Department of Business Operations and Partnerships
Director: Louise Pringle
Council Headquarters, Eastwood Park, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, G46 6UG
Phone: 0141 577 3000
website: www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Date: 18 February 2025
When calling please ask for: Barry Tudhope (Tel: 0141 577 3023)
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

TO: Provost Montague; Deputy Provost Campbell; and Councillors Anderson, Bamforth,
Buchanan, Convery, Cunningham, Devlin, Edlin, Ireland, Lunday, Macdonald,
McLean, Merrick, Morrison, O’Donnell, Pragnell and Wallace.

MEETING OF EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL
A meeting of the East Renfrewshire Council will be held in the Council Chamber,
Council Headquarters, Eastwood Park, Giffnock, G46 6UG on

Wednesday 26 February 2025 at 10.00 a.m.

The agenda of business is as listed below.
Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Provost will make a statement
that the meeting will be webcast live and recorded for later, publicly accessible
archive viewing.
Yours faithfully
Louise Pringle
LOUISE PRINGLE
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda.

3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
Submit for approval as a correct record and signature the Minutes of the Meeting of
the Council held on 11 December 2024 (copy attached, pages 5 – 12).

4. VOLUME OF MINUTES (Issued Under Separate Cover)
Submit for approval as a correct record the Minutes of Meetings for the period 10
December 2024 to 18 February 2025.

5. ITEMS REMITTED TO THE COUNCIL
a) Interim Treasury Management Report 2024/25 – Quarter 3
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 13 –
28) (Audit and Scrutiny Committee – 23 January 2025).

Audit & Scrutiny Committee Recommendation:
That the organisations for investment of surplus funds be approved in accordance
with Appendix 8 to the report.

b) Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 29 –
74) (Audit and Scrutiny Committee – 20 February 2025).

Audit & Scrutiny Committee Recommendation:
a) that the Treasury Management Strategy for 2025/26 be approved, including
the Prudential and Treasury Indicators and the amended list of organisations
for investment of surplus funds (Annex E);
b) that Council approve the policy on the repayment of loans fund advances
(section 3.4); and
c) that the forms of investment Instruments for use as permitted investments
(Annex C).


c) Deferral of Decision to Council: Health and Social Care Partnership –
Charging for Non-Residential Care Services in 2025/26.
Report by Director of Business Operations and Partnerships (copy attached, pages
75 – 82)


6. PROVOST’S ENGAGEMENTS
Report by Director of Business Operations and Partnerships (copy attached, pages 83
– 84).

7. BEST VALUE - EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL: REPORT BY CONTROLLER OF AUDIT
Report by Chief Executive (copy attached, pages 85– 104).

8. MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 2025 - 2030
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 105 – 134).

9. EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE ESTIMATES 2025/26
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 135 – 168).

10. GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PLAN 2025/26 – 2034/35
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer) (copy attached, pages 169 – 188).

11. HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT – RENT SETTING 2025/26
Report by Director of Environment (copy attached, pages 189 – 198).

12. HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2025/26 – 2035/35
Report by Director of Environment (copy attached, pages 199 – 206).

13. EAST RENFREWSHIRE CULTURE AND LEISURE TRUST 2024/25
BUSINESS PLAN
Report by Director of Education (copy attached, pages 207 – 242)

14. UPDATED CIVIC EVENT PROTOCOL (INCORPORATING FLAG FLYING PROTOCOL)
Report by Director of Business Operations and Partnerships (copy attached, pages
243 – 250).

15. LICENSING COMMITTEE – APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHAIR
Report by Director of Business Operations and Partnerships (copy attached, pages
251– 252).

A recording of the Council meeting will also be available following the meeting on the
Council’s YouTube Channel

www.youtube.com/user/eastrenfrewshire/videos

This document can be explained to you in other languages and can be provided
in alternative formats such as large print and Braille. For further information,
please contact Customer First on 0141 577 3001 or email

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You can read Papers/Reports on Council webpage here -

www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/council-260225


You can watck meeting live on Council webcast page here -

eastrenfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Proposed 8% Council Tax increase ?

Agenda Item 9
EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL
26 February 2025
Report by Head of Finance (Chief Financial Officer)
REVENUE ESTIMATES 2025/26

COUNCIL TAX
27. The 2025/26 settlement does not include restrictions on Council Tax levels. The
Council’s published forecasts in the 2024/25 Revenues Estimates had been based on a 6%
assumed Council Tax increase in 2025/26.

Given the freeze applied to Council Tax in 2024/25, this means there is a lower Council Tax base than would otherwise have been the case.

In addition, given the significant savings implemented across the last decade and the
remaining budget gap facing the Council post the settlement, raising Council Tax by 6%
would require difficult reductions in services to be imposed or significant use of reserves, which will increase the scale of the budget gap in future years.

28. The revenue estimates have therefore been prepared on the basis of an 8% Council
Tax increase being set, rather than the 6% assumed in earlier plans.

This would increase income by a further £1.362m per year and reduce the budget gap to £1.620m.

26/2/2025

Published Barrhead News On Line

www.barrheadnews.com/

Council tax to rise by eight per cent in East Renfrewshire
7 hrs ago


By Gillian McPherson
Reporter

Council tax is to increase by 8% in East Renfrewshire to help plug a multi-million pound spending gap, it has been confirmed.

Council Leader Owen O’Donnell outlined the local authority’s spending plans for 2025-26 at a meeting of the full council today (Wednesday, February 26).

The Labour/Independent administration’s budget was approved and will now be taken forward by the council.

With a budget gap of £7.1m, the council says it has “used a range of measures to meet this challenge, including using a small amount of reserves and implementing savings.”

Councillor O’Donnell said: “As part of our extensive budget engagement, many of you told us you would be prepared to pay a little more in council tax to protect key services.

“Setting the council tax increase at 8% is higher than we would have liked, however, it is necessary to not only protect our excellent services but will allow further investment in education, care, roads, housing and leisure facilities.”

he council tax rise means that a Band D household will pay £1,528 for 2025/26 before water charges, which Scottish Water is lifting by 9.9 per cent, are included.

The total cost for a Band D home will be £2,129.

The grant settlement received from the Scottish Government was £271.3m, an increase of £14.7m on last year, which Councillor O’Donnell said was “the best funding settlement received for many years”.

Much of this funding, however, is ring-fenced and can only be spent on nationally-agreed initiatives and pay awards.

The local authority said this settlement means they have been able to protect teacher numbers and pass on an additional £1.6m to the East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to support its frontline work.

Councillor O’Donnell also outlined the significant capital projects which the council continues to invest in including their “ongoing commitment to building more affordable housing” and plans for a new Eastwood Leisure Centre and Theatre progressing.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that planning permission has been granted for the new £56 million leisure centre and theatre.

Work to create a new Balgray railway station is also set to get under way soon.

“Following many years of extremely challenging financial pressures, there are cautious grounds for optimism in relation to the council’s finances,” added Cllr O’Donnell.

“There will still be significant challenges ahead and difficult decisions to make, but for the first time in my period as council leader, I can see a path to a more positive future allowing us to focus on delivering even better services to our residents.

“We still face significant financial challenges, but have been able to pull back from some of the more drastic savings options initially put forward as part of our three-year public engagement exercise.

“And through prudent and efficient management of our resources, we can continue to invest in our communities.”