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 declared.

Agreed

Received a report on the proposed Planning Advice Note (PAN) 4, in relation to religious meeting places in the Borough. This PAN would act as the Council’s guidance document on how to meet the increasing demand for religious meeting places in the Borough and reduce the number of applications being refused planning permission.

Agreed, in order to achieve the Council’s Community Priorities of ‘Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity’ and ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’ to:  

1.  Approve Planning Advice Note (PAN) 4 in relation to Religious Meeting Places; and

2.  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to make non-material changes as may be necessary to the document PAN 4 prior to its publication.

Appendices A and B to this report are contained in Supplementary 1 to this agenda.

Received a report concerning the adoption of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which set out the minimum standards required to prepare the Borough’s Local Development Framework (LDF) and processing of planning applications. 

Agreed, in order to meet the Council’s Community Priority of “Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity”, to adopt the Local Development Framework Statement of Community Involvement.

The document “Futures 2007/08: Barking and Dagenham’s Corporate Plan” will be circulated to Members under separate cover and will be available on the Council’s website (www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk) and in public libraries.

Received the Council’s draft Corporate Plan for 2007-08 which set out how the Council had performed in the previous year, its targets for the future and how it intended to contribute to deliver the Community Priorities.

Agreed, in order to comply with statutory requirements, to recommend the Assembly to:

1.  Formally approve the Council’s Corporate Plan for 2007-08;  and

2.  Authorise the Chief Executive to sign-off the final version of the Corporate Plan, including making any further necessary changes, prior to its formal publication by 30 June 2007.

Received a report seeking a number of changes to the Local Implementation Plan prior to its submission to the Mayor of London for his approval. 

Agreed, in order to assist in achieving the Community Priorities ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, ‘Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity’ and ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’, to:

1.  The final changes to the draft Local Implementation Plan (LIP) as detailed in the report;

2.  Recommend the Assembly approve the Local Implementation Plan for the Borough and agree its submission to the Mayor of London for his approval.

Appendix A to this report are contained in Supplementary 1 to this agenda.

Received a report seeking approval for community consultation on the Issues and Options section of the Barking Town Centre Action Plan, which set out what the Council regarded as the main planning issues within the Barking Town Centre area and a range of options for tackling those issues.

Agreed, in order to comply with statutory requirements, to authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to make any non material changes and approve the final version of the Issues and Options Report and other relevant documents prior to consultation.

Received a report on the Council’s provisional revenue and capital outturn position for the financial year 2006/07.

The final position for the Council’s General Fund revenue services highlighted an overall overspend of £94k, after carry forward requests from departments.

For the Housing Revenue Account, the final working balance showed a position of £1.7m which continued to demonstrate sound financial strength.

For Capital, the final position showed that £70.7m had been spent out of the original budgeted programme of £66m and a final working budget of £76.6m, which showed that considerable progress had been made in quicker capital delivery based on accurate profiling.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice, to:

1.  Note the final outturn position of the Council’s revenue budgets for 2006/07;

2.  Approve the use of the Council’s General Reserve balances to fund the small 2006/07 overspend;

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

4.  Approve the carry forwards from the Revenue budget to be incorporated into the relevant 2007/08 Departmental budgets;

5.  Note the outturn position for the 2006/07 Financial Health Indicators;

6.  Note the final outturn position of the Council’s Capital programme;

7.  Approve the carry forward of categories A, B, D and E (i.e. committed and rolling programmes) from the 2006/07 Capital Programme to be incorporated into 2007/08 relevant service capital programmes and approve the carry forward of category C schemes (i.e. not yet contractually committed) subject to an appraisal through the CPMO process;

8.  Approve that the appropriate 2007/08 budgets be adjusted for advanced expenditure in 2006/07 of £1.5m; and

9.  Note the outturn position for 2006/07 Prudential Indicators.

Received a report concerning the acceptance of a tender to engage a learning partner to identify, support and develop workers with literacy, numeracy and language needs to support the Automotive Upskilling Training and Development Programme at Dagenham Engine Plant.

Agreed, in order to safeguard local employment, secure the future of the Ford Dagenham Engine Plant and assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’, that:

1.  Tribal Education be awarded the contract to provide Skills for Life Training and Development services at the Ford Motor Company Dagenham Engine Plant on the terms set out in the report; and

2.  Officers liaise with the Executive member for Regeneration regarding the possibility of him overseeing the implementation of the training scheme.

Agreed to exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting by reason of the nature of the business to be discussed which included information exempt from publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).