Agenda and minutes

Agreed, subject to the inclusion of Councillor Wade’s apology for absence.

Received a report regarding Leisure Activity and Cemetery Charges for 2003/04.

Agreed, in order to set the Leisure Activity Charges for the forthcoming year in accordance with the principles of the Charging Policy Commission and pending the recommendations of the Leisure Facilities Scrutiny Panel and to assist with the Community Priority of “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care”:

1. The proposed Leisure Activity and Park Sports Charges as set out in Appendices A and B to the report, at an overall average increase of 6%, which will result in an anticipated £1,316,820 income and £2,728,235 (67.4%) subsidy. This is subject to a further report reviewing these charges being presented to the Executive in six months;

2. The extension of the Leisure Pass to include Registered Adult Carers for the Disabled or the Infirm and those receiving Incapacity Benefit;

3. That the period of validity of the Leisure Pass should be one year for all categories of entitlement and accordingly that the cost of the Leisure Pass should be increased to £3.00 per annum.

4. That the activities available to Leisure Pass holders should be standardised across all the sites to include Swimming, Fitness Rooms, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis and GP Referral Sessions;

5. That a report on the Cemetery Charges should be presented in August / September 2003 in order that stakeholders can be consulted on the proposed programme of Charges;

Noted a report detailing the Council’s new Exit Procedure that will become operational from 1 April 2003, the reasons for its implementation and how the information that it provides will be monitored and used.

Received a report identifying the costs of running the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Service.

Agreed, in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Charging Policy Commission, to increase the charges for 2003/04 for performing a civil marriage ceremony at Approved Premises as set out in paragraph 1.5 of the report and that a further report reviewing these charges be presented to the Executive in 6 months.

Received a report proposing changes to the Planning enquiry charges for 2003/04.

Agreed, in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Charging Policy Commission, to increase charges for Planning Post Search and Consultancy enquiries for 2003/04 as set out in the report.

Agreed, in order to maximise the effectiveness of Council consultation, to adopt the Consultation Strategy and Toolkit, which sets out the basic principles for consultation and provides practical guidance for practitioners.

British Telecom has written to the Council advising of plans to remove 24 public pay phones in the Borough, and that the Council has until 14 March 2003 to confirm that any interested parties have been advised and to pass on any comments for consideration.

Agreed, in order that local views can be taken into account:

1. That the responses to the public consultation form a collective response from the Council; and

2. To request usage figures from British Telecom for the phones they plan to remove, to be circulated to members.

Received a report presenting the findings of feasibility studies into the suitability of a number of sites for burial purposes.

Agreed, in order to facilitate the provision of burial facilities in the Borough to meet demand for the next 50 years, to:

1. Support the extension of the Field site and:

a)  Approve the appropriation of the field north of Chadwell Heath Cemetery site for burial purposes pursuant to Section 214 of the Local Government Act 1972, subject to the necessary Town Planning consents being given;

b)  Authorise the Director of Leisure and Environmental Services to take any actions necessary to permit the re-siting of the Kingston Hill Avenue Recreation Ground to an area nearer to Gibbfield Close, including giving notice of intention to appropriate the Recreation Ground for burial purposes pursuant to Section 214 of the Local Government Act 1972;

2. Defer the decision on the future of the Bridport Avenue site; and

3. To authorise the Director of Leisure and Environment Services to undertake the necessary actions up to tender stage.

The Executive congratulated the relevant officers on their excellent work.

Withdrawn.

Received a report advising of the evaluations made by the Government Office for London (GoL) of the Council’s:

• Housing Strategy
• Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan
• Asset Management Plan (AMP)
• Capital Strategy

Agreed, in order to raise GoL’s assessment of the Council and to contribute to raising the Council’s future Comprehensive Performance Assessment, to:

1. Support a further submission to GoL to seek fit for purpose assessments for the Council’s Housing Strategy and HRA Business Plan;

2. Support the actions being undertaken to raise the Capital Strategy and Asset Management Plan assessments for 2003; and

3. That these matters be discussed further at the Corporate Monitoring Group.

Received the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) Implementation Plan 2003/04.

Agreed to recommend the Assembly, to:

1. Approve the EYDCP Implementation Plan; and

2. Note that the integration of early years education and childcare and the development of neighbourhood nurseries may impact on the organisation of schools.  The uptake of part-time nursery education places in schools may be affected.

The Executive congratulated the officers responsible on their excellent work.

Received a report outlining the next key stage in the Mayor for London’s draft London Plan, in which the Council has an opportunity to make representations to the Examination in Public (EiP) Panel.

Agreed, in order to make sure that the Council’s interests are fully considered by the EiP Panel, and to respond quickly to requests for information by the Panel, to delegate authority for the Council’s participation in the EiP to the Director of Leisure and Environmental Services.

Received a report introducing the new policy regarding Equalities and Diversity in Employment; the policy takes account of the Council’s approach to equalities and diversity, sets the Council’s aims for equalities and diversity in employment and sets standards in relation to our employment practice.

Agreed to replace the Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, which was last reviewed in 1997, with the Equalities and Diversity in Employment Policy.

Received a procurement policy statement setting out the principles by which the Council will conduct procurement and related exercises.

Agreed, to adopt the statement in order to establish a foundation for good practice across the Council.

Received a report outlining the required changes to the Social Services non-residential charging policy, as required by the Department of Health “Fairer Charging” statutory guidance policy document.

Agreed, in order to implement the required changes to the current charging policy:

1. The banding for charges for Home Care as set out in paragraph 4.1 and the basis for assessing whether users have the ability to pay full costs as set out in paragraph 5.4;

2. Option 2 of the four models of Home Care subsidy and charges identified in paragraph 6.6;

3. The Supporting People Charging Option 1 as outlined in paragraphs 8.8 and 8.10.

4. An increase in charges for Welfare Meals of 6.5% (from £1.75 to £1.86) as set out in paragraph 11.4.2;

5. The Residential & Day Care charges for other Local Authorities (and full payers) as set out in paragraphs 12.6, 12.7 and 12.8, with a benchmark price of £490 for nursing homes; and

6. That comparative data from other Councils be submitted to the Executive for information in due course.

Received a report providing an explanation of the procurement routes recommended for a number of building projects within the Education, Arts and Libraries capital programme.

Agreed in order to ensure that the procurement of capital projects is in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, to proceed with the procurement of projects as described in the report.

Agreed to exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting, as the business was confidential.

Further to Minute 225 (November 2002), the Executive was advised that the GLMCA has confirmed its proposal to close the Barking Magistrates Court, despite the Council’s objections.

The Council is now appealing this decision and the Executive endorsed this course of action.

* Item considered as a matter of urgency with the consent of the Chair under Section 100 (4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972