7A to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, paragraphs 6 and 9.
2. LEASE OF UNIT 14D, PANMURE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, CARNOUSTIE
There was submitted Report No 262/99 by the Chief Executive seeking homologation of the decision to authorise the lease of Unit 14D Panmure Industrial Estate, Carnoustie to Mr Keith Bullock, trading as Clever Cases.
The Committee agreed to homologate the decision taken by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Convener, to authorise the lease of Unit 14D, Panmure Industrial Estate, Carnoustie to Mr Keith Bullock, trading as Clever Cases.
3. LEASE OF UNIT 1, BADEN POWELL ROAD, ARBROATH ENTERPRISE PARK
There was submitted Report No 258/99 by the Chief Executive seeking approval to lease Unit 1, Baden Powell Road, Arbroath Enterprise Park to Mr Gordon Copland.
The Committee agreed to approve the lease of Unit 1, Baden Powell Road, Arbroath Enterprise Park to Mr Gordon Copland on the terms and conditions outlined in the Report.
4. LEASE OF UNIT 9, BRECHIN BUSINESS CENTRE
There was submitted Report No 259/99 by the Chief Executive proposing the lease of Unit 9, Brechin Business Centre to Mr Jeff Moir and Mr Andrew Stephen, trading as City Press.
The Committee agreed to authorise the lease of Unit 9, Brechin Business Centre, to Mr Jeff Moir and Mr Andrew Stephen, trading as City Press, under the Council's standard terms and conditions.
5. PICTAVIA: EXHIBITION AND INTERNAL FIT-OUT CONTRACT
With reference to Article 2 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 21 January 1999, there was submitted Joint Report No 257/99 by the Chief Executive, the Director of Property Services and the Director of Finance identifying progress to date with the PICTAVIA building contract and design of the exhibition and internal fit-out.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note the progress with the PICTAVIA building contract;
(ii) to note the progress being made by Campbell & Co (the design company) in designing the exhibition content and internal fit-out of the PICTAVIA and LINK Buildings;
(iii) to exempt the procurement of the exhibition and internal fit-out of the PICTAVIA and LINK buildings from normal tendering requirements under Financial Regulation 14.1(3)(c);
(iv) to authorise the issue of an exhibition and fit-out contract, by the Director of Property Services in consultation with the Chief Executive, Director of Cultural Services and the Director of Finance, to Campbell & Co who would act as the Council's client and contractor in procuring the works on the basis of a design and build contract within the agreed budget of £300,000 and ensuring quality and value for money; and
(v) to note that the Convener would be fully consulted in the exercise and that a further report detailing the contract contents would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.
6. PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AT ORCHARDBANK INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, FORFAR
With reference to Article 3 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 19 November 1998, there was submitted Joint Report No 261/99 by the Chief Executive and the Director of Property Services outlining the current development plans of a local company and proposing the acquisition of an industrial property at Orchardbank Industrial Estate, Forfar.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note the current development plans of the local company referred to in the Report; and
(ii) to approve the acquisition by the Council of an industrial property in Orchardbank Industrial Estate, Forfar on the provisional terms and conditions contained in the Report.
7. TAYSIDE ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE (TERC)
With reference to Article 11 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 18 April 1996, there was submitted Report No 263/99 by the Chief Executive recommending that the third annual payment of a three year contract be made to Tayside Economic Research Centre and that future arrangements be reviewed.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to make the third annual contribution (of a three year contract with TERC) of £8,505 to the operating costs of TERC for the current financial year;
(ii) to note that the present contractual arrangement with TERC would end in March 1999 and that the funding partners (Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Dundee City Council, Angus Council and Abertay University) were reviewing the activity and performance of this initiative over the past three year period; and
(iii) to note that a Report on the conclusions of that review and future arrangements would be brought before the Committee in due course.
8. MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING
The minute of meeting of this Committee held on 21 January 1999 was approved as a correct record and signed by the Convener.
9. ANGUS EDUCATION/ENGINEERING INITIATIVE
There was submitted Joint Report No 256/99 by the Chief Executive and the Director of Education outlining a proposal for the development of a Forum where schools and engineering companies could share their ideas and aspirations and develop mutual understanding.
The Report indicated that the aim of the Forum would be to raise the profile of engineering by providing information about local engineering companies and about employment opportunities generally within this industrial sector. The action plan outlined in the Report would help to enhance the image of engineering as a career and assist companies in the recruitment of Angus school leavers.
The Committee, for its interest, agreed to approve the joint initiative by the Education Department and the Economic Development Unit to implement an education/industry programme of action (in conjunction with the Tayside Engineering Forum and the Angus Education and Business Partnership) aimed at developing a mutual understanding between local engineering firms and Angus schools and improving the image of engineering as a career.
10. SEAFEST UPDATE
With reference to Article 6 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 8 October 1998, there was submitted Report No 260/99 by the Chief Executive outlining the plans of the Arbroath SEAFEST Company Ltd for this year's festival, which was to be held during the weekend of 13, 14 and 15 August 1999. The Arbroath SEAFEST had been acknowledged as a significant event in the annual tourist calendar and the establishment of the Arbroath SEAFEST Company would provide the structure to carry forward the organisation and management for future years, firmly linked to the Arbroath Community.
The Committee agreed:-
(i) to note the progress made in planning the Arbroath SEAFEST, which was being held over the weekend of 13, 14 and 15 August 1999;
(ii) to note the efforts being made by the Arbroath SEAFEST Company Ltd to raise financial contributions from the private sector; and
(iii) to ask the appropriate officers to bring back a further detailed Report on the budget and programme, when the sponsorship drive had been concluded.
11. KEY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 21 JANUARY 1999 TO 4 MARCH 1999
With reference to Article 15 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 21 January 1999, there was submitted Report No 264/99 by the Chief Executive identifying key highlights and achievements in the work of the Economic Development Unit for the period 21 January 1999 to 4 March 1999.
The Committee agreed to note the contents of the Report.
12. UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
With reference to Article 16 of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 21 January 1999, there was submitted and noted Report No 255/99 by the Director of Planning and Transport providing various statistics, graphs and charts showing unemployment rates by travel to work areas, numbers and ages of unemployed, duration of unemployment and number of vacancies in Angus and neighbouring authorities for the month of December 1998.