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.

Councillors Connelly and Justice declared personal and prejudicial interests in agenda item 12 Motion 3: Condemnation of a Councillor’s Action.

Councillor Barnbrook declared a personal interest in agenda item 12 Motion 1: Commending a petition against knife crime.

AGREED, subject to the inclusion of Councillor Barn’s declaration of a personal non-prejudicial interest in respect of minute 27, Petition: Closure of Thameside Park City Farm, Thames View, Barking.

Councillor Liam Smith made a personal statement relating to an incident at the count for the Chadwell Heath by-election which had been widely reported in local newspapers.  He reported that he had written a letter of apology to Mrs Connelly for making inappropriate remarks in reaction to provocation that he had been subjected to throughout the day.  He reported that a police investigation into the matter had resulted in him receiving a conditional caution not a formal caution.  He advised that an investigation, through the Crown Prosecution Service, had been initiated to explore any unfounded and malicious reporting which had spread through some local newspapers.  Such reports differed significantly to the one accurate report of the incident, by the one present journalist, which contained no references to alleged homophobic remarks.

Councillor Fairbrass led a tribute to the former Councillor Stan Sivell.  He recalled that in 1962 Mr Sivell was elected as the youngest member for the former Barking Council, stating that Mr Sivell, served the local community and the local authority for many years before passing away aged 82.  Councillor Fairbrass spoke of Mr. Sivell’s fondness for bowling which eventually lead to his presidency of the Essex County IBA.  He continued by recalling one of Mr. Sivell’s many civic duties as Mayor for the borough, opening “The Linton’s“ Housing estate, he was said to be equally as pleased when the development was eventually demolished.

Councillor L. Smith moved and was seconded by Councillor R Gill that a major development scheme in the borough be named after Mr. Stan Sivell as a tribute to the former Councillor.

AGREED that a major development scheme in the borough be named after Stan Sivell, as a tribute to the former Councillor.

The Chair invited all present to stand and observe a one minute’s silence in memory of Mr. Stan Sivell.

The lead petitioner, Mrs P. Fredericks presented the terms of the petition requesting that the Council implement a crossing facility in Ripple Road outside the Westbury Centre.

Mrs Fredericks, a school crossing patroller of 30 years, recalled several incidents which made crossing at the island outside the Westbury centre unpleasant and unsafe.  She paid particular attention to vehicles making illegal U-turns in Ripple Road around the extended island.  She also reported that a number of cars emerging from Movers Lane ignored the traffic signs indicating a no right-turn, this exacerbated the danger to pedestrians.  Mrs Fredericks appealed for an increase in safety measures at the junction of Ripple Road and Movers Lane, particularly for less mobile pedestrians and families with young children.

In response to the petition, the Corporate Director of Regeneration, informed the Assembly that the regeneration directorate was aware of the situation in Ripple Road.  She reported that the safety of pedestrians was a top priority for the Council and that statistics showed that six accidents had occurred in the area in the past three years, one of those involved a pedestrian.  She advised that the island had been implemented as a traffic calming measure and not as a pedestrian crossing.  She continued to report that the width of the road and its categorisation as a blue light route meant that the Council would face difficulties should it decide to increase the size of the existing island.  The Corporate Director, also informed the Assembly that as a result of the information presented by the lead petitioner a site visit to the area had been conducted and that ongoing meetings with all interested parties would take place with a view to resolving the matter.

The Corporate Director confirmed that the Council was collecting traffic intelligence around the Ripple Road site.  She added that the intelligence was collected by both the local authority and London Buses.  She advised that more data would now be captured as a result of the information forthcoming from the lead petitioner.

The Corporate Director advised that preventative measures needed to increase in order to prevent cars making illegal U-turns and right-turns into Ripple Rd from Movers Lane.  She reported that the use of mobile CCTV cameras would increase and that they would be used alongside other preventative measures.

The Corporate Director advised that any work undertaken on the island would require full consultation with Transport of London and that the authority would need to take account of the potential impact any changes may have to traffic congestion on Ripple Road.  She further advised that the blocking off of the island would be a direct conflict to the existing street scene de-cluttering programme, which proposes to remove superfluous railings and guardrails.

The Corporate Director gave an assurance that an initial meeting with the lead petitioner and other interested parties would take place immediately and that an initial meeting with all of the emergency services would take between six to eight weeks to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

Members of the Youth Forum will attend to present the report.

The Corporate Director for Resources introduced the report as set out in the agenda.

The Young People’s Forum was represented by three of its members, they were: Danielle Waynwright, a member for three years, Sally Anne Sindrey, a member for one year and Jeremy Morrison, also a member for one year.  They spoke of their support and fondness for the youth forum, their comments are summarised as follows:

• The forum offered a voice for the young.
• The forum gave young people an opportunity to showcase their ability and willingness to make a difference for their communities.
• They enjoyed the various events that they hosted, organised and took part in.
• A particular highlight was being awarded the Diana award and being treated to a day-trip to Allthorpe.
• They benefited from making the video/DVD on knife crime and promoting it throughout the borough.
• They benefited from networking opportunities and the confidence gained by making new friends and forging relationships.
• The visit to parliament was one of the highlights for the year.
• Weekly meetings mean that opinions are aired and valued, and young people do not feel judged.
• Young people found turning ideas into action and reality exciting and fulfilling.
• All members looked forward to the annual trip to Thorpe Park.

In response to questions, Jeremy Morrison reported that an existing project was aimed at canvassing young people’s views on what facilities could be improved for young people.

Sally Ann Sindrey opposed the idea of curtailing the free oyster pass for young people.  She said that it would not be fair to punish all young people when there was no hard evidence to support the allegation that all criminal activities on London transport were being committed by young people.  The forum members also voiced their support for free leisure passes to be offered for the elderly.

Danielle Waynwight suggested that free leisure passes would be a popular scheme among young people.  Free swimming had been a success to a certain extent however, the leisure centres were struggling to cope with the demand which meant that users were allocated limited times in swimming pools and she personally felt, therefore, that the scheme had had a detrimental effect.

Jon Hayes, Relationship Manager, Audit Commission, will attend to present the Joint Audit and Inspection Letter to the Assembly.

Mr. Jon Hayes from the Audit Commission presented the “Annual Audit and Inspection Letter”.  He referred Members to the letter as set out in the agenda paying particular attention to the following areas:

• Commission pleased with accounts, they demonstrate that the Council’s financial management and financial monitoring are performing well.

• Impressed with data quality and use of resources.

• The Council should concentrate its efforts on increasing the rates of improvement for housing and children’s services

• Grateful to the Council for volunteering as a learning site to help the Audit Commission develop the Comprehensive Area Assessment model.

Following questions from Members, Mr. Hayes summarised that the emerging Comprehensive Area Assessment would focus more on the local indicators that made local authorities unique.  He also agreed with Members’ views on making Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) more accountable, however he did express the difficulty that the Commission was having in convincing central government to share this view.  He also explained that the Council’s overall assessment rating was set against a national picture and on balance the local authority was improving well.

The presentation will be given by Heather Wills, Head of Community Services Libraries and Heritage.

The Head of Community Services, Libraries and Heritage gave a presentation which provided an insight to the work that neighbourhood management was leading on in terms of engaging local communities and fostering partnership working to resolve local issues.  She paid particular attention to the following points:

• Projects and activities were based on feedback that the Council received from extensive public consultations on improving local neighbourhoods and helping to foster community spirit

• Activities included: Fundays, Community Clear Ups, Mediation and Coffee Mornings

• Local people are being encouraged to use local resources and facilities, get involved in volunteering, learn new skills to develop community capacity and develop schemes that encourage inter-generational activity

• In order for the schemes to realise long-term benefits a focus on culture, arts and sports is needed and a cultural shift is required that encourages schemes to be less Council lead and more community driven.

Most Members agreed with the principles of neighbourhood management and they gave praises to the hardworking neighbourhood managers of their wards.  Those that opposed neighbourhood management schemes felt that the Council was micro managing communities and not giving support to groups that already existed.

There was also some concern with the difficulty in engaging harder to reach groups.  The Head of Community Safety reported that they were aware of the issue and were focusing on more outreach work and wanted to develop events that appealed to all sections of the community.

Councillor Barnbrook called for tougher and more active enforcement action against pubs that were sources of anti-social behaviour. He stated that any positive outcomes from neighbourhood managers would be undone by pubs that were sources of nuisance for local residents. He spoke of the Thatched House, which he said he had complained to the Metropolitan Police and the Licensing Service about, yet had not seen evidence of action being taken.

Councillor Rush, Lead Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhood and Communities, confirmed that all complaints about licensing matters were acted upon and were thoroughly investigated.  She spoke of the good work conducted by the licensing and enforcement service referring to the numbers of licenced premises which had been subject to enforcement action.  She undertook to make enquiries concerning Councillor Barnbrook’s specific allegations about the Thatched House.

The Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services informed Members that she had appointed Winston Brown, Melanie Field and Yinka Owa, as Deputy Monitoring Officers.

APPROVED the appointment of Mrs Tina Woodhouse as the Secondary School Parent Governor Co-opted Member to the Scrutiny Management Board.

Councillor Fairbrass moved that a recorded vote be taken on each motion.  This was supported by Councillors Rush, L. Smith and Bramley.

AGREED that a recorded vote be taken for each motion.

Motion 1:  Commending a petition against Knife Crime

Moved by Councillor Mrs Rush and seconded by Councillor Fairbrass

“That this Council commends the work of the Reverend Steven Hanna in starting a petition that will make a valuable contribution to this Labour Council’s fight against knife crime and that the Council notes the efforts of Labour Councillors in getting support for this petition.”

In moving the motion Councillor Rush also explained that the petition focused on changing the due diligence law which protected some shopkeepers from being accountable for selling knives to young people.  She also commented on her surprise to read a newspaper article which spoke of the BNP training youngsters to shoot rifles and throw wooden darts called “dutch arrows.”  Referring to the newspaper article she spoke of her disappointment in a political party engaging their young in such dangerous activities given the current climate in which knife crime incidents are reported on a daily basis.

Councillor Bailey urged Members to reject the motion alleging that it will do little to help stop knife crime.  He stated that the BNP had, 2 years ago, called for metal detectors and security guards to be deployed in local schools and it was his belief that these measures would have more impact on the fight against knife crime than the motion by Councillor Rush.  He countered Councillor Rush’s allegations of the BNP training the young to use weapons by referring to the Army Cadets who also teach young people to use rifles.

Councillor Barnbrook stated that the current Labour administration should take accountability for both the negative and positive effects of their leadership.  In his opinion the increase in knife crime has happened under a Labour government and there are already petitions and campaigns by non-political parties who are taking a stand against knife crime.  One campaign in particular, “London Mothers Against Knives” had accrued more than 21,000 signatures from members of the public.

Councillor Justice declared his support for any campaign against knife crime and violence, however, he objected to the principle of the motion, stating that the Labour administration was responsible for the increase in knife crime.

Councillor Rustem said that he could not support the motion because he felt that the current government was not enabling police to do their jobs in combating knife crime.

Councillors L. Smith, L. Waker and P. Waker reported that the Reverend Hannah did not have political links with the Labour Party and that he was a long standing resident of the borough who was a former pupil of Robert Clack Secondary School.  The Members also objected to the idea of metal detectors and security guards in schools stating that adopting such provisions would mainstream the problem and a firmer stance of excluding any pupil bringing a weapon into  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

Question from Councillor Rustem

“Does the Leader think that it is appropriate and good for the image of Barking and Dagenham to have a group like the UAF (Unite Against Fascism) in this borough whenever there is an election to this Council, which acts as stooge for the Labour Party, that distributes there fascist anti-democratic material, that violently attacked the police and who additionally wanted to physically attack families with children at a peaceful family festival, namely the British National Party’s Red, White and Blue family festival in Codner, Derbyshire? Furthermore, will he request the police to make sure that third parties such as UAF do not interfere in the electoral process, bearing in mind their violent contempt for families and the police with bricks and whatever weapons they can find?”

Response from Councillor Fairbrass

“When the Reverend Roger Gayler exercised his democratic rights during the by election in Chadwell Heath Ward, your Leader went to the home of Roger Gayler to complain, and again you want to deny more citizens their democratic rights.

I know very little about the UAF, I have never taken any interest in them but they are entitled to their point of view and to publish it.

As for what you allege happened in Derbyshire that is a matter for that counties police force and I will not be approaching the Metropolitan Police on behalf of the BNP. Do your own complaining.

Democracy might be inconvenient for some people but it is our best defence against extremist political parties such as yours”

Question from Councillor Barnbrook

“Considering the Labour Party’s alleged commitment to combat homophobia, discrimination and bullying can you tell this Council what disciplinary measures are to be utilised against Deputy Leader Liam Smith by the Labour Party itself following on from his alleged appalling homophobic outburst against the mother of a fellow Councillor on Council property.”

Response from Councillor Fairbrass

“The Deputy Leader made a full and appropriate personal statement at the beginning of this meeting. There is nothing to add and the answer is no.”

Question from Councillor Agrawal

“Could the Executive Member for Resources give the Assembly an update on the progress made by the Tenancy Audit Team since February?”

Response from Councillor Bramley

“The Tenancy Audit Team currently consists of two full time posts, dealing with reactive cases based upon referrals from estate officers and from the public via the Tenancy Audit fraud hotline, and two staff from the London Borough of Lewisham, who work for LBBD two days each week on pro-active tenancy visits based on information about areas and types of property most likely to be subject to illegal letting.

To date, 201 reactive cases have been referred to the Tenancy Audit Team, and 83 have been completed, four have been referred to Legal, and 114 cases are still under investigation.

Out of the 83 completed cases 30 properties have been recovered, mainly following illegal sub-letting, five fraudulent housing applications have been prevented, one was referred to Council Tax for recovery of overpayment, no further action was necessary in 47 cases.

Pro-active visits to 137 properties has resulted in 102 cases were no action was required, and 35 cases where further investigation was necessary. Of these, thirty are still under investigation, 2 properties have been recovered, and no further action was needed for the other three properties.

It is proposed to increase the capacity of the team through the creation of additional substantive posts. With greater capacity, and support from the Anti-Fraud and Internal Audit Teams, proactive reviews of the systems of applications, maintenance of the waiting list and lettings processes are planned, directed on intelligence gathered from the Tenancy Audit Team’s work to date, to prevent illegal tenancies occurring in the first place.”

Question from Councillor Rustem

“On May 5th 2006, in response to a comment that was made by Labour MP Margaret Hodge who said that “8 out of 10 voters in her constituency were contemplating voting for the BNP”, Councillor Rush responded to this estimation by her Labour MP by saying, ”I will now be asking ruling party members whether we should be looking at some form of disciplinary action against Mrs Hodge. We cannot have our local MP stepping out of line. The MP is there to represent us and a lot of people are very unhappy at what she has said”. So with these thoughts of hers in mind, will she be approaching the ruling Labour party members to institute some form of “disciplinary action” for Councillor Liam Smith for his comments that were directed at Councillor Neil Connelly’s mother which, according to witnesses contained an expletive and a derogatory and homophobic remark about her being a lesbian?”

Response from Councillor Mrs Rush

“No”

Question from Councillor Barnbrook

“It has been brought to my attention that a butcher is being prosecuted by Barking and Dagenham Council, which says he must soundproof his shop in Longbridge Road, Barking.

I understand the Council have received complaints from tenants living in flats upstairs about the noise of early morning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.