Contact: Alison Mcleod
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Sederunt and Declaration of Members' Interests Minutes: The Chair asked Members if they had any interests to declare in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. There were no interests declared. |
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Public Sector Equality Duty PDF 88 KB Consider, and if so desired, adopt the following resolution:-
(1) to have due regard to the need to:-
(a) eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; (b) advance equality of opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and (c) foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
(2) where an Integrated Impact Assessment is provided, to consider its contents and take those into account when reaching a decision. Minutes: In taking decisions on the undernoted items of business, the Committee agreed, in terms of Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010:-
(1) To have due regard to the need to:-
(a) eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
(b) advance equality and opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
(c) foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it, and
(2) to consider, where an Integrated Impact Assessment has been provided, its contents and to take those into consideration when reaching a decision.
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Exempt Information Consider, and if so decided, adopt the following resolution:- “That under Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and media representatives be excluded from the meeting for Item(s) of business below, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information of the class described in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.” Minutes: The Committee agreed, in terms of Section 50A (4) and (5) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the items specified below so as to avoid disclosure of exempt information of the classes described in the undernoted paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.
Item No Paragraph No of Schedule 7A 15 8
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Minute of Meeting of Infrastructure Services Committee of 30 November 2023 PDF 213 KB Minutes: There had been circulated and was approved as a correct record the Minute of the Meeting of Infrastructure Services Committee of 30 November, 2023. |
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Statement of Outstanding Business PDF 82 KB Minutes: There was circulated a list of outstanding actions from previous meetings of the Infrastructure Services Committee, which had been deferred to future meetings of the Committee, as of 25 January 2024.
The Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services introduced the report and provided the Committee with an update on the outstanding actions.
Following consideration of the list of outstanding actions, the Committee agreed that when further information was available on the outstanding actions, the Director should circulate updated information to the Committee, and that all of the items on the list could be removed.
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Presented By / report author: Stephanie McMillan Additional documents:
Minutes: There was circulated a report dated 14 December 2023 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which sought consideration of a consultation under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The report advised that the Head of Planning and Economy had the power under Section F.4.6 of Part 2B List of Officer Powers in the Scheme of Governance to respond to consultations on applications from the Scottish Government. He had decided in this instance not to exercise the delegated powers, due to the scale and nature of the proposed development. Instead, the application had been referred to the Formartine Area Committee in order to seek its views prior to reporting it to the Infrastructure Services Committee.
The report explained that the application had been considered by the Formartine Area Committee on 12 December 2023, and the Committee offered the following comment, namely:
The Committee expressed concerns regarding road safety in the vicinity of the Toll of Birness junction; commented that the number of vehicles on the road would increase significantly from the current one to two per day; highlighted that local residents had experienced technical difficulties in being able to submit their views to the ECU on the proposals; queried the construction process for the new pylon required; and commented on the community benefits for this type of project.
The Committee heard from the Team Manager, Planning & Economy (W Forbes) as to the details of the application, which comprised of a battery storage facility with an installed capacity of 105 megawatts, along with a 275 kilovolt substation and associated development, which includes landscaping biodiversity mitigation measures, along with off-site road and junction improvements. She highlighted that the key issues as outlined in the report focussed on the balance between the local environmental impacts of the development and its benefits and the extent to which the development is supported by planning policy and other planning considerations. Overall, the Planning Service was satisfied that the environmental impacts can be sufficiently mitigated to ensure that the development does not give rise to significant effects and that the principle of development is supported through the Development Plan and other policy considerations which recognise the importance of energy storage and its contribution to delivering energy transition. She concluded her presentation by informing the Committee that a number of minor amendments to the conditions were proposed along with five additional conditions, which enhance the clarity and precision of the conditions and cover matters that were not available at the time of writing the report. The conditions to be amended related to landscaping, biodiversity enhancement, details of the control building and other temporary buildings, noise, and conditions covering the commencement of development, road conditions regarding improvements to the site access and pipeline management.
During discussion, Members sought clarification about decommissioning processes, potential leakages and the effects on the environment and noted concerns around the roads access, particularly with the Toll of Birness junction, and whether any developer contributions would be available to contribute to improvements to ... view the full minutes text for item 5. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Crown Estate Scotland Funding Annual Report PDF 173 KB Presented By / report author: Martin Brebner Additional documents:
Minutes: With reference to the Minute of the Infrastructure Services Committee of 26 January 2023 (Item 5), there was circulated a report dated 8 December, 2023 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which provided (a) an annual update on the use of Crown Estate Scotland net revenues managed by the Council; (b) the findings of a partnership review of the North East Scotland Fisheries Local Action Group; and (c) seeking a delegation to the Head of Planning and Economy in respect of potential underspends which may need prompt decisions to meet the funder’s spending deadlines.
The Team Manager, Economic Strategy and Policy provided further background to the report and an update on the use of the funds to date. He advised that the partnership of community, private and public organisations play a key role in the administration of the Coastal Communities Challenge Fund, assessing applications and making recommendations to the Council on potential awards, and the report recommended that the Council remain a member of the Partnership for a further two years. In addition, a nomination was being sought for an Elected Member to represent the Council on NESFLAG, with an indicative commitment to attend meetings three times per year, with a commitment of up to 2.5 days per meeting, comprising 2 days to review applications and about half a day per meeting.
During discussions, the Committee welcomed the proposals and the Team Manager responded to questions relating to a Seaweed Project in Banff and Buchan and how membership of the Partnership was determined.
Having considered the content of the report, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the 2023/24 annual Report on Crown Estate Scotland funding managed by Aberdeenshire Council and the latest allocation of funding from Crown Estate Scotland;
(2) delegate the authority to award any uncommitted funds from Crown Estate Net Revenues with a spend deadline of 31 March 2024 to the Head of Planning and Economy following consultation with the ISC Chair, Vice Chair and Opposition Spokespersonand the relevant Area Committee Chair and Vice Chair;
(3) delegate the authority to award any Coastal Communities Challenge Fund allocation not committed by 30 September 2024 to the Head of Planning and Economy following consultation with the ISC Chair, Vice Chair and Opposition Spokespersonand the relevant Area Committee Chair and Vice Chair;
(4) endorse the partnership review of the North East Scotland Fisheries Local Action Group;
(5) agree that the Council will participate in the partnership for a further two years; and
(6) to nominate one Member to represent the Council on the North East Scotland Fisheries Local Action Group, and that the nomination of a Member representative would be confirmed by the Administration. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme 2024/2025 PDF 109 KB Presented By / report author: Piers Blaxter Additional documents:
Minutes: With reference to the Minute of the Infrastructure Services Committee of 11 May 2023 (Item 7), there was circulated a report dated 27 November 2023 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which presented a draft Development Plan Scheme for consideration.
The report advised that following engagement, the Draft Development Plan Scheme (DPS) was presented for consideration and presented a timetable and participation statement for the Local Development Plan (LDP) that was anticipated to be adopted in 2028. It advised that following public consultation and consideration by Area Committees, a revised Development Plan Scheme would be presented for approval to the Infrastructure Services Committee on 16 May 2024.
During discussion, members commented on ongoing work in relation to Local Place Plans which could help inform the Local Development Plan. The Head of Planning and Economy confirmed that the purpose of the DPS was to highlight how communities could engage in the process and there was a narrative regarding Local Place Plans within the DPS. There was also discussion of timescales and the programme for public consultation, which would take place over a six week period during February and March 2024.
Thereafter, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the draft Development Plan Scheme 2024/25; and
(2) approve consultation on the draft Development Plan Scheme 2024/25 with the general public and Area Committees. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Bridges Workbank Prioritisation Update PDF 111 KB Presented By / report author: Donald Macpherson Additional documents:
Minutes: With reference to the Minute of Meeting of the Infrastructure Services Committee on 13 May 2021 (Item 8), there was circulated a report dated 12 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure providing an update on the ongoing Bridges Workbank Prioritisation process.
The report explained that the Bridges Prioritisation Procedure provides a framework for decision making and, in line with Policy, was due to be reviewed and updated to ensure it reflects the current condition of the bridge portfolio and the cumulative impact on the resilience of the wider road network.
The Head of Roads and Infrastructure introduced the report and advised that over the past four years 48 bridges had been replaced and seven bridges had been refurbished. However, 23% of the bridge stock was showing signs of significant deterioration and over recent years 14 bridges had been closed and a further 6 had been subjected to weight restrictions and another 3 subject to width restrictions. He advised that when there are extensive closures, there is an impact on the cumulative resilience of the overall bridge network. Budget availability, coupled with a sharp rise in construction costs had impacted on the delivery of the planned work as set out in 2021. Regular inspections had highlighted concerns with the rate of deterioration of certain structures and a reworking of the prioritisation workbank had been undertaken, which provided a prioritised list of major works along with the estimated cost of each repair. He concluded by confirming that the management of the ageing bridge network was a complex matter, which required compromises and targeted interventions to ensure that the finite resources of the Council were put to the greatest benefits for the road network as a whole.
Members sought clarification on the fact that Appendix A containing the workback was a living document and subject to change, and it was noted that the report before the Committee was seeking approval of the prioritisation methodology as a framework for decision making. There was discussion of the scoring matrix used and the definitions of size/heritage tier, which related to a weighting that promotes conservation of the Council’s historic assets.
There was also discussion of the importance of the bridges and road network to the economy and health and wellbeing of residents.
After further discussion, the Committee agreed to:
(1) consider and note the Workbank; and
(2) acknowledge the condition of bridges stock. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Roads Asset Management Update PDF 111 KB Presented By / report author: John Bruce Additional documents: Minutes: With reference to the Minute of the Infrastructure Services Committee meeting of 26 January 2023 (Item11), there was circulated a report dated 12 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which updated the Committee on the condition of roads related infrastructure assets in Aberdeenshire and assessed the implications of various expenditure scenarios.
The report provided the Annual Status and Options Report 2023, as presented in accordance with Audit Scotland recommendations, which summarised the status of road assets in terms of size, value and condition and which also presented a number of investment scenarios for the major roads assets, with options presented and issues raised being in line with nationally agreed approaches to Roads Asset Management, and which were also designed to assist with the decisions that members would be required to take in the annual budget-setting process.
The Head of Roads and Infrastructure responded to questions from the Committee in relation to savings achieved as a result of the LED upgrade programme for lighting stock; continuing issues in relation to supply chain constraints; information on the Road Condition Index; managing maintenance techniques to reduce the carbon footprint; and how could 20mph limits contribute to future cost savings, in terms of lowering the risk with lower speeds.
Having considered the content of the report, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the Status and Options Report 2023 appended to the report as Appendix 1;
(2) acknowledge the estimated annual investment required to maintain roads infrastructure in its current condition;
(3) have regard to the contents of the Status and Options Report 2023 when making decisions relating to the future management of the road network; and
(4) that a link be circulated to Councillors with information on footway gritting for F1 and F2. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Presented By / report author: Kelly Bissett Additional documents: Minutes: During consideration of this item, the Committee agreed to suspend Standing Order 2.1.2 in order to allow the meeting to continue beyond 1pm.
There was circulated a report dated 20 December 2023 by the Director of Business Services, advising that a petition had been received requesting the Council to reinstate the funding for bridge repair and replacement and the maintenance of rural infrastructure such as Gorrachie Bridge. The Committee were advised that the subject matter of the petition was within the remit of the Infrastructure Services Committee and the Committee was being asked to consider the petition and determine further action in accordance with the provisions of the Council’s Standing Orders.
The Committee agreed to hear from Mrs Caroline Close, who had submitted the petition. Mrs Close advised that since heavy flooding had destroyed six bridges around Kind Edward in 2019, five of the bridges had been replaced, with the exception of Gorrachie Bridge, which would complete the vital last piece of the jigsaw in the local network. However, following the update to the Bridges Workbank Prioritisation, the Gorrachie bridge had been re-prioritised and was no longer a priority. She highlighted the strength of feeling in the community that the failure to replace the bridge would pose a threat to the rural economy of the area and she urged the Council to refocus the infrastructure funds and to restore the bridges which had been lost.
The Chair, on behalf of the Committee, thanked Mrs Close for her presentation.
During discussion, the Committee recognised that the Gorrachie bridge replacement remained on the workbank and recognised its importance, although the prioritisation of the bridge in terms of the Bridges Workbank Prioritisation had changed. The Committee also recognised that the petition was clearly asking for the rebuild of the Gorrachie bridge and the reinstatement of its prioritisation in terms of the Capital Plan, however the report considered earlier today with reference to the Bridges Workbank Prioritisation update had provided the detailed framework for decision making in terms of the Bridges Prioritisation Procedure, and all of this information had been made publicly available, and addressed the issues raised within the petition.
Thereafter, Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Crowson, moved to instruct a report from the Head of Roads and Infrastructure on the subject matter of the petition, and that the report should address the history of the issue, provide information on the scoring process, provide information on local connectivity with Kind Edward and the wider transport network, including social aspects, in order to evidence how the decision relating to the prioritisation has been arrived at.
As an amendment, Councillor Gifford, seconded by Councillor Ewenson, moved to note the terms of the petition, and that a press release be issued summarising the discussion by the Committee.
The Committee voted:
Therefore, the amendment was carried and the Committee agreed to ... view the full minutes text for item 10. Actions / services: Business Services |
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Aberdeenshire Community Transport Initiative Grant Awards PDF 141 KB Presented By / report author: Marion Mackay Additional documents:
Minutes: With reference to the Minute of the Infrastructure Services Committee meeting of 15 June 2023 (Item 14) there was circulated a report dated 10 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services seeking approval of grant funding in support of voluntary/community transport, subject to the approval of the Revenue budget for 2024/25, and approval in principle of funding for the subsequent two financial years, based on the 2024/25 grant awards, subject to the available budget, and a delegation to the Head of Environment & Sustainability to approve the awards of funds from an ACTI Subsidiary Grant Fund, should budget become available.
The report indicated that applications received for ACTI community transport funding were evaluated based on the social benefits to service users and/or the wider community, alignment with Aberdeenshire Council and partner priorities, the effectiveness of the service/project and financial resilience. Based on the evaluation scores, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, it was recommended to award grants to seven organisations.
Members welcomed the work being done to support the development of community transport initiatives and asked that officers consider whether there was scope for new operators to seek funding during the next three year period, given that approval was being sought in principle for allocations of funding for the subsequent two financial years.
After discussion, the Committee agreed to:
(1) approve the award of seven Aberdeenshire Community Transport Initiative (ACTI) grants amounting to a maximum of £397,200 in financial year 2024/25, subject to the approval of the Revenue budget for 2024/25;
(2) approve in principle funding for the subsequent two financial years, based on the 2024/25 grant awards, subject to the available budget; and
(3) delegate authority to the Head of Environment and Sustainability, following consultation with State Subsidy and Finance colleagues, to approve the award of funds from an ACTI Subsidiary Grant Fund, should budget become available, for example due to an underspend by a grant recipient. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Strategic Transport Update PDF 170 KB Presented By / report author: Helena Leite Additional documents:
Minutes: With reference to the Minute of the Infrastructure Services Committee meeting of 24 August 2023 (Item 9), there was circulated a report dated 11 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which provided the Committee with updates on projects associated with the Local, Regional and National Transport Strategy work across Aberdeenshire.
A full update was detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, with the main updates being on (1) a review of the Health and Transport Action Plan Annual Report; (2) an update on the impact of the revised tariff introduced in April 2023 for using the EV charging network in Aberdeenshire; (3) an update on Aberdeen City Council’s Local Transport Strategy; (4) a progress update on the Regional Active Travel Network Study; and (5) an overview of the Road Casualty Statistics, following the Road Safety Framework to 2030 produced by the Scottish Government in 2021.
The report explained that a Strategic Transport Update was submitted to the Infrastructure Services Committee at every second meeting in order to provide timely updates on progress and allow appropriate decisions to be made. The report therefore detailed the developments since the last update to the meeting on 24 August 2023.
During discussion, there were a number of questions about the numbers of EV charging points and the installation and running costs, and Officers advised that they could provide a briefing to address the various questions raised.
The Committee agreed to:
(1) note the progress made with projects, activities and developments taken forward by Nestrans, external agencies and stakeholders as outlined in the report;
(2) accept further updates on the progress of both the implementation and delivery of the Aberdeenshire Local Transport Strategy (LTS) as appropriate;
(3) note the consultation response to Aberdeen City Council’s Local Transport Strategy; and
(4) that information/statistics on EV charging points be provided to Members. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Waste Strategy 2019-2023 Refresh PDF 155 KB Presented By / report author: Diane Rotherham Additional documents:
Minutes: There was circulated a report dated 10 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services seeking agreement to extend the current Waste Strategy until 2025, to allow for the current strategy to be fully implemented, the impact of the tasks within the strategy to be more fully considered and allow officers to determine how successful they have been in achieving the strategy targets prior to drafting the next strategy.
The Waste Manager gave an overview of the key elements of the report and advised the Committee that delivery of the strategic objectives of the strategy had been impacted when the COVID pandemic hit in March 2020, which resulted in a reduction of waste services being delivered, with only critical services being provided. This had created a delay in progressing service changes, which in turn pushed back the full delivery and implementation of the current Waste Strategy until 2024. She highlighted the progress made for each deliverable and whether they had been achieved, were ongoing, or required amendment as part of the refresh of the strategy.
She highlighted that not all of Deliverable 4 was able to be progressed, due to changes in enforcement of statutory legislation which required the Council to keep Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating (WUDS) separate from all other wastes when collecting, storing and bulking of materials. Some HRCs would not be able to collect all material streams due to lack of space, with proposals for a hub and spoke model, with smaller HRCs collecting limited recycling and waste streams and householders being diverted to the larger HRCs for some material streams. She concluded her presentation by advising the Committee that extending the timescale of the Waste Strategy to 2025 would allow time for the Circular Economy Bill to be published and any secondary legislation, such as the Code of Practice to be developed, and would allow these to be included in the new Strategy.
Members raised the question of reuse and the need to improve the opportunities for reuse at HRCs, and it was noted that a feasibility study had been conducted to look at options and there were proposals to provide additional reuse containers to allow for the expansion of reuse facilities at a number of HRCs.
There was also discussion of the reduction in the recycling rate target, which would benefit from more explanation and a change in the wood recycling contractor which has seen a tonnage change from composting to biomass, which had an impact on the Council recycling rate. Based on a number of factors, a 55% recycling rate would not be achieved and it was proposed to amend this target to 49% by the end of 2025.
After further discussion, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the progress made on the 2019-2023 strategy objectives to date, and the reasons for the delay in fully delivering the strategy within the original timeframe;
(2) the refresh of the current strategy which includes extending the original timeframe ... view the full minutes text for item 13. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Services |
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Financial Performance as at 30 November 2023 PDF 120 KB Presented By / report author: Tina Wight Additional documents:
Minutes: There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which provided an update on the forecast financial performance pertaining to the services which fall under the remit of the Infrastructure Services Committee for the financial year 2023/24 as at 30 November 2023.
The Director gave an overview of the key elements of the report and confirmed that the Revenue Budget was forecast to be £936,000 over budget at the year end, which was a reduction of £6,000 from the last reported position. He advised that it was the aim to mitigate the over budget position as far as possible, but realistically this was unlikely to move significantly closer to break even over the remaining four months of the financial year. He highlighted ongoing risks in income levels for Building Standards, Economic Development, Quarries, Grounds Maintenance and Waste Disposal. With regard to the Capital Plan which falls under the remit of the Infrastructure Services Committee an under budget position of £5.624 million was anticipated, and the Director outlined the major variances in this regard.
After discussion, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the Revenue and Capital forecast position pertaining to this Committee for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix A;
(2) note the progress of Budget Savings associated with these budgets;
(3) note the Earmarked Reserves associated with this Committee and their use; and
(4) note the proposed revenue budget virements as detailed in Appendix B. Actions / services: Business Services |
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Environment & Infrastructure Services 2024/2025 Procurement Plan Presented By / report author: Gavin King Minutes: There was circulated a report dated 10 January 2024 by the Director of Environment and Infrastructure Services which sought approval of a Procurement Plan for 2024/25 covering Environment and Infrastructure Services related procurements with a contract value of £50,000 or more that were planned for 2024/25. The report advised that all Directors must report to their respective Committees on an annual basis, in compliance with the Council’s Scheme of Governance.
After consideration, the Committee agreed to:
(1) note the Directorate Procurement Plan as detailed in Appendix 2;
(2) approve the items on the Procurement Plan identified as falling within the remit of the Committee;
(3) not to reserve approval of the Procurement Approval Form for any item on the Procurement Plan where the value of the matter is between £50,000 and £1,000,000; and
(4) note that the Committee will receive the Procurement Approval Form for any item on the Procurement Plan which is with the Committee’s remit and the value of the matter is over £1,000,000. Actions / services: Environment & Infrastructure Service |
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Minute of Meeting of North East Scotland Agricultural Advisory Group of 20 September 2023 PDF 87 KB Minutes: The Committee agreed to note the Minute of the North East Scotland Agricultural Advisory Group of 20 September 2023. |
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Minute of Meeting of Waste Management Working Group of 27 September 2023 PDF 82 KB Minutes: The Committee agreed to note the Minute of the Waste Management Working Group of 27 September 2023. |
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Minutes: The Committee agreed to note the Minute of the North East Scotland Fisheries Development Partnership of 5 October 2023. |