Agenda and minutes

Agreed

Noted a report outlining the benefits to the Council of joining the ‘Embedding Workplace Basic Skills in London Local Authorities Project’. 

Agreed to support the implementation across all Council departments of this project which provides external funds and expertise to support the Council’s stated commitments to develop the skills of its workforce.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has recently announced that it intends to fund the redevelopment and rebuilding programme for secondary schools through its new initiative – Building Schools for the Future.

Agreed to support this initiative in order to ensure that secondary schools in the Borough have facilities of 21^st century standards.

Received a report providing information on the draft River Roding Quayside Development Infrastructure Design Guide.  When finalised, the Guide will give prospective developers parameters to work to when designing a riverside walk as part of their scheme.  It is intended that the Guide will become Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).

Agreed, in order to ensure continuity of design in the construction of a continuous riverside walk along the River Roding, to commence public consultation on the Guide.

Received a report outlining a policy framework to ensure the redevelopment of Barking Town Centre meets high standards of environmental sustainability.

Agreed, in order to develop the environmental sustainability of Barking Town Centre to help meet national, regional and borough policy objectives and to enhance the appeal of Barking as a place to live, work and visit, to:

1.  Adopt the framework as the basis of further work to develop a fully costed action plan for an environmentally sustainable development of Barking Town Centre.

2.  Commit to the targets set out in the London Mayor’s Spatial Development Strategy and associated strategies for energy, waste, air quality, noise and biodiversity and to embed these, or more challenging targets appropriate to the borough’s circumstances, in policy relating to the town centre.

In November 2001, the Council published its regeneration strategy, ‘An Urban Renaissance in East London’.  The strategy set out a number of key actions, based on the Community Priorities, to regenerate the Borough. 

Agreed the second Annual Report of the strategy setting out the steps taken to achieve the targets in the strategy, during the year from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003.

Agreed representation by the Lead Member for Regeneration and the Head of Regeneration at the Local Government Association’s Annual Economic Regeneration Conference in Manchester, 17 – 19 November 2003, in order to promote the Borough’s achievements and bring back examples of best practice.

Following a number of consultancy studies into the provision of Leisure Services in the Borough, received a report providing information with regards to the provision of leisure centres now and into the future and also outlining aims and policies for officers to work with to achieve this.

Agreed  the principles of providing good quality, efficiently run Leisure Services which meet the needs of local residents and visitors to the Borough and the aims, policies and level of provision recommended in the report.

A further report, ‘A Vision for Leisure’, is due to be submitted to the Executive in December 2003.

Received a report setting out the proposed changes to the framework by which Customer First is implemented in the long term and proposals to improve communication to all members.

Agreed, in order to incorporate senior officer programme management, improved Member consultation and strategic development with the Executive and TMT, that:

1.  The Programme Management of the Customer First Business Case, when in place, be carried out by TMT in consultation with the Lead Member for Customer First and supported by the Head of Customer First.

2.  Key decisions on Customer First continue to be made by the Executive.

3.  Regular briefings be made to all Members through focus groups, events, newsletters, briefing notes and seminars.

The Executive approved the Private Sector Housing Strategy in April 2003 (Minute 396) subject to review in 6 months.  The Council has allocated money to improve housing or to bring empty properties back into use.  However, the take up of grants under this system is nil.  This means the Council is facing a substantial underspend in its Capital Programme.  Received a report seeking to reduce this underspend by making changes to the Private Sector Housing Strategy in advance of a fuller review, however an underspend of £250,000 is still anticipated in the 2003/04 budget.

Agreed, in order to reduce the risk of underspend and to meet the aims of the Private Sector Housing Strategy, to replace the existing policy for financial assistance with:

1.  Repair Grants and Safety Net Grants – increased maximum amount and altered payback requirements as set out in the report.

2.  Empty Property Grants – amended as set out in the report.

3.  Grants for Home Improvement Zones.  This is a new form of financial assistance.

4.  Financial assistance to always be based on owners’ responsibility for their own home.

Following the decision by the Executive (May 2003, Minute 5) to select a number of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to be the preferred partners of the Council in developing and managing new affordable homes, received a report proposing to add additional RSLs to the panel of preferred partners.

Appendix A of the report was withdrawn.

Agreed, in order to strengthen the Council’s ability to deliver high quality new affordable homes and to bring about successful regeneration programmes:

1.  To admit London & Quadrant Housing Trust and Presentation Housing Association to the preferred RSL partners panel, subject to the condition in paragraph 2.1 of the report.

2.  To include Southern Housing Group in the RSL panel, subject to good progress over the next 6 months with the new housing development at St Ann’s.

3.  That RSLs are fully committed to the Council’s Community Priorities and signed up to the protocol for RSLs before any sites are allocated to them.

Received a report outlining  a request from City of Westminster Council asking if this authority would consider transferring its Basic Credit Approval (BCA) for 2003/2004 to the City of Westminster.

In return for transferring the BCA this Council will receive payment in kind in the form of technical financial support from Westminster regarding the analysis of the 2004/2005 grant settlement and other associated work. 

Agreed to transfer the BCA to the City of Westminster in exchange for specific technical support, subject to detailed terms being agreed by the Director of Finance.

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

Noted the Treasury Management Annual report 2002/2003