Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

Agreed, subject to the inclusion of Councillor R Gill’s apologies.

On behalf of the Assembly the Chief Executive congratulated Councillor Fairbrass on being awarded the MBE.  The Chief Executive highlighted that Councillor Fairbrass had lived in the Borough all his life and that the honour was in recognition of his service to the local community as a Member of the Council for the past 37 years.

Received a report on the actions taken in response to a consultation on the possible introduction of one way roads and a 20mph zone in the Geneva Gardens area to reduce unnecessary through traffic, and the receipt of a petition.

The consultation and petition showed a majority of residents supported the 20mph zone with traffic speed reduction measures, but rejected the one way restrictions.  Pinch points/width restrictions were also supported by residents but were rejected following representations from the Emergency Services.

Noted that a 20mph zone has been implemented, together with speed tables at Morley Road junctions with Geneva Gardens and Pemberton Gardens and other safety improvements.

The lead petitioner presented the terms of a petition for action to be taken because of the high level of dog fouling problems in the Becontree, Parsloes and Valence Wards and, in particular, close to Valence Primary School. 

Petitioners sought the following action to be taken by the Council:

·  Installation of dog bins;

·  Large anti-dog fouling warning signs placed where they could be easily read;

·  Street cleansing staff to be provided with equipment to remove dog faeces;

·  Arrange for Street Wardens to patrol and monitor affected locations;  and

·  The sale of poop-scoop bags in libraries and shops.

Darren Henaghan, Head of Environmental and Enforcement Services, reported that in addition to the proposals put forward by the petitioners, the Council would improve response time to requests for the cleansing of dog fouling from streets and Street Wardens would visit local schools and other venues to provide advisory presentations to promote responsible dog ownership.  The area will also continue to be monitored.

Councillor McKenzie, Lead Member for Street Scene and Sustainability, stated that dog fouling was a serious problem all over the country, mainly due to irresponsible dog owners.  Measures to address the problem were being taken across the Borough for the benefit of all residents and it was noted that arising from recent street warden patrols, two individuals had been stopped for not immediately clearing up their dog faeces.  One cleared up the faeces at the time but the other refused and was subsequently fined £75. 

Mr. Henaghan confirmed that the Street Cleansing Department had a range of specialist equipment available designed to remove faeces and it was suggested that local schools should be contacted to participate in a poster competition, which had previously proved successful in getting other important messages across to the public.

The lead petitioners set out the terms of the petition to change parking restrictions and direction of priority traffic into a one-way operation, together with reduced vehicular speed and general highway improvements including regulated parking in the Great Cullings area.

It was considered by residents that the proposed changes would be safer for all, but especially children and the elderly.  The area is not a cut through and, although there were previously high incidents of dumped cars being set alight on the open green fields between Great Cullings and Gorseway, since the establishment of the new estate, Parish Field, this had declined and emergency vehicles do not now have to access the estate on a regular basis.

Jeremy Grint, Head of Spatial Regeneration, reported that the emergency services had been contacted, but a response was still awaited.  Mr. Grint emphasised the need for clarity from the Emergency Services before consideration of proposals.  Councillor McCarthy asked that comment also be sought from the Environmental and Enforcement Services in respect of waste collection vehicle access.

The lead petitioners emphasised that the garage area had recently been made secure and all residents had been supplied with keys.  For this reason there was no need for open access to the open play area at the rear.  They also added that residents would like the pavements replaced with red tarmac and marked parking bays, as the paving slabs were very badly broken and dangerous.

Councillor McKenzie, Lead Member for Street Scene and Sustainability, stated that a meeting with residents, ward councillors and the Emergency Services would be set up to consider the terms of the petition as soon as possible.

The lead petitioners set out the terms of the petition requesting that the Council save the City Farm on the periphery of Thames View estate which has been closed for 18 months. 

Lead Petitioner, Miss Jarrett, outlined plans for the day-to-day management and running of the farm by volunteers and stated that one of the key projects would be to establish after-school clubs for 8 to 16 year olds.  Miss Jarrett confirmed that a detailed business case had been prepared and would to be circulated to Councillors after the meeting.

Philip Baldwin, Group Manager, Community Development, reported that the Farm had been a success for many years, but from 2000 it run into financial difficulties, even though it had been supported by the Council with grants, the last one being £35,000 in 2006.   

It was confirmed that the farm could not be re-designated and a brand new ecology centre was being planned that would offer a wider range of activity than those offered by the re-opening of the farm.

Mr. Baldwin stated a number of City Farms had been re-branded as ecology centres and the Council would work with the petitioners and local residents to establish what the new centre would offer.

Councillor McCarthy, Lead Member for Regeneration, reported the success of another project in the Borough where Barking Riverside Limited was consulting with local residents and ward councillors to develop a community space on a parcel of their land.  Councillor Mrs. Rush, Lead Member for Communities, welcomed Councillor McCarthy’s input and encouraged ward councillors to be involved in the Council’s Regeneration consultation.

Jon Hayes, Relationship Manager, Audit Commission, has been invited to present his report to the Assembly.

This item was deferred to the next meeting.

Matthew Cole, Joint Director of Health Improvement, will give the presentation.

Received a presentation from Matthew Cole, Joint Director of Health Improvement on health inequalities across the Borough. 

Mr Cole advised that the Council and the Barking and Dagenham NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) are working closely together to improve the overall health and well being of residents in the Borough and target areas have also been identified according to overall health and well-being as measured by levels of deprivation and condition specific, for example, cancer mortality levels.  He referred in particular to the Well London project, a lottery funded three-year programme to improve physical and mental well-being, and the Healthy Communities Collaborative, an initial two-year project in conjunction with the Health Improvement Foundation.

Arising from the presentation, Members raised a number of issues relating to the health problems in the Borough and the possible contributory factors.  Matthew Cole reported on the steps that have been and are being taken to improve the health of the local community and undertook to provide additional details to Members where relevant.  Mr Cole also referred to the role of the Local Strategic Partnership in delivering the improvement programme and it was also noted that the Council and the PCT had successfully lobbied for an additional £20m funding which will have a significant impact on healthcare provision in the Borough.

Glynis Rogers, Head of Community Safety and Preventive Services, reported on the ‘Gascoigne Project’ which was successful in the Safer London Problem Solving Awards 2008 for the crime reduction work carried out in partnership with the Metropolitan Police in the Gascoigne ward.

Councillor Rush, Lead Member for Communities, commended the work of all those involved which helped to secure the award.  The initiative saw a 70% reduction in burglaries in the ward and it was noted that the work on the Gascoigne estate was just one example of the crime reduction initiatives being implemented by the Council and Police across the whole Borough.  Youth crime, and in particular knife crime, is a key focus this year and a number of initiatives are planned which will include considerable investment in the Borough parks, and particularly Barking Park, to provide children and young people with activities to focus on. 

On the specific issue of knife crime, Councillor Rush pointed out that the Council is very concerned by the levels being experienced across London and felt that while the Council and Police take their roles and responsibilities very seriously the laws restricting access of knives to young persons below the age of 18 were undermined by the ‘due diligence’ legal loophole, which can allow retailers to avoid prosecution.  In response to this Councillor Rush moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Councillor Fairbrass:

“This Council calls on the Government to change the law to close the defence loophole of ‘due diligence’ ensuring that retailers take every possible step to prevent sales of knives to young persons”.

The resolution was agreed.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources on proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution.  The detailed schedule of amendments had been circulated separately to Members and some Members expressed their concern at the limited time available to study the changes having received the schedule of amendments only 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Agreed the amendments to the Council’s Constitution as detailed in the schedule, to be effective from 28 July 2008.

Question from Councillor Bailey

“A report by the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has pointed out that Community Cohesion in Barking and Dagenham is in meltdown. Cohesion is measured by how many people believe those from different backgrounds get along.

The report paints a black picture. It blames Labour’s policy of mass uncontrolled immigration for ruining community relations and creating ‘significant public anxiety’. In Barking and Dagenham we know our infrastructure is at breaking point with schools forced to take on migrant children, displacing some local pupils from their local schools, ever increasing class sizes, and teachers forced to spend more time with children who do not speak English. We have escalating accommodation costs, virtually no council housing, overcrowding, and increasing homelessness The Councillors may not have missed the people living in the bushes at the back of the Queen Victoria pub not a stone’s throw from here.

The Labour Party looks everywhere for blame. First of all it blames flawed data and then it calls those who raise the issues associated mass uncontrolled immigration racists or xenophobes. Well the report by the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee says you cannot do this anymore. You cannot brow beat people into silence. There is public anxiety about the situation. The Local Government Association has asked for an emergency grant of £250 million to deal with the problems associated with uncontrolled mass immigration.

In Barking and Dagenham Labour’s immigration policy has resulted in an increase in the African population since 2001 of 73%. Most coming from Nigeria. The Bangladeshi Muslim population in the borough has increased by 171%. Who knows how many people are here from the EU states. Nobody knows. Conservative estimates point out that the white population of Barking and Dagenham has at the same-time dropped to less than 70% of the total population. Immigrants will make up the majority of the population growth in Barking and Dagenham which is expected to rise to 225,000 by 2024. This is totally unsustainable and insane.

I would like to ask the Leader have we asked central government for extra funds to cope with our own immigrant population crisis, and how much did we ask for, and I also want to hear from the leader what he will be doing to relieve the crisis that is affecting our schools, hospitals, housing, roads, and quality of life and what he and his party will be doing to help calm peoples anxieties?”

Response from Councillor Fairbrass:

“Cllr Bailey is very selective in his reading of the report.  I draw his attention to page 18, paragraph 35 and which states “…Migrants do not qualify for social housing until they have been in the UK for one year….” and I welcome its interim report findings that there is no evidence to show migrants receive unfair priority access to housing.”

I also refer to page 22, paragraph 43. This refers specifically to this Borough “...The concentration of effort and attention on fairness is a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

Question from Councillor Reason

“In view of the need to comply with the Council’s anti crime policies and show respect, would the Leader of the Minority Group confirm whether it is the policy of the opposition to agree with the statement made by Nick Eriksen, the BNP’s London organiser and the second-highest candidate on its list for the Assembly during the London Assembly Elections, who said:  “I’ve never understood why so many men have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the feminazi myth machine into believing that rape is such a serious crime.”

  Response from Councillor Bailey

“Thank you Val, I guess you have been trawling the internet as your cyber stalking alter ego Tory Troll.  Nick Erickson was in the Tory Party when he started that blog and made those comments all those years back.  A bed fellow it would seem as that used to be your party of choice.  Nick Erickson was replaced as number two during the election and he is not a member of the party now.  Your innuendo and half truth is very much in line with your Party’s policy of distraction and deception and pulling the wool over people’s eyes.  Iraq, Afghanistan, crime, immigration - need I say any more.”

Question from Councillor Barns

“What proposed affordable housing developments in the borough have the BNP councillors indicated their support or opposition for?”

  Response from Councillor Bailey

“Thank you Councillor Barns.  The British National Party is diametrically opposed to the Labour Party’s and Conservative Party’s present housing policies.  The BNP’s policy is to stop the selling off of council housing stock.  Under a BNP council no more council housing would be sold off.  Ex-council housing which comes onto the market could be bought back at a ‘fair’ price and rented back to local people who can prove that at least one grandparent was born in the borough.  A BNP council would put local people first not immigrants.  We oppose the building of houses for more immigrants in whatever disguise.  The indigenous British birth rate is falling so fast we will be a minority in many London boroughs in the years to come.  Building houses for more immigrants and not putting local people first, as Margaret Hodge MP suggested, is causing resentment and harming community cohesion.   Labour’s current housing policy would have the founding fathers of the Labour Party turning in their graves.”

Councillor Barns stated that his question had not been answered.

Question from Councillor Agrawal

“What efficiency savings does the opposition think it can deliver on top of that already being considered by the Council? For example, Councillor Barnbrook could drop one of his four jobs to demonstrate the first efficiency saving”.

Response from Councillor Bailey

“Thank you Councillor Agrawal.  This Council is bloated, top heavy and money is spent willy nilly.  A BNP council would ensure that there are no cuts to essential services but slash spending.  A BNP Council will not put up Council Tax year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.