Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Noted a report highlighting the conclusions and key recommendations arising from the recent inspection of Older People’s Services by the Social Services Inspectorate.  The report also outlined the continuing improvements in the Older People’s Services and areas for further development which will have a positive impact on the Social Services Star Rating.

Received a report highlighting the activities undertaken and the outcomes following the successful bid for Beacon Council Status in April 2003 for the theme ‘Transforming Secondary Education’.  The report also confirmed that the Council is entitled to continue to use the Beacon Council logo, with the theme and date displayed appropriately.

Agreed representation by the Head of Revenue Services and one other officer at this Conference to be held on 12 – 15 October 2004 in order to network with other local authorities and central government departments, learn about forthcoming changes and share good practice within the field of Revenues and Benefits.

Agreed representation by the Head of Information Management and Technology, the Production Services Manager and the Technology Services Manager at this Conference to be held on 10 – 12 October 2004 in order to network with other local authorities, share best practice in areas such as modernisation, best value, e-government and achieving excellence in the delivery of public services.

Appendix B to this report is private and confidential and is attached as Item 18.

Received a report setting out a policy framework for the evaluation of requests for discretionary rate relief and the introduction of a local appeals process.  The report also highlighted changes required to the Council’s Constitution in order for the policy to be effected.

Agreed, in order to ensure that the Council meets its legal obligations, adopts recognised good practice, and that awards of relief are focussed on providing assistance to organisations which help the Council to achieve its Community Priorities, to:

1. Formally adopt the policy for the award of discretionary non-domestic rates relief, attached as Appendix A to the report, subject to introducing a second level of appeal to the Executive for discretionary rate relief under £2,000;

2. Recommend the Assembly to amend the Council’s Constitution to delegate to the Director of Finance all initial decisions on the award of discretionary relief, and also decisions on appeals up to an annual cost to the Council of £2,000; and

3. Recommend the Assembly to amend the Council’s Constitution to delegate to the Executive:

a)  All decisions on appeal where the annual cost to the Council will exceed £2,000; and

b)  All decisions as a second level of appeal where the annual cost to the Council will not exceed £2,000.

Received a report proposing the use of corporate underspends from 2003 / 2004 to address pressures on the Council’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure which have come to light in recent months.

Agreed, in order to maintain the smooth running of ICT to sustain day-to-day activities, to support the delivery of all services and avoid the risk of serious disruption to services, to:

1. Additional expenditure of £1,100,000 in 2004 / 2005 on areas of ICT infrastructure (as set out in tables 1 and 2 of the report) which provide support for all council services;

2. The use corporate underspends for 2003 / 2004 to fund these actions;

3. The ICT infrastructure implications of new projects to be evaluated so as to ensure funding of renewal and growth on a sustainable budgeting basis from 2005 / 2006 onwards; and

4. An additional staff resource of 1 full time employee in Information Management and Technology (IM&T) to ensure that the operating software on the council’s 3000+ computers are properly updated (as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report).

Received a report outlining the basis to be established locally for the disposal of Council land and other assets.  The report proposes that in future if the circumstances are appropriate, options other than taking capital receipts for disposals are progressed where the benefits for the community and Council can be demonstrated to exceed the monetary value of the receipt satisfying the Council’s legal obligation to achieve best consideration from assets. 

Agreed, in order to facilitate physical and social regeneration, estate renewal programmes and aid the Council to meet the decent homes target, to:

1. In principle, to forego capital receipts for Council housing land / asset disposals where projects meet corporate objectives in terms of regeneration, the achievement of the decent homes target and the aim of providing sustainable communities.  This would apply to Barking Town Centre and Thames View Estate.  This would also apply where a clear case can be demonstrated to ensure value for money is achieved from the disposal of the asset; and

2. Receive a detailed report on each proposal for a reduced capital receipt before commencement of that proposal as detailed in paragraph 5.6 of the report.

Received a report proposing a programme and method to deliver the effective regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate.

Agreed, in order to bring forward the most effective method of delivery for the comprehensive regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate and meet agreed project plan timescales necessary to meet the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s sign off deadlines, to:

1. The Development Principles for consultation and that further development and implementation be carried out in consultation with Ward Members and the Lead Members for ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’ and ‘Regeneration’;

2. In principle, the proposal for the regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate to be delivered by a Joint Venture / Public Private Partnership in conjunction with the Housing Futures Project;

3. Waive the Council’s Contract Rules to allow the immediate appointment of Beha Williams Norman to assist with the development of a model for the delivery partnership and a brief to tender for a partner at an estimated fee of £16,000 plus VAT; and

4. The proposed programme as set out in the report.

Further to Minute 131 (17 September 2002), received a report reviewing the mobile security service introduced to the Gascoigne Estate as a pilot to in order to assess the impact and benefits.  The report proposed to enhance the service provided and that a service charge be applied to each household which would continue to receive benefit from the service.

Agreed, in order to ensure that rents reflect tenants choice of services, to the introduction of a service charge to cover the costs of providing an enhanced mobile security patrol, subject to consultation with tenants and leaseholders, at a weekly cost of £2.00.

Noted a report highlighting the achievements of the Rylands Home Improvement Zone, including the positive outcomes that have been achieved on the estate, the lessons that have been learned for future schemes and the future initiatives that are being planned.

Agreed, in order to highlight the continued commitment of the Private Sector Housing Team, and the Council as a whole, and meet the Community Priorities of ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’ and ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, to publish the Rylands Home Improvement Zone Interim Report.

Received a report outlining the Council’s revenue and capital outturn position for the financial year 2003 / 2004.  At the end of 2003 / 2004 the Council has a net underspend of £1.891 million, after carry forward requests from departments, against a profiled budget for the year of £205.2 million.

Agreed to:

1. Note the final outturn position of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets for 2003 / 2004;

2. Reaffirm that service overspends identified be met initially from the relevant Department’s 2004 / 2005 budget and that the Director of Education, Arts and Libraries reports back on the 2004 / 2005 budget position with relevant actions;

3. Note the position of the working balance for the Housing Revenue Account;

4. The carry forwards from the Revenue budget to be incorporated into the relevant 2004 / 2005 Departmental budgets (set out in Appendix B to the report);

5. The carry forwards, for categories A, B, D and E (i.e. committed and rolling programmes), from the 2003 / 2004 Capital Programme to be incorporated into 2004 / 2005 relevant service capital programmes (set out in Appendix D to the report);

6. Category C schemes in the roll forward requests to undergo an appraisal through the Capital Programme Monitoring Office process and that these schemes only proceed with the appropriate approval (set out in Appendix E to the report);

7. Adjust the appropriate 2004 / 2005 budgets for advanced expenditure in 2003 / 2004 (as set out in Appendix F to the report);

8. The funding of £1.1 million from the revenue underspend for Information Communication Technology infrastructure works;

9. Allocate £255,000 from the revenue underspend to Education for Looked after Children;

10. The establishment of an Interest Equalisation Reserve of £300,000 from the revenue underspend; and

11. Allocate the remaining revenue underspend of approximately £250,000 to General Reserves.

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