Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Received a report on the proposed charge for 2005/06 for the Council’s Careline service, which provides vulnerable residents with speedy telephonic assistance for emergency situations and aids independent living.

Agreed to a charge of £180.81 (£3.48 per week) for 2005/06 for the Careline service, an increase of 7%.

Received a report on the Cemeteries Service Best Value review carried out in 2000/01 and the progress made in implementing the Action Plan.

Agreed to note the achievements of the Service since the review started and officially class the Cemeteries Service Best Value Review and Action Plan as being completed.

Received a report on proposed changes to the Council’s Code of Corporate Governance in the light of the first annual review of the Code.

Agreed, in order to comply with the Corporate Governance Framework set by CIPFA and SOLACE and meet the expectations of the Council’s external auditors, to recommend the Assembly to agree the suggested revisions and the associated changes necessary to the Council’s Constitution as set out in the appendix to the report.

Received a report on the allocation from Transport for London of funding for traffic, transportation, road safety and highways projects in the Borough under the London Mayor’s Borough Spending Plan programme for 2005/06.

Agreed to note the current allocation of £3.597m for projects in 2005/06.

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 on a draft Borough Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP), which sets out a structure to protect and enhance the flora and fauna in the Borough and establishes objectives for the creation and protection of nature conservation in the urban and natural environment.

Agreed, to help achieve the Council’s Community Priorities of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ and ‘Better Education and Learning for All’, to adopt the Barking and Dagenham LBAP as attached at Appendix A to the report.

Received a report on a proposal to designate three further sites in the Borough as Local Nature Reserves.

Agreed, to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ and ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’, to:

1.  The declaration of Eastbrookend Country Park (Beam Valley extension), Mayesbrook Park Lake (South) and Parsloes Park ‘Squatts’ as Local Nature Reserves; and

2.  Authorise the Director of Regeneration and Environment to issue the necessary notices and enter into legal arrangements to enable the declarations to formally take place.

Further to Minute 100 (7 September 2004), received and noted a report providing feedback on the event which took place on 16-17 September 2004.

Further to Minute 223 (16 December 2003), received a report providing feedback on the 2004 event and a request for Member and officer attendance at this year’s conference which is to be held on 19-21 October 2005 in Birmingham.

Agreed to representation by one officer and two Members at this year’s conference at a cost of £1600, which will be met from the Social Services training budget.

Further to Minute 338 (23 March 2004), received and noted a report giving feedback on the conference which took place on 19-20 May 2004.

Further to Minute 49 (20 July 2004), received and noted a report giving feedback on the conference which took place on 12-15 October 2004.

Received a report and presentation on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) estimates and review of rents and other charges for 2005/06.  Discussed issues relating to the publicising of the unpooling of rents / service charge proposals via the More Choice in Lettings system and a plan to create a Rents Focus Group, whose membership would be made up of Council representatives and members of the local community.

Agreed, in order to meet the Council’s statutory duty to annually review rents and other charges, to ensure rent levels conform with the Government’s rent restructuring proposals, and to produce a balanced HRA, to:

1.  The HRA estimates for 2005-06 as set out in Appendix A to the report;

2.  Rent increases calculated in accordance with the rent restructuring formula, as detailed in the report, which represents an average weekly rent increase of £2.25 (3.7%);

3.  The unpooling of rents / service charges in respect of the caretaking service, the upkeep of amenity greens and the provision of door security systems on a five-year phased basis as detailed in the report;

4.  The increase of heating charges and garage rents in line with inflation (3.1%);

5.  The above changes taking effect from 4 April 2005; and

6.  The establishment of a Rents Focus Group, subject to a further report on the detailed proposals.

Received a report on the work being undertaken in the area of Emergency Planning on a London-wide basis via the London Resilience Forum and the further steps to be taken in preparation for the Civil Contingencies Act, which comes into force on 1 April 2005.  Also discussed the Council’s internal arrangements for dealing with emergency situations.

Agreed, to assist in the achievement of the Council’s Community Priority of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, to:

1.  Note the actions currently being taken on Emergency Planning across London; and

2.  The continued involvement of the Council’s Emergency Planning Team and the Chief Executive in the London-wide arrangements.

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