This meeting was scheduled to include an update on the progress of delivering the Council Delivery Plan, and to hear discussions about the admission of Burgesses. The Council was also scheduled to receive and make decisions on several significant reports, including on the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2025/26 and the adoption of the North East Scotland Investment Zone.

Council Delivery Plan

The Council was scheduled to receive the annual review report for the Council Delivery Plan which highlights progress against the Council’s objectives for the 2023/24 financial year. The report provided a retrospective overview of the work that had been done across all the service areas within the Council, linking these to delivery priorities and the objectives within the plan.

Admission of Burgesses

Burgesses of Guild are the people who have been formally recognised by the council as deserving of the Freedom of the City. The tradition dates back to medieval times.

The Council was scheduled to hear the admission of Burgesses.

Housing Revenue Account Budget

The Council was scheduled to receive and make decisions on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget for 2025/26. The HRA is a ring-fenced account which contains all of the income and expenditure related to the Council's provision of social housing.

The report highlighted the financial challenges faced by the HRA including the impact of recent pay awards, the increased employer contribution to National Insurance¹, the recent two-year rent freeze for tenants and the ongoing high level of spend on void properties. To address these challenges the report recommended that rent be increased by 12%.

The report also recommended approving the HRA’s capital budget for 2025/26, which included a list of potential projects to be delivered during that financial year.

A report on the progress of delivering the statutory Scottish Housing Quality Standard across the city’s housing stock was scheduled to be included in the report. The report also included an update on the progress of delivering the Council’s new build programme, and how the Council was managing the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)² within some of the housing stock in the Balnagask area of Aberdeen.

North East Scotland Investment Zone

The Council was scheduled to receive an update on the North East Scotland Investment Zone (NESIZ) and approve the proposed governance structure.

The UK and Scottish Governments have selected the North East of Scotland as a potential site for a new Investment Zone to drive economic growth and support diversification of the region’s economy. Investment Zones are geographic areas where businesses can benefit from tax reliefs and other incentives to encourage investment, innovation and job creation.

The NESIZ will focus on the Green Energy and Digital Technology sectors, leveraging the region's expertise in energy and digital technologies to create a world-leading hub for innovation, investment and sustainable economic growth.

The report provided information on the two proposed tax sites to be included within the Investment Zone, one located at the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen and the other in Peterhead. It is proposed that the Aberdeen Tax Site will be located on a mix of undeveloped, underdeveloped and underutilised land at the Energy Transition Zone with the landowners being Aberdeen City Council, Shell, the Port of Aberdeen and Forbes Homes Ltd. The Peterhead Tax Site will be located on an undeveloped site near to Peterhead Harbour on land owned by Scottish Enterprise and Score Group plc.

The proposed governance structure for the NESIZ includes the establishment of a Joint Committee to oversee strategic decision-making and ensure effective collaboration between the partners. The Joint Committee members will comprise Councillors from Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council, as well as representatives from Opportunity North East, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.

The report also recommended the creation of a Programme Board to provide day to day management of the Investment Zone. The Programme Board members would be Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Opportunity North East, the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, Scottish Enterprise and Energy Transition Zone Ltd.