PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
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Minutes:
1.
Question from Emily Woolard
Emily Woolard
on behalf of Connel Flying Club asked if the Area Committee would agree that
Not for Profit Organisations, Sports Clubs and Recreational Clubs should not be
treated the same as a Commercial entities and
whether Standing Orders could be suspended to take the exempt Item 11a of the
Agenda in public.?
The Committee Manager advised that the reason this
item was to be considered in private was as a consequence of Legislation,
specifically the Local Government Act 1973 that prohibited information relating
to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the
authority being shared in public and advised the Area Committee to abide by
this Legislation.Ìý
David
Allan of the Council’s Estates Department stated that the report named other
parties and rental evidence from other areas, which is why the report would be
considered in private.
Councillor Green believed
that each lease application that the Council received was assessed on its own
merits, with cognisance given to what the asset would be
used for, community benefits and whether any reduction in terms was justifiable
in terms of best value.
Councillor McKenzie stated
that the Council should have a Policy for Not for Profit Organisations, Sports
and Recreational Groups leasing premises and ground from the Council.
2.
Question from Marri Malloy
Marri Malloy on behalf of
Oban Community Council asked why nothing had yet been done with regard to
Campervans parking overnight at Ganavan, where the
occupiers of the vehicles have been seen to be emptying
their waste cassettes into the public toilets. Mrs Malloy advised that many of
these offenders are also not paying for parking with no enforcement taken
against them.
Councillor Green advised that a number of solutions
had been suggested to control parking at Ganavan but
none had been progressed due to the objections of neighbouring properties.
Councillor Green was of the opinion that the only way to solve the ongoing
issues at Ganavan was for the Council and community
group to work together.
Councillor
McKenzie agreed with Councillor Green and encouraged all community groups to
work with the Council to find common ground to find a workable, practical
solution to the parking issues at Ganavan.
Mark
Calder of the Councils Roads Department stated that a Parking Review is being
progressed, where the use of technology, blanket orders and enforcement actions
are being looked at in consultation with AECOM Professional Services.Ìý A report on the outcome of the Review would
be considered by the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee in
due course. It was agreed that Mr Calder would advise Mrs Malloy on progress
made in this regard.Ìý
ÌýÌý
3.
Question from Duncan Martin
Duncan Martin on behalf of
Oban Community Council asked whether the recent changes to the bus services
within Oban and surrounding area, was suggested by Officers within the Council?
Mark
Calder pointed to Item 6 ‘Roads and Infrastructure Services Update’
specifically paragraph 3.17 which provided an update on the Dunbeg
Bus Service. Mr Calder advised that a decision had been made to change the bus
service based on patronage numbers and that subsequent feedback from customers
had highlighted that the service was more important than these figures
suggested. Mr Calder accepted that the communications around this change had
not been as good as they should have been.
4.
Question from Roddy McCuish
Roddy
McCuish asked whether the financial elements contained within the reports at
Item 11a and 11b could be redacted to allow consideration of the reports in
public.
David Allan advised that the financial elements
contained within the reports were key to the discussions that the Area
Committee would have to have to reach a resolution and as such this was not an
option.ÌýÌý
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