Glasgow City Council Agenda - 09 December 2021, 11:00 Help

A meeting to be held at by hybrid meeting at 11:00 on 09 December 2021.

Number Item
1Minutes of Council meeting of 28th October 2021 (Print 5, pages 285 to 303) View Papers
2Print 5 - Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", remaining paragraphs being submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 304 onwards).  View Papers
3Changes to committees etc. View Papers
4Representation on outside bodies. View Papers
5Correspondence:- View Papers
(a)Letter from Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity; View Papers
(b)Letter from Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights; and View Papers
(c)Letter from Directorate for Local Government and Communities. View Papers
6Questions. View Papers
7Notice of motions.
(a)By Councillor Ruairi Kelly:-

"Council recognises that conventional economic growth and extractive models of wealth generation can often leave communities worse off despite the appearance of economic success when viewed through the lens of traditional indicators like GDP.

Council welcomes our participation in C40's Thriving Cities initiative which rethinks systems, to foster community led action and new business models, that support all people to access a good life within planetary boundaries.

Council further welcomes the inclusion of Community Wealth Building (CWB) as part of the social and economic recovery plans for the city and our involvement in CWB development at the City Region Level.

Council believes that a Glasgow CWB strategy is required so that decision-making can be guided by a new people-centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places control and benefits into the hands of local people.

Council therefore instructs officers to bring a paper to the relevant committee mapping our existing CWB activities and those of our anchor organisation and a strategy to integrate the five principles of CWB as a core part of decision making in the future." View Papers
(b)By Councillor Jill Brown:-

"Council notes the campaign launched by Radio Clyde calling for lighting to be installed along the main routes of Glasgow's parks; notes that this renewed call follows on from experiences during COP26; and notes that this campaign is supported by a wide range of individuals and organisations.

Council believes that Glasgow's parks play a very significant role in city life; that our parks should be always accessible and safe places; and that there are sufficient technological solutions to provide sensitive lighting solutions which keep people safe and promotes the biodiversity in our parks and open spaces.

Council therefore resolves to instruct officers to prepare a paper to the relevant City Policy Committee in the first cycle after the New Year on the necessary infrastructure to provide sensitive lighting solutions in our parks." View Papers
(c)By Bailie Kyle Thornton:-

"Council notes the minority status of the SNP Administration. Consequently, Council confirms it is not in the gift of the Leader of the Council or any other member of the minority Administration to make announcements to the media stating that this Council is pursuing a particular policy without consent for such a policy being conferred by this Council through our established frameworks. Until any such consent is provided, any policy is the intention of the SNP Group/Minority Administration and not of this full Council.

Council therefore regrets that the Leader of the Council announced it was the intention of Glasgow City Council to proceed with a "car free zone" in Glasgow city centre. This Council therefore formally condemns the Leader of the Council for her actions in announcing this as a policy of the Council.

Such a proposal has not been scrutinised by elected members nor, reportedly, has it even been raised at the City Centre Taskforce co-chaired by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.

Council notes the significant reservations expressed by Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, who reacted to the proposals as such:

"We are extremely disappointed that there was no prior consultation with business and the wider community before this announcement which, if implemented, will ban private cars from large swathes of the city centre…Before the city embarks on large scale traffic bans, we need to see the data and evidence that supports this proposal, otherwise this risks becoming a gimmick policy."

Council further notes the concern of many of those with disabilities and access challenges who require the use of private vehicles to allow them to carry out day to day tasks. In addition, this change is likely to provide significant challenges for city centre residents in day-to-day matters such as receiving deliveries, moving properties etc and as such requires clear proposals accompanied by a proper consultation.

Council therefore urges the Leader of the Council to make a public written apology to city centre residents, businesses, and users for her administration's contempt for due process and the complete absence of any consultation or engagement prior to her announcement regarding the "car free zone" in Glasgow City Centre.

Council further demands the Leader of the Council ensures the full details of her proposals are brought to a committee of this Council as soon as is reasonably possible and notes that the Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm City Policy Committee has instructed a paper to be brought on this matter to them. This is to enable the elected representatives of the people of Glasgow examine and scrutinise them as part of our democratic duty and to decide whether public resources should be used to progress the proposals or not."  View Papers
(d)By Councillor Allan Young:-

"Council recognises the success of the free integrated travel card system for COP26 delegates in Glasgow; Council understands that many cities around the world operate an integrated, often ticketless, travel system, providing seamless changeover between bus, train, underground and other forms of transport; Council notes that Luxemburg introduced universal free public transport last year and that many cities around the world, including Manchester, now operate no-fare services; Council recognises and welcomes the impending roll out of Scottish Green Party proposals for free bus travel for under 22s and Scottish Government plans to bring the rail system back into public ownership.

Council recognises the work of Get Glasgow Moving, Free Our City and other campaigners, and agrees that Glasgow needs and deserves a more integrated, better funded and affordable public transport system. Council understands the pressing case for this to reduce carbon emissions and high levels of air pollution, make our streets safer and more appealing to walk and cycle on, and tackle the high levels of transport-related social and economic inequality.

Council notes its previous declaration of a climate and ecological emergency and draws attention to proposals in its Climate Action Plan for a free public transport pilot in Glasgow, echoing calls of the Just Transition Commission; Council recognises the success of already established schemes such as the National Entitlement Card and the veterans travel scheme, and believes the technology is already in place for universal roll out; Council instructs officers to work with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and other relevant bodies to develop proposals for a universal free public transport pilot in Glasgow and produce a report within 6 months; Council asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Scottish Government Transport Secretary calling for support to undertake this pilot in Glasgow." View Papers
(e)By Bailie Glenn Elder:-

"Council notes the historic importance of the city's built assets, often a legacy of previous generations and affirms its commitment to look after what we as a city have inherited.

Council further notes the risk that funding shortfalls or lack of maintenance or timely repair may pose to longer term assets, such as schools, libraries and other buildings constructed for the benefit of communities.

Council notes with particular dismay the deteriorating condition and disrepair of the Winter Gardens at the People's Palace museum and the effective loss of use of a public space adjacent to sites of significant previous investment such as the Dalton Fountain.

Council notes that roads and pavements are subject to maintenance programmes and believes that effective systematic maintenance of assets should prevent catastrophic asset deterioration. Council believes it is important to learn from the failures of current and previous administrations which may have contributed to the current alarming position.

Council therefore agrees that before the Council's budget meeting in 2022:

- a report on the Winter Gardens, with survey information, including photographs, is published and presented to a Council committee, including relevant costs of repair;

- that as policy Council will make public a register of property conditions for all historic assets over £10k within it's direct ownership or trust and have a routine frequency of inspection established so that the public may be comforted that we are looking after historic buildings; and

- a report is presented to the relevant Council Committee addressing the current position of proactive maintenance and repair planning indicating what is being done to prevent deterioration of asset condition and what is being done to address carbon implications of sustaining the use of these buildings." View Papers
(f)By Bailie Norman MacLeod:-

"This Council is delighted that Glasgow had the pleasure and privilege of being the host City for COP26. Council recognises the hard work put in to making welcome so many visitors from all over the World which did great credit to all involved.

Council expresses its thanks and appreciation to Alok Sharma MP, UK President of COP26; to the Scottish Government and to Nicola Sturgeon, MSP, First Minister; to Lord Provost Philip Braat; to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Susan Aitken; to the many other elected representatives who organised and attended events; to the business, academic, third sector and wider community for their valuable support; to all of the council departments and council officers who worked diligently to prepare for and ensure that the conference proceeded well; and to the emergency services, especially Police Scotland.

Council further expresses that most heartfelt thanks especially are due to the volunteers in particular who - together with many community groups and individual citizens of Glasgow - made our visitors both delegates and activists so welcome.

Council notes with pleasure that it is clear from the kind remarks, social media posts, emails and letters of thanks, that once again "People really did Make Glasgow! "

Council recognises that significant work done on the Road to COP26 whereby Glasgow worked in partnership with peer and partner cities - bilaterally from Paris to Pittsburgh and from LA to London; through participation in networks such as C40, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, ICLEI, Urban Transitions Alliance, Eurocities, Core Cities etc., work with the World Economic Forum and Cities Climate Investment Commission etc, and that its role as Co-chair of UK100, created a global hotel de ville in our City Chambers and Host City Zone and amplified the urban voice during COP26.

Council further recognises that the Glasgow Climate Pact whilst imperfect and has ensured that the goal of keeping temperature rises below 1.5C remains alive and Glasgow has delivered strong messages of hope, promises and ambition; and, for the first time ever explicitly recognises the important role of local and regional government, and, that the 7th Glasgow Pillar of the UCLG LGMA Roadmap Towards COP26 - Climate Justice and Social Equity - was embraced in Clause 52 where it is stated "the need to ensure just transitions that promote sustainable development and eradication of poverty".

Council notes with pleasure that many visitors were impressed to learn of the leadership and initiatives already undertaken by this Council in relation to the Climate Emergency, including for example:-

· first Scottish City to declare a Climate and Ecological emergency in May 2019;
· Glasgow's Climate Plan which sets a target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030;
· our Circular Economy Road Map;
· introducing Scotland's first ever LEZ at the end of 2018, with the aim to implement Phase 2 in 2023;
· Car Free Zones outside 37 primary schools and 20 more planned for 2022;
· SEPA finding (October 2020) that air quality in Glasgow continues to improve, with the vast majority of the city meeting all air quality targets;
· reducing carbon dioxide emission by 41% since 2006, surpassing the 30% target set for 2020;
· Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre delivering savings of 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year; extracting recyclable material from waste; and generating enough energy to power 22,000 homes in the city;
· Glasgow Resource and Recycling Strategy - a new strategy to manage waste and recycling over the next 10 years;
· Clean Glasgow Programme - which includes a Litter Prevention Action Plan for the city enabling businesses, housing associations, communities, residents all to play their part;
· Spaces for People - making temporary and then permanent travel
infrastructure changes across our city;
· The Avenues - an Excellence in Sustainable Infrastructure award winning
programme that is dramatically changing Glasgow city centre for the better;
· Glasgow's Smart Canal - a pioneering digital surface water drainage system which works to mitigate flood risk and unlock development potential in the north of the city; and
· Glasgow's Children and Young People's Climate Charter and Education Services 'Our Dear Green Place' and the many other initiatives to tackle climate change.

Equally our future plans for further measures also were praised, for example our plans to:-

· take forward the recommendations of our Citizens Climate Assembly;
· the Glasgow Green Deal and Call for Ideas, a 9-year mission which fundamentally will reshape the city's economy;
· a 'Greenprint for Investment' prospectus of transformative climate investment projects to boost our 2030 Net-Zero goal, spanning £30bn of nvestments and place-based development opportunities for international investment;
· continuing participation in C40s Thriving Cities and many other cooperative programmes;
· work with the Global South, indigenous peoples and others to ensure their voices are heard, reparations are made and a just transition achieved; and
· CREATE4GLASGOW, Glasgow Life's new participatory art project aiming to give a voice to young people and raise awareness of our shared environmental priorities.

Council records its appreciation of the opportunity which COP26 afforded Glasgow to participate in the world's "last best chance". Council believes that whilst in the Glasgow Pact key issues were watered down in the final hours, there can be no doubt that the Glasgow summit made significant progress on important points: securing agreement on deforestation, methane, transport, energy and finance will contribute to accelerated climate action. Council however calls for stronger ambition and greater urgency on climate action.

Council requests that the Leader of the Council writes to United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, formally to confirm what a great pleasure and privilege it was and is for Glasgow to act as Host City for COP26; that it remains committed to the Paris Agreement; that whilst countries may make agreements it is cities which will deliver; that Glasgow commits to being a frontrunner city in the Race to Net Carbon Zero; and that he and all associated with the UN COP and its other bodies are most welcome to return to our City to help continue to build upon the global leadership the ambition, innovation, commitment and ability to deliver shown by our City, its civic society and people." View Papers
(g)By Councillor Malcolm Cunning:-

"Council notes the demands of COSLA that Scottish Local Government requires nearly £1bn in additional funding this year "simply to survive".

Council further notes that budget cuts in Glasgow, as a direct consequence of the Scottish Government's decisions, have come under increasing public scrutiny and anger, as citizens become increasingly frustrated with the levels of service that can be delivered.

Council believes that a decade of deliberate underfunding and centralisation of funding by the Scottish Government has deeply harmed the ability of Local Government to respond to the needs of the citizens that have elected the members of this Council; and further believes that the hard-working officers of this Council and its frontline staff are doing the best they can with the diminishing resources available to them; and believes that this current situation is not of their making.

Council, therefore, reiterates the position by COSLA, believes that Local Government is in an emergency situation; believes that this administration can and must do more publicly to demand adequate funding; and resolves to instruct the Leader of the Council to write to Kate Forbes MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, in these terms.

In so doing, Council demonstrates its solidarity with the Trade Unions, third sector organisations and others who have been actively campaigning at the Scottish Parliament, and elsewhere, for a significantly better deal for Scottish Local Government." View Papers
(h)By Councillor Thomas Kerr:-

"Council notes the launch of the #LightTheWay campaign by Clyde News, which asks for safety lighting to be installed along the main routes through Glasgow's parks.

Council notes the debate over lighting in parks and green spaces, a long-standing issue raised by runners and women's groups for a number of years, to have been reignited by recent events during COP26 after a police diversion forced women and vulnerable residents to walk through a dimly lit section of Kelvingrove in order to get home.

Council is aware of the position expressed via the media that, "We don't encourage people to use our parks at night". Council is unaware of this policy having been endorsed by elected members within this Council term. Conversely, Council believes that as far as possible Glasgow residents should be able to enjoy our parks and green spaces - whether for reasons of leisure, exercise, or simply an accessible travel route.

Council notes the position of Rape Crisis Scotland, whose Chief Executive Sandy Bindley has stated: "We're not talking about going into parks at midnight, but this is Scotland in the winter where it is dark from about 4pm…Is the Council really saying that public spaces should be no-go areas for women out with working hours? I think that's unacceptable." Council agrees that this messaging is unacceptable and resolves to reflect on the tone of such communications in recent weeks.

Council further notes the #LightTheWay campaign to be supported by expert opinion from the fields of urban planning and lighting design which state it to be possible to both preserve the habitats of nocturnal animals as well as provide further safeguards for Glasgow residents at night time. Council believes this expert opinion to be at least worth investigating further.

Council therefore resolves to instruct the Leader of the Council to respond to the Clyde News #LightTheWay campaign on behalf of Glasgow City Council expressing our sympathies with their demands and apologising for the tone of any messaging emanating from this Council which appeared to indicate that women and vulnerable residents should be excluded from accessing public spaces after dark. Council instructs the relevant City Convener to prepare and deliver a public consultation to enable the people of Glasgow to have their say over this crucial issue. In addition to such a consultation, Council further instructs officers to bring a report on the feasibility of implementing additional lighting in city parks to the next meeting of the Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee." View Papers
(i)By Councillor Jon Molyneux:-

"Council recognises the centrality of young voices to the global climate movement and welcomes the engagement Glasgow's schoolchildren have had in the run up to COP26. Council believes it is important to have an educational legacy from the city's hosting of COP26, and that this should be a high priority.

In particular, Council notes the terms of a motion recently agreed by Glasgow members of the EIS trade union, which calls on the Council to bring forward proposals for:

- a ban on the sale of plastic water bottles and eradication of other single use plastics;
- a city-wide pen recycling scheme;
- city-wide options for re-use and/or leasing of school uniforms;
- replacing school heating systems with heat pumps or other low carbon heating options;
- introducing designated bays with electric car charge points in school car parks; and
- financial incentives for those who cycle or run or walk to school.

Council also believes action should be taken to reduce the environmental footprint of school meals, including supporting local food and reducing food waste, to improve school recycling capacity, and to consider investment requirements for low carbon retrofitting of the education estate.

Council resolves to ask the Executive Director to bring an update on how such proposals can be implemented to a meeting of the Education, Skills and Early Years City Policy Committee in its next meeting cycle." View Papers