TEN key areas where East Renfrewshire Council wants more powers or government cash have been identified.

Extra funding for schools, transport and leisure facilities, more councillors and a second stage of the Glasgow City Deal have been included.

Councillors are expected to approve the list, known as an ‘influencing the future’ statement, when they meet tonight.

The authority believes it should have greater powers to make decisions on its school estate, especially relating to opening and merging schools and building annexes.

A report by the council’s chief executive, Lorraine McMillan, states: “The level of consultation required creates unnecessary delays.”

Changes to the Schools Consultation Act 2010 would need to be made for the extra powers to be granted.

The council needs funds to improve school buildings which are in a “poor condition,” the report adds.

These include Cross Arthurlie Primary, in Barrhead, where work on a new nursery is already underway, and Carolside Primary, in Clarkston, as well as the original buildings at Woodfarm High and Mearns Castle High.

The list also suggests a review of education legislation regarding placing requests “to ensure support costs are transferred automatically between councils.”

Scrapping the role of the Reporter during appeals on planning applications should also be considered, the council believes.

“A single Reporter making a binding decision on the council does not represent local democracy,” the report states.

Increased investment for infrastructure such as schools, sports facilities and libraries is also included on the statement due to “significant pressure” created by the Scottish Government’s target of 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

“Developer contributions are insufficient to fund the required infrastructure,” the report claims.

More funding is also needed to ensure “the effective implementation” of 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare from August 2020 to address a £1.6million shortfall, the council says.

It added: “The population and uptake of childcare assumptions made by the Scottish Government are not reflective of the position experienced in East Renfrewshire.”

The council also wants a review of a decision to cut the number of councillors in East Renfrewshire by two in 2016.

“At present, there are 18 elected members for East Renfrewshire, split over five areas, and all political parties agree this is not sufficient,” the report states, suggesting the minimum number of councillors should be increased to 22.

Elected members should also lobby Government Ministers to ask for a second phase of the City Deal, the statement adds.

The current £1.13billion City Deal programme focuses on major infrastructure projects and transport improvements, creating thousands of new jobs across the Glasgow City region.

Calls are also being made for funding to improve the travel choices available to residents to aid the council’s response to climate change.

“Further improvements such as longer platforms at local stations to allow more carriages per train and additional cycling infrastructure would be welcomed,” Ms McMillan’s report adds.

Finally, the council would like to see a review of the ‘floors arrangement,’ which seeks to protect local authorities from “significant and unmanageable fluctuations in budgets.”

No council receives a budget cut of more than the floor, set by the Scottish Government, in any one year. Councils with budgets above the floor pay into the ‘floor mechanism.’

“Due to our growing population, our budget has been rising relative to other councils, some of whom have declining population,” the report states.

“This means that, over the last five years, we have paid into the floors mechanism at an average of £1.5m per annum, with a payment of £2.6m in 2017/18.”