Agenda and minutes

Agreed, subject to the inclusion of the following decision:

Minute 205 – ‘Community Music Service – Extension of Facilities’

4.  Support the proposal to permanently relocate the Barking Amateur Boxing Club to the former Lido site in Barking Park subject to further discussions with the Club and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Appendices 1 and 2 are circulated separately for Members of the Executive, and are available on the Internet, in the Members’ Rooms and at public libraries.

Received a report presenting the final version of the Barking Town Centre Interim Planning Guidance (IPG) for approval and adoption.  

Agreed to approve and adopt the Barking Town Centre Interim Planning Guidance as the Council’s and developer’s guidance tool for future land uses and development within the Town Centre.

Received a report setting out arrangements for the Council’s representation at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s “Delivering Sustainable Communities Summit” in Manchester on 31^st January – 2^nd February 2005. 

Agreed, in order to contribute to the Community Priority of ‘Regenerating the Local Community, to:

1.  Representation by the Lead Member for Regeneration Councillor Kallar, the Director of Regeneration and Environment Niall Bolger and officers from Regeneration Implementation (Jeremy Grint) and Planning (Peter Wright and Gordon Glenday);

2.  An exhibition at the Conference and the attendance of officers from Regeneration Implementation (Rob Shooter, Lisa Clitheroe and Jo Sinclair) to run the Council’s stand and respond to enquiries; and

3.  Total costs of £11,800, covering the cost of exhibiting, delegate attendance and associated costs to be met from existing budgets.

Received a report providing information regarding the Council's performance in respect of equalities and diversity in employment for the year April 2003 to March 2004.

Agreed to the actions for 2004 / 2005, in accordance with the Council's Five Year Strategy on Equalities and Diversity in Employmentin order to continue to develop Equalities and Diversity in Employment in line with national and local developments.

Received a report seeking authorisation to remove a restrictive covenant at 71 Kier Hardie Way, Dagenham in order that the person named in the report can build a two bed end terrace dwelling.

Agreed, to the removal of the restrictive covenant at 71 Keir Hardie Way, in order for the named person to undertake a project consistent with the Borough’s Urban Development Programme.

Received a report seeking approval to correctly identify Amenity Greens and to subsequently re-apportion costs for maintenance of Amenity Greens from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to the General Fund.

Agreed, in order to ensure that revenue costs are funded from the appropriate budgets where Amenity Greens are a key part of the public domain, to:

1.  Reapportion £142,817 from the HRA to the General Fund for 2004 / 2005 (being effective from 1st January 2005) and £571,265 for the full year commencing 2005 / 2006 through the process of administrative rectification;

2.  Note that the sum of £71,265 is in addition to the provisional sum of £500,000 set aside in the budget setting process for 2004 / 2005; and

3.  Note that this additional sum needs to be considered as part of the budget setting process for 2005 / 2006.

Received a report detailing the severe pressures that Children’s Services are experiencing from frequent turnover and shortages of qualified and experienced Children’s Social Workers.

Agreed, in order to attract and retain staff in Children’s Services, to:

1.  The payment of recruitment and retention incentives as outlined in section 6.2 of the report; and

2.  Note ongoing actions being taken to improve recruitment and retention.

Further to Minute 45 (29 June 2004), noted a report describing developments and progress to date in the Looked After Children Health and Education Service (LACHES).

Noted a report advising of the requirement for all staff employed as Social Workers to be registered with the General Social Care Council by 1 April 2005, implications for the Council and progress in the Social Services Department.

Received a report detailing the findings of a review examining options for the future development and funding of the Racial Equality Council (REC) and Ethnic Minority Partnership Agency (EMPA).

Agreed, in order to effectively support the delivery of high quality services to the Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Barking and Dagenham, to:

1.  The proposal of merging EMPA in to a reconstituted Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), funded through the CVS grant award.  The REC is to continue to deliver existing services with a requirement for closer co-ordination with EMPA on joint activities, projects and use of resources; and

2.  Develop an action plan with time scales for implementation.

Further to Minute 306 (24 February 2004), received a report outlining developments which have impacted on the delivery of individual schemes within the Capital Programme and identifies actions to manage the associated risk delivery. 

Agreed, in order to enable continuity and ensure the delivery of the Capital Programme as well as to assist the Council in achieving the Community Priorities of ‘Regenerating the Local Community’, ‘Better Education and Learning for All’, ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ and ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’, to:

1.  Reduce expenditure in the Capital Programme 2004 / 2005 on Education, Arts and Libraries schemes by £9,590,583;

2.  The delay of this expenditure amounting to £9,590,583 to the 2005 / 2006 financial year.

3.  The changes to budgets set out in the report and amounting to £279,769, of which £263,000 are virements with savings of £8,279;

4.  Note that the Council was unsuccessful in its bid to the Department for Education and Skills ‘Building Schools for the Future Programme’ and that a further report will be presented to the Executive in due Course; and

5.  Note that £1million of A13 Arts Lottery Funding will now not be made available following a Capital Programme review by the Arts Council England.

Appendix 1 is circulated separately for Members of the Executive, and is available on the Internet, in the Members’ Rooms and at public libraries.

Received a report setting out the Council’s expected position at December 2005 in meeting e-government targets set out by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) as ‘Priority Outcomes’. 

Agreed, in order to achieve the Government’s performance indicator (BVPI 157) of 100% of council services (where practicable) to be accessible electronically by April 2005, to:

1.  The submission of IEG Statement (4) to the ODPM on 20 December 2004 (noting that Section 6 is to be completed prior to submission);

2.  Note the current corporate position in achieving 100% of providing services electronically as being defined as 53.36% in 2004; and

3.  Allocate funding from IEG money from the ODPM of £350,000 for actioning priority outcomes in 2004 / 2005 and £150,000 for 2005 / 2006.

Appendix A is circulated separately for Members of the Executive, and is available on the Internet, in the Members’ Rooms and at public libraries.

Received a report presenting the final draft of the proposed Anti-Social Behaviour Policy and Procedures, from the Council’s ‘Housing Landlord’ perspective, and the publication strategy.

Agreed, in order to comply with the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, to:

1.  The wording, subject to minor administrative amendments, and content of the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy and Procedures; and

2.  The publication of the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy and Procedures and a summary of these, as outlined in the publication strategy.

Received a report detailing information about the dental health of the local population and the possible effects of water fluoridation, in preparation for the consultation being carried out by the Strategic Health Authority. 

The Council has no objection in principle to the flouridisation of the water supply but would welcome wider consultation with the local community.

Noted the issue and knock on effects of low water pressure is being raised through the Association of London Government.

Received a report proposing names for the supported housing units at Bevan Avenue and Ravensfield Close.

Agreed, in order that applications for postal addresses can be obtained, to name the following developments, subject to the views of the Post Office and Emergency Services:

1.  The Ravensfield Close development – ‘Summerfield Court’; and

2.  The Bevan Avenue development – ‘Bevan House’.

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 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.