Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

None

Agreed

Received a report proposing the adoption of an Energy Efficiency Programme across Council buildings, and seeking approval for the Council’s participation in the Carbon Trust’s ‘Carbon Management Programme’.

The draft Energy Efficiency Programme contained 23 energy saving projects, including installing a software system to accurately monitor energy consumption, implementing an invest-to-save programme of physical improvements to heating and cooling systems and running an energy awareness campaign for all staff.

Members noted that to enable implementation of the energy efficiency programme, a new ‘energy management system’ had been drafted that clarified responsibilities across the Council for dealing with energy bills, addressing energy consumption and implementing energy saving opportunities.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council achieve its Community Priorities of:

‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’, ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’

and ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’, to:

1)  Approve the draft Energy Efficiency Programme for delivering energy savings in Council buildings and note the need for any additional funding to be sought and agreed from external and internal resources before implementation;

2)  Approve funding of £100k to implement the first project in the programme – an energy data management  and monitoring system from the existing capital budget of Regeneration Initiatives - and the appropriate virement required;

3)  Approve the development of an ‘energy management system’ that outlines roles and responsibilities across the Council for managing bills, energy consumption and implementing energy saving opportunities; and

4)  Approve the Council’s (free) participation in the Carbon Trust’s ‘Carbon Management Programme’; and

5)  Note the transfer of the Sustainable Energy Officers from Spatial Regeneration to the Strategic Procurement Team.

Received a report detailing the proposal to make Barking and Dagenham a Fairtrade Borough.

The Council is a major employer, user of resources and purchaser of goods, and therefore has a major impact on the environment and a responsibility to lead by example to promote sustainable and ethical purchasing.

Making Barking and Dagenham a Fairtrade Borough demonstrates the Council’s commitment to sustainable development and ethical and sustainable procurement. It will also have far reaching effects on producer communities globally.

Agreed, in order to help the Council achieve a high CPA rating through leading by example on environmentally sustainable practices in the Council’s everyday workings, that the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham becomes a Fairtrade Council and supports the borough achieving the five goals set by the Fairtrade Foundation to gain Fairtrade status.

Received a report detailing the findings of the Scrutiny Management Board at their meeting on 11 October 2006, held to consider a Call-In of the Executive decision on 1 August 2006 relating to the Review of Community Forums – Five Years On.

Noted, that in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of ‘Developing Rights and Responsibilities with the Local Community’ and to enhance and improve the arrangements for community engagement, that the Scrutiny Management Board agreed to dismiss the Call-In and let the Executive decision stand but requested that the detailed report referred to in the recommendations be submitted quickly.