Issue - meetings

Received and noted this report introduced by the Cabinet Member for Environment.

Agreed:

 (i)  That the Council and the London Borough of Waltham Forest form a single Civil Contingencies Unit to meet the needs of their joint populations and the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004;

(ii)  That the Council enter into a formal agreement with the London Borough of Waltham Forest in a form to be agreed by the Legal Partner, under which the Council accepts a delegation of function from the London Borough of Waltham Forest in respect of their duties and obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, in return for funding and other contributions to be made by the London Borough of Waltham Forest; and

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Cabinet to agree the extension of the joint service arrangement to include other Local Authorities in the event that it is considered to be in the Council’s interests to do so.

The Cabinet Member for Environment presented a report on the success of a pilot project for the provision of a joint Civil Contingencies Service with the London Borough of Waltham Forest (LBWF) and the proposal to formalise the arrangement.

The pilot project commenced on 1 April 2009 with staff from LBWF being seconded to Barking and Dagenham’s team to deliver a single service to the two Councils.  The Cabinet Member outlined the main advantages that the joint working has brought about and suggested that opportunities to extend the joint service model should be explored with other boroughs, particularly those in North East London.

Agreed, in order to enable the Council to continue to meet the statutory requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 in a more resilient and cost effective way, to recommend the Assembly:-

 (i)  That the Council and the London Borough of Waltham Forest form a single Civil Contingencies Unit to meet the needs of their joint populations and the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act;

(ii)  That the Council enter into a formal agreement with the London Borough of Waltham Forest in a form to be agreed by the Legal Partner, under which the Council accepts a delegation of function from the London Borough of Waltham Forest in respect of their duties and obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, in return for funding and other contributions to be made by the London Borough of Waltham Forest; and

(iii)  That the Cabinet be authorised to agree the extension of the joint service arrangement to include other Local Authorities in the event that it is considered to be in the Council’s interests to do so.