Levenmouth Area Committee

There shall be Area Committees for each of the following Areas of Fife:-

• Cowdenbeath (Electoral Wards 7 and 8 inclusive)
• Dunfermline (Electoral Wards 2, 3 and 4 inclusive)
• Glenrothes (Electoral Wards 13, 14 and 15 inclusive)
• Kirkcaldy (Electoral Wards 9 - 12 inclusive)
• Levenmouth (Electoral Wards 21 and 22 inclusive)
• North East Fife (Electoral Wards 16 – 20 inclusive)
• South and West Fife (Electoral Wards 1, 5 and 6 inclusive).

Terms of Reference

The terms of reference and functions of Area Committees,having regard to the Council’s Scheme of Decentralisation, are to deal with the following matters as they relate to the Committee’s area:-

• leadership and promotion of joint working with community plan partners and other statutory and voluntary or not for profit bodies to support the well being of their communities, through the implementation of Local Community and Area Management Plans
• overseeing the delivery and effectiveness of local community planning and partnership arrangements; determining the relevant geographical basis for local community planning
• contributing to the development of, and monitoring the local delivery of the Fife Community Plan
• development of an Area Engagement Plan
• receiving an annual report of progress against the local community plan as a basis for continuing dialogue with communities, partners and services on challenges and priorities
• providing local input as required prior to Council decisions including:-
• considering the potential impact of strategic policy proposals and making recommendations to the relevant other Committee
• working with communities to establish priorities and scrutinising the effectiveness of local delivery
• taking decisions on matters within their local area insofar as these have been remitted by Council or other Committees including:-
  • the allocation of budgets and the approval of revenue and capital expenditure insofar as these have been delegated to the Committee
  • considering all matters relating to expenditure from common good funds insofar as not delegated to officers
  • to consider an annual report on the management of the common good
  • produce area asset registers and plans and work within agreed budgets
  • establish and maintain partnership arrangements to support local community planning within an area.  Furthermore, to establish, agree and implement locality plans to comply with the Community Empowerment Act 2015
  • the approval of grants to local organisations
  • assessing and awarding discretionary rates relief to businesses in the Area
  • acting as Trustees in relation to the Council’s Area Settlement Trusts and all other trusts which do not have an impact beyond one Area
  • appointment of members to local organisations
  • master plans, site briefs, development briefs and urban design frameworks
  • traffic orders where the impact of the proposal would not extend beyond a single Area
  • local housing issues specific to an Area
  • roads construction consents
  • tree related matters and tree preservation orders
  • conservation area and conservation management scheme arrangements and reports
  • good neighbour agreements
  • building standards and safety (insofar as not delegated to officers) including the reporting of dangerous buildings which have potential expenditure implications for the Council
  • rights of way, diversion orders and all other matters dealt within the relevant planning legislation not remitted to the Planning Committees.

Scrutiny and Performance Review

The Committee shall be responsible for the scrutiny and review of performance of the functions remitted to Area Committees, including those delivered by means of Fife-wide Services.

The Area Committees will have the following powers:-

• to invite individuals and/or representatives of organisations with expertise or interest in aspects of their remit to attend and/or contribute to meetings, either as regular participants or for a specific issue.  Such individuals will not have voting powers
• to require the Committee Convener with relevant responsibility and /or relevant Executive Director / Head of Service to attend meetings and respond to relevant questions and / or to submit a report or written evidence on any relevant matter
• to request other members of the Council, officials, other persons and outside organisations to attend meetings and/or give evidence and advice
• to submit comments and recommendations to the Policy and Co-ordination Committee and the Council.