Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Deferred.

Received a report seeking to adopt the revised Planning Brief for Axe Street Car Park as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Agreed, in order to pave the way for the development of new affordable homes allied to the Town Square development, to:

1. The revised Axe Street Town Square Phases 1 and 2 Planning Brief as Supplementary Planning Guidance; and

2. Enter into partnership with East Thames Housing Group, as the Council’s preferred developer for 100% affordable housing on the Axe Street site, subject to the agreement of the ‘Housing Partnership’ (the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships).

Received a report providing an update on the London Road / North Street project, which included an outline of the process for bringing the site forward for development through a proposed partnership with Metropolitan Housing Trust, one of the Councils preferred Registered Social Landlord partners. 

Agreed, in order to begin the regeneration process for Barking Town Centre in line with the agreed Barking Town Centre Framework:

1. To the partnership with Metropolitan Housing Trust in order to produce a development brief for the London Road / North Street area;

2. To comprehensive stakeholder engagement in order to produce the development brief; and

3. That funding be sought to facilitate the stakeholder engagement.

Received a report setting out a review of the Housing Revenue Account estimates for 2003 / 2004 and 2004 / 2005 and the level of rents for Council Tenants for 2004 / 2005.

Agreed, in order to comply with the statutory duty to review rent levels annually and to ensure they conform with rent restructuring proposals, and to produce a balanced Housing Revenue Account, to:

1. The revised estimates for 2003 / 2004 and the estimates for 2004 / 2005 as set out on Appendix A of the report;

2. An average weekly rent increase of £2.22 per dwelling (3.8%);

3. Changes taking effect from 5 April 2004; and

4. Make representation to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to apply the lower Right to Buy Discount.

Further to Minute 238 (26 November 2002), received a report setting out a revised balance of the mix of property tenure types and the reason for the changes in respect of the proposed development of the former allotment sites at Blackborne Road, Digby Gardens, Hedgemans Road and Reede Road.

Agreed, in order to deliver the Council’s objectives in terms of capital receipts and a range of new homes to help meet local housing needs and aspirations, to proceed with the disposal and development of Blackborne Road, Digby Gardens, Hedgemans Road and Reede Road sites on the basis of the housing mix schemes shown in paragraph 3.3 of the report with Metropolitan Housing Trust and Stort Valley.

A full copy of the Best Value Review of Procurement is available from the Members’ Rooms, on the Internet and at public libraries.

Received the final report of the Procurement Best Value Review, which presents the findings of the review and recommendations for the future.

Agreed, in order to achieve significant improvements over the next five years, to:

1. Recommend the Assembly to adopt the findings of the Procurement Best Value Review and agree the Improvement Plan;

2. The Procurement Strategy as set out in Appendix 1 of the Review Report.

3. The principle of establishing a Strategic Procurement Unit, subject to final post evaluation and cost analysis;

4. A growth bid of £150,000 to support the development of the Strategic Procurement Unit; and

5. To receive a future report on the overall structure, role and responsibilities of the Strategic Procurement Unit from the Director of Finance following full job evaluation.

Received a report outlining the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s formal consultation paper on the proposed Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for East London, incorporating parts of Barking and Dagenham (a copy of the consultation paper was attached to the report).

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities of “Regenerating the Local Economy”, and “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care”, and respond by the deadline of 6 February 2004, to:

1. Endorse the Council’s response to the UDC consultation (attached as Appendix 2 to the report subject to comments made by Members), noting that the Council is currently unable to endorse the establishment of the UDC due to fundamental issues remaining unresolved, and

2. A further report on the Government’s final proposals to be presented to the Executive in due course, when a final decision on whether to support the establishment of the UDC will be presented to Members for consideration.

Received a report setting out progress made in establishing collaborative working by agencies at national and sub regional level in pursuit of the plans set out in the Barking Town Centre Action Plan.

Agreed, the establishment of the Barking Town Centre Partnership and the draft Terms of Reference and Joint Statement of Intent, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, in order to provide a coordinated approach to the regeneration of Barking Town Centre.

Received a report suggesting proposals to change the current policy on the letting and management of Council owned garages following a report to the Scrutiny Management Board on 25 June 2003 (Minute 12 refers).

Councillor Fairbrass declared an interest in this item.

Agreed, in order to reduce the void level for garages by 10% in the next financial year and to ensure that rental income is maximised and the repair and cleanliness of garages can be enhanced, to:

1. Introduce a reduced rental for new garage tenants for a six-month period as an incentive in areas where garages are difficult to let.  Decisions on the setting of introductory rent charges to be delegated to the Director of Housing and Health in consultation with the Director of Finance;

2. Receive a further report on the issue of relaxing the policy around garage usage;

3. To the continuation of garage rental income being ring fenced and being used for:

a)  The provision of additional security to garage sites.

b)  The demolition of deteriorated sites where this is considered to be the only viable option.

c)  The continuation of a refurbishment programme, to be delegated to the Director of Housing and Health in consultation with the relevant Community Housing Partnership Boards.

4. Increase rents in line with inflation by 19p per week net, which is in line with the Charging Policy Commission recommendations;

5. Set up a cleaning team to carry out cyclical cleaning of garage sites.  The funding of this team to be met from the ring fenced garage income; and

6. The targets set for the reduction of void garages in the next financial year.

Received a report seeking authorisation to remove a restrictive covenant at 61 Kier Hardie Way, Dagenham in order that the developer named in the report can replace the existing single dwelling with a small block of 12 flats.  It was noted that the issue of the covenant is not a Planning matter and therefore could not have been considered at the time planning permission was granted.

Agreed, to the removal of the restrictive covenant at 61 Keir Hardie Way, in order for the named developer to undertake a project compatible with the Community Priorities of ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’.

Councillor Smith asked that his vote against the recommendation for the uplift of the covenant be recorded.

Received a report detailing the principles of More Choice In Lettings (MCIL), which outlined the alternative preference systems in operation.  The report also proposed a programme of consultation.

Agreed, in order to enhance the Community Priority of ‘Developing Rights and Responsibilities with the Local Community’, to:

1. Adopt a MCIL policy based on a date order model using 3 bands:

a)  A ‘non active’ band for those households who do not fall into a reasonable preference category;

b)  An emergency or ‘additional preference’ band for those households who cannot continue in their present home; and

c)  A ‘reasonable preference band’ for all other households.

2. Appoint the East London Lettings Consortium (ELLC) to administer the scheme in conjunction with the Council, as outlined in paragraph 4.6;

3. The public consultation process outlined in paragraph 6.3 of the report;

4. Arrangements for transitional protection as outlinedin paragraph 3.1 of the report;

5. The Tenants Incentive Scheme outlined in paragraph 5.1 of the report; and

6. Single tender action for the purchase from specialist suppliers of the Novalet lettings system; Internet kiosks and property advertising magazine.

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

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