Agenda and minutes

Agreed, subject to the inclusion of Councillor Mrs Baillie on the list of councillors present.

Received a report regarding a petition for changes to the experimental traffic management system in the Cavendish Gardens area, Barking.

Agreed, in order to address the concerns raised by petitioners whilst maintaining a traffic management scheme to reduce the impact of traffic flow on the Leftley Estate, to:

1.  modify the current experimental scheme by changing the following one-way roads to two-way traffic:

·  Woodbridge Road between Oulton Crescent and Brockdish Avenue

·  Stratton Drive between Oulton Crescent and Brockdish Avenue

2.  the preparation of Traffic Management Orders to make the following roads one-way:

·  Cavendish Gardens between Beccles Drive and Stratton Drive towards Stratton Drive

·  Service Road behind Longbridge Road shops adjacent to residential flats towards Stratton Drive; and

3.  the measures on site being modified in accordance with the decisions above.

Presentation by the Corporate Director of Customer Services

A copy of the Waste Management Strategy and the Waste Management Communication Strategy has been circulated to all Councillors and is available on the internet and at public libraries.

David Woods, Corporate Director of Customer Services, gave a presentation on the Waste Management Communication Strategy which builds on the work already done, ensuring a more co-ordinated and long-term approach to communication, consultation and staff and community empowerment.

Appointments to Political Structure Meetings

·  Audit Committee – Councillors S Carroll (Chair), G Bramley, J Denyer, C Fairbrass and Mrs P Twomey

·  Development Control Board (Panel B) – Councillor Mrs L Reason

·  Personnel Board – Councillor Mrs L Reason

·  Scrutiny Management Board – Councillor Mrs M West

Appointments to Outside Bodies

·  Association of London Government:

o  Culture and Tourism Forum – Councillor W Northover as the deputy representative

o  Health and Social Care Forum – Councillor Mrs L Reason as the deputy representative

o  Housing Forum – Councillor J McDermott as the deputy representative

o  Local Government Employers Forum – Councillor Mrs Twomey

·  East London Waste Authority – Councillor Mrs Twomey

·  East London Waste Authority Integrated Waste Management Service Contract Liaison Committee – Councillor Mrs Twomey

·  Employee Joint Consultative Committee – remove Councillor Mrs D Hunt

·  Employee Joint Safety Committee – replace Councillor N Gill with Councillor H Collins

·  Pension Fund Panel – Councillors G Bramley, Ms E Carpenter, S Carroll and S Gill

·  Thames Accord Partnership Board – Councillor Denyer

Agreed, the recommendations in the report and the necessary changes to the Council Constitution.

Councillor Rustem asked why the Community Forums had been suspended?

Councillor Fairbrass stated that Community Forums have been suspended until a report has been considered by the Executive.  This is a similar situation as the Citizen’s Panel which was suspended in order to carry out a review of its effectiveness; we are always reviewing Council processes. 

People should not wait for their Community Forum to raise a complaint, they should get in touch with their councillor; most councillors have published their telephone number and given their address.

Councillor Mrs Knight asked how much money is set aside for projects specifically related to citizenship.

Councillor Fairbrass replied none!  Citizenship Ceremonies have been self funding since day one and in fact we expect to make about £50,000 profit this year.  All expenses are met by the applicants.

Councillor Bailey asked why is the Home Office expecting 600 people to take up citizenship per year in Barking and Dagenham yet last year alone 1,611 certificates were presented to adults?  Why are children not included in these figures?

Councillor Fairbrass responded that the original figure had come from the Home Office in 2004.  Applying for citizenship was not new, only the citizenship ceremony was and the Council was carrying out the law.  Families are welcomed to attend so that their children are involved, although the ceremony would mean nothing to many children aged four or five.

Councillor Fairbrass suggested that such questions should be addressed to the Home Secretary or to Councillor Bailey’s local MP, who, so he has been told, has been quite helpful to Councillor Bailey in the recent past.

Councillor Barnbrook asked why have council properties boarded up not appeared on the bidding system, yet are being used to house people?

Councillor L Smith replied that he welcomed questions from Councillor Barnbrook in respect of housing policy and was pleased that he acknowledged that people were being housed.  Councillor Smith went on to explain that special schemes are in place where people need help in securing a property.  Management transfers take place which, for example, are backed up by the Police.  The aim is to re-house people in like for like accommodation.  With the ongoing regeneration of the Borough, the Council is pulling down old tower blocks built in the 1950s and so decanting needs to take place smoothly in order to reduce stress.  Properties that are adapted with, for example, stair lifts are kept back for other people who may need such facilities. 

Councillor Smith stated that the Labour Group does not waste tax payers’ money and that he felt it was appropriate to hold back up to 1% of vacant homes to meet these needs.

Councillor Buckley withdrew his question regarding refuse bags and wheelie bins as this had been answered during the presentation of the Waste Management Communication Strategy.

Councillor R Doncaster asked when was the last time a flyer was sent to the Borough residents regarding recycling of domestic refuse collection.

Councillor McKenzie replied that the question  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

A draft copy of ‘Futures 2006/2007 – Barking and Dagenham Corporate Plan’ has been circulated to all Councillors. A final copy of the Plan will be made available on the Internet in due course.

Received a report presenting for approval the narrative of ‘Futures 2006/2007 – Barking and Dagenham’s Corporate Plan’ which is a statutory document setting out how the Council has performed and its priorities for the future.

Agreed, in order to meet the statutory publication deadline, to:

1.  approve the Plan for publication; and

2.  allow other small changes or amendments that are required in order to ensure the plan complies with statutory requirements.

http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/9-council/corporate-plan/corp-plan-06-07/corp-plan-06-07-menu.html