Property Services Committee
27 April 2005
IRVINE, 27 April 2005 - At a Meeting of the Property Services Committee of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 p.m.
Present
Samuel Taylor, Stewart Dewar, John Bell, Margie Currie, Anna Donn, Drew Duncan, Margaret Munn, David O'Neill and Nan Wallace.
In Attendance
T. Orr, Corporate Director, J. Currie, Head of Cleansing, Grounds Maintenance and Transport, J. Paul, Head of Technical Services, R. Small, Head of Roads (Property Services); P. Doak, Finance Manager (Finance); A. Wattie, Communications Officer; M. Adams and M. Anderson, Corporate and Democratic Support Officers (Chief Executive's).
Chair
Councillor Taylor in the Chair.
Apologies for Absence
Gordon Allison, Ian Clarkson, Jane Gorman, Margaret McDougall, Elizabeth McLardy, Robert Rae and Richard Wilkinson.
1. Minutes
The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 9 March 2005, copies of which had previously been circulated, were confirmed.
2. Three Towns By-pass: Transfer and Reclassification of Routes
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on arrangements for the transfer and reclassification of routes following the opening of the Three Towns By-pass.
On 1 April 2005, in accordance with Paragraph 3 of Scottish Statutory Instrument 347, the section of the former A78 trunk road between Montfode and Pennyburn roundabouts became an A Class principal road (A738) and transferred to North Ayrshire Council as Roads Authority. Several other roads in the area have also been re-classified as part of the de-trunking exercise, as detailed within the report.
Meetings have taken place between the Council's Roads Service, the Scottish Executive and Amey since November 2004 to agree maintenance works to be carried out by Amey at the Scottish Executive's expense to allow the de-trunked route to transfer to the Council with minimal maintenance being required.
Following the agreement reached on maintenance works, re-surfacing to a value of £1,000,000 is being carried out at seven locations along the route, together with £200,000 of footway works, the replacement of 26 street lighting columns and various other ancillary works. Completion of the works is expected by early June 2005.
The increase in road length of 6.43km will result in increased maintenance liabilities for the Council in future years, as well as all public liability insurance claims for incidents occurring on the road. The Council has a statutory duty to accept responsibility as Roads Authority for the de-trunked section of road and arrangements are in place for the new length of road to be included in the Council's maintenance inspection and winter gritting regimes.
Noted.
3. Adoption of Roads from 1st April 2004 to 31st March 2005
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on road adoptions carried out for the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.
The owners of any road can, under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, submit it for adoption as a public road. The Local Roads Authority is obliged to include such roads in the public register, provided they meet the approved standards of construction. Formal inclusion within the public register normally takes place 12 months after the completion or submission, which allows time for any defects to be remedied. Thereafter, the Roads Authority assumes all maintenance liability.
In accordance with the Council's Scheme of Delegation, the following roads have been adopted by the Council as Roads Authority since 1 April 2004:-
(i) Knoxville Road, Kilbirnie (46 metres);
(ii) Queens Court, Irvine (151 metres); and
(iii) Snowdon Terrace, West Kilbride (48 metres)
Following the opening of the A78 Three Towns By-pass in December 2004, the Council has also assumed responsibility for the de-trunked section of (6.43km) of the A78 (now re-classified as the A738) between Montfode and Pennyburn roundabouts.
Noted.
4. Shewalton Area 2 Landfill: Tender approval for Cell Construction Works
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on arrangements for tendering for the work to carry out landfill cell construction works at Shewalton Area 2 Landfill.
The current landfilling operations at Shewalton Areas 4 & 5 will require to finish on 31 December 2005 in accordance with the waste management licence issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Council will then commence landfilling in Shewalton Area 2 in a fully EC landfill compliant site which is already the subject of planning permission and has been permitted by SEPA.
Halcrow Group Ltd have carried out the tendering process on behalf of the Council for the Shewalton Area 2 Phase 1 Landfill Containment Engineering Works. As a result of this exercise, tenders have been received from six contractors. On the basis of the tenders received and reviewed, Halcrow has recommended that the contract be awarded to Messrs. Ascot Environmental Limited for the sum of £1,494,617.36, subject to a number of conditions set out in the report. It is intended that the contract will commence in May 2005, with a completion date of 12 November 2005.
The Committee agreed to accept the tender for cell construction at Shewalton Area 2 submitted by Messrs. Ascot Environmental Limited subject to the conditions detailed in the report.
5. Arran Recycling Community Organisation: Payment of Recycling Credits
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on the proposal to pay recycling credits to the Arran Recycling Community Organisation to encourage waste reduction on the Isle of Arran.
The Environmental Protection (Waste Recycling Payments)(Scotland) Regulations 2000 made in terms of Sections 52(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, allow for the payment of recycling credits to persons other than waste collection authorities. The recycling credit is determined on the basis of savings to the Local Authority in waste disposal costs.
The previous Cunninghame District Council paid recycling credits to Arran Recycling Community Organisation (ARCO) and this arrangement has continued under North Ayrshire Council, at a rate of £14 per tonne. Since then, the area of land made available to ARCO has been taken over by Scottish Water as part of their improvement works. Accordingly, ARCO no longer have the use of this facility which was provided and maintained by North Ayrshire Council. ARCO now require to access alternative property to allow it to continue its recycling works, namely the processing of cardboard into animal bedding, the uplift of newspaper and magazines for recycling and the crushing of glass for pipe fill, etc. It is anticipated that the payment of a higher rate of £30 per tonne to ARCO would provide an incentive to boost its recycling works to a level of 20 tonnes of cardboard, 100 tonnes of newspaper and 100 tonnes of glass. The payment would be in addition to any income the organisation can achieve from selling on recycled material.
A waste recycling payment of £30 per tonne, based on 220 tonnes, would result in a cost to the Council of £6,600 per annum, £3,960 of which could be recovered from savings in landfill tax.
The Committee agreed to approve the payment of the recycling credit of £30 per tonne to the Arran Recycling Community Organisation (ARCO) in respect of municipal solid waste generated on Arran.
6. Window Replacement Extended Programme
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on the proposed extension of the existing window replacement contract for one year.
The Council has an agreed strategy to retain its housing stock and upgrade all properties to meet the Housing Quality Standard within 10 years. There is, therefore, a requirement to commence the window replacement extended programme at an early date.
There is currently in place an agreed contract with Andrew Wright Windows for window replacement in respect of the Council's housing stock. In order to implement the window replacement programme, and in view of the performance of the company to date, it is proposed to extend the existing agreement with Andrew Wright Windows into the current financial year 2005/06. The company has intimated its willingness to continue to work to the same set of principles as contained within the current contract in respect of performance, quality and pricing. Arrangements will be made to tender again for this work in future years.
The Committee agreed to extend the window replacement contract with Andrew Wright Windows for one year to cover 2005/06.
7. Ardrossan Academy: Final Phase of Window Replacement
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on the tendering process for the completion of window replacement works at Ardrossan Academy.
The replacement of windows at Ardrossan Academy has, to date, proceeded on a phased basis in accordance with funds available within the General Services Capital Programme. The Capital Programme for 2005 to 2009 makes provision of £300,000 in each of financial years 2005/06 and 2006/07 to complete the work.
The previous phase of work was competitively tendered and the contract was won by Stewart and Shields, Helensburgh. In the interests of continuity and in recognition of the experience gained by the company in undertaking the specialist work involved in the project, it is now proposed that the Council enter into negotiations with Stewart and Shields for completion of the work. It is considered that successfully tendered rates for the previous phase can provide a sound basis of negotiation for the final phase, taking inflation into account using relevant National Building Indices.
The Committee agreed to authorise the Corporate Director (Property Services) (i) to enter into formal discussions with Stewart and Shields, Helensburgh to negotiate a tender for the final phase of window replacement works at Ardrossan Academy; and (ii) to report back to the appropriate Committee on the results of these negotiations.
8. Assignment of Lighting Maintenance Contract (LMC)
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Property Services) on a change of lighting maintenance contractor.
At its meeting on 21 January 2003, the Committee approved the acceptance of a tender submitted by Prismo Jarvis for the provision of a lighting maintenance service for three years commencing 1 April 2003.
In December 2004, Prismo Jarvis indicated to the Council that, due to a difficult financial crisis within the company, assets would require to be sold and some of their business assigned to other contractors. Prismo Jarvis then commenced negotiations with companies willing to take over the Lighting Maintenance Contract (LMC) and its associated legal obligations.
Negotiations have now been completed by the company with Centre Great Limited, South Wales and heads of terms have been agreed with the Council. The Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective Services) signed the appropriate documents on 22 March 2005 for the assignment of the contract to Centre Great Ltd and the company has been operating the LMC from 23 March 2005.
Noted.
9. Urgent Item
The Chair agreed the undernoted item be considered as a matter of urgency due to the timescale involved.
10. Memorial Inspection Seminar and Information Day
The Chair advised of a Memorial Inspection Seminar and Information Day to be held at Saltcoats Registration Office at 10.00 a.m. on 23 May 2005, to which elected Members, stonemasons and local undertakers are invited. The event will comprise a presentation by the Institute of Crematoria and Cemeteries Management, the provision of information on the forthcoming memorial inspection programme and an on-site demonstration at Ardrossan Cemetery.
Noted.
The meeting ended at 2.35 p.m.