Meeting Details

Council Notes:

• Section 51 of the 1980 Education (Scotland) Act[6] requires local authorities to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of school transport for pupils residing, and attending schools, in their area.
  
  

• Local authorities have a wide level of discretion in this regard.
  
  

• When considering whether to make arrangements for the provision of school transport, local authorities are further required to have regard to the safety of the pupils.
  
  

• Legislation does not prescribe the distance beyond which they must, nor distance below which they must not, provide transport.
  
  

• It is for local authorities to determine the nature of the provision they offer.

Council Understands:

• Local authorities are expected to keep their criteria for providing school transport under review and be flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, which might affect pupil safety.
  
  

• North Lanarkshire Council has not undertaken a review of criteria for providing school transport since May 2018.

Council Agrees:        

• A member/officer working group is set up to thoroughly review and update the criteria used to provide school transport being flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, ensuring at all times child safety is placed as the number one priority.
  
  

• The recommendations of the member/officer working group to be submitted to the appropriate Committee of the Council to allow the updated criteria to be agreed and implemented in sufficient time to ensure necessary transport provision is in place before further changes are made to primary school provision.
  
  

•  Secondary school provision should be reassessed ensuring it meets the new agreed criteria.

“Council acknowledges the contribution of the Local Development Programme in making positive differences to communities throughout North Lanarkshire, and the work of Community Partnership Officers in progressing these projects to completion.

Council agrees that the Local Development Programme should be further opened to schools and Parent Councils to apply to, for the purposes of making external improvements and enhancements to school facilities, such as exterior décor, outdoor play and learning equipment, benches, landscaping, and other capital projects.

“Council notes that more than a year has now passed since a substantial majority of respondents to a consultation, including a clear majority in each stakeholder group, favoured a change to the school holidays in North Lanarkshire and therefore agrees that necessary steps be taken to adjust the school holidays, including carrying out a formal consultation on the following proposals:

1. An earlier return to school following the summer break in August
2. Expanding the February break to one week
3. Expanding the October break to two weeks

“In realising the requirement for council to act transparently, and in particular towards providing relevant information to the electorate of North Lanarkshire, council hereby accepts and agrees to display publicly online, via the MARS system and any / all other appropriate means, all submitted council motions, whether deemed competent or non-competent  by the Provost’s office.

This in turn allows the electorate to better understand and reference the full scope of representation being made by elected members on their behalf.

This process should be adopted for motions and amendments submitted in relation to all council meetings ongoing following 3^rd October 2024 full council meeting.

In addition, a footnote from the Provost’s office should accompany any rejected motions specifically detailing the rationale behind refusal, based on the interpretation used to determine competency.

“This Council welcomes the positive contribution the young people of North Lanarkshire make to our communities, an example being the worldwide positive publicity gained by the NL School Pipe Band.

The Council does not agree in any way that our young people are feral, knife-wielding murderers and cannot support the continuation in a senior civic role someone who believes this to be the case, and therefore agrees that Councillor Bob Burgess be removed as Depute Provost with immediate effect”

Council notes the difficulties faced by those living with the challenges of neurodiversity.

Council agrees to create a member/officer working group to consider the potential of:

Providing neurodivergent-friendly sessions at NL Leisure venues, and the optimal times for these to be offered.

Offering reduced lighting in NLC venues to support those who experience light sensitivity.

Offering reduced noise levels for those who experience audio sensitivity.

Delivering a communications campaign to encourage organisations within North Lanarkshire to consider neurodiverse-friendly services and facilities. 

Council agrees to present the recommendations from this member/officer working group to the appropriate committee before the end of committee cycle two 2025.

“That Council agrees to instruct the Council Leader to write to the Labour Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, to request the immediate reversal of his Government’s punitive decision to introduce means testing to the Winter Fuel Payment.

This decision is expected to negatively impact on the household incomes of around 40,000 NLC residents who received the payment last year, and is expected to remove around £7 million from the North Lanarkshire economy” 

“That Council agrees to the establishment of an officer/member working group, to develop and implement a savings strategy to reduce Council spending on external consultants (including external legal advice), over the next 5 years”