Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Further to Minute 2 (24 May 2005), received and noted a report providing feedback on the 2005 CIPFA Conference.

Received a report on the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets for the period 1 April to 31 August 2005, including details of the action being taken by Chief Officers to ensure a balanced position by the year end and the position and projected out-turn for the Housing Revenue Account.  Noted in particular that discussions will be held with the East London Waste Authority regarding trade waste charges in the light of the in-year increase which has impacted on the revenue budget within the Regeneration and Environment Department.

The report also set out proposals for the reprofiling of budgets for several schemes within the Council’s Capital Programme. 

Agreed, in order to maintain an accurate capital budget position, to the reprofiling of Capital Programme schemes as set out in Appendix D to the report, and to the Director of Finance making further minor changes in order to represent the most current position.

In respect of the reprofiling of the St. George’s Complex new voluntary sector building scheme, noted that in view of the decision at our meeting on 11 October 2005 regarding the temporary use of Kingsbridge for voluntary sector accommodation (Minute 145) the proposal to appoint a consultant to review voluntary sector accommodation availability in Barking Town Centre will be deferred pending a full analysis of options around the use of the Kingsbridge site.

Appendices A and B have been circulated to Members under separate cover and are also available on the Internet, in the Members’ Rooms and at public libraries.

Received a report on revised policies and procedures in respect of ‘Managing Attendance - Sickness Absence’ and ‘Redundancy, Redeployment and Assimilation’, which have been considered and endorsed by the Employee Joint Consultative Committee.

Agreed, in order to ensure that up-to-date and consistent Human Resources procedures are in place across the Council, to the implementation of the ‘Managing Attendance – Sickness Absence’ and ‘Redundancy, Redeployment and Assimilation’ policies, as detailed in Appendices A and B respectively, with effect from 1 November 2005.

Received a report on a proposal to extend the mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), which applies to all HMOs of three or more storeys and in which five or more people live, to cover all types of HMO in the Borough.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’, to:

(i)  The extension of the mandatory licensing scheme for larger HMOs to cover all HMOs in the Borough, in accordance with discretionary powers available to the Council under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 and subject to the Secretary of State’s approval; and

(ii)  Authorise the Director of Housing and Health to set fee levels for the HMO licensing scheme, in line with the recommendations of the Council’s Charging Policy Commission.

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

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